The Wave
Volume 5 Issue 10 April 2017
Editor’s note
W
omen in Kampala and Dar es Salaam celebrated the International Women’s day with colourful events in the respective cities. The Kampala celebration was an all white High Tea event which was not restricted to women unlike the Dar event a colourful women only dinner for Rotarians, family and friends. By the photos shared it looks like both events were a resounding success. For more stories on women’s day celebration in the Rotary world please visit https://www.rotary.org/en/rotarywomen-inspire-international-womens-day The President Elect Training Seminar for Tanzania took place in March in Dar and it included representatives from clubs all over the country including the current and incoming district leadership. The two day Seminar took place in Dar es Salaam and you can take a look at what transpired on this Wave. Rotaract week was in March and we celebrate their contribution to us and their fellow youth, as we share some of their stories and as well PDG Tusu has paid tribute to them on his column on this Wave. April brings us closer than ever to the 92nd DCA which will take place in Arusha from 4th -6th May, the team is urging all Rotarians to make the final registration arrangements as soon as possible. And just in case you are still not convinced Arusha is the place to be, apart from an exciting DCA program check out what you can get up to in Arusha on this edition. April also is a month of Maternal and Child health care on our Rotary calendar this is a reminder for Rotarians to continue contributing to the worldwide efforts of reducing deaths of mothers and children. Continue sharing your news with us through dg211news@gmail.com We wish you a Happy Easter Editor
Front page & last pagephoto credits: AFP 2| The Wave April 2017
In This Issue Editor’s note
1
DG’s corner
2
RI President’s message
3
Tusu’s Corner
4
Women in Rotary
6
PETS Tanzania
10
Club News
12
Rotaract Corner
16
92nd DCA Arusha
18
DG’s corner
RI President’s message
DG Jayesh Charters Clubs in Uganda April 2017 - Maternal and Child Health Month
Globally, in developed as well as in developing countries, child mortality is on the decline and life expectancy on the rise. In 1960, 182 of every 1,000 children born died before turning five; today, that number is down to 43. A child born in 1960 could expect to live an average of just 52 years; by contrast, a child born this year can expect to live to 71. Then as now, the factors most likely to determine a child’s fate are set at birth: where he or she is born, the educational and economic condition of the family, the availability of medical care. Yet one of the most important advances in public health has reached every country and must now reach every child: immunization.
Top: Charter of RC Bweyogerere Central. Left: Charter of RC APAC. Right: Chartering RC Lugazi Central. Bottom: chartering of RC Kalangala Sesse Islands.
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The use of vaccines has, in many parts of the world, nearly eliminated diseases that once were widespread, such as diphtheria, tetanus, and rubella. Thanks to vaccines, 20 million lives have been saved from measles since 2000. Smallpox has been eradicated – and polio is next. Thirty years ago, there were an estimated 350,000 cases of polio per year worldwide.
As this issue of The Rotarian went to press, only 37 cases of polio had been recorded in 2016 – the lowest number in history. All of the other cases, and the paralysis and death they would have brought, were prevented through the widespread use of a safe, reliable, and inexpensive vaccine. Overall, the World Health Organization estimates that immunization prevents an estimated 2 million to 3 million deaths every year. It also averts a tremendous burden of disability and economic loss. Yet we could be doing so much better: An additional 1.5 million deaths could be avoided by improving vaccine coverage worldwide.
This month, from 24 to 30 April, we join WHO, UNICEF, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in celebrating World Immunization Week, raising awareness of the incredible impact that vaccines have had on global health. This year’s theme is “Vaccines Work” – and they do. Increased use of vaccines has broader repercussions for public health: controlling viral hepatitis, reducing both the need for antibiotics and the development of antibiotic-resistant microbes, and reaching more children and adolescents with essential health interventions. In every part of the world, routine immunization is as crucial as ever to ensure that all children have the best chance at a healthy future. In an uncertain world, vaccines offer something remarkable: a way to protect our children throughout their lives. By working together to safeguard all children against polio and other preventable diseases, Rotary is truly Serving Humanity – now and for generations to come.
