Established amidst the COVID-19 pandemic on September 1, 2020, the Rotaract Club of San Francisco is a 2-year-old club sponsored by the Rotary Club of San Francisco. Situated in the community of San Francisco, Agusan del Sur, Mindanao, Philippines, it can be assumed that we are a school-based club because of the high number of our student-member and just 5 out of our 31 members are working professionals. Despite the diversity, mutual respect and synergy has always been a driving force in our group.
Our club worked on different projects. One of these is Project BEADS, an award-winning and income-generating project that has assisted in the learning of the indigenous youth in Borbon, San Francisco. As the saying goes, if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. There are two things that can’t be stolen – our EDUCATION and our SKILLS. Thus, by supporting the education of the Indigenous Youth of Borbon and further developing their skills we ensure that they will be successful. This is a project that have its economic benefits while placing premium on culture and tradition.
Last December, Odette made landfall in several areas in the country including the provinces of Dinagat and Surigao del Norte (which includes Siargao). The extent of the destruction is extreme albeit with fewer casualties. Under the Community Development area of focus, we did an initial community evaluation by visiting the affected barangays and surveying them. Based on the data, it was determined that the most important things they require are food and water, followed by rehabilitation aid.
When it comes to disaster relief efforts, providing hydration to those affected is crucial—whether they’re survivors who escaped with nothing but their lives, volunteers who are working round the clock trying to help others, or first responders who are running from one site of devastation to another. Being able to rejuvenate yourself and your fellow workers is key—that’s why the U.S. Military Survival Manual recommends that soldiers carry at least one liter of water per soldier per day during disaster relief efforts (for example, during a rescue mission).
With this, Rotaract San Francisco’s #CaragaNeedsHelp initiative was able to give and distribute over 10,000 liters of water to victims of Typhoon Odette. We were able to raise 1,214,010.37 php of donations during the entire project and was able to serve 2,134 hot meals, give relief packs to 1,833 families, and provide temporary shelter to 310 families.
As Rotaractors, the World Rotaract Week Celebration is something that we look forward to as a club because during this time we conduct activities for the youth. Last year, we celebrated it with the peace advocates of Kabtaan Kontra Droga at Terorismo, Pointy Agusan del Sur Chapter, 1502 Community Defense Center, 15RCDG and San Francisco Municipal Police Station. We did a Bike Marathon for a Cause, Spreading Peace, Friendship and freedom during World Rotaract Week 2022 (title of the project).
Our road to success was made possible through community assessments and submitting project proposals for review. Aside from the fact that is secures the success of a project, it can also help us utilize the resources that we have. As Rotaractors and volunteers, we sometimes even fund our own projects out of our pockets, club funds or fundraising.
As the IPP of the club, I wish for sustainability in our club. And our vision is to make our plans work. Our plans are limited in getting every Rotaractor in our club involved. Because as we elevate Rotaract, we also need to elevate the commitment that we get from our Rotaractors because after all, a club is nothing without its Rotaractors. Since our club’s inception, it has always been our plan to make sure that the President will be happy while leading the club, where loads are shared across all members.
