Club innovation

High connectivity

Rotary Club of La Marsa Impact, Tunisia

Chartered: 2018

Original membership: 28

Membership: 24

Solid footing: In the two years since its founding, this club has already matured into a high-profile member of the Tunisian Rotary family by focusing on the development of young professionals. Data-driven could be a byword for a club that taps the technological proficiency of its members. The club tracks member involvement by Excel spreadsheet, and it developed an internet platform and database shared by clubs across the country. But it’s not all analytics and geekiness; a reputation for hands-on work and cultural outings is what really computes.

Club innovation: The founders contacted acquaintances, mostly young professionals, to join them in a new club that would meet two evenings a month. A major appeal was its attention to skills development and service, an emphasis that broadened its appeal to collegians. The club keeps annual dues very low (about $135) and gives students a discount.

Picking a name with a punch helped set the tone for the Rotary Club of La Marsa Impact, says member Eya Chaouch. “In the meetings to plan the club, our idea was to work on long-term projects that had an actual impact on improving people’s situations,” hence the appellation for the French-language club.

“During the creation of our club, we thought of integrating students in community life to let them benefit from the experience of the other professional members,” says Khaled ben Hafaiedh, the club’s charter president. “Our student members are highly motivated and dedicated to learning, especially when it comes to volunteering.” But all benefit from the interplay among students, financiers, marketers, engineers, lawyers, art managers, event managers, accountants, and other young professionals.

Karim ben Ammar appreciates the opportunity to enhance his leadership, public speaking, planning, team-building, and fundraising acumen. “As a student, being part of the club has brought me a lot of experience and know-how,” says Ammar.

All members are expected to serve on two club committees. For students, this is a chance to learn from more experienced members. In addition, five members are professionally certified job coaches. “They focus on soft and hard skills, budgeting, personal development, ‘elevator pitches,’ practical philosophy,” says Mohamed Mehdi Nafti, the club’s president.

The abundance of talent helps other clubs as well. Hafaiedh, Ammar, and fellow club member Selim Bousbih created a database and web platform, dubbed Raconnect, which is already being used by several clubs.

The club boasts a robust lineup of projects that address community needs and cultural interests: La Marsa Impact Rotarians have held an autism awareness seminar, hosted a “supermom” class that delivered expert advice on the care of newborns, and helped coordinate a blood drive that involved more than 20 Rotary clubs.

The club, two-thirds of whose members are women, sponsored a screening of Papicha, a controversial film focused on religious fundamentalism and women’s rights in 1990s Algeria. The event’s box office proceeds have been donated to equip and refurbish the pediatric surgery department of the Institute of Neurology. More recently, 10 club members joined members of the organization Tunisian Campers to plant 4,000 pine and eucalyptus trees in the Dar Chichou forest near El Haouaria.

The club also puts an emphasis on nurturing friendships, with outings to musical events and Moorish and Roman sites. “Through brainstorming sessions, our members come up with new activities,” Hafaiedh says. “The most important thing is to frequently meet, whether it is for a coffee or an evening out.”

— BRAD WEBBER

• This story originally appeared in the July 2020 issue of The Rotarian magazine.