In preparation for my travel to Belém for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), I sent email letters in both English and Portuguese to three Rotary clubs in Belém asking to visit their weekly meetings. I received a very welcoming response from Rotarian Marla Soares Kalume, President of the Rotary Club de Belém-Sul:
“Dear fellow Rotarian Merlyn, What a joy to receive your message! It will be a great pleasure to welcome you to our club during COP30. Although my English is basic, I believe we will be able to communicate well — and I’ll be happy to assist you in any way I can. I would also be glad to help you connect with other Rotarians here in the city, if you’re interested.”
[My primary responsibility at COP30 was to write a series of blog posts for the Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA) with my colleague Ram Ramanan. Those 15 blog posts can be read on the A&WMA website at: https://www.awma.org/blog_home.asp?Category=12.]
To my pleasant surprise, shortly before my arrival on November 13, 2025, President Marla and her husband Roberto Kalume Filho, a Past-President of the Club, offered to meet me at the airport and take me to my rented apartment. Unexpectedly, they also invited me to join them for dinner later that evening. President Marla and their son Roberto Kalume Neto, who spoke even better English, picked me up and took me to the Estação Das Docas area to join others for dinner.
From left to right in the photo: Ram Ramanan (a colleague from COP30), Roberto Kalume Neto, Rotarians Roberto Kalume Filho and Marla Soares Kalume, Rotarian Livio Antonio Giosa visiting from São Paulo, and me. It was a delightful first day in Belém!
Merlyn Hough
Immediate Past President
Rotary Club of Springfield, Oregon
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