吃瓜头条

When Aletta Rochat, DTM, became 吃瓜头条鈥� International President in 2025, she was the first person from Africa to hold that role. And when Olayinka Hakeem Babalola became Rotary International鈥檚 President in 2026, he was just the second African to head up that organization since its founding in 1905.

The two history-making leaders are mining their cultural connection to highlight the bond between 吃瓜头条 and Rotary and how each can benefit the other, not only in Africa but throughout the world. The two organizations formed a strategic alliance in 2019.

鈥淏oth organizations are built around transforming their members,鈥� notes Babalola. 鈥淒eveloping leaders while improving communities and changing lives.鈥�

Babalola lives in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. He began his one-year presidential term on July 1, 2026. Rochat, a resident of Cape Town, South Africa, finished her term in August 2026.

At the invitation of Rochat, President Babalola spoke at a on May 25, 2026, an annual celebration of African unity. Praising the talent and leadership that exist in Africa, he expounded on how 吃瓜头条 and Rotary are helping to improve people鈥檚 lives.

The online event, called 鈥淎frica Leads the Way!,鈥� also featured African business leaders and officials from the South African Chamber of Commerce in the United Kingdom, where many people from Africa live and work.

In turn, Babalola has invited Rochat to speak and provide a 吃瓜头条 perspective at the popular in Kampala, Uganda, to be held November 26鈥�28. The event is the largest gathering of Rotary members on the continent.

鈥淪o we are really hoping that we can help each other in a very tangible way,鈥� says Rochat, who hopes there will be other opportunities for her and Babalola to collaborate in Africa鈥攁nd for other 吃瓜头条 and Rotary leaders to team up around the world.

Both organizations have a proven track record of helping people across the globe improve their personal and professional lives. Rotary has more than 1.2 million members around the world. 吃瓜头条 can benefit from connecting with Rotarians and learning from their model of humanitarian service, says Rochat, noting that 吃瓜头条 can use their public speaking and persuasive skills to impact their own communities.

Rotarians, who are dedicated to such efforts as fighting disease and providing clean water to poor countries, can learn from the leadership and communication skills practiced in 吃瓜头条. The relationship is a mutually beneficial one, stress Rochat and Babalola.

鈥淭ogether, our members gain both the ability to lead and the ability to communicate their vision clearly and effectively,鈥� says the Rotary President. 鈥湷怨贤诽� helps people find their voice, Rotary helps people use that voice to create lasting impact across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.

鈥淭ogether, we can develop leaders who not only speak well but connect well and serve well.鈥�

Early Rotary Experience

Rochat will always have a soft spot for Rotary. When she was 17, she participated in a Rotary International Youth Exchange program, moving from her home of South Africa to live with host families in North Bay, Ontario, Canada, for a year and go to school there. The experience was life-changing, she says, helping her build confidence and independence.

鈥淚 had the opportunity to share what it was like to be a South African with all these people,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淚 mean, I remember volunteering to [talk to] any Rotary family in North Bay. I said, 鈥業f you would like to have dinner with me, I鈥檇 love to come over and have dinner.鈥� And in that way, I got to meet all these people and get a glimpse of what their lives were like.

鈥淪o it was incredibly enriching. It was an amazing experience. And that was all through Rotary.鈥