"ROTATION"

Foreword to the book:

What is this book about??
The book (its Main Plot) is about how the
Rotar or!ani"ation hel#s #eo#le$
All the #arti%i#ants write their own stor&
whi%h is then #la%ed in so'e o( the %ha#ters
and illustrated b a (a'ous Russian artist$ In
su%h a wa we are %reatin! this book to!ether$
We are lea)in! our 'ark in the histor o(
Rotar*
First #arti%i#ants:
+$ Andrew Wan!
,it: Tai#ei& Taiwan
,lub: Rotara%t& -./0 re!ion$ ,lub: 1an!a
%lub
2$ Aakash Ali 3an!o
,it: 3hair#ur Mir4s 5indh& Pakistan
,lub: Rotara%t ,lub o( 3hair#ur Mir4s
6istri%t -27+
-$ 8a%k (na'e %han!ed)
Ari"ona& 9$5$A$
.$ ,hen (na'e %han!ed)
,it: 5han!hai& ,hina
,ha#ter +: Our (riendshi#
Near the house where my family lived, construction
equipment was working with noise. A big crane was
dragging heavy monolithic panels. Children from our
neighborhood were playing with building materials which
they managed to find and steal from the construction site. I
went to see them playing, but my foot stumbled over
something metal. It was a special injection gun for
vaccinations. It beautifully reflected a glare from the sun.
utting it in my pocket, I decided to show it to my friends.
!eeing me, they were distracted from their game and
switched their attention to my gun, which looked like a real
one. I was pleased that this thing belonged to me now.
"#ive it to me$ It%s so beautiful$ I want to hold it in my
hands", a five year boy of my age asked me.
As soon as I passed my finding into his hands, the boy ran
away at full speed. &hen I sat on the grass and started
crying. I was approached by another kid who said, "'on%t
you cry. I know where he lives. Come on, I%ll show you his
apartment$" (ive minutes later we were standing at the door
of that young thief.
I hardly reached the door bell and pressed it twice. )is
mother opened the door, and he ran after her with my gun
in his hand. !he looked at me, "*oy, what do you want+
,uslan is about to have dinner. )e will not go for a walk."
"I found this gun, and he stole it from me$"
&he thief was standing behind his mother with a cheeky
smile on his face. &hat was the first time I had hit
somebody.
-y fist went straight into his nose. &he young thief fell to
the floor, dropped my gun and begun to cry his eyes out. I
instantly grabbed my precious finding and ran away from
that place.
&hat same day in the evening, when I was about to go home,
that young thief.s neighbors caught me by the arm and led
me to his mother. /e were standing at the door which
opened without a call. &wo teenage girls were holding my
hands and didn%t let me move. !tanding in front of me was
his mother.
"/hy did you hit my son, boy+"
!he was looking at me with anger and called for her son. )is
name was ,uslan.
"/ell, ,uslan$ Now you hit him in the face0, strictly ordered
his mother.
I tried to free my hands, but I could not.
")it him, I said$"
Afraid of his mother, ,uslan hit me right in the nose. It did
not hurt, but I cried because of the injustice. &hen I felt my
hands free, ran out of the house and went home.
In a few days I saw that boy sitting in the playground. )e
was playing with his toy cars.
!eeing me, he got scared and wanted to run away but I
yelled, ")old on$ !how me what toys you have."
"I have a sports car and a truck."
"1kay, I can give you my gun if you would give me your
truck+"
)e smiled and held out his truck in e2change for that gun.
After this e2change we started playing together and became
good friends.
,ha#ter 2: 5ad Melod
(ive years had passed since the day when we became
friends. ,uslan came to visit me.
It was warm outside, my room in which we were drinking
tea, was filled with sunlight rays, one of them fell on the
piano in the corner. )e almost finished drinking tea and
suddenly asked me,
"/hy do you go so far to play this instrument+"
"-y mother says that it is necessary for me to study
music..."
"/ho will listen to you+ /ell, play something for me now."
,ising from the chair, I did put my cup of tea on the table
and sat at the piano. &he sounds of classical works of
(rederic Chopin flowed from the instrument, I had to play
this composition at my e2am. -y fingers were running on
the keys with hesitation, but ,uslan did not notice it.
/hen I finished playing, turning to my friend, I tried at
least to find any emotion on ,uslan%s face. *ut he just said,
"It is the most boring song I%ve ever heard... It%s not
interesting, what do you do it for+"
"-y parents say that I should be an educated person and
that one day maybe I%ll go to another country, so it would be
very nice if I could play classical music for those listeners
who do not know anything about ,ussia0.
"3ou don%t have so much money to go abroad. )ow do you
suppose to make it+"
"-y father is a member of the ,otary club and he says that I
can win a music contest and go there with the help of a
special ,otarian program. I will see another world and play
the piano to foreign people.
&hen my friend smiled and asked,
"/hat is ,otary+"
A small banner with logo ",otary" was hanging on the wall
right ne2t to him.
")ere look, it is hanging on the wall$"
,uslan touched the inscription ",otary International" with
his finger and read the words below,
"&he advancement of international understanding,
goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business
and professional persons united in the ideal of service."
&hen he looked at me.
"/hat does the circle like a wheel or some clock detail
mean+"
I guess this word means ,otary or ,otation. eople help
each other constantly.
,uslan thoughtfully looked at the piano and said,
"Anyway, I don%t think you will go anywhere."
"-aybe I will not4"
I got a little bit upset, but decided to play an easy passage
"Nescafe" from a coffee commercial for my friend.
(inally, he said with a smile,
"&hat%s a good one$ Can you play a piece from the film
"Criminal !aint etersburg"+
/hen I finished playing what ,uslan had asked for, I saw a
satisfied smile on his face. *efore leaving my home, my
friend asked,
"&each me sometime to play that piece from the commercial
of "Nescafe"$"
,ha#ter -: The letter
/e became teenagers. ,uslan no longer asked me to teach
him to play the piano. /e were sitting on a bench near that
sandpit, where our friendship had started. A white beautiful
car with dark windows parked near us. /e could hear loud
music playing inside. I looked at my friend, and he said to
me,
"-an I want to have such a car$ I will earn money and buy
myself a "&oyota Chaser"$ *ut I need to find a job. -aybe
that organi5ation of ,otary could help me somehow+ &ell
me, how you can get there and is there any sense in being in
the club+ &ell me what you know0.
Near our bench appeared ,uslan.s mother, she was
sweeping the roads from falling leaves. !eeing us she cried,
")ey, ,uslan, go home and make yourself dinner and don%t
forget to buy some bread, the fridge is empty$ 6a5ybones..."
"#o home, you mother is calling you. Come to my place this
evening, I%ll read you a letter that my father brought
yesterday from a meeting at ,otary Club. -aybe it will be
interesting for you."
&he day had passed, the lights in the windows were lit,
urban smog had settled over the houses. It was seven
o%clock, the doorbell rang 7 it was my friend.
"/ell, did you find the letter which you wanted to read to
me today+"
"3eah, I did$ !it down at the table, we will drink tea and
read."
Atop the envelope with logo ",otary international" it was
written8 ,otaract, 9:;< region. *anga club. Andrew /ang.
"-y life in !t. etersburg."
I carefully opened it and pulled out a letter, unwrapping it I
began to be read aloud =written in ,ussian>8
"M :i(e in 5t$ Petersbur!"
I will remember St. Petersburg for the rest of my life
because it is a beautiful city and cultural center in Russia.
It was the past year, as soon as I entered the hostel, my
neighbors greeted me. They are from France. They told
me, they would go home next week and adised me to be
cautious because it was a dangerous city for foreigners. I
did not reali!e at the time what they were talking about
but I got it when I started my new life as an exchange
student. It turns out that racial discrimination is a big
problem in Russia. "ery time we saw the police on the
street, we had to hide from them. #ne day police took
things from my friend $arosla. Then our hostel
commandant took away our fridge for some Russian
students and told us that fridge may only be used by the
Russians not the foreigners%
&ut anyway, there are many good people in Russia. I met
with beautiful Russian girls. 'e often went on a tour and
isited the (Peterhof( and the ()ermitage( and went to
many other interesting museums.
)ere the winter is ery cold, I had neer seen snow, so
played snowball fight with big excitement and I went to
ski.
I often cooked dinner for myself, because I missed
Taiwanese products. *y Russian friends also liked my
food so they often came to isit me. I also liked my
classmates%
So, that+s my life in St. Petersburg, beautiful, interesting
and dangerous.
?!ee, my friend$ ,otary gave a chance to Andrew /ang to
see the snow, play snowballs and go skiing$0
?I agree, it is good that my refrigerator is not at some hostel
but home. No one can take it away$0
/e laughed together and poured some tea, I wiped the table
and kept talking,
?!o you want to buy a car, the other guy will prefer to live in
our cultural capital of !t. etersburg, make new friends and
get life e2perience$ ,otary helped him meet new friends and
learn our ,ussian language$
utting the letter aside, I saw my friend to the door. )e just
said,
"I liked his letter, he wrote in ,ussian pretty well@ maybe
you%ll be lucky and go to )ollywood$0
*oth smiling we shook each other.s hands$
"!ee you later my friend$"
,ha#ter .: Work till the end
&he hot summer had already come, our university break
begun and we decided to earn some money.
&he phone rang.
")ello+"
"It%s me, ,uslan. 6isten, I just found a pretty good job,
would you like to go with me+
"1kay, I%ll go with you$"
It was a flat in the building which had not been completed
yet. 1ur friend from the neighborhood invited us to work
there and earn good money only in two days$ &here were
five of us. /hen we arrived, our task was to remove the
monolithic floors that were originally done of poor quality.
&here were three rooms and the apartment was located on
the fourth floor. /e took scrap7irons and started to chisel
out a thick layer of concrete. It was not very easy, sharp
pieces of concrete were flying in all directions. -y friend got
two injuries@ he got one piece stuck in his left chest and the
other at his right arm, so we had to help him with our bare
hands to pull out these broken pieces from his body. After
an hour of hard work it was difficult to breathe, there were
clouds of dust everywhere. /e divided into two groups. -y
friend and I were chiseling concrete, while the others
carried bags full of the building waste outside on to the
street. I still remember as I was carrying those bags at the
time, sharp pieces of monolith cut through the package and
scratched my back.
)alf the day had already passed.
eople lived under the flat in which we were working and
they had already renovated their ceiling. Arriving home
from work, the owner of that flat, who was wearing a thick
gold chain, ran up to our floor and started yelling,
"/hat are you doing, freaks, you are breaking my e2pensive
ceiling which costs A<.<<< dollars$ It started cracking
already$"
/e kept silent not knowing what to say. *ut he continued
saying,
If you hit this floor once again, I%ll call my fellows and they
will shoot you$
/e did not say anything. /hen he left, we closed the door
behind him. ,uslan took a scrap7iron shouting,
"6et%s get back to work guys$"
An hour later, all the bags were filled with building waste
and we had to pull them out to the street. /e opened the
door and in front of us that cra5y neighbor was standing.
!eeing scrap7iron in my friend.s hands, the neighbor ran
over and punched him in the face, then grabbed him by the
arm and started pushing out of the window. *ut seeing that
we could confront his actions, the neighbor let ,uslan free
and gave us his last warning,
"If you start hammering the floor again, I will shoot you,
idiots$
)is eyes were filled with anger. &hen I decided to call our
employer.
")ello, we have a problem8 a neighbor from downstairs says
that we are breaking his e2pensive ceiling, he is not allowing
us to do the job.
"1kay, I got it. It%s enough for today but tomorrow morning
when the neighbor leaves for work you can finish your work.
Now go and lift two tons of sand, a truck has arrived
outside."
/e went to carry a stretcher with sand. *y the end of the
working day I was dead tired and felt pain in my back. At
the end of the day our employer said,
"If that cra5y neighbor threatens you with a gun, I%ll call the
police. 3ou%re just to do your job, slaves, I will come again
soon and check your work, if something happens contact me
immediately$
&he ne2t day, the neighbor did not appear again 7 probably
was at his work.
/e came back in the morning and completed all the work
till the end. 'ead tired from two days of hellish work, we sat
on the empty packets and waited for our employer to pay us
for the job.
!he came at seven in the evening, and accepted the work
and said,
"/ell, you did a great job at this flat, but I will not pay you
anything since you broke the ceiling of that neighbor from
the downstairs flat, so I%ll have to pay this money to him4"
'irty and hungry we could not get over the fact that she left
us with no money.
)er last words were,
"*ut anyway, thank you guys and have a good day$"
-y friend looked at me and said,
"I will never ever work for people but for myself. I would
rather go and rub someone than work for no money4"
"'on%t worry, we will find another job..."
"No, forget it, I am not a slave."
