Kampala South through the years - a Q&A with PP Joseph

Q: Who is Rotarian Joseph Baroraho?

A: I  am a family man; married to Rosette and a father of five lovely children; three girls namely: Terry, Nicolette and Alma as well as two boys:Tim and Aaron.

As a Rotarian I am a past president of Kampala South and a Paul Harris fellow.

Q: When did you join Kampala South and why Kampala South?

A: I joined Kampala South in 1995 and the way I joined it is an unsual story. In military terms I would call it ‘conscription’ and medically ‘blood tranfusion.’ I say this because that year Kampala South was on the brink of collapse so the leadership of Rotary in Uganda had to find a way to salvage it. The main problem was the numbers; it had failed to fulfill the required minimum number of members and was soon to be de-registered. The leadership including (among others) PDG Henry Kyemba, PDG Nelson Kawalya and the then DRR Alfred Okot Okidi planned a massive recruitment and I happened to be one of those targeted to join. I say it was unsual as I was never invited by the then club members and also  never had a chance to choose a club to join.

Q: Having been ‘conscripted’ into Kampala South, does it mean you have been an unhappy member?

A: Before I joined Kampala South, I was a Rotaractor in one of the most vibrant clubs in the country, Kampala City Rotaract Club. In football jargon, I’d  equate  the Rotaract Club of Kampala City to an ‘Academy’ back in the day.

With that background, it made it easy for me to join Rotary,I was at home. I found myself  very attached to Kampala South, having been targeted as one of  the people to save it. It was a great source of pride and responsibility.

I have never been bored because of the many interesting people I have come to meet in Kampala South. One of the most interesting Rotarians who stood out was Rotarian Sanjiv, who was funny but most especially, I remember his lack of respect for formality. This was very refreshing for most members and today Kampala South is known to be full of innovation, laid-back and casual,a foundation laid by Sanjiv.

I  have also enjoyed the benefits of networking that Kampala South has afforded me. When I joined Kampala South,I was employed as a commercial manager of  Inter-Africa Transport  Company and I have gone on to own my a business, Rayo Investments. I have transformed from an employee to an employer. I also switched fields to real estate and financial services. My transformation and business success is partly as a result of interaction with contacts made from Rotary,i.e. their guidance and support.

Q: Tell us about your presidency in Kampala South

A: That’s a tough one,it is almost fourteen years ago. I pray that my memory does not let me down…

I was President from 1998-1999, under the theme, ‘Follow Your Rotary Dream.’ My predecesor was Ebert Byenkya and my successor was Oscar Kihika.

On being nominated as President, I readily accepted for the simple reason that at ‘conscription’ I was well aware that I was part of the ‘blood transfusion’ for Kampala South, so clearly, my work was cut out for me. My appointment was by consensus as no election took place. At the time of my presidency, we had fairly small club numbers ranging from 20-25 making us a close-knit family; everybody knew each other not only by name but also place of work,spouse,children,boyfriend,girlfriend,etc

The major project of my presidency was immunisation which we diligently carried out every month at Lweza. The other one was nutrition in the same place where we offered food-stuffs to children and expectant mothers. All this climaxed in a grand Christmas party for the children mothers and unexpected guests from the village. All projects were well-attended by club memebers. Apart from serving the community, these projects created a platform for untiy and bonding amongst the members.

Our fellowships took place at the prestigious International Conference Centre, the current Serena. Our club, I recall, was very multi-cultral with many members belonging to the Asian community. Some of whom included Nareen Mehta,Dilip, Hashmuk Patel and Sanjiv. Unfortunately all thesee have left the Club.

Q: As a past President, what words of wisdom  do you have?

A: It is very important to make friends before you need them. One sure way of doing so is through Rotary.