Club life under COVID-19; An experience of Rotary Club of Hurlingham
Covid-19 has had an impact on Rotary Club of Hurlingham’s activities.
During an interview with President Frank Masinde recently, he quipped, “As you are aware, all Rotary meetings have moved online, as the main mode for weekly fellowships. As a club, we are in compliance and have had meetings for nearly a month now. Thankfully, most members have access to technology and have managed to join meetings. We have continued to have guest speakers. Unfortunately, we have not managed to execute any of the planned projects due to Government directives of reducing social gatherings, staying at home and observing social distancing.”
Speaking separately during the induction of new members on 22nd April, 2020, he noted that this was a historic induction with less than ten Rotarians in attendance. “I would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the Rotary Club of Hurlingham, in a special way. Under normal circumstances, there would be more than ten people, but due to the ongoing pandemic, we cannot have more people.” Strict measures were observed including wearing branded Rotary masks, keeping distance, and having not more than ten people in the room. The ceremony was also straight to the point, with no time for socializing.
The newest members of the Rotary Club of Hurlingham are, Esther Njogu and Abdoulkadi Ardo.
Asked what her thoughts are on her induction, Ms. Njogu said, “I’m pretty excited to finally join a family of amazing people who are committed to helping others and making a difference wherever they go. I am passionate about community development and mentorship and I look forward to being of service to the community, and to participate in Rotary projects.”
Abdoulkadi Ardo, originally from Cameroon noted, “I am inspired because of what Rotary does, and I can now join like-minded people. I have always done humanitarian work individually. I am happy finally join a team which I have found both powerful and motivating. I look forward to joining hands to serve humanity.”
Meanwhile, President Frank urges club members to use this time to bond with their families, observe Covid-19 preventive measures, and to actively join online meetings every Wednesday.
On a personal note, he said he has had to wear multiple hats on the home front including but not limited to, teacher, preacher, gardener, electrician and school prefect. He adds that the transformation has been both positive and challenging and he has had a chance to discover new family talents.
“My prayer is that together, as a club, we can beat this pandemic together. Keep safe and continue to practice all the preventive measures,” he concluded.
Some of the Zoom speakers during this period included an Emotional Intelligence expert, Derek Bbanga amongst others.
Article by: Zeba SiaanoI, Public Image Director – Rotary Club of Hurlingham