,ha#ter ;: <ood ,hoi%e
A week passed from that day, I pressed the round door bell.
1pening the door ,uslan looked depressed and his room
smelled with alcohol. I began to worry about his future and
tried to e2plain that the car was not important 7 he needed
to get an education first.
"I don%t care about university and other studies$ It%s just a
waste of time$ -y body is still terribly aching, all because of
that work4"
"'o not drink a lot of alcohol. It is bad for you."
,uslan turned his head and looked out the window.
!o we sat in silence. &urning toward me he began to speak,
"/ell, so tell me, what should I study for+ /hy do I need
teachers+ Nobody would like to have me as a friend if I have
no money in general4"
"6et me tell you one story$
,ecently some familiars came to our home and told to my
dad about a guy from akistan, his name is Aakash Ali
Bango. &hey told us he did not know what he lived for and
he did not see a meaning in his life. *ut anyway, he still
decided to go to the university and met a teacher there, who
helped him look at our big world from different sides.
Can you imagine akistan city+ *eautiful flowered buildings
and houses with gardens.
&he streets there are filled with people and honking cars
from everywhere. &here are some smoking te2tile factories
and there are so many people who cannot even afford to buy
soap$
&hey do not even have a room as you do. &hey do not even
have a shower as you do$"
,uslan was trying to imagine for a minute, then he said,
"/ell, tell me how he found out and reali5ed what he should
do in his life+"
"1kay, I.ll tell you what I%ve heard, please make me a cup of
coffee then$"
&he room filled with an aroma of coffee beans and I
remembered the story of Aakash Ali Bango$
(,ow he is a student of -niersity of .hairpur *irs.
.hairpur is the city of saints where he was born. /s a
student of Public /dministration he always tried to find a
channel to do something new so here is 0ust a short
glimpse of his life% 'hen /akash was in his 1nd year of his
uniersity, he was totally unaware about the sensation of
society. /akash een did not know how he could be fruitful
to others. The time went on, it was already his third
graduation year and a teacher of computer science Rtr
/sad Ra!a *alik 0oined their department. /s a sub0ect
teacher he always told them about the socialism and
humanity. )e noticed /akash2s desire to learn more and
more about the sub0ect. #ne day the teacher inited him
home for an eening tea and /akash was ery happy and
was wondering why out of a large number of students the
teacher inited only him. That eening /akash came as a
guest. The teacher opened the door, said 3welcome4 and
showed the way toward his room. It was well established
and had a huge collection of landscape paintings made by
sir /sad Ra!a *alik. /akash saw a beautiful 5uote along a
monogram of Rotaract and Rotary. They started
conersation about society and education while drinking
tea. The student asked the teacher.
('hat is your passion sir6( The sir replied,
(*y passion is my club where we help poor people.(
,uslan lit a cigarette. &he rings of smoke flew up to the
ceiling.
"1pen the window, please@ I am almost finished with the
story4"
,uslan la5ily rose from his chair and opened the window@
fresh air pulled the smoke outside. !tanding at the window,
he looked at me and flipped ash off his cigarette, then
asked,
"/ell, what happened with Aakash then+ 'id he find a job
or money+"
(Then the teacher inited his good student /akash to 0oin a
group of people who found their life in helping the others
and working hard for their bright future.
So, /akash became a part of that Rotaract club after
completing two pro0ects.
Recently, I heard from people of our local Rotary club, he
did a pro0ect with his Rotaract club and uniersity in (The
desert area of Sindh.( People there are depried from basic
needs due to the unaailability of resources. /akash
collected about 78999 from his uniersity and friends to
purchase medicines and food items for poor people.
)e is still thankful to his teacher who showed him the good
way of life.
!ee my friend, this guy from akistan went to study,
listened to his good teacher and he has made a lot of new
friends. Now they work together to help poor people. As the
saying goes ?'o not have a hundred rubles, but have a
hundred friends$0
,uslan was finishing a cigarette. 6ooked at the window and
said,
"I also have some friends and tomorrow we will go to the
center of the city and work for ourselves4"
"-an, I see, you don%t listen to me. lease do not mess with
them@ it is up to no good$"
)e threw out the stub, rubbed his back covered in scratches
and added,
"Anyway, an honest job is not for me anymore4"
,ha#ter =: 8a%k and ,hen
&he summer was in full swing, the sun nicely warmed the
body.
-y father came home from another ,otary Club meeting
and said that tomorrow two e2change students would arrive
from America and China. erhaps I would be able to meet
them and show our precious lake *aikal. -y father allowed
me to go with him to meet the students at the airport.
&he ne2t morning we were waiting for their arrival ne2t to
the main entrance to the airport terminal.
/e heard the engine noise of a landing airbus. &he rays of
the morning sun were beautifully sliding on the metal of the
aircraft. &he same time the e2change students, Cack from
Ari5ona and Chen from China, were looking at our city from
their windows. &he airbus disappeared behind the airport
building and the hum of the engines became louder 7 the
plane successfully landed. In another half an hour we met
the students.
")ey guys, we%re from the local ,otary Club, we will
accompany you to your host families. /elcome to !iberia$
T o be continued
"Rotation" (5e%ond #art) New Rotar
5tories
Our se%ond PARTI,IPANT5:
+$ 5te#hanie Tso'akae)a
>it: 5aint Petersbur!& Russia
2$ Ti!ist 1ela%hew
,it: Addis Ababa& ?thio#ia
-$ Rtn$PP 5an@a 3ulkarni
,harter President 200/A0B
,it: Auran!abad& Maharashtra& India
.$ ?li"a 5ikku' :i'bu
,it: 3ath'andu& Ne#al
;$ 1arr Ci%k'an
,it: Melbourne& Di%toria& Australia
,ha#ter =: 8a%k and ,hen
I noticed how the guys were worried. &hey talked only in
Dnglish.
6eaving on a freeway with the e2change students we saw
several dead cats, and Chen asked me.
"/hat is on the roads+"
"&his cats, dogs, sometimes can be people$" my father said
trying to make a joke.
After a few meters we passed an overturned truck from
which doctors were dragging the wounded driver. !tudents
were watching this spectacle. &hey reali5ed that my father
was not joking.
"All right, you will enjoy our beautiful city, do not worry$"
/e arrived at the apartment building where the e2change
student%s host families lived.
/hen we reached the flat all felt a pleasant aroma of fried
potatoes and meat. &he guys looked tired. Entil lunch was
prepared they were invited to sit on the couch and watch
some &F. I sat down near them and was trying to
understand a little Dnglish though. 1n &F there was a
,ussian film about prisoners escape, it was a part where
they cut throat with ra5or. I saw the e2change students was
scared but just smiled. &hey kept saying something to each
other in Dnglish. 'ad and I had to go home. I said it was
nice to meet you and goodbye$ /e left the students with
their new host parents and promised to show them our city
one day.
Arriving in our neighborhood, I noticed my friend ,uslan.
)e stood near the entrance with some strange fellows.
/hen he saw me, he just waved with his hand. &he day
came to an end, I was playing the piano and still wondering
whether the Cack and Chen liked our city. *efore going to
sleep father came into my room and said,
"&his weekend our club wants to show the 6ake *aikal to
new e2change students. &here they will be taken by car but
will go back on the bus. It would be good if you would
accompany these students."
"3es, I would do that for sure, and need to learn a few
phrases in Dnglish$"
"/ell, then, I can tell our president that you will accompany
them on the way back,
#ood night. I think they will enjoy this trip."
&he weekend was approaching. &his morning light mist
was hanging over the grass and there was a smell of fresh
grass on the street. I decided to go to ,uslan and ask
whether he wanted to go with e2change students and me.
&he call did not work, I knocked loudly the lock clicked in a
minute, and opening the door ,uslan shook my hand
saying,
"#ood morning, what%s the news+"
"A few days ago e2change students from Enited !tates and
China arrived at our city. &hey came here because of the
program of ,otary international. I told you about this
organi5ation if you still remember. !o, I was asked to
accompany them on the bus when we go back. 'o you want
to join me+
"No, unfortunately I can%t, I have some plans for this
weekend.."
Catching sight of his a gold bracelet on his wrist, I asked.
"/here did you get that gold from"+
!pining his wrist, ,uslan lied.
"It%s a gift from new friends."
"I see. /ell, it%s sad you%re not coming with us, have a nice
weekend$"
,ha#ter 7: Ari"ona Ri)ers
*aikal is the deepest and cleanest lake in the world, where
nature enchants with its beauty and
snow7capped mountains tower above tourists. After
interesting e2cursions and walk on a ship called the Nerpa,
Cack and Chen rested on the shore and watched a long
barge passing along the shore. It was carrying a few cows
and horses, as they were transported to the other side of
lake.
&he American, Cack drank Coca7Cola which he brought
from Ari5ona and the Chen from China drank clean water
of 6ake *aikal from his hands.
&he hour of our returning back to the city was coming
closer. &he bus was already waiting in the passenger
parking lot . 6ooking at Cack who wanted to become a
champion in sambo, I decided to give advice.
"6isten Cack, if you want to become a champion 7 do not
drink a lot of Coca7Cola. 'rink the water of this lake. It will
give you lots of energy and make you the most powerful$"
&he American student put away the Cola and followed the
e2ample of Chen. (illing his the palm with cold water he
began to drink and feel the energy of this great lake. *ut he
did not think that the bus would take three hours to drive us
home . &here were no stops, and there are no toilets inside.
/e got a place in the back of the bus. /e settled in for a
long way back. Chen began to play his phone and Cack
looked out the window and watched the cows. &hey were
lying right on the road and created a traffic jam. 1ne of the
drivers began to honk believing that the animals would
depart from the path, but frightened of the signal, the cow,
kicked the bumper and broke it. /atching this ridiculous
situation Cack could not stop smiling. It seemed to me that
students liked this trip. (inally, the shepherd came after a
while and dispersed the whole flock from the road. &he
driver turned on the first gear and the bus started rolling.
/fter an hour drie :hen fell asleep and ;ack decided to
ask me a 5uestion.
(Tell me, will we get to stop soon6 I need go to the toilet.(
(I understand, let me go and ask the drier%(
&ut I came back with bad news.
()ey ;ack the drier said that he will not stop the bus until
we arrie in the city. It+s about two more hours..(
(#kay, I will try to be patient.(
&ut half an hour later, still exhausted ;ack again turned to
me and said that he cannot stand it anymore%
It was already dark in the bus and some of the passengers
were sleeping. I took a poly bag and handed it to ;ack.
(.eep it student and do it inside the bag. I cannot help you
anymore%
;ack said thank you, and turned away to the window.
/fter a few minutes I saw happiness on his face.
:huckling softly, he was holding a poly bag full of his urine
in hand. )e could not stop smiling buttoning 0eans. &ut a
few seconds later, ;ack+s face got mad and he swore.
(#h my god%(
('hat happened to ;ack6(
(This poly bag has a hole%(
:hen woke up because of our emotions. ,oticing a poly
bag in the hands of ;ack, :hen could not understand what
happened. ;ack explained to :hinese saying,
(*y Riers of /ri!ona inside%(
The bus picked up more speed, the urine started running
through the cabin%
Finally an hour later we arried at the city bus station,
where host parents were waiting for their exchange
students. Trying not to step on ;ack+s streams, we got out
of the bus. ;ack and :hen were smiling because of this
ridiculous situation. ;ack turned to me and said,
(Thank you for this great trip and the poly bag%(
(,o problem, do not drink the whole bottle of :oca<:ola
before getting on bus%(
'e all began laughing together.

,ha#ter /: ,ho%olate
&he fallen leaves were circled by wind. Dvery day the sun
was moving away from earth, the sad autumn had arrived.
A little rain was dri55ling as we stood near the entrance of
apartment building. I was telling my friend ,uslan about
our adventures with e2change students. I knew that my
friend had already contacted the bad company and found
some dirty money for his new tracksuit.
"(rom where did you get that new Adidas suit+"
" I%ve earned it by myself and bought it."
"/here did you get this amount of money in such a short
time+"
"3ou better drop your music lessons, and I%ll show you how
you can earn fast."
"'id you steal something or what+"
In response to my question ,uslan only smiled, pulled out
his chocolate !nickers and -ars bar and handed them to
me.
/e opened the wrappers and looking at the dark clouds,
silently ate the chocolate.
&wo strange cars stopped near us and the windows were
darkened so it was difficult to see the passengers inside.
/e kept staying near the entrance door and eating our bars
then the rain began to dri55le even stronger. ,oofs
drowned in a gray fog as we were about to enter the
building.
In the ne2t second the car engines turned off, and all
passengers appeared in tracksuits. &en people were
heading straight in our direction. I noticed a gun in one
man%s hand.
