Rotary trips open eyes – Focus on Youth
By PAUL MORDEN, The Observer
Sarnia's Yasmeen Ibrahim told Rotary Club of Sarnia members Monday how a trip to Ottawa gave her a better appreciation of Canada.
The 16-year-old Northern Collegiate student went to the capital in May with 219 other young people for a Rotary-sponsored Adventure in Citizenship.
"Every day you would end up meeting about 20 different kids from across Canada, which was very cool," Ibrahim said.
They toured museums, visited Parliament, heard presentations from diplomats and attended a citizenship ceremony where they heard stories from some new Canadians.
Ibrahim said it encouraged her to have a conversation with her parents back in Sarnia about their experience coming to Canada from Egypt before she was born.
"I appreciate my country so much more now."
The group also met Governor General David Johnston, and Ibrahim was one of six program participants selected to ask him a question.
Ibrahim said she asked her question in French and, after repeating it several times, discovered her French was better than Johnston's.
"But," she added, "he was very nice."
Ibrahim was one of three young women involved in Rotary youth programs who spoke at the club's weekly meeting.
Tanya Rand, president of Twin Bridges Interact, spoke about the Rotary-sponsored club for youth that provides leadership development and opportunities for community service.
"It's a great way to meet new friends and have a lot of fun," Rand said.
Members volunteer at the Inn of the Good Shepherd, packed Christmas care packages for soldiers serving overseas and raised money at bake sales, car washes and other events.
Mary Crawford, who received this year's Rotary International Ambassador honour at the YMCA Celebration of Youth awards, talked about visiting the Dominican Republic on an Rayjon awareness trip.
"We were shown the faces of absolute poverty," Crawford said, adding it inspired her to want to work to help make the world a better place.
"It makes me very proud of the youth of Lambton County," club president Johnna Johansen said following the presentations.
Most community projects Rotary supports are aimed at helping young people, she said.
"It's very nice to have them come back and tell us how they enjoyed these things."
Source: http://www.theobserver.ca
pmorden@theobserver.ca
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Rotary Club of Sarnia website -
http://www.rotarysarnia.com/
Twin Bridges Interact Club -
http://www.rotarysarnia.com/main/session//ns/33/doc/5
Where is Sarnia, Ontario, Canada?
Sarnia is a city in Southern (Southwestern) Ontario, Canada (city population 71,419, census area population 88,793, in 2006).
It is the largest city on Lake Huron and is located where the upper Great Lakes empty into the St. Clair River. See the map below:
