Why is a Rotary e-club important for me?
As I reflect on my years as a Rotarian, I think of the reasons why my contribution as a Rotarian have been so viable. My answer is always the same: human resources are key. My contribution to Rotary depends on connecting people with passion to improve the quality of life of the communities we work with. I have met wonderful Rotarians throughout my visits to other countries, particularly during my work travel.
When I visited Ecuador on a business trip this year, I had the opportunity to meet passionate people that are willing to contribute to end hunger among the Venezuelan refugee population that is arriving by foot to Quito. Now, as the chair of the International Services committee of the Rotary e-club of Houston, I am working on a project to help alleviate hunger and improve the state of malnutrition of Venezuelan refugees who enter Cúcuta, Colombia and walk all the way to Ecuador, as a result of the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. This project is only possible with the help of many Rotarians in different parts of the world working together.
The Rotary e-club of Houston has given me the opportunity to connect with all of these people and be part of an international organization that touches the lives of those in need all over the world. My professional career as an engineer working with water treatment requires significant travel. This means that I have to sacrifice time that I would spend at home to be on the road. But, it also means that while I am on the road, I am making powerful connections to bring people together for a single cause. For example, most members of the Rotary e-club of WASH live in New Zealand. After meeting them last year, we organized a water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) info session at the Rotary International Convention this year to support Rotary clubs in developing WASH projects. We now work together to advice clubs on how to make WASH projects more sustainable, while being many kilometers away from each other. I also realized that “area of focus” e-clubs can make Rotary projects more focused and thus effective.
To me, being part of the Rotary e-club of Houston is much more than connecting with likeminded Rotarians. It is about having an extended reach to those Rotarians that are not part of my community but have similar interests. It is about staying connected, even though I may be thousands of kilometers away. I would not have had the opportunity to meet all those wonderful people while traveling and be part of a Rotary club at the same time if e-clubs did not exist, because an e-club gives me the flexibility to attend Rotary meetings while traveling. Being part of an e-club also means that I can connect with members of my own club who live in other countries. For example, my club has a member from India and one from Uganda, among others.
I am very thankful for being part of Rotary, and even more thankful that e-clubs exist. Only through the flexibility that an e-club offers, I am able to manage my personal time, my work life, and my contribution as a Rotarian.