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DIVIDED BY BORDERS
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UNITED BY ROTARACT
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EDITORS MESSAGE It gives me immense pleasure in writing down this message for CONCORDE, a magazine that is the first of its’ kind in Rotaract. An inter district magazine based on the Polio Eradication Story of several countries. We have here, in this magazine the eradication story, the details of the countries, their culture, the outstanding projects of the districts, the clubs that have served the society, details about an outstanding Rotaractor and lots of images that shows us the happenings from all over the world. This magazine apart from being informative, is aimed at inspiring the readers to explore various avenues of service, to gain knowledge about the countries and lots more. I would like to thank Rtr. Murilo Abreu de Silva, the DRR of Brazil, District 4310, Rtr. Richard Mwangi, the DRR of District 9212 consisting of Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea and South Sudan, Rtr. Tenywa Nicholas, DRR of District 9211 which includes Tanzania and Uganda, Rtr. Alexander Cabrea Infante the DRR of Dominican Republic, District 4060 and their team for their active participation, and immense support without which CONDORDE wouldn’t have happened. Their messages and projects will leave you thinking in a very positive direction. It’s a great delight to thank the DRR of our District 3230, Rtr. PP. PHF. Vinoth S. Nagarajan, Rtr. Anirudh Nataraj, the Secretary, Rtr. Mathura who is the brain child of the magazine and Rtr. Vignesh, the International Service Director for giving me this wonderful opportunity of heading the Editorial Board for the magazine. Rtr. Akshay, Rtr. Karishmaa, Rtr. Niyathi and Rtr. Medha, an efficient team, who made the magazine happen. A huge thank you to you guys! Read on, View the images, and see for yourself how inspired you shall be at the end of the magazine. Any day can be made a great day through the right attitude. Let’s make each day a blessed one. To all the projects we have done so far, and for the ones that are yet to come, Good Luck! Let’s pursue Excellence! Regards, Rtr. Samyuktha Shenbagaraj CONCORDE - Editor District 3230
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CHAIRPERSON SPEAKS Dear all, Unity is what inspires the world. Where there is unity, there stands the victory. It is how we as human race have survived, thrived and succeeded. As rotaractors, we are all the more united than other normal people on this earth! Who will get such a chance or rather, who has the means to access people across the globe and strengthen the friendship with them even if it is a virtual friendship? It is Rotaract that has given us this chance and gifted us with this speciality. It is privilege to say that I am one among you all, Rtr. Mathura from R.I.D. 3230, Chennai, India. I have been yearning to utilize the chance for making friendships worldwide like never before. Every one of us know that friendship starts with a smile and a hello! And I personally believe that to maintain this friendship with good amicability, we must make sure to know more about our friends if not personally, at least about their cultural scores. I call this ‘Better Friendship’. Now, when I was thinking of how to actually make it happen, something prompted me to go ahead with a project that would unite people across the world with better friendship. And it is called “A multi districts joint bulletin”. Yes! Of course it has been done in Rotaract yet, an effective one as far as I observed. All of us would know about a club’s bulletin or a multi clubs joint bulletin. The main aim of “CONCORDE - the multi district joint bulletin” is to pick districts as a whole and bring their specialities to limelight and spread knowledge about the people, culture, heritage and the society of different parts of the world. This way, it facilitates all the rotaractors to acquire an idea about the country or the district which they know as one that just exists. In our unity mission, we are concording districts from different countries (meant for countries that have many districts like ours) from all the continents of the world! It is a half yearly joint bulletin and hence the second half will be released in March 2016. There is an additional speciality (as the project itself is a special one) about this union of districts, which is going to be the first of its kind to be introduced. That is, we, all the districts in this project will be signing up a Multi District joint twinning agreement, after which all these districts will be uniting together for a social cause project for their society’s betterment which will be mentioned and explained from the next bulletin. We, R.I.D. 3230 are highly elated and excited to have all the districts joining hands with us for this great mission. We truly hope this attempt will be much useful and informative to all and bring some change in the world. Regards, Rtr.IPP. Mathura Raghavan, Associate Director - International Service District Rotaract Council 15-16 ‘Let’s Pursue Excellence’ Rotary International District 3230 (Rotaract club of Spectrum)
3230 ISD SPEAKS Rotaract has always been a forum which keeps us connected across every part of the world. It’s been an exciting journey to reaching out to you all as a part of “Concorde”. This edition is a special dedication covering some of the Polio Stories from various countries. I would like to heartily thank RID 4060, 9212, 9211, and 4310 for coming forward to be a part of this initiative taken by RID 3230. I see this as a beginning for a long lasting friendship across borders. Regards Rtr. PP. Vignesh. S Director - International Service District Rotaract Council 15-16 ‘Let’s Pursue Excellence’ Rotary International District 3230 (Rotaract Club of Zenith) 6
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ROTARY INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT 3230
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DRR MESSAGE
TOGETHER we brought in the CHANGE and INSPIRED others and now it’s time to Excell; let’s pursue excellence to be a gift to others.
