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Rotary Club of Georgetown reviews 30 years of community service
By Rehanna Ramsay
Celebrating more than three decades of service to communities across Guyana, the Rotary Club of Georgetown Central (RCGC) is poised to improve the lives of Guyanese, “one community at a time”.
The Sophia Dental Clinic, a collaborative effort of the RCGC and United Insurance.
Rotary is an organisation of business and professional persons united in the idea of service. The first Rotary was formed in Chicago Illinois, USA on February 23, 1905.
Today, the organisation has blossomed into an international body with 1.3 million volunteers and 32,000 clubs in 166 countries, all with a primary goal of eradicating poverty.
In Guyana, the first club—the Rotary Club of Georgetown—was initiated in 1959. To date, there are six Rotary Clubs in Guyana—the Rotary Club of Demerara, the Rotary Club of New Amsterdam, the Rotary Club of Corriverton, the Rotary Club of Stabroek, the Rotary Club of Georgetown, and the Rotary Club of Georgetown Central.
The Rotary Club of Georgetown Central was inaugurated on November 30, 1983, with the aim of reaching communities within the boundaries of Greater Georgetown and beyond.
Club President, Judy Semple-Joseph, stated that for more than quarter of a century, Rotarians have been committed to “service above self” in their various community efforts.
She said that within the past year, the organisation has based its work on providing service through worthy enterprise, thus affording members of RCGC the opportunity of contributing immeasurably to the growth of developing communities.
In recent years, the organisation has focused on “individual community development”.
Residents of East Ruimveldt, Georgetown; Enterprise, East Coast Demerara; Kuru Kururu on the
RCGC sponsors Easter Monday Treat/Kite Flying Classic for Orphans.
Linden /Soesdyke Highway, and other areas, which include Lethem, Region Nine and Pomeroon in Region Two, have significantly benefitted from several outreach projects initiated by the club.
The projects included the provision of improved health care services, literacy programmes and the beautification of public areas.
At present, the RCGC is placing special emphasis on realising its “Sophia Promise”, which is a two-year project aimed at tackling educational, environmental, health and recreational issues.
Semple-Joseph says that the basic components of the project include prevention of non-communicable diseases, environmental work which deals with issues of water and sanitation, heath and literacy programmes, and sensitizing the Greater Georgetown populace on methods of conflict resolution.
The club is also actively involved in the rehabilitation of recreational facilities in the community, which will be the focus for the remainder of the year. “We look, evaluate and provide intervention to communities, where the need is greatest. We are currently conducting our outreach in Sophia via the dental bus initiative, which is a collaborative effort with the Ministry of Health. Courts Guyana is also a major partner in the project.”
Ms Semple-Joseph added that, for the past two years, the club has been assisting the pupils of the Sophia Primary School with a literacy programme aimed at preparing them for the National Grade Six Assessment.
“Approximately 30 students attend classes every week. We are currently enrolling a new batch of students. It is refreshing to see the response of the children from the area. To see that their minds are alert and open to be engaged in a positive way is evidence of promise.
“Last year the top performers of the Sophia Primary School passed through the programme.”
Students of Sophia Primary School participating in the National Grade Six Assessment classes, on Saturday.
The club currently has a membership of some 40 business and professional persons, who finance the projects via subscription fees and fundraising ventures.
“The idea is to provide services to the communities, which promote peace and goodwill. Through the support of our members, we are able to finance these projects, hence we can sponsor tutors for Grade Five students in Sophia, free of cost the parents,” Semple-Joseph said of the project, which is also facilitated by local Pastor Narine Khublall.
Last November, the group observed its 30th anniversary under the theme “Restoration and Reformation”.
During the celebration, Rotarians were urged to reflect and recommit to the service of contributing to the rejuvenation of the kindred spirit for which the Club has been noted.
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