Since the pandemic pivoted physical meetings to the virtual space it has been a mix of ingenuity, focus and good old Rotarian cheer to not only normalize these crazy Zoom meetings but get things on the ground moving like previous years(if not better).

And oh, what fun the Club has had these half year 2020!

Right from the installation in July, the Club welcomed amazing new members, Anita Bosibori, Mariya Murtaza and Husseini Murtaza chalking up the numbers to a solid 30 strong.

Activities for the half year kicked off relentlessly with the continued distribution of water tanks to residents in the Karengata area. This was in a bid to boost sanitization in the management of COVID-19 within the community.

Some of the beneficiaries were Kibera South Health Centre and St. Vincent De Paul Rescue Nursery School & Rescue Center in Olympic Kibera.

This initiative was steered by Rotarian Rachel Mugure in partnership with Stanbic Bank back in May 2020, when it was launched.

Thanks to concerted efforts by President Rita and Rotarian Clemency Okena for overseeing the distribution together with Past President Sammy Ayany and Assistant Governor Jane Katuga.

On its part, the projects team led by Rotarian Tony Ondicho with robust support from President Elect Dan Munyori wasn’t to be left behind.

Preparations began in earnest for the renovation works at Kajiado AIC Girls School’s sanitation and hygiene project.

The project partners for this initiative are the Rotary Club of Calgary, Canada and Friends of Kajiado.

The project itself entails renovation of 8 internal dormitory washrooms; 2 external ablution blocks; construction of  a 150m sewer line and a 4 door VIP latrine block.

Interested in updates on the project? Follow us here.

To keep up the momentum in September, ground work commenced for the Club’s own Interact and Rotaract Clubs (big yay!).

This being part of the strategic goals for 2020/21, that the Club would charter two new Interact Clubs and one Rotaract Club although the plans already underway for the Interact Club initiative were halted by the national schools closure.

Not to be daunted, Rotarian Mary Karuri, the Director, New Generations supported by PP Sammy , refocused plans to the creation of a community based Rotaract Club with various young people in the Karengata area.

An initial training hosted by AG Jane, Director, Training was quite successful and proves there’s promise for vibrant clubs led by new generations.

What’s more, President Rita led the Club in an initiative to assist in the identification and issuance of white canes to children and adults abled differently by sight throughout the country.

The initiative in partnership with Ayudh Kenya, requires the Club to identify children and adults in the local communities that are in need of these canes and ensure they receive them.

The white canes are described by Ayudh Kenya as a powerful tool for their mobilization and independence, enabling them to navigate their way comfortably and safely. Read more on Ayudh Kenya’s work.

Similarly in support of those abled differently in physical mobility, the Club partnered with the Rotary Club of Parklands to issue 4 wheelchairs to recipients drawn from Nairobi’s Dagoretti, Kibera and Mathare areas.

To inject some fun vibes to the continued efforts in service, Rotarian Wachera Mburu delighted Club members in October with a plan to fundraise for the Save Ngong Hills Forest Initiative through a joint koroga event with the Rotary Club of Ongata Rongai.

Woop! Woop! Members who had been cooped up in their cribs were excited to don their cowboy/girl themed threads and rehearse their dance moves for the Jerusalema challenge all for a good cause.

And what a day it was, hearty laughs and merry making the very ingredients that make Rotary come alive were doled out in plenty! Catch some of the video action here.

This eventful month closes on an exhilarating high with an addition of 5 new members inducted on 17^th October, thanks to Rotarian Winrose Mungai’s ( Director, Membership) hardwork with support from AG Fam Boit.

The new members are: Brenda Wanga, David Lubira, Marian Achien’g, Cedric Lusimba and Nelson Wabwire. Karibuni sana!

A big appreciation goes out to the diligence of their sponsors; Rotarian Agneta, PE Dan and President Rita  plus all members for turning up to welcome them at the induction ceremony.

Lastly, on 24^th October, the Save the Ngong Hills Forest tree planting event took place courtesy of the Rotary Clubs of – Ngong Hills, Kikuyu, Kilimani, Karen, Kiserian, Ongata Rongai, Ongata Rongai East.

