MY FIRST 90 DAYS AS PRESIDENT OF RCH
My first 90 days as the President of the ‘Happy Club’, Rotary Club of Hurlingham started with a very high momentum, we literally hit the ground running. We had a super colorful and successful installation on the second day of July 2022 at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Westlands, Nairobi. Our target was 100 people, but we ended up with 140 people attending.
We managed to raise a good sum of money and the idea was that the money raised from the installation goes to En-Gedi Children’s Home. En-Gedi Children’s Home is a Centre that aims at enriching the lives of children with special needs to build a continuum of compassionate care, love and understanding to the children. The Home aims to promote community awareness and care for children with disabilities, and other vulnerable children – including orphaned and abandoned children.
The most urgent need they had expressed when we went for the needs assessment, was for an eco-friendly jiko. Currently they use the three-stones cooking station which emits a lot of smoke and thus affects the children, not to mention the negative impact it has on the facility. RCH committed to get them an ecofriendly jiko which we are in the process of sourcing for a vendor to construct one.
We visited the Home again on the sixth of August where we donated dry foods, detergents, diapers, four wheelchairs among other things. The children were very lively, and they even sung for us in appreciation. Thereafter, we went for a social at 034 with the Rotaractors and guests who had accompanied us. It was a fun-filled bonding session with our young ones.
Our second event was on 26th August 2022 when we visited Westlands Hospital to appreciate the Health Workers during the Health Care Week. The facility has 80 Health Workers and we shared lunch with them, and later cut a cake to celebrate the day. The Doctor in Charge of the Hospital, Dr. Sahra Mohamed and the Head Nurse, Madam Rhoda were very happy, and both have expressed their interest to join Rotary.
In June this year after RI Convention in Houston, I visited my family in Baltimore, Maryland. My super amazing sister and brother-in-law, who are so proud of my Presidency, together with two other families offered to support my installation project by donating 10 wheelchairs. Thankfully, they honored their pledge and on Saturday, 3rd September, we went to receive the wheelchairs. My brother-in-law was represented in the handover of the wheelchairs by his best friend Mr. Anunda together with other family Members. The wheelchairs will be donated to En-Gedi Children’s Home as this was another need they had. We later in the afternoon attended the installation of President Brian Mugwimi of the Rotaract Club of Hurlingham.
During the Rotary Friendship Exchange Program in May 2022, District 1860 donated music instruments strings which were handed over to our Past President Sophie Njagi for onwards transition to Ghetto Classics (GC). GC is a community program based at the St John’s Centre in Korogocho slum and have a Branch at Ruben Centre in Mukuru Kwa Reuben. Korogocho is one of the largest slums in Kenya with home to over 300,000 people. They use music education to provide the youth with opportunities to better themselves and their communities. They run a brass band, string ensemble, orchestra, dance, and choir program, making tremendous strides in providing children and youth with creative expression through music, dance, and drama in order to improve their living conditions.
Through its activities, resource mobilization efforts, and partnerships, the Foundation has ensured that its beneficiaries stay in school, have a roof over their heads, food on their tables, and, whenever possible, medical care. The organization’s mentorship project has provided much needed guidance to young adults, by addressing relationship issues, financial literacy, career guidance training, and monthly sanitary pads for the girls, allowing them to live with confidence and dignity.
On Sunday, 04th September, RCH Members together with our Rotaractors from TUK and Hurlingham went to hand over the music instruments. The Directors from both Korogocho and Mukuru Centre were very thankful, and the Youth/Children entertained us with music. We also donated 50kgs of rice, clothes, and other goodies.
Our Calendar of activities is well updated up to the end of this year. We have had very interesting Guest Speakers who have attracted so many guests to our club and most have indicated their interest in joining RC Hurlingham. On 24th August, we inducted four new Members and one Member who had taken a sabbatical leave rejoined the club. The ‘Happy Club’ is growing and we look forward to doubling our number by recruiting more members this Rotary Year.
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~President Hilda Gikera