In Gear | Rotary in Southern New Zealand In Gear - Issue 3 | Page 22
I have been so blessed by
Rotary. If Rotary hadn’t
provided me with that
opportunity when I was
young, there is no way I
would be where I am now ...”
“It’s Susanah – she just has this incredible
ability to engage … I thought, here’s NRG
that does things a little bit differently. These
are people who are the same age, in the
same sector, who are interested, who are in
business, but are also into social enterprise.”
Robbie, who studies alongside Yemen-born
Rotary global grant scholar Sakhr Munassar,
at the National Centre for Peace and Conflict
Studies, began volunteering not just with NRG,
but with Rotaractors at the university, too.
“I’ve had such fun – I’ve made great friends through it.
And, we’ve got a couple of students involved with NRG,
as well, from uni ... and we’re just at the beginning
really – we’re only at the start of the journey.
“What has happened is that, through NRG, I have
really re-engaged with Rotary.”
However, Robbie is urging Rotary to look at ways
of making membership and engagement more
accessible and affordable for younger people,
who are often time poor and short on funds.
“Sometimes Rotary does have to do extra things
to allow young people in.”
And, she says, contrary to the stereotypes, many
students and young workers will more than repay
the allowances made.
“A lot of young people want to serve their communities.
They’re just not sure where to put that … the Uni Crew,
the volunteer sector at the university – huge. They do
so much. They’re constantly posting opportunities …
‘This charity needs this’ … ‘Can someone help with that’.
“You look at Rotaract at the university. They’re just
constantly putting up their hand and saying: ‘I want to
get involved’. And, it’s not in place of socialising, that
becomes their socialising.
“The young people I know – brilliant. Absolutely
brilliant. They have so much potential. They’re doing
things differently, thinking about things differently, but
they need an opportunity, a chance to express that.
“And that’s up to older generations to just step back
and say: ‘Right, how can I support you to do that’.
Because the way young people do and see things
now is going to be different than generations
that have gone before. That happens to every
generation.
“It’s about asking young people what
they want to do and, maybe, it means an
overhaul of the system.
“I think there is a place for how Rotary is
run, but there is also a place for NRG.
There needs to be both, and there just
needs to be a flexibility around
how we structure things.”
Page 22 | In Gear - Rotary in southern New Zealand - District 9980 | www.rotarydistrict9980.org