Greetings, Rotarians, and welcome to the new Rotary year, where we get the opportunity to share with the world and our communities the magic that Rotary can and does bring.
As we begin this new year comes the opportunity for us to reflect once again on why we are Rotarians, our commitment, and what is expected of us as Rotarians.
The challenges in our communities are increasing, as we know, and there is never a time as now to address this as Rotarians.
The minute we step out of our doors, there are a multitude of needs out there in our communities that need our attention, with possible meaningful and impactful projects awaiting and/or in the making. Our 7 areas of focus Maternal and Child health; Disease prevention and treatment; Water and sanitation; Community economic development; Peace and conflict resolution; environment; and Basic education and literacy give us bound less opportunities to serve our communities. If we use the targets that we have set for ourselves in our four priority areas of Increasing our Impact; Expanding our reach; Enhancing member engagement and increasing our ability to adapt, we shall make good inroads in making a difference in this world that we live in.
If we have never given to the Foundation or we would like to increase our giving, now is the time to do so and know that even that one dollar is so powerful. It is that polio vaccination dose for that child in Afghanistan; it is that lifesaving drinking water to a fellow human being somewhere in Kilimanjaro; it is the life of that new-born baby you have saved somewhere in Kabale or Ecuador through a global grant, someone who will never be able to thank you but survived because of you and your kind giving. Your giving is powerful, and please let us never tire of giving and supporting our foundation. Let us do so with renewed fervor.
As Rotarians, let us always remember that there is strength in numbers, and only together can we go far. Again, if we have never invited anyone into Rotary, it is about high time we do so. We should not allow this year to end without making a true effort, and I know each one of us knows someone. And even if we have already brought members into Rotary, we still have friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances who would love the opportunity to live a purpose-filled life, an opportunity to serve the communities in which we live and make an impact, while also enjoying the many benefits that Rotary has to offer. We need the numbers as Rotarians to be more effective and reach the areas we have not been able to reach yet.
As we do this, let us also ensure that we are maintaining healthy club environments and giving value to our Rotarians. We are responsible for each other to ensure retention of our new members but also not forgetting the older members.
The youth, as we know, are the future, and we must make a concerted effort to grow, nurture, mentor, guide, and support them in their Rotary journey and many other ways as the opportunities arise, and to also help them understand their importance and their role in the community as they grow professionally as leaders of the future and of the now too. We need our youth.
We shall be celebrating our Centennial District Conference in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and are marking the achievements and memory of the years in our district by tree planting, and I hope that these trees will stand for many years to come. Our sister districts 9212 & 9213 shall also plant trees as we celebrate during this momentous landmark year.
Our first monthly theme, Maternal and Child Health, is upon us. Let us also use this Rotary platform throughout the district during this month towards this theme, and let us please also use this opportunity and other opportunities that will arise during the course of the year to tell our stories of what we do in our communities. I look forward to seeing, reading, and hearing about what we have been doing this month and throughout the year.
It is my hope and prayer that we shall throughout the year be intentional about inspiring each other and working together to do good, giving of ourselves and of our resources and time.
Let us put our best foot forward in all we do, apply our best efforts, and end the year knowing that we have done our best for humanity and that we did ourselves proud.
I wish you a productive, fruitful, and enjoyable year, and I do look forward to visiting your clubs, meeting you all, seeing and hearing about the wonderful work and impact you are having in our communities, and also hearing about how your own lives are being transformed during this incredible journey of Rotary.
‘Let us be the change that we want to see in the world.’
Agnes Mungati Batengas
RY 2024/25
