Why
AIESEC? What is AIESEC? You might have numerous questions about this
organization. Let’s see what AIESEC is to several people within JLC, who might
have the most passionate answers to all these questions. These set of people
will lead JLC in the term 2015/2016. And they are the ‘EB En Fuego’, the
Executive Body of Jayewardenepura Local Committee.
There
are ten people in EB En Fuego, each individual with a different personality.
They display quite remarkable traits as well. If this wasn’t an article, I
would have even included a wink after the previous sentence. As a member of
this group, I am really lucky to write about them and cut down the comments
about myself. On a more serious note, these are the people whom I consider as
my extended family and they have indeed changed my life for the better. We
aren’t just a team. We are a family. And we will lead JLC towards success. With
that promise, let’s get to know the knuckleheads.
Yours
and ours, the beloved LCP (Local Committee President) Kalpa Nallahandi, a man
like no other, with muscular arms and very sexy outfits, will never cease to
annoy you. He will never cease to amaze you either. He started his AIESEC
career in 2013 August and was an outstanding Team Leader in the legendary ‘API’
project. He was the Local Committee Vice President of GCDP in the previous term
as well. He is a good manager, a people’s person and unfortunately for girls,
in a relationship with another AIESECer. But if you ask him out, he might not
say no. He is a proud and annoying Royalist who constantly brags about his
school. When he was in school, he was a college Steward and the College Chess
Captain. He is the Chess Captain of the university as well. You can call him
‘kalpayya’ and to be serious, he is one of the most committed people I have
ever encountered, when it comes to AIESEC. Kalpa is good friend, a good leader
you can trust and the ‘Big Boss’ of JLC for the term 15/16. As a fellow EB
member and a good Friend of Kalpa, I can definitely say that he is reliable and
outstanding personality who would lead JLC towards success. To him, AIESEC
means ‘home’. “AIESEC is the place which made me ready to step on to the next
level of my life. It helped me to find the passion of my life. So far, it is
the best thing that happened to me.” These words of Kalpa is a good example
which proves his commitment and enthusiasm towards AIESEC.
Then
the tomboy of JLC, Reema Zahara Rahim is the Local Committee Vice President
Marketing for the term. She is probably the most popular character in AIESEC in
Sri Lanka. If you ever had a chance to attend conferences with her, you might
have seen her talents. If not, don’t miss any chances. Attend the conferences
and see her remarkable talents. And I mean it. When she gives ‘bus athal’
(conference secrets), oh my, the reactions! She attended ‘Sujatha Vidyalaya’,
Nugegoda and currently studying in the Management Faculty of the University of
Sri Jayewardenepura. She is doing her second EB term with EB En Fuego, and was
the LCVP Business Development in the term 14/15. Personally, she is one of the
most remarkable personalities I have ever met. And sometimes there are moments
where I wish I could be like her. Her relationship status is complicated and
hoping that someone will uncomplicated it. (Rs. 100 for anyone who can guess
this ‘someone’. Important: All the money relating matters will be directed to
Asiri, our finance guy.) Reema joined AIESEC in 2013 and she has held several
OC positions. She is an enthusiastic and a very commited AIESECer, who belives
in its importance. “AIESEC is my passion! My happy pill and it’s what reminds
me of my life’s purpose.” Moreover she says, AIESEC is a “way of life”. It will be for you as well, if you are ready
to embark on this AIESEC journey.
Next
up is Damith Mahaliyange, the LCVP Talent Management. He is the sweetest, most
endearing and the most patient guy in EB, who wouldn’t hurt a fly. But he has
his flaws. Damith is yet another bragging and annoying Royalist, who tries to
be funny at inappropriate moments. He thinks he is super cute and ‘sexy’, and
sometimes he is. Moreover, he has this weird posing mania, which you will
surely find in almost all of his photos. Nicknames are numerous and little
embarrassing when it comes to him and you are free to ask him why. He is also
in a relationship with another AIESECer and not available. I repeat, not
available. On a more serious note, he is one of the guys who have got a
remarkable experience from AIESEC. He was the LCVP Out Going Exchange in the
term 14/15 and as he says, “AIESEC taught me responsibility and changed me to
the person I am today. I was not confident enough to talk in public in front of
a crowd. From that personality, I have experienced great leaps of change thanks
to AIESEC.”
Asiri
Bandara Navarathne is the person who would attain ‘nibbana’ first, from the EB.
He tries to be the saint. Meditation is his hobby, if it can be taken as a
hobby. And he is our ‘finance guy’ or the LCVP Finance for the term 15/16. He
wants his nickname to be ‘Kholi’ after Virat Kholi. If he gets beaten up by a
Sri Lankan cricket fan as a result of this article, I will not take
responsibility for any consequences. He is also in a relationship with another
‘AIESECer’. He plays cricket, he reads books and comes up with hilarious
remarks all the time. When he is in there with us, you don’t have to worry
about laughter. He’s from Thurstan College, Colombo and currently studies in
the Faculty of Applied Sciences. After joining AIESEC in 2014, he has held many
roles of responsibility and improved himself in many different aspects. He also
displays a common trait, which can be seen in any good AIESECer. As all of us,
“AIESEC means a lot” to him and he is sure it will guide him in his future as
well.
LCVP
Business Development for the term 15/16 is the one and only Roshima Vithanage.
She is the official dancer in the house and nobody can repeat those moves. She
loves teddy bears and it breaks to heart of many marketers. We call her ‘Roma boo’
and she studies food science in the Faculty of Applied Sciences. She joined
AIESEC in 2014 and here she is, doing a brilliant job with her amazing team.
She is another popular character in AIESEC in Sri Lanka and everybody demands
her sexy dance moves. What more, everybody likes to dance with her too. If you
come for conferences, you might get to know who this ‘everybody’ is.
If
you want to meet the most ‘techno savvy’ guy in the EB, we give you Mr.
Trancle. Navindu Trancle is the LCVP Information Management and Communication
and a hidden asset who work tirelessly for JLC. Moreover, he is the one of the
two single guys in the EB. So girls, you are free to ask him out. He is a
student of Asoka College, Colombo and now a very committed student of the Faculty
of Management Studies and Commerce. His nickname is ‘Navi’, but we never call
him using that name. What ‘Navi’ has to say about AIESEC will inspire anyone
who wants to be a part of this amazing organization. “AIESEC is the place that
I discovered about myself mostly and it developed me. AIESEC gave me a chance
to inspire others and it made me believe in myself.” This is what AIESEC means
to him. What would you feel, if you decide to experience AIESEC yourself?
Thishan
Pavithra is another Royalist in the EB and never writes anything down in any of
the meetings. But he makes sure that his job is done. He is called ‘Thish’, and
he wish we would call him that too. He is the LCVP Global Internship Programme
and he is responsible for bringing down interns from foreign countries to work
in long term internship opportunities in companies. He is very interested in
Astronomy and planning to carry on his career in that path. Almost all the
AIESECers get into relationships with other AIESECers. This might explain why he is also in a
relationship with yet another AIESECer. To him, AIESEC is a place where ‘right
leadership’ is produced. As the ‘Best Young Leader in the term 2014/2015, he
must know a great deal about how AIESEC creates proper and polished leadership.
Mayumi
Wikaramarachchi and Sachira Sirimanne are the two amazing LCVPs of Global
Community Development Programme of JLC.
Sachira
looks like ‘Toothless’ and you will surely understand what I mean, if you have
watched the movie ‘How to train your Dragon’. He happens to be single as well,
which means there are two available guys in the EB En Fuego, instead of one,
should you wish to date them. Along with Mayumi, Sachira plays a remarkable
role in JLC, where they bring down volunteers from abroad to do short term
community service projects. This is very responsible indeed, as many Exchange
Participants come to JLC projects from many different countries.
Then
there’s me, Sandaru Diwakara, the LCVP Out Going Exchange for the term
2014/2015. I am responsible for providing internship opportunities for the
local undergraduates, for both short term GCDPs and long term GIPs in foreign
countries. If you want to go abroad through AIESEC, it is me you should
contact. And I am not available either. All my heart was in OGX, is in OGX and
will remain to be in OGX as well. I will tell what AIESEC is to me. For me as
well, it is a way of life, where you are constantly pushed out of your comfort
zones. Every day, you will learn something new and it will change your life for
the better. Joining AIESEC in 2014 was one of the best decisions I made in my
life.
All
these stories and these personalities contain one common factor. We are all,
very passionate about AIESEC, we are passionate about what we do. We love the
change AIESEC creates within us. And most importantly, we love the impact we
can create in return. All of us changed for the better through AIESEC and we
want to give that experience to many young people as possible. In order to
achieve this task, in order to give you a life changing experience, EB En Fuego
is ready to go all the way it takes.
