More than 160 people donated blood at a blood donation drive organised by the Sri Lankan Friends’ Club (SLFC) recently.
Accompanied by an awareness campaign, the blood donation drive by the Sri Lankan expatriate community members was well received. A regular feature of SLFC activities, the blood donation campaign is part of the club’s motto of giving back to society. The donated blood ends up at public health facilities in the country to be used during medical emergencies.   
“The event was organised with the aim to create awareness among the community members and the turnout for the event was overwhelming. More than 300 people participated in the campaign,” said Nandika Jayashantha, the president of SLFC.
He said that the aggressive awareness campaign was a big success and due to the time constraint, some donors were disappointed as they were not able to donate blood. “But we managed to get blood from 165 donors which is really a good achievement,” he added.
Organised by SLFC on the premises of Stafford Sri Lankan International School, the campaign was organised in line with the protocols and traditions of the state of Qatar. The national flags of both countries were hoisted and music was played throughout the programme, while donors were provided with food.
SLFC is a voluntary Sri Lankan expatriates’ organisation formed in 2008 that is functioning to help co-ordinate the social welfare activities for the Sri Lankan community in Qatar. The SLFC is attached to the Sri Lankan Coordinating Committee (SLCC), working under the aegis of the Sri Lankan embassy in Qatar.
Nandika said that the co-operation received from the community organisations for the campaign was encouraging. “Leading companies like McDonald’s, Almarai and almost all leading Sri Lankan restaurants in town, besides individual community members, provided valuable contributions to the event,” said the president.
“I think it is not necessary to mention all those by names. We have lot of appreciation and respect for them,” he added.
Nandika also said that the support and co-operation they received from the management and the medical team who participated for the campaign from Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) was encouraging and was appreciated.
“They worked in extended hours until around 6:30pm, just not to disappoint the crowd, understanding the situation. We really appreciate their attitude and dedication,” said Nandika.
He thanked all those who worked to make the event a success. “We would like to urge the co-operation and support from the community for our future endeavours… we have plans to conduct a cricket tournament, help develop the abilities of the community members in the fields of arts, sports, music, literature and others.” He said the club also intends to help needy school children with their school requirements back home in Sri Lanka.
The SLFC remains active throughout the year. It provides support to all national and public events conducted by Sri Lankans in Qatar.
Besides organising sports, recreational and social welfare activities in Doha, the club also takes part in events of national importance for the Sri Lankan community.
Last year, as usual, SLFC was an important member of the organising committee that held the largest public celebration for Sri Lankan expatriates on Sinhala and the Tamil New Year.
Being part of these activities help with the club’s primary aim to enhance Sri Lanka’s image in Qatar and to help develop brotherhood and friendship among different communities of Sri Lankans living in Qatar.
Other objectives of SLFC include improving the communal harmony among Sri Lankans, and to highlight the inherent talents of Sri Lankans in Qatar in the fields of art and culture, literature, sports and others.
The club also intends to assist Sri Lankans facing problems in Qatar, help ease problems in Sri Lanka and also assist the Qatari authorities with any requests that they may make about the Sri Lankan community in Qatar.