ROTARACTION ISSUE 08 CYPRUS ROTARACT NEWSLETTER. District 2452 Armenia Bahrain Cyprus Georgia Jordan Lebanon Palestine Sudan United Arab Emirates

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1 SEASON ISSUE 08 ROTARACTION CYPRUS ROTARACT NEWSLETTER District 2452 Armenia Bahrain Cyprus Georgia Jordan Lebanon Palestine Sudan United Arab Emirates

2 SEASON ISSUE 08 ROTARACTION CYPRUS ROTARACT NEWSLETTER The Team DRR: Vincent Fayad PDRR: Elena Aroti Greeting Fellow Rotaractors It is with great pleasure that I have this opportunity as the Vice District Rotaract Representative of Cyprus to write this few words for my fellow Rotaractors. When I have first joined Rotaract, It felt like walking into an unknown world as human beings we often don t have the courage to realize the realities of our times, which are indeed cruel and very un pleasant. Cyprus VDRR: Kyriacos Christofides christofidisk@me.com Cyprus PR Coordinator Chief Editor: Hannah Mortaga hannahmortaga@gmail.com Creative Advisor Mishel Fayad contact@mishelfayad.com Editorial We are delighted to present the third issue of ROTARACTION for the Rotaract Year, In this issue, meet Cyprus VDRR, Kyriacos Christofides, find out more about Bahrain and Rotaract in Bahrain, and review the November events of all Rotaract clubs and more. Here we would like to give special thanks to Charis Michael for the did you know section. We hope you enjoy reading! Since the time I have joined two and a half years ago,the time flew by, meeting after meeting, event after event and that nice calendar application on my phone seized to be decorative and actually served its purpose! In Rotaract you are always thinking, about people who lack the basic necessities of life, such us not enough food to eat, lac of basic health care and basic education. Taking into consideration the above, I feel that Rotaract is the beacon for bringing people like you and me together to work as one towards projects with common goals. With such great cause you forget about being tired, travelling from city to city straight after from work. The anticipation of time which I will sit with my fellow Rotaractors and plan ahead - plan the future is simply exhilarating. With such busy schedule for almost every Rotaractor, we often forget to allow some time for us to reflect our actions, how those impacted our local communities, how did Rotaract changed us to better persons. It has been a struggle for some clubs but each club, president, board and Rotaractor is never alone. Knowing that I am a part of such an immerse network of young professionals exhilarates me and pushes me to go further, be part of greater projects. I would like you to take a moment and think how many experiences, acquaintances and ROTARACTION ISSUE 08 2

3 knowledge you have gained out this organization, we even have numerous instances that found true love through Rotaract (myself included). I believe that Rotaract is bringing together GOOD people with same mind-set sharing the same vision. It is not a coincidence that Paul Harris, when he began Rotary a century ago, decided for everyone to be called with their first name, the reason is simple. In Rotary and Rotaract we are all friends. Age does not matter, old or young Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors or Innerwheel. Let s not forget that the purpose of Rotaract and Rotary in general is to bring GOOD people together for a GOOD cause. I would like to push every Rotaractor in Cyprus to be a ROTARACTOR and not just a Rotaract Members, in Rotaract we play hard and we want our actions to be sound and effective. I would like to thank every single one of you for helping me help others. Kyriacos Christofides Vice District Rotaract Representative Did you know? 1Rotary members have persevered in the fight for Polio since 1979 and have now helped eradicate polio in all but three countries worldwide. 2Rotary s name came from the group s early practice of rotating meetings among the offices of each member. 3You can buy Rotary products at 3 ISSUE 08 ROTARACTION

