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For the past two years, Nils Dufau has been President of the Rotary Club of Saint-Barthélemy. An unusual longevity, given that within the organization, "the wheel turns" theoretically every year. At all levels, from regional to international, that's how it works," assures Nils Dufau. But as we're a small club and everyone was very busy last year, I carried on. "In 2025, however, the change is complete. The president is now a president and goes by the name of Axelle Cappelli.
Axelle joined Saint-Barth Rotary in 2020, and has lived on the island for 26 years. "I joined Rotary because three of my friends, my good fairies, told me to join them," says the president. As I also wanted to get involved in the community, the idea suited me well. "
As stage manager and photographer, Axelle will now take on the responsibilities inherent in the position. But she puts them into perspective. We all wanted it to be Nils again, but it's not happening like that," she laughs. We're a very small club (there are 46,000 worldwide, editor's note) and we're all decision-makers. It's not my year, it's our year. We all pool our ideas. "The idea of solidarity, of pooling ideas and energies, underpins the new president's commitment. "We're going to continue our actions to help the elderly and children," she assures us. Starting this Friday, June 6, with the organization of a children's quiz that brought together the island's CM2 schoolchildren around the noble theme of encouraging reading. Books were donated to all the island's schools. A mini-quiz that took place "in a slightly crazy atmosphere", as Axelle announced with a smile.
As a reminder, Rotary receives no subsidies. "We're a service club that has to help society," stresses Nils Dufau. We always raise funds for specific projects. "For example, a defibrillator will soon be donated to the SNSM and waste sorting stations will be installed at the educational farm.
