VOL. 01-2017/18
JULY 2017
Climate sustainability is and must be everyone’s concern Ian H. S. Riseley RI President 2017-18
Tree Plantation Challenge Every Rotary club to make a difference by planting a tree for each of its members between the start of the Rotary year on 01 July and Earth Day on 22 April 2018.
Rotary remembers Sam Owori for his ‘quiet confidence,’ integrity, and friendship Sam, who had been elected to serve as president of Rotary International in 2018-19, would have been the second African Rotary member, and the first Ugandan, to hold that office. He joined Rotary in Rotary International President-Elect 1978 and was a Sam Owori passed away on July 13th 2017. member of the Rotary Club of Kampala, Uganda. An invaluable gift of Africa to Rotary. Now he has been Rotary’s gift to God and has left with us the gift of his legacy. And his legacy is “to create happiness for the world that seeks happiness.” One of the admirable things about Sam was his love and devotion to his wife. They met in primary school in Tororo, Uganda. Sam described Norah Owori as beautiful, welleducated, and full of character. He adored Norah and always put her first. They were best friends and partners for life. It was very sweet to see them together. They never left each other’s side. Sam is survived by his wife, Norah Agnes Owori; three sons, Adrin Stephen, Bonny Patrick, and Daniel Timothy; and grandchildren Kaitlyn, Sam, and Adam.
“Optimism is what brings us to Rotary. But Rotary is not a place for those who are only dreamers. It is a place for those with the ability, the capacity, and the compassion for fruitful service.”
Sam Frobisher Owori 1941-2017
| Governor’s Monthly Letter | July 2017
District Governor’s Message Dear Colleagues in Service,
Meet the new Rotary International President & District Governor alongwith First Ladies
Here in your hands, is the first issue of REACH OUT, Governor’s Monthly Letter. It is my belief that the success and growth of our organization for the last 112 years is due to the fact that we REACH OUT to the people we serve. We Reach Out to the sick and provide succour; We Reach Out to the Blind and enable them to see; We Reach Out to the desert dwellers and dig wells to provide water. We have Reached Out globally together to work towards a Polio Free world for our children. We are fortunate to be part of an organization comprising 1.2 million Rotarians serving in 35,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and regions of the world, unified under the motto of “Service Above Self”. It is time now that we take pride in our membership and Reach Out to mobilize all our resources towards making a difference in the lives that we touch. It is time that we Reach Out and take a serious look at the way we conduct our business and the relationships that we build. Are we adding value to our internal customers, our members? Providing them opportunities to expand and strengthen their friendships, opportunities for networking and sharing ideas and opportunities for working together for uplifting the lives of the downtrodden and building our communities?
Juliet & Ian H. S. Riseley RI President 2017-18
Are we making a difference in the lives of our external customers, the communities that we serve? Our major focus, of course, should be and is, our less fortunate brothers and sisters, looking up to us.Our six major focus areas indeed encompass all facets of our lives. Let us seriously provide service that is sustainable and effective that truly makes a difference in the lives of these less privileged members of our society. As President Ian Riseley has said, "Sustainable service means our work continues to have a positive impact long after Rotary’s direct involvement has ended. We don’t dig wells and walk away; we make sure communities can maintain and repair those wells. If we build a clinic, we make sure that clinic has a way to keep running without on-going support from us. And when it comes to polio, we aren’t working to contain it; we’re working to end it.” So let us recommit ourselves and Reach Out to serve with, Rotary: Making a Difference
Aaliya & Ovais Ahmed Kohari District Governor 2017-18
Warm regards, Sincerely,
Ovais Ahmed Kohari District Governor Whatever Rotary may mean to us, to the world it will be known by the results it achieves. ~ Paul Harris
Rotarians are men with hands extended in service, willing to reach out to enrich the lives of others. ~ PRIP Clem Renouf G O V E R N O R ’ S M O N T H LY L E T T E R VOL. 01-2017/18
JULY 2017
Editor
KISHWAR T. ALLAWALA Associate Editor
SADIA ZAIDI Layout Concept & Design
Editorial
Homage to the founder
With the advent of the new Rotary year let us resolve to analyze ourselves and take steps to make an improvement in our lives.
