Because our Rotary District is innovative and inclusive, I have the honor of serving Rotary District 5470 as our International Service Committee Chairman (DISC) while living most of the year in Ethiopia. I help keep the poorest high school students in school giving them an equal chance with their peers to succeed in education and have hope for their future. I’m often asked if it is safe during our current civil conflict. My quick response, stemming from my belief, is “safety is only an illusion”.
Last week my husband, also a member of the Rotary Club of East Colorado Springs, and I gathered our courage to go out of the capital city to the rural area. We checked one final time at 6:30 am to verify that there had been no battles for the prior two nights and all was peaceful for the moment.
We traveled without incident and arrived at the village where we wanted to see, with our own eyes, that the students we support are truly fine and flourishing. (Thank you Rotary Club of East Colorado Springs, Rampart Range Rotary Club, Colorado Springs Rotary Club, and many Rotarians) We, maybe more importantly, wanted to show the students that they can depend on us for stability in such an unstable time. For most of them at least one parent, if not both, have already passed away leaving them alone to figure out how to manage all they need while planning for their own future. For most, we are their only rock.
We were greeted by the school staff and eighty girls with hugs, poems, and art full of relief that we were still their stability. After a day of love and discussion about their progress, we returned home before dark with almost no incident. Our next step is to complete the district 5470 grant we received to provide training to 955 rural students about how to live well and encourage them to follow the Rotary Four Way Test in all we think, say, and do.
Yes, the Reward is worth the Risk!
How about your story? We’d love to hear more! Please join our International Service Committee on our monthly Zoom call. We hold it every third Saturday for one hour beginning at 9:00am. MDT. If you don’t receive an email from me, let me know. We hope to see you there!
