THE
rotaractor D9212 JULY 2019
ELEVATE YOUR GAME
Kenya | Ethiopia | South Sudan | Eritrea
CONTENTS Notes Editor’s District Governor (DG) District Rotaract Representative (DRR)
Features District Team Rotaract Kenya Country Chair Interview Rotaract Ethiopia Joint Country Team Handover
Regulars
LET’S
Green Experiences Building Bridges The Rotary Foundation RAC Keroggie Elder’s Project Creating Community Impact 10 Lessons in Leadership Little Parachutes Membership Quality & Growth The World Needs Less **** & More Toilets
CONNECT
@rotaractdistrict9212 Rotaract District 9212 @Rotaract_D9212 Rotaract District 9212 www.rotaractdistrict9212.org
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Press Rewind Rotaract Photos Rotaract Stories & Moments
Rotamemes
Editor’s
Note
There is a story told about a man, distressed over the death of his friend, who goes on a long and perilous journey seeking the secret to eternal life. “What you seek you shall never find. For when the gods made man, they kept immortality to themselves.”
This is the Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest known written story. It dates back over five thousand years, discovered on stone tablets in Sumerian cuneiform. Yes, I’m reminding you all about Mesopotamia, the invention of the plow and the wheel. Humans have been telling stories a lot longer than five thousand years. Cautionary tales, fables, legends of heroes and monsters, and more recently, how to master contour makeup in 4 easy steps. Obviously the gods in the epic were mistaken. Five millennia later, we still know of the extraordinary feats of King Gilgamesh. We have immortalized him in our writing. Every day Rotaractors in this district and beyond gather and do something.
It could be coffee on Thursday at six pm in Addis Ababa, or a fellowship near the top of a glass skyscraper in the Nairobi rush hour. It might be a donation of sanitary towels to a girls’ secondary school in Voi, or an early morning delivery of desks to a primary school in Kisumu. Every waking day we do something to better this world a little, that puts a smile on your face. Immortalize it. This Rotary Year, the District Rotaract PR committee will release four editions of the Rotaractor, our District Magazine. The one you’re reading is the first. In it are a sample of the experiences, thoughts, memes, plans, dreams, art, blood, sweat, tears and most of all smiles of two thousand Rotaractors from around the District. We called and they answered, and hopefully after reading this, when we call again, even more will send us their work. It’s 2019. Communication has never been easier. We’ll run a blog so that when you want to see what Rotaractors are up to, you only need to click www.rotaractdistrict9212.org/blog and when you want to tell us what you’ve been up to, you need only email pr@rotaractdistrict9212.org This way, we tell the world what we’re about and get more people to join in the fun, growth and service. We learn from each other, share ideas and solve problems without ever having to look too far. We get to know each other before we ever meet, and we connect across distance and time.
M A E T
editorial
Now tell me, what’s your story?
Perpetual Machua
Wilson Ngotho
Hilda Ndonyi
Catherine Njeri
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DG MESSAGE The time to elevate your game is now #ElevateYourGame Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. The common phrase ‘hard things are hard’ sums up the experience and while on the face of the mountain I questioned the wisdom of paying for this type of excursion. Instead, I believed, I should be paid handsomely for the excruciating effort. I almost met my maker in my attempt to gain the summit, but it was worth it because the Rotary Club of Nairobi East raised approximately $300,000 for polio through that event. Not only did they raise the highest amount in the district, but they also cemented their credentials as the ‘coolest club in town’ (the temperature at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro is between -7 to -29 degrees Celsius). I have incorporated the insights I obtained from the climb into my rallying call ‘Elevate Your Game’. To gain the summit of your capability in your personal life, your career and in Rotary, you need to reach deep within and seek that inner strength and determination. The first thing to do is to offload your baggage and lighten your load. If you wish to ascend to greatness you can’t take negative thoughts, relationships and habits with you because they only get heavier as you take on more responsibility. On the mountain 500 grams of peanuts feels like 5 kilograms and your light rucksack feels like a refrigerator strapped upon you back. Negative thoughts have the same effect as you advance in life so be sure to drop them and exchange them for positive and empowering ideas. Also, the act of maintaining a positive disposition is the perfect way of building your intellectual and leadership muscle. Secondly, your success is dependent on the nature of the relationships you have with the people that you walk with. The mutual mental and physical support that you offer one 4
another is possibly the single most important factor in your ability to stick to a difficult path and see it through. At one point you will be receiving help from a friend, and in the next you will be offering assistance to another. The successive acts of giving pep talks, extending a helping hand, sharing resources among others culminates in a deep and solid confidence that takes you all the way up to the top. Interestingly, people who live the longest and most fulfilling lives are people who have robust networks within their communities. The third important lesson is critical to building your character as an individual. In every mountain you climb and every adventure you embark on, you will reach a point where you are competing with none other than yourself. It is when the task demands more than you had prepared for and you have to seek strength from every part of your being. At this point even the strongest begin to have doubts about their abilities. You’ll face your greatest fears as you stare defeat in the face and you contemplate the two options ahead of you, both of which offer relief but have two absolutely opposite outcomes. The first option is to give up and turn around, which will give you relief but at the cost of your self-esteem. The second is to force your heart, nerve and sinew to serve you long after they are gone, and keep slugging on, one step at a time, with every iota of energy focused on the task at hand. It shakes your being to the core, but the outcome has a payoff of exhilaration, injecting fortitude into your veins and gaining the heart of a champion. As you take your next step in leadership consider these insights, appreciate the terrain before you and contemplate the changes that will occur within you as you walk on that path. As a district we have many challenges to overcome, most especially to fulfil our true potential as Rotarians serving a diverse community. Let us build on the great achievements of the district led by the Past District Governors and their teams and reward them by realizing our purpose and establishing their legacy. Offload the baggage, invest in relationships and strengthen your will to win so that we can ascend to the summit of performance and achievement. The time to elevate your game is now!
DG Joe Otin 5
DRR MESSAGE
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Over the first weekend of July 2016, I joined four community-based Rotaract Clubs: Milimani, Mombasa, Muthaiga and Westlands for a joint board installation get-away at Amani Tiwi Beach Resort, Ukunda. As we boarded the buses from Nairobi, everyone seemed to know everyone except me. I was the newest face in the team and, I bet, the youngest: I was then a third-year university student and a member of a university-based Rotaract Club, JKUAT. For a moment, I felt lost and prepared myself for a lonely weekend. But we’d hardly settled into the bus when a seating re-shuffle was done and I found myself right at the center of what seemed the noisiest part of the bus. I was warmly welcomed by team Muthaiga; made acquaintances fast and that weekend easily tops my list as the best Rotaract get-away. Over the Valentines weekend of 2019, I made my maiden visit to Ethiopia as the District Rotaract Representative (DRR) Elect. Save for a couple of District officers and friends at Rotaract Club of Mella - my club’s Ethiopian twin - I knew barely a dozen other Rotaractors. On arrival, I was received at the airport by Tsegamlak, Dan-
ny, Kido and Netsanet; invited for dinner and offered homely accommodation by Bethlehem and Abeselom Dawit. Over the weekend, while attending Rotaract Officers Training Seminar - ROTS, I easily connected with the over 80 Club leaders in attendance. Besides, I was taken on a tour of Addis and hosted to many meals. On arrival back in Kenya, I realized that I had not even converted my dollars to Ethiopian currency. I remembered someone mention that within the global Rotary family “we’re not strangers, we’re friends who have just not met”. When Paul Harris, then at 36 years, called together a meeting of his three business acquaintances - Gustave Loehr, Silvester Schiele and Hiram Shorey - on 23rd Feb. 1905, he was a young professional in a new town in search of friendship and looking to make an impact. But he wasn’t sure where to begin. A century later, Rotary International connects 1.2 million Rotarians and 250,000 Rotaractors to peers, mentors and mentees; to professional opportunities and to people and communities in need of our help across the world.