Dear friends it’s my pleasure and privilege to be the District Rotaract Representative of RI District 3230 (world’s largest district in terms of membership). When I aspired to take up this position I had certain plans for the year and one such plan is to focus on International service. I really appreciate the International service team for coming up with such a wonderful initiative, “Multi district magazine”. This is going to be a great platform for rotractors across the world to expand their friendship and share their ideas and spread peace around the globe. This magazine is going to set a new benchmark in the history of RI Dist 3230. Thanks to Rtr. Vignesh, Rtr. Mathura, Rtr. Samyuktha, Rtr. Thyageshwaran, Rtr. Akshay, Rtr. Niyati, Rtr. Karishmaa, Rtr. Medha, Rtr. Arvind, Rtr. Pres. Aravindhan and my special thanks to Deputy DRR Rtr. Kaminy chudasama from RI District 9211, Rtr. Melyssa muriyuki from RI District 9212 (Public Relation Director), Rtr. Alan Aquino from RI District 4060 (International Service Director) and PDRR Rtr. Alex from RI District 4310 for their efforts and hard work in order to successfully bringing up this multi district magazine. Kudos to the entire International Service Team of RI District 3230. TOGETHER we brought in the CHANGE and INSPIRED others and now it’s time to Excell, let’s pursue excellence to be a gift to others. Best Regards, Rtr. PP. Vinoth Nagarajan District Rotaract Representative 15-16 Rotary International District 3230 Rotaract Club of Zenith Sponsored by Rotary Club of Madras North East
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ABOUT 3230 The Rotary International District 3230 was originated in 1984-85 when the clubs in India were regrouped in line with the specific Districts. The clubs in and around Madras were designated as District 3230. This District comes under zone 6 in the Rotary world. The main aim of District 3230 is to implement commendable projects to make life better for the people in the community. The District is comprised of many Rotary clubs sponsoring the Rotaract clubs. The District 3230 undertakes many ongoing projects such as Chennai Marathon, Chennai Olympiad, District conference and many more. With able leaders and projects which have an impact on the community, District 3230 is all set to make this world a better place. We have about 143 active Rotaract Clubs as of today.
GLIMPSE OF OUR LEGACY
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We have the largest Rotaract District in the world in terms of Membership. We also have the Largest Rotaract Club & Largest Women based Rotaract Club. We are the only District in South Asia to have conducted the Biennial South Asian Multi district Convention, ROTASIA (2002 & 2007).We have been showered with appre ciation for the professionalism in which we conducted the conventions , hosting more than 1,000 (Rotaractors) from various South Asian Countries. Our District Conferences and District Rotaract Assemblies have witnessed no less than 1,000 Rotaractors as delegates. We have the unique distinction of conducting 100 projects in 24 hours (across all ave nues of service) to commemorate the Rotary Centennial Year. We hosted Asian DRR Elect Training Seminar ADETS - 2012, ‘PRIDE’. We hosted the Presidential Conference ‘WE ARE THE CHANGE’ on October 5th & 6th, 2013 & the Light up Rotary Days Celebration during December 07th 2014.