John F. Germ
Tusu’s Corner people likely Aggrey Kankunda were some of this medicine. Rotary Kampala North was more proactive in engaging Rotaract Kampala City to the extent that this club, feeling abandoned by their mothers, formally sent a letter through then Rotaractor Julie Asiimwe requesting Kampala North to mother them, and this we did very happily. Former Rotaractors have now taken it a step further, many after taking time off to build up their careers and businesses, and to start their families. Visit the Rotary Club of Kampala Metropolitan (Fridays, 7pm, Mackinnon Suites) where all the charter members were former Rotaractors: they started with 20, have not lost any member,
A Tribute
and are now more than 30. Very unusual for a new club! The Governor’s special representative was Fred Masadde, himself a former Rotaractor. Or venture out to the club in formation, the Rotary Club of Kampala City (Saturdays, 12.30pm, Pearl Restaurant, Nomo Gallery) to feel their exciting energy. Check their schedule first: they only meet on site for three Saturdays – the fourth Saturday is spent by the members working on a project in the field where the real Rotary work is done. The Governor’s special representative is PDG Bob, our first “Rotaractor” Rotary District Governor. From the Rotaractors, and from the younger generation generally, we get new energy. We get new
ideas, innovation that helps us shatter the boxes that enclose our thinking. We get the perpetual “yes can do!” attitude, the drive to elevate our vision and think new possibilities. We get the high risk appetite that is required of any person who wants to lead real change or transformation. Look around at Rotary clubs especially in Uganda: you are going to find that most of the clubs that are considered effective are what they are because of absorbing young people, Rotaractors, as a continuous infusion of fresh energy, ideas, and innovation. Thank you Rotaractors!
Rtn Tusu
to Rotaractors
I
know I have spoken to one or two people about this: we had an excellent hosting of RI President John Germ, but we failed in one major way – we did not give the Rotaractors enough time with him. They did not even have an independent session. They did not get any of their projects visited. We did not sufficiently showcase what is strong about Rotary in our District: Rotaract. Our forefathers were more discerning: if the king visited, you show-cased the prowess of your sons in the hope that the king would take them into his service; and the beauty of your daughters in the hope that he would take them to wife (do not get angry my many friends the ladies – I am
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citing history!). The World Rotaract Week came and went, and I did not feel the usual prominence and publicity we normally give it. I associate myself closely with many Rotaract clubs: Kampala City, not just because we are the same age in Rotary but because I have worked closely with them for a long time; Kampala the Core, because I was fortunate to be the one to charter them; and Kampala North, our KANOs, because I had a hand in their formation and they are full of energy. I cannot forget Lukuli Nanganda, Kololo, Ssese, UICT, Buganda Royal, Makerere, and Kampala North Musical. There are many more Rotaract clubs, but I have not had the opportunity of
interacting with them closely - yet. Lukuli Nanganda projected the role of Rotaract in then District 9200 to the world stage when President Bill Boyd visited their community project during 2006. The Rotary Club of Kampala was slowly dying: the solution was an injection of a whole bunch of Rotaractors at the same time. The contemporaries of what we fondly call the Arch Club are Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, and Addis Ababa: I would recommend this same medicine to them if they want to recover to greater strength. The Rotary Kampala South was actually in its death throes, and it was literally resurrected by getting another even bigger bunch of Rotaractors to take it over – yes,
ining adership tra
in le tarct leaders o R g in m o c In
The Rotary Club of Kampala Metropolitan
District Rotarct Representative Anthony Mapande presented during 92nd DCA
ucted into as being ind m o h T r to c ra bogo. Former Rota Club of Kyam
Rotary
The Future of Women In Rotary in Tanzania As one of the worlds oldest service organisations, Rotary has come a very long way. Women were only admitted into Rotary in 1989, following a Supreme Court ruling in the US. Currently there are more than 1.2 million Rotarians who work towards improving the lives of communities around the world. You might be surprised to note that only 20% are female. At this rate it will take Rotary 3 decades to achieve gender parity. The numbers in Tanzania are marginally better, with approximately 625 Rotarians, of which 30% are female members. Making female membership in Tanzania higher than the global average, but certainly not enough. In District 9211, women account for 35% of total membership. Our challenge today and for the future of the organization centers around how we can engage more women and youth in Rotary to allow them to grow as leaders and community 6| The Wave April 2017
By Rtn C.Barretto, RC DSM North
changmakers in contributing towards peace and understanding.
service, as the members of our communities.”
