By: Peter Johnson, PDG
Member, District International Service Committee, RC of Yarmouth
What are Rotary Project Fairs? Hosted locally by district committees, Project Fairs are designed to connect clubs that seek international service projects. Fairs typically last two to three days. Many, if not most, provide you with a chance to visit local service opportunities as well as an extension of your visit with a bit of tourism.
I can speak from personal experience: you will see real estate that you would likely never consider as a vacation spot, be introduced to local Rotarians eager to make a difference, and find instant friendships with other conference attendees from dozens of different states, provinces, and countries. In short, an extremely worthwhile cultural and Rotary experience!
Much being presented are projects seeking international partners and funding for the eventual submission of a Global Grant. You will not be expected to commit to your club during the fair unless that’s already a part of your plan. You will be expected to listen, interact, and consider opportunities of interest. In our experience, many projects take time for the idea, the partners, and the funding to coalesce.
The busiest time of the year is always the first calendar quarter. A quick internet search will bring you to my.rotary.org/en/exchange-ideas/project-fairs. (Must be logged into ClubRunner to access.) You’ll find these opportunities on the schedule:
- Jan 20 Central America (San Salvador)
- Jan 28 Ecuador (Quito)
- Feb 2 Colombia (Barranquilla) (Four District 7780 Rotarians have already registered! If you are interested, contact Emma Bodwell, DISC Chair, at ebodwell@icloud.com for more information.)
- Feb 10 India (Chennai)
- Feb 23 Argentia (Buenos Aires)
- Mar 23 Peru (TBD)
- West Africa (Nigeria) and East Africa (Uganda or Kenya or Tanzania) typically occur in the fall; others will pop up as well.
To find out about each fair, simply do a web search – the fair details will not necessarily be found directly on the RI pages.
CHALLENGE YOUR COMFORT ZONE! THERE IS NOTHING NOT TO LIKE ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE!