Happy Birthday, Rotary International!!

On February 23, many Rotarians, Rotaractors, and Interactors all over the world will be celebrating the 108th year of the commitment of Service Above Self. I have already been invited to various events happening in Kampala and even international events, such as the one my friend has put together in honor of Rotary International.

When my friend, *Eileen, first approached me about sending pictures of service projects from Uganda, I was a bit skeptical and was a little confused, I'll admit. But, being the awesome and persistent young woman she is, she continued to send me Facebook invites to an international event for Rotary. I checked out the page and was totally inspired by what I saw. Eileen and some of her friends put together an album of 108 Random Acts of Kindness as way to way "Happy Birthday, Rotary International!" I couldn't resist sending in a few pictures of Rotaractors and Interactors in Uganda doming some pretty amazing things from medical outreaches to the rural islands in Lake Victoria, to planting trees near Entebbe, Uganda. Other Rotaractors sent in pictures of them donating blood, or plans for their club to have a big party on that day.

I haven't fully decided how I'm going to celebrate 108 years of Rotary International, but I do want to start off with giving my friend an opportunity to talk about this awesome project. She agreed to answer a few of my questions, and allow me to advertise her project on my blog. Here is my attempt at being a journalist:

Me: What does Rotary International mean to you?
Eileen: To me, Rotary is friendship through service, friendship without borders! Rotary makes my life worth something; it has made my life so colorful. I have met amazing people and have traveled to the most exotic places. I have given back to the community in ways I never imagined I could. Rotary has helped me acquire invaluable skills and shaped me into a leader of today and tomorrow.

Me: Awesome! Why did you choose to do this for Rotary's birthday?
Eileen: Rotary's birthday is always a pretty big deal in my family. Last year, my Rotaract Club and I threw a huge birthday party at our school and then made enough money to fund a whole orphanage with enough art and sport supplies for a year in Lima, Peru. I moved to DC and didn't know what to do. So then I was talking to my friends and we decided to rally up 108 people to donate blood. But then we figured, we should expand it to random acts of kindness. It's simple yet effective. Using social media, we can get everyone involved. It's also a great way to get a little peak at what different Rotarians/Rotaractors/Interactors are doing in their communities, at home or abroad!

Me: Love it!...you are amazing! I hope you know that
Eileen: Haha, OMG please! You are way cooler!
Me: LOL. No, seriously, this is an awesome project that you and your friends came up with. Rotarians and Rotaractors ask me all the time what people from the US do for projects, and this is just perfect! Also shows the importance of new generations!
Eileen: NEW GENNNN!!!

The excitement of my friend and other Rotaractos that I have crossed paths with shows just how important New Generations is to the Rotary Family. As Rotaractors and Interactors, we are here to  show the many different ways in which Rotary can expand and promote cultural understanding. Whether it's through service projects, Global Scholars/Ambassadorial Scholars, or partnering clubs. All of which inspire and grow the next generation of Rotarians and world leaders.

So with this post, I want to say... Happy 108th Birthday, Rotary International. You have changed so many people's lives for the better, and continue to do so for many more years to come.

*Eileen Cho is a member of the Rotaract Club of Metro Washington D.C. and a student at American University in Washington D.C. studying Public Health.

What My Trip to Europe Taught Me about East Africa

I recently went on a week long trip to Europe to meet other Ambassadorial Scholars, go to the Berlin Rotary Peace Forum, and visit a school in London.  Culture shock wouldn't even begin to describe what I was dealing with as I took advantage of a Starbucks on every corner in Berlin. As fun as the adventure was, I kept thinking that choosing Uganda was the right choice for me. Since I was a little girl, I've always wanted to help others and basically save the world. Well, I know I'm not Wonder Woman (even though my skype screen name says otherwise). But, I do feel as though I can make a difference, even if it is a small difference.

This realization came to me as I was watching "The Lorax". If you haven't seen that movie or read the children's book, I recommend you pick it up. Dr. Suess was an amazing man that had the ability to teach young children how to read as well as teach lessons about equality and social issues. The quote at the end of the movie is what really hit home for me:

 

Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.

 







That quote really hit home because I had spent the past couple of days listening to Rotarians and Rotaractors from all across Europe discuss what they wanted to do in areas that are plagued with extreme poverty and bad water. I talked to a Rotarian from France about his club's project in Cameroon, and a German Rotarian about his project in Ethiopia. All great projects and for the better good. I even watched a presentation about some European Rotaractors doing an international service project in South Africa called Rotaract Hearts. I just felt as though we all could be doing more.

