Monday, June 02, 2008 Commitment to Service By Eva Marie T. Gamboa UP Cebu Mass Comm Intern
TRUE to their princinples of service, a civic group composed of young professionals and students hopes give hope to differently-abled children and underprivileged public school students this month.
The Rotaract Club Cebu Fuente –Community Based (RACCF-CB), a division of Rotary in Action or Rotaract, will work with the barangay council and youth officials of Barangay Punta Princesa in Cebu City.
Through their project “Brigada Skwela”, they will be distributing school supplies to some 4,000 students. They will also hold free sign language classes and seminars on deaf awareness, human rights, autism and cancer.
Later this year, they will also work on other projects for the community, including medical, dental and surgical missions, environmental preservation and conservation, education and literacy programs, among others.
RACCF-CB is a junior club of the second largest service organization, Rotary International, and is currently sponsored by the Rotary Club of Cebu Fuente.
It is a service-oriented club of young professionals, college students and youth advocates who volunteer to create worthy programs for the Cebuano Community.
The organization was formed in December 2007 and is presently led by the charter president, Alvin Cloyd Dakis.
Dakis said that their projects are specifically created for marginalized communities, environmental preservation, human rights protection and other advocacies the youth can participate in. Aside from the advocacies that they adopted from their mother club, the RACCF-CB is also involved in advocacy work for the deaf and mute.
“We want to bridge the gap between the deaf and the ones who don’t have a hearing disability... This way, we help prevent the deaf and mute from feeling alienated,” Dakis added.
The RACCF-CB has been actve for only five months, but they bagged major awards during their Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) held at the San Remegio Beach Club last Feb. 29 and during the Rotaract District Conference (DISCON) last May 2 to 4.
They were awarded the Most Outstanding Project and the Most Outstanding RYLAn of Batch 2008.
During their DISCON, they also reaped awards as one of the Outstanding Community Based Clubs, The Most Outstanding Club Service Project for their pilot activity RAC “The Camp: The Rotaract Fellowship Camp 2008”.
They were also recognized by the Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation as an effective partner in service, for allotting all weekends for their mangrove planting activities.
The Rotary Club of Cebu Fuente also awarded RACCF-CB and Dakis a Partner-in-Service Award for leading the club.
“Our members know the meaning of service,” Dakis said, explaining why they are able to work so well.
Although membership in the Rotaract Club is by invitation only, Dakis said they do not have any specific qualifications for aspiring members.
“What we need is your commitment” he said, since their projects are implemented in the community.
He also encouraged people to join Rotaract, saying that their activities are fulfilling and worthwhile.
Aside from the exposure they will get, they will also be able to reach out to children with cancer and autism and be able to help make a difference.
