Making Continuous Service Possible

Experience 1 | The Disconnect Between Documentation and Execution

I once experienced a wake-up call in a service project group.
Just as a project was nearing its closing phase, the member responsible for execution
asked in the group: “What exactly was the content of the original proposal we submitted?”

Upon comparison, we discovered that the service being performed had drifted significantly
from the project approved by the Foundation. The activity flow, service methods,
and even key focus areas had shifted quietly during the process without being fully recorded or traced back.

This wasn’t due to negligence, but because the crucial project background,
the logic behind initial trade-offs, and the adjustments made in response to field conditions
were not systematically preserved. As we reached the reporting stage, we realized with a shock:
“We can no longer clearly explain why we designed the service this way in the first place.”

This disconnect between documentation and execution exposes the fragility of institutional memory.

Experience 2 | The Silent Shift of Service Beneficiaries

In another project, I witnessed a displacement of expectations regarding the target audience.
The original concept was to serve vulnerable migrant women, specifically single mothers
running small food stalls while raising children alone.
The intent was to provide coaching and exposure to help them be seen by society
and to build confidence and dignity for their children regarding their cultural heritage.

However, as the project progressed—through resource matching, the addition of participating units,
and changes in execution conditions—the focus shifted toward a group of second-generation migrant students.
These students already possessed relatively sufficient social resources and support systems,
representing a stark difference from the original target group.

This shift wasn’t a result of malice; it happened naturally, step-by-step,
in the absence of clear records and continuous review of the original mission.
Without constant confirmation of goals, even with massive effort,
the final service may end up addressing a need far removed from the problem it set out to solve.

Experience 3 | Inheriting Local Service Experience

I participated in a service project collaborated between the New Generation Rotary Club
and partners in the South-Link region. I was involved in every stage:
from initial proposal discussions and site surveys to multiple field interviews
with beneficiaries and stakeholders, through to execution and closing.

During this period, I entered the local tribes more than once to build deeper interaction and understanding.
This repeated engagement ensured that service was not a one-time event,
but a process that could be adjusted as understanding deepened.

Because key backgrounds, decision-making contexts, and field observations
were continuously organized and shared, the execution and closing were built upon a foundation of mutual understanding.
Service experience was inherited—not by relying on individual memory,
but by becoming a sustainable collective experience within the club.

Experience 4 | The Mature Design That Failed to Leave a Trace

During the pandemic, I co-sponsored a District Service Project Grant that was successfully approved.
We attempted to establish a “circular service mechanism” focused on vocational training
to address structural issues in skills and employment for at-risk youth.

The design was elegant: if a young person committed to learning, the project would pay for their
tuition and necessary tools in collaboration with professional vendors, followed by an internship.
Once the student completed training and secured formal employment,
the vendor would return the original project expenditure via a donation back to the project.
This allowed resources to be reinvested into the next batch of students, creating a long-term circular operation.

Ultimately, the project was withdrawn due to the high uncertainty of the pandemic.
Furthermore, because the design logic and execution experience were not fully documented and transferred within the club,
the concept quietly vanished. This confirmed my belief: even a mature, approved project
can disappear during environmental changes or leadership transitions if it lacks institutional memory.

Experience 5 | Accumulable Structures in International Service

At the international level, I witnessed a service structure that is truly “accumulable and inheritable.”
As a Taiwanese Rotarian and a member of the IYFR (International Yachting Fellowship of Rotarians),
I participated in a tree-planting service project at Tagaytay Highlands, alongside our fellow Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Makati Circle of Friends during an international exchange.

This was not a symbolic visit designed for show. It was an environmental action
that had been running for years, with clear long-term goals and local context.
Before the action began, the hosts provided a comprehensive briefing on the project’s background,
its purpose, and the subsequent maintenance plan. This allowed participants to understand
that they were not just attending a one-off event, but were a node in a long-term continuum.

On-site, we didn’t just donate resources; we went to the designated site and planted the seedlings with our own hands.
This action combined environmental protection with local educational support,
ensuring that every contribution—regardless of the donor’s country—was clearly positioned as part of a whole.

Even across different languages and cultures, Rotarians could align their actions quickly
under a clear institutional framework. The key was not how well we knew each other,
but how well the information was organized and recorded.

Such experiences confirm that when backgrounds are clarified, contexts are preserved, and actions are inherited,
the impact of service amplifies over time rather than being a fleeting moment of goodwill.

The Role of AI in This Context

Reflecting on these experiences, I began to wonder:
Are there tools that can help preserve these critical contexts and reduce the exhaustion
of repetitive organization and communication without adding a burden to club members?

I do not believe AI can replace the judgment and action of Rotarians.
The core of service always stems from human-to-human understanding, field perception,
and the actual investment of resources. If properly positioned, AI plays a supporting role—making
the time-consuming “must-do” tasks lighter, allowing Rotarians to spend their limited time
on the service decisions and actions that truly matter.