This was in addition to the celebration of Rotary’s big win in the eradication of wild polio.

Besides the above milestones, the Club also organized incredible guests speakers covering wide ranging topics. The speakers were:

1. Amos Kibaru CEO of Floor Décor Kenya
2. Richard Kioko of MNM Advocates LLP
3. Rotarian Mburu Machua, Chairman Rotary District Environment Group
4. PE Manon Mitchell, PE, Rotary Club of Calgary
5. The Throttle Queens
6. The Club’s very own Rotarians Emily Mulaya, the Director, Community Services and Rotarian Anthony Ondicho, Director, Projects.

There have also been numerous joint fellowships with the Rotary eclub – Safari where the Club jointly hosted:

1. PDG Harry Mugo on 20^th August
2. Hon. Dr. Willy Mutunga on 14^th October
3. IPDG Joe Otin on 21^st October

And many more at the invitation of the Rotary Clubs of Ngong Hills and Kikuyu, respectively.

Look out for more news on RC Nairobi Karengata on either Facebook, Instagram and website www.rotarykarengata.org (coming soon).

If you’d like to partner with us on projects, fellowships or any other initiatives, just holla and we’ll come through!

Stay safe and see you soon!

Article by:Njeri Murage |rcnairobikarengata@gmail.com

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Africans have been stereotyped as people who don’t like reading. There is even a saying that if you want to hide something from an African then place it between the pages of a book.  True or not true, you can self-evaluate.

Another common adage is that statistics don’t lie and at the Kenyan coast, and year in year out, results of both primary schools national exams (KCPE) and that for secondary schools (KCSE) haven’t been encouraging, with the exception of very few schools in the region.

During his tour of the Little Faces Primary School project by Rotary Club of Mombasa Downtown, Rotary District 9211 Governor Eng. Patrick Obath urged clubs at the Kenyan coast to come up with projects that would promote a reading culture in the region. There is also need for mentorships and awareness sessions on embracing a reading culture so that Rotary’s education-based projects hit full utilization hence maximum benefit, he said.

“We can build schools and libraries for the community, but its full potential will be realized when the same community has been fed with a reading culture”, the District governor said.

Braving the scorching sun, the District Governor took part in some ongoing construction and put his engineering skills to good use. He mounted a wooden ladder to the first floor of the building under construction and thereafter with a hammer on one side and a tape measure on the other, he  joined other Rotarians in taking measurements of the structure to ensure the site engineer was doing the right thing and indeed he was.

“Rotary isn’t just about giving out money but also skills and time,’’ Eng. Obath said.

The school that will accommodate more than 300 pupils will also have a modern information and communications technology center aimed at empowering the pupils with computer skills at an early age. The project is being funded by a matching global grant by Rotary International, through Rotary Club of St. Neots and Rotary Club of Mombasa Downtown at a cost of about 14 million shillings.

The District Governor encouraged teachers and parents to make the school eco-friendly by planting trees in the compound and use the rooftop to plant lightweight food crops like tomatoes and kales. The rooftop served as a venue for induction of one new member for Rotary Club of Mombasa.

The post Rotary Seeks to Promote a Reading Culture at The Kenyan Coast appeared first on Rotary Club of Karengata.

October marks the beginning of the second quarter of this Rotary year, which must serve as a prompt for us to evaluate our efforts in the first quarter. During the months of July, August and September, we were happy to see a deliberate effort by Rotaract Clubs in our district to strengthen their governance structures and membership engagement.

Many took part in trainings organized by our committed district leaders, which clearly reflected in improved club reporting standards. We also welcomed the Rotaract clubs of Fanos, Suna-Migori, Eldama Ravine and Athi River into our ranks with very exciting members who will certainly continue our spirit of doing good to the world. We still have a lot to improve on and the second quarter provides a second chance for us to continue building and inspiring leaders in our communities while significantly growing our impact.

October, November and December in Rotary are dedicated to Economic and Community Development, the Rotary Foundation and Disease Prevention and Treatment respectively. This calls for us to up the ante and get more people involved in supporting our communities as we rebuild to a new normal amid concerns of a possible second wave of the coronavirus pandemic.

