People

World traveler envisions ‘wonderful world’

When anthropologist, artist, and filmmaker Anne Menne learned Kiwanis International’s mission is to serve the children of the world, she knew immediately she needed to be a part of that mission.

Anne Menne finds fulfillment in achieving her mission to serve the children of the world.

So, in 1998, after working internationally with children for more than 20 years, Anne became a Kiwanian. The fit was perfect. And her club didn’t waste any time putting her to work.

“I wanted to be part of a larger family with similar goals,” says Anne, a member of the Kiwanis Club of San Rafael and Central Marin, California. “The first thing my club asked me to do was to start a Builders Club at Davidson Middle School, which I did. It was a great introduction to the Kiwanis family!”

But her dedication to spreading the word about Kiwanis and growing the organization certainly didn’t end there. She moved on to open the first club in Lima, Peru.

“My favorite memory was the night we officially formed the new club,” she says. “I had previously arranged with the members from California to meet at a place where I could call them the moment we officially had our 20 members in Lima. I was worried that after two years of work we still we wouldn’t have the minimum 20 people required, but that night we actually had 63 members! It was fantastic to hear the cheers on both sides of the globe on the same night for the inauguration of the Lima Kiwanis club. We all feel we are a part of helping the needy children in Lima.”

Anne’s passion for helping others doesn’t begin and end with Kiwanis—it’s her life’s work. When she’s not busy with Kiwanis duties, Anne volunteers as founder and executive director of the nonprofit organization Heart of Anthropology, where she uses anthropology and art methods to design educational programs. She also invents, develops, and produces multimedia research and educational programs. All this work has had a huge impact on children and communities literally around the globe.

It isn’t always an easy road. Anne has struggled with physical disabilities her entire life.

“One reason I can do projects with Kiwanis is because, although I cannot work full time in any kind of job, I can volunteer my services part time,” she says. “Living with so much loss, pain, and uncertainty about the future for such long periods of time has given me insights into and empathy for people and cultures who have very different experiences of the world.”

She continues: “I think our future lies in collaboration and including everyone who wants to help children—men and women, rich and poor, young and old—as members of the Kiwanis family,” she says. “Can you imagine what a wonderful world we could create?”