On 1st July DG Ovais Kohari, along with the First Lady Aliya and the team 2017-18, assembled at the Mazar e Quaid, mausoleum of Quaide-Azam Muhammed Ali Jinnah, to lay a wreath and pay homage to the founder of our nation, on behalf of the Rotarians of our District.
ABBAS LAVINGIA
If everyone took the Please submit articles to: Editor: Kishwar Tariq Allahwala; Penthouse 1, 143-M/2, PECHS, Karachi 75400; cellular: +92 333 2291708; eMail: gml.d3271@gmail.com Associate Editor: Sadia Zaidi; cellular: +92 300 8251949 District Chair Publication: Abbas Lavingia, 503 Alamode Apartments, Block 8, Clifton, Karachi 75600, Pakistan; line: +92 21 32635257; cellular 0300/0321/345 8239019; eMail: abbas@lavingia.net District Secretary: Ali Hafeez Azmat; 4-C, Mohammad Ali Housing Society, Saeed Hai Road, Karachi 75350; line: +92 21 35214418; cellular: +92 333 2298098; eMail: ali.h.azmat@gmail.com District Governor: Ovais Ahmed Kohari; 17 M. A. Jinnah Road, opp. KGA Ground, Karachi; line: +92 21 32250703, 32257213; cellular: +92 331 2713271; eMail: ovais.kohari@hotmail.com Send stories, queries, tips and photographs by mail or e-mail (high resolution digital images prefered). We assume no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Published monthly by District Governor 3271, Pakistan. Circulation restricted to rotarians only. Concept, layout and printing by: Capricorn Printers; eMail: abbas@lavingia.net
www.rotary3271.org
ON THE COVER RI President Riseley planted a tree in the Friendship Forest, located within Thingvellir National Park in Iceland. President Riseley’s tree planting initiative encourages Rotary clubs to have a tree planted for every member of their club. DG Ovais Ahmed Kohari initiates Tree Plantation campaign with Aziz Memon, National Chair, Pakistan PolioPlus, at Water Filtration sites at Tora Bora, Madina Colony, Malir, Karachi.
4 Way Test Is it the Truth? Is it Fair to all concerned? Will it build Goodwill and Better Friendships? Will it be Beneficial to all concerned? Think of the state of the world today, if all abided by a conscientious, positive answer to each of these questions. The test should reflect in the daily lives of all of us at home and at work!
Kishwar Tariq Allawala Editor
| Governor’s Monthly Letter | July 2017
Basker Chockalingam Director 2017-19
Rotary International Director’s Message
Dear DG Ovais A. Kohari, Greetings to you. Governor’s Monthly Letter is an important communication tool between the District Governor and the Rotarians. Though the District and Club leaders are educated in various Rotary subjects in seminars and well trained in workshops to serve the community around effectively to reach the goal of Rotary, still to share the success stories and activities in the District and to know more on Rotary updates, GML plays an important role.
Malathi & Basker Chockalingam RI Director 2017-19
I am sure with best planning and pragmatic outlook your GML will build the strong bridge of good working relationships with your Rotarians during the Rotary year 2017-18. Before I conclude let me quote the words of Stephen Covey “Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It's the foundational principle that holds all relationships. Let us show the world, Rotary: Making a Difference
With kind regards,
Basker Chockalingam Director 2017-19
What Rotary will be one hundred years hence, none living can imagine. There is nothing impossible to Rotary now. ~ Paul Harris
DISTRICT CONFERENCE
2018
R I District 3271 - Pakistan
REGISTER EARLY AND SAVE!