We are called to take leadership in giving our people hope of a stronger tomorrow. Now more than ever before the significance of sustainability of our projects will be put to test. We must evaluate our partnership with our immediate project beneficiaries and continuously find better ways of engagement and involvement with our main goal being creating a positive and lasting impact. Let us share ideas and keep being innovative and exciting.

In January, Rotary President Holger Knaack announced this Rotary’s year theme as “Rotary opens opportunities.” Rotaractors and Rotarians across the globe have put the theme to action in different ways.

For instance, throughout the coronavirus pandemic period, our clubs, members and ourselves have changed how we operate and perceive ideas. The flexibilities that appeared to be a pipe dream in our clubs operations suddenly became a reality. We changed our ways even as we kept our spirit and passion. Today, I choose to celebrate you.

As community development partners, we have sought to find new opportunities to continue being present in our communities and walking with our people while remaining empathetic of the struggles that many face. The impact of Covid-19 spared no one. We were all either infected or affected. Many Rotaractors and Rotarians chose to be at the forefront of supporting and undertaking projects that ensure the world had something exciting to return to. We may not be where we all want to be but we are certainly on the right track.

Whatever Rotary may mean to us, to the world, it will be known by the results it achieves. Together, let’s move forward. We are People of Action.

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Rotarians of Unlimited Opportunities,

We have come to the end of the first quarter of a Rotary year or as is said in some of the management circles the first 100 days. Literacy and basic education month has now passed and we start a new theme month.

We must continue to remember that illiteracy lies at the root of poverty, ranking as one of the prime impediments to earning a living and having a productive life. Some 1.1 billion of the world population of 7.8 billion (with three-fifths of them women) do not have the literacy and numeracy skills needed to hold a job or get a better one.

Basic education is pertinent in helping people become self-sufficient as a way of fighting poverty.

However, the opportunity to grow literacy and basic education during the month was challenging as a result of the pandemic as various learning institutions remained closed. Learning only happened in those institutions that were privileged to have access to digital assets. Despite this challenge, some opportunities were still exploited by various Rotary clubs in our District.

I was able to visit clubs, both physically and digitally, with many examples of Rotarians making a difference in communities by investing resources to improve school infrastructure and learning processes. They also engaged in capacity building to accommodate learning when institutions eventually open in a Co-COVID environment. It was still an incredible month – Rotarians have innovative ways of reaching and serving communities.

Good progress on membership

The Rotary Club of Mwatate received its charter.  Congratulations to the Charter Club President, the DGSR Ashok Anand, AG Eric Mwashighadi, and all those involved in making it happen.

We have also experienced a ramped-up growth in numbers in the past month with clubs around the District actively inducting new members. My earnest desire is to grow our numbers in the District by 50% by the end of this Rotary year.  I also hope we can increase all clubs to a minimum of 25 members in the next few months.

The District Governor’s PHF challenge is coming up well. We have over 30 Rotarians who have fully paid for the challenge and many others who are actively paying up in installments. The challenge is open to the first-time contributors, those seeking to be multiple Paul Harris Fellows and Rotaractors.

The challenge is on a first-come, first-serve basis, and up to a maximum of 100 Rotarians.

I will award a Paul Harris Fellow to the club president with the highest number of PHF challenge uptakes. If such a club has more than twelve PHFs during the year, I will award the president with an additional PHF. Should the second-ranking club exceed nine PHFs, the president shall receive a PHF award.

I encourage clubs to take up the challenge as it ends on 30th November 2020 for Rotarians and 31st January for Rotaractors.

Zoom! Zoom!

In working with the new norm of digital meetings, I have now lost count on the number of hours I have spent on Rotary digital (or Zoom) meetings.  I am well on the way to concluding the individual club “visits’ to meet the boards and discuss their progress on their annual plans and also attend the club assemblies. Despite being digital, the meetings have been intimate as we listen and help clubs on a personalized basis.

