“Small but 

highly active”

Projects worth $100,000 in the pipeline 

By staff writer

Helping expecting mums to experience a healthy pregnancy. Preventing breast cancer. Bringing Karate to kids. The new, all-female Rotary board of Zanzibar explains the club’s new projects, vision and strength.

With only 18 or so active members but hundreds of generous supporters collecting yearly more than $30,000 dollars at fundraising events, the Zanzibar Rotary Club is considered a small but “highly active club”, as outgoing chairman Michael Nelson said. And indeed, recognised “as the most diverse club” in East Africa, it administers a total annual budget of around $100,000 to projects and individuals in need. 

But what exactly is supported and how is the outlook of a modern Rotary Club today? Time to sit down with Zanzibar’s new all female Rotary board. 

New club president Bernadette Kirsch is well known to THE FUMBA TIMES readers by her permaculture activities in Fumba.  Secretary Shireen Jivi is owner of the “Simply IT” company; new treasurer Daniela Brenco an Italian-born marketing professional who took over Zanzibar Palace Hotel in Stone Town. 

Recently, three significant new local Rotary initiatives have been launched for women and kids. But smaller activities receive attention, too. A big joy for disabled students, for instance, are regular music lessons with teachers of the Dhow Countries Music Academy (DCMA). 

It is a typical trait of Rotary, that clubs from all over the world help and fund one another. The Rotary club of Zanzibar has been lucky to receive “quite some attention by other clubs”, President Bernadette Kirsch noted. 

Finding money – a problem?

Contrary to what most people may think, “finding funds is not the biggest challenge, but often finding the right projects for willing sponsors”, knows treasurer Daniela Brenco. To start with, “ties to the community” are “all important” to identify where help is really needed, she says. The Rotary Club of Zanzibar has “a strict assessment procedure in place to screen aspiring projects,” explains president Kirsch. Rotary started as the vision of one man – Paul Harris. The attorney formed the Rotary Club of Chicago in 1905 to help people in need through professional expertise. The commitment endures today with 1,2 million members in 35,000 clubs. The name came about because of rotating club meetings in the beginning. The Rotary club of Zanzibar was founded in 2005 – three new projects will be carried out this year. 

Wajamama: Healthy mamas, 

happy babies

Mbweni, a favourite expat hub and suburb of Zanzibar city, is home to many things but also to an unusual women wellness centre for the community. Founded and run by Nafisa Jiddawi, a well-known primary care clinician, the Wajamama centre is assisted by Rotary in a program for pregnant women from vulnerable groups and their babies. The women receive education and personalised care throughout their pregnancies. More than 700 women are expected to benefit from the high-quality prenatal care per year. According to the World Health Organization, the majority of maternal deaths in Zanzibar occur during and immediately after childbirth. “Group prenatal care with fitness programs and clinical visits are essential for healthy deliveries”, says Jiddawi. “We promote healthier pregnancies and, down the road, healthier lives of women and children in a low resource setting.” Wajamama stands for Watoto (children), Jamii (community) and Mama. Founder Nafisa Jiddawi, herself a mother of three, excelled in co-ordinating a massive and speedy response to the Covid pandemic, with education and wash-stations across Zanzibar in 2020.

Why Karate is good for kids

Martial arts such as Karate, Aikido and Judo are a great way to stay fit and healthy, but also teach children important skills such as self-discipline and patience in a fun and healthy environment. The Zanzibar Martial Arts Club is a newly born association, formed in 2020. The community outreach project “Budo for a reason (BORA Project)” was formed by martial arts teacher Vadim Dormidontov who says: “Martial arts is second worldwide after football. We know Zanzibari are very interested in it.” Rotary supports martial arts programs in three schools here.

Helping to prevent breast cancer 

95 per cent of breast cancer is curable when detected early. “In Zanzibar women detect it too late, therefore the mortality is high”, says Dr. Jenny Bouraima. Under her lead a first “breast cancer awareness and early treatment programme” is currently being launched with the help of Zanzibar’s Rotary Club. It involves the teaching of self-examination, setting up recurrent and on-going breast cancer consultations and training of local radiologists and physicians. The awaited Rotary grant of $90,000 will also cover technical equipment for biopsies. “We want to interrupt the vicious circle of late discovery and death”, explains Dr. Bouraima, head of the Urban Care clinic in Fumba Town. An initial pilot study will involve 600 women to establish more data on breast cancer in Zanzibar. 

Rotary – too old fashioned 

for the internet age?

To become “directly and personally involved is very rewarding”, says board member Daniela Brenco. “We are all strongly embedded in our communities”, she adds, “we are not expats in an ivory tower.” Members such as Eleanor Griplas, one of the founders of Rotary Zanzibar and owner of Safari Blue, have set examples for many years with intense community involvement in Zanzibar. Describing Rotary’s involvement in Zanzibar Bernadette Kirsch uses a simple comparison: “We are just like the nice aunt helping a poor family with children, but we are not replacing the parents.” The permaculture expert is set to bring more sustainability to Rotary’s engagement here. 

For a child like Biko Rotary’s help has already shown a lasting effect: The 10-year-old boy has Spina Bifida and is wheelchair bound, no government school in Zanzibar was able to accommodate his extra needs. The club has donated his school fees at the Kiwengwa International School (KINS) for many years and teachers are happy to report: “Biko is a very bright student full of fun and eager to learn.”