“Rotary connects us to people we would never otherwise have met, who are more like us than we ever could have known,” Mark Maloney, Rotary International President 2019-20. Just from the few years I have been a Rotaractor, I can narrate dozens of unforgettable experiences. In 2019-20, I believe we shall continue to strengthen our Rotaract and Rotary connections. In life, it takes deliberate effort and time to forge deep and meaningful connections. In Rotary and Rotaract, this process is fast-tracked because our members believe in our core values: leadership, fellowship, diversity, service and integrity. Besides, we all share a common goal: to do good in the world. Through all this, we develop so many personal stories from all our experiences and connections; as I did that weekend in Ukunda and later in Addis. Going forth, let’s tell our family, friends and colleagues about our Rotaract connections and experiences; what they mean to us and why we’re so passionate about our organization. We can unlock our membership dilemma by story-telling. At interactive club meetings; leadership-trainings; networking events and hands-on projects capture the action photos and share the stories within your circle(s). Even better, let your social media accounts tell the story. This is a sure way of attracting and retaining our membership. “(people) are more interested in what the experience means to you and me … The human and relatable stories we tell are the ones that fire emotional triggers and create the special connections we have,” Joe Otin, District 9212 Governor 2019-20. Over the next one year, our target is to double the number of Rotaractors in our district. It should be easy: begin with us & stay with us till the end and while you’re at it introduce one or two of your friends and (or) family members to your club or a club convenient to their location and schedule. Take initiative to trigger their interest by sharing your Rotaract connection experience(s); exceed expectations by ensuring they have a positive Rotaract experience and while you’re at it forge deeper relationships with every other of your club members and guests. I look forward to all your actions towards doubling our membership.
Samuel Karanja
District 9212 Rotaract Representative 2019/2020 7
DISTRICT TEAM
Team.Kenya
Team.Ethiopia
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Samuel Karanja DRR
Kennedy Gayah Director, Membership (Institution-based) & DRRE
Charles Rukwaro Director, Service Projects
George Otieno Director, Brand Awareness & Public Image
Ambrose Mbuvi District Secretary
Nicodemus Chege Director, Membership (Community-based) & REACT
Wamugunda Mwangi Chair, GRC
Tsegamlak Zerihun Chair, Rotaract Africa Summit
Felistus Kamau District Treasurer
Adam Aberra IPDRR
Annette Wangari Director, Interact
Leila Asha Ass. Director, Interact
Gathua Muhia Director, TRF
Regina Kimani Director, TRF
Samuel Gathaga Chair, DCA
Yvonne Ng’ong’a Vice Chair, DCA
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DISTRICT TEAM
Edgah Muchai Chair, RYLA - Kenya
Aaron Abreham Hailu Chair, RYLA - Ethiopia
Christine Awuor Country Chair - Kenya
Asma Edroos Beantamlack Feleke Joseph Kaira Country Secretary - Kenya Country Secretary - Ethiopia Country Treasurer - Kenya
Netsanet Asmelash Director, Membership - Ethiopia
Catherine Njeri Director, Brand Awareness & Public Image - Kenya
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Kidanemariam Fikadu Country Chair - Ethiopia
Weldeeyesuss Kidist Country Treasurer - Ethiopia
Alazar Sahle Director, Service Projects & TRF - Ethiopia
Yared Tesema Chair, GRC - Ethiopia
Betty Amutabi Chair, GRC - Kenya
Nuruhussein Mohammed Director, Brand Awareness & Public Image - Ethiopia
Tadesse Mekdes Director, International Service - Ethiopia
Ephantus Kariuki ADRR, Kenya
Peter Karweru ADRR, Kenya
Mitchelle Naisae ADRR, Kenya
Wanjiru Kibe ADRR, Kenya
Victoria Wangari ADRR, Kenya
Joseph Abwao ADRR, Kenya
Mary Nekesa ADRR, Kenya
Kevin Nyoro ADRR, Kenya
Harrison Agundo ADRR, Kenya
Lydia Lukera ADRR, Kenya
Meron Sileshi ADRR, Ethiopia
Nardos Sileshi ADRR., Ethiopia
Pius Mutugi ADRR Kenya
Caroline Koki ADRR, Kenya
Fanuel Getachew ADRR, Ethiopia
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UPCOMING EVENTS ROUNDUP
JULY 15
PAYMENT OF DUES DEADLINE
SEPT 26 - 29 RYLA KENYA
NOV 21 - 24 ROTARACT AFRICA SUMMIT
DEC 14 ROTARACT KENYA FASHION SHOW FUNDRAISER
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GREEN EXPERIENCES GRC tree nursery preparations If four years ago someone told me that I would get to love this, ha, I would have laughed to their face. Who would want to mess the perfect manicure? Now it is part of who I am, taking care of the environment in whatever way possible. That is how I ended up joining a group of fellow Rotaractors within our district (Green Rotaract Concept D9212) who are passionate about the environment. The committee mainly focuses on tree planting, clean ups and recycling and has done many projects especially on tree planting.
Boiled maize and kangumu bought at Kikuyu town kept our mouths busy amid a little chatter as we boarded the second matatu to Nairobi Ndongo where our host was waiting for us. It was a delight to see the enthusiasm our host had and it gave us more reason to want to get our hands dirty. Brief introductions were made, and then Waiyaki and Munio from KEFRI outlined the steps we were to undertake. We started by leveling the site for three nursery beds, since the area had already been cleared and a shade created over it, and then marked the end of each nursery bed.
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It is with that in heart that 8:00 am on 12th January 2019 found us boarding a matatu to Kikuyu to visit Miti Alliance (an organization headed by Michael Waiyaki whose aim is to sustain life, educate and empower through planting, growing and maintaining trees), to get to learn how to prepare a tree nursery, not just to gain the knowledge, but with the hope that we will eventually be able to start our own nursery or officially partner with Miti Alliance.
The next step was broadcasting the Muiri tree seeds otherwise known as Prunus Africana. In the process, we got to learn that apart from broadcasting (spreading seeds on top of standard seed–bed soil mixture), the other two methods of sowing seeds are drill–sowing ( making drills on the soil and linearly dropping the seeds) and direct sowing (large seeds are directly sown into containers or fields). We then covered the broadcasted seeds with a very light layer of the mixed soil about three times the seeds and watered the nursery.
The next was to learn how to pot the soil (putting soil in the black bags or half cut containers). In this case, we used recycled plastic bottles as an environmental conservation method. The soil used for potting was similar to that used to cover the broadcasted seeds. It was a ratio mixture between forest soil, gravel and manure to ensure easy absorption of water and better roots penetration. We were advised to put the potted soil under the shade and water the soil well enough before pricking out the seedlings from a previously prepared seedbed.
This involves lifting seedlings from the seedbed to the pot using a dipstick. The dipstick is shaped in a way that is sharp at the edge to assist in making a quick drill on the potted soil and to firm the soil around the roots once the seedling has been transferred. If the root is too long, first prune it to avoid the roots from inter-twinning and to ensure the whole root is covered with soil, otherwise the seedling will dry off within a few days. To finish off we were shown how to maintain the seedlings and the seedbeds one of the main points being weeding, so as to reduce competition for water and nutrients. While preparing all these, Waiyaki and Munio would pause to explain in in-depth the various trees, processes, name of items and whatever little detail they felt would be beneficial to us. Some of the key points we got to learn include: The bed should be oriented to run east west, water in the early morning or late afternoon and the water to be directed to the soil and not the leaves. All the energy spent was restored by some refreshments as we prepared to call it a day, after a wonderful hands-on learning experience. The work being done by Past President of Rotaract Club of Nairobi Central Michael Waiyaki and his Miti Alliance organization are to be applauded for. The perfect example of sheer dedication to environmental matters. Special thanks to Miti Alliance and Munio from KEFRI, for taking time out of their schedules to educate us.
Keshi Mukuria
Rotaract Club of Nairobi Central 15
BUILDING BRIDGES Rotary's power to bring people together and build sustainable peace
“Those who tell the story rule society” - Plato one is a muggle (a derogatory word used to insult people who are thought to have no skill because of their racial heritage but who do in reality) and Ronald is from a poor family. All these positions in society are thought to be unvalued and the heroes in these stories are the ones who occupy them. This has taught children that it’s more important what people are than where they’re from.
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lato spoke those words more than 2,000 years ago in a world that’s very different from ours. Yet they still have a strong meaning to those who try to understand them. Why are stories so powerful? If we consider children’s stories, for example. We might think that children are temporarily entertained by a story and carry on with their life after the story is complete. This is false. Research shows that different characters in the stories that children read help them shape their world view. Not only do they learn good from bad, but they also learn what drives a person to the actions they take in the story. Children who read the Harry Potter fantasy, for example, were found to be more sympathetic the underdogs of society. Harry is an orphan, Hermi-
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Let’s consider the children who were raised learning the contrary. Imagine the readers as part of Hitler’s youth. Not only are stories able to create a fictional world, but they also tell us how we should look at the world and people around us. That is exactly why they are so powerful. The truth and the myth can be bundled up by the storyteller, and those who read the story will not be able to separate them. And soon enough the storytelling is done by the listener. We, the adults might say to ourselves we are too grown to be fooled by such simple stories and children’s pastimes. But whether we like it or not we have our own versions of storybooks and anime series in the form of news channels, secular and religious role models and motivational speakers who paint the story in our minds. They tell us why we should hate a certain leader, or why we should love a certain country or hate it. One might say there are facts not to be trifled with, but the problems with facts is that they can’t speak for themselves. And in the end we, the interpreters, have
the full mandate. The news channel I subscribe to might tell me about an event and my neighbor’s favorite TV station might present it in an entirely different way. So who is right? Who decides what is right? Is it us? These are important questions to answer. What if Google recognizes my search trend (which it does) and presents me with information “I want to read”? I might as well end up hating or misunderstanding the institution or the group or the person who belongs to the “other” without ever having a single conversation or direct contact with them. This is where Rotary comes in. Paul Harris, who created the organization, amongst many goals, strove to create one thing: peace through understanding. In a Rotary or Rotaract club, one will find people with different religions, different political ideologies, and different world views. Even though politics and religion are forbidden among Rotary circles, it still a great platform for people to discover one great knowledge: people are people before they become anything else. One gets to socialize with people who are different than him/her. This will create a healthy environment for dialogue and not the instigation of hate. Rotary’s golden opportunity, in our opinion, is that it goes beyond tolerance and opens the door for true understanding and peace. People will not be quiet and still hate each other but will be given the opportunity to see that their counterparts are the same as them deep down. President Barack Hussein Obama once said Political parties are not the future of the US, but Rotary clubs are, and I wholeheartedly agree. As such we strive to create real peace.
Rtn Youdahe Tsehaye Rotary Club of Addis Ababa West
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I’m Angry A tightly closed fist of emotions Angry because I don’t know that you ain’t Angry because you won’t bring yourself to be Angry, so you won’t have to be
a
I’m Lonely A deliberately closed head full of shattered memories Lonely because I’m afraid that you will figure me out
II I for I you ll
Lonely because you are not
Lonely, so you won’t have to be
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Photo Model - Monica Wanjiku (RAC Limuru)
by Sharon Lusambili, Rotaract Club of Lang'ata
I’m Cold A literal embodiment of what I carry around Cold because then you can’t warm me up Cold because it is all I know how to be Cold so you won’t have to be But through these twists of separation I excelled in being Free Free from feeling the extremes of love Free from being hurt Free, so you won’t EVER have to be #Disturbed
Cheers... To all the dreams everybody has but Me To sense of direction everybody wants me to have but Me To the maturity everybody my age has but Me To the empty pits in the stomachs of everybody when they miss somebody but Me To the giant steps everybody takes up their broken ladders but Me To all the times everybody danced their love out in the open but Me To the glasses everybody toasted with to attractive abnormalities with Me To all the times I wanted to fit in but couldn’t, and did anyway I live for lost lives and those that are deemed to not belong. #Disturbed 19
THE ROTARY FOUNDATION The Rotary Foundation turns 112 years old this year. In the 2018 fiscal year alone, the foundation gave $87 million to fund 1306 grants around the world. The birth of this giant, however was more subtle. The seed for the Rotary Foundation was planted during the 1917 rotary convention in Atlanta when the outgoing President Arch Klumph proposed that Rotary sets up an endowment for the purpose of doing good in the world. He proceeded to make the first gift of $26.5 to the cause. In its 100 years of doing good, the Rotary Foundation has supported the prevention of diseases, provided clean water, supported basic education, grown local economies, saved mothers and children and promoted peace. Its projects straddle the six areas of focus, driven by Rotarians and Rotaractors in their local communities. The most prominent of them is the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in which Rotary is a founding partner. In 30 years, the initiative has fought Polio and reduced its prevalence by more than 99.9%. The Rotary year 2019-20 is all about elevating our game as we seek to connect the world. DRR Samuel has set out an ambitious plan to increase our impact and reach. His call is true to Rotary’s vision of creating lasting change in our communities. If we are to create lasting change, we have to be evolutionary. We have to be willing to try new approaches as Arch Klumph did 112 years ago. The talk about the Rotary Foundation; donations, its work, grants and impact have to be part of our conversation this year and beyond. We an army of more than 2,000 Rotaractors in the district, each willing to bring change. What if each of us, between now and June 2020, were to donate $10 to the foundation? That would be $20,000. If the same was donated to the end polio campaign, it would triple to $60,000 courtesy of the Bill and Melinda gates foundation. All that from your $10. Above our individual contributions, the district will have multiple activities to raise funds to support The Foundation, both at club and district levels, all while having fun. In a first in the district, Rotaractors will climb Mt Kenya in February 2020, summiting Lenana Peak in the morning of Valentine’s Day to show our love to the wolrd. This will be an adventure, surrounded by family and for a worthy cause. It is time to tick off the bucket list.
