Rotary’s 114 Years of Service

Poverty and illiteracy roar yet their consequences are subtle in nature. Service organizations work tirelessly with volunteers to ease out the pain and suffering people face because of no fault of their own. Challenges of income distribution, social disparity, freedom of choices, social welfare are still a concern and keep all of us in service organizations engaged despite so much progress in these fields. Though these challenges are overwhelming but at the same time there is hope because the progress and achievements clearly show us the path which shines ominously and the path is undoubtedly none other than Rotary.

Rotary International the world’s largest and oldest Service organizations is celebrating 114 years of Service today. The leadership of Rotary is diverse and rich. With a work force of more than 1.2 million volunteer members in 33,000 Rotary Clubs. Rotarians, men and woman who take action together to change their communities and the world. The family of Rotary is present in more than 200 countries and geographical regions of the world and includes 250,000 young adults between the age of 18 to 30 called Rotaractors in 9,000 Rotaract Clubs and more than 500,000 inspiring youth from 12 to 18 years of age called Interactors in more than 12,000 Interect Clubs, preparing to take on the complex challenges as responsible citizens of tomorrow.

Through Rotary, members exchange ideas, forge lifelong relationships, and invest in service projects that make a lasting impact. The aim of Rotary International is to provide service to others, promote integrity through its fellowship of business professional and community leaders. From club activities and social events to volunteer projects and networking opportunities, Rotarians strengthen communities through their professions and services.

For the world of Rotary is the world it serves. It is a world of shadow and it’s a world of light. It is a world of pain and it is a world of joy. It is a world of poverty and it is a world of plenty. The gift Rotary gives us is the ability to turn one into the other and sometimes it takes so little to achieve that.

With its six areas of focus Rotary is involved in Promoting Peace, Fighting Disease, Providing Clean Water, Saving Mothers and Children, Supporting Education and Growing local Economies. Rotary is an international community that brings leaders together who step up to take on the world’s toughest challenges, locally and globally. The mission of Rotary is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of property.

As Rotarians when we set our mind to do something we don’t do it in half measures, we go out there and achieve what we are promising and in 1985 Rotarians across the world pledged to make the world Polio Free and at that time there were a thousand new cases of Polio each day that is more than 350,000 cases each year in 125 countries across the world and now Polio is endemic only in three countries. Just three countries that is Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan with only 29 cases reported around the world in 2018.

The eradication of polio is one of our long standing and most significant efforts. Along with our partners, we have helped immunize more than 2.5 billion children against polio in 125 countries. We have reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent worldwide and we won’t stop until we end the disease for good.

SERVICE Above Self

It gives us a feeling of a satisfaction and pride when we look back to see a good project, with an impact and a job well done. What the people see is totally different. What they see is simply the answer to their prayers. The prayer of a father who had slowly gone blind who can no longer see until Rotary comes with an Eye project to restore his sight. And of the mother who carries her sick child out of the jungle to the nurse in a clinic to find out that the nurse was trained by Rotary and the girls who have to leave the school at 12 or 13 because the school has no toilet. No private place to wash and then they find out that the school has a new toilet block built by Rotary. Brings the smile back on a tired face waiting for his treatment in a hospital which can help more people and cut short the waiting time when they have cheaper, more reliable and cleaner energy through Solar Power gifted by Rotary.

Rotarians adhere to the 4 Way Test which many organizations around the world have adopted officially.

With more than a century’s experience of building communities and bridge continents while sowing the seed of love and lending hands to the less fortunate and under privileged communities Rotary is well poised to serve humanity and develop peace around the world for the next millennium because we know that “Mankind is our business”.

If you have the passion and want to serve please join us for a world of opportunity because

“He benefits most who serves best”.

Salman Mubarak

District International Service Chair 2018-21

Charter President Rotary Club Multan Cantt Pakistan  

sulmanmubarak@gmail.com