Rotary Club installs new president

DAR ES SALAAM: You know it is serious business when professionals dress up, gather in style, clap ceremoniously, and pass on leadership like it is the Olympic torch, but instead of gold medals, they are after social impact. That is exactly what happened when the Rotary Club of Dar es Salaam Mbezi Beach installed their new president, Martin Hekeno, an energetic professional who also moonlights also the Managing Director of HEBO Consult. A man of two suits and that is one corporate, one community-driven.

This was not just another formal event with “tea and tiny samosas.” It was a
gathering that united district Rotary leaders, sister clubs, friends, family, and
even a few curious future Rotarians wondering, “How can I be this useful to
society and still have time for nyama choma?”

Rotary may change presidents annually, but what doesn’t change is their unwavering commitment to transforming lives. As the gavel passed into Hekeno’s hands, so did the weighty responsibility of steering the club’s
initiatives in a direction that combines heart and hard hats-yes, projects that
build people and infrastructure.

With his background in professional training and project management, Martin Hekeno is not your average “stand-at-the-podium” president. His experience with HEBO Consult-where he has championed capacity-building across East and Central Africa, is a perfect fit for Rotary’s big-hearted, get-things-done approach to community service. Simply put, the man does not just talk Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), he builds it into blueprints.

Let us be honest: Corporate social responsibility can sometimes feel like a
checkbox activity. One tree planted here, a cheque handed over there. But
Rotary? Rotary goes deeper. Think: building schools, sponsoring surgeries,
launching youth mentorship programs, supporting maternal health, and sometimes, just for variety digging wells in places where Google Maps only shows bushes.

Under Hekeno’s leadership, the club is not just planning to continue these
projects, they are scaling them. The vision is bold: expand educational support, provide sustainable healthcare outreach, and empower Tanzanian youth with skills that are not just resume-fillers but livelihood-builders. Hekeno summed it up perfectly:

“Rotary has always been about putting purpose before self, and using our skills and networks to build stronger communities.”

We would add: and sometimes using those networks to get a truck out of the mud during a rural outreach.

What makes Rotary special, especially the Mbezi Beach chapter is its mix of
sharp business minds and even sharper social instincts. They know their way
around boardrooms and boreholes. That’s CSR in action: not just donating to the community, but partnering with it.

Rotary works with schools to improve facilities. They sponsor health camps in underserved areas. They empower women with entrepreneurship training that goes beyond “make soap” and into actual market access. And during national challenges-be it floods, disease outbreaks, or pandemics, they show up with more than thoughts and prayers. They bring medicine, food, and hope… and yes, sometimes PowerPoint slides to track the impact.

Hekeno’s presidency is expected to deepen the club’s regional collaborations, linking with sister clubs in East Africa to bring shared solutions to shared problems. Whether it is malaria in Morogoro or education gaps in Kigoma, the club is asking: how can we help? not how can we look like we helped on social media.

Rotary is also very intentional about involving youth. Through programs like
Rotaract and Interact, they are grooming the next generation of socially
responsible leaders who understand that success isn’t measured only by what you earn, but by what you give back. Hekeno himself is a champion of youth mentorship, and believes service should be part of every professional’s leadership journey.

Because let us face it, what is the point of having an MBA if your neighborhood still lacks clean water?

It is hard to quantify the full economic impact of Rotary’s activities, after all,
how do you count the value of a girl who finishes school because of a
scholarship, or a family saved from illness because of an early diagnosis? But these are the invisible threads that quietly weave a stronger economy.

By addressing root social challenges like education, health, youth
unemployment, Rotary helps reduce national burdens and increases
productivity, confidence, and yes, tax-paying citizens.

So as Hekeno takes the wheel, one thing’s for sure: it is not about reinventing the Rotary wheel, it is about spinning it faster, smarter, and with more Tanzanians on board.

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Bottom line: CSR is not just for companies with big billboards. Rotary proves
that even smaller, dedicated groups can spark big, meaningful change. And
under Hekeno’s stewardship, the Mbezi Beach club is set to make Tanzania
prouder, stronger, and just a little bit kinder—one community project at a time.