Raga Elim Says "Thank You All"

Raga S. Elim, Ph.D., Chairman, District Committee on International Understanding

My heartfelt thanks to all district Kiwanians for your encouragement and support during my four-year tenure as chairman of the Capital District Committee on International Understanding.

With your help, individually and in clubs across the district, we increased our international awareness and outreach. Above all, we raised more than $18,000 to fuel the Initiative for Africa. This achievement won a grant of $19,000 from the Kiwanis International Foundation, and matching funds raised the total to nearly $75,000-all to help children at grave risk in Africa.

Our partner, Kickstart International, has used these funds to establish The Kiwanis Project in the "Tipping Point" area of southwest Kenya, where people still live in refugee camps due to violence after the election three years ago. The money helps these people buy irrigation pumps for small farms, allowing them to establish stable businesses and provide their children with food, medicine, education, and hope.

I have decided it is now time to step down from leading our international efforts. As I said to Governor-Elect Jeff Wolf two months ago, organizations usually benefit from bringing on new leaders who can provide new vision and fresh approaches to implementing their missions. Despite some regret, I feel satisfaction that I will continue to be an active member of the Kiwanis family for the rest of my life.

I am also fortunate to have had dedicated committee members who believed that our international program was integral to a global organization committed to the basic human rights of all children to live and to grow up in a better world. I am grateful to every committee member for their support and hard work..

Finally, I would like express my special thanks to the four governors under whose leadership I have served. Without their full support, our committee could not have achieved that we accomplished. Our thanks go to Past Governors Art Riley, Tom Ganse, and Don Dudey, and to Tom Varner, our present Governor.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the District Convention in Williamsburg this August.