FIRST IN 3230 First Rotary Club First Rotaract club First Inner Wheel Club First Rotary Community First Probus Club First GSE Team Leader First Paul Harris Fellow First Lady District Governor First Visually Challenged Club First Club for Hearing impaired
- 1929 Rotary Club of Madras - 1968 Rotaract club of Madras - 1965 Rotary Club of Madras South - 1986-87 Rotary Club of Madras East Corps (earlier RVC) - 1988-89 Rotary Club of Madras East - Rtn. C.V. George, Rotary Club of Madras South to USA - Rtn. M.CT. Muthiah, Rotary Club of Madras - Rtn. Rekha Shethy, Rotary Club of Madras Temple City - Rotaract Club of Dhristi INTERESTING PLACES IN 3230 - Rotaract Club of St. Louis College for the deaf (installed in 2015)
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ROTARY INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT 3230 Our District Comprises of 5 Revenue Districts of Tamil Nadu, namely Chennai, Kanchipuram, Vellore, Thiruvallur, Thiruvannamalai.
Chennai
Chennai formerly known as Madras, is the capital city of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is the fourth most populous metropolitan area and the fifth most populous city in India. The city was established in the 17th century by the British, who developed it into a major urban centre and naval base. By the 20th century, it had become an important administrative centre, as the capital of the Madras Presidency. Chennai’s economy has a broad industrial base in the automobile, technology, hardware manufacturing, and healthcare industries. The city is India’s second largest exporter of software, information technology (IT) and information-technology-enabled services (ITES). Chennai hosts a large cultural event, the annual Madras Music Season, which includes performances by hundreds of artists. The city has a vibrant theatre scene and is an important centre for the Bharatanatyam, a classical dance form. The Tamil film industry, one of the largest movie industries in India, is based in the city; the soundtracks of the movies dominate its music scene. Among Chennai’s festivals, Pongal is celebrated over five days in January, is the most important. Almost all major religious festivals such as Deepavali, Eid and Christmas are celebrated in Chennai. Tamil cuisine in Chennai includes vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Many of the city’s restaurants offer light meals or tiffin, which usually include ricebased dishes like pongal, dosa, idli and vadai, served with steaming hot filter coffee.
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Kanchipuram Kanchipuram district is a spectacular site of temples and the district headquarters is also known as the temple city. The temples of Kanchipuram district reflect the glorious traditions of South India. Mammalappuram was a flourishing port-town during the time of Pallavas. This is one of the most famous tourist attractions in the district of Kanchipuram. The monuments of Mamallapuram are excellent specimen of Dravidian temple architecture and Pallava art. Sriperumpudur is another place of tourist interest in the district. It is 29 kilometres from Chennai on the way to Kanchipuram. It is the birth place of Saint Ramanuja, the father of Visishtadvaida philosophy of Vaishnavism and hence, an important pilgrim centre for the Vaishnavites. Kamakodi Peetham and Kammakshi Amman temple are closely associated with the life of Shankaracharya. The Kamakoti Peetham is enshrined in the Sri Chakra just in front of Sri Devi and all pujas and sacrifices are offered to the Sri Chakra. Sri Ekambareswara temple is the most famous Shiva temple at Kanchipuram district. Kailasanatha temple was constructed by the Pallava Dynasty during the first quarter of the 8th Century. The temple is built of red sandstone and has innumerable carvings of Pallava art, of which the Urdhva Thandava dance of Shiva and the laughing face of Parvati are worth seeing. Another famous temple of this district is the Sri Ulagalandar temple. The temple was constructed in the Chola period.
Thiruvanamalai
Tiruvannamalai District is known for eternal peace and divine with the proud possession of the sacred shrine of Lord Arunachaleswara and Ashrams. Some of the places to visit would include Tiruvannamalai-Sri Arunachaleswarar Te m p l e, R a m n a s h ra m a m , S e s h at h r i ashramam , Thandrampat-Sathanur dam.
Vellore
Vellore had the previlege of being the seat of the Pallava, Chola, Nayak, Maratha, Arcot Nawabs and Bijapur Sultan Kindoms. It was described as the best and the strongest fortress in the Carnatic War in the 17th Century. It was witnessed the massacre of European soldier during the mutiny of 1806. The cultural impact in the society is also very significant same of the traditional arts of the District like the Therukoothu., an art form folk theaters, Kokkalikottai, a famous traditional dance in the district are gradually vanishing. The Vellore District is one of the leading districts of the state., where the development of the education has been consistently good and commendable.
Thiruvallur
Tiruvallur was originally known as Tiruvallur which specifies the sleeping position of the holy lord “Balaji”, in the Veeraragava temple of Tiruvallur. Later people began to refer it by names such as Trivellore and Tiruvallur. Today Tiruvallur is well known, one of the reason being the Veeraragava Temple.
