Service in Action

By Azka Asif, Rotary Service and Engagement Staff

As part of Rotary’s guiding principles and the Avenues of Service, Vocational Service calls on Rotary members to empower others by using their unique skills and expertise to address community needs and help others discover new vocational opportunities and interests. January is Rotary’s Vocational Service Month, a great time to reflect on how the concept of vocational service is implemented in your club and district.

Here are some examples of Rotarians using their expertise to help meet their community’s needs:

• For the past decade, the Rotary Club of Newport Beach Sunrise in the United States has supported a local career center. Club members have been trained to facilitate a series of workshops designed to assist adults re-enter the workforce after experiencing traumas and tragedies in their personal and professional lives. Members coach center attendees on preparing a job application, interview skills, business culture and etiquette, body language in the business environment, goal setting and dressing for success. The final phase of the initiative is a fun filled day of self-esteem building including a colorful graduation, new business attire, haircuts, manicures and massages for all the participants.
• The Rotary Club of Madras Industrial City in India conducted a career guidance workshop for their Interact club to help students discover their interests. The District Vocational Service Chair arranged a half-day interactive session for students to form career goals and plan for their future vocations. A special workshop was conducted for girls and more than 200 students benefited from the project.
• In Nigeria, the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Airfield partnered with a local organization to host a free training program for impoverished people on making handcrafts such as beads, soaps, baking sweets, and repairing computers. At the end of the training, thirteen participants were given grants to start their own businesses.
• The E-Club of Tamar Hong Kong in China organized seminars for youth in their community aimed at teaching them to balance everyday life and a career. Members of the club shared insights on different industries such as travel, jewelry, entertainment, and entrepreneurship. Youth were also taught to write a resume, cover letter and offered suggestions for successful interviews.

Hairdressing student Nassolo Bena (right foreground) helps her teacher braid a girl’s hair, a process that can take hours, during a lesson in Kalisizo, Uganda.

Women work on projects during a tailoring class. The class teaches women a vocational skill, and provides cheap school uniforms and mosquito nets for community members.

Student bakers prepare ingredients as part of the Vocational Training Centre program in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Women hand-stitch shoes at Soul of Africa’s shoe factory in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. 3 April 2006. Soul of Africa is a nonprofit company that trains and employs women from rural KwaZulu-Natal to make shoes, and donates its profits to fund projects that help children and communities affected by AIDS.

Students learn to sew at the Betania trade school in Chinandega, Nicaragua. The school teaches children skills including sewing, metalwork, woodworking, and food preservation.

Read more stories about vocational service and gain inspiration for club and district service projects. Post your club’s vocational service project on Rotary Showcase and join the conversation in My Rotary’s discussion groups. Share your thoughts about vocational service in the comments below!