Madam President, Fellow Rotarians, Friends Due to duties elsewhere in Kenya I am not able to attend and give my tribute to Mr JS Shah in person, but even so I would like to express my sentiments and give my tribute to a man that is and always will be deeply missed. By his family, friends, society and The Rotary Club of Nakuru. I can’t pride myself of knowing Mr. Shah for very long, nor can I claim to be a close personal friend. However some exceptional people leave a strong and a lasting impression and are felt like long-time and close friends from the very start. Mr. Shah was one of those rare people. As a foreigner and a newcomer to Kenya and Nakuru he greeted, welcomed and introduced me to Rotary without any big gestures but with a soft smile, generosity and a warm heart. He made me feel like I belonged and he gave me a new context to live and work in. He made me comfortable and I could always ask him for his opinion or guidance. He listened to and took interest in what I was doing and not only that, he was instrumental and helpful. Without even asking he introduced me to his vast network of people, people he knew could be helpful in my endeavour to empower women. I understand that Mr. Shah was a pillar of society, not only through his position as a successful businessman but maybe even more so because of his personal qualities. I am told that he helped an endless number of young people, giving them the opportunity to change their life’s, he was the true personalization and gave a deeper meaning to the words “Service Above Self”. He was caring, positive, encouraging and emphatic. We live in a harsh and sometimes ruthless world and in a moment like this I feel like screaming out about the unfairness of life. However I don’t think screaming about unfairness would be what Mr. Shah would have done. Instead we must honour his memory by being husbands and wifes, fathers, members of the community and Rotarians in his spirit. Thinking about others, thinking about the bigger context and continue in making Rotary Club of Nakuru into a club he would have been proud of. I am truly grateful for the time I could walk on Mother Earth together with Mr. Shah, for the lessons he taught me and I will keep and cherish the memory of him deep inside me. RTN ROBERT KIPOWSKI