International Women’s Day on March 8th celebrates the social, economic, political and cultural achievements of women around the world and also highlights the challenges that women face. This year the campaign was around asking individuals to #BeBoldForChange in working for a more gender inclusive world. Earlier this year, RI President Peter Riseley said that female leadership “…will help Rotary connect with, and represent, and better
With this in mind the female members of the Rotary Club of DSM North lead a collaborative effort between the seven Rotary Clubs in Dar es Salaam in seeking more diversity in membership, improving the gender balance and an illustration of Rotary in Tanzania and District 9211. We wanted to not only reflect on the milestones woman have achieved in creating economic opportunity and celebrate female Rotarians, but also illustrate to the wider public the role that members and clubs play. The Women In Rotary Tanzania #BeBoldForChange dinner took place on 25th March. Each of the seven clubs in DSM was asked to bring 5 non-Rotarians who could be potential members. By the end of the evening we had several guests committing
to visiting clubs in the following week and inquiring on how to join a club. Many of the guests also shared that they had no idea about Rotary’s work in Tanzania and found `District Governor Nominee Sharmilla Bhatt’s introduction to Rotary interesting and informative. Our keynote feminist-activist Usu Mallya, was vibrant and passionate. With over 20 years experience in gender mainstreaming and development at a grassroots and national level she got the group buzzing around key issues for women in our community. This provided a lot of project ideas for Rotarians who were present. We also honored a young woman Consoler Wilbert who has a project where she helps young girls between the ages of 8 and 25 who have been abused. The House of New Hope For Girls is in its fourth year, and trained social worker Consoler currently cares for 36 girls. She provides support,
counseling and education for the girls. Her dream is to set up the House of New Hope Village where she can cater to many more young girls who are being marginalized. We were able to raise Tsh 500,000 towards her dream via a raffle. The night was made complete with a piano and violin duo and delicious food from The Terrace restaurant, Slipway. This has been the third Women in Rotary Tanzania event, organised by the female Rotarians of DSM North. The first two events were aimed at getting female Rotarians to know each other. At the second event Rotaractors were also invited to join as a way to start the conversation around youth mentorship.
Rotary’s model of membership and service is unique, while many organisations allow you to network professionally or get involved in community projects, very few allow you to combine both of these opportunities. This not only makes Rotary an attractive opportunity for women, but also provides an attractive avenue for increasing membership within our district.
Key Note Speaker Robert Kabushenga service projects. Research has shown that women are multi taskers and give more of their time and money towards charity than men.
Panelists (L-R) Rtn Sheila Kawamara (Moderator). Rtn Lydia Bujara (Chair Cancer Run 2016) Mrs Annette Kirabira ED Rahab; and Mrs. Noerine Kaleeba Co-Founder TASO.
Women in Rotary Uganda mark 2nd Anniversary It was an all-white affair on Saturday 12th March when Rotary Club of Kampala Naalya marked the 2nd edition of the Women in Rotary event at a high tea event at the Kampala Sheraton Hotel. The Women in Rotary initiative is a Public Relations signature event spearheaded by, the Rotary Club of Kampala Naalya. It’s main objective is to celebrate and honor leadership of women in Rotary in addition to creating awareness and attracting professional and business women in to Rotary. The event is marked every year in 8| The Wave April 2017
March to coincide with the global “Women’s Day” celebrations.
The History of Women in Rotary
Rotary International’s 1.2 million members. In Rotary District 9211 (Tanzania and Uganda), women account for approximately 35% of the total membership.
Although Rotary International has been in existence for 109 years, it was for a long time a ‘men only’ organization. Women were only admitted into Rotary in 1989; following a Supreme Court ruling in the US and subsequent changes in Rotary International’s Constitution. As a result of their late entry, women currently represent only 17% of
However, despite this disadvantage in numbers, women Rotarians are increasingly becoming a force to reckon with. Not only have women increased Rotary’s numbers, but they have injected new life into Rotary clubs through their ideas and enthusiasm. Anecdotal evidence suggests that Rotary clubs with more women members are vibrant and have more successful
A 2013 U.S. Trust survey on women and wealth found that “women are nearly twice as likely as men to say that giving to charity is the most satisfying aspect of having wealth.” This notion of giving to charity rhymes with the words of Arch C. Klumph, founder of The Rotary Foundation: “We should not live for ourselves alone, but for the joy in doing good for others.”
