(Eleuthera, Bahamas) – The Rotary Club of Eleuthera (RCE), although still a very young organization – officially chartered just six years ago, in April of 2009 – has made waves in that short time, stacking up multiple awards within Rotary International for community initiatives and projects on Eleuthera in the areas of health and wellness, education, literacy, the arts, economic development and more.
Leadership of the Club changed hands officially in June 2015 from Mr. Julian Carey of Tarpum Bay to Mrs. Juanita Pinder of Governor’s Harbour during a formal Changeover fund raising event, hosted at the waterfront restaurant and events pavilion at French Leave in Governor’s Harbour. Mrs. Pinder, in an interview, commented that she would like to continue to build on the successful initiatives currently supported by the Club, and during the coming year to tackle other challenging issues within the communities of Eleuthera in ways that would have a significant and lasting impact.
Mrs. Pinder has a proven track record of proactive leadership – having led the Eleuthera Cancer Society as President during the past six years, successfully raising the Society’s profile throughout the island, and transforming it’s headquarters in Palmetto Point into a modernized daily use Wellness Center for fundraising, education and multiple support services for those touched by cancer in Eleuthera.
“I’m looking for a year where we identify areas we can put more emphasis in. We as Bahamians can beat things to death with talking, so enough talk – we now need to put action to our words, “ said President Pinder emphatically, and added, “There’s no doubt that as a Club we have achieved some measure of success, but our District Governor has challenged us not to do projects just to be successful, but for them to be meaningful, so what we are trying to do now is to make sure that the success that we have achieved is actually making a difference in people’s lives.”
Partnerships are a fundamental ingredient in making a real impact said President Pinder, acknowledging the importance of the Rotary Club having worked along with other civic organizations like the Cancer Society, One Eleuthera, and others, saying, “Our aim is to partner, because we can’t do it on our own. A lot of organizations on the island are lacking in physical, material and financial resources, and we all have our challenges. So if we partner together, we can all achieve more.”
Some of the initiatives she looks forward to advancing include; the Eleuthera Imaging Program in partnership with the Cancer Society, with the acquisition of a state of the art mammogram and ultrasound machine to be housed at the Wellness Center; also the advancement of a recycling center in Eleuthera with a comprehensive education and environmental awareness program in the schools and communities to combat the growing problem of litter and irresponsible garbage disposal on island.
Literacy is another major issue Mrs. Pinder said the Club will be focusing on, with continued support to libraries and schools, as well as book fairs and reading drives; also support for peace and conflict resolution programs in partnership with schools and the Police with a view to helping young men especially to steer clear of unnecessary trouble. Support will also be offered to assist with vocational training initiatives in partnership with One Eleuthera, and the new Center for Training and Innovation set to open in Rock Sound later this year, as well as the National Training Agency to help residents with job readiness and acquiring the skills needed to take advantage of better employment opportunities.
The Club will also continue its support of organizations like the School for Exceptional Learners, creating a sustainable plan to support special needs children and raising funds to carry out special projects; the Zion Children’s Home, through volunteer time and support and creating a sustainable plan for continued growth; the South Eleuthera Mission, assisting with volunteer staffing of after school programs; the South Eleuthera Emergency Partners by assisting with disaster preparedness plans and building support to first responders in medical and other emergencies; and strengthening Eleuthera’s cultural heritage by working with the Eleuthera Arts & Cultural Center.
