ROTARACT Clubs bring people together to exchange ideas, develop leadership and professional skills, and have fun through service. In Guyana there are several of these clubs that fall under the internationally recognised brand.
What many don’t know, is that Rotaract stands for “Rotary in Action” and is a global Rotary International sponsored organisation for youths 18 years and older, with a focus on community service, leadership development, and professional skills.
Rotaract members work together to take action through service and are part of a non-profit organisation which has volunteerism at its core.
The Rotaract Club of Georgetown (RCG) is one of six Rotaract Clubs in Guyana that offers this unique opportunity to Guyanese youths. RCG is the oldest Rotaract Club in Guyana and celebrated its 40th anniversary on July 1, 2025.
Recently the Rotaract Club’s President, Kimberly Manbodh, alongside immediate Past-President, Liam Wong, and Vice-President Marissa Ramroop, highlighted the club’s role in creating impact, and opportunities for youth empowerment and development.
They each stated that the Rotaract Club is an outgoing organisation that is action-based, with a focus on not just giving back to the community but also encouraging professional growth and leadership among its members.
The RCG is part of District 730, with a total of 17 other countries, which allows members here to connect with, and learn about other cultures and countries, and build relationships and partnerships with persons outside of Guyana.
Manbodh provided some details about the requirements needed to join Rotaract. Along with being over 18 years old, she explained that “To join, you’re usually referred or hosted by a Rotaractor of that club, or it can be a past member who asked someone to host you on their behalf and then you’re invited to a club meeting. Now, we have two types of meetings monthly, which are our business meeting, which is the first Saturday of every month, and our fellowship meeting, which is the third Saturday of every month.”
“So, that person of interest or that guest would be hosted by a Rotaractor in the club and their journey starts there,” Manbodh said.
She disclosed that there is a criterion that leads to membership, where interested persons have to complete various tasks such as attending a particular number of meetings, participating in club projects and initiatives, and attending meetings and projects of other Rotaract and Rotary Clubs.
As it relates to creating impact, the trio said that in community service, one of the impactful projects undertaken was a back-to-school project in June last year, which saw them adopting a classroom at the Bel Air Primary School, and completely renovating it.
Wong recalled that with permission from the Ministry of Education, RCG was able to remove or replace all the furniture in the classroom, and would have also installed new teaching aids, cleared unwanted debris and obstructions in the classroom, updated bookshelves, installed a lunch kit rack, and made the classroom more modernised.
The teacher’s desk was also replaced, making the classroom more comfortable and conducive to learning.
It was described as one of the RCG’s best projects thus far in the Rotary Year, which begins in June and ends in July of the following year.
Another project mentioned was Beyond Borders: Indigenous Realities, a project led by RCG and the University of Guyana Indigenous Society, where they visited St. Cuthbert’s Mission, and engaged in a cultural exchange, learning about their storytelling, their art, and how they have youth engagement.
In aid of Breast Cancer Awareness last October, they hosted a fundraising activity called, “Cakes for A Cause”. There, survivors of cancer were encouraged to share their stories and experiences in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
The RCG’s focus for this Rotaract year was to directly impact communities through various flagship projects, with the hope of measuring more impact versus outcome.
With this in mind, during Christmas, they hosted a Christmas party for the children in the Sophia Literacy Programme, the RCG’s longest standing community service projects in over 23 years, and visited orphanages around Region Four to spread Christmas cheer and joy.
Coming up, RCG does intend to continue making an impact, and is set to launch a Water Sanitation Project which aims to provide a community, resident, or family with tools to help others in their community to access running water for their farms and help them produce food for their families.
To learn more about the impact the club is making, persons can follow the RCG on Facebook and Instagram.
