The Rotary Club of Gros-Islet is a dynamic and socially active organization whose members are dedicated to helping solve real-world problems in our communities and creating positive and lasting changes in people’s lives.
It was chartered 25 years ago from the Rotary International Organization and is one of an international community of clubs comprising approximately 1.2 million members worldwide.
Dazzle Magazine got the opportunity to speak with well-known Rotarian, Lenny Cumberbatch, a member of the Rotary Club of Gros-Islet and the current Director of Membership Development for this Rotary calendar year, which runs from July 1, 2018 to July 1, 2019.
In recent years, the club has funded a special-needs playground for children with developmental disabilities, and also contributed to river bank stabilization in Dennery by planting trees along severely eroded river banks in the community.
“The goals of Rotary International include supporting communities and societies, as well as eradicating polio from the face of the earth,” says Lenny. “Every independent club takes on a similar mandate and works toward that goal. We achieve this through assembling a group of like-minded persons from diverse backgrounds who have influence in numerous disciplines within various sectors of the society. We currently boast 50 members,” he added.
Although based in Gros-Islet, the club’s efforts extend far and wide. Citing some of the club’s numerous projects, Lenny said, “The club has organised a Christmas hamper program for distressed communities in the south of the island, reading programs and breakfast feeding programs at primary schools. We purchased a mobile dental chair that is made available at various schools in order to provide free dental services to the students. This project is run in collaboration with the Ministry of Health which provides technical assistance and support. On a regional level, we have been active in the relief efforts in Dominica by helping to revive the fishing industry, which is a major source of income and food for Dominicans.”
Current president of the Rotary Club of Gros-Islet, Lenita Joseph says the club has no plans for slowing down. Members are presently embarking on a legacy project aimed at enhancing the local capacity and skills for manufacturing prosthetics in Saint Lucia. Considering its impressive achievements to date, it’s not difficult to see how the organization has stood the test of time.
“Seeing how one program can have such a huge impact on the lives of people in a community gives you motivation to keep it going. It’s all meant to make your country a better place and being a Rotarian means you are committed to that cause,” says Lenny Cumberbatch.
As the Rotary Club of Gros-Islet continues its mission of establishing life-changing projects in communities around Saint Lucia, you too can join the organization and be an inspiration to others. For enquiries, feel free to contact Lenny Cumberbatch at tel. 1-758-724-6822 or Secretary Trudy O. Glasgow at tel. 1-785-485-9759.
Visit our website at www.rotarygi.org and read some of our recent news bulletins.