Women in Rotary 2017 In line with centennial Rotary Foundation celebrations, the Women in Rotary 2017 event included a commemoration of women in Uganda who had contributed more than $10,000 dollars to the Rotary Foundation. These included Rtn. Jane Kabugo (RC Sunrise); Rtn Petwa Rwomushoro- (RC Kampala North); and Rtn Susan Matovu- (RC Kampala South). This year’s theme “Together Changing the World” was addressed by two key notable speakers: - Mr. Robert Kabushenga CEO of Vision Media speaking about Smart Partnerships and Rotarian Peter Kimbowa renown Motivational speaker on a topic about the end of men in relation to the emerging
The three Major Donors in Uganda .l-r Rtn Petwa, Rtn role of Jane, Rtn Susan with DGE Ken Women in leadership women’s efforts and urged them positions both in communities and to donate more to the Rotary businesses. foundation. He also complimented
Other highlights of the day included a discussion panel of 3 ladies talking about their roles and involvement in community development, social mobilization and rehabilitation. Among the panelists was Rtn Lydia Bujara, a cancer survivor and Chairperson Cancer Run 2016; Mrs. Annette Kirabira, Executive Director of RAHAB (an NGO that that settles and rehabilitates girls and young women engaged in commercial sex and trafficking) and Mrs. Noerine Kaleeba, the Co-founder of the HIV/AIDS activism group – TASO. The lively panel discussion was moderated maverously by Rtn Sheila Kawamara with Kampala South MC Rtn Isaac Serwanga. A moving tribute was also read in memory of Uganda’s First Rotary Country Chair, the Late Dr. Margaret Mungherera. Presenting the awards, the DGE Kenneth Mugisha commended
the Rotary Club of Naalya for coming up with recognition program aimed to uplifting and encouraging women participation in Rotary.
As the teas, juices and snacks were served, the guests were serenaded to live band music provided by Janzi and Ivuga bands. Compared to the first edition, this year attracted about 250 people as well as corporate sponsors. The male attendance also grew from 2- 8 %. Looking towards the third event in 2018 we hope to attract more male Rotarians to celebrate their Women in Rotary! Viva Rotary
An award handed over posthumously to the family of Late Dr Margaret Mungherera.
Membership, youth and supporting foundation– DGE Mugisha priority areas in 2017/18
T
he focus areas of the District Governor Elect Kenneth Mugisha are on membership growth and retention, supporting the foundation and youth. He said the Ken Tree Star Award would go to new clubs giving for the first time, and giving a total of USD1, 000, Clubs with 100% membership retention and with 100% payment for Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY). DGE Mugisha said as this as he shared on the 2017/18 Rotary theme, vision and presidential citation during the wellattended training for President Elect Training (PETS) for the incoming club leadership teams for Tanzania. The training took place on 18 – 19 March 2017 in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Over a hundred Rotarians from all over
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the country attended the event, which was led by the District Trainer PDG Harish Bhatt. DGE Mugisha also highlighted some of the areas that the new RI president was keen on. These included increasing club membership, diversity and engagement, payment of dues and reporting in volunteer hours and contribution to the Rotary Central. He briefed the new club leaders on Rotary Mission Green Initiative whose goals is to promote planting of trees by all the Rotary clubs. The initial goal is to plant 1 million trees in the two countries – Uganda and Tanzania. “There are many reasons why this initiative is important. We are currently facing climate
change and other consequences of environmental degradation. Mobilizing all clubs to plant as many trees as they can will make a big difference in improving our environment for a better future for all,” he said. DGN Sharmila Bhatt gave highlights and progress towards meeting the District target as spelt out in the 2013 – 2018 District strategy while DSE Xavier Sentam gave an over overview of the District 2017/2018 Goals. Also present were Graham Reoch and Claire Rice from Rotary International Office in Zurich Switzerland. They presented on the online Tools that clubs can use for their success. DG Harish was supported in the training by the Tanzania Training Team.