On the Records 3230 has been a pioneer on the Guinness World Records. The most recent ones include the Largest Hi-5 Hand Formation which was exhibited during the Rotary International Presidential Conference “We Are the Change” during October 2013. And then During Rotary Days Celeberations in December 2014, we caught the World’s attention by forming the World Largest National Flag Formation in the name of “My Flag My India”. This was executed with the help of Rotary and Rotaract participation.
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CELEBRATING AND SUSTAINING A POLIO-FREE INDIA Thanks to support from the global community of supporters to end polio, India is celebrating its fourth poliofree year. The World Health Organization (WHO) certified the South-East Asia Region, home to a quarter of the world’s population, polio-free one year ago, today. The certification of the region marked an important step in polio eradication efforts. Now, 80 percent of the world’s population lives in certified polio-free regions. Since the last case of polio in India in March 2011, the India National PolioPlus Committee’s “Keep India Polio-Free” campaign has continued regular immunization campaigns. These campaigns rely on the support of entire communities, religious groups, and political bodies. The Global Polio Eradication Initiative partners (Rotary International, WHO, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Unicef, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) have committed to strengthen the routine immunization levels in the country to ensure that children are protected against polio and other life-threatening, vaccine-preventable diseases. Routine vaccinations include vaccines against diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B. The Indian government recently launched Mission Indhradhanush, an immunization drive to achieve its target of full immunization by the year 2020. The drive’s objective is to strengthen health systems for improved vaccine delivery. The drive will be implemented slowly throughout the country; first in 201 low-performing districts that have been identified for improvement. The first phase of the immunization campaign is scheduled for the beginning of April. India National PolioPlus Committee chair, Deepak Kapur says, “It is an opportunity to close the immunization gap and ensure that those missed children in the country get a shot at life with these seven life-saving vaccines. The success of Mission Indhradhanush will ensure that no child remains vulnerable to polio.” It is estimated that about 500,000 children die annually in India due to diseases that are preventable with vaccines. India’s PolioPlus committee hopes that the legacy of the systems in place for polio eradication will strengthen and support ongoing immunization activities throughout the country. Source: http://www.endpolio.org/stories/posts/celebrating-and-sustaining-a-polio-free-india/
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ROTARY INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT 4060
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DRR MESSAGE Greetings fellow Rotaractors around the World, my name’s Alexander Cabrera - DRR of District 4060Dominican Republic. I’ll send this message to encourage all the Rotaractors to keep working in Service and “give of oneself before thinking of oneself”. It is a great honor of being a Rotaractor, to help people, and work to solve problems of our communities. Enjoy Service trough fellowship! Alexander Cabrera Infante DRR District 4060, Dominican Republic
72 years in the Dom. Rep. The country has 60 Rotary clubs with more than 1,300 Rotarians and 34 Rotaract Clubs with more than 800 rotaractors The Rotarians of the Dominican Repúblic are observers of the community, and bring the issues to the meetings. Come these ideas, which are then converted into projects, then the projects are actions that are what give the result of community benefits The country has 60 clubs with an enrollment of 1,300 Rotarians. More than 800 university students are preparing for leadership right through Rotaract service. 14 November 2015 CONCORE
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT 4060 Located in the Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, which capital is Santo Domingo.
Spanish is the official language of the country and which street signs and restaurant menus are written in. Even though the people linked to the tourist trade generally speak English, knowing some Spanish is a great advantage. The Dominican Republic is divided into twenty-nine provinces, each run by a governor who is appointed by the president. The president and vice president and a bicameral Congress of thirty senators and 120 deputies are elected by popular vote every four years. The voting age is eighteen. Musically, the Dominican Republic is known for the creation of the musical style called merengue, a type of lively, fast-paced rhythm and dance music based on musical elements like African drums, brass, piano, chorded instruments, and traditionally the accordion, as well as some elements unique to the Dominican Republic, such as the tambora and g端ira.
