PP GEOFFREY KITAKULE
1. What are some of the important moments and decisions in the club that defined your year as Club President?
I started my Rotary journey as a Rotaractor in Kampala City and then took a break before I was invited to join Kampala South. I was President 2016/17. The year was to build on the momentum started by other Presidents and solidify the club position as one of the best clubs in Uganda and the district. This was to be through working hard to impact the community at the same time having fun combined with the Southern Hospitality and Innovation.
Greatest moment was when the club hosted the RI President John Germ. When he visited, we had over 110 Rotary and Rotaract clubs and 1000 Rotarians and Rotaractors attending the fellowship. It was excellent publicity for the club and the unity and determination for members enabled us to get the biggest number of awards in the district at the DCA in Arusha.
Kampala South was at the forefront of raising funds for the Mengo Blood Bank and as President I was the chair of the Fundraising concert that featured the Late Hugh Masekela. This raised over USD 100K for the blood bank and Rotary hospital in Mukono. In addition, Kikandwa project was selected as the best project in the District, thanks to the sacrifice of the partners and club members.Through innovation we introduced the broadcasting of our fellowships worldwide on Periscope. We also started the photogenic documentation of all fellowships and this greatly improved our PR.
The Southern Tsunamis to various clubs also increased the number of visiting Rotarians to our fellowships. Overall, we did Tsunamis to 50 clubs in the era of physical meetings and that increased club visibility.
As fun-loving people, we launched the Friday Lazy Lunches (FLL) that helped the club get the District Hospitality Award. This has since become a major tradition of the club that other Rotary clubs are also picking up. The year also had its sad moments, as members lost their loved ones but the loss of our PP PAG Carol was very painful. It was a very touching moment and the club came together to support giving the Late PP PAG Carol a dignified send off. May her soul Rest in Peace.
2. Can you name a person who has had tremendous impact on you, perhaps someone who has been a mentor to you? Why and how did this person impact your life?
My late Dad for teaching me that nothing is impossible and with hard work anything can be achieved. Secondly my Mum for the sacrifice in good and bad times and how supportive she was to me ensuring that I got an education.
3.Tell us something about you that isn’t on your Rotary profile
I was a Lecturer at Makerere Business School for quite some time. I had the privilege of teaching some of the most prominent Rotarians when they were doing their MBAs
4.
Try to fix it on my own5.
It is actually Church. Besides church, it’s going to the private members clubs like Shell or Kampala Club.
6.
Quiet and Reserved. It is not how much you talk but what you say is what is important.