What I am seeing in Uganda and Tanzania is different than what some of the people were talking about in their presentations. Being on the ground and living among the people gives you a different perspective than just coming to a country every few months to do a project. That's when I thought "why don't any of these well off clubs of Europe or the U.S. partner with some clubs in Africa?" The German Rotarian answered this question for me "There's a negative stereotype about working with clubs in Africa.  People here say they want to help, but they know there may be a risk involved." Now, that's not to say that there aren't clubs in Europe and North America that don't partner with clubs in Africa. I've seen some great projects in Uganda and Tanzania that are a result of partnerships. But, that negative stereotype is what I couldn't shake.

I kept thinking about this conversation with the Rotarian for the rest of the week. There are so many people that have a need in Africa that you would think people would push through those stereotypes and help people. But, I suppose that's not what happens. Even when I was talking to the other Ambassadorial Scholars about my experiences, their reaction to my experience was usually a blank face. I knew they couldn't relate unless they have actually been there, but it was a bit of a downer to realize that they didn't fully understand that people here live more without than with what westerners would consider the "basics to life".

So, after that conversation with the German Rotarian and the other Ambassadorial Scholars, I realized that maybe I can be that bridge to break down those stereotypes. I mean, I know that's what the scholarship is for, but what if I made it a personal mission?  I want to help East Africa in any way possible, but if people were actually able to get past those negative stereotypes and try to empower the people in East Africa, then would the Rotarians and organizations from Europe and North America be more willing to help?  That's when Dr. Suess' quote encouraged me to actually be an advocate for equality in East Africa. If I don't, then who will? I'm sure there are many people in the region who are doing the same as me, but it wouldn't hurt for me to utilize my connections and bond with Rotary in order to help and empower people in East Africa. Especially because I look like an East African, my vantage point is surely a unique one.

I just keep thinking 'Africans are people too. Don't they deserve the same rights as people in the U.S. and Europe? Don't they deserve clean drinking water? Healthcare? A good education? A safe and clean environment?' So, my trip to Europe has taught me that even though I have my hard times in East Africa, I really do love the region and want to help it as much as I possibly can...because unless someone like me cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me directly.

My Rotary Moment

There has been so much that has happened in the past couple of weeks that I’m going to have to write multiple post this week in order to cover it all. I first want to discuss my recent travels to Tanzania with the District Governor (DG), Geeta Manek. I truly believe this is the first time that an Ambassadorial Scholar has travelled with the District Governor to make club visits. Although the DG was the main guest speaker, I was able to speak for a few minutes as well.  I was the living & breathing example of what the Rotary Foundation can do for a community and young people. It was quite interesting for me to sit among the Rotarians and guest, barely saying a word, until the DG would ask me to stand up and say a little about myself and why I was there. Quite a shock and awe factor if I say so myself. Most of the time, the Rotarians were shocked because I didn’t look like a typical Mzungu (foreigner) but look East African. So in the course of two weeks, I was able to complete all of my club visits while in Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, Tanga, Moshi, and the Kilimanjaro region.

I am actually quite happy to be travelling with the DG throughout my scholarship year because then I get to see how diverse Rotary is in east Africa as well as discuss my research with people all over the region. I also get to meet some interesting people and learn about the different projects that each club is doing (or not doing). As a Rotaractor, this is quite different for me. I get to sit in on the board meetings and see what goes on behind the doors so to speak. Every club has a different culture and that makes my experience here in East Africa all the more different.

I am shocked at how the clubs that were older seemed to be comfortable where they were. That’s to say that they didn’t feel the need to visit other clubs, recruit as much for new members, and their service projects were mediocre to say the least. I find that to be a human reaction to things. When one is in a position for too long, they feel comfortable where they are and ultimately hurt themselves.  While the small and oftentimes rural clubs were trying really hard and serving the community.

The most touching club that we visited was the Rotary Club of Lushoto. It was quite a hassle to get to the club, so I was a bit uneasy about what to expect. I was fully expecting the members to be exclusive given that their location was so remote. But then, in the cold mountains of Lushoto, I had a Rotary moment. If you’re not familiar with a Rotary moment, it is basically a point and time when an individual realizes the magnitude of Rotary.  It can push someone to join Rotary or Rotaract/Interact, or it can be the catalyst for someone to do more in the Rotary family. But nonetheless, it’s a positive experience that shows the good things that Rotary has done, is doing, and will do. The Lushoto Rotarians weren’t as flashy as the Rotarians in Dar es Salaam, social as the ones in Zanzibar, or even as hyper as the ones in Kampala. But they cared for their community, and that was evident. It was one of the few times where I really wanted to be a Rotarian. I didn’t feel odd or left out. I felt like I was a part of a family, a growing family that would accept me no matter what my faults or disabilities may be.