Gathua Muhia 20
ISSA CONCERT! ISSA WEDDING! ISSA FUNERAL! Every year, Rotaract Clubs hold an Installation, an event during which the next president and board of the club take office at the beginning of the Rotary year, in July. “What should we do this year?” That’s how it started. That’s how it always starts. What we knew for sure was we did not want dinner, lunch or high tea. The love for art in our club is just insane so it wasn’t that hard to arrive at an art themed event. We got it. A concert. We have never held one before so it makes perfect sense. The fact that wehave a singer as a member and many guests who are in the music industry reassured us. We did not waste any time contacting them. Of course they were game. You gotta love our friends and guests. Our awesome line up of performers includes: Wamugunda Mwangi from the Rotaract Club of Nairobi Muthaiga North Jivu, a musical duo. Msagha & Chokoraa Mjanja Larry Jacob from the Rotaract Club of Kitengela And our very own songstress, Veke. We’ve got a hall that could make Cinderella lose both shoes, a heated pool, a bar that serves all your favourites. It’s Fatma’s wedding and George’s funeral. You do not want to miss it. Trust RAC LA!
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ROTARACT ETHIOPIA JOINT COUNTRY TEAM HANDOVER
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A penny for your thoughts... Rotaract Let me tell you a story about a boy A boy named David, Who had dreams to help others but the specifics were all too vivid. Who didn’t know where to start so he volunteered here and there, and who helped when he was needed: anytime, anywhere. Thankfully, one day his friend saw how he could help others and interact, so, his friend decided to invite him to a meeting of a club called Rotaract. At the end of that meeting that was fun, fruitful and not too long, David understood the gravity of their work, and felt he belonged. He had found his calling, and could scratch the itch inside of his heart, For Rotaract was action, not words, at least for the most part. The days went on and April turned into November, David got to know each and every member. He developed a friendship quite like no other, he found love that would last forever. And with every passing day their love grew slightly, His Rotaractor friends had become family.
Dawit Aseged Rotaract Club of Ra’ey
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ROTARACT
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Since I joined the Rotaract Club of JKUAT I’ve been able to develop not just academically but socially. In Rotaract I’ve made friends who are now like family. I’ve been able to attend medical camps and as a medical student it gave me an opportunity to put my training to practice, and develop my skills. I’ve also been able to interact with people from diverse cultures. Apart from that I’ve been able to attend clean-ups which are an indication that Rotaract is concerned with conservation of the environment and matters of climate change. I was able to attend the Sunshine Rally too. Through Rotaract I’ve been given a chance to contribute to society, to make a difference and as someone who’s advocating for the attainance of the Sustainable Development Goals, Rotaract has given me a chance to contribute to that noble cause. To me, Rotaract is not just a club, it’s home and the Rotaractors are my family. Bosibori Lilian Obaga a student at JKUAT and that has been her experience with RAC JKUAT
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Hey there. I am Margaret Hope from the Rotaract Club of JKUAT. I must say that being in Rotaract has changed a whole lot of things that I never used to be keen on in life. Well, being a newbie, I had the least information on what happens at the Sunshine Rally. We got allocated to our respective schools, and I got St Patrick’s School for the mentally challenged in Thika. On arriving at the Jamhuri Grounds, I got to spend the day with a girl whose name I can barely remember. We had fun together though, and I tried to help her in everything she needed for the day. Evening came, they had to go back to school. I visit my aunt on most weekends. So on this day, I was headed from her place to run some errands when I noticed someone waving at me from afar. I waved back. And yes, it was the girl with whom I had spent the Sunshine Rally with. I cannot describe the immense happiness I felt in my heart. That was many months later and she remembered me. I thanked God for me having made enough of an impression on that girl that she could remember me months later. We have met several more times, and that makes me even more encouraged to keep on engaging in Rotaract events and activities. It’s not just a club but a family. To Rotary and Rotaract the world over.
EXPERIENCES
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MEET
the Rotaract Kenya Chair
The following is a phone interview with CC Christine Awuor (or Triple C) conducted on the 27th of June 2019, just two days before the start of the Rotary year 2019 – 2020 by Rtr. George Otieno. CCC was trying to file her tax returns before he rudely interrupted. Hi Christine Hi George. Ten minutes have passed already? Long ago. I added an extra five. Are you done with taxes?
CC Christine Awuor
Not even close. I’ve tried calling all the experts and they keep sending me to YouTube. Now tell me, what’s this about an interview? I sent you the questions beforehand. Start with question one. Your least favourite. But George, what is there to know about me? Well, for a start, apart from Rotaract, what do you do with your life? (Laughter and something about clubs. Presumably Rotaract Clubs) I’m in the construction business, which tends to mean a lot of changing titles. Mostly though, I go by building engineer. You could be a contractor, a clerk of works, a foreman, site supervisor or a lot of other things, and currently I’m a clerk of works, which basically entails quality of work. But with every different job comes a different role. And how did you become a Rotaractor? Wow, that question has such a lengthy answer. But, when I was joining form one, in a school called Migingo Girls’, on my way to school, I’d see the Rotary Wheel. I didn’t know what it was. It was next to the Lions’ Logo. And so in school, I heard there was a Rotary Club, but when I asked what it was about, the students didn’t know much either. I suppose it should have been an Interact Club, but all I knew about it was that one weekend, we went to plant trees. So I assumed it was an environmental club.
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Fast forward to me moving to the Coast and one of my friends at Youthzone asked me to join her as they counselled and mentored children who were affected and/or infected with HIV. I was motivated to help the kids because despite being positive, they were so full of life. One time, this friend invited me to a Rotaract Club meeting. And I asked, “Rotaract as in Rotary?”
DRR Abenezer? That must have been 2016. Wow. Yeah. I’m only two years old in Rotaract. So I learnt about what Rotaract is, and what it does, and felt like it was everything I loved doing. I’d moved into a new town and didn’t have many friends. The weekends were boring, and here was a club with activities on the weekends. And I love dressing up! Of course…
And I said, “But those people plant trees.”
And I thought, “Now I can go to Gikomba (Google it) as much as I want to!” And then there’s the friendship, and travelling. Our club was chartered just before RYLA in 2017. So RYLA Nanyuki was my first big Rotaract event.
And she was like, “Ah ah.”
Wait. Is this that RYLA during which you were very noisy?
She said, “Yeah.”
But this was like ten years later! How could you still think Rotary just planted trees? Ha ha! So I told her my story, and figured I was meant to be here. I went to my first meeting, where Vincent Otumbo told us all about Rotaract and I learnt it was a lot more than planting trees. My next meeting was at JKUAT Pwani, a very lively club at the time, and Abenezer Feleke was visiting.
Yes! That one! And I only knew Jamal, Billy and Picasso before it. I visited a few Rotaract clubs in Nairobi then went straight for RYLA Nanyuki. I met Grace of Rotaract Karura from the previous RYLA, and she didn’t remember me. But when I showed her a picture, suddenly we were all talking and laughing and I had a roommate. I think that’s how Rotaract got to me. Not even the community service, but the family aspect. (Loses connection. Again) And I have lost the connection for the umpteenth time. Hello? Hey! Ah there you are. Let the record reflect how we struggled in this interview with your poor network connection. (Laughs disconnectedly) I will. So tell me, what kind of year do you expect to have?
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KENYA CC INTERVIEW I expect an eventful year, filled with events that bring us together. We’re leading around two thousand people. I asked myself whether it was our obligation to serve our community or to serve our members, and I concluded that our duty is our duty to serve our members, so that they could serve our community better. •
We’ve planned regional projects, with clubs from a single region working together to execute and bring life to a project. We’d like people to put their talents to use and strengthen the bond amongst clubs and individuals. I remember SK saying “the reward for good work in Rotary is more work,” and I think that the reward for good work is more learning. • We’ve talked about having the country team being able to sponsor Rotaractors to the DCA and RYLA, on merit and competition. • We also intend to have a fashion show as a fundraiser which, again, is a fun and engaging event. • The other thing is direct member participation. Which is why we have the member feedback form, so that members can really evaluate us, differently than we evaluate ourselves. We’d like to hear from the introverts, whose ideas might not necessarily get out there but might be brilliant. That’s why the projects team has put out a call for projects we can adopt. • We also plan to have monthly meetings for ADRRs, Presidents and AGs, so that problem solving can be effective. In that forum they can help each other with problems they’ve tackled before and make the whole thing smoother.
