Thank you to the amazing people of Brazil!

Just over a year ago I read a small newspaper article about joining a trip of a lifetime to Brazil through the Rotary. I didn’t know anything about the Rotary at the time but I did know that I wanted to go to Brazil! My initial contact with the organisation was through three members of the Birkenhead Rotary club: David Martin, Ray Thomas & Jill Mackeen . Together they arranged to meet me. They were warm, friendly and immediately put me at ease. Some weeks later I was invited to their Rotary club meeting and again I was warmly welcomed by everyone I met. The speaker at the meeting talked of  Rotary’s continuing work in eradicating polio and I was taken aback – this is an organisation making a real difference to people’s lives – and they wanted to support me in joining the GSE team!

Throughout the last year the support of the Birkenhead club has been phenomenal. They extended the hand of friendship to me and for me this is the essence of Rotary. From the minute we arrived in Brazil we were welcomed as old friends. The same warm welcome that the Birkenhead club had initially shown me was repeated in Belem, Manaus, Rio Branco, Rolim de Moura and Porto Vehlo. Rotarians opened up their homes and lives to us as if were part of their family. They didn’t know us but they willingly gave up their time to be part of our trip and make us feel at home in their country.

Again I was taken aback by the work that Rotary does. We visited Rotary projects in each place we stayed in Brazil. The difference that the Rotary makes could be seen first hand. More powerful even was the feeling that we as part of  Rotary could make a difference to people; we too could extend that hand of friendship. As a team we raised funds for the Abrigo Moacyr Alves orphanage in Manaus – a project that moved all of us. We are committed to helping a project in Rio Branco and hope to leave a valuable legacy of our time in Brazil. And it is this part of the trip that was to be the life changing aspect for me; a part that I had no idea of when I first read about a trip of a lifetime to Brazil.

It has been a privilege to be part of the 2011-2012 GSE team to Brazil.

It is and will continue to be a privilege to be involved in the work of  Rotary.

Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed to make the last year and my trip so special.