Rotary International District 9102 held its 6th District Training Assembly and Conference (DTAC) in Accra from the 23rd April to 27th April 2019 at the Accra International Conference Centre with over seven hundred Rotarians and guests from Ghana, Togo, Niger, Benin, USA, Canada, Ivory Coast, Liberia and Kenya.

District training assembly and conference is an avenue to prepare incoming club officers, committee chairs and other clubs leaders for the year in office; provide learning opportunities for club members in general and members new to Rotary to learn more about what is happening in our district and rotary international. Club leaders also have the opportunity to meet district leaders (i.e.) district governor-elect, incoming assistant governors and district committees) who will support club projects and activities. It lastly provides an opportunity for networking, listening to inspirational address and discussions of Rotary related matters.

Rotary District 9102 DTAC (Accra 2019) commenced with the successful training of selected Rotary officer on the Tuesday 23rd and Wednesday 24th April. The training assembly for all Rotarians was held on Thursday 25th April and ended with a welcome cocktail by the District Governor Jeffrey Afful in the

evening at the lawns of Accra International Conference Centre. In attendance was the Rotary International President’s Special Representative, Geeta Manek from the Rotary Club of Muthaiga in Kenya.

The colourful flag ceremony got participants all excited and enthusiastic after the Conference Chairman, Past District Governor Maurice Edorh, opened the conference on Friday 26th April. As the District Governor Jeffrey Afful threw more light on the state of the affairs in the District - clubs in the district had undertaken service projects with an estimated value of US$2.5 million mainly in the areas of disease prevention and treatment, maternal and child health, water and sanitation, basic education, and literacy and economic and community development - he urged Rotarians in the District to make teamwork and sense of direction and purpose their hallmark.

The Rotary International President’s Special Representative, Geeta Manek also has lauded Ghana for its contributions towards the development of the African continent. According to her, Ghana “is special to all Africans” and that the country serves as inspiration for Africa and by extension the Rotarians of Africa.

Past District Governor Geeta Manek indicated that Ghana had produced distinguished individuals, including Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who she described as inspiring the freedom of the African continent. She encouraged Rotarians to continue to engage in voluntary and humanitarian works that impact the lives of underprivileged in the society.

Rotary, she pointed out, was founded on the principles of helping the needy and vulnerable ones in society. “So let us have the courage to do more. Let us be the change we want to see, let us add our humble little drop in the ocean of service.” She said.

Speaking on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the Senior Minister, Honourable Yaw Osafo-Maafo, commended Rotary for its impressive voluntary works in Ghana and beyond. Rotary’s impressive contribution could be felt in every corner of the country because of the many lives that had been transformed by Rotary’s dedication and benevolence. He accentuated that the spirit of volunteerism within Rotary were the very ingredients the country needed to transform its development.

Mr Osafo-Maafo stated that if fifty percent of the country’s population were Rotarians, Ghana would have developed far better than it is now. He ended by applauding the leadership of Rotary for selecting the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC) as a finalist for a Rotary Peace Centre in Africa, explaining that establishing this would go a long way to preserve the legacy of Kofi Annan, the late United Nations Secretary-General, and his contributions towards peace building in the world.

That Friday, The Rotary Foundation held a luncheon to celebrate the achievements of the Rotarians who had contributed to the foundation with the Deputy Chief of Staff, Francis Asenso Boakye, a former Rotary ambassadorial scholar delivering a keynote address. He recalled his humble beginnings from Bantama to the Presidency and noted that the timeless virtues and values his Rotary experience instilled in him – integrity, service, compassion, and dedication - continue to serve him well in his current role,”

Participants at the conference also enjoyed an exhilarating performance from Nana Asaase and a panel discussion on inspiration by Erica Tandoh (DJ Switch); Christina Dadzie, (founder of Ahaspora) and Emmanuel Annobil (2018 MTN Heroes of Change Winner). The day was not finished till the host country Ghana had entertained participants and guests from other countries to an evening of refreshments and music.

The last day of the conference was crowned with a dinner dance event at the Gold Coast Kempinski Hotel where for the first annual district awards was held.

Rotary International brings together a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. Rotary connects 1.2 million members of more than 34,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographical areas. Their work impacts lives at both the local and international levels, from helping families in need in their own communities to working toward a polio-free world.