Lunch time meeting at Gilvenbank Hotel- 1pm - Chantal Mrimi giving her vocational

On Thursday 16th September 2021 President Brian Johnson. took the chair as he welcomed 13 Club Rotarians to this our first lunch time meeting held at the Gilvenbank Hotel since March 2020 when COVID hit us.

There were 11 apologies for nonattendance.

This week our speaker was our relatively new member Chantal Mrimi who is Corporate Development Officer at Fife Council, who is a mother, a Fifer and a survivor. Following on from a short video about her arrival in Scotland Chantal spoke of her journey which started in Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo (then Zaire). A decade and half before her birth, Chantal’s parents had sought refuge in Eastern Congo following the civil war between Hutus and Tutsis in 1959-61.  Chantal received primary and secondary education in Congo. She was 15 when the Rwandan Patriotic Front launched the liberation struggle in Rwanda. The then Hutu regime seized upon the struggle to organise and systematically execute the genocide against Tutsis, 1994, which claimed the innocent lives of one million people. Although in Congo at the time of the genocide, Chantal is known to have lost up to 27 members of her extended family during the genocide. The 1994 conflict extended to Congo, whereby Chantal and her family were faced with the brutality of war-mongers, Hutu militia and factions’ rebels who killed, raped and pillaged the area they lived in. In search of safety, Chantal and her family returned to Rwanda in September 1994 whereby the Rwandan Patriotic Front had overturned the Hutu-regime and established a transitional government. Aged 18, Chantal was employed by British Direct Aid, an Aid agency from the UK to help with the aftermath of the genocide and begun a friendship with a Scottish couple that changed the course of her life. Upon the couple’s return to Scotland, Chantal was sponsored to visit them in 1997. Due to visa regulations, Chantal returned to Rwanda and got married. Upon the pregnancy of her first child, Chantal returned to Scotland in 1999 – for good. Since settling in Scotland, Chantal has gone on to learn the English language making her fluent in 5 languages (French, Kinyarwanda, Swahili and Lingala), complete a Degree in Administration Management (2005), an Honours Degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics (2019), been in full-time employment for 18 years, has volunteered in various capacity for 9 organisations, published a book on the journey of her life, founded a charitable organisation to help and support the poor in Rwanda and undertook dozens public speaking engagements across Scotland. Chantal’s public speaking, philanthropic work and active involvement in her local community were recognised nationally and she was awarded the highly prestigious accolade of ‘Scottish Woman of the Year 2018’.

President Brian Johnson gave the Rotary vote of thanks.

The forthcoming fundraiser is only two weeks away on Sunday the 3rd of October from 2-5pm which will be our vintage afternoon tea to be held at Studio8 in Glenrothes with singing and dance routines. Tickets are selling well therefore If anybody reading this would be interested in supporting this event which will in turn support the community, please contact us on our Facebook page or phone Anne Sampson on 01592 749071

This coming week Thursday 23rd September at 1pm will be lunch time meeting on ZOOM where members will be given a talk by Kitty O’Connor on Greener Kirkcaldy.

If you were interested in supporting the community and international projects get in touch by Private message on The Rotary Club of Glenrothes Facebook page. You will be made most welcome.