The many benefits of joining a Rotaract club

Aarju Gaihre, of the 2014 BBA batch, is one of the go-to persons at Apex College that people think of whenever they are starting an initiative or need an associate to execute their plans. Besides learning leadership skills at Apex, she says she learned to be a thorough professional from her time at the Rotaract Club of Tripureshwor. At Rotaract Tripureshwor, she started out as a member, took on various roles through the years, and is now the club’s president. In this article, she explains how her experience with Rotaract has helped her become a better leader and manager, and she encourages all Apexians to get involved with a youth organization like Rotaract. 

From newbie to managing the club 

I started my Rotaract journey in 2017, when a Rotaract team visited Apex. I was intrigued by the organization and their work, and pretty soon I had signed up to become a Rotarctor. Rotaract clubs gather people 18 and older to enable them to exchange ideas with leaders in the community, develop leadership and professional skills, and work on behalf of their community. Rotaract clubs are run by its members, who plan and carry out the club activities and manage the budget themselves. I am currently the president of Rotaract Tripureshwor, and it is my responsibility to ensure our club is managed properly.

Learning by taking on responsibilities

Through Rotaract, I’ve had the opportunity to experience a host of amazing things: I’ve traveled to different parts of Nepal to experience different cultures and participate in various projects. I’ve organized personal and professional development programs that mentored youths and equipped them with the life skills they will need to achieve their goals. I’ve received training in leadership, time management, project planning, event coordination, public speaking, governance, and much more. I’ve served on local, national, and international committees, helping shape the future of the organization. And I’ve helped develop and implement the public-relation, marketing, and advertising campaigns for my club and district. These are the focus areas of some of the projects that Rotaract is involved in: child and maternal health; disease prevention and eradication; increasing access to clean water; sanitation and hygiene; peace and conflict resolution; protecting the environment.

Leadership training and other benefits 

The opportunity to serve as president has pushed me beyond my limits. Before I joined Rotaract, I used to be terrified of public speaking, or even putting forward my opinion in a meeting. Rotaract has helped me overcome these fears. During my tenure as president, I have gained invaluable people- and project-management skills, and developed the confidence to chair meetings, plan projects, and run training sessions. 

I have also learned how to keep young volunteers motivated and engaged. Rotaract has taught me to lead with empathy and to accord everyone the inherent human dignity that is their birthright–irrespective of their status in society. Furthermore, Rotaract has given me the most amazing network of friends– here at home and in almost every corner of the globe. These wonderful individuals have made my life so much richer. They are passionate and talented, and make a real and tangible difference in the lives of others. We’ve shared many adventures and I look forward to sharing many more. I will be forever grateful to the Rotarians who put their faith in me and gave me the opportunity to test and further develop my skills. Not many people receive opportunities of the sort I have been given. If you’re a young adult aged 18 to 30 and interested in helping others, developing new skills, and having a great time, then Rotaract is for you. Find a Rotaract club and get involved–you won’t regret it.