Strengthening Ties: GRC's Joint Visit to Rotaract Clubs in Bishoftu and Hawassa

Our Membership Extension Retention and Development director, Abdljelil Nesru was on a tour organized by the Rotaract Ethiopia Country Team this past weekend, and visited Rotaract Club of Kuriftu in Bishoftu, and Rotaract Clubs of Hawassa and Menen in Hawassa. He has shared us his reflections about his interaction with the team outside Addis and his overall experience.

Enjoy the read.

Our first day was truly inspiring. We arrived early in Bishoftu, around 6 AM, giving us enough time before the meeting began. Though the session started a little later than planned, it was well worth the wait. We had the privilege of engaging with approximately 20 club members of RAC Kuriftu, all of whom welcomed us warmly and expressed interest in learning more about the GRC and others. The session was interactive and engaging, sparking thoughtful discussions and generating new ideas among the club members.

During the meeting, I provide a detailed overview of GRC, its mission, the work we have been doing, our future plans, and the various ways they could collaborate with us. I encouraged them to consider partnerships with GRC on a range of projects, highlighting how such collaborations would contribute to our shared commitment to sustainability and environmental health.

After the presentation they suggest to collab with One Health Organization, an organization that shares GRC’s vision of addressing the inter-connectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. Some members of the One Health team are also members of RAC Kuriftu, and their work in this area is motivating. Their openness to collaboration made the entire experience even more welcoming and positive, creating an environment of mutual respect and shared goals...I emphasized that GRC is excited about the potential of working together with them and exploring ways to support each other's efforts. We concluded the meeting by exchanging contact information, and we will continue our discussions on collaboration in the near future. On to Rotaract Club of Hawassa and RAC Menen!!

The day after our successful session in RAC Kuriftu, we embarked on a journey to Hawassa. Despite the long travel, which left us both energized and exhausted, paradoxically, we dived straight into a meeting to RAC Menen and RAC Hawassa, where over 50 club members were in attended on the meeting. The session proved to be a productive one as in Bishoftu, and filled with insightful discussions.

During the meeting, I had present the GRC in detail. One of the most engaging parts of the session was the in-depth conversation about how GRC could support regional clubs, particularly in areas like project funding and partnership building. Several important questions were raised by the members, including:

- How can we collaborate with GRC on current or future projects?

- Can GRC provide financial support for our green community projects?

- What strategies can we adopt to partner with organizations outside of Hawassa, especially since many of our projects are based in hawassa?

These questions were thoughtfully posed by the club members, especially as RAC Hawassa is planning an upcoming lake and river cleanup project in collaboration with RAC Kuriftu (and potentially RAC Menen). It was inspiring to see active participation from all of this clubs.

During the discussion, I was able to provide clear and comprehensive answers, facilitating a fruitful exchange of ideas and further strengthening the foundation for future collaborations. The conversation was not only interactive but also highly constructive.

Additionally, I encouraged RAC Menen to become more active in environmental projects and social media campaigns, which will further amplify the reach and impact of their clubs.

Following the meeting, there was a wonderful opportunity for networking, and I was pleased to see so many individuals eager to engage with the GRC. It’s clear that there is a genuine interest in working together to create positive change; although we are not in the capacity to provide financial support for community projects, just yet, we should continues supporting these clubs in every way we can.

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