Draft:Ravindu Nawanjana


Ravindu Nawanjana
Born
Ravindu Nawanjana

(2005-09-07) 7 September 2005 (age 19)
Colombo, Sri Lanka
NationalitySri Lankan
Alma materSt.Thomas International College,Seeduwa
OccupationSocial Entrepreneur
OrganizationFounder/CEO of CuteFela
Known forChild Rights Activist
Environmental conservation
Wildlife Advocate

Ravindu Nawanjana (Sinhala: රවිඳු නවංජන) is a businessman and environmentalist. He is the Founder and CEO of CuteFela[1] , a biodiversity organisation which focuses on climate change advocacy and children rights. As a Sri Lankan entrepreneur, wildlife advocate , child rights activist and a conservationist , he has been a negotiator for his country Sri Lanka in multiple occasions.[2]

Early life and education

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Ravindu Nawanjana was born on September 07 , 2005 in Colombo, Sri Lanka's administrative capital and economic zone.He is of Sri Lankan ancestry and is the only child to Sarath and Neetha Hetiggodda.

Nawanjana attended St.Thomas College[3] in Seeduwa, where he excelled in basketball, athletics and cricket, representing in the national and regional levels.Since his early years , he had been fond of wildlife protection , thereby , has been leading many societies within his college and region in empowering the children rights and advocacy in biodiversity conservation through engaging in multiple school sessions.

At just 17 years of age , he founded CuteFela[1] in the winter of October , 2023 in the hope of expanding his advocacy through the business field as well as in the field of biodiversity and wildlife.

Advocacy

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Ravindu Nawanjana is currently representing Sri Lankan and youth and children of the Asia Pacific[2] at many global forums[4] , speaking on social entrepreneurship, youth empowerment as well as biodiversity protection.Born in a region highly affected by climate change[5] , with a rate of 50% of biodiversity lost in the last 30 years , he continues to engage with business leaders through engaging with multiple chambers of commerce worldwide to bridge the gap of unawareness on climate change and implementation of solutions to compact biodiversity loss.

Ravindu Nawanjana has also conducted and directed various interventions across the region in terms of empowering children and youth in combatting key human rights issues such as women empowerment[6] and poverty eradication , with an outreach of over 100,000 youth across the globe.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Ravindu Nawanjana - Founder/CEO - CuteFela". CuteFela. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b "5th Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific". Earth Negotiations Bulletin - International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  3. ^ "St.Thomas Catholic International College Seeduwa". St.Thomas Catholic International College Seeduwa. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  4. ^ "Interview with Ravindu Nawanjana - Sri Lanka ( Youtube )". Interview with Ravindu Nawanjana - Sri Lanka ( Youtube ). 4 December 2023. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
  5. ^ "For Asia-Pacific, climate change poses an 'existential threat' of extreme weather, worsening poverty and risks to public health, says UNDP report". United Nations Development Fund. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
  6. ^ "International Women's Day Open Mic Shines Light on Gender Equality and Solidarity". "Participants such as Ravindu Nawanjana, CEO of Cutefela, delivered a poignant speech on children’s rights" , Medium. Retrieved 8 March 2024.