• We’ve also got a dream project. It’s a school in Samburu county. I feel that areas which have Rotaract Clubs are lucky, because we solve problems in our areas. But there are other regions, not just Kisumu, Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Nyeri or Eldoret. People forget we have Turkana, Marsabit, Samburu, Lodwar and other areas. That is Kenya as well. It’s a project I’d like to start off, possibly to be completed by the fifth Rotaract Kenya Country Chair after me. •
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And finally, the networking dinners, as a matter of professional development.
KENYA CC INTERVIEW • I’d also like Rotaractors to adopt RSVP to save ourselves a lot of trouble with venues and hotels. Take the UN Day for instance. It was a great success, with no last minute rush in planning. As with DCA or RYLA, people should RSVP, using google forms, for all events. OK. We’ve talked serious things for a while now. Tell us something else about yourself. Something different. What sort of thing is that? Whatever you want. I love cartoons. Wow. Cartoons? Yes. I wish we still had Teletubbies, the Powerpuff GirlsI can’t even. Moving to the next question. No, no, wait. Scooby Doo, Dexter, although he used to annoy me, and the Simpsons! And the Jeffersons! The Jeffersons was not a cartoon. But can you believe the Simpsons is still ongoing? Yes! I just found it a few weeks ago. Ha! We’re almost done now so finally, tell me, if all else fails, what would you like to achieve?
The bond. We’re 72 clubs, George. Can we move as 72? Not as 10 or 20. I’d like to strengthen the bond. That is a worthy goal, Christine. And thank you for taking the time. Of course, George. And thank you.
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ROTARACT KENYA COUNTRY DINNER AND HANDOVER
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RAC KEROGGIE - ELDERS’ PROJECT The one project that is synonymous with RAC Keroggie and that is near and dear to our hearts is our Elders project. What started out as support to the elderly who have done so much for their families and their community has grown to become a very personal and loving project that RAC Keroggie has been supporting; and watching it grow for the last ten years has been one of our greatest joys.
The project aims to help elders of a community who lost their children to the AIDs epidemic and/or war. Because of this, they were the primary caretakers and gave their love and understanding to their grandchildren. As time went on, age began catching up to them and
they reached a point where taking care of their families and even themselves became a difficult task. Enter Tesfa Social and Developmental Association, which has done an amazing job building the capacities of our beloved elders and helping them stand on their two feet and walk with the dignity that they so rightly deserve. Rotaract Club of Keroggie seeing the amazing works being done and wishing to provide and support the elderly we partnered up with the association back in 2009 and the rest, as they say, is history.
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Initially, the aim of the project was to help the elderly stay under their roofs so that they do not go out begging in order to sustain their lives by having members donating money every month from their own pockets so that the elders may have a
stipend to live off from and help finance their health care. This was later extended to spending major holidays with them by having them break their frugal livelihoods so that they can truly have a holiday experience and hopefully bring happiness into their lives. In the Rotary year of 2013/14, RAC Keroggie saw the poor living conditions that our elders were living in and sought temporary solutions to see them through that rainy season and brainstorm on more permanent solutions. By partnering with our mother club Rotary Club of Addis Ababa and Rotary Club of Portsmouth, funds were raised to help with the desperately needed housing solutions and the project is now finished with our elders living peacefully and with remarkably better conditions than before. The project, for us as a club, has evolved into a project that members individually invest their time and energy into to make sure it is continued in the future. Plans to make it a self-sustaining initiative are being drawn up and are being fine-tuned with the help of senior members of the community to make it happen. The Elders Project is not just a project to Keroggie; it has become our identity and who we are as members of the Rotary family. We will continue to help the vulnerable in the future and we will make sure that they stand tall and proud once again. For they are owed this, and it is our duty to make sure that this becomes a reality.
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CREATING COMMUNITY IMPACT This year’s presidential theme is Rotary connects the world. As the Rotary President put it, its all about “building connections that allow talented, thoughtful and generous people to unite and take meaningful action through rotary service.” At Rotaract Club of Taita Taveta University, we are keen on embracing this fully and doing our best to embody the same in our activities. True community impact comes from setting time aside to not only interact with those around you but also to improve their lives. It takes more than a perennial visit or a donation to leave lasting change. It goes beyond a one day event. In essence, it takes a cultivated presence, one which looks to establish bonds and ingrain a sense of belonging among those who you are serving. To serve effectively, you truly must belong. As a club, one of the projects we have is dubbed “Inua Dada Initiative”. The project is being carried out in a secondary school that is located within the environs of our campus. Mrabenyi Secondary School is a mixed day and boarding institution. The students in the school are amazing souls who have a dream that one day, they will be able to achieve their dreams and act as beacons of hope for their communities. As a club, we came together and decided to do what we can to help these students achieve their dreams. When
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we first visited the school, our main aim was to offer mentorship to the students. We had sessions with them and got to give them career guidance in regards to what they were learning in school. During our interactions, we got to learn more about the various challenges they face as the go about their learning. It was from our interactions that we got to learn about the challenges the that the girls faced during their menstrual cycles. This deeply touched the rotaractors once the report was done and it prompted them to act. We begun by going round the hostels to collect sanitary towels. This acted as a short term solution to help out the girls. The sanitary towels were delivered to the girls in the course of the week. Afterwards, the club decided to look for a longterm solution for the same. From a suggestion given by Tiju, from our motherclub Rotary Voi, we decided to use an adoption system. In this system, each club member got to adopt a girl or girls and they are to ensure that each month, the girl has access to sanitary towels by contributing a minimum of fifty shillings.
So far, we have managed to support the girls on a monthly basis and we look forward to continue doing so, even as we support the students in their studies and help in nurturing them to become better citizens. In the process of our interaction with them, we managed to revive the Interact club and we have been helping them come up in their activities. We believe that in doing our bit in mentoring and guiding the students at Mrabenyi, we are slowly getting to understand the community around us and in the process, working with them to come up with innovative solutions for the problems that might be facing the young people in Taita Taveta County. We are doing our bit in taking meaningful action to improve the lives of the community around us.
RAC Taita Taveta University 35
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LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP An excerpt from the fellowship held on 19th March 2019 at Roasters Inn by the Rotaract Club of Nairobi Muthaiga North “In Rotaract there is joining and staying. I started as a committee member in professional development, then became professional development director, vice president, president finally, Rotaract Kenya Peace Ambassadors chair. It has been a good journey, and it has changed me since on my CV, after my profession, I’ve added “Conflict Transformation.” Rotaract is amazing. You learn a lot from the amazing people you meet, and the exposure you get, and you can gain partnerships for business and work.
Strategic Planning & Prioritization
I have learnt many lessons: “If you fail to plan you plan to fail. Planning involves coordination and thinking outside the box by having a backup plan and being three steps ahead. A day may come when you have planned an event or invited a guest speaker. Suddenly, he or she sends an apology. As a leader, what is your back up plan? As an individual, in five years’ time, what is your strategy? “If you fail, you can easily pick yourself up and proceed with your back up plan in times of difficulty. It also helps you to prioritize your time and avoid being everywhere without a goal in mind. When you have a strategy, you purpose commit, which is when you start seeing the results.
