Sri Lanka High Commission in Canberra felicitates Canberra Circle of Women for assistance to girls and women in Sri Lanka
September 2, 2025
The High Commission of Sri Lanka in Canberra felicitated Ms. Carol Mead, Chair and Founder of the Canberra Circle of Women (CCOW), a community organization that works to support girls and women both locally and globally on a practical grassroots level as well as Mrs. Chandanie Kottege and Dr. Nirmalie Rodrigo, the Sri Lanka Coordinators and a number of volunteers of CCOW on 29th August 2025 for their sustained assistance to girls and women in Sri Lanka since 2019.
The Canberra Circle of Women has helped thousands of girls and women in all nine provinces in Sri Lanka through two programmes: Firstly the distribution of “Days for Girls” high quality reusable menstrual kits, which are sewn by hand by volunteers in Australia, that enable students from low socioeconomic backgrounds to attend school every day with dignity. Secondly the distribution of “New Mumma and Joey” baby gift packs, some items being sewn and knitted by hand, some items gifted, to expectant mothers or those who have just given birth, which contain essentials for a newborn baby. Distributions are facilitated through public health centres and some regional hospitals. The “New Mumma and Joey” gift packs are a programme being done by CCOW only in Sri Lanka.
High Commissioner of Sri Lanka in Canberra, Yasoja Gunasekera, in a brief welcome address expressed appreciation to Ms. Mead and the volunteers of CCOW who work hard to provide dignity and practical support to disadvantaged women in Sri Lanka, locally and in a number of other countries. She also made a presentation on the multi-faceted bilateral relationship between Sri Lanka and Australia of which people to people connectivity is an important aspect, as well as on the rich culture and natural beauty of Sri Lanka. Ms. Mead and Mrs. Kottege made brief remarks about CCOW’s programmes in Sri Lanka, highlighting the deep appreciation received from the thousands of recipients of assistance from the Canberra Circle of Women.
