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Judith Phiri, Business Reporter

THE Rotary Club of Bulawayo South has been urged to continue giving back to the community and ride on corporate involvement and youth participation.

Speaking on Saturday as guest speaker at the Rotary Club of Bulawayo South induction of Mr Jacob Andreas Nyathi as the club’s president for 2022 to 2023, Ecobank Zimbabwe head of branches and SME banking, Ms Tayesa Banda, said corporate involvement and youth participation were key.

“Rotary cannot operate in a vacuum especially seeing they operate in communities where corporates can be found and the youth are a key grouping in these same communities,” she said.

“The success of Rotary is key to pillars of any community, that is corporate involvement and youth participation,” said Ms Banda presenting on marketing the Rotary brand by leveraging on corporate involvement and youth participation.

She encouraged the club to ride on the wavelength and work together with corporates that are more concerned with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for the betterment of society.

Ms Banda said youth participation was key as the youth were the future lifeblood and their involvement in Rotary would make them carry the vision forward.

“Rotary can benefit from new ideas that come from techno savvy youth programs. These attract a grouping that would otherwise have not participated,” she said.

“The youth are future leaders, hence the foundation of future givers lies with our youth. When we foster a culture of giving from an early age, the future will benefit.”

Ms Banda said network creation not only for the youth but for the Rotary club as well was critical for all future programs.

She said as a volunteer, a student would learn about new job positions or internships that are available through networking and the Rotary had to assist them.

Mr Nyathi, an academic and industrial researcher, was inducted as the Rotary Club of Bulawayo South’s 56th president for 2022 to 2023, taking over from Ms Mercy Patience Moyo.

“As Rotary Club of Bulawayo South working together with other Rotary clubs we will steer the ship forward as we give back to the community. We can only achieve this if we work together,” he said.

Mr Nyathi said there were projects already in the pipeline they were to carry forward and work tirelessly for their fruition.

He said of key was rolling out donations of Tutudesks or lapdesks in rural schools.

“The idea of the Tutudesk or lapdesk is an idea born out of the work of a retired South African professor of education who developed the concept of a lapdesk in response to the fact that a third of school going children in rural and peri-urban schools in South Africa attended lessons without the benefit of classroom desks,” he said.

“In Zimbabwe, the situation in rural schools especially in resettlement areas, the lack of school desks may be much higher than 30 percent.

“Hence, Rotary Club of Bulawayo South we will be implementing this project to help children in rural schools,” added Mr Nyathi.

He said the Tutudesk was very cost effective as each desk costs only US$12 and was long-lasting as it is made from very durable polycarbonate polymer material.

Mr Nyathi said Individuals and corporate organizations could adopt a child or an entire school to provide desks to the needy.

Commenting on some of the projects accomplished last year, outgoing president Ms Moyo said working together with other international Rotary Clubs despite the Covid-19 pandemic they managed pay fees for 20 Vulindlela orphans, sponsor a NUST medical school student and donate over 90 wheelchairs among others.

She said through a global grant, about US$93 800 was availed for Kesari Dam reconstruction, clean water and irrigation scheme.