A sister club of Rotary, The Rotary Club of Colombo, of District 3220, Sri Lanka, had reached out to us for support, for recovery from the Ditwah Disaster. Ditwah was a catastrophic tropical cyclone that brought heavy rain to Sri Lanka in late November and early December 2025. The storm caused heavy flooding and landslides, killing over 600 people, with d 183 people missing, Flooding and landslides destroyed 6,200 homes and damaged 96,545 others nationwide. Ditwah caused over US$ 1.6 billion dollars of damage. It was the deadliest natural disaster in the country since the 2004 tsunami.
In response to the request by our sister club in Colombo, Past Trustee TRF, Aziz Memon, launched a strong appeal to RCK members for donations. Our members responded equally strongly, in true Rotarian spirit. At the end of the donation collection, 105 members had contributed a total of PKR 7,580,000.
In mid-February 2026, PT TRF Aziz Memon and PP Abbas Lavingia traveled to Colombo for meet with the Rotary Club of Colombo and join the Rotarians there at the World Peace & Understanding Day, where Mr. Aziz Memon also delivered a talk on The Art of Giving.
Here, we end with this communication sent to Trustee Aziz Memon, at the end of the visit, by the President of the Rotary Club of Colombo.
“Dear Past Trustee Memon,
Good morning!
It was such a joy having you with us at the World Understanding Day Celebrations of the Rotary Club of Colombo at Cinnamon Lakeside Hotel. Your heartfelt speech on the Art of Giving truly touched and inspired everyone present—it was both enlightening and deeply thought-provoking.
I am especially grateful for your generous support toward the proposed school development project. Your contribution will make a lasting difference in the lives of many in Sri Lanka, further strengthening the cherished bond between RC Karachi and RC Colombo.
Thank you once again for traveling all the way to Colombo with the District RI Convention Chair 2024-27 Rtn Abbas Lavingia to be with us and for sharing such a wonderful evening with our members. Wishing you safe travels back to Karachi and God’s blessings for continued happiness and good health.
With warm regards and gratitude,
Rtn Aruna Fernando
President, Rotary Club of Colombo”
