Rotaractors from the region converge in Belize

A hundred and twenty youth from Central America are in Belize as a part of the Rotaract Annual Conference. Rotaract Belize works alongside another group that together encompasses seven countries; Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panamá.  On a yearly basis, Rotaract hosts a Bi-district conference for all Rotaractors from these countries to commemorate the past year, plan for the coming year and to perform community service and other events in the host country.  Leon Castillo, President of the Conference Committee, from the Belmopan Rotaract Club tells News Five that apart from the planning, they will be giving time to the Dorothy Menzies Child Care Center.

Leon Castillo, President of Conference Committee, Belmopan Rotaract Club

“This is a grand even for us; we look forward to this every year and last year it was in Costa Rica so it goes to different countries every year. Now in Belize it has been over twelve years since the conference has been here so the Rotaractors with the help of our Rotary Clubs, felt like it’s time to take back the wheel and have the conference here. It is basically a two week conference; the first one is called the pre-conference where they basically go and visit the different sites of Belize so that was held in San Ignacio so now, from Thursday to Sunday they’re gonna be here in Belize City having meetings and doing a community service project and just getting to fellowship and bonding with other Rotaractors.”

Andrea Polanco

Leon Castillo

“Awrite. So what will this community service entail?”

Leon Castillo

“It is good to have a community project service first of all because that is  the main core of what we do; we are community service, leadership development and professional development so, we all decided that having a hundred and twenty people here, we have to do a community service project. We go to Dorothy Menzies tomorrow where we will be distributing news hoes to children there and will give the Rotaractors time to bond with the kids and help them decorate the shoes and it was collaboration with the Government of Belize, so we look forward to doing it tomorrow.”

Andrea Polanco

“So I know that you guys are also meeting in the conference setting; is this an opportunity where you guys plan events for the next year , different things like that?”

Leon Castillo

“Yes, well the main reason for the conference is for us to organize what we will do next year within the district; for my district it involves Belize, Honduras and Guatemala. The second district 4240 involves the rest of Central America. It’s basically to see where Rotaract stands right now, what’s our problems and go forth from there but it’s also to give awards; who’s the best rotaracter, the best club, who has done well for the last year. So it’s all about meetings, and a lotta people get bored but that’s the main core as to why we have the conference.”

Castillo says that for the next year, they will be carrying out a number of plans while looking at areas to boost membership in the different Rotaract Districts. If you are between the ages of eighteen to thirty and have the passion for service and leadership, you can join one of the five Rotaract Clubs in Belize.