SURGEON'S DIARY: Significant events in my year at the helm of Rotary Club

Before I make scathing comments about Rotary, I want to present to my readers an event which made my year as District Governor (DG) a memorable one. This one relates to my visit to Clubs in Mombasa.

To make this episode interesting to my international readers, I have to put some details which my local readers might consider superfluous. I apologise to them in advance.

With this long prelude, I can now embark on the event itself. This proves to many readers, how much Rotary does particularly for the poor people in Kenya and in the developing world in general.

I live in Nairobi Kenya and our popular seaside resort is Mombasa where we as a family have been going at least three times a year,: during Easter, Christmas, New Year and during the children’s long school holiday.

While we had a holiday in Mombasa, we stayed in a five-star hotel; I showered at least twice daily, one in the morning, another in the evening, when getting ready for dinner. Over the many years we patronised the hotel.

I did not realise that 10 kilometres from the hotel, were villages where women had to walk seven kilometres to obtain water.

This was brought home to me when I visited Mombasa as a District Governor in July 1989.

The Rotarians of Mombasa took my wife, Marie, and I to see these villages with an idea of starting a Rotary water project there.

We drove in a four-wheel drive jeep, because the terrain was not suitable for saloon cars. As we drove, we saw young pregnant women, a baby straddled on their shoulders carrying two buckets of water and walking up the hill.

When we reached the main village, a meeting of the residents of the surrounding villages was in session, waiting for us.

I was introduced as the District Governor and I could see the poor, simple folks looking at me expectantly, as if I was the Messiah. A middle-aged woman leader addressed us.

“We cannot get brides for our sons here,” she lamented. As I was wondering why I was being drawn into their matrimonial problems, she added. “Every prospective bride knows that she will have to walk seven kilometres uphill to fetch two buckets of water every morning. If the Rotarians could help us with pipes to connect the water supply from the main road to this place, we will see our sons married and we will be blessed with grandchildren!”

The local Rotarians and I, invoked the help of Rotarians in Canada and applied for a Matching Grant from Rotary Foundation to buy pipes.

The villagers dug trenches and members of the Rotary Club of Mombasa provided the stewardship and supervision of the project.

Come Christmas time and the Mombasa Rotarians took Marie and I to visit the same set of villages again.

There was an air of festivity and villagers were dressed in their best clothes. There were about 5,000 of them.

There were tribal dances going on and African drums were beating. Rotary banners were flying high on rooftops. My job was to open the tap and help a nubile coastal beauty to fill her bucket of water.

There were cheers, ululations and blowing of horns as the villagers saw clean running water for the first time. The lady who had addressed us before gave a speech of thanks and ended by saying. “This is the best Christmas we have had.”

We all Rotarians felt the same. I was made a village elder and presented with a goat. Finally the chief of the village addressed me. “In recognition of your services, the villagers have decided to present you with a bride of your choice from this village.” I looked at Marie and it was obvious that I could not take up that particular offer!

As we drove back, it occurred to me that until I became a Governor, I had not seen the villages which existed within a short distance of my hotel. I had no sight.

Until I approached The Rotary Foundation, I did not have the vision to solve their problem. I remembered the famous words of Helen Keller. She was asked what could be worse than not having sight. “ Having sight but no vision,” she replied. I then realised that Rotary had given me both, the sight and the vision.

Another significant event which marked my DG year was that my inter-country conference, held in Kisumu was the last public function attended by our Foreign Minister,Robert Ouko before he was assassinated.

As Marie and I hosted him at the conference, we could feel his fear, ominously expecting such catastrophe. Despite all that, he made a brilliant speech, full of wit and humour, given ad-lib, keeping his audience spellbound!

To compensate my readers for reminding them of this sad event, I will end this column with a naughty story told by late Vic Browse, Sgt at Arms (SAA) at my District Conference in Nairobi in May, 1990, traditionally held at the end of the Governor’s year in office.

The duty of SAA is to make a witty after-dinner speech, fine Rotarians and collect funds for charity.

Vic was brilliant SAA at our Rotary lunches and I appointed him SAA for my conference. It was at the final banquet on the last day of the conference. It was a grand black tie or national dress event held at the Hilton Hotel.

Most men were dressed in a black jacket and bow-tie, while women, especially the Ugandan ladies had their national costume on. Vic Browse spoke after dinner, in his charming Jewish accent and said: “Usually things are pretty dull and dreary in the Old People’s Home and this Home was no exception. To enliven the atmosphere, a lady resident put a notice on her door saying. “Sh250 on the floor, Sh500 on the couch and Sh1,000 in bed. All residents welcome.’

“Before long, the oldest resident knocked on her door, holding Sh1,000 note. ”So, you want it in bed?’ inquired the lady.

‘No,’ protested the man. ‘Four times on the floor!’ With that remark, Vic brought the house down!