RC Dar North sends midwives for training in Australia
Club News
R
otary club of Tanga has been on a mission to collect books for secondary schools in Tanga city. The container from Atlanta Georgia USA sent by BOOKS FOR AFRICA finally arrived with over 20,000 secondary level syllabus & reference books which cost $5600 (TZS 12,550,000.) Members of the club distributed the books to over 70 different secondary schools by providing about 400 books per school. The books were of different subjects including Maths, Science, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Adult Fiction, English Literature and Health & Wellness. RC Tanga has been working on this project for 6 months with the Rotary Club of San Fransisco to ensure they get the correct books, as the main focus was to provide relevant books to the right schools at the right time.
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RC Tanga organized an official handover, which was attended by local education authorities, Regional Administrative Secretary (RAS) and Media, teachers & students. Books were handed over to Headmasters from the intended schools.
RC Tanga provides books to schools around Tanga
I
n a move to contribute in the efforts to improve maternal and child health care, the Rotary Club of Dar es Salaam North together with the Rotary Club of Melville in Perth Western Australia and Global Alliance For Health Western Australia (GAHWA) have recently sent a group of nurses to Perth City for training. After three years of planning and overcoming challenges finally six nurses from 4 different hospitals in Tanzania will do a four week study tour in five Perth City hospitals and upon completion be
awarded an Advanced Certification in Complicated Pregnancy Care, Leadership and Management. This program which is also geared to make these nurses champion trainers was made possible through a global grant valued at USD 50,000. Upon returning these nurse midwives will be trainers of other midwives at their respective medical institutions with the goal of ensuring that more midwives are trained to provide better maternal and neonatal care.
Photo caption: Far left is IPP Masato Wasira and far left is Rotarian Salem Tesfaulu who is a midwife and also was instrumental to bring the project to fruition, in the middle are the six nurses attending the training in Australia.
MY YEAR AS SECRETARY
RC Mikocheni plants 100 trees to mark 100 years of Rotary Foundation
T
he Rotary Club of Dar es Salaam- Mikocheni has planted 100 trees to celebrate the 100 years of Rotary Foundation as well as raised a total of USD1000 for the Foundation from the exercise. The first exercise for planting 70 trees took place on 25 February 2017 near the city centre. The guest of honors were The Past District Governor Hatim Karimjee and the club Assistant Governor Tom Scherer. Speaking at the event PDG Hatim noted that the Foundation enabled the Rotary Clubs to do good in the world. He noted the Foundation achievement among others was the near eradication of polio in the world through its PolioPlus initiative. “The Rotary Foundation has invested over 1 billion USD to eradicate Polio in the world. Overall, in the last 100 years, the Foundation has spent over $3 billion on humanitarian programmes across the world,” PDG Karimjee said.
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He therefore congratulated the club for this initiative noting it was among the first clubs in the country to mark this important milestone of the Foundation. The exercise was also attended by representatives from other clubs who had supported the club by donating trees – each tree was a minimum of USD10 dollars for the Mikocheni club members and UD 5 for other clubs and non-Rotarians. In the end, the club had raised USD1000 dollars for the foundation. The event also attracted local media. The second balance of 30 trees were planted on 1 April at the Ushindi Primary School in collaboration with the pupils and teachers at the school. President Jane Pesha said the club selected to plant 100 trees as this would leave a lasting mark in Dar es Salaam just as the Foundation had already
E
arly one morning, my sponsor and soon to be club president made this scary proposal for me to be club secretary. Rotary was new to me by then and my cries of still needing more time before I can serve fell on deaf ears. He insisted he knew my capability and I should be able to manage quiet well.
left a permanent mark through supporting clubs to do good in the world. The president was also happy to note the tree planting exercise coincided with the Rotary Mission Green initiative launched by the DGE Kenneth Mugisha and said the club will continue to plant trees in the new Rotary year.
