This was an in-person meeting and a recording is not available.
Guests
Serena Gillespie, rebound exchange student back from Japan
Emilia Gillespie, mother of Serena
Saimi Hartikainen, our current inbound exchange student from Finland
Membership Updates
We were very pleased today to induct a new member into the club – Uzma Bhutto, introduced by Adrian DeCoo.
Uzma holds a deep dedication to empowering women affected by abuse, domestic violence, and emotional hardship. Her journey began in Pakistan, where she worked with organizations such as the New Grammar Educational Society, Women Protection Cell, and ASWA (All Sindh Women Association), engaging directly with women in rural areas to raise awareness of health, abuse prevention, women’s rights, and economic empowerment. Recognizing the importance of financial independence, she has also focused on providing women with skills to improve their economic stability.
Upon moving to Canada 20 years ago, Uzma continued her advocacy in the Waterloo Region and beyond with organizations like the Sexual Assault Support Centre (SASC), CMW and the Aurat (Women) Foundation, helping women access legal support, cultural counseling, and vital community resources. Her expertise also extended to China, where she provided education sessions on domestic violence to PhD students, emphasizing cultural sensitivity within South Asian communities and beyond.
In her current role as Director of Development and Training at CMW, Uzma has empowered countless women, shaping programs that address systemic barriers while developing leadership and resilience within marginalized communities. Uzma’s impactful work has earned her notable recognition, including Pakistan’s Anita Ghulam Ali Award, the Rogers Woman of the Year Award, the Windmill Microlending Empowerment Award, and MPP Catherine Fife’s Leading Women, Leading Girls, Building Communities Recognition, as well as the 10 years’ service dedication award from CMW. With a master’s in public health from the University of Waterloo and a PhD in Women and Global Health from Western University, Uzma personifies a lifelong commitment to advancing women’s rights and strengthening communities across cultures.
Club Announcements
Online Auction
Our Auction is well under way with donations and sponsorships coming in but we can still do with many more. If you have not yet reached out to possible sponsors please do so as soon as you can. Let us know when you have something to add.
The next stage is to promote the fundraiser. We do this several ways including thorough our lawn signs and through publishing the auction URL to family, friends, colleagues, etc. All members are asked to respond to the email invitation that has been sent out re distribution of the lawn signs this coming Saturday, October 26. These signs are a critical component of our auction and we need all members to help with getting them on display. The auction is now accessible for review of the items prior to its official start on November 2 so now is a good time to send out messages to all of your contacts with the auction URL – rotaryonlineauction.ca
A future stage will be the distribution of the items to the successful bidders on Friday November 22 and Saturday, November 23. More information about this will be coming soon.
Story Telling and Piano Show
Kitchener Rotary hosts Klaus Scharffenorth, 1978 Youth Exchange student, for music and stories at Waterloo's Jazz Room, showcasing Youth Exchange Program's impact and opportunities. There will be no Cover Charge and food and drinks will be available for ordering from the bar. The invitation has been sent and all members and guests are invited. Please plan to attend.
A Better Tent City
A Better Tent City will be having several “Drives’ which we will be supporting. The first is for personal hygiene items such tooth paste & tooth brushes, soap, shampoo & conditioner, deodorant, feminine hygiene products, razors, etc. Small travel sizes for many of these items are perfect. We will be asking members to please bring these items to our next in-person meeting on November 11. Our target is to get 50 plus items!
The next “Drive” will be for winter clothing in December and then kitchen ware / dishes / cutlery in January. Stay tuned!
Program Highlights
Our program was a mixture today. We began with a social activity to allow members to get to know each other better. Members were asked to introduce themselves to each other, find out what brought them into Rotary and to find at least one thing common. The activity was well received by the members.
Our next program element was a report from Serena Gillespie our exchange student who spent last year in Japan.
Here are some highlights from her presentation, which was full of many photos of her experiences, host families, new friends, travels and activities.
To Begin
Before going to Japan, I never thought that Canada and Japan would be so different. I never thought that I would change so dramatically in one year. I also never thought that a school life and studying Japanese would be so difficult. I have been able to gain a lot of knowledge and experience, so I would like to talk about that today.
Making Friends
At school it didn't take long for me to make friends because everyone wanted to learn English and about Canada. I quickly got along with everyone.
Cultural & Sports Festivals
It was a lot of fun, but I didn't really understand what was going on because it's an event unique to Japanese schools.
Clubs
I practiced drawing and calligraphy with Oceane. It was a good experience to leave school after dark.
Challenges
Getting used to life in Japan
I faced many challenges, including intercultural exchange, language environment, and etiquette
Hobbies
It was difficult to continue hobbies such as playing the flute and makeup
I prioritized learning in Japan over my previous hobbies from Canada
Japanese cuisine
I tried new foods, such as fish.
I overcame my fear of appearing rude when expressing my food preferences.
I learned Japanese cuisine in order to share it with Canadians
Solutions
Dealing with homesickness
The long days of school made me miss home.
I got through it by building new connections with friends and studying hard.
School assignments
My Global Communication (GC) class initially held me back from learning Japanese.
Japanese business culture
proper business card culture.
I didn't know how to use honorific language or when to use it
Connecting Back Home
It was difficult to contact my family and friends. I was told not to contact them too often, especially at the beginning of my exchange program. However, I found that actually contacting them helped me get over the homesickness. Although the time difference was difficult, I was able to make time to call my friends and family from time to time. I was really happy to be able to contact my family and friends regularly. And I now keep in touch with my host families in Japan in the same way after I returned to Canada.
Conclusions
In my speech in Yamagata, I talked a lot about finding what is important to me in life through my exchange program. I believe that all of these experiences have contributed to my long journey of growth and shaped my understanding of Japan and myself in many ways.
Serena thanked us all (in Japanese) for this tremendous opportunity.
Next on the program was the induction of Uzma Bhutto, introduced above followed by a review of upcoming club events and activities, see below.
Closing Remarks & Reminders
Oct. 24 – World Polio Day
Oct. 26 – Online Auction Sign Distribution (9:00-noon)
Oct. 28 – Fall Trail Clean Up (4:00 to 6:00)
Oct. 29 – Youth Exchange Celebration with Past Exchange Student Klaus Scharffenorth, Jazz Room (6:30-9:00 p.m.)
Nov. 2 – Rotary Leadership Institute, Parts 1, 2 & 3, Milton
Nov. 2 – 16 – Online Auction Live!
Nov. 4 – World Polio Update with Badar Shamim, District 7080 Chair for Polio Plus (ZOOM)
Nov. 5 – Tree Planting – Lynvalley Park, Kitchener (late pm)
Kitchener Rotary e-Newsletter
Kitchener Rotary hosts Klaus Scharffenorth, 1978 Youth Exchange student, for music and stories at Waterloo's Jazz Room, showcasing Youth Exchange Program's impact and opportunities. There will be no Cover Charge and food and drinks will be available for ordering from the bar. The invitation has been sent and all members and guests are invited. Please plan to attend.
In my speech in Yamagata, I talked a lot about finding what is important to me in life through my exchange program. I believe that all of these experiences have contributed to my long journey of growth and shaped my understanding of Japan and myself in many ways.