4 Celebrating Bahrain Bahrain s uniqueness relates to its longstanding past, natural resources and multicultural society. Home to the long praised civilization of Dilmun, the Bahrain archipelago has always been assimilated with an earthly paradise and a vigorous market place. Its lustrous gardens, abundant water and exquisite pearls have always captured the attentions of travelers throughout time. Manama, the capital, is a city of multilingual people, different colour faces, fascinating architecture, transparent heritage and engaging culture. Cities that aren t blessed with culture will have no luck with tourism either. Only a city with culture can explain itself, interest others and change over time. Bahrain is an Arabic word meaning two seas, which refers to the island s twin sources of water: the surrounding Arabian Gulf and the nation s fresh springs. Since ancient times, Bahrain has been a key trading hub in the Arabian Gulf. Home to a cosmopolitan mix of nationalities and faiths, the country is a major financial and business centre, as well as a growing tourist destination. Small but memorable. Bahrain is the smallest Arab state, with a population of 1.05 million within an area of 750 km2 Bahrain s civilization dates ROTARACTION ISSUE 08 4

5 back to 4000 years ago, known as the Dilmun civilization Bahraini pearls are amongst the rarest in the world; El Bahrain in Arabic means the two seas referring to the unique phenomenon where fresh water springs burst out in the middle of the Arabian Gulf, creating the natural habitat for the rarest types of natural pearls. without finance through drives and volunteering at different institutes. We have completed our Clothing Drive in collaboration with a local volunteer organization called Helping Hands to guide us to worker camps in different villages where we distributed much needed clothing. Our club was established on 1st January 2013 under the sponsorship of the three Rotary clubs in Bahrain. Rotaract Bahrain is part of the nine countries that make up District We at Rotaract Bahrain strive to be True Partners in Service with our distinguished twins. Our club was established on 1st January 2013 under the sponsorship of the three Rotary clubs in Bahrain, namely Rotary Club of Manama, Rotary Club of Sulmaniya & Rotary Club of Adliya. We currently have 25 active members and there are many young working professionals waiting to join as word of our successes start to spread. We have volunteered at events for orphans and at special needs centers where we only had to provide our time to entertain these beautiful children. Currently we are working on sending aid to the Philippines to help with the Haiyan Typhoon victims in the island of Leyte in partnership with the Rotaract Club of San Juan. We will place drop-off boxes in major malls and supermarkets for donations of food, clothing, and products of personal hygiene. We are also in contact with the Philippine Embassy of Bahrain to arrange for free shipping. Our hope is to have a successful collection and send the aid as soon as possible. As a relatively new club with small capital, we accomplish most of our current projects 5 ISSUE 08 ROTARACTION

6 Rotaract Club Kyrenia Liman Tea Party of Kyrenia Liman Clubs On the 30th of November, we organised a tea party and invited Rotary, Innerwheel and Interact Clubs of Kyrenia Liman. The main aim was to get to know each other better. We Rotaractors join some Rotary meetings but it is not same as to meet in more comfortable places. We decorated the meeting room appropriately to make it feel more comfortable and make everyone feel like home. They were very comfortable and chatted with each other all evening. President Vasviye Baltaci presented all Kyrenia Liman Projects for this term. They all congratulated Rotaractors and promised to support us more. Second-hand Clothes Sale Bazaar On the 9th of November, Saturday, we organised a 2nd hand clothes sale. All members collected used clothes from their families and friends. People love to donate clothes as they get rid of old clothes and at the same time help others in need. We managed to collect a full room of 2nd hand clothes and shoes from all members. We were selling for very cheap prices in old and poor areas including the old town Nicosia and Kyrenia. The money collected from the bazaar will be used to support homeless children. In this way, we supported some of the locals in that area that can t afford to buy normal priced clothes. A famous local newspaper also published us on the first page of their newspaper. ROTARACTION ISSUE 08 6