23 - 25 March Karachi - Pakistan
Deadlines Deadline
Fee (US$) Rotarians
Rotaractors
15 December 2017
$345 $420
$70 $100
$495
$130
31 March 2018 After 31 March 2018 until the convention closes
Cancellation dealine: 30 April 2018 New this year! Receive $10 off your full adult registration fee if you register online by 31 March 2018. DISTRICT GOVERNOR:
OVAIS AHMED KOHARI CONFERENCE CHAIR:
IRFAN QURESHI
HOST CLUB:
ROTARY CLUB OF KARACHI KARSAZ
| Governor’s Monthly Letter | July 2017
Aaliya Kohari
District First Lady
Welcome to the new Rotary year When Ovais was elected as DG for the 2017-2018 year, I will admit that my first thought was: what in the world will I wear to all the events? But the role of a Rotary spouse, I have come to realize, encompasses far more than a wide-ranging wardrobe; we must learn to be equal partners in our quest for service above self.
Rotary International District 3271
District First Lady Message
When we visited Thailand for training at the Zonal Institute in December, spouses were trained separately: we were made familiar with the general tenets of Rotary, including the basic Four Way Test, as well as our responsibilities as the wives (or husbands!) of Rotary leaders. A few months later, when we arrived in the beautiful harbour city of San Diego for a weeklong session with Rotarians from all over the world, it was evident that the previous training had been effective; my colleagues from Asia were among the most active and motivated spouses there. Together we brainstormed ways in which we could connect with each other, initiate our own side service projects, and work towards solving the problems that plague our part of the world: literacy, for instance, and in Pakistan's case, the persisting problem of polio. I made many friends during that week: at night, in particular, we would mingle and laugh and exchange stories and strategies to make Rotary more family-friendly in our respective districts. I look forward to implementing some of those ideas in the coming year. I would request the Rotarians to encourage their spouses to come forward and work together so that Rotary can make a difference in our lives as well as in the lives of others. Let us show the world, Rotary: Making a Difference With kind regards,
Aaliya Ovais Kohari The finest thing in Rotary is fellowship. ~ PRIP Clinton Anderson
Planting a tree by each Rotarian “Making a Difference”
Usama Anwar - Rotary Club Nawabshah District Chairman - Environment & Climate Literacy
After a long hot summer, monsoon is now showering its blessing on earth in Pakistan generally Sindh and Balochistan particularly. After 15th July it’s the start of the planting season which is most favourable and suitable to achieve the challenge floated by President Ian H.S. Riselay to plant 1.2 million new trees between the start of the Rotary year 2017-18 to 22nd April 2018 “Earth Day”, for every Rotary Club by each of its members. Now it’s time to act enthusiastically by planting the indigenous species and achieve the task before its deadline. Almost the entire world in general, and Pakistan in particular, is suffering from adverse impact by destabilized climate disaster and catastrophic climate changes that are caused by the massive deforestation and tree cutting.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Air Pollution is one of the world’s invisible killers. It causes seven million premature deaths a year, a making in the largest single environmental health risk. In urban areas like Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur air quality is particularly problematic. More than 80% of people living in areas where pollution is monitored are exposed to air quality level that exceeds WHO limits. And given that by 2050 two thirds of the global population will be urban, cleaning up our cities’ air is a matter of urgency. It is an assessment that between 1990- 2015 the world lost 129 million hectare of forest that is an area the size of South Africa. In that critical and alarming situation the only solution is to plant a maximum number of trees in the cities and ensure the participation of community proactively from the platform of Rotary. Pakistan is a signatory to Million Development Goal since 2005 with United Nations Organization and presently implemented REDD+(Reduced Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) Program to enhance forest cover from 4.2 to 15 percent, but the result is not encouraging. Now the role of the civil society generally, and Rotary Clubs particularly, will be participation of each member to contribute in this noble cause to enhance the tree cover in the world at the end of Rotary year and hope that the result of the efforts will be far greater than the environmental benefit that those 1.2 million new trees will bring.
Rotary encourages the Rotarians of every country to be loyal and patriotic to their own government. ~ PRIP Arch Klumph
| Governor’s Monthly Letter | July 2017
About Polio ... In 1988, Rotary International spearheaded the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) when 350,000 cases from 125 countries existed worldwide. Today, polio cases have plummeted globally - to single digits this year, from the last three endemic countries, Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Rotary and Gates Foundation Celebrate 10 Years of Working Together to End Polio. In Atlanta Rotary (Past) President John Germ and Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, announced a commitment of up to $450 million to support the Eradication of Polio.
