Reflections

By Fawzia Ali-Kimanthi

I have always appreciated the opportunity to serve on boards that are philanthropic in nature. I have been blessed with having served on the boards of Moving the Goal Posts and Safaricom Foundation, boards for not-for-profit organizations, which are committed to making the life of fellow Kenyans much easier.

As I was getting to the end of my tenure with these boards, I began exploring other organizations that I could consider, to continue with community impact work.

Monica, a friend of mine and a Rotarian, recommended that I join Rotary. She invited me to a meeting on a Wednesday at 6.30pm at the Rotary Club of Lavington Jioni and five years on, it has been a fulfilling experience.

What is Rotary?

Rotary is a global network of volunteer leaders who are dedicated to solving some of the world’ s most pressing problems through community service, humanitarian projects, and peacebuilding efforts.

It was started in Chicago by Paul Harris and now has over 1.4 million members in more than 200 countries. To ensure that there is a steady pipeline of Rotarians, there are four levels of membership catering for all.

• Rotary Clubs: Local groups that meet regularly to plan and implement service activities. The members are professionals with varied skill sets. There are + 60 clubs in Kenya. The leader of a Club is called a President. All clubs in a region form a district. Kenya belongs to Rotary International District 9212 which covers parts of East Africa( Kenya, Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Sudan). The district is then presided over by a District Governor, currently Dr. Joe Kamau.

• Rotaract Clubs: For young adults( ages 18-35) to develop leadership and professional skills. There are + 35 Rotaract clubs in Kenya.

• Interact Clubs: For teens( ages 12-18) to engage in service and leadership. Interact Clubs are established in high schools.

• Rotary International: This is the global body that coordinates the broader mission and large-scale programs.

Rotary’ s work centers on seven core areas: peace and conflict resolution; disease prevention( e. g., End Polio Now); clean water and sanitation; maternal and child health; basic education and literacy; economic development; and supporting the environment.

All Rotarians are united on one motto-“ Service Above Self”- highlighting the spirit of putting community needs first.

In short, Rotary is a platform where professionals, students, and community members come together to make a positive difference locally and globally. In case you are out there with a deep desire to serve community, Rotary is the place for you.

Here is my sales pitch showcasing 10 Reasons why professionals should consider Rotary as an avenue to give back to society:

Purpose-Driven Networking

Rotary is a wonderful place to network. In our club for instance, I have met doctors, entrepreneurs, lawyers, bankers, marketers, etc. It is likely that I would never have connected with all these professionals from diverse industries in my normal course of life. I have built meaningful relationships based on shared values- not just business cards.

Your skills, time, or resources- when combined with Rotary’ s global network- translate into large-scale, sustainable change. Dr Callie who is a member at Rotary Club of LJ volunteered her skills and time when we were executing a maternal and child health project in Mukuru Slums. This project required an international grant, and the prep work required the expertise of a medical professional. Today this project which was handed over to the community is a beacon cooped for residents of Mukuru. No mother needs to be concerned during childbirth; they are performing the most important job of bringing life to this world. So far over 100 children have been born in the facility and many lives have been transformed by to this facility.

Leadership Growth Opportunities

Rotary pushes you out of your comfort zone. Rotary operations are run through committees. It is encouraged that all members join a committee to serve. With my finance and commercial background,

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