Doubling Our IMPACT
It is a rainy evening and we’ve been forced from sitting around the bonfire. We’ve sought cover and regrouped in smaller clusters to chit-chat, recap the day’s training sessions and unwind as we await dinner. I step aside and observe about 80 young professionals and leaders braving the rain to make the most of the four days of this year’s Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) Kenya. It has been an incredibly thoughtful and insightful all-day practical training on professional networking and the financial management life-cycle.
The serene and natural environs of Kakamega Rainforest make RYLA Kenya 2019 a most unique adventure – a major shift from previous RYLA Kenya seminars hosted in hotels. From the immediate feedback received, the training was very impactful to the participants; triggering new ideas on one’s development of a professional network and how to secure financial freedom. As the District Rotaract Representative (DRR), the feedback warms my heart.
While setting Rotaract District 9212’s Goals for 2019-20, we narrowed down to 6 specific goals which may be summarized into Doubling Membership and Doubling Impact. I have previously, and very consistently, emphasized on the former. I’m encouraged by efforts by clubs across the district to expand their reach to their club members’ families, friends and colleagues. The ‘Each One Bring One’ approach to membership is achieving results. In this piece, I write to share my thoughts on why and how to double our impact. Quoting Rotary’s founder, Paul Harris: “Whatever Rotary (Rotaract) may mean to us, to the world, we shall be known by results achieved”.
The desired result of Rotary / Rotaract / Interact is to create lasting change across the globe; in our communities and in members as summarized by Rotary International’s Vision Statement: “Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe; in our communities and in ourselves.”
Rotaract’s top objective is to develop each member’s professional and leadership skills and network hence create lasting change in their life. The RYLA Kenya 2019 organizing committee and facilitators had this at the top of their priority list. Clubs continue to host extra informative and engaging weekly or fortnightly club fellowships with the aim of offering their members relevant professional training and networking. Besides professional and leadership skills development, Rotaract provides an avenue of friendship development, travel and fun.
As a leadership, we ought to renew our commitment to offering the best platforms for our members to develop their professional networks, leadership skills and social life. By deliberately doing so, we shall double the life-long impact we have in the lives of our members. As a District, RYLA Kenya has set the bar high for the next events, including the District Conference which is being carefully crafted to offer a most enriching program at a much discounted rate.
As Rotary and Rotaract, we’re best known for the impactful change we bring to communities far and wide. We implement projects based on Rotary’s six areas of focus, namely: peacebuilding & conflict prevention; disease prevention & treatment; water, sanitation, & hygiene (WASH); maternal & child health; basic education & literacy and community economic development.
Rotarians and Rotaractors volunteer their invaluable skills, time and energy to solve some of our communities’ most pressing problems. I beseech every Rotaract Club to implement at least one long-term service project alongside some short-term service projects. Joint club projects – projects implemented in partnership with other Rotary and (or) Rotaract Clubs – tend to cover larger scopes and have more impact. With the fundraising model offered by the Global and District Grants from The Rotary Foundation (TRF), we gain the ability to implement multi-million impactful projects. In partnership with a qualified Rotary Club, Rotaract Clubs can access grants from TRF. Even better, soon, Rotaract Clubs may independently access those grants.
Since 1985, we have obliged ourselves to create lasting change across the globe by being the leading partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) and have so far eradicated 99.99% of the polio virus. Our promise is to give children a polio-free world. In the process of polio eradication, we’ve developed the world’s most extensive public health system being used to advance prevention and treatment of other diseases such as Malaria and solve other challenges such as hunger and sanitation issues. We’re on the verge of delivering our promise to fully eradicate the polio virus. Contribute to the #PolioEndGame either via www.endpolio.org/donate or M-Pesa Paybill Business Number: 891300; Account Number: POLIO.
As we elevate our game in 2019-20, we take initiative to double our impact: across the globe through polio eradication; in our communities through service projects; and in ourselves through informative and engaging club fellowships and well-planned purposeful events at club, country, district and multi-district level. Let’s double our impact, shall we?