At the Rotary International Convention held in Atlanta in June this year, the conference focused again on getting rid of the last vestiges of polio. Co-chair BMGF Bill Gates, one of the key note speakers, said in his speech at the convention “The progress on polio is a reminder of what people can accomplish when they are bold, determined, and willing to work together.” In the last three years the country has strived hard to contain the polio virus, but the struggle is not yet over. There† has to be vigilance with all High Risk Transient Population (HRTP), where movement across borders is a source of major concern; particularly in Quetta Block in Balochistan and Karachi in Sindh. While Type 2 and 3 virus have been eradicated, there is a need to combat the Type 1 Wild Polio Virus (WPV), which is the last of the circulating viruses to be found today. With the use of bivalent polio vaccine and the combination of IPV (Injectable Polio Vaccine), these challenges will be overcome. This can only be achieved with the help of Rotarians who must continue to keep pace and work diligently, with commitment and dedication to take part in the District Polio Eradication meetings, monitoring post campaign for missed children and working with tribal elders where refusals are found to be harboring myths and misconceptions. With the help of Rotarians our country can be freed from this scourge that cripples children for life. Polio cannot be cured but it can be prevented, through polio vaccination. PDG Aziz Memon Member, International PolioPlus Committee National Chair, Pakistan PolioPlus Committee
Eradicating Polio will be Rotary’s finest hour and our greatest contribution to the future of mankind. ~ PRIP Herbert Brown
| Governor’s Monthly Letter | July 2017
Literate Pakistan ... Rotary Pakistan Literacy Mission
Pakistan Literacy Mission
RPLM Total Literacy and Quality Education in Pakistan RPLM designed
T-E-A-C-H program prioritie and ensuring better quality education in Pakistan.
There are many efforts seen in developing education and literacy in Pakistan both at Government as well as non-governmental levels. While embarking on our program there were many ideas debated across. Some thought we should be focusing on establishing Rotary schools while some thought we should be supporting the efforts of so many NGOs working in the field but then the general agreement was that if we need to work for Total Literacy as a mission then there can be no way we can ignore the grass root level children and adults. Also the only way of supporting the grass root level would be to make appropriate interventions helping Government schools and institutions. We need to bring qualitative improvement in these schools so that masses can benefit from it. An MOU to adopt 88 Government School was signed between Education Department Government of Sindh, Directorate of Education Karachi, Sindh Education Foundation and Rotary Pakistan Literacy Mission. As agreed, out of 88 schools, in first phase 31 of these schools comprising seven campuses have been undertaken and revived & improvised as per RPLM designed T-E-A-C-H program priorities and ensuring better quality education in Pakistan. RPLM is working at the grass root level for children and adults making appropriate interventions in Government schools and institutions. It is striving to overcome the hurdles of class and privileged education by adopting government schools through various Rotary Clubs and remodel schools with extensive work on infrastructure and teaching level bringing at par with the private sector. We have developed a plan based on the TEACH program and have tried to cover all aspects of education and literacy in it. v We are providing Supplemental Teaching through trained Volunteers to enhance their teaching capacity as well as capabilities. A Nation Builder Awards has been initiated to recognize teachers during the year for their effort in the field of education. v We are establishing E-learning Centers in all these schools and Train Teachers to use E-learning Software & hardware. v In area of Adult Literacy we have Urban Adult Literacy Centers initiating evening classes for adults as well as grown up children. v We are focusing in field of Child Development to identify and educate Children at Risk and out of school children. One of the important areas of focus is to Provide Disabled-Friendly Facilities at Schools. We are conducting programs for personality development of children as well as youth. Participation in extracurricular activities, getting involved with Interact clubs, boys and girl scouts is also a priority. v The most important area to focus will be that of Happy Schools. Our ultimate objective is to make each school a happy school and try to provide as many facilities as possible in these schools.