&hey hit my friend right in the nose, I was told not to move
and keep my hands on the wall. 1n turning my head to the
wall, I heard as ,uslan tried to escape, but a warning gun7
shot into the air stopped his intention. &hen the clang of
handcuffs and they slammed the car%s doors carrying my
friend to the police. (eeling that they left me I turned
around, the car has disappeared behind the corner of the
house. &he unfinished !nickers bar was laying on the dirty
ground.
,ha#ter B: Rotar Meetin!
About a week after I met the e2change students Cack and
Chen, their host parents. jeep was parked near the five7star
hotel "!markov", the tallest building in our city.
Cack opened the door first. Noticing me, he held out his
hand. &hen Chen got out. I pointed the way to the
conference room where they were supposed to present
,otary pennants and tell about their countries in the
,ussian language.
Coming down the long corridor, we faced a glass door and a
large banner of ",otary International".
*efore entering, Cack asked me in ,ussian,
")ow are you doing+"
"Dverything is fine, thank you. It will be interesting to listen
to your presentations$"
&he doors automatically opened, and we appeared near
tables served with different beverages.
&he windows were large and the room was filled with
natural light. *anners of different clubs were hanging in the
room.
In a few minutes everything got busy and the voices of
people dressed in beautiful costumes with ,otary labels
filled the silence. &he bell rang, and the hall was filled with
applause. &he event began$ 1ur e2change students were
prepared to listen carefully.
!tephanie &somakaeva from !t. etersburg appeared on the
scene.
After welcoming the participants, she began her story about
how ,otary helps people in difficult situations.
(*y story started during a nice long summer eening in
the beginning of ;uly when I was sitting in my office as
usual during holiday season, working through the last
orders of my clients traelling all around in Russia. I was
looking for the new post in our facebook group 3Rotary in
Russia4. I saw a post of a Rotarian from the region in
South Russia where a mountain rier got oer borders and
destroyed seeral illages with a ery sudden flooding
oernight, claiming the lies of 8=8 people and displacing
thousands more. People, who suried, had no shelter and
Rotarians were preparing to help as olunteers and called
for material and financial aid from all oer Russia.
I guess I een didn2t think about any conse5uences when I
commented that post 3perhaps we use our emotions today
to start working through a pro0ect getting shelter boxes
into Russia tomorrow. >et2s prepare for the next
catastrophe.4 I had repeated a hundred times in most of
my speeches as ?istrict trainer and Public Image
:oordinator that Shelter &ox is one of those pro0ects where
we can easily make a difference and hae the Rotary sign
in the middle as the main focus. #n that eening I was sure
that no Russian Rotarian had honestly thought about
reali!ing a pro0ect for or with Shelter&ox. I intended to
make them think about it the first time.
I posted my claim with that little feeling of being upset
because of the ignorance of my great ideas and followed
up with trael bookings. It was one of these wonderful
summer nights in St. Petersburg when 3white nights4
create a sky of hundred colors. #n my way home, with my
husband driing, I wondered if anybody answered my
post and was ery surprised when I found at least 89
comments. /mong them, the biggest surprise, was our
?@", "geny ,ooselo, liing near that area, posting
3why prepare for next time6 >et2s do it now%4
Some might feel that Rotary is that kind of boring club life
with weekly dinners and neer changing people and their
problems. &ut that2s the matter only for Rotarians who
neer een tried to offer anything aluable for their
communities. /n offer might not work the first or second
time, but like seeds, you might not know when and which
exactly flower comes out, in Rotary an offer can change
life. That2s2 what happened during this wonderful summer
night, from one moment to the other.
If you read the A<way<test carefully once more you
understand that it would not hae been the right Rotarian
way to answer 3well, you knowB I hae high season in
business and would prefer to postpone itB4 So I answered
3 if you think that2s realistic, I2ll call the -. tomorrow in
the morning and get back to you4.
The next morning was still the same usual Russian
summer working day. I started with a breakfast and the
idea that I needed to call Shelter&ox and they will say 3we
are ery sorry, we can2t do any deployments in Russia
without preparing4. This would at least tell me something
that would hae gien me a chance to get back to my
tourists and be out of fire until the end of season. &ut it all
went much differently.
The Shelter&ox2s head5uarter is located in -.. There is a
Ch time difference and made me call only around 81 noon
by *S. time. I was transferred to Fionn *c.nee, the
operation coordinator, who listened carefully to all my
5uestions and explained that they need an official call for
help to get actie in a new disaster elimination
deployment. #therwise they are not allowed to start
working in a country. )e also explained that all boxes,
their deliery and the passing oer on spot will be done by
Shelter&ox without any help of Rotarians. &ut it would be
good if we could tell him how many tents would be
necessary. 'e agreed that I would check which kind of
official call we could get and he would check options for
deliery.
*y brain was still in normal work mood while I was
sending a message to the goernor that eerything is
realistic if we get an official call for help. &ut 8D minutes
later, when "geny called me and started to discuss with
me all details of the deployment, something switched in my
head. The feeling that you are inoled in something ery
important is like an infection. In the beginning you don2t
feel that you got infected and when you recogni!e it, it2s too
late to change it. &eing part of something greater than
your own small life, being the missing screw in the
mechanism, the difference to other in need, 0ust doesn2t
leae you a chance to stop or rest until it2s done.
/t that moment our life went out of order. 'e exchanged
do!ens of emails and made hundreds of phone calls to
organi!e together with Fionn and "geny a realistic plan
of time and finances and way to delier the boxes to people
in .rymsk. "geny found an interested person at the local
"*"R:#, office 3.-&/,SP/S4 and I found a Turkish
charter airline ready to transport boxes on each flight
from Istanbul to .rasnodar. Fionn organi!ed the deliery
to Istanbul and 1 shelter box olunteers, "a ?uerr Efrom
@ermanyF and /ndrew :louting Efrom /ustraliaF, ready to
go to Russia on isas organi!ed by me. Thanks to a contact
of "geny at .rasnodar customs we got the #.k. for a
deliery legally and customs<free into Russia as
humanitarian aid during a disaster. #n ;uly 8C, only A
days after my careless comment, the first boxes left
>ondon airport to Istanbul and "geny and me were
dancing while speaking by phone en0oying that we
reached our first target.
&ut we couldn2t hae deliered 8D9 boxes with only D
people in different cities. /s soon as the boxes arried in
.rasnodar we needed support, and we got great support
from local Rotary clubs. The first and ery important
5uestion was an assessment of needed aid. >ocal
Rotarians organi!ed shifts to go around in the destroyed
area to find out where people were left without houses and
shelter from the state. They met, hosted and accompanied
as translators the two foreign Shelter&ox olunteers while
they were working in .rymsk and region eery day.
Together they organi!ed box logistics, managed other local
olunteers and the whole aid distribution, including
financial donations. .rasnodar Rotary club+s incredible
fundraising efforts for the Shelter&ox pro0ect meant that
they could coer all transport and distribution costs inside
Russia for the deployment, guaranteeing donors money to
be spent directly on aid.
'hile sitting at my club dinner meetings in St. Petersburg,
I often caught myself thinking that our members are all so
different in interest and habits that it2s a difficult issue to
make them 0oin in one club and meet eery week. They all
had so many different wishes, ideas and experiences. It
was the Shelter&ox deployment in .rymsk which made me
learn that exactly these differences of all members is the
main asset of Rotary. /ll of us, completely different by age,
nationality, profession, background and liing place, had
been collaborating in one team lead only by the A<way<test
and the target to maximi!e our help to those in need. The
whole experience showed me how and why Rotary can so
easily influence and change a situationG Rotary is 0oining
different people with different competencies for one
reason%
The impact of cooperating with Shelter&ox on the situation
in .rymsk with a 5uick and effectie deliery of
emergency shelter and lifesaing supplies to families in
need was huge. 'e all gained an unforgettable experience
in humanitarian work and witnessed the benefits of aid for
ulnerable families. /nd the benefit of the aid for families
in greatest need is not comparable with its cost. It is
indeed being part of something greater%
Rotarians were coordinating and cooperating not only
with Rotarian olunteers, but with olunteers from
"*"R:#*, Russia+s national disaster management
agency, and from .uban Spas, the Russian community
based search and rescue organi!ation. They became a
local hub of information and aid contribution. The
information of the local Rotarian2s report said that A99
houses were completely destroyed and a further 88,999
homes were damaged and would not be rebuilt 5uickly.
&ut we had only re5uested 8D9 Shelter&oxes and D9 tents.
So the team on the ground had to decide who needs them
the most.
The 8D9 Shelter&oxes had been ear<marked to be gien to
families whose home was badly damaged and
uninhabitable, but not destroyed, ensuring them security
of their property and enabling to commence repair work
and start rebuilding their lies while liing in tents on
their own landHgarden next to their homes. The D9 tents
without boxes were to become basis for all olunteers
while cleaning up roads and rebuilding houses. "ery
Shelter&ox has a uni5ue serial number and had been paid
by a donation before deployment. 'e all had been aware
of how much effort it takes to fund one Shelter&ox Emy
hundred speeches hadn2t been enoughF, which is e5uialent
to a donation of -S78999.
/ll boxes had been listed and each new owner had to gie
hisHher name, address and sign for receipt. ,ot only the
.rasnodar customs re5uired this, also Shelter&ox rules do
so to guarantee transparency and trustworthy of
donations. That is what makes Shelter&ox special for
deliering commitment and engagement of Rotarians
worldwide directly to people in need. /fter the deployment
you can track your Shelter&ox and find out whom you
helped with your donation and in which situation.
Perhaps your donation helped "lira and her son Stas.
They were the first family to receie a Shelter&ox. They
were forced to take refuge on the roof of their home when
flash floods hit ,i!hnebakanskaya in the night. They
waited for four hours fearing for their lies when one of
their neighbors saed them. The DA<year<old Tat0ana was
also one of the families who receied a Shelter&ox. She lost
her husband and son within the last fie yearsG +Since then
I had been liing by myself, isolated from the community.
The flash floods made me reali!e how important
relationships and support from others really is for a
person, een though the disaster has done a lot of harm to
our community. I am oerwhelmed and grateful for the
help I hae receied from Shelter&ox.+
#n ;uly 1A a total of 8D9 Shelter&oxes had been distributed
to those families most ulnerable, giing them the right to
dignity as they rebuild their damaged homes.
>isanoa was an IA<year old woman who did not want to
leae her damaged home at that moment. She was so
happy that she had been gien a Shelter&ox as it means
she can lie on her land as her house is rebuilt. She couldn+t
beliee it when she found out that /ndrew had come all the
way from /ustralia and "a from @ermany to help the
people in Russia. I guess she would hae cried if we would
hae told her that for her Shelter&ox people from een
more different nationalities and places in the world had
worked committed to peace and e5uality of all human
beings.
?ed!henie is another elderly lady who lies in
,i!hnebakanskaya, a small illage near .rymsk in
southern Russia. 'hen the rain did not stop, water leels
rose trapping her in her home. She feared for her life until
a young man saw her distress.)e broke through one of her
windows and saed her by dragging her out. >uckily she
has her life but with her home damaged from the waters
pouring into her house, she now had nowhere to lie. It
was in due to the deputy mayor of ?ed!henie+s illage who
had re5uested emergency shelter and lifesaing supplies
for AC families that Shelter&ox could enable her and the
other families to lie in dignity while they rebuild their
houses.
These are 0ust some of many stories we all had heard from
displaced families while assessing our aid in the region,
after the worst floods the world+s largest country has eer
experienced. >istening to the indiidual stories of people
affected, like the one of ?ed!henie, made us reali!e the all
oer impact Shelter&ox has on their lies. This
collaboration between Shelter&ox and Rotary highlights
why Shelter&ox became Rotary International+s first
pro0ect partner. &y building on both organi!ations+
strengths, together they bring relief, shelter and dignity to
disaster suriors worldwide as rapidly and efficiently as
possible.
#ne family wrote a note at the .rasnodar2s Rotary club
Facebook page in early winter that statedG +/ deep bow to
you and hearty gratitude from all of our family. 'e are
still liing in your tent and it is ery comfortable and
warm een it2s getting colder outside. The financial aid we
need to repair our house and promised by the state still
didn2t arrie in .rymsk.
Three exhausting weeks in a busy summer season didn2t
make a big difference for my business, but a huge
difference to 8D9 families in the flooding area. Families like
mine and yours. There is no insurance against natural
disaster for anybody. That it had been worth not sleeping
is best kept in the following words of "aG +The moment I
handed oer my first Shelter&ox to a family in need was
really touching. 'ords were not necessary to sense
"lira+s gratitude. )er home was completely destroyed by
the floodwaters. 'hen we gae her the box and put up her
tent she 0ust hugged us showing her appreciation.(
Finishing her story, she added,
(Thanks to Rotary%(
&he audience gave a great ovation, and some of the ladies
uttered their tears. Cack and Chen were recording this warm
,otary meeting on their photo cameras. &hen there was a
short break and ,otarians walked around the room shaking
hands with each other. !ome of them thanked !tephanie for
her great speech.
