Francine Falk-Allen By Francine Falk-Allen As a polio survivor (age three, left with partial paralysis of one leg which did not grow as much as the other leg), all of my life I have had moments when I turned to see a child trying to imitate my walk. It was always disconcerting, and of late,…
Jessie Case plants a tree with the Coronado Rotary Club. By Jessie Case, Rotaract Club of Pacific Beach, California, USA My very first Interact project was picking up trash at a nearby lake and recreation area. It was so simple, yet I was so moved by the idea that if you wanted something to happen,…
Members of the Leeds Phoenix satellite club present their first charity check in dramatic fashion. By Tony Scaife, Rotary Club of Aireborough, West Yorkshire, England For the last few months, I’ve been helping exuberant members of the Leeds Phoenix Satellite Rotary Club get established. I’ve been on a wonderful voyage watching as a new network…
Firefighters from Argentina and Florida, USA, share techniques during an exchange sponsored by Rotarians in both countries. By Celia Giay, past RI vice president and a member of the Rotary Club of Arrecifes, Buenos Aires, Argentina The idea for our firefighter exchange was born when my club received a visit from local volunteer firefighters. Club…
Marie Tornquist and her Brazilian classmates during her Rotary Youth Exchange By Marie Tornquist, former Rotary Youth Exchange student from Minnesota, USA, to Brazil On the first day of my Rotary Youth Exchange orientation in a Minneapolis suburb, I remember being confused about the nationality of my country officer. She kept referring to herself as…
Salman Ali Rajput By Salman Ali Rajput, past president of the Rotaract Club of Nawabshah Central, Pakistan, and District 3271 secretary I have always been involved in extracurricular activities practically since I was old enough to walk. But it wasn’t until I joined Rotaract in 2015 that I discovered the many ways a young person…
A scene from the Rotaract Club of Darmo Raya’s ludruk, a type of theater native to Surabaya. By Alma Dhiafira, president of the Rotaract Club of Darmo Raya, Surabaya, Indonesia During my year as president of my Rotaract club, we decided to put on a ludruk. It is a type of theater from East Java…
A Navajo family enjoys their newly installed solar light. By A.J. Holzer As I landed in the Durango airport, cramped into a small airplane, my entire Rotary career flashed before my eyes. I had joined Interact at the beginning of high school as a way to help my community and connect with others. And for…
Laurie Smolenski, right, joins Rotary members, Rotary staff, and Rotary partners in planning the 2019 Positive Peace Workshop in Mexico. By Laurie Smolenski When I learned about the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP), a think tank dedicated to using empirical research to better understand the drivers of peace, as a Rotary Peace Fellow in…
Dinesh Gajeelee By Dinesh Gajeelee, Rotary Club of Haute Rive, Mauritius One of the ongoing challenges in Rotary is maintaining a healthy level of membership. My club of Haute Rive is no exception. We started the club in 2014 with 20 members, and despite the fact that we have gained new members since then, we’ve…