ENCOURAGING charitable activities among the youth, connecting young professionals and promoting youth leadership and development is what the Rotaract Club of Lautoka hopes to achieve this year.

President Melissa Natawake explained this as more than 20 members gathered at Bekana Island last Saturday to celebrate the club’s first anniversary.

“The Rotaract clubs bring together people between the ages of 18 and 35 to exchange ideas with leaders in the community, develop leadership and professional skills and have fun through service,” Mrs Natawake explained.

She said that last year, the club fundraised and gave school uniforms, bags and school supplies to students at Veilomani Boys Home in Ba, distributed Rotary Emergency Response Kits to those affected by TC Winston and delivered Christmas lunch packs to the homeless in Lautoka.

Rotaract Club of Lautoka also conducted training and distribution of Days For Girls reusable sanitary kits to Jasper Williams High School boarders.

“This project was funded by Rotary E-Club of Greater Sydney. Days for Girls is a nonprofit organisation that aims to break the cycle of poverty and violence against women in communities throughout the world in one of the most unexpected ways ever — by promoting access to menstrual health management options and reproductive health education.”