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Brief histories of the
first clubs of each geographic regions or countries
Rotary Club of Malabo
the First Club of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea
Rotary International
District 9150 A Part of
Our History of Rotary in Africa
The Republic of Equatorial Guinea is one of the smallest nations in Africa.
It gained independence in 1968 after 190 years of Spanish rule and formerly
known as Spanish Guinea.
It comprises a mainland region and several small islands off the west coast of Africa.
It has a total land mass of approximately 28,000 sq km and a population of around 504,000 as at July 2005.
Spanish and French are the official languages but several regional languages are also recognised.
The capital city is Malabo which is situated on the northernmost island a
short distance off the coast of Cameroon.
Equatorial Guinea, a tiny nation comprising a sliver of continental territory and islands off the West African coast,
became Rotary's 168th country with the charter of the Rotary Club of Malabo on 16 May 2005.
"First of all, I am very happy [that] we are now officially part of Rotary International," said
Maria Julia Andeme Ndong Mangue, the club's charter president. "But it is not going to be easy. We are a very new club
[that's] not knowledgeable about Rotary. And we don't have enough money to implement the projects that the poor people in this
country need."
Nevertheless, according to President Andeme, just having the club chartered is a major achievement.
Four years ago, while on a business trip to Madrid, Spain, she confided in a friend from her church that she and a group of
other service-minded people in Malabo, the Equatorial Guinean capital, wanted to help improve lives but didn't know how.
"He told me, 'You must become a Rotarian,'" explained Andeme. "But I didn't know what a Rotarian is."
The friend suggested that she visit some Rotary clubs in Madrid.
What she learned from attending Rotary club meetings persuaded Andeme that Rotary was an organization that would enable
her group of professionals and business people to provide humanitarian service to less privileged Equatorial Guineans.
With the mentorship of African and Spanish Rotarians and the support of Club and District Administration staff from the
RI Europe and Africa Office in Zurich, the provisional Rotary Club of Malabo took shape over the next two years.
The club has 25 charter members, 7 of them Rotarians who have relocated from other countries.
District 9150 Governor Yaovi Tigoé is among the Rotarians who have encouraged and guided the leaders of the new club in
their effort to bring Rotary into Equatorial Guinea. He has officially welcomed the club as the newest member of the district.
"The Rotary Club of Malabo is fully supported by the other clubs of District 9150," said Tigoé in his welcome message.
"It has been a long process to have the club's status approved by the government and to [have Rotary recognized] as
a nonprofit and humanitarian organization that can bring positive things, including sustaining livelihoods in the country,"
said Bacar Abdouroihamane, the club's vice president. "Now the club enjoys esteem and is very well regarded.
However, it is a very young club with [mostly] inexperienced members."
Abdouroihamane, who is the country resident coordinator for the United Nations Development Programme, said that despite
Equatorial Guinea's steady, two-digit economic growth, 65 percent of the population falls below the poverty line and lives on
less than US$1 a day.
The Rotary Club of Malabo is faced with the challenge of making a meaningful contribution toward alleviating poverty.
However, with the help of counterparts from abroad, members of the club have already initiated several projects,
including efforts to improve health care, provide safe water, and support education.
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