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Dominican Republic cuisine is predominantly made up of a combination of Spanish, indigenous Taíno, and African influences. Many Middle-Eastern dishes have been adopted into Dominican cuisine, such as the “Quipe” that comes from the Lebanese kibbeh. Baseball is by far the most popular sport in the Dominican Republic. The country has a baseball league of six teams. The Milwaukee Brewers have a summer league here called the baseball academy. The baseball season usually begins during October and ends in January. After the United States, the Dominican Republic has the second-highest number of Major League Baseball (MLB) players. Carnival celebrations are held in the Dominican Republic each February with parades, street dancing, food festivals, and music. Festivities also take place in the week leading up to Easter Sunday. Parades, beauty pageants, and different festivals in each town throughout the country fill the week. In June the country celebrates Espíritu Santo to honor the island’s African heritage with nationwide festivals featuring African music.
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OUTSTANDING PERSON IN THE DISTRICT
Ivan Bolivar Chevalier Jourdain, who since his childhood showed interest in sports, languages and community service as part of the 12 years of the Boy Scouts, were he rose to be the 2nd Scout younger class his troops, as a teenager was recognized in several lines as a student and athlete, he was involved in the Rotary movement from small to participate in the activities being undertaken by the Rotary Club La Vega Real of which his father was president. in 2008 Ivan enters the Rotaractors rows forming part of the directive relaunch of the Club Santo Domingo Bella Vista, which later would be elected president in the 2009-2010 He started contributing in the DDR Board as assistant of the Metropolitan Zone in 2010, then was elected again to occupy the same position in the DRR in 2011, in 2012-2013 as vice DRR and in 2013-2014 As DRR For the District 4060 Nowadays, he serves as one of the organizers of the Rotaract RYLA in Jarabacoa. And he is the first Dominican to enter the North American RYLA committee in Washington DC, USA.
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ROTARY INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT 4310
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DRR MESSAGE Rotaractors from all over the world. My name is Murilo Abreu da Silva and I am the current District Rotaract Representative of the District 4310, located near Sao Paulo, Brazil Greetings everyone! I am very honoured to participate in a global initiative for sharing information among Roatract clubs among many things that i could write about, let me share what Rotaract means for me.... In this program I see one of the main ways to transform the humanity: the development of positive leadership Through the projects and organisation of clubs is possible to develop leaders in our society that play an essential role: to bring positive messages about peace, international understanding, volunteerism and various other causes to people around the world.
“Unite is the beginning, holding together is progress and working together is a victory”
In addition, this will only have a meaningful impact if we learn one of the main lessons of leadership; influencing people and go beyond simply doing our part... We know that the road is long, but we need to understand the size of Rotract’s force around our planet. Together we are stronger. Count on the district 4310 in this great goal! Regards, Rtr. Murilo Abreu da Silva District Rotaract Representative 15-16 Rotary International District 4310
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ROTARY INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT 4310 Sao Paulo With a population of more than 44 million, Sao Paulo’s population is one of the most diverse in the country of Brazil. Sao Paulo has the largest industrial park and the highest GDP among all Brazilian States. It ranks the second highest Human Development Index and second highest GDP per capita. Most expressions of the state’s traditions are rooted in Portuguese, Indian and Italian.
About the District The district 4310 was created in 1996-97 as a change of district 4620. It is one of the 38 Brazilian districts and covers 38 cities, of which 26 have Rotary Clubs.
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STUDENT LEADER General Objectives To train good leaders through a leadership program facing the most charismatic young of the quarter-graders from municipal schools. We work the sense of leadership into the student chosen by colleagues, i.e. the most popular and influential person, the room LEADER.
Specific Objectives 1. Election of Room Leaders - The department of Education, through its employees, every 2. 3. 4.
Wednesday elects a room leader. Each elected student receives an invitation to participate in the Leadership Course organised by The Rotaract Club of Indaiatuba and partners. Leadership Course – Saturday, 31st May from 13:00 to 17:00 hours. Takes place at the House of Rotary Friendship. Carried out by a presentation and then a dynamic partner and then a psychologist. Supervised presentation – Student leaders will have to present to their classroom a sum mary of what they learned in their course and will be supervised by a teacher. The teacher in the class communicates the presentation to the Department of Education. Award – The award with signed certificates and presence of authorities must take place in the City Council Chamber. We hope this day can count on the presence of all schoolsrepresented by their principles, teachers, students and also the parents, clarifying and drawing attention of to the responsibility they have in good education.