Problem Solving
Adaptability
Being adaptable: open-mindedness, flexibility and unlearning bad habits.
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“It’s very sad in Rotaract when we have social events like the Sports Day and ROTS (Rotaract Officers’ Training Seminar) and some Rotaractors prefer to be alone. After the event, they’ll claim it was boring! The reason for Rotaract events, for example, one that may involve going to Garissa, even if you are used to Nairobi, is learning to adapt. Be flexible. These experiences may prove beneficial if you are posted for work in these hardship areas. I used to be the kind of person that would snob others, but later learned to be interactive and that has boosted the self-confidence that has led me out of my comfort zone. In corporations, such as Unilever, apart from your academic achievements they look at what skills you are bringing to the table. Unlearn bad habits such as being bad at keeping time and missing deadlines to assignments. “Sharing ideas amongst club members, creativity and innovation. You might experience dwindling club, yet members have brilliant ideas that they are unwilling to share. Say you are planning an Installation, and someone has connections or a different perspective but won’t come out to share the same. If we come together and brainstorm, it boosts club members’ creativity. Look at a problem with the aim of finding a solution. Be optimistic.
Share responsibilities and keep one another in the know, such that in the event that you won’t be able to make it to anticipated club fellowships and activities, nothing is lost. Example: The Rotaract Club of Nairobi Muthaiga North would not have not achieved their glory at the Rotalympics without team players. You guys are always together, which is something that I envy and look forward to learning from you.
I believe that this year should not end with you as the same person. Opportunities are coming, and if they find you as you were, they will pass you by again and again. If you need to go to school, join online learning platforms, engage friends and family, do so. Learn new things. When I travel upcountry, I strive to reconnect and spend time with my family.
Capacity Building
Add value to yourself. Don’t let January pass and December come without you having learnt or polished any new skills. It is through capacity building that doors open up for you. I recently met a lawyer Rotaractor, and was really impressed with her. Aside from her profession, she bakes cake as a part-time income avenue. That’s something worth emulating.
Networking
It would be unfortunate if you came from this fellowship without getting to know one or two new people. You never know how he or she might be your next big career or business connection. Say you need a performer for your next event. You might meet them right here. Or you could get to learn how a problem was tackled, how an event was organized or put together. It would be a shame to say after an event is over that, “Hata sikuenjoy” (I did not even enjoy).
Team Player
Connection is what makes the experience of Rotary so special, and none of us is an island. It’s very sad when we engage in chest-thumping, saying, “only I can tackle this.” There’s a reason why God created Eve for Adam, don’t sit back and stare as the club director does all the work. Don’t have the same people come up with ideas and execute them every time, when there are ten or more people in the committee.
Purpose to make progress, even if you are still uncertain what you want to do with your life. Don’t limit yourself to your career. Do something to improve your skillset. In this age, jobs come and go, and if you’re laid off, you won’t be in shock if you’re adequately purposeful with your life. Rarely will things come to us on a silver platter. Be bold in your careers and assert yourself in your relationships. There is nothing as appealing to men as a confident lady, and the reverse is likely true.
Be Bold
Being bold keeps you motivated. My words of assertions are: Liwe liwalo. Sitambui. Kama mbaya mbaya. Kwani iko nini? (Loosely translates to “Whatever will be will be. I don’t care. If it’s bad, well, it’s bad. So what?”) These help improve my self-esteem and with time, they have helped contain my stage fright. Self-motivation helps you to grow a thick skin to deal with life’s rejections and disappointments. Encourage yourself, because you cannot wait for anyone else to lift your spirits.
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Be the Inspiration
Thanksgiving
Time for Everything
TEN LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP
Whenever we wake up, we have twenty-four hours. Organize yourself and by the end of the day, you’ll have achieved your day’s target. Balance your time or someone else will do it for you at great personal expense. Don’t talk of your achievements or losses too long. Be on the move, reach out for more targets and be well informed of what’s happening around you.
Thanksgiving and abundance mentality. Avoid the scarcity mentality. It is good to be aggressive, but at times there are petty issues that are not worth your precious time and reputation. When we have an abundance mentality, there are some things we cannot waste our time on. Every day is new if we learn to be optimistic. It is sad when you find people holding onto too much to vehemence that delays them in pursuing other endeavors. Let us always be at peace with ourselves by not letting small things not keep us from proceeding with life.
Leave a legacy. Touch people’s lives. What do you want to be remembered for? When you encourage someone you are also encouraging yourself. What will your response be in after-life when your creator asks you of the impact you made to humanity? We are not sure of tomorrow. That may never come. Live life to the fullest. Be Prayerful. Thank you for the invitation.”
Lazarus Okul is a Rotaract Peace Ambassador, and was the Rotaract Kenya Peace Ambassadors Chair in 2018/19. He is a Past President of the Rotaract Club of Westlands. The Rotaract Kenya Peace campaign draws peace ambassadors from various clubs who come together to promote peace initiatives within and outside the rotary network. How
was
your
fellowship?
Inbox
derrickadang2@gmail.com
and
let’s
do
a
story.
Be part of the Rotaract Kenya Peace campaign by joining us through our social media sites; Twitter: @RotaractPeaceKE Compiled by; Adang’ Derrick Rotaract Club of Lang’ata Rotaract Peace Ambassador
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Facebook: Rotaract Peace Campaign
Shriveled paper thin skin Veins that tell untold stories Eyes that have seen almost everything Smiles that brighten up anybody’s day My holidays are filled with all of the above Plus love And hands to hold Like grabbing gold My arms always held by my grandparents Not the ones that I drew by blood but desire My heart a flickering fire My good deed really one of the most selfish acts In fact it is all for me My Grandparents, definition of innocence and wisdom They are like every color of the rainbow My Grandparents, the reason why the most wonderful time of the year is just that
Mira Rotaract Club of Keroggie
