COMMUNITY & CLUBS:

Andrew Curiel, a Newport Harbor alumnus and a Rotary International ambassadorial scholar sponsored by the Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa has reported by e-mail on his first few months studying at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Dublan, South Africa, where he is seeking a master’s in development studies.

There are about 1,000 ambassadorial scholars studying annually in many countries of the world, including three from Rotary Dist. 5320, notes Dist. 5320 Gov. John Brainerd of Corona del Mar.

“The program consists of one year of coursework (comprised of six modules: comparative development, development economics, political economy of the welfare state, poverty and inequality, social policy, and research methods) and a dissertation, Curiel wrote. “I have finished my first set of modules and thoroughly enjoyed them. The courses are intense and extremely demanding. Despite having only five to 10 hours of class time per week, the required reading and assignments are lengthy and challenging. During the first quarter, almost all of my free time was devoted to studying. In fact, the academic rigor of the school, as far as I can tell, is similar to other post-graduate programs in the United States.

“My host Rotary Club in Durban — the Rotary Club of Mt. Edgecombe — has been extremely hospitable. When I arrived at the airport at least 10 members were there to greet me. They had even printed a banner for me (it is hanging in my room now and is something I will take home at the end of my stay as a reminder of their kindness). My host counselor Derek van Bergen and his wife, Annette, have welcomed me into their home and gone to great lengths to help with transportation, finding accommodation, and learning about South African politics, history, and culture. Other club members have taken me out to visit Rotary projects, invited me over for dinner, and offered to take me golfing (the club is located on a golf estate north of the city — my clubs arrived this week so I will now be able to take them up on it).

“I have been to many Rotary Club meetings since arriving and have accompanied Rotarians on a visit to a local shelter where we served food and distributed toiletry kits. I also went with Rotarian Robbie Wright to visit Mt. Moriah — a school, organic farm and brick-making center north of Mt. Edgecombe that the club is extremely involved with.

“I hope to spend one day a week at the center. I also look forward to spending time at J.G. Zuma Primary School to help with an Internet project Annette van Bergen is involved in.

“What has been very different from my experiences at home in the U.S., however, has been the ever-present focus on race. I find that many South Africans are always conscious of race: It is discussed in informal conversations, in my university classes, and in the media; it is constantly visible in the division of labor and in settlement patterns around the city; and it is taken into account in policy-making at all levels of government. Considering that apartheid ended only 14 years ago (amid a nonviolent transfer of power, no less), this reality is understandable. However, for an American having grown up in a culture obsessed with political correctness, I have struggled to adapt to this reality.

“I have also struggled with the extreme levels of poverty and inequality present in South Africa. Unlike in many cities around the country, Durban is relatively mixed in that affluent areas abut townships. This has allowed me to see first-hand how pervasive poverty is, and to apply, at least theoretically or academically, what I have learned in my studies. I hope to apply this knowledge practically in my future career, but also through service projects I undertake before leaving.

“Moving to South Africa has been a challenging experience — I am far away from my friends and family, amid a different culture, and despite its comparable appearance, in a very different city. It is therefore extremely telling that I feel so comfortable here: The Rotary Foundation, the Rotary Club of Mt. Edgecombe, and the other Rotary Clubs in Durban have all gone to extreme lengths to make sure I feel at home. I continue to struggle with the deep complexities of modern South Africa, but as Lillian Smith wrote, ‘No journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within.’ This journey will undoubtedly take me very far,” Curiel concluded.

Local Rotary Clubs will accept applications for the 2010-11 academic year from students for the $25,000 scholarship to study abroad for one year from January to March, 2009. For more information, visit www.rotary.org.

WORTH REPEATING

Thought for the Day as provided by Greg Kelley of the Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council: “We are not here to merely make a living. We are here to enrich the world, and we impoverish ourselves if we forget this errand.”

SERVICE CLUB MEETINGS THIS WEEK

How are you giving back to your community?

Help your community and the world through a service club!

For many, service club membership is an extension of our religious beliefs and congregation affiliation.

You are invited to attend a service club meeting this coming week to learn more about opportunity for service. Most clubs will buy your first meal for you as you get acquainted with them.

TODAY

7:30 a.m.: The 10-member Newport Harbor Kiwanis Club meets at Denny’s Restaurant at Redhill Avenue and Bristol Street.

Noon: The 20-member Orange Coast Exchange Club meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club to hear from Wayne Sheriff on model trains; the second and fourth Wednesdays the Soroptimist International of Newport Harbor meets at the Santa Ana Country Club.

6 p.m.: The 60-member Rotary Club of Newport-Balboa meets for a Vocational Visitation tour of the historic Mausoleum and Crematory at Fairhaven Memorial Park in Santa Ana. newportbalboa.org 

THURSDAY

7 a.m.: The 20-member Costa Mesa Orange Coast Lions Club meets at Mimi’s Café.

Noon: The 50-member Costa Mesa Kiwanis Club meets at the Holiday Inn, Costa Mesa. www.kiwanis.org/club/ costamesa; the 45-member Kiwanis Club of Newport Beach-Corona del Mar meets at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, www.newportbeachkiwanis.org; the 85-member Rotary Club of Newport Irvine meets at the University Club at UCI, www.nirotary.org: the 95-member Exchange Club of Newport Harbor meets at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club for a Ladies Day program featuring an update from County Board Chairman John Moorlach. members.cox.net/nhexchangeclub/index.htm.

TUESDAY

7:30 a.m.: The 47-member Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary Club meets at Five Crowns for Craft Talks by new members. www.newportbeachsunriserotary.org

Noon: The 20-member Rotary Club of Costa Mesa meets at the Costa Mesa Marriott Suites.

6 p.m.: Second and fourth Tuesdays the 40-member Costa Mesa Newport Harbor Lions Club meets at the Costa Mesa Golf and Country Club.

COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published Wednesdays in the Daily Pilot. Send your service club’s meeting information by fax to (714) 921-8655 or by e-mail to jdeboom@aol.com.