7 Rotaract Club Nicosia The Concept of Volunteering in Modern Society As part of the ongoing training, education and development of its members and the general public, Rotaract Club of Nicosia organised on 5/11/2013 at the EU House, a Professional Development event titled The Concept of Volunteering in Modern Society. The Commissioner for Volunteering and NGOs, Mr.Yiannis Yiannaki, introduced this newly established position and explained his main duties and responsibilities. Mr Yiannaki also presented the Declaration of the rights and responsibilities of volunteers and voluntary organisations, copies of whichwere handed-out to all participants. Mrs. Nadia Karayianni, board member of the NGO Support Centre and an active volunteer for several years, elaborated on the concept of volunteerism. She presented the Centre s philosophy and their upcoming projects. She shared her own experiences and noted the difficulties NGOs are faced with during the ongoing economic crisis. She further stressed the fact that in the last couple of years Cypriot society has made a remarkable progress in developing volunteerism, but there remain improvements to be made in this respect. The Red Cross Representative, Mr.George Frantzis elaborated on the new strategies they are in the process of implementing in order to modernise and better-organise the Red Cross. He placed emphasis on the importance of cultivating a culture of volunteerism in Cyprus and highlighted the benefits of being a volunteer. Mrs Karayianni and Mr Frantzis expressed their interest in a future cooperation with our Club, which was noted by the Commissioner with pleasure. In the Commissioner s view we, as Rotaractors, have a very important role, as representatives of the new generation and as active members of the society, in effecting a change in this field. In the end, Club President Niovi Georgiades awarded, on behalf of our Club, the Certificates of Appreciation to the speakers and promised that us Rotaractors, will do our best to promote and develop volunteerism in Cyprus. 7 ISSUE 08 ROTARACTION

8 Rotaract Club Nicosia Rotaract Club Of Nicosia 24th Birthday Party On the evening of 15th November, Rotaract Club of Nicosia celebrated its 24th birthday at Ala Ellinika tavern. The fiesta started with a brief video projection which highlighted our Rotaract moments and reminded us all how amazing it is to be a part of this team! The members of our Club, together with our Rotarians, enjoyed a delicious meze dinner and showed off their moves on the dance floor. The highlight of the night was the pinning of our three new members Antonis Kalimeris, Niki Chrysanthou and Yiannis Giannelakis. International Project «One World Cook book» Rotaract Club of Nicosia took part in the International Project One World Cook book organized by the Rotaract Club of Aberdeen. The aim of the project was to raise awareness to high-school students, regarding the importance of preparing food, as nowadays society lacks of time and people hesitate when it comes to cooking. In order to change this, Rotaract Club of Aberdeen has decided to create the One world cooking book, a book full of quick and simple cooking recipes from all over the world. We took part by sending a traditional Cypriot recipe with a short text on Cypriot cuisine and its uniqueness. Our recipe idea was KOUPES (minced meat croquettes), which was supported by a photo as well. For the participation we got a certificate on behalf of Rotaract Club of Aberdeen. Rotaract Club of Aberdeen will publish all the recipes on its blog and on facebook. ROTARACTION ISSUE 08 8

9 Rotaract Club Limassol Amathusia Brainstorming Session Rotaract Limassol Amathusia organized a brainstorming session on Sunday, 1st of December at Delloite offices. It was an excellent way to start the month. We were honored to have Mrs. Christina Covotsou, the Deputy Governor present at the meeting. We had a short introduction of each member, the reason they joined Rotaract and how the story began for each of them. When we were done with the introductions, Mrs. Covotsou told us her story, her experience through Rotaract, meeting Rotaractors from all over the District, Rotaractors that became friends forever. Also she explained not only to us but to two prospective members what is Rotaract really about, beyond the word Rotary and Action. And then our brainstorming session began. Each member had to point out some ideas of how our club can be refreshed in bringing new members, new projects and ideas of teambuilding activities. Overall, we had a great afternoon brainstorming and we look forward to our new projects. 9 ISSUE 08 ROTARACTION

