The Low Down - Rita Tinka
The Editorial Team of the Kampala South Rotary Times this time brings to you Rita who, they think, is most fascinating person this week.
ED. WHO IS ROTARIAN RITA?
RT: Rtn Rita is as simple as her name, The Pearl, literally meaning precious. Check out Matthew 13: 45–46. Hahaha. Yeah I know you are laughing but yes that is me and I am God fearing too, it keeps me in check. Some people say I am stubborn but I am as humble as they get. I suffer though from speaking my mind which doesn’t always go down well with most people because the truth is a really bitter pill to swallow most time.
I joined the Rotary family as an interactor inspired by the late Rtn Martin Kiyaga, whose blood had the colour of Rotary, may he RIP. Inspired by one among the best it is not surprising that I ended up as a Rotaractor then Rotarian. I can go on about my rotary experience and all but that could take your entire booklet.
I served on several committees in my rotary life but notably, President of Rct Ntinda and as District Public Relations officer during Hudson Mutalya's year as DRR (District Rotaract Representative). A great year it was. I have no doubt that if I had stayed in Rotaract I would have gone on to be a DRR ....yes you can raise your eyebrow but that is where I was headed but it was also time for me to step aside for younger ones.
My classification is Procurement Services, and I have also become an Engineer by Association for doing work in the construction industry for a very long time, so I have learnt on the job. I am the current club secretary, on club administration and family of rotary committee. I have attended 8 district conferences; several inter cities and 1 RI convention. I have had fun.
ED: OUTSIDE ROTARY?
RT: Family.... which one? I have a son you know 1 year old, a precious little thing keeps me reeeeeally happy. The general family is really difficult to describe. We love having a good time around each other that is how we keep together. I love my family and I thank God for them every day. I have a number of families; my family, Rotary and cricket family.
How they describe me? I do not know. That's a question for them I believe, no?
ED: FUN & GAMES?
RT: I love sports, but football and cricket I love with a passion. I have not played any football but I play cricket for leisure. You know like Bagurusi and memorial games but I mostly cheer.
ED: DOWN TO BUSINESS
RT: I have told you I was inspired by the Late Rtn. Martin to join Rotary. However as a child I was always found myself drawn more to people who were either helpless like the elderly or children who looked like they were not well. My grandmother always encouraged me to give to them clothes and toys that I did not use and it never bothered me at all though sometimes I got in trouble for giving away too much...but I believe I was cut out to serve.
I love rotary, the people and all that it stands for I do not think there is a better motivation than service above self.
ED: WHAT IS YOUR HIGHER CALLING?
RT: I need to sit down and work out where I stand
ED: A WORD TO THE WISE?
RT: I "can't" are sad words in any language.
ED: BOOKWORM?
RT: Books I love reading in fact I am not a movie person. I have read all sorts of books but a couple of years ago, someone, very very special and close to my heart introduced me to Wilber Smith, and boy I have not looked back. He's fiction novels have a truth twisted around them.
Of his about 35 novels that I know of, I have read about 25. The reason I have not read the others is because I have not found them yet. Wilber smith and Dan Brown are my favourite but give me a good book any time and you will make my day.
ED: CRAZY BIN?
RT: I have done a couple of things crazy things like dancing on tables and the like but there was there was this one incident when 3 of my friends and I went to Entebbe to swim. We had no cars then, we met 2 guys please note strangers who offered a ride back to Kampala.
Fast forward, by the end of the day at about mid night we were headed to Sombreros (discotheque in Jinja). All that would have been ok but when we stopped at Shell Jinja Road to fuel, a friend of theirs came by and in our full view gave them a pistol but none of us even flinched our minds were made up 4 girls and 2 men, ummm we put Jinja on fire.
ED: LAST WORD?
RT: I am 'a nobody', nobody is perfect and therefore, I am perfect.....
I hope this works for you; I could go on and on about some of the topics but.....