Tema Optimists Hold Athletics Contests

Athletics were front and center for the Tema District Optimist Club of Ghana. It helped co-sponsor athletic contests for boys and girls in the Bono region of the country. Tema Optimists traveled more than 400 kilometers to the Bono Region.

Optimist Smart Academy Launches Aquaponics Program

Optimist Clubs are known for innovative projects that bring a smile to the face of a child and enhance their wellbeing. There are also projects focused on education that impact entire populations. One such endeavor is underway in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Optimist Club of Kinshasa-Pool created the Optimist Smart Academy as a teaching destination for life skills and career education. The Club recently started an aquaponics program thanks in part to a grant from the Algaz Foundation. It will teach participants how to raise fish and vegetables to create a continuing supply of both for the local economy.

Nepal Earthquake Preparedness Awareness Program

Education was also at the forefront of three recent projects in the Nepal District of Optimist International. The Optimist Club of Tulsipur in southwestern Nepal held an Earthquake Preparedness Awareness Program at a local school. Students were taught safety measures should an earthquake strike their region of the country.

Lalitpur Book Drive

The Scholars Optimist Club of Lalitpur, a suburb of Kathmandu, conducted a book drive for donations to a community library. The members were joined by District officials for the presentation.  

Optimists Distribute Schools Supplies in Nepal

The members of the Optimist Club of Nijgadh, Nepal, in the south-central part of the country, organized their recent project to coincide with Optimist Day on Feb. 2. The members obtained stationery so a packet could be given to dozens of students at the Shree Janajagriti Basic School. Optimist International thanks all of our Clubs for their efforts aimed at improving the lives of young people.

The Nepal District added to its roster of Clubs with the Optimist Club of Budinkantha. Located in a suburb of Kathmandu, it is being sponsored in North America by the Senoia Optimist Club of the gateway District.

This is the time of year many Optimist Clubs around the world conduct essay and oratorical contests, two long-standing programs of Optimist International. The Essay Contest showcases the writing talents of young people, who can also develop their public speaking skills through participation in a local Oratorical Competition. Winning a local competition can lead to the student competing internationally. Many of our Clubs also create an opportunity for the hearing impaired through the Optimist Communication Contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. We encourage all of our Clubs to seriously consider offering one of these programs in the community they serve.