Members of the Rotary Club of Gaborone travelled to Kanye on 20 November 2021 to hand over a donation of 12 wheelchairs which to Kanye Independent Living Centre (KILC), a registered not-for-profit organisation owned and run by disabled people established to empower its members to achieve independence, self-reliance and community participation.
The Rotary Club, which first started in Chicago in 1905, has a global footprint of over 46,000 clubs, with the Rotary Club of Gaborone taking form in 1972. Rotarians, as club members are known, comprise business professionals who dedicate their time and fields of expertise to help their local communities and as well as the underprivileged.
The Kanye hand-over event was organised by KILC, an organisation premised on the belief that when provided with the necessary tools, people with disabilities can re-direct their own lives while also gaining the dignity and feeling of pride that comes with being in control of one’s life. The Centre promotes and lobbies for integration of people living with disabilities and full participation, which enables them to have the same rights and responsibilities as non-disabled persons. KILC is mainly funded through goodwill by the government, private companies/entities and individuals, as well as the community at large.
The donation to KILC by the Gaborone Rotary is just one of multiple exercises aimed at improving the livelihood of communities across the country. Another project that the Rotary Club will be embarking on as they approach their 50th anniversary is “Donate A Can initiative” during which Rotarians collect and encourage donations of canned goods which are then donated to communities. Last year Rotarians collected and distributed over four tonnes of food but has a higher target this year.
Said the Public Relations Officer Rotary Club of Gaborone, Tony Rees: “The motto of Rotary is Service Above Self and almost each weekend I witness Rotarians giving their time to assist those in need. It brings us great joy to have been able to assist the Kanye community and we look forward to doing even more for others with Donate A Can. Food collected will be distributed to families over Christmas.” Rees is former president of the Rotary Club.