"#ood afternoon$ /here do you come from+" a man in a
white suit asked Chen with a smile on his face.
"I%m from !hanghai. I like it here. 3our city has beautiful
nature and fresh air$"
Cack added standing besides,
"/e visited 6ake *aikal and loved that trip but the bus was
not that comfortable$"
&he man laughed and said,
"3our ,ussian is good already. lease come to my house. It
is not far from the city. &here we have a helicopter and we
can fly along the Angara ,iver$"
&he guys were happy and promised to visit him$ In
gratitude they presented their badges from !hanghai and
America. A pleasant smell filled the hall@ the tables were
served with new dishes. Dveryone started their meal. &he
pianist played some ja55. &he atmosphere was festive.
It started to get dark outside, the city lit the lights. &he ne2t
guest, the ,otarian *arry )ickman from Australia came on
stage. &he projector started working, showing pictures on a
white screen. !howing photos of their project, *arry
)ickman began the story of how they were helping people.
(#ur two week pro0ect is complete and we are delighted to
hae completed what we had planned and more.
'ith the assistance of the illagers weG <
< installed 1 solar systems,
< supplied DJ portable solar lights,
< put tin roofs on 11 houses,
< fixed the leaking bases of D of the J wells that were built
last year,
< built 8D new wells Ethe faults in the base rings resoled%F,
< hae another 89 wells soon to be completed,
< installed I1 meters of gutters on the new school,
< installed C x J999 ltr water tanks,
< ordered =D x C99 ltr water urns E19 deliered yesterdayF,
< built and installed 19 bird screens to stop the sparrows
from nesting in the roof of the classrooms,
< supplied C water pumps and pipes for farming, and
< installed J9 meters of drain pipe running from the school
to the fish farm dam.
Phew%
Initing Pow, the illage chief, and his family to town for
dinner and to spend their first night eer in a hotel was a
beautiful experience and what a 0aw dropping time for
them all...
Thanks Rithy and &ronwyn from 'orld of ?ifference for
all of your ama!ing work and selfless dedication to the
people of &ossala and .roa &oa. /nd thanks to the
members of &righton Rotary and Rotary foundation for
raising the funds to make all of this possible. Together we
hae changed the lies of I99 staring people for the
better, foreer%(
)aving finished his speech, *arry )ickman left the scene
with audience applauding.
6istening to these touching stories, people were proud to be
a part of this global organi5ation, without which our planet
would be harder to live on.
&he ,otary wheel will always be associated with kindness
and goodness.
&hen a guest from Bathmandu, Nepal was invited to the
stage. !he prepared a speech about ,otaract.
&he translator was standing beside her and prepared to
translate into ,ussian. )e showed that he was ready, and
the guest from Nepal took a step to the microphone. Dli5a
began her story telling about her view on what was
,otaract.
(*y name is "li!a and I am Rotaractor.
/ step to the 0ourney of changeK Rotaract.
L:hange2 is an ineitable and uniersal process. ,o one can
defy the factK this is also what we beliee and accept. >ike
a day is dynamicK in the sense that not the whole day has
a cool calm morning, the early hours are replaced by the
latter leading to midday, afternoon, eening, night,
midnight and so this way we find ariations in fact change
and this is what indeed has made it so special, meaningful
and complete. This is how we accept change, lead our life
and also seek for change.
'hen we compare L:)/,@" 2from the perspecties on
psychology, een our life itself cannot be imagined without
change. The deelopmental psychology has gien the
arious life stages of psychological deelopment Mfrom the
period of conception to old age where it describes how the
deelopment of human psychology takes places
simultaneously with age and time. #n the other, social
psychology describes human being as social animal so he
cannot lie isolated. )e needs to express, share his feelings
and thus he needs to establish relationship with each other
which we often call as social relationshipK forming
networks, building rapport, maintaining public relation so
on. The ultimate goal after all is change in self, maybe by
establishing relationships, learning from the group,
0oining clubs like Rotaract :lub for personal as well
professional growth.
I take LR#T/R/:T2 as a 0ourney of change that is why it is
so special, an opportunity to the traelers who trael with
the common entity MLRotaractor2 around the globe, learn
along with fellowship sowing the seeds of loe, fraternity,
friendship, humanity and peace where an indiidual
works for change, betterment of the society, nation and the
people along with change in oneself. The 0ourney itself is
altruistic along with social responsibility and paing a
way for better future by learning from the steps they carry
on. I think not eery traeler has the priilege that we
hae in R#T/R/:T.
Recently, I 0ust passed a spring in this 0ourney but the
memories I came across are innumerable. In fact the
0ourney has become a replica of memoriesK the eents of
0oint birthday celebration to fellowship parties, the
hardship of making the pro0ect successful to planning for
something new, the days of olunteering in the crowd, the
eery precious opportunity of building rapport and
friendship , the uni5ue LFellowship tea party2 after the
eery general meeting. These hae indeed become a best
part of my life where I destined to be.
&ut if I am to choose the best memories behind then I
would prefer Mthe day I paed my first step to this
0ourneyK the day I was formally inducted as a LRotaracter2.
Since it was the day where, I, with pride was able to say
that MLI am Rotaracter "li!a2. The day I felt like winning
the world and the dream of more than A years became a
reality. ,ow, I reflect what it is being a Rotaracter. It is
indeed an opportunity, a priilege. I would not hae been
priileged to this 0ourney without this step I dared to carry
on and be the part of it. This has gien me an insight to
dare to dream and make it happen.
I beliee my single step may not bring a drastic change in
other lies but I hae a hope it can lay a foundation for
change. If it is to bring change then we need to come
together where the world is need of youth like us. >et us
come together and make the 0ourney of changeK
R#T/R/:T a momentous 0ourney where the world
commemorates and sets a liing entity< LRotaracter2. (
/hen Dli5a ended speaking, the audience was pleased to
have listened to such a warm speech about ,otaract.
!omeone shouted to her, "*ravo$0
1nce again the projector started working, now showing
pictures of magnificent India. &he ,otarian !anjay Bulkarni
was invited to the scene$
Approaching the microphone, he welcomed the audience
and hanging a banner of his club began to introduce
himself.
I was in Rotaract during 8NI= to 8NN= my club was
Rotaract club /urangabad "ast, RI ?ist. C8C9. This was
always called as award wining club of the district. I was
?istrict Rotaract Representatie E?RRF in 8NNC<NA.
?uring this year I hosted Rotaract South /sian :onference
< (Rotasia<NA( at my home town /urangabad. Then for
next two years I represented /sia at Rotary International
post.
I got the best friends in my life from Rotaract. /lso I got
my wife Shubhada from this organi!ation.
/ll Past ?RR+s and some Rotaractors we use to keep in
touch with each other including our district O others too.
In *ay 199I there was Rotary ?istrict /ssembly at
/urangabad and some of us were already in Rotary. They
came to /urangabad and we had a get together and
suddenly all forced me to either 0oin any existing club or
start a new club. This year district bifurcated into C8C1. So
on /ugust 8Cth 199I I filled :harter /pplication and in
#ctober we had :harter presentation. I became :harter
President. I got A awards in /nnual award including Crd
runner &est President.
I used internet as a strong media and deeloped 8==
sister H twin clubs from 88N countries and 81A RI ?istricts.
These relationships were always helpful for the club.
In Rotary $ear 1989<88 our club donated AD bunk beds
with all facilities to children2s home with the help of clubs
from Rotary :lub &eit ?agan, Israel, RI ?ist. 1AN9,
Rotary :lub *onterrey Professional *exico, RI ?ist. A8C9.
This pro0ect was registered under ':S in my President<
ship.
In 1989<88 I organi!ed the first eer Interact exchange
team to Sri >anka, RI ?ist. C119 with Rotary :lub
:olombo. N Interactors with 1 Rotarians Eincluding meF
isited for J days had home hospitality and cultural
exchanges.
This Rotary year was the best with all sister clubs. /ll my
dream pro0ects were completed or going to be completed
with my friends around the globe.
I got tremendous experience during these pro0ects and also
899P pure friendship all oer world.
Thanks to Rotary for changing my life.
At the end of his speech, !anjay was smiling happily and
waving his hands to the applauding audience.
1ur e2change students were the last to make their
presentation that evening. Chen told about the city of
!hanghai and their culture, and Cack showed photos of
Ari5ona and thanked the local club for the warm welcome.
&hen Chen asked a man in a white suit to take a photo of
him with all the participants of this wonderful evening. In
the corner of the hall a violinist played some calm melody.
As a conclusion to the meeting, cameras were flashing
everywhere.
!ome photos turned out great$ &hese were of the
remarkable people of ,otary, !tephanie from !t.
etersburg, !anjay from India, Dli5a from Nepal, *arry
from Australia and our students Cack and Chen in the
photo. &he president of the local club promised to put this
picture in a frame in a memory of this wonderful meeting.
&he ,otary meeting came to an end. Dveryone went outside
saying goodbye to each other. /e stood ne2t to a beautifully
lit fountain of the hotel and there was pleasant cool coming
from the water.
utting my hand on Cack%s shoulder, I said, "/ell done
guys, you did a good presentation$ 'id you like this
meeting+"
Chen said with a smile,
"3es, everything was fine, I took a lot of pictures and I liked
the presentation about ,otaract by a girl from Bathmandu$"
Cack added, "And I liked the man in a white suit. )e invited
us to visit his country house and promised to give us a ride
on his private helicopter$"
assing by us *arry )ickman smiled to us saying goodbye.
&hen Dli5a came and shook the guys. hands saying in
Dnglish, "I hope to see you soon. *ye$"
(rom the main entrance of the hotel there came !anjay, he
also waved goodbye to us.
A white -ercedes with a ",otary" sticker on the windshield
pulled up by the fountain. 1pening the window the driver
said, "Cack and Chen, get inside. I%ll take you home to your
host families$"
After shaking my hand, the guys got into the car and it
slowly disappeared outside the hotel territory.
,ha#ter +0: The Pa%ka!e
1n the outside the prison looked like an old castle. &he
entire territory was wrapped in barbed wire. &he snipers
were keeping an eye on prisoners from high towers. I was
hiding from the sun in a shade from the building, waiting
for e2actly GH.<< when I could go inside and see my friend
,uslan. &here was tea, fruits and lots of sweets in a package
which I brought for my friend. &he sweets had probably
already melted. !eeing me, a guard dressed in a uniform
with a dog shouted, "/hat do you want+"
"I came to visit a friend@ they said I could come at 9 p.m.$"
&he door opened with noise. /ith a gesture I was invited to
enter.
&he air inside was stale@ the territory was lit with a dim
light. &he sunrays did not come through there and it was a
little chilly.
A woman approached and took my package to check, and
then she pointed me to a barred window behind which I saw
my friend.
")ello, my dear ,uslan. It%s sad to see you here$"
"It%s true. I am going to live here for two more years."
"I had told you not to do illegal deals with your new friend,
but you didn.t listen and now you are here."
"It does not matter now."
"&here is tea, some fruits and candies in the package. 3our
mother also gave you a letter which is inside the candy bo2."
"&hank you for not forgetting about me$"
/e didn.t talk for long, just remembered some moments in
our lives. ,uslan said that he was put in prison for a theft.
&he woman yelled at me, "1kay fellow, your time is up, you
may visit him later$"
I couldn.t shake my friend.s hand but just said, "/ell
,uslan, later I%ll visit you. 1h, I almost forgot to tell you that
soon an American cultural e2change delegation from ,otary
is supposed to visit this prison to see what prisons are like
in ,ussia. -aybe you will see them. 3ou will recogni5e them
by their ,otary pins$ "
"/ell, it will be interesting to see them, especially in
prison$"
/hen I got out onto the street, a bright light hit my eyes, I
nearly fell. 6ooking again at this dark structure behind me, I
was thinking about how difficult the time there would be for
my friend.
,ha#ter ++: Rotar in a%tion
/e drove for about two hours to get to the country house of
the man in a white suit. A small bus owned by Cack%s host
parents. was very comfortable. I was asked to accompany
the e2change students again. Chen was sitting in the back
seat and playing the game on his phone as usual. &he road
was not smooth and a little dusty. 6ong trees were flashing
in windows. In some places we could see the rivers running.