Rotary is idealism put into practical effort. ~ PRIP Raymond Habens
| Governor’s Monthly Letter | July 2017
Pakistan Literacy Mission
We as a nation are now more committed to total literacy than we were ever before and Rotary Pakistan Literacy Mission is playing its role in improving quality of education at grassroots level. We are also working to bring more children to schools and are committed to implementing Rotary’s TEACH program for a literate Pakistan. Muhammad Faiz Kidwai Chair, Rotary Pakistan Literacy Mission
In totality our target is to work in below given areas with the support of the administration: v Security of school premises. v Painted, well maintained school. v Clean and hygienic separate toilets for boys and girls, v Safe and adequate drinking water for both students and teachers, v Establishing or developing Library v Uniforms and footwear for every student, v Play material, games and sports equipment, v Benches and desks for better student-teacher interaction. Well maintained space for teaching staff. v Establishing or developing Computer and Science Labs. v Developing playground. Our Goal is Total Literacy and Quality Education in Pakistan v We have set out our goal, with our program T-E-A-C-H, to help ensure: v That every child in Pakistan goes to school; v That each school is a “Happy School”; v That each school teacher is well trained and her/his skills are continuously upgraded using modern technology; v That each student gets to see, hear, read and use high class learning material that helps her/him understand, question and find answers; v That each deprived child gets the same opportunity of education as her/his affluent friend; v That each adult acquires literacy, joins the formal stream and earns her/his living with honor; and That each child or adult we help gets the confidence to make her/his own future and Pakistan’s future too! Developing reading habits: We have initiated a book collection drive and are targeting collection and distribution of One Million books. These books are being used to establish libraries in schools and communities. The idea is to develop reading habits amongst the children and youth. Besides providing books and establishing libraries we will also be making efforts to involve all in reading. So far RPLM has donated 500,000 reference and text books to various educational institutions with the help of local collection drive and international partners’ support. RPLM Achievements v 70% Clubs in RI District 3271 are involved in RPLM program. v 65% Clubs in RI District 3272 are involved in RPLM Program. v Signed MOU with Government of Sindh to adopt 88 schools. v Signed MOU with USAID and Government of Sindh to support creating Computer Labs in 15 schools in Sindh. v Collected and distributed 500,000 books for libraries at institution and community levels. v Supported more than 400 libraries all over Pakistan. v Organize programs on the occasion of national days and international events in schools. v Organize various types of extracurricular activities in schools. v Partnering with local and provincial government for various types of interventions at grass root level and in government owned schools.
Rotary is a living, acting organization; its pillars are built on action. ~ PRIP Luis Vincente Giay
| Governor’s Monthly Letter | July 2017
Zonal Institutes & International Assembly The visit of DG Ovais Kohari and First Lady Aaliya Kohari to the Zonal Training Institute in M a n i l a D e ce m b e r 2 0 1 5 , Bangkok December 2016 and then to International Assembly in San Diego in January 2017: “It was a life changing experience for us. The magic of discovering the internationality of Rotary, listening to and watching motivating stories about Rotary, listening to experiences of fellow Rotarians, enjoying food and cultural festivities, discussions at training tables, interaction with past and future leaders - all these memories will last a lifetime”. Ovais & Aaliya
The democratic spirit is essential to all organizations, but it is the very life spark of Rotary. ~ Paul Harris
| Governor’s Monthly Letter | July 2017
PEM
Train the Trainer
President Elect Meeting
The 3 series of Presidents Elect Meet were held in the following cities on the specified dates: T Karachi: Friday, September 30, 2016 at Ramada Creek, Karachi T Khairpur & Mirpurkhas: October 30, 2016 at CafĂŠ Al Manzar T Hyderabad: November 13, 2016 at Hyderabad Gymkhana The first meeting of the series of three PEMS was held in Karachi and was well attended by incoming leaders as well as PDGs and senior Rotarians. Subsequent PEMS was conducted by Khairpur and Hyderabad PEMS was attended by many leaders from surrounding regions. The meet star ted off with a presentation by the DGE and introduction of the core team members. This was followed by general discussion on issues faced by the Rotarians at large and the Presidents specifically. The aim was to facilitate the presidents in their year so as to enable them to perform to the best of their ability. Discussions were followed by lunch and subsequent networking/fellowship.