In a big departure from the norm, this virtual meeting opportunity has made it possible for me to have various District Exco members attend and who can answer or challenge club boards on specific areas in their specialization.

It has also been great having the District Governor-Elect Alex Nyaga and District Governor Nominee Azeb Asrat (who with me are jointly known as the Troika) attend as it ensures seamless leadership in the District.

I started my physical visits in the last month. These are also being done differently this year. Instead of visiting each club individually, I will be making each visit to a cluster of clubs centered around an Assistant Governor or maybe two together. These will be fellowship visits and the more the merrier. I will also visit a project or two that each group of clubs will select based on the value that my visit to the project (s) will add.

I visited the Coast and spent the first day with the Rotary Clubs of Voi and Taveta who arranged that we all meet at Mwatate to celebrate the RC Mwatate charter ceremony as the key event.  The event was followed by a joint meeting the next day in Watamu.  The Rotary Clubs of Malindi and Kilifi came together to work with the host club Watamu to invigorate its membership drive.

The third day was a whirlwind of three engagements starting with a breakfast meeting with the Rotary Clubs of Mombasa North Coast and Mtwapa immediately followed by a fitness fellowship to work off the breakfast. I then had a wonderful lunch with the Rotary Clubs of Bahari, Bamburi, Kilindini, and Nyali where we discussed the structure of the District and what opportunities this offered for the clubs. The day ended with the ‘Super Duper” induction of 25 members into the Rotary Club of Mombasa – the second oldest club in Kenya and the third oldest in Africa.

This was the jewel of a phenomenal induction of 54 new members during the Coast visit.

Many thanks to all the clubs I visited last month for your efforts in preparing for the visits. I was invigorated by the positive energy from clubs and their leaderships, and as a District Governor, I cannot ask for more!

We also continue on our quest for fiduciary probity in all clubs and wish to remind club presidents and treasurers to ensure that club accounts are audited no later than 60 days from their departure from office at the end of each Rotary year. Also, of importance is that we become even better stewards of our District and Global Grants by reporting back on time. Our strength will be in our accountability and transparency.

October is Rotary’s Economic and Community Development Month

This month takes on a more important meaning as across the world economies and businesses start the slow recovery from the devastating impacts visited upon us by the coronavirus pandemic. We must join hands with our partners and other stakeholders in the communities where we live and serve, to chart ways that can rapidly repair the damage done to our economies and communities by the pandemic.

We have been at the forefront of responding to the containment and we must now turn our attention to recovery. Despite the harsh times, we will also celebrate what we have done to empower our communities economically and envision how to further community development together with our strategic partners.

It also embodies the aspect of service to humanity.

It is indeed encouraging to see clubs in the District join hands to empower the youth and women economically.  I encourage us to continually join efforts towards poverty eradication. We can take advantage of existing platforms to reach communities and train and empower the public to take advantage of opportunities that are opening up as things slowly return to normal.

With our ever-amazing innovations and creativity, our economic and community development service opportunities are unlimited.

From my wife, Terry and I, have a blissful month with Unlimited Opportunities!

DG Patrick Obath,

Rotary International District 9212

The post The First 100 Days of Our Rotary Year appeared first on Rotary Club of Karengata.

By Rtn. Njeri Murage

Thursday, July 2 was a joyous day for RC-Karengata. Our 8-year-old club was transitioning into the new Rotary year of 2020-2021 with a new president and board of directors to boot.

Together with DG Patrick Obath, AG Pamela Mburia, Chief Guest Joanne Mwangi – Yelbert, friends from other clubs and beyond plus our own families, we celebrated the installation of our club’s 7th President, Rita Ndonye and her board.

We also increased our membership by three new Rotarians – Anita, Maria, and Murtaza.

Below are highlights from the speeches:

Joanne Mwangi-Yelbert, The Chief Guest:

Service to others is the most significant duty any of us have. Going beyond and above to serve others is what adds value to life. I’m confident about my friend Rita’s dedication having served with her in leadership roles on various boards and projects.

She’s very organized and single-minded in all her pursuits. From the projects I have seen delivered by this club in the past year, I have no doubt you’ll be successful under her leadership.