Cack was holding a Coke. )e looked at me, remembered
that last situation on the bus, then smiled and said,
(,ick, now I+m not worried because I can ask my host
parents to stop at any moment, and go to the toilet. *y
host dad is not that bus drier and I guess he would not
refuse to stop the car for me%(
($eah, you+re right, buddy%(
/e started laughing, our car lowered its speed and after
another turn we saw Fictor%s country house$ )is large
wooden house with a carved roof was hiding behind a high
fence. &he gates automatically opened and Fictor met us
with that same smile on his face, instead of a white suit he
was wearing sportswear. 'riving inside the territory we
noticed the helicopter, on which we could see emblems
saying ",otary International".
All passengers got out of the car and began to shake Fictor%s
hand.
"/elcome to my country house, dear friends$"
A !iberian husky named Angara ran out from the house,
sniffed the guests and begun to bark. &hen Fictor said, "-y
dear guests I would like to invite all of you inside my house
and I would like to introduce the ,otarian and 'octor &igist
*elachew from Dthiopia$ &hen we are going to have lunch
together. /e will take a helicopter and fly to an old village
where 'octor &igist is going to e2amine local people for the
presence of some wounds or any disease.
All went into a huge hall, and at this time a dark7skinned
charming girl came down the stairs.
")ello everybody. *y name is Tigist &elachew. I came
from "thiopia due to a Rotary cultural exchange.(
Dveryone was e2cited about this interesting meeting. At
lunch &igist told us how she became a ,otarian.
(I became a member of this great organi!ation when I saw
their Facebook page. I got the contact number and made a
phone call to them. They told me that I could be a member
after 0oining one meeting. Rotarians were glad to see me,
because they thought that I hae a good profession
because all the time I help people. So in one remarkable
day they welcomed me and I was accepted as their
member. /fter 0oining the club we started haing meetings
and supporting great runs, funding books for schools, and
feeding street children on holidays. It is wonderful to meet
all the club members and nice to learn from them as well
as haing fun times together.(
/e ended our lunch. Chen loved !iberian fish and Cack
gladly ate a piece of sheep and drank a glass of ,ussian soft7
drink "Bvass" instead of Coca7Cola.
"I hope you liked our cuisine, so let%s go$ )elicopter is
waiting$" Fictor ordered.
Dveryone went outside. &he dog was given sheep bones.
&he pilot opened the helicopter door and waited until all the
passengers were seated. &here were co5y seats inside,
students got their places at the windows, 'r. &igist sat ne2t
to me, and she was checking her medical supplies.
&he helicopter engine started spinning its huge propeller@
the air from the propeller was raising the fallen leaves to
sky. In G< minutes we took off and the grass scattered in all
directions. 1utside the window we could see the dog Angara
barking and jumping trying to reach us. Fictor was sitting
ne2t to the pilot and smiling as usual. 1ur helicopter leaned
forward and carried us to an isolated village that was
located in a deep forest. &he people there were a desperate
situation because they were cut off from all the necessities
as the roads were destroyed by floods.
/e could see deep forests and a silvery river running
through the green fields. &he e2change students were
looking outside the windows and discussing the beautiful
nature. -eanwhile, 'r. &igist showed me some photos of
her country of Dthiopia.
)alf an hour later the helicopter started to descend@ my ears
popped a little. Another landscape appeared outside the
window, there were mountain peaks capped with snow all
around. /e could feel the severity of wildlife.
&he chassis touched the green glades and our helicopter
pressed to the ground and the propellers slowed their
spinning until they came to a full stop.
"/ell, how did the flight go for all of you+" Fictor asked.
Dveryone showed ?fine0 with a gesture. &he pilot opened the
door and our team stepped onto the rough ground.
!everal locals came out on their horses from the deep forest.
&hey already knew Fictor as their savior. It turns out that
,otarians helped restore electricity and supply the village
with essential products. &his place was difficult to reach by
car as the roads were washed away by mountain rivers
overflowing their banks. &he local people looked tired
because they probably spent all day hunting on horseback,
as we could see some dead birds fi2ed to the side of their
horses.
")ello, dear Fictor$"
"'ear friends, we flew here to visit you and check the health
of your families. )ere is our doctor from a far country &igist
*elachew$ !he is going to e2amine the local people and give
some help."
&he locals jumped down from their horses to shake our
hands@ everyone was happy and willing to help.
Not far away we noticed a large wooden wagon that was
pulled straight to us by two horses. (ive minutes later we
were asked to get inside and go to the village through the
deep !iberian forest. &his wagon was swaying and we had to
grab the sides not to fall out. 6ong slender trees were
blocking sunlight@ somewhere not far away we could hear a
roar of mountain waterfall. Crossing a wooden bridge, we
appeared on the other side of the open field at the end of
which there could be seen houses and an old church. eople
had already been waiting for us smiling and wanted to offer
us ,ussian "Bvass"=soft7drink>. Dach of them invited us to
come visit his or her home.
"!end the wagon with your men back to the helicopter@
bring back all the medical supplies and provisions$" Fiktor
said to the headman of the village.
"/ill do immediately$0
?)ey guys, go to the helicopter and take all the goods to the
wagon. /e need to finish before it gets dark$"
&he headman was shouting waving with his arms. &en men
jumped into the wagon and the horses started pushing the
wagon back to the helicopter.
-eanwhile, the ,otarian !anjay, who spoke at the last
meeting, came to meet us from an old house.
Cack and Chen were surprised seeing him there, and then
asked him in Dnglish,
"/hat are you doing here+"
!haking the e2change students. hands the ,otarian
e2plained,
"I came here two days ago to help restore the electricity and
set up satellites for television$ Also tomorrow we e2pect
arrival of ,otarian *arry )ickman. )e will help us install
solar systems and supply this village with portable solar
lights$"
!tudents asked him how they could help the local people.
!anjay said that today everyone could rest but tomorrow
morning the helicopter would bring *arry )ickman here
and all would have to help with setting up the equipment at
the village.
It started getting dark. &he candles were lit in the windows
and the smoke began to run from chimneys. Dveryone could
feel country life. A light fog spread over the green field. &he
tired horses were gra5ing the grass. &hey fi2ed a long table
near the church and everyone was invited to enjoy local
food. A big fire was burning and giving warmth to people.
&he chief of village asked for silence,
(?ear Rotarians friends, we are ery grateful for your
help in restoring our illage and giing us a chance for a
bright future in this far distant land. This illage would
not hae suried without you. 'e got used to liing here
at these wild places and we want to keep our next
generation here by deeloping eerything here also with
your precious help% >et our illage stay alie. Thanks to
Rotary% (
A few tears fell rolling on a wooden table and everyone
started to applaud.
After dinner, Cack was offered a ride on a horse and he was
happy to answer "3es$"
It got colder. 'earing his 0acket the exchange student
came up to the horse, he could see a fresh steam of air
running from nostrils. ;ack touched the horse2s mane. The
horse recoiled slightly, but the local old man helped him
into the saddle and said,
()old on tight, buddy. I+ll take a rope and lead your horse
and you can 0ust sit and admire our nature%(
The man started smoking and leading the student2s horse.
The student was smiling and looking at the endless
landscape.
Suddenly the horse got unsteadyK it was 0umping from side
to side. ;ack could not understand anything until he looked
oer his back. / big mu!!le of a horse 0umping on ;ack2s
mare appeared behind his back%
(?o not 0ump, buddy. $ou can fall under the hooes and
they+ll trample you%( The old man dropped his cigarette
yelling. )e was trying to stop this natural process but in
ainG the horse continued to 0ump on the mare and ;ack
was right in the middle% In another fie seconds a student
was laying on the ground with a frightened face. People
rushed to pull ;ack away from the horses, they finally did
it.
/t the end the old man was cleaning ;ack+s clothes saying,
(This is wildlife, son% So that+s how we lie here%(
T o be continued
Part 3: (Cultural Exchange)
PARTICIPANTS (third group):
! "erbert Ederer
Charter pre#ident and no$ %e%ber
o& the board re#pon#ible &or
International Ser'ice in (i#trict )*
he i# (R+C and P(,
Countr-: Au#tria
.! Ni#chal Pande-
Secretar- and Pre#ident Elect/Rotar-
E/Club o& (i#trict 30*
Countr-: ,urgaon1 "ar-ana1 India
3! Ru2hdi 3a4alli
Rotar- (i#trict 0.5* ,o'ernor .*6/
.*7
+ounder o& Rotar- in Republic o&
8o#o'a
Countr-: 9arren1 Penn#-l'ania1
:nited State#
6! ;adhu%ita 3i#hnu
International Ser'ice Chair
E Club o& ;elbourne RI( )5**
Au#tralia
Countr-: Calcutta1 India
7! ;arite# <! Pantua
Pre#ident o& Rotar- Club =o# 3ano#
;a4iling
Rotar- International (i#trict 35.*
Countr-: =o# 3a>o#1 =aguna1
Philippine#
Chapter .: ,ue#t#
A ?l% o& &og co'ered the di% building o&
pri#on No! 33! It# $all# loo4ed dar4er &ro%
%oi#ture!
The go'ernor o& thi# in#titution Peter $a#
$al4ing about hi# o@ce $ondering ho$ to
be#t $elco%e the &oreign gue#t# $ho ha'e
alread- arri'ed to thi# Siberian cit- under a
cultural exchange progra% &ro% the big
organi2ation o& Rotar-!
;ean$hile1 Rotarian# "erbert &ro% Au#tria1
Ni#chal &ro% India1 Ru2hdi &ro% Republic o&
8o#o'a1 ;adhu%ita &ro% India and ;arite#
&ro% Philippine# ha'ing had a Siberian di#h &or
brea4&a#t at S%ar4o' hotel1 the &oreigner#
$ere di#cu##ing their long Aight $hile $aiting
&or a bu# $hich $a# going to ta4e the% &or an
excur#ion to pri#on No! 33!
The pri#oner# and guard# al#o expected thi#
da- to be a #pecial one B %an- o& the% $ere
going to #ee people &ro% di#tant &oreign
countrie#1 $hich $a# a big e'ent!
The cell No! 7 acco%%odated about .* people!
It $a# ?lled $ith unplea#ant #%ell and
laughter! There $a# not enough light in the
cell! The $indo$# $ere tin- and the light
bulb# al%o#t ga'e no light! Ru#lan1 %- &riend1
$a# #itting on one o& the plan4/bed# pla-ing
bac4ga%%on! "e $a# one o& tho#e $ho 4ne$
%o#t about Rotar-!

That da- the at%o#phere at the pri#on $a#
e#peciall- ten#e: #o%e o& the ne$ pri#oner#
#tarted -elling in the &ar corner o& the cell! "e
$a# #oon cal%ed b- getting a &e$ punche# in
the rib#!
There $a# a #harp #ignal! It $a# the head o&
the pri#on #pea4ing! E'er-one beca%e #ilent
and li#tened $ith attention to $hat he #aid1
C,ood %orning1 pri#oner#D Thi# i# Peter
I'ano'1 go'ernor o& thi# in#titution #pea4ingD
9e are expecting &oreign gue#t# to co%e &or
excur#ion to #ee $hat pri#on# are li4e in
Siberia! I& an- o& -ou %a4e# &un o& or %oc4#
an- o& our gue#t#1 I $ill put -ou in an i#olation
cell or add a &e$ -ear# to -our ter% at thi#
,od &or#a4en place! ;u#ical band E'er
T$ent-1 I a% expecting a good per&or%ance
&ro% -ou toda- and bring -our in#tru%ent#!
;a4e #ure e'er-thing $or4# and #ound# ?ne!
Fou $ill be li#tened to b- re#pectable people!
(o not di#grace -our#el&G!
The 'oice o& pri#on go'ernor #ounded rude
and #harp! Thi# $a- he let e'er-one 4no$
that the- %u#t be unu#uall- &riendl- that
da-!
A <ol4#$agen bu# pulled b- the %ain
entrance to the hotel and auto%aticall-
opened the door! "a'ing gi'en a bo$1 the
co%%i##ioner #a$ the gue#t# to the dri'er
and interpreter $ho arri'ed together! The
interpreter ga'e a &riendl- #%ile and
introduced hi%#el& in Engli#h1 C"i1 &riend#D
;- na%e i# I'an! I $ill help -ou
co%%unicate $ith the pri#on go'ernor $ho
$ill gi'e -ou an excur#ion to pri#on No! 33D
"ope -ou li4e the excur#ionG!
The gue#t# #hoo4 I'an b- the hand and
greeted hi% $ith #%ile# and good %ood!
E'er-one too4 their #it# and the dri'er opened
the $indo$# and touched the ga# pedal! The
<ol4#$agen $a# ta4ing the gue#t# to the di%
$et god&or#a4en pri#on building locall- 4no$n
a# ,ate# o& "ell!
Chapter 3: Excur#ion
The rain #topped dri22ling! The #un #ho$ed in
the #4-! In hal& an hour the bu# entered the
guarded territor-! The pri#on go'ernor Peter
I'ano' $a# #tanding be#ide the &ront door
$ith the guard! Sharp #hooter# $ere $atching
intentl- &ro% the to$er#! (og bar4ing could
be heard in e'er- corner!
Ence the bu# door opened1 Peter hurried to
$elco%e the gue#t#1
C9elco%e1 dear gue#t#! Toda- I $ill #ho$ -ou
ho$ our pri#on i# organi2ed! 9e are pri'ileged
to greet #uch gue#t# a# -ou areD No$ $e $ill
ha'e lunch and get to 4no$ each other! I $ill
tell about %-#el& and $ill be happ- to hear
about -ou! Then there $ill be an excur#ion! I
$ill gi'e -ou a chance to a#4 a &e$ Hue#tion#
to our pri#oner# and our %eeting $ill be
concluded b- a %u#ical per&or%ance
dedicated to thi# &e#ti'e da-! 9e donIt o&ten
recei'e gue#t# &ro% diJerent countrie#D "ope
-ou li4e thi# da-! Plea#e &ollo$ %eG!
The interpreter I'an preci#el- de#cribed to the
gue#t# $hat the- $ould do in the next hour
and the Rotarian# entered the terrible
building!
The- &aced a long corridor $ith #%all $indo$#
on the #ide# $hich $ould barel- let through
the light o& &reedo%! 9hile $al4ing do$n the
corridor1 one o& the Rotarian# &ro% India
doctor Ni#chal a#4ed the pri#on go'ernor a
Hue#tion1 C;i#ter Peter1 $h- $a# thi# pri#on
called the ,ate# o& "ellKG
The pri#on go'ernor1 gi'ing a #tro4e to hi#
%ou#tache1 tried to explain1 C"ere in Siberia
the cli%ate i# #harpl- continental! In #u%%er
it can be a# hot a# plu# 6* degree# during the
da-! And at night the te%perature &all# to *
degree#! Needle## to #a-1 in $inder $e ha'e
reall- #trong &ro#t#! The proble% i# that one
cell o& 6* #Huare %eter# can hold a# %uch a#
up to 3* pri#oner#! There i# no air conditioner!
Fou can i%agine ho$ #tuJ- and hot it i# in
that cage! The- &r- li4e in hell in #u%%er
there! In $inder $e tr- to hold acceptable
te%perature#! Although1 it i# not al$a-#
achie'able! The electrical #ub#tation #top#
$or4ing becau#e o& &ro#t#! The te%perature in
the cell# get# belo$ *!G
The Rotarian ga'e a 4no$ing to## o& the head1
CThan4 -ou &or -our explanationDG
Scrunch and clattering o& %etallic door#
echoed around! So%e$here -ou could hear
coughing! +inall-1 e'er-bod- reached the end
o& the hall! Epening the door1 the pri#on
go'ernor Peter a#4ed e'er-one to co%e into
hi# o@ce! So%e o& the gue#t# noticed that the
go'ernor $a# a little up#et1 although he $a#
tr-ing to #%ile!
The Rotarian &ro% Philippine# ;arite# decided
to a#4 $hat $a# $rong1 C;i#ter Peter1 i#
e'er-thing ?ne $ith -ouK Fou loo4 tiredG!
Touching hi# %ou#tache1 the go'ernor ga'e a
light #%ile and #tarted telling hi# &a%il- i##ue1
CPlea#e1 ta4e -our #eat# at the table1 dear
gue#t#! =etI# tr- our Siberian tea $ith Ru##ian
hone-/ca4e#! And I $ill #hare a #tor- $ith
-ouG!
A #a%o'ar #tarted $hi#tling!
A $o%an $earing an apron began to #er'e the
table! "ere e'er-one &elt clo#er to &reedo% a#
the $indo$# here $ere bigger but #till had
bar#! There $ere a &e$ ca%era# at the
corner#! The $o%an in apron turned on
Ru##ian &ol4 %u#ic1 and Peter1 loo4ing out the
$indo$1 #tarted to explain hi# bad %ood!
CFe#terda- %- dear $i&e bought an u%brella
at the Chine#e %ar4et! 9hen it #tarted to rain1
#he pre##ed the button to open it! Suddenl-1
the u%brella opened and #hot her right in the
La$! ;- $i&e lo#t t$o o& her &ront teethG!
The roo% echoed $ith a cr- o& #-%path- &ro%
the gue#t#! And Peter continued1 C3ut itI#
?ne! Soon I #hall ?nd that Chine#e $ho #old
%- $i&e that de&ecti'e u%brella and put hi%
in thi# %err- in#titution to %a4e hi% thin4
$hat it i# li4e to cheat and inLure poor
$o%enDG
Then the $o%an in apron #ho$ed e'er-one
ho$ to drin4 tea out o& a #aucer a# the
Ru##ian# do! The gue#t# li4ed that treat 'er-
%uch! +ull $ith Ru##ian hone-/ca4e# and
bread ring#1 Rotar- delegation $a# read- to
go on excur#ion to the pri#on!
The Rotarian# $ere in'ited to 'i#it a #hoe
%a4ing #hop under increa#ed #ecurit-! The
$all# blac4 &ro% #%o4e #ho$ed that the $or4
here $ent $ithout a #top! E'er-one &elt a
#harp #%ell o& leather! Pri#oner# $ith
%aterial# &or #hoe %a4ing $ere A-ing around!
"a'ing noticed the &oreign gue#t# co%e in1
the- $anted to lea'e their $or4 and loo4
clo#er at the Rotarian# but the #trict loo4 &ro%
the go'ernor and the increa#ed guard# %ade
the% #ta- in their $or4 proce##!
Pa##ing one o& the %achine#1 Rotarian Ru2hdi
#topped and ga'e a $ord o& #upport to one o&
the $or4er#1 C,ood Lob! Thi# pair o& #hoe#
turned out beauti&ulDG The pri#onerI# repl- to
thi# $a#1 CThan4 -ouD I& I could $or4 %- $ill1
$e $ould ha'e %ade #hoe# &or the $hole o&
-our NATEG!
The interpreter #tanding nearb- tran#lated
the Lo4e and e'er-one laughed at it!
S%iling $ith hi# golden teeth1 the pri#oner
pa##ed ?'e pair# o& boot# a# a gi&t and #aid1
CThi# i# &or -ou to re%e%ber -our excur#ionDG
"ere the excur#ion to the #hoe %a4ing #hop
?ni#hed!
Then the delegation $ent to #ee $hat the
dining roo% $a# li4e!!!!
The go'ernor #%iled and a#4ed1 C"o$ did -ou
li4e our #hopK In repl- all the Rotarian#
#ho$ed an E4a- ge#ture! And "erbert #aid1 CI
ha'enIt #een an-thing li4e that be&ore! 3ut I
thin4 that $or4 di#tract# the% &ro% poor
thought# about their ti%e hereG!
E'er-one $a# &ollo$ing Peter at a #lac4 pace
to the other end o& the pri#on $here the
dining roo% $a# located! Ta4ing ad'antage o&
the opportunit-1 the go'ernor a#4ed the
Rotarian &ro% Au#tria a Hue#tion1 CCould -ou
tell a little about ho$ -ou beca%e a %e%ber
o& Rotar- organi2ationK It $ould be 'er-
intere#ting to hearG!
9al4ing do$n the long o'al corridor to$ard#
the dining roo%1 Charterpresident and now
member of the board responsible for International
Service in District 1910 DRFC and PDG" "erbert
told about ho$ he got into Rotar-!
"n!a!e Rotar" # Chan!e lives
$hree "ears before RI%President 1&%1' Ron D( )*rton
presented his theme and made it p*blic for all
Rotarians+ m" wife ,ndrea and me had this personal
e-perience for o*r own( In .a" /010 I too0 part of a
Rotar" meetin! of District 1910 in 1ienna to
introd*ce m"self as nominated District Governor for
/01/%1&(
2*r "o*th e-chan!e o3cer 4alter 4eidenhol5er
as0ed for possibilities of 6nancin! a scholarship b" a
District !rant for a "o*n! women of a poor famil" in
$*5la 7)i89 + which was victim of the last war(
$o 6nish the lon! disc*ssion+ how to raise the
mone"+ I decided spontaneo*sl" to s*pport this
"o*n! st*dent+ altho*!h I didn:t 0now her( 2ne
reason has been that m" da*!hter $eresa 7the eldest
of o*r ;children9 6nished her st*d" of medicine in
Gra5 in shortest wa"( Startin! a vocational trainin!
as <$*rn*sar5t= in m" o3ce+ she didn:t need f*rther
6nancial s*pport from the parents( $he other reason
was based on m" believin! in the recommendation of
a Rotarian friend and the '%wa"%test of Rotar"(
2ver a ban0 acco*nt of >Rotar"%Pro?e0t%1erein<7with
the possibilit" of ta- red*ction in ,*stria9 I donated
a scholarship and ,le0sandra co*ld start her st*d"
of !eodes" at the @niversit" of )an?a A*0a 7)i89 in
2ctober /010(
$wo "ears a!o I met ,le0sandra and her famil" for
the 6rst time+ when I was District Governor of
D1910+ visitin! the Rotar" cl*bs in the re!ion of
$*5la( $he simple and poor circ*mstances of life and
the warm welcome to*ched m" heart and made this
visit *nfor!ettable( In s*mmer /01& ,le0sandra
visited 4ei5 to wor0 in the !eometrician o3ce of a
member of o*r Rotar" Cl*b in 4ei5 to !et practical
e-periences and to learn new methods(
$his s*mmer a small part of o*r famil" 7,ndrea and
the "o*n!est two children9 visited famil" Cosic in
Britova( )*t I:m s*re+ that the whole famil" 71&
persons9 will be present+ when ,le0sandra will !et
her diploma of the @niversit" of )an?a A*0a in
a*t*mn /01'( ,nd of co*rse+ we want to celebrate
this da" to!ether with o*r <ei!ht:s child=
In conclu#ion he added1 CI enLo- tra'elling
around the $orld and #eeing other culture#
together $ith the Rotarian#DG "i# repl- $a#
%et $ith applau#e &ro% the group!
Chapter 6: (ining roo%
,oing around the corner e'er-one #a$ a big
C(ining roo%G #ign and the- could &eel a
#trong canteen #%ell! The guard hurried to
open the door and e'er-one ca%e in#ide a
#paciou# roo% $ith long table#! There $ere no
pri#oner# ha'ing a %eal at that ti%e but one
o& the table# $a# #er'ed &or the gue#t#! It $a#
laid $ith a beauti&ul Ru##ian national table
cloth decorated $ith color&ul national
orna%ent!
CPlea#e ta4e a #eat and tr- our bor#ch coo4ed
b- the be#t coo4 E4aterinaDG
The next %inute the gue#t# $ere #er'ed
Ru##ian #oup called 3or#ch and &re#hl- coo4ed
bread! The- #%elled nice and all o& the gue#t#
#%iled!
3e&ore #tarting the %eal1 the go'ernor told
the gue#t#1
CThe- u#uall- tal4 a lot at the table in our
culture! 9e can di#cu## diJerent ne$# &or
hour#! And no$ plea#e tr- our &oodG!
The dining roo% ?lled $ith noi#e &ro% #poon#
banging on %etallic plate#!
At the end o& the %eal Peter a#4ed to tell hi%
%ore about Rotar-! And doctor Ni#chal Pande-
#hared hi# #tor-!
I came to Cit" for the 6rst time in m" Aife as a
teena!er from a remote villa!e to contin*e m"
st*dies( I remember I was of ver" sh" nat*re b*t
!ood at st*dies and that:s how when Interact Cl*b
was introd*ced in o*r School+ I was the choice for
President(
$his was the 6rst moment in m" life when I was
introd*ced to s*ch a !reat platform and that too0
m" sh"ness awa" and we started wor0in! with o*r
Sponsor Rotar" Cl*b for man" activities incl*din!