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Polio Eradication Polio eradication in itself wasn’t a single goal but one of the goals. The second was to strengthen the national vaccine program i.e achieving universal immunization. Brazil gathers 7000 Rotaractors, in more than 300 cities by knowing their backgrounds; it is possible to realize the diversity of their plans for the future. This is the word that describes the actions of the Brazilian Rotaract Clubs. A value generation concerned with the community development.Brazil gathers 7000 Rotaractors, into 580 clubs, it is possible to realize the diversity of their lifestyles and plans for the future: in professional and personal side.Impact. This is the word which best describes the acting of the Brazilian Rotaract Clubs. A value generation concerned with the community development.
Isabelli Fontana Supporting Polio
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OUTSTANDING PERSON IN THE DISTRICT
“When you give to someone, give silently, with humility, give lovingly and unconditionally� JD ZANCO was admitted to the American Rotaract during the foundation in July 1978, where he was its president twice, in November 1982 was admitted to the Rotary Club American Integration. During the year 2006-07 he promoted IGE with India and Montana, USA. The couple governor conducted a special project on recycling edible oil. This year the Rotary clubs of Salto and Sumare became 100 percent Paul Harris. In the year of the Centenary Rotary, he was a speaker at the Rotary Institute of Florianopolis. In 2013 he died, but his memories live on with us, says his Rotaract family.
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ROTARY INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT 9211
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DRR MESSAGE Warm Greetings. My name is Tenywa Nicholas, DRR Tanzania and Uganda D9211. It’s an honor to be a part of the Multi District Magazine. This is a great connection for all Rotaractors around the world. An opportunity for many international partnerships, exchange programs and Projects. Let’s share contacts,Heritage and culture to promote our countries and win the hearts of people around the world that will in the long run strengthen our influence and bond. I welcome you all to D9211 for our 91st District Conference and Assembly 4th – 7th May 2016 At the Imperial Resort Beach Entebbe Uganda. (www.dca9211.net)
‘Be a Gift to the world’ Regards Tenywa Nicholas DRR Tanzania and Uganda Rotaract club of Kyambogo Sponsored by Rotary club of Kyambogo
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ROTARY INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT 9211 RID 9211 PLD Forum The Rotary PLD Forum is a concept by Rotaract Uganda. The idea behind the dialogues is to increase the level of public participation in Peace and conict prevention/resolution, Disease prevention and treatment, Water and sanitation, Maternal and child health, Basic education and literacy, Economic and community development, with particular interest on Uganda. These areas (of focus) reect critical humanitarian issues and needs that Rotarians are addressing worldwide. They will align Rotary with other national and international development eorts and will strategically further the Foundation’s mission. The notion behind the Rotary Dialogues is to have as a great number of people (especially the youth) participate in topical issues of concern around the region.
History by DDRR About RID 9211
District 9211 came into existence in 2010-11 vide decision of Board of Directors of Rotary International to split District 9200 into two that is District 9211 and 9212. Former D9200 comprised the six East African countries Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. As of 1st July 2013, Tanzania and Uganda formed D9211 with an approximate 2,930; members whilst Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Uganda formed D9212 with an approximate 1,500 members. And as we stand to have 81 Rotaract Clubs in D9211. Kaminy s. Chudasama Deputy DRR Uganda and Tanzania Rotaract Club of Young Professionals Sponsored by Rotary Club of Dar es Salaam 26 November 2015 CONCORE
VijanaPao Project in Kampala VijanaPao Project in Kampala Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa whose diverse landscape encompasses the snowcapped Rwenzori Mountains and immense Lake Victoria. Its abundant wildlife includes endangered gorillas and chimpanzees as well as rare birds. Remote Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a famous mountain gorilla sanctuary, while Murchison Falls National Park in the northwest is known for its 43m-tall waterfall and wildlife such as hippos. The culture of Uganda is made up of a diverse range of ethnic groups. Lake Kyoga forms the northern boundary for the Bantu-speaking people, who dominate much of East, Central, and Southern Africa. In Uganda, they include the Baganda and several other tribes. In Uganda, the kanzu is the national dress of men in the country. Women from central and eastern Uganda wear a dress with a sash tied around the waist and large exaggerated shoulders called a gomesi. Women from the west and northwest drape a long cloth around their waists and shoulders called suuka. Women from the southwest wear a long baggy skirt and tie a short matching cloth across their shoulders. Women also wear a floor long dress called a busuti, which was introduced by the 19th century missionaries. Tanzania is an East African country known for its vast wilderness areas. They include the plains of Serengeti National Park, a safari mecca populated by the “big five” game (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino), and Kilimanjaro National Park, home to Africa’s highest mountain. Offshore lie the tropical islands of Zanzibar and Mafia Marine Park, where whale sharks swim through reefs. A total of 128 languages are spoken in Tanzania, most of them from the Bantu family. Swahili and English are the two official languages; however, Swahili is the national language. Given the conditions of the period, it was not possible to introduce Swahili in the entire educational system, because the scale of the task of writing or translating textbooks for primary schools was already considerable.[citation needed] As a result, English, the colonial language since the end of World War I, is still the language of high schools and universities. Many students leave school after finishing primary education.
