The YEAR is 1968
A wall divides East and West Berlin, as the Cold War rages on. The U.S. and the Soviet Union are locked in a space race and Apollo 8 becomes the first manned spacecraft to orbit the moon, sending back pictures of Earth from deep space. Polio is paralyzing and (or) killing half a million children every year. African countries, barely independent from colonization, are drafting constitutions and implementing systems to eradicate ignorance, disease and poverty. Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Microsoft (CAFAM) are non-existent.
And on 13th March, members of the Charlotte North Rotary Club, USA, charter the first Rotaract club to provide young people opportunities for service. Although Rotaract Club of University of North Carolina is the first Rotaract Club; outside of Rotary’s official membership or programs, Rotarians, including Paul Harris, had been supporting youth organizations around the globe since the 1930’s. In 1962, Rotary established within its ranks a youth service program for secondary school students – Interact.
The immediate growth of Interact became the greatest impetus for creation of Rotaract. When Interactors graduated they fell off Rotary since they couldn’t join a Rotary Club, which was then a reserve of established professionals, business and community leaders and strictly observed the classification model. As such, Rotaract was modeled as a combination of the words “Rotary” and “Action”.
Four years later, in 1972, Past District Govenor (PDG) Mohammed Abdulla – then a member of the Rotary Club of Mombasa; now a member of the Rotary Club of Nairobi – championed chartering of a Rotaract Club in Mombasa. On 17th May 1972, the Rotaract Club of Mombasa was chartered being the first community-based Rotaract club in what is now Rotary District 9212 which covers Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Sudan. PDG Abdulla served as District Governor in 2004-05 for the then District 9200 which covered 5 countries.
The year is 2020
A scary virus is revealing the ineffective public health systems across the globe. The effects of climatic change are evident more than ever before. The promise to solve the scourge of unemployment and underemployment in the face of a youth bulge and slow economic growth rate is a political tool. Through efforts initiated by Rotary International, the polio virus is 99.99% eradicated. Most African countries still struggle with ignorance, disease and poverty as the scale rural electrification, modern transport systems, effective education models etcetera. The big 5 tech. firms: CAMAF are part of our everyday life.
Over 52 years, a lot has changed across the globe from the challenges we face to the opportunities we pursue. Over the same period, Rotaract has grown phenomenally. Our district has grown from one club in May 1972 to 100 ever vibrant Rotaract Clubs as at end of February 2020. Now more than ever before, we have the ability to UNITE young adults and TAKE ACTION to create LASTING CHANGE in ourselves, our communities and across the globe. Since the beginning till now, we’re grounded by our universal values: fellowship, diversity, leadership, integrity and service. Service above self continues to be the true definition of what we do.
Our passion to engage in impactful service in our communities and collectively across the globe shall help solve some of the most pressing challenges of our time. I’m always inspired by the innovative projects implemented by our clubs across the 6 Rotary areas of focus: promoting peace; fighting disease; providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene; saving mothers and children; supporting education and growing local economies. While a club project may address the challenge of a small community, only one school or only a single hospital remember the saying by Mother Teresa: “We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop”.
Probably Rotaract’s greatest impact is on each of us – members. Each member has a story from gaining a solid friendship circle; developing unparalleled skills to enjoying discounted trips halfway across a country and (or) a continent. Rotaract makes us better human beings: more compassionate and grateful for that which we have and the opportunity to be of service to humanity.
Happy 52nd, Rotaract.
