How does an e-club of district 1130 get involved in a community project in Zimbabwe?
To quote a phrase of Alexandre Dumas, which has become a cliché of detective pulp fiction, "cherchez la femme".
Jo Ann Ross, past president of Rotary E-Club of London Centenary makes her home in Harare Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) where she has lived most of her life. Her membership in an e-club based in district 1130 enables her to engage in Rotary projects at community, district and international level.
In the Fall of 2014, Jo Ann a director of Junior Achievement Zimbabwe (called Young Enterprise in the UK) convinced the E-Club of London Centenary to support this project together with the Rotary Club of Borrowdale Brook (Zimbabwe).
To quote a phrase of Alexandre Dumas, which has become a cliché of detective pulp fiction, "cherchez la femme".
Jo Ann Ross, past president of Rotary E-Club of London Centenary makes her home in Harare Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia) where she has lived most of her life. Her membership in an e-club based in district 1130 enables her to engage in Rotary projects at community, district and international level.
In the Fall of 2014, Jo Ann a director of Junior Achievement Zimbabwe (called Young Enterprise in the UK) convinced the E-Club of London Centenary to support this project together with the Rotary Club of Borrowdale Brook (Zimbabwe).
Following the JA structured business programme, a company under the name of Verity Holdings ZRP was established by students with support from school authorities and JA Zimbabwe, to encourage the entrepreneurial spirit among its students. Under the leadership of Tanaka Chingonzo student CEO, the company, among other activities, commercialised the process of converting waste plastic into floor polish and producing it for consumption by the school and the surrounding Hatcliffe community. The initiative won several accolades including an award at the Sanganai- Hlanganani international expo and EMA Environmental competitions. [picture 1]
Based on this success, and thanks to a grant from EducationUSA, Tanaka was accepted to Watson University (USA), an incubator that runs a degree-bearing four-month programme for student innovators, leaders and entrepreneurs working to solve the toughest social and environmental challenges of our time.
Following this academic achievement, Tanaka, the 18-year-old graduate of ZRP High School in Hatcliffe, Harare, has now landed a scholarship to study at the United States’ College of Wooster, a prestigious research focused college in Ohio (USA). He travels for the four-year study this August. [picture 2]
This success story is an excellent example of how an e-club can make a big impact in a community project albeit 7’500 miles away. Rotary E-Club of London Centenary’s support has helped Tanaka Chingonzo develop his skills and hopefully, in the future, enable him to make a valuable contribution to the development of his country.
Bernhard Karli
Rotary E-Club of London Centenary