Asheville NC Rotary - Featured Projects

About the program

The Rotary Foundation's Group Study Exchange (GSE) program is a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for businesspeople and professionals between the ages of 25 and 40 who are in the early stages of their careers. The program provides travel grants for teams to exchange visits in paired areas of different countries.

For four to six weeks, team members experience the host country's culture and institutions, observe how their vocations are practiced abroad, develop personal and professional relationships, and exchange ideas.

In a typical four-week tour, applicants participate in five full days of vocational visits, 15 to 20 club presentations, 10 to 15 formal visits and social events, two to three days at the district conference, three to four hours per day of cultural and site tours, and three to four hours per day of free time with host families.

For each team member, the Foundation provides the most economical round-trip airline ticket between the home and host countries. Rotarians in the host area provide for meals, lodging, and group travel within their district.

On Tuesday, April 1st, the in-bound team from Nigeria arrived in Asheville. On Saturday, April 5th, our team was able to spend the day with with this wonderful group of people, kicking off our Nigerian experience.

We visited the Arboretum in Asheville, NC, and then had a delicious lunch at the Pisgah Inn. Although it was a very gloomy and rainy day, the Nigerians thoroughly enjoyed the areas flora and fog. They were also extremely cold!! Being used to 100+ degree temperatures, the low 40 degrees that they were experiencing was quite chilly!

Below is a picture of the Nigerian in-bound team, and our out-bound team at the Arboretum.

Back Row- left to right: Reid Chapman, Jaime Holbrook, Lemmy O. Ilioma (Nigerian Team Leader), Jim Efland (WNC Team Leader), Jennifer Hart Dockey, Erin McManus.

Front Row- left to right: Folshade (Sade) Chinwe Obormighie, Zaynab Usman Muazu, Bahijjatu Bello Garko, Rabi Isma.

The Western North Carolina Rotary District 7670 is sponsoring the upcoming cultural and vocational exchange to Nigeria!

Team Leader, and Past Rotary District Governor Jim Efland (center) will be traveling with team members Jaime Holbrook (far left), Visiting Lecturer at Western Carolina Universiy and NC Outward Bound instructor; Erin McManus (front left), Pre-College Coordinator at Western Carolina University; Jennifer Hart Dockey (front right), Executive Director of ALFA (non-profit HIV/AIDS Service Organization); and Reid Chapman (far right), Lecturer at UNC-Asheville.

Since September 2007, the team has been studying and preparing for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The team will depart on this life-changing experience on Thursday, May 1, 2008, and return on Wednesday, May 28, 2008. See the itinerary below to see where we will be traveling!

Here's our itinerary for the team's trip to Northeastern Nigeria:

May 1, 2008 Asheville to Atlanta to Lagos, Nigeria to Abuja, Nigeria
May 2, 2008 Abuja
May 3-6, 2008 Jos
May 7-11, 2008 Kaduna
May 12-13, 2008 Makurdi
May 14, 2008 Gboko
May 15, 2008 Jalingo
May 16-17, 2008 Yola
May 18-20, 2008 Gombe, Yankari, Bauchi
May 21-22, 2008 Zaria
May 23-26, 2008 Kano
May 27-28, 2008 Kano to Abuja to Lagos for the return flight home.

May 28, 2008 return to Atlanta to Asheville, NC.

About the program

In-Bound Nigerian Team Arrives!