The way I celebrated World Health Day at Arcade on 07th April 2019 with United Nation Volunteering Team

I know you are a great soul who is working hard to be a great person in your professional, academic, business (SDG) and entire lifestyle. I am telling you this because I am also a soul like you. 

Let me share a wonderful experience for you…I am here with a new story which actually describes four unforgettable days as a volunteer. You know, you are really lucky to be a part of this experience... 

A few years ago with the hope of meeting thousands of great personalities, I got into a wonderful train. 

In this journey, I abled to stopped at too many places, but you know where I stopped next (the station was) UNV (V-Force) which means the UnitedNations Volunteers. 

I stopped the train called “journey” and that was the place where I met people with different ethics, ethnics and religions, (SDG) those who work for a common goal. 

I can tell you that UNV (UnitedNations Volunteer) is a set of souls who work for a common goal to find solutions to a public issue. This is not a war but they target Children, women, men, youngsters, nature or anything to give their services for. 

We all know that UNV has no religion or gender discrimination (SDG) and that’s the only weapon to their success. And you know they start with the main issue they want to solve for people. That’s actually fantastic.

Oh! Wait till you hear the life lesson of this unforgettable story.

Can you agree with this statement, “a nation become strong with healthy children, parents, and also with elderly people?”

Remember on this planet everybody should give more attention & care with healthy tips. (SDG) This is quite usual, but always remember it is in our hand to make a healthy family and a healthy nation. I think this is the main reason why “World Health Organization (WHO)” born to this world on 7 April 1948 with the opinion to let people know, that we must take care of our health too.

Hey, wait… wait… you are reading the right article.

with an actress Sajana

Day 01 - Brainstorming meeting at WHO Sri Lanka

It was a Thursday 04^th April 2019, I had to find a place called Anderson Road, a place in Narahenpita, Colombo 5, Sri Lanka to reach the World health organization (WHO) with the hope of attending a meeting regarding the “Worth health day” event. Because after trying months, I have got selected for a volunteering program under “United Nation Volunteer” Sri Lanka. So they asked me to come for a meeting session to get familiar with the procedures and I must tell you that, it was totally a new experience I faced.

 Everything including the environment was so natural and nature-friendly.(SDG). The meeting was held to give all United Nation Volunteers to introduce them to each other and also to get an idea about the “World health day event” which was planned for 07th April 2019.

A person came to the lobby where we were seated and asked us to come to a session room to attend the meeting. You know before I went to this meeting, I felt like quite nervous I even like went into the meeting room. But I felt like anxiety and I was nervous because I was not used to it.

We started the session with refreshments, that’s usual, everyone gave a simple introduction about them that’s too usual, but the words given by the United Nation Volunteer (UNV) coordinators & World Health organization (WHO) Personalities that are not usual.

Things went smoothly & the particular meeting helped me to meet more than 30 new faces from different places, religions, ethics and ethics in Sri Lanka.

You know we are really lucky to see examples of such people in this world, those who fight for changing obstacles into opportunities. Because we have a lot to learn from them. That is what I felt after met those great personalities. Once the meeting was over, a friend I met there named (Azri) took a trishaw. So with that, I abled to return my home nearly at 7.00pm.

Day 02 - An unforgettable Friday with nearly “08 friends”

It was nearly 6.30 in the morning, 05^th April 2019. An unforgettable day because that’s my first day as a UN Volunteer. I woke up with a fresh mind with the hope of attending 6 people of a group to help them with my small support as a volunteer. So I went through a quick brush and quick wash, then got ready and had my routine breakfast “traditional gee Roti with masala curry”.

A few minutes later, went to take my bus. It took nearly one hour for me to reach the place “world health organization (WHO)” and there were few v-force volunteers/members waiting for me to join them. Namely (Ishini, Nethmi, Vimukthi, Bhuddhika, Azri, Chaturika and few more) I was curious and eager to know what's going to happen next. But you know, it was so unpredictable what I felt once I finished that day 02.

Friday team

On that day I realized that I was also a wonderful workmate. We did some back end works, helped coordinators like Sonali Silve with our small and little support.

Since it was a Friday two of us (I and Azri) had to take our own time for our Friday Jummah Salat. So we had a little walk here and there to find our Jummah Masjid since we were not so familiar with the area, but fortunately, a person called “Mr Saman” helped us to find our jummah masjid. 

We returned back to the World health organization once we finished our Friday prayers, then we went back to our assigned tasks with our friends, time went quickly with crazy funny dialogues and jokes. But I am sure the end of this experience will teach you something really very special.