IPP Kiplagat Chebii:

It has been a great pleasure being at the helm for the past year. We’ve done a lot and achieved a lot, especially the successful completion of projects and increased new membership. I’m extremely confident that President Rita and her board will take the club to even greater heights.

Leadership in Rotary is not an easy task. But with passion, discipline, and foresight it can be done. We must always strive to give the best of ourselves in everything we do and to always renew our commitment to Rotary, each other, and even our families. Thank you for all your support, I’m grateful and wish you the very best!

President Rita Ndonye:

I’m delighted to take up the mantle of leadership and steer this club to greater heights. I’ve renewed my annual commitment to Rotary as challenged by DG Patrick when he asks “Why are you in Rotary?”

Over the years we’ve delivered many significant projects and I can’t wait to get started on what lies ahead.

AG Pamela Mburia:

I see great potential from RC-Karengata even from past projects and the drive displayed by the club members.

There may be challenges which are normal, BUT what matters is teamwork, dedication, and the resolution to serve our clubs and communities.

DG Patrick Obath:

Understand why you’re in Rotary. Renew your commitment to Rotary every year.

Be an active player, ALWAYS comply and do a lot of jobs. Find something that will make you more responsible and valuable to the club. Be ambitious and an achiever. Become a SIGNIFICANT Rotarian.

Also, support and contribute to The Rotary Foundation. We take 80% and only give back 1%. Let’s do better.

Finally, BE UNLIMITED. Be smarter, creative, come up with new ideas and better ways of doing things. This year, SUSTAINABILITY is the keyword.

The post RC-Karengata installs new President and Board of Directors for 2020/2021 appeared first on Rotary Club of Karengata.

Its formation began earnestly in 2018 with a minimum number of six persons, or potential would-be members. These members were led by a young, energetic educationist Ms. Hellen Kisio, the current President-Elect (PE), and Ms. Sarah Tomno, the first lady of Narok County. Against all the odds, they took the early initiative to visit RC Karengata for benchmarking.

That visit in October 2018 was an eye-opener into the workings of a Rotary Club. They experienced firsthand:

1.The extended friendship and warmth of fellowship.

2. How meetings are conducted.

3. How directors share reports of their respective portfolios with club members.

The Making of a Rotary Club

Rotary has a robust system and procedure on how to start a new club. It’s so easy to follow and adhere to these requirements that it’s quite impossible to lose a single step.

This process starts at the District Governor’s (DG) office.

PP Dan Munyori from RC – Karengata was appointed the District Governors Special Representative (DGSR). His role was to advise the new club on the fundamental requirements of the club. Essentially, matters on membership, classifications, roles, and functions of a RC in the community.

In perspective a DGSR ensures that the new club has adequate members who understand the requirements of being a Rotarian. He or she works closely with the new team of leaders. Effectively, assisting with registration and championing the effort from start to finish. In fact, the DGSR’s involvement after the club is chartered is very critical to its success in the first year. It has been likened to the mothering of a child.

The first requirement for a new club is a minimum of 20 charter members. In addition these members should have fully paid up for registration at $15 each. For RC Enkare Narok, the start-up membership number was 25. It’s important to note that, a potential Rotarian is an adult who demonstrates good character, integrity, and leadership. He or she has an excellent reputation within the community and is willing to serve it. The best place to look for these potential members is local business people, professionals, and community leaders.

Narok has significant potential. RC-Enkare Narok will thrive actively because the local communities in its locality have considerable needs. These are:

1. FGM and Early Marriages:

The populous and expansive Narok has several communities that still practice FGM and early marriages. There are currently a couple of NGOs involved in the development of rescue centers and the provision of community empowerment. RC Enkare Narok, in the spirit of Rotary, can leverage these existing organizations to partner and collaborate for highly impactful projects. Remarkably, on June 6, the club visited a rescue centre to donate food and dignity packs for the girls (see attached photos).

2. Accessible Clean Water: 

Narok suffers acute water problems that negatively impact the livelihoods of the community. RC –Enkare Narok in line with Rotary’s areas of focus will develop interventions that are supported by the Rotary Foundation (RF) to alleviate these problems.