Polio 1accination(
I remember we had s*ch aCectionate Rotar" )oard
and we *sed to feel li0e a famil" and en?o" famil"
l*nches and dinners(
I !ot an opport*nit" to meet GS $eam as well and I
am emotional to inform that still I am friend to one
of the $eam .embers who is a senior Rotarian in
)rasil(
I remember+ I had a stron! aCection for )l*e Rotar"
4heel and I *sed to stic0 them to m" 6les( $he
t*rnin! moment came when I was awarded a
Scholarship b" Rotar" for m" .edical St*dies and
that da" I promised m"self that I m*st ret*rn this
wonderf*l !est*re b" Rotar" b" ?oinin! Rotar" and
servin! need" and helpin! those who are not so
fort*nate in Societ"(
I was an active Rotaractor for lon! and 6nall" ?oined
Rotar" /0 months bac0( ." lon! dream t*rned to
realit" when I ?oined Rotar" %Cl*b of District &1;0(
I remember o*r wor0 in Polio DIDs( 4e *sed to start
o*r Da" at E ,. and end o*r Da" at ; P.+
contin*o*sl" imm*ni5in! 0ids of sl*m areas(
I remember I was the onl" Rotaractor in Dational
Polio Pl*s Committee and I led m" teams to some of
ver" hi!h resistant areas(
Secondl" when I ?oined m" First Fob+ I introd*ced Gift
of Aife Pro!ram which operates 0ids of *nder
privile!e comm*nities with Con!enital 8eart Defects
and till now &000 pl*s s*r!eries have been
performed in District &010(
Dow we have ta0en *p Aiterac" Pro?ect b" adoptin!
m" 1illa!e School and we are *p!radin! the facilities
with the help of Rotarians from ,*stralia(
Rotar" is a part of m" life and we feel it li0e an
e-tended famil" where we are !lobal citi5en as we
have friends all across the !lobe and it:s a !reat
feelin! when "o* travel and meet Rotarians and "o*
never feel stran!er(
)ein! a Rotarian+I wo*ld li0e to foc*s on
d*cation+8ealth and 1ocational Services and I feel
pro*d to share that we are alread" on the trac0 and
hope to ma0e a diCerence in lives of man"(
8ope to spread smiles on faces of 0ids who s*Cer
from 8eart Problems and die witho*t bein! treated
thro*!h Gift of Aife Pro!ram(
$he ver" 6rst when I received m" First P8F+ it was a
pro*d moment for me as we have seen Rotarians
wearin! pro*dl" those P8F Pins(
$here are man" Remar0able moments to share as a
Rotaractor and as a Rotarian( $he most notable was
when I was feat*red in R I Faceboo0 pa!e for m"
.edical Relief 4or0 in @ttra0hand%a state which was
badl" hit b" nat*ral calamit" and abo*t /000 people
died(
2ther when I received m" ,ven*es of Service
Citation from R I President Rtn Ron )*rton(
Chapter 7: ;u#ical band
The %eal $a# about to end! The go'ernor
#tood up and #aid1 C9ell1 %- dear &riend#1 it
$a# 'er- intere#ting to hear about -our
organi2ation due to $hich $e ha'e %et! Eur
pri#on %u#ical band E'er T$ent- ha'e
prepared a %u#ical per&or%ance &or -ou!
Plea#e &ollo$ %e to the a##e%bl- hall!
Than4ing the coo4# &or ta#t- %eal1 the
delegation &ollo$ed Peter to the a##e%bl-
hall!
;arite# &ro% Philippine# a#4ed hi# Hue#tion1
CCould -ou tell $h- the band i# called E'er
T$ent-K Probabl-1 all o& the participant# are
aged o'er t$ent-K
Peter $ho $a# $al4ing nearb- ga'e a #light
#%ile and hurried to explain1
CNo1 thatI# diJerent! Tho#e pri#oner# $ho#e
pri#on ter% i# o'er t$ent- $ill #ing &or u#DG
"a'ing co%e through another long corridor
$ith #%all $indo$#1 the delegation ca%e
in#ide the a##e%bl- hall! At the &ar corner the
%u#ician# $ere ?ni#hing their rehear#al!
E'er-thing loo4ed &e#ti'e: balloon# hanging
on the $all#! The $indo$# $ere big and let
through a lot o& light! The at%o#phere $a#
%err-! It $a# the ?r#t ti%e all o& the pri#oner#
had %et the Rotarian#! Noticing the gue#t#
enter1 one o& the %u#ician# -elled1 C"ello %-
dear &riend#D Toda- i# a great da-DG
The Rotarian# $a'ed to the %u#ician and too4
their place# at the center o& the a##e%bl- hall!
Ta4ing a place next to the gue#t#1 the
go'ernor #aid1
CThi# pri#oner $ith a guitar i# called :ra!
3e&ore he got here he $a# a teacher o&
Engli#h! All the#e -ear# $hile he i# here1 hi#
#tudent# ha'e been #ending hi% diJerent
boo4# and ne$#paper# in Engli#h! Toda- he i#
e#peciall- happ- to ha'e a chance to practice
hi# Engli#h $ith #uch i%portant gue#t# a# -ou
areD Al#o1 he ha# read about -our organi2ation
and 'olunteer# a# a teacher here teaching our
pri#oner# Engli#hDG Rotarian Ru2hdi ru#hed to
a#4 a Hue#tion1 CPlea#e1 tell u# $h- :ra $a#
gi'en #uch a long ter% in pri#onKG
C"e had a ?ght $ith the #chool principal at
the #chool $here he $or4ed! :ra pu#hed hi%
and he hit a #harp corner $ith hi# head died
be&ore the a%bulance arri'ed! 3ut let u# not
thin4 about the #ad and li#ten to the
per&or%ance o& the local talent#D The
Rotarian# #tarted clapping and the hall $a#
?lled $ith the #ound# o& the guitar and
accordion! :ra #tarted #inging1
CThi# i# no$ %- ho%e! The#e are no$ %-
&riend#! II% #orr- %u% but I $ill onl- #ee -our
ho%e in t$ent- -ear#! T$ent- -ear# i# the
#tor-! ;u%1 itI# #ad but $e $ill be apart &or
t$ent- -ear#G!
The #ad %elod- #topped and the %u#ician#
per&or%ed a &e$ %ore Ru##ian &ol4 #ong#
$hich $ere 'er- %uch li4ed b- the gue#t#! The
#ound# o& %u#ic #topped and the go'ernor
#aid loudl-1 CAnd no$ I $ould li4e to in'ite
e'er-one to ha'e #o%e tea! Al#o1 our
%u#ician# plea#e Loin u# at the table #o the
gue#t can a#4 -ou #o%e Hue#tion#!
E'er-one #at at the big round table decorated
$ith beauti&ull- car'ed orna%ent on the #ide#!
In ?'e %inute# a #tea%- Ru##ian #a%o'ar and
big painted cup# appeared on the table! Ene
o& the %u#ician# $a# pla-ing accordion!
E'er-one $a# in &e#ti'e %ood!
The pri#oner :ra too4 hi# chance to practice
Engli#h! S%iling at Ru2hdi he #aid in Engli#h1
CI ha'e read a little about -our organi2ation
$hich organi2ed thi# excur#ion &or -ou! Could
-ou plea#e tell %e $hat thi# organi2ation
doe#K It i# 'er- intere#ting to 4no$G!
Pouring hi%#el& another cup o& tea1 Ru2hdi
#hared hi# #tor-!
D24 I ,. G2IDG $2 GPA,ID $2 H2@ 48H .HSAF I
,. ,DDIC$D $2 R2$,RHI
2D F@AH 11$8+ 1999 I FA4 $2 B2S21,+ ,F$R $8
@(S( ,A2DG 4I$8 $8 D,$2 C2,AI$I2D FRD .H
C2@D$RH FR2. 100 H,RS 2F 2CC@P,$I2D+ F@S$ $2
FIDD 2@$ $8 F,$ 2F .H P,RD$S ,DD SIS$R
D@RIDG ' .2D$8S of GD2CIDI,A 4,R( I DIDD:$
BD24 IF $8H 4R ,AI1 2R D,D(
.H )IGGS$ S@RPRIS ID .H 82.$24D 2F
GF,B21, 4,S $8,$ 1D AI$$A C8IADRD D4
,)2@$ $8 R2$,RH( I C2@ADD:$ )AI1 48,$ I
4,S 8,RIDG( S22D I F2@DD $8 R,S2DI $8
FIRS$ 8@.,DI$,RI,D C2D12H 4I$8 F22D+ S8A$R+
.DIC,A+ 8HGDIC S@PPAIS $8,$ D$RD .H
$24D ,F$R 90 D,HS 2F C2.PA$ IS2A,$I2D
FR2. $8 42RAD 4,S , R2$,RH ID$RD,$I2D,A
C2D12H( FR2. $8,$ D,H I ,. ID A21 4I$8 R2$,RH
)C,@S I S,4 R2$,RH ID R,A ,C$I2D(
I am ver" fort*nate to have international ties to
Rotar"( $he 6rst Rotar" Cl*b in Bosova was fo*nded
on F*ne &0th+ /000( I am honored to be the fo*nder
of the Rotar" in Bosova(
Bosova also is the birthplace of a person that
epitomi5ed Service ,bove Self+ .other $heresa(
.other $heresa was ,lbanian from Bosova(She
be!an the .issionaries of Charit" in 19J0+ with a
mission to care for+ in her own words+ "the h*n!r"+
the na0ed+ the homeless+ the crippled+ the blind+ the
lepers+ all those people who feel *nwanted+ *nloved+
*ncared for thro*!ho*t societ"+ people that have
become a b*rden to the societ" and are sh*nned b"
ever"one("
In man" wa"s+ the mission of .other $heresa is
similar to the !oals of Rotar" International( 4e strive
to help those in need+ ph"sicall"+ mentall" and
spirit*all"( $he eCorts of RI have to*ched the lives of
millions in the world that are less fort*nate(
Ai0e .other $heresa+ Rotar"+ places the needs of
others ahead of itself( She bro*!ht others to!ether
as one to help those less fort*nate( I thin0 she was a
perfect Rotarian(
"ere the Rotarian Ni#chal &riend o& hi% $ent
on to add #o%e about Ru2hdi:
"8e in F*ne of "ear /000+ when his co*ntr" was still
healin! the war wo*nds from Serbian forces+ went
bac0 to his cit" where he was born+ G?a0ove
7Bosova9+ with one !oal+ to establish the 6rst Rotar"
Cl*b in Bosova%Rotar" Cl*b of G?a0ova(
$his s*ccess was preceded b" man" months of
lobb"ist and informative wor0 activities with his
fellow G?a0ova residents and witho*t leavin! aside
constant contacts with o3cers of the Rotar" Cl*bs
ever"where in the world+ especiall" in the @S, to
s*pport this initiative(
8e fo*nded and served as President of the Rotar"
Cl*b of G?a0ova+ Bosova+ the 6rst Rotar" Cl*b in
Bosova from /000 to /00K+ and was named 8onorar"
President for Aife of the G?a0ova Rotar" Cl*b( 8e also
has served as President of the 4arren+ P, Rotar"
Cl*b+ /010%/011(
D*rin! his "ears of service to Rotar"+ )a0alli has
embraced the international aspect of Rotar"( 8e has
spo0en to Rotar" Cl*bs+ both International" and
within the @nited States+ abo*t the fo*ndin! and
charterin! of new cl*bs in Bosova( 8e also has been
instr*mental in leadin! eCorts to brin! international
h*manitarian aid to need" families+ children and
co*ntries( 8is eCorts helped in brin!in! food+
s*pplies+ clothin!+ medical s*pplies and eL*ipment+
6re tr*c0s+ amb*lances and other aid to those in
need( D*e to his and fellow Bosova Rotarians wor0
toda" Rotar" of Bosova has 11 Chartered Rotar"
Cl*bs and F*ne &0th+ /000 the fo*ndin! da" of
Rotar" Cl*b of G?a0ova is celebrated as Rotar" Da" of
Bosova(
R*5hdi has met with Rotar" International Presidents
and directors to contin*e his international mission(
In /00K he met with President )ill Clinton+ honorin!