Day 03 - The Day before World Health Day Event

On the first meeting session, we had, at the World Health Organization (WHO) we were asked to visit the Arcade Independence Square Colombo, Sri Lanka, on this day 03 by our United Nation Volunteer/V-Force Coordinators. Because that was the place where our guiders and personalities of world health Organization decided to conduct the World health day event.

And I must tell you, that was the place where I met too many great personalities. We know that by talking to people we can learn a lot, but I’m sure spending our time with the right people at the right time will definitely help us to learn almost everything.  

I can remember it was nearly 4.10 in the evening on Saturday 06^th April 2019. I got quite late, so once I got down from the bus at Arcade Independence Square which is close to Bandaranaike Memorial International Conference Hall (BMICH) I had to run run run, towards the main entrance of the Arcade…

I didn’t know exactly, where the meet up was happening. But you know at a time I saw, in the middle of the lobby area next to the main door - which is an open area, nearly 25 people round up a person and listening to something very carefully.

Oh! That was them, I noticed my friends were there with the group. Once I noticed them I ran towards the gathering to join the rest of the session.

World health day celebration

Once I joined I felt that the meet up started only a few minutes back, so I was not too late. That was the first time, I met another great person in the middle of the crowd talking to the group of volunteering people. That was our V-force volunteer coordinator Sadani.

She explained the upcoming world health day event with the planning of the sessions of the locations of each and every event. And she didn’t forget to take us around the Arcade Independence Square Colombo to show the session schedules which were planned for the next day. While we were walking around the Arcade I saw few arranging chairs, few going through some paintings, few standing flag poles, few busy making some stalls & another few arranging the main stage, while some sweeping the floor.

On that day the whole floor looked like the day before how everybody gets preparing for a wedding ceremony. It was totally an awesome view to see the location with “WHO” decorations. You know, by the time we felt really proud & happy to be a part of this entire event.

It was nearly 04.35 PM we were busy getting too many instructions, guidelines, and words by our UN volunteer coordinator (Sadani), regarding the upcoming event, and especially about how to face problems that we can’t expect during the upcoming event.

We know that preparation is the key to success so nothing special or new, we had to prepare a lot. Eventually, she assigned us by tasks and responsibilities for the next day and sometimes we had to raise our hands to get responsibilities...

With that, she asked us to be there at 6.00 AM (next day) in the morning. you know It was so fantastic to see how people like to take responsibilities for unknown people.

I want to tell you, there is a great lesson that I learnt at the end of this day by our coordinator, because of her last words, mean a lot to me/us:

“Da Di Da! Make sure you get a good night sleep, you are going to work really hard and be clear with everything, but remember even if anything went wrong that’s not going to be the end of this world. 

UN  V-Force Team

Day 04 - World Health Day Celebration 07^th April

This is not the end of this story, this is another starting point for us to work for the world.

I’m sure, most of us don’t know that there are 17 important questions in this world, to which we need to find answers for? Can you guess those questions?

You know few souls, those who love to solve problems, came up and guessed those 17 questions and introduced them to the world as “Sustainable development goals”. (SDG's)

07/04/2019 at 05.45 am. I reached Arcade independence square, Colombo in the morning. I had to reach the place a bit earlier because I was assigned to look after the main lobby area and the entrance. That was my first experience in an event. I was too early as I said earlier, but there were few people still arranging the background and stuff.

Everything was dark except for the lights…I have seen few was jogging over here and there.

And with the crowd started increasing, they started the event with Yoga and Zumba session. I felt a bit proud to give small support to the World health day organizers by handling the main lobby area with my colleague Shehani.

The World health day event got filled with the main invitees, stalls, events, and also with the general public. It was really a busy day to me but somehow I managed to take a snap with my favourite Sri Lankan actress Sajana Wanigasooriya.

Best Art of the Event

It’s so amazing to see the entire crowd.

Try to remember these words, what still I can remember which was given by a World health organization personality at the stage in the evening,

“Health is for all…All is for health…”

If I am right, each of us has stories to share, opinions to suggest and ideas to spread… But giving them in the right time will be benefited to the entire world. The best thing I have noticed during the evening event session was an acting performance performed by a group of special needs children.

 At last, I want to tell you one matter, we have music (guts), we can sing (ability) then why should we hold back?

Do comment below your ideas, opinions, suggestions or anything?



 I want to tell the rest of the world - we are coming, we are coming for you!

Written By

Rassan Batcha

Also Read: Are you ready to make Sri Lanka a better place.