Little Parachutes A story is told of a girl who is sheltered at home since childhood, with a rare genetic condition; a life threatening sensitivity to sunlight. When she is of age, her spouse finds himself in a dilemma since she can only step out of the house at night, away from the fatal sunrays. As fate would have it, the two stitch a love story and devise a way to shine a glimmer of hope, bright like the sunshine, into the dark world of the girl. Talk of the Midnight Sun! Since its inception in 1979, the Rotary Sunshine Rally has strived to do nothing less. Being part of the 40th Sunshine Rally was phenomenal. It was a day organized by the Rotary Clubs within Nairobi, Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Machakos, Thika and Naivasha, to spread some sunshine to kids and inspire people all over the world, to do something good, no matter how big or small, for someone else. Saturday the 16th of February 2019 came and I had cleared my schedule for the day. Destination? The ASK Jamhuri Show grounds along the busy Ngong’ Road. Our PR Director Ms. Keshi Mukuria was magnanimous enough to grant us a lift to the venue (boy child struggles) so… Sisi hao! Us those! (ahem… This honestly doesn’t translate very well to English) At the registration desk, the colours of the day were already taking shape. Red seemed to be associated with Rotarians and Grey was mostly adorned by Rotaractors. This event had been meticulously planned. The sound of “Vimbada”, a local urban gospel hit playing from the main arena melted my anxiety. Human traffic was slowly building up by the narrow entrance, but we managed to make our way through to the stadium. This was it. Allow me to walk you through this scene. Differently abled Nominated MP David Ole Sankok and Westlands’ legislator Tim Wanyonyi, flanked by a host of other individuals were assembling on the main dais ahead of the opening statements. Panning my eyes to the left, I saw a bouncing castle with kids, across the divide, jumping up and down in total bliss. On the extreme right side of the stadium, I spotted tents where they seemed to be dishing out bites and refreshments (I told you. Food is important). The entire stadium was splashed in different colours owing to the various schools attending. There was a manila paper on the adjacent wall labelled “Karatina School for the Mentally Challenged” with kids having the best moments of their lives. There was laughter in the horizon. I was in awe. Exhilarating, right? After exchanging pleasantries, our Community Service Deputy Director Joseph Guchu requested we find something to help out in. Someone suggested we head to the packing room and upon reaching a unanimous decision; we hastily walked to a room adjacent to the registration desk. All through, I kept wondering how the Rotary Clubs had even managed to plan such an event, leave alone inviting such a huge number (Maybe the aliens helped them! 40
The packaging room! Lord. It was baptism by fire. Have you ever seen how safari ants toil to build that anthill, so complicated yet so seemingly seamless? There were cartons lying all over, stacked up to the ceiling. Two long tables were lined with Rotaractors and students on both ends, busy mumbling in quiet conversation. We quickly jumped into one as if our lives depended on it. We were tasked to package gifts for our guests. One package containing a toothbrush, a toothpaste tube, a container of yoghurt, some candy and a fruit for each of the over 7000 children attending. How creative! I thought. It didn’t matter what club you belonged to nor what school you attended not even the colour of your t-shirt or your M-Pesa balance. We all had a common goal. Someone was busy soloing patriotic songs which we all sang along to as our hands did the work. This was a selfless event aiming at putting a smile on each of the differently abled kids. After serving in this docket for about 90minutes, we were informed that the face-painting docket needed more volunteers owing to the huge number of kids. Face Painting is not for the faint hearted and not everyone can draw. There is this kid who requested our Assistant PR Director, Nicholas Mutaiti, to paint Batman on his cheek. Mutaiti mumbled something incoherently; maybe summoning his ancestors for help then went ahead to confidently paint something which looked like the map of Madagascar! The kid thanked him with a smile and walked away in full oblivion of the painting. It was a win-win situation! Pure bliss! Lunchtime came and boy oh boy this was interesting! Our guests for the day were escorted to the adjacent seats round the stadium. Food was being served from several strategic “hotspots”. Then, together in the spirit of selflessness and service, Rotaractors and Rotarians would line up like a conveyor belt, from the serving points all the way to the kids. My goodness! In the afternoon session, something caught my attention and it warmed my heart. Gospel artists were taking the stage, one after the other, putting up their best performances yet. In the midst of all these activities happening almost simultaneously, there was this guy busy “selling his manifesto” to a blushing and stunningly beautiful differently abled girl. As I sat in the matatu back home, staring out the window in deep thought, I couldn’t help but wonder how much joy we had brewed. The rays of sunshine we had brought. It cannot be underscored enough that we take such things in life for granted which is why I hereby urge you to spread some love. Do something good, no matter how big or small, for someone else.
To Rotary and Rotaract, the World over: Spread some sunshine!
Steve Maina
Rotaract Club of Nairobi Central 41
MEMBERSHIP Quality
and
growth
Family and Friends of Rotary, As we start the new Rotary year where we seek to connect the world, I reflect on the quality and growth of our organization and its members over the 42 years that Rotaract has existed in our small corner of the world. Our district stands tall today because of the efforts of all past Rotaractors that have come before us. Indeed, we are tall for we stand on the shoulders of giants. We all know that the world needs more Rotaractors. Who better to ensure this happens than all of us Rotaractors? The clarion call from the RI president, our DG and our DRR to grow our membership, both in quantity and quality, comes with the realization the world over that old methods are ill-fitted to achieve results in this new and ever-changing world we live in today. Recent travels across the district revealed that Rotaractors across our district have already been hard at work, in our clubs and in our communities, devising new and innovative methods to improve the quality of our clubs, our membership and the service we offer our communities while ensuring we have more hands available to get the job done. The goals set by our DRR and the DG in terms of membership are well underway to being achieved.
Some thoughts on Growth We desire “growth” in Rotaract because we are already planted and deeply rooted in an idea, a belief and a purpose that we all consider to be worthy of our efforts and which the world today desperately needs. We seek to grow Rotaract because our experiences living, working and serving as Rotaractors have been life changing and we desire the same positive impact for our brothers and sisters. We desire to “grow” Rotaract because we have developed a gradual discontent in our current situation. We have looked into the future and discovered that the world requires more of us than what we are currently capable of doing. We are working to grow because if we don’t, Rotaract will perish.
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Some thoughts on quality Quality refers to the ‘standard’ or the ‘degree of excellence’ of something. That we are all concerned about the quality of our membership, our clubs and the service we offer our communities is an indication of our maturity as Rotaract D9212. We are no longer satisfied with just getting the job done. We no longer expect brownie points for just showing up and showing that we can do. We are holding ourselves to a higher standard. We are asking and expecting more from ourselves, our fellow Rotaractors and our clubs. Our desire for quality stems from the foundation we found built by Rotaractors before us. They were kind enough to clear all the hills before them, those we would have found had we come along earlier. By doing this, they left us just the big mountain to scale. To ensure quality membership and the growth of our clubs, we must understand the following questions; • How/Why do young men and women end up at Rotaract? What draws them? What are they looking for? • After showing up for the first time, what made these young men and women stick around? What did they find that made them feel the need to come back for a second and third time? • After they chose to stick around, what has been their contribution to Rotaract? What did they bring to the table? • What personal benefits have these men and women derived from their membership in Rotaract? • When these men and women finally transition into Rotary, what do they expect to leave behind at their Rotaract clubs? What do they wish to be their legacy in Rotaract? Answering these questions at individual level and within our clubs will ensure we have a deep understand of what motivates us to do what we do. This understanding will empower us to sell Rotaract to our brothers and sisters out in the world more convincingly.
Nicodemus Chege District 9212 Director for Membership, Past President, Rotaract Club of Nairobi Central.