Having accepted, I got interested in studying how other clubs manage in comparison to mine. I even attended most conferences. I have a belief that when you accept to take up a task, do so with all your might otherwise don’t accept. I then decided to give it my best shot. My journey hasn’t been as tough as I had anticipated and yet also not as easy as any one may expect. When it comes to dealing with volunteers the approach is different. However
By Rtn Atuhaire Phiona, Club Secretary 2016/17 much it’s known that they are aware of what is expected of them, this is not always the case. One of the biggest challenges I experienced was the struggle of dues payment. I remember telling my president and treasurer that I was about to set the house on fire for dues and they should be ready with their fire extinguishers. I was lucky enough that they accepted. My club had been lenient in this matter which left the club accounts wanting and lacking capacity to manage even the simplest of projects without having to make requests to members to dig deep in their pockets. This did not sink well with me at all. Funny enough when you are secretary, members will easily reveal to you a lot of information in confidence. Complaints about the
accounts were the mentions of the day. Something had to be done. With president and treasurer support, the struggle for dues commenced. I mean from sending reminders, emails, calls. We tried everything. Having set the first half year as the target to have everyone cleared by then. I was glad the response even though negative came through. To date we are at 100% RI dues paid up. Oh yes I have lost some “friends” in the process but I have learnt more. Learnt patience, the courage to insist and stand for what is right. Today I know for sure that if my club has managed the simplest and yet hardest of tasks, we can manage even bigger together, the sky is not the limit. Long live Rotary, long live Rotary Club of Kampala East.
provided participants with constructive feedback on the content of the interview and their presentation. One young woman, wished to work in the community welfare field, particularly orphanage administration. After completing her first ever CV and a tough mock interview in week 4 of Vijana Poa, our club passed on her CV to a relevant institution and she was immediately called in for a real interview!
Our participants and leaders
Rotary Vijana Poa Arusha
U
nemployment is the biggest social problem facing youth on the continent, according to Past District Governor and founder of Rotary Vijana Poa, Robert Waggwa Nsibirwa. Currently 64% of Ugandan youth and 53% of Tanzanian youth are unemployed. The Rotaract club of St Jude’s Arusha was inspired by DG Robert’s vision of ‘every youth working’ and the Vijana Poa project was a catalyst for formalising our club in late 2016. Using the Rotary Vijana Poa model, we projected a budget, held a fundraiser and sought support through our mother club, the Rotary club of Arusha Mount Meru. Through an extensive application process we found 12 motivated and deserving local youths to participate in the program. The majority of our participants had
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attained only a primary level education, all had struggled to find gainful employment and many spend their days walking door to door in the efforts to find a job. We commenced the employment workshop series on February 11, 2017. Our Vijana Poa project comprised 5 weeks of one-day, intensive workshops, canvassing, ‘Changing the Mindset’, ‘Generating a Business’, ‘Developing and Managing Employment’ and ‘Business Plans’ as well as ‘Practical Training’ at the end of each workshop. In between workshops, participants reviewed previous lessons and conducted relevant homework.
Making it relevant While we found the existing Vijana Poa modules to be a fantastic program framework, the makeup and education levels of our
vijana poa week 2 Hellen.
By Rtr Sebastian Cox
participants called for continuous reflection and flexibility within the original sessions. The two original business practicals of soap making and juice making were major program highlights. However, in order to be effective in our context, club members and project partners designed and tailored sessions and homework materials to the needs and abilities of our participants. For example, we found additional time for ‘Changing the Mindset’ sessions after participants struggled with the higher concepts of ‘SWOT analysis’ and we expanded ‘design thinking’ discussions across two weeks due to the participants interest to learn more on the subject. We also piloted a business practical wherein participants were mentored through producing resumes and cover letters before taking part in mock interviews. The interviewers, all local professionals,
Throughout the course of the project, a marked change was noticed by all session leaders in the comprehension and confidence of our participants. This change was palpable by the final showcase module held on March 11. The Rotaract Club of St Jude’s Arusha is fortunate to contain many busy young professionals and entrepreneurs who volunteered many hours to prepare and present workshops as well as reaching out within their networks to deliver qualified guest lecturers and passionate support staff. The young woman mentioned above, was moved to action by a guest lecturer in the first week. The lecturer spoke about the debilitating nature of having no work experience to offer to a potential employer and how to combat it. The participant, who is a ward of a local orphanage, began rising early in the morning and helping with the management and organization her mid-scale orphanage. This change was seen firsthand by a staff member of St Jude’s previously unaffiliated with our club, who was inspired to join through his witness. “I have been to programs like this before, where all people do is talk at you. This program is different; we learn real skills, and we learn
important lessons, every week, useful things. We can ask so many questions and have them answered by different, smart people, and we feel like friends in the group,” the participant said. Given the statistics of previous pilots, our club was pleasantly surprised to find that all 12 participants remained in attendance throughout the 5 weeks. Our young club also grew in membership during this period, with guest lecturers and support staff signing up after participating in the Vijana Poa workshops. The success of the project and the trust participants placed in us came with a great burden of responsibility. We discovered that one participant had his home in Tanga, and was sleeping rough some nights and leaning on friends in order to attend our workshops. Another participant attended the penultimate workshop after receiving an eviction notice for failure to meet rent. These disclosures were made after inquiries into the participants’ respective welfare and not in the hopes of assistance. We have secured internships, through our Rotary community, for both these vulnerable young men. The internships, both as mechanic’s apprentices have pathways to employment!
