Have you ever reflected on what truly drives service in Rotaract? What is the true value of service? Do you serve only with your time and money, or do you pour in your heart and soul as well?
Welcome aboard! Did you enjoy the previous edition? While I didn’t receive your feedback, I will still pen this down for you again, because service is about giving without expectation.
The law of love governs Rotaract Service. While we have the freedom to choose whom to serve, we are not given a license to serve our own selfish desires. We are called to love those we serve—not as an obligation, but as a genuine expression of care.
On Thursday, 27th February 2025, while in Arua after my official visit, I met an extraordinary woman—Dede Martha. The Rotaract Club of Arua School of Comprehensive Nursing is mentoring the Interact Club of Springs College, a club in formation. Their focus? Service driven by love.
Dede (Jjaja) Martha, a lonely elderly woman, lives in a small grass-thatched house next to Springs College Secondary School. At 39°C, she has no access to safe water. Imagine the agony of lacking even the most basic needs for a dignified life. Seeing this need, the Interact Club of Springs College initiated a simple but powerful project—fetching at least two twenty-liter jerry cans of water for Dede Martha every day. Within their humble means, they also donated a mattress, having witnessed the poor condition in which she slept. Dede Martha’s reaction was priceless—as if her world had been restored after a long time.
This made me reflect: What truly gives value to our service? For me, it is the moments of relief and joy we bring to others that push me to do more. What is it for you? Is it the smile on the face of the person you serve, or the recognition and awards you receive?
Regardless of our personal motivations, every Rotaractor should carry the conviction to make a positive difference in their neighborhood. There is no justification for a Rotaract Club traveling kilometers away to make a difference while ignoring urgent needs right within their own communities. I challenge us to be attentive and responsive to the needs around us. Let each Rotaractor begin by impacting those in their own household before stepping out to serve the wider community. That is when Rotaract truly begins to make sense to our loved ones.
The law of Rotaract service is rooted in love. You cannot meaningfully serve those you do not love. The vulnerable should have an open pass into our hearts before we even meet them. Their need alone should be reason enough to love and serve them.
Dede Martha’s story and the project by the Interact Club of Springs College reinforced to me that love is the most powerful force capable of transforming hearts and lives.
Are you choosing love as your reason for attending the Rotaract Festival on 15th March 2025, or is it the live band performances that excite you more? Your answer reflects the essence of your service.
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DRR Simeo Ssebukulu
DRR RY 24/25
Rotaract District 9213
