The origin of the Interact Club of Ananda College runs back to the year 1970. However, following a short period of dormant status it was revived and officially chartered in the year 1981. The president who brought life to the club was Int.PP. Kavinda Arthnayake and his successor Past DIR Int.PP.Arjuna Gunawardena made his way to become the DIR for the years 1984/1985 marking Ananda's territory in Interact. Following his footsteps 11 outstanding Anandians have held the post of DIR and led the Interact movement of Sri Lanka so far. This also records as the highest number of DIRs a single club has ever produced.
The club reached Olympian heights in the years 2003/2004 during the tenure of Past DIR Int.PP. Shammi Weerasinghe by walking away with 14 citation awards at the Interact District Assembly. When the "Governorâs Shield" was first introduced to Interact in the years 2008/2009 as the award given to the most prestigious Interact club in the movement, Ananda College was the first to bring it home under the Presidency of Past DIR Int. PHF. PP. Harinda Senarathne. Then again Int. PP. Tharinda Basnayake was able to secure the Governorâs Shield for the club. Accordingly, The Interact Club of Ananda College was able to secure a prominent place within the Interact sphere of Sri Lanka.
âInteract Reimaginedâ will be the banner that the Interact Club of Ananda College will march under during this year as we innovate and break boundaries in what we accomplish - everyday becoming better professionals and a better service-oriented youth! These seeds of service, planted by Rotary will grow to be the Oaks of shade for humanity, as this generation of Interactors are absorbed into society.
During its voyage of 35 years the Interact Club of Ananda College has excelled in all four avenues of Interact.
The club has spearheaded the avenue of club service since its very inception in 1981. The project called "Morning of Friendship" commonly known as "M*F" which turned out to be the trademark project of the club kept the College flag flying high for 21 long years. The new addition to the club service family was "Project I-R" which earned its place in Interact by winning the Citation Award for the most Innovative club service project for the years 2013/2014.
The avenue of Community service was promoted through the project "Hope" which has appeared in many forms such as health camps, blood donations and school rehabilitation programmes throughout the Ananda Interact history, and won the Citation Award for the best Community Service project for 7 consecutive years. In the years 2008/2009 "Hope" earned the spot light by being carried out as one of the biggest Community service projects ever done by an Interact Club. This was carried out as 3 major scale health camps in three parts of the country and made a huge impact on the rural community of Sri Lanka. Recently concluded "Hope'17" was a hospital rehabilitation programme that targeted an often-forgotten hospital that many people in Colombo use, that is used frequently and which is often overlooked as being resourceful however not. âHope 17â was a major success by renovating the Cardio Ward 36, though it didnât manage to secure a citation it remains to be beaten as the biggest community service projects carried out by an Interact Club.
The avenue of International Understanding is dedicated to creating awareness about diverse cultures, traditions, languages and religions among Interactors. International Understanding was also promoted through award winning projects such as "Culture Coaster" which was aimed at creating an idea about our Sri Lankan culture itself to truly make the interactors understand their ancestral roots. "Project Poya" is another success story which made its entrance recently and decorated the name of mother Ananda.
Among the finance projects done by the Interact Club of Ananda College, the club brought in a new project in aid of "Epitome of Rejoice". The project "Transcendence" won the citation award as the best Finance project for the years 2015/2016 at the 26th District Assembly, as it was one of the biggest finance projects that the Interact movement has ever witnessed. Thus, "Transcendence" occupies a prominent place as it is also one of the biggest finance projects organized by a school-based Club. Furthermore, Anandians have been able to raise funds through many other innovative and exciting projects such as, âSplish Splashâ a carwash in aid of funding the projects done by our Interact Club, "Colour Conflict 2014 - The Ultimate Paintball Competition" was a whole new concept that brought a once in a life time experience to the energetic youth in Colombo, while raising the necessary finances for the club.
Accordingly, the Interact Club of Ananda College has marked its territory in the arena by achieving excellence and serving the community throughout.
Past DIRs produced by the Interact Club of Ananda College
¡ Int.PP.ArjunaGunawardena (1984/1985)
¡ Int.PP.ShehanGunawardena (1988/1990)
¡ Int.PP.SanjeewaWickramarachchi (1991/1992)
¡ Int.PP.Duminda De Silva (1993/1994)
¡ Int.PP. ChamathAthulathmudali (1997/1998)
¡ Int.PP.Nishantha De Silva (1998/1999)
¡ Int.PP.BirendraKatugampola (2000/2001)
¡ Int.PP.Shashike De Silva (2003/2004)
¡ Int.PP.ShammiWeerasinghe (2005/2006)
¡ Int.PP.PHF.HarindaSenarathne (2010/2011)
¡ Int.PP. DinukaSumithrarachchi (2011/2012)
¡ Int.PP. SandupamaBasnayaka (2013/2014)
¡ Int.PP.Chathula Fernando (2016/2017)
¡ Int. PP Asel Karannagoda (2018/2019
Past Head Prefects from the Interact Club of Ananda College
Past Interact Presidents, Secretaries and Editors, interactors who went to become the
Head Prefect of Ananda College,
¡ 1985/1986- Int. PP.ArjunaGunwardene
¡ 1987/1988- Int. PP. Samantha Rajapaksha
¡ 1988/1989- Int. PP.RukshanWijerathne
¡ 1991/1992- Int. RangikaSellahewa
¡ 1994/1995- Int. RajeewaSerasinghe
¡ 1995/1996- Int. PP.Chinthaka De Zoysa
¡ 2000/2001- Int. PP. BirendraKatugampola
¡ 2004/2005- Int. GamikaKodagoda
¡ 2005/2006- Int. JanakaSumithraarachchi
¡ 2006/2007- Int. PP.Sanjaka De Silva
¡ 2010/2011- Int. PP.HarindaSenaratne
Out of the aforementioned interactors there were only 3 individuals who both have excelled both Head Prefectship and District Interact Representative of Sri Lanka, interact district 3220
â˘ArjunaGunwaradane 1985/1986
â˘BirendraKatugampola 2000/2001
â˘HarindaSenarathne 2010/2011
With the departure of our beloved president Int. PP. DIR. Asel Karannagoda, a new leader took on the mantle of the President of the Interact Club of Ananda College, Int. PP. Kithmin de Silva. He brought the club to new heights, with a brilliant Transcendence 2018, Hope â18 and managed to successfully organise the 27th Interact District Assembly, in which he watched his past president Int. Asel Karannagoda be called on stage as the upcoming DIR for the years 2018/19. Int. PP. Kithmin de Silva truly carried forward the legacy of the Interact Club of Ananda College and managed to keep the flag of Ananda College flying high. Through friendship, hardship and joyous times did he go through in his presidential year of 2018/19. It was now time for him to pass on the legacy he had carried forward to a new leader, a leader responsible enough to bring the club to newer standards...
...Our Story does not end here, with an end to every story, comes a new beginning. A new generation took the helms of the Executive Committee of the Interact Club of Ananda College. With their heads held high they set sail to the ship that was docked for a new captain to take its wheel. Now with the motto, âInteract Re-imaginedâ await as they revolutionise the traditions, as they Reignite the passion for new ideologies and send a shock wave through the complete sphere of Interact. We are Interact Club of Ananda College, we are the Executive Committee for the years of 2018/19.
