Christmas! Yes!
Truly, one of the most wonderful times of the year. A joyous time of celebration and accomplishments characterized by bubbling parties, warm hugs, red ribbons and the sharing of gifts. However, sometimes we get lost in the season and forget the reason we celebrate it, to begin with. Among the hustle and bustle, our focus is lost and priorities are misaligned.
Yet, Christmas can be a season of great joy. A time of healing and rejuvenated strength.
Dear loyal reader, the Spirit of Christmas will forever shine upon us like the brightest star in the heavens. This is a reminder that each of us is meant to follow our own star in life. As the Rotaract Club of Nairobi Central, we are ecstatic that the spirit of Christmas is once again upon us. This time, we choose to reflect through the year 2020. I mean, what was that! The Covid-19 pandemic did wreak havoc in our club, disrupting our social norms and interactions. As buoyant people, we quickly adjusted into virtual meetings thinking this would last for about 90days. The universe had other plans!
Look at us now, 2020 is done (the online version is still alive and kicking). It’s been a minute since we shared the #RCNCExperience with you. Well, it would be grave to imagine we forgot to share some Season’s Greetings!
But wait. There’s more!
Before we get down into some Christmas Carols, let’s take a moment and pause, reflect and celebrate how much we have achieved as a club through the gloom of 2020! Quarter 2 has been good to us, actually, the first half has been simply amazing. We had some thought-provoking conversations and engaged in intriguing leadership debates. We have forged new partnerships, stitched new friendships, and had fun in service. Above all, we have had food. Virtual Food. After all – everything is important but food is importanter.
In 2020, we “Raced to Zero” with the Rotary fraternity across Africa. We told the tale on the Rotary Foundation in an inspiring way, enabling friends and family of RCNC to contribute something, no matter how big or small, to the Foundation.
The ideals of Christmas: giving and sacrifice is an integral part of our call as friends of the human race.
Perhaps the biggest story we told in the year 2020 is the amazing story of Elimu Magerezani.
A story about giving second chances to young boys and girls who have erred and are under the care of the expansive Kenya Prisons Service for correction. A story from the heart on our strong conviction, as a club, to selflessly allocate our time and resources to the community, ensuring that we make a difference in our small ways, just like the Hummingbird. A difference through empowering the community, both socially and economically and further, enhancing its education & literacy levels.
Elimu Magerezani Books donation drive is conducted by RCNC in partnership with the Jomo Kenyatta Foundation.
It gets better!
In 2020, we went a notch higher in creating innovative solutions around community service by rubberstamping our commitment in this noble initiative.
It’s against this background that we launched our Giving platform (I know you already know this but it doesn’t hurt to hear it again…..hahaha)
As a club, we heavily rely on the generous support of like-minded individuals like you to improve the lives of our communities. Through your hearty donations, we are able to buy books and set up libraries for three borstal institutions in Kenya and one Youth Corrective Centre. Your donations further catapult and compounds our efforts in providing hairdressing, salon, and carpentry equipment among other urgent needs for these young beautiful souls.
This Christmas, we have made it much easier and convenient for you to support our initiative through a Donate page on our website. This is a passionate appeal for you; as you enjoy and celebrate with your family and friends, we welcome your gifts.
On Behalf of the great Rotaract Club of Nairobi Central, I wish that May your Christmas sparkle with moments of love, laughter, and goodwill, and may the year ahead be full of contentment and joy. Please be safe, observe Covid-19 guidelines, and enjoy your holidays.
Feliz Navidad!
See you in 2021
Yours in Rotary,
Ambrose Mbuvi
President 2020/21