A session on Train the Trainers for the year 2017-18 was conducted on 28 January 2017 at Hotel Marriott, Karachi. A carefully selected committee identified 16 trainers, alongwith nine master trainers to equip them for the training in the year ahead. The concept was to bring fresh faces into the training sessions and gain their expertise as well. The half a day grueling session included topics related to: T T T T T
Managing a classroom Facilitated Learning Use of Online Training Resource Training Activities Facilitator Practice Sessions
Some senior Rotarians including PDG Abu Mohsin, PDG Faiz Kidwai, PDG Iqbal Qureshi, PDG Shahab Balki PDG Akhter Alavi and IPDG Saleem Rao shared their knowledge & experiences. For the first time professional training services were enlisted by Rtn Fahad Karamally, Rtn Azhar Rizvi & Rtn Saman Laiq Abbasi. The sessions were kept interactive to get the best out of the trainers. The trainers were given certificates of completion at the end of the training.
In the lexicon of history, the most prominent and important word is service. ~ PRIP Glenn Mead
| Governor’s Monthly Letter | July 2017
AGTS & DTTS
Assistant Governor & District Team Training Seminar
A session on AGTS and DTTS for the year 2017-18 was conducted on 04 February 2017 at Hotel Movenpick Karachi hosted by RCK Karsaz. The training was widely attended by District Teams, after the welcome session, the proceedings of the day started. Some of the key areas emphasized during the sessions were polio, literacy, environmental concern, public private partnerships. The leaders emphasized on preparing consolidated plans and enhancing the public image and awareness of Rotary. The sessions were interactive to engage the audience and to harness the vast experience of the group. A separate session was held for the Assistant Governor to enlighten them on their roles and responsibilities. The leaders emphasized the deliverables and per for mances to all the participants and it was mutually agreed. Another session apprised the team members of the Rotary Central goal setting and resources. A few District Committee chairs were also asked to give a summary of their vision for the year ahead.
PETS
President Elect Training Seminar
A full two days session with President Elects was held on 18-19 February at Ramada Plaza Hotel, Karachi. Both days the sessions were interactive to engage all. Apart from fellowship & training sessions there was also a healthy session of Yoga. This year, for the first time in the district, First Lady Aaliya Kohari also took great interest and she organized a full of fun, service and Fellowship - Spouse Fellowship Program. Started with fellowship, health tips, Yoga, lunch at Golf Club and movie. At closing participation certificates were also given to all the spouses. A dinner in honor of outstationed Rotarians at Kabajees was hosted by five clubs of Karachi.
Some senior Rotarians including PDG Col ND Tanveer, PDG Faiz Kidwai, PDG Iqbal Qureshi, PDG Shahab Balki PDG Akhter Alavi and IPDG Saleem Rao shared their knowledge & experiences. For the first time professional training services were enlisted by Rtn Fahad Karamally, Rtn Azhar Rizvi & Rtn Saman Laiq Abbasi. PP Atiqua Vally, District Trainer, Rotary Club Karachi Centennial
Thoughtfulness of others is in reality the basis of Rotary service. ~ PRIP Frank Mulholland
| Governor’s Monthly Letter | July 2017
Rotary International District 3271
Rotary
International
District
3271
As men, fight if we must, but as Rotarians, keep our hearts and minds free of hatred. ~ PRIP Tom Davis
| Governor’s Monthly Letter | July 2017
DISTAS District Training Assembly Rotary International District 3271
TEAM 2017-18 Saturday, May 20, 2017 Karachi School of Business & Leadership
Hosted by Rotary Club of Karachi Clifton
Rotaract District Installation Ceremony The Rotaract District 3271 Assembly and Installation Ceremony was held at Karachi School of Business & Leadership on Saturday 22 July'17. Dr Anum Akram was installed as District Rotaract Representative for 1718 by DG Ovais Kohari. Members of the team and Presidents and Secretaries of the clubs were also installed.