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Many people drink tea (chai) in Tanzania. Usually tea is drunk in the morning, during breakfast with chapati and maandazi, and at times at night during supper. Coffee is second, and is usually taken in the evening, when the sun is down, and people are on the front porch, playing cards or bao. Many people drink coffee with kashata (a very sweet tasting snack made from coconut meat or groundnuts). D9211 has succefuly kicked polio out of its countries (Ug and Tz) We have over 80 Rotaract clubs in the District and we are more than 1200 rotaractors with more clubs being formed in our dstirct in every quarter of the Rotary year. At club level; 80Community Service and 13 International Service Projects done last rotary year• Majority aligned to the 6 RI focus areas. We are fun, we have great fellowships each weak, and are ready to meet new friends around the world. A community outreach project in Zanzibar, Tanzania. A Project was about raising awareness about Cervical Cancer to the Girls Students, the Targets are young women aged 15-18 years old. We believe that prevention is better than cure, hence we believe that this project can make a different.
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ROTARY INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT 9212
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DRR MESSAGE Dear Friends in Service, Greetings from RID 9212. I’m Richard Mwangi, the District Rotaract Representative RID 9212 comprising of Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea and South Sudan. We are strategically located on the East Africa coastline and I welcome you all to pay a visit to our beautiful sceneries which we highly pride in. My gratitude in being part of this amazing and incredible history in the making of sharing stories among the various Rotary districts in the world. It’s my hope that you’ll find this and interesting read and that you all will learn one or two unique things concerning our district. We are proud to be hosting over 60 Rotaract clubs in our newly formed district which is less than five years old. Rotaract has been such a journey for me and I’m glad that I made the decision to be part of this huge family seven years back. It’s been of immense impact not just to my personal life but holistically to me as an individual but far than that, to the diverse communities we serve in. I must admit that it’s always a humbling experience serving in the Rotaract fraternity as we get to learn and share every new day. Rotaract is a journey and in thus it provides a platform to grow holistically to a respectable being in the society. God Bless. Warm Regards, Richard Mwangi District Rotaract Representative Rotary International D9212, 2015/16
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ROTARY INTERNATIONAL DISTRICT 9212 Located in the eastern part of Africa, my Kenya lies. A country full of diversity and positive differentiation. Hence why it’s often referred to as “the cradle for humanity”.
My country, my Kenya is a land of immense opportunity. We have over 50 different tribes each with its unique and different element Our Kenyan woman… A smile that lights up the world. With the handmade cultural beads that represent elegance, prestige and femininity My country, my Kenya is beautiful. It hosts the 2nd largest mountain in Africa. What a beauty! We are infamous for the Wildebeest migration that happens between June and September every year at Maasai Mara. Your eyes would feast on the splendor of the animals. Can you picture yourself by the beach, with an ice cold drink and a good read? Well… Kenya can offer you that and more. We have an attractive coastline and the coastal towns carry with them so much history. My country, my Kenya is sporty. Kenya and Athletics are synonymous. We pride ourselves in our athletics team which snatches gold medals at whatever marathon they go to. Our ladies volleyball team is mighty powerful and has won many global matches. If you love rugby, then you are a lucky person because we have a great National team that battles the crème de la crème of the world. My country, my Kenya… Is a place I encourage every rotaractors and Rotarian to visit. We are warm people and indeed a gift to the world.
