Rotary International President Stephanie Urchick Arrives In Kenya For Second Leg of “African Magic Tour 2025”
By Eric Ombok
Rotary International President Stephanie Urchick arrived in Kenya on Sunday January 12, 2025, as part of a tour to mark 100 years of Rotary in Kenya and Rotary District 9212. Before arriving in Kenya, President Stephanie was in Uganda for a week.
She has been received by Rotary D9212 District Governor Joe Kamau, District Officials, Rotarians, Rotaractors and Interactors. She is accompanied by Rotary Director Daniel Tanase, his spouse Merlana and her aide RIDN Tom Gump.
In Kenya, Rotary District 9212, which comprises of Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Eritrea is hosting President Stephanie who will tour various projects. The previous visit to Kenya by a Rotary International President was by President Shekar Mehta in September 2021.
President Stephanie will announce Rotary’s commitment and support to several projects that will impact thousands of families and households in Kenya. Currently Rotary District 9212 has active grants valued at $6 million spread over the four countries.
“As Rotary celebrates 100 years of impactful service in District 9212, we aim to mark this milestone with a flagship project dedicated to improving maternal and child health at Pumwani Maternity Hospital in Nairobi as a national pilot,’’ Rotary District 9212 Governor Dr. Joe Kamau said.
During her visit, President Stephanie will have a meeting with senior government of Kenya officials on Monday January 13, 2025 and later join a medical camp at Pumwani Maternity Hospital on the same day.
The medical camp is the outcome of a 24-month partnership between Rotary District 9212 and Rotary Action Group for Family Health & AIDS Prevention Inc (RFHA) to enable Rotary clubs to roll out medical camps at seven different locations across Kenya.
In addition to Pumwani Maternity Hospital, the medical camps, known as Rotary Family Health Days (RFHD), will be held at Kogelo Health Centre (Siaya), Gichuru Dispensary (Kiambu), Transmara West Sub County Hospital (Narok), Embu Level V Hospital (Embu), Mukurweini Hospital (Nyeri) and Makongeni Health Centre (Thika).
President Stephanie will also take time on Tuesday January 13, 2025 to enjoy Kenya’s world-class tourism attractions by having a game drive at the Nairobi National Park, visiting the Giraffe Centre and sampling Kenyan cuisine at The Carnivore.
Later on the same day, she will attend a Rotary Foundation dinner to celebrate the achievements of the Foundation in Kenya. The grants of $6 million are provided by The Rotary Foundation, a non-profit corporation that supports the efforts of Rotary International to undertake humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions.
Key Rotary projects in Kenya include:
- Information, Communication & Technology, ICT (Digital Literacy) – projects in Kangemi (Tenderfoot) and in Tatu City
- Maternal & Child Health – project dubbed Baby Mwanzo in Mukuru slums
- Renovations and upgrades at Pumwani Maternity Hospital estimated to cost about Ksh 100 million, while the blood Donation Campaign will require approximately Ksh 10 million and another Ksh 150 million for construction and equipping of two blood banks
- A partnership with the State Department for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to plant one million trees in six months.
- A national initiative known as Rotary Sunshine Rally, catering for differently abled people since 1980.
On the first evening of her Kenyan visit, President Stephanie attended a welcome cocktail hosted by District 9212 and interacted with Past District Governors and the current Executive Committee. During the cocktail, President Stephanie pinned one Interactor from the International School of Kenya and two Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Nairobi Muthaiga as Paul Harris Fellows.