him as 8onorar" .ember of Aife of the Rotar" Cl*b of
G?a0ova( 2n F*l" Jth+ /010+ R*5hdi honored the
Former Prime .inister of Great )ritain+ $on" )lair
and President of Rep*blic of Bosova+ .r( Fatmir
Se?di*+ as 8onorar" .embers for Aife of Rotar" Cl*b
of G?a0ova(
R*5hdi has honored two Rotar" International
Presidents+ .r( Fran0 Devl"n+ the 6rst RI President to
formall" reco!ni5e Rotar" in Bosova and .r( 4ilfrid
4il0inson who was the First President to o3ciall"
reco!ni5e Rep*blic of Bosova in Rotar" International
as 8onorar" .embers for Aife of Rotar" Cl*b of
G?a0ova(
D*rin! his term as President of the Rotar" Cl*b of
4arren+ P,+ )a0alli lead eCorts that more than
do*bled the membership( $he cl*b also achieved a
n*mber of 6rst *nder his leadership+ incl*din!I
reachin! the Rotar" Fo*ndation !oal of M100 per
member donationN RI Presidential Citation ,wardN
fo*r District ,wardsN created cl*b web+ faceboo0 and
twitter pa!esN ind*cted fo*r new Pa*l 8arris fellowsN
and participated in n*mero*s comm*nit" and
international pro?ects( D*rin! his term Rotar"
International President 4ilfrid 4il0inson was
honored as 8onorar" .ember for Aife of Rotar" Cl*b
of 4arren( R*5hdi is a .a?or Donor and .ember of
Pa*l 8arris Societ"( R*5hdi *ntil now has personall"
sponsored more then 1/J new Rotar" members(
2n F*ne /;th /01& R*5hdi honored .r( Gar" C(B(
8*an!+ Rotar" International President /01'%/01J as
8onorar" .ember for Aife of Rotar" Cl*bs of 4arren
and G?a0ova(
C*rrentl"+ District Governor R*5hdi )a0alli resides in
4arren+ Pa( with his wife ,6?ete+ who is also a
Rotarian(+ for his achieved s*ccesses as a devoted
Rotarian alon! s*pport from his Rotar" friends had
and has !reat s*pport from his famil" too+ especiall"
from his wife ,6?ete who is also a member of Rotar"
Cl*b of 4arren and P8FOK( $his e-ample proves
a!ain the famo*s sa"in!= behind a s*ccessf*l man
alwa"s is a !reat wife=P(
2n /nd ,*!*st /00/ arran!ed in !reat cooperation
with )arr" Bressin!er the donation of J dial"sis
eL*ipments to G?a0ova 8ospital from RC
Aa*nceston+@B(
&1st December /00J # RC G?a0ova donates aid in
food s*pplies and clothin! to poor people at
<Slovenian 1illa!e= in G?a0ova for Dew Hear 8olida"(
From &0th F*l" to 'th ,*!*st for a visit came a
dele!ation from D%1/90 and bro*!ht a complete a*to
amb*lance for .ain Famil" 8ealth Center in G?a0ova(
From /nd to Eth Dovember /00E another dele!ation
from D%1/90 came for a visit brin!in! another
complete a*to amb*lance for .F8C( 4ith this
dele!ation came DG Governor Graham 8ic0man(
&1st December /00E arran!ed donation of J0 *ros
each to &J orphans from G?a0ova+ a donation from
RC Aeip5i!+ German"(
2n 1;th 2ctober /00; arran!ed a bi! 8*manitarian
Convo" from @B incl*din! a*to amb*lance+ .obile
S*r!er" Room+ 6re tr*c0+ s*ppl" van and ;(J ton
tr*c0 with medical eL*ipments for hospital( $he
minim*m val*e of this convo" was 1J0(000 *ros(
2n ,pril /00K *sin! a matchin! !rant with District
1/90 from Great )ritain delivered a complete new
emer!enc" room at .ain Famil" 8ealth Center in
Rahovec+ Bosova(
2n September /00K a bi! h*manitarian convo" from
!reat )ritain for Bosova and ,lbania with 6retr*c0s+
amb*lances and other medical and 6re6!hters
s*pplies and eL*ipment(
2n ,*!*st /009 or!ani5ed a convo" of aid from
Great )ritain for 8,DDIB2S 7DG2 for handicapped
people9 in G?a0ova+ incl*din! two special minib*ses
and other eL*ipment(
2n September /010 delivered /10 des0top
comp*ters to ; elementar" and hi!h schools in
G?a0ova *sin! a RF .atchin! Grant("
No$ Ru2hdi #tarted tal4ing:
"In the Ai!ht @p Rotar" Hear I am servin! as District
Governor of 4estern Penns"lvania District ;/K0( It is
an honor and privile!e to be able to serve as District
Governor( I pled!e to serve in the tr*e spirit of
Rotar"I tr*thf*ll"+ fairl"+ and to b*ild !oodwill and
friendship amon! all that we meet(
$his "ear I am !oin! to complete three pro?ectsI
4e are !oin! to help the lementar" School
<Belmend Ri5vanolli= in G?a0ova+ Rep*blic of Bosova(
$his school was b*ild in September /01& b" the
Ri5vanolli famil" tr*st(
lementar" School " Belmend Ri5vanolli " in G?a0ova +
was b*ilt b" the Ri5vanolli and B*sari famil" tr*sts
and be!an operations in September of /01& ((
$he school b*ildin! has an area of abo*t 1E+EK' SF
with 10 classrooms and other s*pport facilities( It
provides ed*cation for JJ; st*dents 7from !rades 1%
J9 with /& classes+ /' teachers+ director+
administrative emplo"ees + and J technical % service
emplo"ees
Its needs are simple
Pro?ectors 710+ one for each classroom9
Pro?ection screens 710+ one for each classroom9
%Des0tops 710+ one for each classroom9
Photocop" machine
Aoc0ers for classroom 71/+ one for each classroom+
librar" and cabinet of technolo!"9
Pro?ection screens 710+ one for each classroom9
$eachin! tools for diCerent s*b?ect 7.ath+ .an and
nat*re + !eo!raphical maps + historical maps+
m*sical instr*ments+ etc(9
In o*r District we are !oin! to help the 4arren
Pro?ect < Free )oo0s for Bids=( $his or!ani5ation has
!iven awa" more than 10+000 free boo0s for need"
children(
<Don:t .eth with @s= is another pro?ect that is !oin!
to be part of DG Pro?ect(
$he Don:t .eth 4ith @s pro?ect is eas" and f*n to
do+ it involves !oin! into the Jth !rades and !ivin! a
presentation abo*t the conseL*ences of
e-perimentin! with .eth in abo*t '0 min*tes( ,ll of
the Jth !raders in each elementar" school are
assembled in one room( In addition to the
presentation+ the" are !iven a t%shirt+ wristband
pled!e card and a pencil with a web site on it( $hese
items cost abo*t ME(00 per child(
$his pro?ect will not onl" chan!e "o*r comm*nit" b*t
it will help chan!e the world( 4hat a wonderf*l
opport*nit" for o*r District to ma0e s*ch a h*!e
diCerence( I believe this pro?ect will help b*ild
stron!er+ lar!er cl*bs as the p*blic sees what we are
doin! and will want to be a part of it( Rotar" cl*bs
across the @S,+ Canada+ ,*stralia and other
co*ntries are now doin! this( It is time for *s to ?oin
in( It will bene6t *s all(
." plans are to dedicate m" life to Rotar" and to
serve Rotar" in ever" wa" that is needed("
:ra li#tened the #tor- attenti'el- till the end1
#hoo4 hand# $ith the Rotarian and &ounder o&
the ?r#t Rotar- Club in 8o#o'o! It $a# a big
honor! The interpreter I'an $ho $a# #tanding
nearb- didnIt help to tran#late the #tor-! Enl-
the go'ernor and other %e%ber# o& the E'er
T$ent- band didnIt under#tand an-thing but
:ra pro%i#ed to tell the% $hat he heard &ro%
Ru2hdi 3a4alli!
The Sa%o'ar $a# al%o#t e%pt-! E'er-one $a#
?ni#hing their hone-/ca4e# and at the end o&
the excur#ion the International Ser'ice Chair
;adhu%ita decided to tell about her#el&!
I came to 0now abo*t Rotar" from m" .other who
was in Inner4heel and I ?oined Rotaract in 199/ and
?oined Rotar" in 1999 I did road constr*ction in
8anspahari villa!e of )an0*ra District+ 4est )en!al
state+ EJ toilets in EJ tribal homes+ comp*ter centre
for "o*th % all this *nder .atchin! !rant Pro?ect with
RID 11/0+ @B( I did I2A pro?ect with RC Copenha!en(
I did 1EJ Sanitar" toilets and t*bewells with RID
J1;0+ /J Comp*ters with RID J1;0+ @S,+ $ribal
childrens literac" pro?ect with RID J1;0+ @S,+ RC
8insdale .ornin! Cl*b+ Chica!o+ @S,+ I did micro
credit pro?ect for /J/ women with RID J1;0+ @S,
Rotaract is a !reat movement b*t *nfort*natel" in
RID &/91+ its not doin! too well I am ver" passionate
abo*t Rotar" and I intend to contin*e servin! the
societ"( I speciall" want to concentrate on Aiterac"(
A# a #ign o& gratitude &or that plea#ant
co%%unication and acHuaintance :ra #ang the
&oreign #ong Fe#terda- b- the 3eatle#!
+inall-1 the gue#t# a#4ed to ta4e a group
photo in %e%or- o& the %eeting!
The pri#oner $ho $a# pla-ing the accordion
'olunteered to be the photographer! E'er-one
lined up on the #tage and the photographer
pre##ed the button #a-ing CAchtungDG in
,er%an!
Chapter M: Thin41 I %u#t Loin Rotar-
It $a# alread- dar4 and chill- out#ide! The
blac4 <ol4#$agen $ith the Rotar- #tic4er $a#
expecting the gue#t# out#ide near the huge
&ence!
The Rotarian# $ent out#ide! The cold air
$rapped the $all# o& the pri#on! No$ that
building $a# #in4ing in the dar4ne## o& the
upco%ing night! Enl- the road to the gate#
$a# lightened and in place# one could #ee
barbed $ire!
The go'ernor Peter $ho $a# acco%pan-ing
the% #eriou#l- #tarted to con#ider 'i#it the
local Rotar- club $ith hi# $i&e and po##ibl-
Loining that organi2ation $ith the help o&
$hich he could #ee the #tructure o& pri#on# in
other countrie#!
I a% happ- to %eet -ou and to #ho$ -ou ho$
thi# in#titution $or4#! I $i#h -ou all the be#t
and hope to #ee -ou in the &utureD
Sa-ing good b-e the Rotarian# ga'e the
go'ernor Rotar- pin# and $i#hed hi# $i&e #oon
reco'ering! The <ol42$agen turned on the
light# and too4 the gue#t# out#ide the
territor- o& pri#on No! 33!
En their $a- to the hotel the interpreter I'an
$ho $a# acco%pan-ing the group &or the
$hole excur#ion #aid that he $ould li4e to
hear a #tor- &ro% ;arite# <! Pantua a# #he
ha#nIt #hared her #tor- -et!
The bu# $ent on the bridge o'er the Angara
ri'er! The hotel $a# #till .* %inute# a$a-!
Reco'ering her %e%orie# about Rotar-1
;arite# #hared her #tor-!
I was 6rst introd*ced to Rotar" in /00K( $he one who
introd*ced me to Rotar" was Past President A*men
Gome5( ,fter that+ I !ot active with Rotar" activities(
It was then that I reali5ed the f*l6llment in !ivin!
service( )ein! with Rotar" consists of treas*red
moments and val*able *nsel6sh service(
For m" term as president+ o*r most important
pro?ect is the <Ai!ht a )o-=( $his is !ivin! o*t of
Rotar" )o-es with livelihood opport*nities inside(
Some bo-es contain start%*p 0its for livelihood
opport*nities for the poor( Some have mone" inside
as start%*p capital for the need"(
<Aivelihood Ai!ht 7Ilaw Pan!0ab*ha"an9= is the
development of livelihood pro?ectsQentreprene*rship
opport*nities( Rotar" Cl*b Aos )anos .a0ilin!
.embers are sharin! their e-pertise in order to
create livelihood pro?ects+ thereb" !eneratin! ?obs+
,nother interestin! pro?ect is the <Ai!ht *p ,dopted
Schools=( D*rin! the start of the school "ear+ we
donated old boo0s and ma!a5ines at Daniw
lementar" School( For Paciano Ri5al lementar"
School+ we !ive o*t te-tboo0s for the n!lish and
.athematics s*b?ects(
<)est Class 4ater Pro?ect= is the settin! *p of water
fa*cets for p*blic school st*dents(
<Small ,cts of Bindness 7S,B9= is a pro?ect for
children in honin! them to doin! small acts of
0indness in their dail" life( .od*les incl*de+
Immersion Sessions+ S,B ,ctivities and 8ealin!(
." f*t*re plans for bein! with Rotar" is to be of
service for as lon! as I have the ener!"( I will
contin*e sharin! m" talent+ treas*re and time(
That da- helped the group learn a lot %ore
about each other becau#e the- all #hared their
#torie#! The unu#ual #tor- and #uch
i%pre##ion# #ta-ed in the %e%or- o& each
participant!
The bu# entered the par4ing lot o& the hotel1 a
door%an opened the door and #lightl- tired
Rotarian# #a-ing good b-e to the interpreter
$ent to their roo%# to ha'e a re#t!
;ean$hile1 people in the cell No! 7 didnIt
$ant to &all a#leep but li#tened to the 'i'id
#tor- b- :ra $ho #hared $hat Ru2hdi1 the
&ounder o& Rotar- Club in 8o#o'o1 told hi%
about! So%e o& the% a#4ed1 C:ra1 did the-
li4e our pri#onKG CThe- certainl- li4ed the
excur#ion and the per&or%ance but I donIt
thin4 the- $i#hed the- could #ta- here
longerDG The cell ?lled $ith laughter! :ra
added in conclu#ion1 CItI# great to do the
goodG!
T o be continued