Most rotary moments, you hear about someone realizing the power of rotary via a service project or speaking with someone that has had a Rotarian help them in life. But mine was quite personal in that I’m realizing that no matter where in the world I may go, Rotary and Rotarians stand for the same thing. I had the honor of pinning a young man who was about 2 years older than me and tell the Rotary Club of Tanga what Rotary meant to me. At first, I was completely nervous and didn’t know what to say. I kept asking myself “what does Rotary mean to me?” As I listened to the country chair of Tanzania Jayesh speak to one of the new members as he pinned him, I realized that Rotary is like a religion, its personal to everyone - we all get something different from our experience with the organization. But we are all family and friends around the world under the Rotary umbrella. That’s what the Rotary wheel means to me. Each spoke is a different walk of life, but they all come together for one purpose. You can be sure that if you were to visit another part of the world and meet a Rotarian, they will be kind and generous, there to help you if need be, and there for you to talk to if that’s what you need as well. In the Rotary family, you’re never alone.  I’ve only been a rotaractor for two years, but I have gotten so much out of Rotary already and I am so happy to give back to not just Rotary, but the global community.

 

Service Above Self - Fellowship Through Service

I had the great opportunity to go to Sesse Islands with the Rotary Club of Kampala-Sesse Islands. The service project was a medical outreach to a rural/remote village on one of the islands. To be honest with you, the island reminded me much of Jurassic Park with the giant ants thick forest. It was great though getting to know the Rotarians and Rotaractors that came on the trip.  There was a big turnout at the medical outreach. For many, this was their first time going to a doctor since the last medical outreach only because it’s too expensive to go to the mainland for a doctor or they can’t afford the medication.  I was also delighted to see World Vision with Rotary as well as some pro bono doctors.  The phrase service above self reaches beyond Rotary and extends to other NGO’s and volunteers that believe in helping those that are in the most need.

Getting to Sesse Islands was actually an adventure in itself! We took a 4 hour ferry ride to the main island. Being on Lake Victoria felt like being in the middle of the ocean.  There were plenty of over islands in the distance, some with beach coast and some with cliff coast, but overall, it reminded me of being in California looking out to the Pacific at Catalina Island.  I definitely had some childhood memories come back while on the ferry.

Once on the island, we were greeted by the owner of the resort with refreshments and snacks.  We were all quite tired but managed to figure out our rooms and come back for a bon fire. At the fireside, I decided that this was a great time to get to know some of the Rotaractors that came on the trip.  They were all so friendly and I was able to make fast friends with them while dancing. Dancing in Africa is so different from dancing back home. I realized that they had incorporated some traditional dance moves while dancing to some modern reggae music. I was highly impressed! They were also quite impressed with how I danced.  For some reason, they think Americans are uptight and don’t know how to have a good time. But I’m proud to say that I represented the U.S. very well.

The next morning we set off to the medical outreach village, however, it was raining so hard that we had to wait for the rain to pass on our island as well as the island we were heading to. Once the rain slowed stopped, we all got on a boat that I was extremely doubtful could hold all of us. It took about an hour for us to get to the other island, which wasn’t bad compared to the ferry to the first island. We docked, carried supplies to the village, and without any hesitation, we were helping the community. There was a family planning room, dental care room, pharmaceutical room, and a room to see the doctors if you had any problems.  Without a doubt, the most crowded room was the one with the doctors.  These people didn’t see a doctor often if at all. In some cases, the only time that they did see the doctor was when the Rotary Clubs had a medical outreach to their location.

Because I don’t know Luganda, I was in charge of registration with Rotarian Justine and Rotarian Florence. I was handing out the numbers, but was still shocked at what I saw. The people had to state their name, age, and which village they were coming from. What shocked me was how young some of the mothers were and how some people looked to be about 60 but were actually 40. There could be a number of reasons for this inconsistency in age and how the person actually looked. I didn’t take any pictures of the patients because of my background with HIPAA for Fairfax County. It felt unethical to snap a picture without them knowing where it was going to be posted and used for. All in all, I could see the importance of Rotary here in Uganda. The Rotarians are important to their society because when the government doesn’t provide for the people, Rotary steps in and makes sure the basic needs are met with the help of other NGOs. That was quite inspiring to witness. I am very happy to be a part of such an organization.

There and Back (pt 2) - Better late than never!

It's been a while since I've posted but I haven't forgotten that there is a part two to this "There and Back" post. Since I'm about one month away from heading to Uganda, I have been doing a lot of thinking and reflecting on what it was like while I was there. One this is for sure, it wasn't as hot as it is here in the D.C. area.  We had an Ozone Alert yesterday which meant I stayed in the house for the better part of the day. Since I don't predict the temperature to reach over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, then it is safe to say that I can pack for the usual summer that we have in the D.C. area (minus the humidity).