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the world needs less **** and more t ilets
Let’s say you went for a camping trip with your Rotaract friends where there is no electricity and toilet which one would you miss most? Only a hundred years or so ago, people didn’t have either one. There were no light bulbs. You couldn’t just flip a switch or push a button to make things happen. For thousands and thousands of years, whenever people wanted heat they had to make a fire. And for thousands and thousands of years, there were no sinks with hot and cold running water or flush toilets in houses. You couldn’t just turn on a faucet or hold down a handle to make water move. Whenever people needed water, they had to get a wooden bucket or a heavy clay jar and walk to a river or a spring or a well and then carry the water back home. They dag holes and went there for thousands of years but time goes and knowledge improves the sink got invented and people started sitting properly, they also started using toilet papers instead of leafs They could wash their hands in a sink, and not just with cold water. There was hot water, too! Amazing right!! But it’s sad to say that not everyone has that privilege. There are more than 2.5 billion people on this planet that lack access to improved sanitation. More than 1 billion people still face the indignity of defecating in the open, not to mention that women and girls are being assaulted while going to the toilet. And guess which part of the world is more affected by this depressing problem? Yes you have guessed right it’s our own Mother land Africa. We all know we should wash our hands after we go to the bathroom. We all know that toilet water isn’t safe to drink. That water has germs in it. That’s what sewage treatment does—clean the water before we use it again. But the two and a half billion people who live without toilets don’t have a way to clean the water. Human waste goes into the water, and that’s the only water they have. It’s the only water they have to wash their hands. It’s the only water they have to cook with. And it’s the only water they have to drink. People get sick from that water. People die from that water. Diseases like diarrhea, dysentery and cholera kill almost two million children every year. Five thousand children die, every single day, because people don’t have toilets. Ending open defection is not just giving access to toilets it’s about generating demand for toilets and getting everyone to use them every single day properly. That is why we at Rotaract club of Lewet are working hard towards ending this awful culture of open defection and promoting proper sanitation throughout our district by getting together with Rotaractor’s around Africa under our international project entitled Se’w Al’e it’s an Amharic word that one who is using the toilet says during doing a number 1 or 2 I will just assume you will know what the numbers mean and jump to the description. Our project aims to build one or more public toilets in each of the country’s found in district 9212 our project will also have a social media campaign with different challenges like we did last November with more than 12 clubs around the world internationally one of whom is 44
our sister club to be Rotaract club of Malindi, they did an amazing work on the squat challenge where they take pictures on the squat position to illustrate open defection and doing a short video for the urgent run challenge. We will still have all of those fun challenges and create awareness among our different social media accounts and for our society. We do our project annually which is on November 19 alongside with world toilet day celebration, but we start our movement months prior to the actual date of the event. We are now on the first phase of the project where we look for different sponsors that can cover the budget for the coast effective toilets we plan to build and also Rotaract and rotary clubs that are interested in our project. So if By any chance you are reading this and you are interested about the topic and the project we are doing then hooray our article worked I would have used the jumping and clapping emoji but it would be totally unprofessional. So yes please do contact us on the email and WhatsApp number we have provided below: Email
international@rclewet.org
president@rclewet.org
WhatsApp +251912642748
Rotaract Club of Lewet
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Pages off my diary “Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!’’ was the only thing that rang in my fresha (College Freshman for you) brain when I saw him standing in the corridor. On the one path that I took on my way to the hostel. The music through my earphones went blurry as we began a staring contest. “Hello,” he said as he signaled me to take off my earphones. He smelt like mint. His scent was just like I had imagined, “MANLY”. Never had it crossed my mind to speak to him. No, wait. I had fantasized about speaking with him but with different personas. Which one was I going to use? The fierce and confident one? The cool chick, maybe? The blonde? “What?” I said blankly. Great… it had to be that one. “Sorry to bother you, but I would like to invite you to our Rotaract Club meeting.” “What’s that?” “It’s worth your time,” he concluded with a grin.
There was a bell and those gavels judges use for “Order in the Court!” The President had a weird necklace but with two name tags on it. The session was quite dope: a little chatter here, another joke there. The cute guy who invited me in stood up and collected money from everyone. He did not tell me that I should have sadaka (offering, I suppose. Like in church) 30 minutes into it, the President asked everyone to stand. Everyone stood and had their hands on their chest, I copied obviously. “A toast to Rotary International!” “To Rotary the world over!” “Great! First week on campus and I have already joined a cult!” Just when I was about to dash out, the president stopped me. He was quite enthusiastic and that was a bit creepy to me. He asked me what I thought about the meeting and how I felt about it. “Dude, I have no idea what just happened!”
Then he led me into a classroom full of people. Applause and shouts filled the room. For a second, I felt my spirit leaving my body as I turned ice cold. We took our seats as the commotion died down.
He explained to me what Rotaract was, and all the need to know basics of Rotary as a whole. More of his members joined in on the convo. They shared their experience with Rotaract. Before I knew it, we were seated having tea and buns.
“Thank you SAA, for bringing in our first recruit this semester. Welcome back…” the speaker went on and on. He was called the President for some reason.
It was so easy to talk with these people. I thought campus life was everyone for him/herself and God for us all. We spoke as if we had been friends for a while. It was as if everyone
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knew their cue to speak, because one would finish sharing and another would open up. We were in sync. “Shee, hope to see you next meeting,” said Baraka, the president elect. “Aaah! He said my name”, my thoughts could not keep calm. “Yeah, sure. I won’t miss it.” Well, that is how I imagine joining Rotaract would be. But not in my case. Well, yes I was stopped on my way to the hostel but by my fellow first year. He briefed me on what Rotaract was and I thought it was a nice pitch. I entered the empty class and waited for them to invite other people in. But it was just me, him and two of his friends. He had so much ambition with this Rotaract idea. Two years down the line, my initial imagery of joining Rotaract is a reality to some of our multitude of members. I just switched to a community based club. We’re hoping to grow in numbers, profession and networks. #HumbleBeginings
Daisy Nyangasi Rotaract Club of Menengai
Rotaract photos and Rotaract moments
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JUST SAY CHEESE RAC Youthzone Clothes Drive
RAC JKUAT Trash to Trend
RAC Taita Taveta University Mrabenyi Outreach
RAC Lang’ata Avengers Night & Mother Club Installation
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JUST SAY CHEESE Green Rotaract Concept (GRC) Kenya Handover
RAC DEKUT Installation Ceremony
RAC Kitengela Market Cleanup
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JUST SAY CHEESE District Conference & Assembly (DCA) Sun n Sand Kilifi County
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RESOURCE LINKS
1. The Rotaract Handbook: https://my.rotary.org/en/document/rotaract-handbook 2. Rotaract Club Certification Form: https://my.rotary.org/en/document/rotaract-club-certification-form 3. Standard Rotaract Club Constitution: https://my.rotary.org/en/document/standard-rotaract-club-constitution 4. Recommended Rotaract Club Bylaws: https://my.rotary.org/en/document/recommended-rotaract-club-bylaws 5. Rotary Citation Brochure: https://my.rotary.org/en/news-media/office-president/rotary-citation 6. Brand Center: https://www.rotary.org/en/brandcenter (requires sign-in) contains logos, logo templates, guidelines, etc 7. RI Visual Identity Guide: https://my.rotary.org/en/document/tell-rotarys-story-voice-and-visual-identity-guidelines-rotarians 8. Rotaract Identification Card: https://my.rotary.org/en/document/rotaract-identification-card 9. Rotaract Promotional Card: https://my.rotary.org/en/document/rotaract-promotional-card 10. The Six Steps to (project) Sustainability: https://my.rotary.org/en/document/ six-steps-sustainability 11. Rotaract Outstanding Project Nomination: https://rotary.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_4USAyCAu9r9ZHut 12. Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) Handbook: https://www.rotary.org/myrotary/ en/document/ryla-handbook 13.
Club Finder: http://www.rotary.org/myrotary/en/search/club-finder
14. Rotary’s Areas of Focus: https://www.rotary.org/myrotary/en/document/rotarys-areas-focus 15. Rotary Peace peace-fellowships 16.
Centers:
https://www.rotary.org/en/get-involved/exchange-ideas/
International Convention: http://www.riconvention.org/
17. The Rotarian (Magazine): https://www.rotary.org/myrotary/en/news-media/magazines/ rotarian 18. 52
Interact Handbook: https://www.rotary.org/myrotary/en/document/interact-handbook
ROTAMEMES
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CREDITS MEMES
Rotary: Connecting the world
Alice Josephs
CONCEPT ART Natnael Tadelle
PHOTOS Jomo Kay Mani El-Darreiny (Mani Studioworks)
Peter Mwarangu (www.throughmylenses.co.ke)