What’s Next?
the specifics of participants’ skills and aspirations however, we began soliciting within our networks for potential mentors, internships and pathways to employment. We drafted a letter to local Rotarians and business owners that returned over 12 suitable placements, 4 paid at a stipend and 7 with agreed upon pathways to employment. The internships will initially run for 3 months, beginning in mid-March, with club members assigned to oversee each placement. After three months the club will offer start up loans to participants who present viable business plans. At this point we are hopeful that work placements, which include hairdressing, auto-mechanic assistance, brick making, catering, cleaning and procurement result in entrepreneurial capacity building and direct pathways to employment for all our participants. We must thank our mother club, The Rotary Club of Arusha Mount Meru as well as The Rotary Clubs of Arusha and Usa River who have been of tremendous support through this project. We look forward to learning from and contributing to the Rotary Vijana Poa Community in District 9211 in the coming Rotary year as well as keeping the District updated on our progress.
It was important to our club that from the outset, Vijana Poa was presented as a ‘hand up’ not a ‘hand out’. We made clear from the start that no financial or employment opportunities would be forthcoming from participation. As soon as we knew vijana poa trainers and participants week 2.
92nd DCA Arusha party without sweating much and it is famous for its ‘nyama choma’ which can be found in every corner. Unlike other regions Arusha’s main ‘nyamachoma’ is beef because of the culture of the area followed by goat meat and lastly poultry. Arushan’s are cool people and used to welcoming visitors from all over the world not only in tourism sector but because of one of the largest conference facility available in town. Arusha is not only about wildlife and abundant nyamachoma but it is also the only place in the world which mines Tanzanite gemstones. These unique only to Arusha precious stones come in various shades of blue and are being mined in the Mererani – Simanjiro district. The 92nd DCA will be held at Arusha Internnational Conference Centre
Karibu and Go Wild in Arusha! The 92nd District Conference and Assembly is taking place in Arusha, one of the richest regions in Tanzania in terms of wildlife. Arusha welcomes millions of tourists each year who visit the
various national parks near the town. Coming to this year’s DCA will provide a great opportunity for you to be able to plan and visit the world famous sites including
The Ambrosia Lounge. 18| The Wave April 2017
Ngorongoro crate which is about three hours from the town, Lake Manyara national park which is even closer about one and half hours away. For the more adventurous you can climb mountain Meru or go and visit the volcanic Oldonyolengai Mt, which translates to ‘Mountain of God’ from Maasai language. Arusha has the best weather in the country with its cool mornings and evening which allows you to
Arusha golf.
For golfers you can enjoy a game at a nearby Gymkhana Club a couple of kilometres from the conference center or you can go to the outskirts of Arusha and be adventurous and visit Kiligolf club in the Usa River area and you might just run into some wild life while teeing off. For night owls, do not feel left out, Arusha has a variety of places for dancing and ‘swallowship’ including Via Via every Thursday night, the Don Lounge, Boogaloo Lounge, Ambrosia Lounge, La Fiesta Sports bar to name a few.
Clock Tower round about arusha.
Nyama Choma is popular in Arusha
So ensure you come to the 92nd DCA and also enjoy what Arusha town and its’ outskirts has to offer. For more on the wild side of Arusha you can go to http://tanzaniaparks.go.tz/
Arusha National-park.
The Wave The Wave is the official newsletter of the District Governor of Rotary District 9211, Tanzania & Uganda.
Editorial Team Tanzania Rtn. Emma Mbaga - Editor Rtn. Catherine Njuguna - Assistant Editor Rtn. Asnath Ndosi - Contributor Rtr. Eric Emmanuel - Designer
Uganda Rtn. Julie Kamuzze-Musoke - Assistant Editor Rtn. Patricia Karugaba Kyazze - Contributor Contact:- dg9211news@gmail.com
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