It is one of the longest-running Rotary programmes, operating since 1947. Funded by Global Grants, Rotary Scholarships are awarded for overseas graduate study within Rotary’s six areas of focus.
Rotary Foundation alumna, Danni Treharne, was a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar to Lyon, France, in 2006-7 and has maintained a close link to the District Foundation team ever since.
Danni is an honorary member of her sponsoring club Cardiff Breakfast Rotary, having been introduced to the organisation by Rotarian Kay Hailes.
Steve Jenkins, from Cardiff Bay Rotary, explained that Danni was introduced to Rotary at the age of 16 when she was working part-time for a Rotarian optician in Cardiff.
“She became involved with Cardiff Breakfast Rotary Club projects while at Howell’s School, Llandaff. In due course this led to the creation of an Interact Club at that school, which still thrives today,” he explained.
“Whilst studying at Pembroke College, Oxford, Danni was identified by Cardiff Breakfast Rotarian Paul Spencer as a great candidate for an Ambassadorial Scholarship to study Modern Languages at Lyon, France, where she joined the university Rotaract club and became involved in two projects, one locally in France and one in Africa.
We continue to monitor her progress with immense pride as we should do with all our young talent.”
Today Danni is applying much of that learning and work by helping others overseas. She was recently a guest speaker at the annual Bridgend Rotary Foundation Dinner.
Danni’s professional career has taken her from managing a £50 million Department for International Development private sector project in Democratic Republic of Congo, to launching Uganda’s first mobile delivered affordable health insurance company.
“Graduating with a double distinction, Danni first applied her language skills as a Retail Strategy Consultant across Europe and in her free time she volunteered as a translator for the World’s leading Microfinance organisation, Kiva,” added Steve.
“She was then invited to present on Kiva at the District 1150 Southern Wales Conference and, as a result, many Rotary clubs and schools in the District now support microfinance projects.”
Working in the field of microfinance for the Swedish insurance group BIMA, she is now their business development manager for Africa, specifically Senegal, Uganda, the Ivory Coast and Egypt.
She is passionate about fostering female entrepreneurship and mentors three female entrepreneurs in her local community in London and four more overseas.”
She was a 2017 award winner at Management Today’s 35 women under 35 leading innovators and received the Sunday Times’ Rising Star Award last year.
Danni serves as a great ambassador for Rotary scholars, said Steve.
“Danni is only 34, and an honorary member of Cardiff Breakfast Rotary. She is passionate about fostering female entrepreneurship and mentors three female entrepreneurs in her local community in London and four more overseas in Bangladesh, Haiti, Papua New Guinea and Senegal.
“She is a consultant for A Tribe Called Progress, which is predominantly a black community empowerment initiative in London.
“Bridgend Rotary club organises a first class Foundation Dinner each year to celebrate our exceptional programmes and they were delighted to learn that Danni was available and could fit this in between a business engagement in Brazil and a morning flight to Senegal the following day.
“For Danni, however, it was foremost an opportunity to maintain her long relationship with Rotary.
“We continue to monitor her progress with immense pride as we should do with all our young talent.”
