By Irina A Tanase, OIRC President 2023 – 2024
January 2024
Ever since 2012, when Oslo International Rotary Club has been established, we have built the tradition of fundraising through food events. As an international Club, with very young, active members representing more than 19 countries, food is certainly one of the things that brings us together and we enjoy sharing our cultures and the authentic tastes and flavours with those who support us and our work. Each year, we prepare dishes from our own countries and we share them with our guests to raise money for our work, and to underline the importance of our multicultural nature.
This year’s Multi-Culti Food Event was held on the 14th of November at Nordstrand Hus, a building erected in 1924, following the style of the time, hosting today civic initiatives and social gatherings. Apart from tasting foods from numerous countries, our guests and participants had the chance to receive the newest updates about our work in Bangladesh, where our Club has a scholarship program for students from vulnerable families. Other traditional sources of fundraising at our events are an auction and a lottery of items, several of them showcasing the cultures we come from. Special thanks this year to Erik Normann, earlier district governor and to Bente Kittelsen, assisting governor in Region 1 of District 23010 during this Rotary rear, for joining and supporting our event.
As our ambitions as a Club gets higher each year, we also organized a fun raffle on the occasion of our Christmas party which is normally also our last meeting of the calendar year. Last but not least, one of our charter members and earlier president of our Club, holding today the role of project Committee Lead, Syed Nuruddin, held a charity dinner at his place during the Christmas holiday, where our members and their friends could taste delicious dishes from Bangladesh while supporting our work.
Our food events are part of our Club’s identity and image and it is so impressive to see many of our members and friends being inspired by this tradition, to either take it forward or to support our events by attending our dinners!
Do you want to support our ongoing work with youths? Please get in touch with oircpresident@gmail.com