The Nile

I have also been planning to reconnect with some great people that I met while in Kampala in March. Hopefully, I'll be able to do more historic tours like I did at the Nile (and maybe even swim in it), as well as tour the rest of the 9200 district. I'm also looking forward to possibly going to a football match (soccer) and getting a Ugandan jersey.  Even though I used to play soccer up till the age of about 11 or so, I haven't really watched any professional matches (besides the occasional game on T.V.).


The Mandela National Stadium





I'm really starting to look forward to this new adventure. Now, that's not to say that I wasn't looking forward to it before, but as I'm starting to do more research for my project this year as well as think about community service and where I want to visit in the district, I'm starting to realize that...Toto, I won't be in the U.S. anymore, I'll be in a place that's rich with history, has a very unique culture, and will be the start of more to come.






Orange Soda...It's supposed to say Mirinda in Arabic

Theo other side of the soda can

There are a couple of things that might take some time getting used to, such as the multiple languages (such as Lugandan and English and even Arabic).  Another scholar headed to Kampala is actually going to be taking language courses in Lugandan while there. I considered it but I think I also want to learn Swahili (at some point while I'm in East Africa). Even though in the D.C. area there is a sense of a melting pot with many cultures and languages, so the idea of being around multiple languages isn't a hard concept to grasp. It's when people begin to speak these local languages to me that I may have to get used to or just learn (which should be fun!).



One thing I'm really looking forward to getting used to is the food! During my visit in March, I tried so many different foods that had Indian and Ugandan influence. But since I will be travelling around the district to speak to different Rotary Clubs in each country, I'm going to try to get a taste of each country through a cultural dish as well!

I'm bound to write one more post before departing for this adventure. So until next time!

Finally! An Update!

It has been such a LONG TIME since I've written a post! I'm sorry everyone for the delay in updating you about my adventures before heading to Uganda. There is so much to tell you that I don't know where to begin! HAHA! Well, since my last post the first big event that happened was the....

Ambassadorial Scholar Orientation:

It was so great to meet different Ambassadorial Scholars and learn where they are headed in this upcoming academic year. I met some great people who weren't even Ambassadorial Scholars but were apart of a Global Study Exchange Team. That particular program is for older professionals (who are younger than 40 though) who go to another country for about a month and exchange ideas within their trade or career field. How awesome is that? And people thought exchange programs were for high school and college students. :)

The mirror on the table is reflecting on us haha!

The pin on the right is the Rotary 2011-2012 logo for "Embrace Humanity Within"
The pin on the left for the Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar

I was also able to meet the other Ambassadorial Scholar from my district. She is absolutely wonderful and I'm glad I was able to meet her. She's actually headed to China for her academic year.  The one thing that I have taken away from that weekend is how the sense of helping others was with everyone. The Rotarians were all so helpful and a pleasure to be around and I could see that the GSE (Global Study Exchange) Teams and Ambassadorial Scholars were the next generations of Rotarians. I am extremely happy to have been apart of this event and more importantly this organization.


Rotaract:

Since the beginning of the new year, I've made it a point to get more involved with Rotaract. I was a member of my university's Rotaract club but I decided to go to a couple of meetings and social events of one the Washington D.C.'s community based Rotaract Clubs. And boy oh boy! Was it great to meet a group of young poeple like them!

After a meeting with the Metro Washington, D.C. Rotaract Club

Ice Skating in DC with the Metro Washington, D.C. Rotaract Club

They are all so energetic, willing to help, and FUNNY! After every Rotaract event, I was on fire and ready to get more involved and make some new friends. They all have different interest but come together to serve the community, gain professional development, and just hang out with different people. Conversations with Rotaractors are never dull HAHA!

I also did a community service event with a couple of Rotarians for the DC Rotaract Club. It was quite an enjoyable evening. On one of the coldest nights, we helped the Salvation Army give warm food and hot chocolate to the homeless. I haven't done something like that since I was in Girl Scouts and even then we just prepared the food. 

Uganda Action:

In the past couple of months, there has been a little progress with Uganda Action. The biggest step was confirming that the small group (Rotarians from the Crystal-City/Pentagon club and me) was able to go travel to Uganda in the month of March. Now we are currently trying to raise more awareness about EDAPO and the needs in Uganda. This particular update deserves its own post so I will make the next post all about the Uganda Action Project and EDAPO.

I am excited to go visit the location and Kampala. Every now and then the group recieves a picture from the president of EDAPO such as the one above and it warms my heart to see the children. But since the trip has been set in stone, I have been doing so much research on Uganda and have contacted so many people who are Ugandan or have been there in order to get a grasp of what to expect.

Since the trip is about 2 weeks away, you can expect a lot of pictures and more information on the Uganda Action project. I haven't been to Africa before so this is going to be quite an adventure!

 Until next time everyone!