Club Meeting

On Thursday 5th October, members and guests of Rotary South Queensferry enjoyed a thought-provoking talk on Rotary in Ukraine, from Ernst ( Erik) Avetisov of RC Kharkiv International. Now living in Scotland with his wife and young daughter , Erik gave an overview of Rotary in the Ukraine, explaining the distribution of clubs in the country, and highlighting the growth in membership since 2022. Erik is a Past President of Rotary Kharkiv, a breakfast club of 24 members , chartered in 2019, and very active locally, nationally, and internationally. Their main projects are focused on children’s access to education and environmental initiatives. Erik said that they have twinning arrangements with 9 other Rotary clubs, including clubs in Aberdeenshire and Cambridge .A stark change that Erik explained was how his club operated pre and post February 24th , 2022, the date of the Russian invasion and start of hostilities. Before this , Rotary Kharkiv operated in a similar way to Rotary South Queensferry : face-to-face meetings, invited speakers, community projects, social events etc. After 24/02/22 the club meet remotely on Zoom, from various locations ( often in the semi-dark !), and all their efforts are focussed on war-related projects and helping communities and individuals in Kharkiv and the rest of Ukraine. Their Rotary efforts in response to the war , covers an amazing range of activities : humanitarian goods ; relocation of refugees ; vehicles for the Ukraine ( ambulances, firetrucks , pickup trucks and SUV’s for mobile emergency groups ); heaters for Ukraine ( 400 + supplied so far) ; laptops for children ; bicycles for remote areas ; and solar panels for first aid stations. An incredible effort !