Rotary Involvement in Japan Tsunami and Earthquake Victims

Rotary Involvement in Japan Tsunami & Earthquake Victims

Disaster----Earthquake  Richter Scale 8.9 magnitude

Japan suffered with a strong earthquake and followed by severe tsunami destroying Sandai City. Human casualties reported at more than 1,000 and a community of near 9,000 people were missing. Residential houses were wiped out, buildings collapsed & livelihood disappeared.

It was reported that this disaster was the worst in the last 60 years in Japan & millions of people watched on their televisions the destructions & lost of human lives. Car, ships & houses were just like a small toys washed away and tossed in the path of the  rumbling tsunami.

How Rotary Organizations responded into this disaster?

In the last 48 hours, Rotary Shelterbox mobilized its rescue team to visit the hardest hit area of  Sandai City. Simultaneously, thousands of shelterboxes were being readied to be flown to the nearest city of disaster area. The victims need clean water, blankets, food, clothes to ensure a temporary relief. Those who lost their houses certainly need a comfortable shelter to house their children & family. Rotary Shelterbox is aimed to provide an early relief to the victims of disaster such as kitchen utensils, water, & dignified shelter for the families.

Under the able leadership of District Governor Aloysius Purwa, he quickly requested the 1,800 Rotarians in Indonesia to offer cash contributions for the Japan victims. Instantaneously, some Rotary Clubs are also giving donations to this humanitarian efforts. 

Why Rotarians in Indonesia are responding to Japan disaster?

Indonesians are recipients of so many donations and financial assistance from Japan. Specific examples include the recent earthquake in Jogjakarta were many Japanese Rotarians contribute millions of money to rebuild houses, musholla, and school facilities.. In addition, our brothers in Banda Aceh,  who were victims of tsunami ,were also recipient of millions of dollars to address the reconstructions of houses and infrastructures

Even without any disaster in Indonesia, many Rotarians from Japan were very generous in helping the poor people in Indonesia such as providing equipment to hospitals, clean water in the rural areas, and schooling for the poor children.

Indonesians owe a lot from the generous heart of  Japanese community. And today, as we watched the horror of tsunami it is just fitting for Rotarians in Indonesia to offer magnanimously our hearts to our friends who were victims of this merciless & dreaded tsunami.

What is the essence of Rotary organization?

Rotarians are group of professional service volunteers whose aim is to promote peace and understanding to human being irrespective of their colors, skin, beliefs, and language. Indeed, it is an institution that cares for the less fortunate people particularly the victims of disasters.

Rotary’s motto of “ Service-Above Self “ is a God-given gift of helping the poor people. Rotarians are not interested in personal recognition nor any material rewards . Its focus is to share and help the less fortunate people.   Rotarians are professional who care  for the interest of the disadvantaged sector of our society.

Today, Rotarians are donating their personal money without knowing specifically who will be the recipient. What is important is that their money contribution will help in the upliftment of the sufferings of the victims.  Rotarians do this humanitarian effort to foster friendship and fellowship which eventually will bring mutual respect & benefit among the peoples of different nations.

Conclusion

The community of Rotarians  offer our prayer that our Japanese friends will quickly recover from this terrifying disaster and Rotarians throughout the world will continue their best to easen the burden of  disaster victims in Japan. Certainly, our hearts for those who lost their lives in tsunami.

by

Rodolfo Balmater - Past District Governor

Rotary Club Jakarta Gambir

Rotary Involvement on Young Generation

Rotary Involvement on Young Generation

Rotary International observes the week 7-13 March as “World Rotaract Week”.  Who are called Rotaractors?  What is the rationale why Rotary pay attention to the young generation?

 

Rotaractors are composed of young adults, between the ages of 18 to 30 inclusive, who are residing, employed, or studying within the vicinity of the sponsoring Rotary Club.

The rationale of Rotary organization why encouraged to have Rotaractors are as follows:

  

(a)    The key success of the organization is  allowing the younger generation to be developed the essence & value of service to humanity. This effort is to transform the younger generation from self-centered approach (me-first or I-win-attitude mentality) to altruistic value of helping or sharing to less fortunate people. Hence, instilling to the minds of the young generation this God-given gift of sharing & helping the unfortunate people.

(b)   As a group of professional service volunteers, Rotarians are committed to spend time & efforts in developing the leadership of the younger generations. And this commitment is clearly explained in the execution of Vocational Service .Hence, Rotary organization strongly encouraged each Rotary Club to form Rotaract Club to assist in building awareness to the younger generation on the meaning of “Service to Humanity”

What are the goals of Rotaract Clubs?

As explained by Rotary organization, the purpose of Rotaract is to provide an opportunity for young men & women  to enhance the knowledge & skills that will assist them in personal development, to address the physical & social needs of their communities, and to promote better relations between all people worldwide though a framework of friendship & service.

Some of the stated goals of Rotaract Club follows:

(a)    To develop professional & leadership skills

(b)   To emphasize respect for the rights of others, based on recognition of the woth of each individual,

(c)    To recognize the dignity & value of all useful occupations as opportunities to serve

(d)   To recognize, practice, & promote ethical standards as leadership qualities & vocational responsibilities

(e)    To develop knowledge & understanding of the needs, problems, & opportunities in the community & worldwide

What are the progress of Rotaract Clubs in Jakarta & neighboring cities?

Several Rotary Clubs in Jakarta initially sponsored &  actively guided  the activities of Rotaract clubs as follows:

(a)    Rotaract Club Jakarta Gambir with 19 members

(b)   Roataract Club Jakarta Sunter with ~10 members

(c)    Rotaract Club Jakarta Metropolitan with ~15 members

(d)   Rotaract Club Jakarta Sentral with ~18 members

(e)    Rotaract Club Cosmopolitan with  ~20 members

(f)    Rotaract Club Gothenborg with ~10 members

(g)   Rotaract Club Semanggi with ~50 members

Rotarians are committed to develop the leadership skills of these young generation of between 18 years old to 30 years old. Rotarians normally hold one-day seminar on different skills such as communication skills, interpersonal skills, negotiation skills, problem-solving skills, & project management skills.

In addition, these young Rotaractors are trained how to raise funds to finance their chosen community projects. Some of these fund raising activities include: fashion show, painting gallery show, selling T-Shirts or locally crafted materials. These funds are allocated to finance their community projects.

The major benefit of these training & supervising the activities of the younger generation is to develop awareness of everybody’s responsibilities to share & help the less fortunate members of the community. At the younger age, it is the Rotarians commitment to share their time & effort to pay attention to the leadership development of the younger generation to ensure the continuity & long term success of serving humanity which is the mission of Rotary organization.  Learning to serve the less fortunate is a gift that every human being must always do in order to promote peace & harmony in the community.

Therefore, the members of Rotary organization worldwide which now reached 1.2 million members must observe this Rotaract Week March 7-13  to remind all of us on the importance & role of the young generation to the future of mankind. As a group of professional volunteers , Rotarian must be committed to develop the leadership skills & instill to the minds of the younger generation the meaning of “SERVICE ABOVE SELF” which is the motto of Rotary International.

- Rotary Club Jakarta Gambir -