Fisrt District Trsainning Assembly was held on
Friday, March 31, 2017 Cafe' Al Manzar, Khairpur
Hosted by Rotary Club of Khairpur Green City
Mayor of Karachi Waseem Akhtar, Dr Farooq Sattar, IPDG Saleem Rao, PDG Faiz Kidwai and Iqbal Qureshi were among the special guests. The ceremony was followed by dinner and music programme.
Rotary Image Building DG Ovais Ahmed Kohari and DGE Irfan Qureshi on Pakistan Television - Live Morning show ; Topic Rotary: Polio & Literacy initiavites. PP Jawaid Babar made arrangements.
Thoughtfulness of others is in reality the basis of Rotary service. ~ PRIP Frank Mulholland
| Governor’s Monthly Letter | July 2017
The Rotary Convention 2017 was held in the Georgia World Congress Center, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. There is only one word which can describe the gathering-it was “mammoth”, and only one word which can describe the Center - “stupendous”! One can gauge the attendance from the fact that of over 250 Pakistani delegates who participated, I only saw few apart from another three who had accompanied me from Karachi and stayed at the same hotel. I just did not see any others, although I attended every single day. Situated in the heart of downtown Atlanta, the Congress Center was within easy walking distance of several interesting sites - the World of Coca-Cola, the Georgia Aquarium, the CNN, the Olympic Park, restaurants and shops. The center of attraction was the huge Friendship House - it offered such a variety of items: sale of jewellery, Rotary merchandise such as pins, cuff-links, scarves, water bottles, demonstration of water - purifying apparatus, showcasing of service projects, sharing information about Rotary Action Groups, besides providing an immense opportunity of fellowship, and sampling of a large cafeteria of food items from different countries. In addition, there were innumerable breakout sessions which were held in rooms on three different levels of the Congress Center; these were choc-abloc with people still queueing outside in the hope of space created if some people came out! The speakers inspired and motivated the delegates to polish their leadership skills, get ideas about new projects, fund-raising, getting your project accepted, strengthening membership, and much, much more. The House of Friendship Co-Chair had commented on the website: “Every convention breathes new life into your Rotary experience”. Very true. It kindled in me a new desire to serve humanity, to eradicate polio from Pakistan ($2.2 billion were pledged in a single session by Bill Gates and other donors!), and to push ahead more strongly with the Global Grant on Family Planning! The website had boasted: “This is where the Rotary World comes together”. And indeed it does - 45,000 delegates is no small number! PP Dr Shahida Zaidi, Rotary Club Karachi Cosmopolitan
Rotary is nothing more or less than a brotherhood for the good of humanity and its best interests. ~ PRIP Frank Mulholland
| Governor’s Monthly Letter | July 2017
Visit of Rob Raylman CEO, Gift of Life, International, USA
Rob Raylman’s visit to Pakistan was an honour for our district. During his stay in Karachi he visited NICVD, Memon Medical Institute Hospital and Indus Hospital. Members of Rotary Club of Karachi Sunset Millennium hosted a Brunch at the Sind Club in honour of Rob Raylman. DG Ovais Kohari and Aaliya, along with Dr. Aftab Imam and wife Fauzia from RCK Gateway and President Waqar Ahmed Shaikh and Secretary Syed Kashif Rafi of RC Karachi Pearl, also joined in. President Masroor Peshimam, Club Secretary Aisha Bela, PP Shahzadi Mansoor and PP Zeenat Bayat hosted the Brunch on behalf of RCKSM. After brunch all the Rotarians were taken on a tour of Karachi City, visiting Frere Hall, Flag Staff House, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Karachi Port Trust and Mohatta Palace.
A candid talk with Rob How about sharing something about yourself? I am a New Yorker who graduated from Hobart College in 1984 with a BS in Political Science. Directly out of college I went to work for a US Senator. Then I worked for Browning-Ferris Industries (BFI), at one time t h e s e co n d l a rg e s t s o l i d wa s te management company in the world at its Vice President. Later, left BFI and started my own consulting business in upstate New York, where I represented individuals and corporations that did business in New York State. And then came the fateful year 2008, when something happened and that is what inspired me. My introduction to Rotary and Gift of Life International (GOL) came at the same time. The founder of GOL is a dear friend of mine and he invited me to lead GOL Int in 2008. The same year I became a Rotarian of the RC Manhasset NY.
