Gertrude Adzo Akpalo walked out of the Allphones Arena in Sydney more inspired than ever to do her part to inject youth and energy into Rotary, helping to secure its future.
"This was by far the best plenary session of the convention," said Akpalo, who is the director of youth activities for the Rotary Club of Accra East, Ghana. "All the speakers on New Generations gave us a clear message that engaging young minds will keep Rotary alive. I'm young myself, so this was the perfect message to take home," she added.
The fourth plenary session, held 4 June, focused on what's ahead for Rotary and featured young speakers who thrived under Rotary's New Generations and educational programs.
Plenary speaker Ramkumar Raju, Rotaract representative for District 3230 in India, played a key role in planning the Presidential New Generations Conference in Chennai in October, which attracted nearly 3,000 attendees and set a Guinness World Record for the world's largest high-five.
"The impact of this project was so huge that there are more than 2,000 new Rotaract members in our district," said Raju. "We wanted to show the world that we are agents of change. I believe we accomplished that."
Ronald S. Kawaddwa told attendees that his work as New Generations chair for District 9211 in Uganda has made him optimistic about what young people can achieve.
A 33-year-old member of the Rotary Club of Kasangati, Kawaddwa said Rotary's future depends on empowering our young members.
"If we are to realize Rotary's road to transformation, [the] new generation's development and empowerment are key," he said. "We cannot achieve sustainable development without addressing our youth and the issues that affect them."
