From Vision to RealityThe genesis of our club

When our district leadership team undertook a study of Rotary’s presence across various sectors, two significant gaps became evident: the information technology (IT) community and Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs).

The IT sector represented a vibrant generation of professionals, technologists, entrepreneurs and thought leaders. The NRK community, on the other hand, represented a vast pool of talented, accomplished individuals who had carried their aspirations beyond Kerala but had not necessarily found a convenient avenue to associate themselves with Rotary and their roots.

We saw these not merely as gaps in membership, but as opportunities to expand Rotary’s reach and relevance.

Our approach was simple: rather than expecting these communities to come to Rotary, we would take Rotary to them.

We initiated conversations with people from both sectors, explained Rotary’s ideals and demonstrated how its network could provide an avenue for meaningful community service, fellowship and personal growth.

One outcome was the formation of the Rotary Club of Trivandrum Technopark, bringing IT professionals and technology leaders into the Rotary family. It was a conscious effort to make Rotary accessible to a community with immense potential to contribute to society.

Our next destination was the NRK community, particularly Malayalis in the United Arab Emirates, with Dubai emerging as our focal point.

Dubai was an exciting choice. It had transformed itself into a global destination, attracting talent, enterprise and ambition from every corner of the world. Its cosmopolitan character reflected a larger vision: creating an environment where people of diverse nationalities, cultures and professional backgrounds could live, work, prosper and coexist harmoniously.

As I reflected on Dubai’s journey, I began to see striking parallels between the city’s vision and Rotary’s philosophy.

Dubai sought to bring the world’s talent together and provide an environment for it to flourish. Rotary, in its own way, seeks to bring together people of goodwill, unite them in service and inspire them to think beyond their immediate surroundings.

Dubai was bringing the world together through enterprise and opportunity. Rotary was bringing people together through fellowship, compassion and service.

Both recognised the power of diversity and the extraordinary possibilities that emerge when people from different backgrounds unite around a common purpose.

There was another compelling reason to consider Dubai. Many Malayalis had built successful professional and business careers there. They possessed valuable experience, networks and resources, while retaining a deep emotional connection with their homeland. We believed that an appropriate Rotary platform could help channel their collective strengths into meaningful service and help connect them back to their roots.

I had to travel back and forth to Dubai to establish the right connections to nurture the concept of Rotary.

We began by meeting smaller groups of prospective members, sharing our vision and listening to their views. These were not merely recruitment meetings. They were opportunities to understand what Rotary meant to people geographically distant from their home district and how its ideals could be translated into a practical and sustainable club model.

Gradually, a circle of like-minded friends and acquaintances emerged. We eventually shortlisted nearly fifty prospective members and organised a structured, professional presentation to explain Rotary, its values, service opportunities and our vision for the proposed club.

The e-Club model was particularly suited to this purpose. It offered the possibility of combining digital connectivity with the essence of Rotary, with the flexibility of meeting in a hybrid mode, making it a home away from home.

Nearly 200 Rotarians travelled from Kerala to Dubai to attend the grand charter ceremony of the Rotary e-Club of Kerala Global at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City. The glittering event was graced by former Rotary International Director C. Basker, who attended as the chief guest.

No vision, however inspiring, becomes a reality without people willing to believe in it and work towards it.

One Rotarian who stood firmly behind this ambitious initiative was Rtn. PAG Mohammad Shaffeeque of the Rotary Club of Alappuzha. With his professional base in Dubai, he understood the local environment and appreciated the potential of what we were attempting to accomplish. A second-generation Rotarian driven by passion and values, he acted as the fulcrum of the Rotary wheel that rolled from Kerala to Dubai, along with many other friends who formed the synergising cogs of the wheel.

Rtn. Ayyappan, formerly a member of the Rotary Club of Alappuzha, was chosen as Charter President to lay a strong foundation for the club. I am glad that he still continues to be a guardian angel to the Rotary e-Club of Kerala Global. This paved the way for the birth of the first e-Club in Rotary International District 3211.

What began as an exercise to identify underrepresented communities had gradually taken shape as a new Rotary initiative, one that crossed geographical boundaries while remaining rooted in Rotary’s timeless ideals.

For me, this was not simply another addition to the district’s list of clubs. It represented a different way of thinking about Rotary membership, acknowledging the changing nature of professional life, the mobility of people and the opportunities technology offered to bring them together.

Chartering a club was only the beginning. The real test lies in sustaining its spirit, nurturing its membership, developing leaders and translating its founding vision into enduring service.

Like any young institution, the club had its share of ups and downs. There were challenges, moments of uncertainty and periods when the journey was far from smooth. But institutions are not defined by the absence of difficulties; they are defined by how their people respond to them.

Through changing circumstances and occasional turbulence, successive leaders and members continued to paddle the boat forward. Their commitment, perseverance and incremental contributions helped the club navigate its challenges and evolve into what it is today.

I deliberately refrain from listing the names of every individual who contributed to this journey. Their efforts deserve recognition, but the story of the club is ultimately a collective one. Every institution that survives its formative years does so because people, often working quietly and without expectation of recognition, choose to give it their time, energy and faith.

To all those who have contributed to the growth of Rotary e-Club of Kerala Global, I offer my sincere appreciation.

Looking back, I believe the most important lesson from the genesis of Rotary e-Club of Kerala Global is that the growth of Rotary need not always follow familiar routes. Sometimes, growth begins when we recognise who is missing from our fold and have the courage to explore a different way of reaching them.

Rotary’s strength lies not merely in the number of clubs we charter or members we induct. It lies in our ability to bring together people who might otherwise never have met, inspire them with a shared purpose and empower them to make a difference.

Today the Rotary e-Club of Kerala Global is a fraternity within the communities of Dubai. Many of its members could not have built their friendships, or even met, had they not come to the Rotary e-Club of Kerala Global. Like a conductor who synchronises the diverse instruments of an orchestra, we are exhilarated that we could be instrumental in creating such a symphony of friendship and service.

As the District Governor who conceptualised and helped bring this initiative to life, I look back with satisfaction at how a simple question asked in 2017 eventually became an enduring Rotary institution.

After all, leadership is not merely about expanding the boundaries of an organisation. It is about imagining new possibilities, opening doors for others and creating institutions that can outlive the tenure of those who conceived them.

That, to me, is the real story of the genesis of Rotary e-Club of Kerala Global.