District 3271 partners with Since I began as Chief Executive Officer of GOL Int I have been focusing on the development of the sustainable pediatric cardiac surgery programs in emerging countries. Presently, I am working to develop programs in Jamaica, Haiti, El Salvador, Uganda, Romania, the Dominican Republic and the Philippines What are your hobbies? My favourite hobbies are to run, bike and spend time with my two dogs. Rob, what would you say about your visit to Karachi? I was advised by friends in New York that it is not safe to visit Pakistan, especially Karachi. One of them happened to be from Karachi living in New York. Now I will tell them that it is absolutely safe to visit Karachi; we moved freely around the city seeing places without guards. What did you think about the Installation Ceremony of the DG? Please allow me to thank you for a truly memorable 3 days in Karachi. I was highly honoured to be present at the installation of Ovais… it truly was the moment when I realized the true meaning of Rotary…amazing for unity in the world, bringing together diverse people to help others in need. What plan do you have for NICVD? I would like to ensure that we continue to follow up with the team at NICVD and that we receive from them the priority requests for assistance. Once we have this we can strategize on our own as to how we can support their efforts to help more children. What would you say has been your greatest achievement? My greatest achievement as a Rotarian has been to work with Rotarians around the world of diverse backgrounds, to develop sustainable pediatric cardiac programs in Uganda and El Salvador by empowering the doctors and nurses in their own country to treat the children of their country. Aftab Imam District Rotary Coordinator Rotary Club Karachi Gateway
Service does not diminish as time goes by … we cannot escape the duty of tomorrow by avoiding it today. ~ PRIP Bill Huntley
| Governor’s Monthly Letter | July 2017
Rotary District Installation Ceremony The Installation Ceremony of District 3271 was held on July 8, 2017 at the Marriott Hotel, Karachi. It was a very impressive and well attended event with about 400 Rotarians and guests in attendance. Immediate Past District Governor Saleem Rao addressed the gathering thanking the Rotarians for their support and gave a brief account of achievements during his tenure. Then Rtn Ovais Ahmed Kohari was installed as the DG by Rotary International Director elect from Philippines, Rafael Garcia and IPDG Saleem Rao. The DG was then introduced by PDG Faiz Kidwai. In his welcome address DG Ovais thanked his family and paid glowing tributes to his parents PP Anis and Fauzia Kohari and PDGs Kassim Dada, Haiy Khan and Tariq Allawala who were his role models. PDG Faiz Kidwai, PP Razzak Jaffer and PP Kishwar Allawala were thanked for their unconditional support and guidance. DG Ovais then outlined his priorities for the year. The DG introduced the District Secretariat and installed the Assistant Governors and Club Presidents and Rotaract District Chair. This was followed by the address of Rtn Rob Raylman, CEO, Gift of Life International, USA. Rob said that he was here because of his very special friend Ovais and that the meaning of Rotary is exemplified in him. PDG Eva Kurniaty from Indonesia introduced RIDE Rafael in his address said that he had a number of Pakistani friends who were among his favourite people. He particularly emphasized on polio eradication and traced the history of polio plus program. PDG Aziz Memon untiring efforts always support TRF contributions he started with $25,000 followed by PDG Iqbal Qureshi $50,000, PDG M Faiz Kidwai $25,000, DGE Irfan Qureshi $10,000, DGN Raees Ahmed $10,000, PP Anjum Nisarn $10,000, PP Shahzad Sabir $10,000 and PP Dr Farhan Essa $6000. Finally vote of thanks was proposed by DGE Irfan Qureishi. Among those who graced the ceremony were Rtn Rafael Garcia, Rtn Rob Raylman, PDG Eva Kurniaty, past and incoming Governors, corporate guests, businessmen and a large number of Rotarians. Installation was followed by dinner and then Qawali by Far id Ayaz-Abu Muhammad Group.
Rotary is nothing more or less than a brotherhood for the good of humanity and its best interests. ~ PRIP Frank Mulholland