Adversity drives one to Innovation
It was April 2020 when Sri Lanka was on lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic and so many wanted to do something immediately to help the country reach to the pandaemic so that life can resume but with a total curfew in place( just like many other countries) there was nothing one can do Said Dr Rohantha Athukorala addressing Rotary Club of Renmark via Zoom. The club is situated rural South Australia and had heard about what Rotary was doing in Sri Lanka and had invited twice ‘ Best Rotarian’ in Sri Lanka and Current head of the Youth arm of 6800 Interactors and 7200 Rotaractors in Sri Lanka to address the community of Renmark.
“The lockdown was so sudden and absolute. It was hard not being in control of what you can and can’t do,” said Athukorala. “ Especially for us Rotarians who pride ourselves on helping our communities in desperate times….I yet remember being Chairman of Sri Lanka Export Development Board( EDB) Post the tsunami and we gave leadership to cross the $6 billion mark when back in 2005 but this time around we were helpless as the world was grappling to understand what to do.
Then we started contacting club and district leaders, talking with government officials, and listening to business leaders. By April he had a core team of top Rotarians who had a like minded attitude and the launched of “ Stop the Spread”- a comprehensive effort to reduce new infections through a two step communication strategy targeting behavior changes. Just like any other Innovation we faced road blocks but when the District Governor for Rotary Sri Lanka Ajith Weerasinghe has made the project a ‘ National Project, more than 5,000 Sri Lankan Interactors lead the communication campaign and be community advocates for specific behaviours such as wearing masks, washing hands, checking the temperature and social distancing. To complement the Interactors’ communication, Athukorala worked with the country’s Ministry of Sports and the National Olympic Committee to get top athletes to become ambassadors for Stop the Spread. More than 280 award winning athletes from the Commonwealth Games, South Asian Games, including stars in cricket and rugby, as well as Olympians — participated in videos and graphics that were posted on social media. Now the campaign is a National campaign under the auspices of the National Youth Council and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and sports quipped Athukorala
This effort as complimented with the Retractors implementing over 60 economic development projects said the Youth Service Chair Athukorala. The Rotaract Club of Kelaniya created a mobile app, Track the Spread, that allows Sri Lankans to log symptoms and register positive tests. The app is integrated with local hospitals and health centers so medical professionals can identify hotspots and communicate with people about their symptoms. It also allows people to purchase goods online from grocery stores, pharmacies, retail shops, and even pay utilities with the app, while allowing people to stay home and thus contain the spread. “This is helping commerce continue,” he said. The government of Sri Lanka is now testing the app for widespread adoption across its health departments.
Stop the Spread also promoted safety protocols through a certification process for businesses via the Government Standards Institute. The certification idea mooted by the Rotarians was welcomed by the Sri Lanka Standards Institute that enabled companies that are compliant with certain safety guidelines to be certified as a COVID-19-controlled environment. Protocols such as mandatory mask wearing, temperature checks, and social distancing had to be in place in order to receive the certification. Nearly 300 businesses, educational institutions, supermarkets, and other retailers have passed the programme’s rigorous audits and received certification, allowing customers and students feel safe while supporting these businesses. This sure helped stop the spread and get the economy back on its feet said Dr Athukorala.
“We have made the brand Rotary relevant in Sri Lanka and we have had a structured process of keeping COVID-19 at bay In are areas of control. Our next focus is making sure we can support the vaccination process where work has already started said Athukorala.
The Rotary Club of Australian President Graham Coventry commented ‘ These are the experiences that we in Rotary must share so that Rotary becomes more relevant in each country that it operates and there is benefit to the community.