Two young professionals have recently returned to the Island after spending six, eye-opening weeks in Brazil as the first ever Bermudians to participate in Rotary International's exchange programme aimed at budding professionals.

Lee Simmons and Kenneth Dill - both employees of the Bank of Bermuda - toured three areas of northeastern Brazil and visited businesses, Rotary projects, schools and other community organisations over the course of their exchange.

Unlike Rotary's year-long youth exchange, the programme the young men participated in is aimed at professionals and business people between the ages of 25 and 40, explained Sandys Rotary president David Sullivan.

The two were selected to participate within a group of four from the Rotary district of Bermuda and several New York boroughs and neighbourhoods - but also Manhattan, Staten Island, Westchester and the Bronx.

"It was very unusual to have two from Bermuda, but also two from the same employer," said Mr. Sullivan.

Mr. Simmons and Mr. Dill were required to learn Portuguese in order to make presentations while in Brazil as they travelled to the cities of Fortaleza, Sao Luis and Teresina.

"We travelled with them, we ate what they ate, we did everything as Brazilians would," said Mr. Simmons.

While the pair saw a great deal of poverty in Brazil, both came away impressed with the level of community spirit in the country and with Rotary's volunteer works in South America's largest and most populous nation.

"I'd never seen such poverty," said Mr. Dill. "But there is also this sense of community and family. They have very little but are very giving and loving of others."

He added: "They are incredibly resourceful. Literally nothing is wasted. The saying 'one man's trash is another man's treasure' is so true there. Everything is recycled."

The pair also saw innovative Rotary projects in action such as an initiative to set up a post office in a slum area.

"They built this post office but they also had to go and name all the streets in the barrio in order that people could receive mail," said Mr. Dill.

"They named the streets and distributed keys to each family."

In Brazil, where many people travel thousands of miles in search of work, the move provided a welcome link between migrants and their families.

Other projects included feeding stations and schools, and each are designated for the area by the local Rotary group.

Mr. Dill and Mr. Simmons broke from family, friends and their desks to undertake their Brazilian adventure. Mr. Dill is an assistant vice-president/merchant services manager while Mr. Simmons is a commercial loans officer.

With the support of the bank and their families, however, the decision to go was an easy one. Bank vice-president Wayne Dill said the names of both men were put forward by the human resources department as potential candidates because the organisation is very supportive of this type of programme.

Mr. Dill and Mr. Simmons were selected from among 35 candidates in the district, Mr. Sullivan added.

While coincidence dictated that the chosen happened to be from the same employer, the programme is open to all professions, he said, and not limited to large organisations.

Rotarians and family of Rotarians, however, are not eligible for the programme.

Next year's exchange country will be South Africa and Mr. Sullivan said he expects to start recruiting possible participants in September.

"We try to pair up with countries which are really different and make the experience as rich as possible," he said.