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South Sudan After the long and endless battle of more than 50 years to gain independence, South Sudan is born. The country is blessed with oil which is a good source of revenue for the country. Their soil is rich and perfect for agriculture. The biodiversity in South Sudan is beyond spectacular. Bandingilo National Park hosts the second largest wildlife migration in the world! This is a popular tourist attraction. South Sudan’s forest reserves also provided habitat for bongo, giant forest hogs, red river hogs, forest elephants, chimpanzees, and forest monkeys Rotarians and Rotaractors… Come Safari in South Sudan. You will have an experience like never before.
Ethiopia If France and Spain were to be combined … Ethiopia would still be bigger. The capital of Ethiopia is Addis Ababa which in Amharic means “new flower”. That’s how pure and beautiful it is. Addis hosts the African Union headquarters which makes it’s the diplomatic capital of Africa. Did you know that 70% of the mountains in Africa are found in Ethiopia? I am sure you would have never guessed. Probably that’s why Ethiopia is known for having fantastic long distance runners. The high altitude might have something to do with it… Hmmmh… Food for thought. There are more than 80 different ethnic groups in Ethiopia with just as many languages and over 200 dialects are spoken throughout the country. The women are known for their beauty; especially their hair that is long and silky. They have amazing traditional outfits that they wear during functions or on weekends. Amharic is the most popular language in Ethiopia… If Ethiopians are not your cup of tea… then you haven’t tasted their coffee… Well roasted beans with rich aroma. Heaven in a sip. Rotaractors… take a trip to Ethiopia. Beautiful culture, Historic sites, Beautiful people and coffee.
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District 9212 This Close to End Polio Kenyan Rotaractors in a colorful display of the last mile towards End Polio Now took to the streets of Nairobi in a colorful flash-mob as they prepared for the main event that took place on Saturday, 27th September 2014 at the University of Nairobi grounds. We painted the town red that Saturday by the outfits and walked round the Nairobi CBD. It was a great 5 Km walk that was heavily covered by the press. Before commencing on the walk, we took individual photos in our “End Polio Now� shirts, with our thumb and index fingers nearly clinched together. Yes.. We are indeed this close to ending polio.
Project React Over 80 Rotaractors gathered from Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Kenya participated in the REACT project which focused on Disease Treatment and Prevention. Malaria remains a serious threat to the health of pregnant mothers, unborn children and young children especially below 5 years and Kisumu is one of the worst affected areas in Kenya. The Rotaractors cleared drainage systems, distributed insecticide treated mosquito nets and treated stagnant waters with larvicide within the slums area of Nyalenda B in Kisumu, Kenya. The Rotaract Club of Kisumu hosted the 2014/15 edition of REACT and we congratulate them for delivering a bigger, better and bolder REACT. We look forward to the next edition!
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The Team
Rtr. IPP. Mathura Raghavan, District 3230 Associate International Service Director Rotaract Club of Spectrum
Rtr. PP. Vignesh. S, District 3230 International Service Director Rotaract Club of Zenith
Rtr. Thiyageswaran District 3230, IDYE Chairman Rotaract Club of Madras Central
Editorial
Rtr. Samyuktha Shenbagaraj District 3230 EB Team Rotaract Club of Stella Maris Chennai
Rtr. Akshay. V District 3230 Associate International Service Director Rotaract Club of Rajalakshmi Engineering College
Editing Support
Rtr. Pres. Karishmaa Rotaract Club of Stella Maris Chennai
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Rtr. Medha Rotaract Club of Stella Maris Chennai
Rtr. Niyati, Rotaract Club of Stella Maris Chennai
Contents Support Rtr. Pres. Melyssa Muriuki District 9212 Public Relations Director Rotaract club of Nairobi Muthaiga North
Rtr. Kaminy Chudasama Rtr. Pres. Alan Aquino District 9211 Deputy DRR District 4060 International Service Director Rotaract Club of Young Professionals Rotaract Santo Domingo Poniente
Rtr. Arvind Shrivatsav District 3230 Associate District Rotaract Secretary Rotaract Club of Madras Chenna Patna
Rtr. PDRR. Alex Cassimiro de Barros Kisilevitc District 4310 District Rotaract Advisor Rotaract Club of Indaiatuba
Design
Rtr. Pres. Aravindhan. T Rotaract Club of Dhanalakshmi Srinivasan College of Engineering & Technology District 3230
Contact Us concordemagazine@gmail.com
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