The Sekenani Mara water project is an excellent example of such interventions and of what collaborations between RCs can achieve. The project, with funding of about $7000 from RC Irvine, was implemented by RC-Karengata. It was recently virtually handed over to the Nashulai Community –the beneficiaries — by the new club.

3. Girl Child Education

Basic education is another area of focus for RC Enkare Narok. The girl child has been neglected in this area. Therefore the club, in liaison with the county education department, will oversee the implementation and success of this initiative. For example, it can consider vocational sensitization programs.

Membership diversity in this club will be synergized to engage potential people that appreciate service to humanity. Their collective knowledge and skills will be harnessed for the greater good and vibrancy of this new club.

With the above insights, DGSR Dan launched campaigns to ardently create awareness about Rotary as an organization. More importantly, the value to be gained from having a RC in the local community.

In September 2019, the first publicity training was held at the Maasai Mara University. Unbelievably, over 200 people, including the university’s principals and lecturers attended. President Chebii and a team of 9 Rotarians from RC-Karengata were also present. This delegation’s presence and a presentation by IPP Jane and DGSR Dan bolstered the training to win the hearts and minds of the people present.

In the end, the aspiring club got 20 people who signed up and committed to be part of it. The new club has received its registration and is now awaiting the formal charter. This is likely to happen before the end of June. On June 4, DGSR Dan delivered a virtual training for RC-Enkare Narok on strategies for growing a new club. There were a total of 15 attendees, including RC-Karengata members.

Good luck and welcome to the fold, RC-Enkare Narok!

Article by: Njeri – Rotary Club of Karengeta

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The Beneficiaries

A beautiful sunrise unfolding in the tropical savannah plains is one of the lasting memories you’ll probably have of this place called Nashulai.

The Nashulai Community of Sekenani consists of about 2,400 men, women, and children of diverse ages. The intriguing thing about them is their way of life. They live in a unique conservation model in the World famous Maasai Mara. This conservancy stands out for the practical coexistence of the people, their livestock, and wildlife, all in perfect harmony.

Their main economic activities are cattle rearing, small scale trading and farming.

But the challenge: Amidst all these beauty, calm, and cohesiveness has been an endless wait for accessible clean water. Lack of clean water has had adverse effects on their quality of life.

About the Project

The viable solution was to rehabilitate a seasonal spring at a place called Oldarpoi camp. Then the delivery of accessible clean water, would entail harnessing water that would flow into a 50,000 litre capacity storage tank.

For the community to access it, high voltage solar energy would be required to pump it into another 50,000 litre capacity tank up-stream. From here, it would flow 6 kms downhill through a laid down pipeline into various water points.

The water points are:

·         2 x cattle troughs with the ability to serve 100 cows at a time.

·         3 x water kiosks to generate income and sustain the piping system.

·         4 x bathrooms.

·         4 x toilet facilities.

Milestones

December 2019: Project completed and approved

21 May 2020: Virtual handover ceremony

Rotary club of Karengata, as the implementer, coordinated from Nairobi with Rotary club of -Olulunga and Rotary club of Enkare Narok. Being close to it, they could access the physical location and walk everyone through it.

Rotary clubs of Irvine, Nairobi North, Karen, and Ongata Rongai joined in via ZOOM.

To Sum Up

Rotary’s main objective is service –in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the World. In practice of this, the community’s youth led by their elders in gratitude (for the project) have been planting trees, including bamboo seedlings in water shades to protect and restore the river. They’re determined to regenerate their natural environment to ensure that the water keeps flowing.

We look forward to receiving positive reports on the far-reaching impact that it is bound to have on the Nashulai Community. Notably, this project enabled several RCs to collaborate in service to local communities. We lived out the motto ‘Service Above Self.’

In serving the Nashulai Community, the Rotary clubs also gained insurmountably. Through it, we were inspired; our esteem and collective goodwill was enhanced. It was a win-win for all.

Article by: Njeri – Rotary Club of Karengata

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