‘Team-oriented’ doctor takes helm at Hamilton Rotary Club
A seasoned clinician and educator has been elected as the new president of the Hamilton Rotary Club.
Takawira Mubako, a pathologist, is to take over the role from Cathy Bassett on July 1.
He has more than 30 years of experience in medicine and more than 20 years as a specialist histopathologist, having worked in Zimbabwe, Namibia, Rwanda, Britain and Bermuda.
Dr Mubako told The Royal Gazette: “I wanted to be a little more civic-minded and I want better for Bermuda as a whole. I want to share with people how they can help more.
“I have been with Rotary since 2018 in Bermuda; by nature we want to do good things.
“I was from Zimbabwe originally. I have been involved in sports coaching and sports medicine, and I like working with teams towards a goal as well as the aims of Rotary.”
He was formally inducted at a ceremony at the Henry VIII Restaurant in Southampton on Friday.
Dr Mubako told the gathering of Rotarians that he was prepared to keep serving the community to the best of his ability, adding that he has a strong passion for human rights.
“I am happy to to continue moving forward with the work of Hamilton Rotary,” he said.
Attendees heard that he always welcomes feedback about his work and the support of each member of the organisation.
He said: “I would really welcome everybody’s input because the more we do, it would be Rotary’s wish, not mine.
“I would need your help in terms of guidance but we definitely want to move forward.”
As a university lecturer and histopathologist, Dr Mubako has been involved in the training of hundreds of undergraduate and postgraduate students, contributing to the development of medical education in Zimbabwe.
His academic portfolio includes supervising research projects, developing training manuals and delivering high-volume teaching.
He has also played a role in international development, leading the establishment and strengthening of laboratory services in Rwanda, including the training of doctors and scientists or technologists, and the creation of budgets and operational plans.
He worked for the University of Maryland and contributed to its leadership in global health partnerships aiming to support the fight against HIV/Aids and tuberculosis.
“The world has become a little more inward-looking; I think people are recovering from the economic downturn,” Dr Mubako said.
“That caused people to retreat, and we have found that our numbers at Rotary have gone down. We want to be as effective as we can this year, stabilise our membership and continue engaging with the community.
“I want to find out what problems exist and how we can help, so we are not just treating what we would like to treat.
“For example, there is a problem with violence. We can’t solve all of the problems but we can ask, can we be of service?
“We want to see if we can continue working with and promoting conservation. We don’t want to do too many projects but we want to do a few projects well.
“In some instances, we might be able to partner with other organisations.”
Before taking on a full-time role at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, Dr Mubako held consultant positions including locum posts with various NHS trusts in Britain, Namibia, Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
He holds degrees in human anatomy, medicine and a Master of Medicine in Histopathology, all from the University of Zimbabwe.
Besides work, Dr Mubako enjoys following basketball and athletics, and is a parent of four children.
Kevin Bean, a veteran lecturer, received the Paul Harris Award for his service to the community on Friday night.
Mr Bean spearheads the Hamilton Rotary’s adopt-a-school programme, which he has been undertaking at Paget Primary.
With a passion for carpentry and woodwork since he was 5, his enthusiasm for the skills continued into high school and later in life.
“I would tell people that I’m probably the most educated carpenter in Bermuda,” he said laughingly.
Mr Bean holds a master's degree in education and majored in curriculum development. He also holds a bachelor’s in vocational education.
When he started the programme at Paget Primary three years ago, it was a “steep learning” curve because he had never taught woodwork to young children.
Mr Bean said: “I had to break things down to them and go into their world.
“So I devised simple techniques, to get them to understand things like fractions.”
He added: “I always believe in making students become successful.”
At the event on Friday, Kevin Bean, a Rotarian who heads the Hamilton Rotary Club’s adopt-a-school programme, received the Paul Harris Award for his service to the community.
The organisation also welcomed a new member, Waheedah Zarif.
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