One of the great things about being a Rotarian is the opportunities you get to help with the development of young people.

Introduction by PP Bruce Mills, Rotary Club of Logan, D9620 and letter by Alfa Bahati, RYTS participant.

One of the great things about being a Rotarian is the opportunities you get to help with the development of young people.

District 9620 runs several youth programmes and my club, the Rotary Club of Logan, sponsored a local young African refugee, Alfa Bahati, to attend the Rotary Youth Transition Seminar (RYTS) in December last year. This week-long camp gives guidance to school-leavers on basic life skills that they will need for their transition from school student to university or the workforce.

The thank you letter we received from Alfa really says it all about the success of the programme and the positive effect it has had upon his life. Alfa spoke to our members at our meeting on 8th March about his experiences at the RYTS camp.

Here is the word version of Alfa's thank you letter to the Rotary Club of Logan, followed by an attachment of the pdf version of the actual letter:

Dear Logan Rotary
It’s funny because you have no idea who I am, but I am the kid that you invested in and helped change my life. My name is Alfa Bahati and I was born in Uganda – East Africa. But I am Congolese. I am telling you this because I want you to understand who I am and how deep you really touched my heart by paying for this camp.
As a kid who came from a country of poverty it’s really rare for someone to just do something kind like what you have done. A week ago, I didn’t have any clue about Rotary clubs but here I am writing a letter to you. Such a sad world, isn’t it?
My experience here has helped me achieve goals that I thought would be impossible. It has opened my eyes to see life through rose glasses.
So, what I’m trying to say is… thank you for this opportunity. It has been a blast of a week and as I share these last moments with my new family, I ask may you please do this for some other kid in Logan because if they experience what I’ve experienced, our youth in Logan will be a whole lot better.
This place has taught me so many life skills and I think every teen must experience it. I’m looking forward to meeting you and telling you more about my experience.
Thank you
Yours, Alfa

"The guest speaker Certificate, presented to Alfa, states that our club will donate sufficient funds on behalf of the speaker to the PolioPlus programme to immunise 16 children against polio. We have done this for years and the Certificates are always well received by guest speakers. Better than a Rotary pen or key ring". says PP Bruce Mills.