10 Rotaract Club Nicosia Aspelia Cyprus celebration as part of Smaller World As part of the mega twinning project named Smaller World, Rotaract Club Nicosia Aspelia celebrated on November 3th, 2013 the Cyprus month. Smaller World is an international project which aims to increase world understanding among the participating clubs by sharing their culture. The founding clubs of Smaller World are: Rotaract club of Nicosia Aspelia Cyprus, Rotaract club of Alexandria East- Egypt, Rotaract club of Las Americas Guatemala, Rotaract club of Manila Metro- Philippines, and Rotaract club of Moscow East Russia. Among other criteria, the project requires a monthly cultural celebration of each club involved in the project. On November, club members of Smaller World were celebrating Cyprus. For this purpose, Rotaract Club Nicosia Aspelia organized a typical Cypriot Sunday lunch. The Aspelia family gathered at its president s house, and enjoyed a traditional Cypriot lunch. Among other, the lunch included souvlakia, halloumi, Cypriot oven pasta, pastourmas, local beer and Zivania shots! The lunch was accompanied by Cypriot folklore music and traditional dancing. This celebration gave the chance to Aspelians and their guests to spend quality time together and strengthen their bonds in Rotaract. On top, the event was an excellent opportunity to present our Cypriot culture to the rest of the clubs which participate at this project. The halloumi taste and the zivania flavor travelled to Guatemala and Philippines, then reached Egypt and Moscow, and finally travelled back to our beautiful small island! ROTARACTION ISSUE 08 10

11 Rotaract Club Larnaca Kition The Kitions meet the Larnaca Interacts One of the aims of Rotaract Larnaca Kition for this year was to connect and cooperate with both the Interact Club and the Rotary Club Larnaca. The first step was for Rotaractors to meet with Interacts. For those of you that don t know what Interacts are, they are another project of Rotary Club, for young people up to 18 years old. In other words, Interacts are the future Rotaractors. On November the 14th, the Rotaract Club of Larnaca and Interact Club of Larnaca had a joint meeting. This was a chance for members from both clubs to get to know each other and discuss possible cooperation for future projects. The Interacts showed great interest in sharing their skills and were willing to help in any upcoming projects. Dog Shelter Visit and welcomed us warmly. The manager informed us that the shelter is currently taking care of 127 dogs. It is worth saying that the shelter is run by only 2 people and they rely on volunteers. Members brought with them old blankets to be used to keep the dogs warm and some food. The Kitions enjoyed their time walking the dogs (or more specifically, the dogs were walking us), feeding them and cleaning their houses. On 24th of November, Rotaract Larnaca Kition visited the Aradippou Dog Shelter. On our previous meeting, visiting the shelter was voted to be our next fellowship event. The staff of the shelter as well as the manager was thrilled to have us there 11 ISSUE 08 ROTARACTION

12 Rotaract Club Larnaca - Kition Christmas Preparations The Kitions will be organizing a charity Christmas bazaar on the 22nd of December at Finikoudes, Larnaca. The members brainstormed on the meeting on different handmade items that they could do to sell. It was decided that all proceeds will be donated to the Larnaca Association for People with Multiple Sclerosis. The purpose of the association is to provide assistance to people with multiple sclerosis through pharmaceutical and psychological support; to promote new scientific breakthroughs against the disease and to provide counseling to the family members of patients. On the 30th of November, the members met at the premises of the Multiple Sclerosis Association to get creative. With the assistance of some members and friends of the association, we managed to create some artistic inventions of handmade goods. It was a great team building activity that we all enjoyed and we are all looking forward to this event. Having all three generations under one roof was a challenge but the Kitions are always ready for new challenges. On Monday, the 25th of November, all three clubs met for a team building session. Socrates Panayi, Community Service Director, was in charge of organizing interesting team building games. Rotary, Rotaract & Interact under one Roof... We were divided into two groups that included Rotarians, Rotaractors and Interacts and discussed about different problem solving exercises that were given by Socrates. By the end of the session, it was interesting to see how members from each club perceived different issues differently but yet agreed on many subjects. ROTARACTION ISSUE 08 12

13 (festive) A final note It is with warm feelings and thoughts that we end this issue for the year of Christmas time is a special time of the year and love, care, friendship and togetherness make this time even more unique. We hope that 2014 will be filled with great Rotaract projects that will bring out more young professionals and be of assistance to our community. May this Christmas be so special that you never ever feel lonely again and be surrounded by loved ones throughout the year! Have a Great Christmas Time!

14 SEASON ISSUE 08 ROTARACTION CYPRUS ROTARACT NEWSLETTER This is the Official monthly Cyprus Rotaract Newsletter. For any suggestions, ideas or thoughts about the uproming issues, please contact us directly at or