9 minute read
Rotary National Day - Ethiopia
Have mercy on us
Rtr. Laura Lungu Rotaract Club of Watamu
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Have mercy on us
All my bones are out of joint; my heart is like melted wax, my throat is as dry as dust, and my tongue sticks on the roof of my mouth. Have mercy on me!
To you, I am a child who needs you and just one woman’s compassionate heart is what will save me. A first-born among three , since the first born has to grown up faster than usual. I was never clocked that way. I never knew time was not my friend but company for me. Have mercy on me!
I haven’t had something warm in a meal, who knows I’m whistling past the graveyard. For me tomorrow is going to be just like today because today is just like yesterday. Sometimes it’s just so sad to find ‘those’ moments. Have mercy on me! Love,care,kindness,food and time is all I need from you. You thought I would take more for you to hate me, quick question, ‘’Why were you rude to me the first time I begged you then nicer the second time I begged and now you are here listening to me. Which time was it you were pretending? My life is a vacation it just never lasts long enough. Have mercy on me!
You say that am not trapped in this life, I choose it. Beggars can’t be choosers. ‘’Cry for things you can’t change’’ I don’t use that! And if this is an A B conversation, then I’ll C my way in church.
Houses; a home to all little boys and girls who never have one . We rob you at the same time beg, but what do we do? We are afraid to kill us.
THIS IS THE RULE WE ARE FIGHTING! It is right for us even though it feels wrong. Have mercy on us!
Rotary National Day Ethiopia
Rotary National Day Ethiopia
MY TRIPLE ROTARY
THREAD this addiction to tea, as my grandma would say it “shay is very important”, but I don’t think so. On that side of the border we like “Rotary has given me a family to belong fuul and Okra with everything. All that amazes me is the richness in both cultures though they’re almost similar.to and that’s the best gift I could ever have gotten having trouble with which Now my Kenyan one was legitimately acquired because I am Rotaract Club of Moi University Annex of a black Ethiopian? Well, I’m one of them, the almost nonexistent Kenyan! (LoL) I mean, I’ve been here for like 16 years. Enough time to take up permanent space no? Yes? Okay. My stay here has been citizenship to pick and stick with. ” amazing, and I don’t think we’re resettling anytime soon, I just love -Rtr. Bella Owar parents hardly get to understand sometimes. Citizenship in the Rotary world: You won’t believe this, but I didn’t know what connection these three countries had with Rotary until 2019, and I was very excited Won’t it sound funny if I told you that I’m stuck with two passports because even with the confused status of my nationality I could serve and legal identification documents that actually link me to the three as president of a Rotaract club here! Wow! My first engagement countries in our district? with Rotaract was a fellowship we were invited to by my mother club I mean whoooa! (I have a gif for that expression) Have you ever heard before. how Kenyans are super social with the habari since 2004 that my and manh aren’t Rotarians punctual? I’d never felt so late in my life breed of humanity and fortunately my tribe from Gambella, resides Rotary has given me a family to belong to and that’s the best gift I at the border of Ethiopia and South Sudan and we are more like could ever have gotten having trouble with which citizenship to pick the Maasai people. You can always say you come from Ethiopia or and stick with. South Sudan. You know? Like how you say you come from Kenya and During my installation as President, I felt like I was given the power Uganda because you come from the middle. And I don’t mean no to serve all the three countries at a go. Here I was armed to deal man’s land. So, two countries down, right??? with a couple of Rotaractors who are lawyers and to be honest it The Gambella people (anywaa) are one of the indigenous people of has not been easy. Regardless, my board of directors always had the world and we even celebrate the indigenous people day. Talk of my back. Our club is like any other club but with one different thing. holidays, I need one. That side of me is just an amazing journey that Stubborn lawyers you can never win from, you can imagine the ups I’ve come to realize and embrace because it’s a special road in my and downs. What surprised me is that they always showed up in life, from the Injera and the rich coffee that my mom takes 5 times a large numbers during projects or parties. Though I remember there day, and when she doesn’t, she gets migraines. I know, right? Hahaha was this one Street Kids Project we did in August 2019 where I was I’ve never really understood why too. The South Sudanese also have forced to try communicating with the children in Swahili so they could understand, and I literally mumbled my way through the whole thing! We had to get a translator to save our souls because what??? It is so hard to be kidogo foreign sometimes. But I am working on that Swahili hahaha!
My best memories are the dinners that I’ve attended in Rotary, that is, the installations and fundraising dinners. Here I met and connected with all sorts of people. Who would have thought that one day I’d step foot in Masaba Village somewhere in Bungoma during the Western region Anti-jigger campaign 2019? That was such a humbling experience.
Anyway, all in all, it has enhanced my personal growth and development, social skills and even leadership skills, and the much I can say is “In a world where you can be an Ethiopian, a Kenyan, a South Sudanese or an Eritrean, be a Rotaractor.”
MY ROTARACT EXPERIENCE
Rtr. Isaac Wanjiku Rotaract Club of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agiculture and Technology (JKUAT)
Life is good but other times it brings rough experiences. We all have different stories, my prayer is God be in your life. Accept the positive outcomes and learn to handle the challenges.
Rotaract has given me that opportunity to meet strangers {who became friends), engage in fun and provide service to other people. It’s the best experience, and you should be encouraged to introduce your friends to Rotaract.
Haha, being a club President isn’t a walk in the park. Everyone expects you to provide direction and wrong direction leads to negative results.
You are expected to be innovative with firm decisions when it comes to club matters. You are also expected to balance fun and professional part of the meeting. On the better part, I enjoyed being recognized as Club President and other sweet benefits.
Best wishes to my successor!
Joining Rotaract is one of the best decisions I made in my life. Rotaract has transformed me from just being an ordinary campus student to an outstanding and holistic individual. Rotaract blends well with my passion for serving humanity and being the change that I would like to see. Rotaract is home, from just meeting strangers who become family.
Since I joined Rotaract, I’ve been active in most of the activities both within my club, partnerships with other Rotaract clubs and even Rotary clubs. The experience has been amazing.
I think I can’t find such kind of experience anywhere else if not from Rotaract. I have gained more through service above self, courtesy of Rotaract not forgetting several friends that I’ve met along the way.
Through Rotaract and the activities we carry out, many people see me as a role model, something that I’ve never imagined could be possible before. They drive their inspiration from me and I’m very grateful for this and it makes me feel good and it really keeps me going. Indeed, Rotaract is the place to be, It’s home away from home.
I’m proud to be a Rotaractor.
KIGALI PEACE PROJECT
Rtr. Teddy Nderitu Rotaract Club of Nairobi Parklands
The Rotaract clubs of Nairobi Parklands, Kigali City and Kampala North embarked in a one of a kind annual intra-district Peace project, called I AM FOR PEACE ’20.
This project was aimed to provide sensitisation and awareness to the Gashora Transit Centre on peace, through facilitating a dialogue that fosters understanding and provides refugees with the skills to resolve conflicts through appreciating the 8 Rotary Pillars of Peace.
Upon arrival on the 22nd February 2020, 100 members and guests from the Rotaract Clubs of Nairobi Parklands, Kigali City and Kampala North were given a brief by members of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
The Gashora Transit Centre houses 300 refugees from Libya. There is an estimated 57 females and 243 males. 257 of the 300 refugees are youth.
The Centre has an objective of processing the refugees as soon as possible and has an annual target of assisting 500 refugees annually. The refugees are grouped based on families, age group and nationality (because of different cultures).
And we also had some fun!
