By Deniz Altas, Year 12
This past week, the Year 13 Interact Club leaders passed down the leadership of their club to its new generation of presidents. The LGB Interact Club was founded by Year 12 students in 2021 where they gained support by the Geneva Rotary Club, one of the largest service organisations in the world, whose goals are to provide humanitarian services and encourage high ethical standards. The Interact Club is a generational subsection of the Rotary club, created for children ranging from ages twelve to eighteen.
Since initiation, members of the Interact Club have had the opportunity to attend some of the Rotary Club’s dinners, to present their accomplishments and future ideas. These gatherings create valuable connections and collaborative opportunities between the two clubs. Currently, the group of dedicated high school students meets every Thursday at lunchtime to work towards the club’s mission: uniting people across the world to take meaningful actions and embody the Rotary motto “Service above self” for those who need it.
Over the course of three years, the group of students has successfully raised both awareness and funds for numerous different organisations representing various causes and cultures. In order to efficiently help people globally, the club selects at a minimum two associations to support: one based locally in Switzerland, and one abroad. For example, in 2021, the local charity supported was “HUMA” (Hébergement d’Urgence pour Mineurs Accompagnés Sans Abri). This charity aims to reintegrate minors that are refugees into society in order to sustain good mental and social health for this group of youth, by providing medical care and educational support. The same year, the club also worked with “Sanyu Babies Home”, an orphanage in Uganda, East Africa. At this centre, they accept children that have been abandoned or living in poor conditions in order to provide them with care and education, offering them a brighter future.
More recently, in the 2023-2024 academic year, the Interact Club directed their efforts to the local association “ S-Endo”, which raises awareness on the medical condition endometriosis, a disease affecting women in which the cells similar to those in the uterus grow in other places of the body, often causing severe pain. Despite the prevalence of this disease, the cure remains unknown, and pain management options remain as the limited and unsustainable solution. This is why S-Endo has taken the role to encourage research for this cause. On an international front, Interact partnered with “Hand in hand international”, an admirable charity working towards empowering women economically. By helping women rise above the poverty line through the creation of jobs, their families are able to achieve financial stability and gain access to essentials such as healthcare.
To raise funds for these meaningful causes, the Interact Club has organised a variety of events such as bake sales in school, stands at the kermesse where they make and sell beaded jewellery, and raffle games. These efforts not only support the charities financially but fulfils the Interact Club’s objective of uniting generations of cultures at LGB. By promoting small acts of service, they inspire the younger members of the community to get involved and make a difference. The new leadership has only just taken over the Interact Club and is finalising which associations they will support this upcoming academic year. Students are strongly encouraged to join them working towards brightening the lives and futures of those being oppressed by social, economic, medical, or legislative issues. The new leadership will be sharing their contact details and further information in the upcoming week, any students interested in joining must keep an eye out for this information and contact the new leadership in order to join.
