The Humanitarian Spirit of Rotary
Posted by Steven Walden
November is Rotary Foundation Month. The Rotary Foundation (TRF) is a separate entity from Rotary International. The foundation is a non-profit corporation that is funded solely by contributions from Rotarians and friends of Rotary. The Mission of TRF is to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through the improvement of health, support of education, and alleviation of poverty.
We can be proud of our club's support of TRF. Each year, we provide a generous amount of funding to the organization. In fact, during our 25 years of existance, we have donated in excess of $917,000 to the Foundation, one of the highest amounts in Rotary over that period of time. Our direct participation has no doubt impacted Rotary projects throughout the world. When we read in the Rotarian each month of great things Rotary is doing in Africa, Asia, and even here in the U.S., you can be assured those are YOUR dollars at work. Therefore, you are giving to a very worthy cause.
In Romania, orphans and sick children have eggs, milk, and meat because of a Foundation grant that benefits local farmers. The farmers are able to buy everything from animal feed to packaging materials. There is one stipulation: They must donate a portion of their products to children's hospitals, schools, and orphanages. In Alaska, USA, the Rotary Club of Anchorage East is also fighting hunger by distributing food to low-income families through a mobile food pantry. Projects such as these help address the areas of focus of maternal and child health as well as economic and community development.
4. Reducing child mortality
The Rotary clubs of Jaela-Kandana, Western Province, Sri Lanka, and Madras Northwest, Tamil Nadu, India, are helping to reduce child mortality by providing improved sanitation facilities for 15 families in a small community in Sri Lanka. With a Rotary Foundation Matching Grant, the clubs have built 14 toilets, helping to prevent diarrhea and other diseases related to poor sanitation.
According to the World Health Organization, 1.8 million children die of diarrhea every year, making it the second leading cause of death among children under five. Proper sanitation can reduce the rate of child mortality in many communities by up to a third. Water and sanitation is the third area of focus.
3. Promoting peace and conflict resolution
Watching civil war tear apart his homeland of Côte d'Ivoire instilled in Rotary Peace Fellow Kouame Remi Oussou a passion to resolve conflict. He is now working for the United Nations Development Programme in the Central African Republic, a country that weathered periodic internal fighting before a comprehensive peace accord took effect in 2007. Rotary Peace Fellows are leaders in promoting national and international cooperation, peace, and conflict resolution. Peace and conflict prevention/resolution is the first area of focus.
2. Basic education and literacy
Education helps rebuild lives, whether it's in small rural towns or in war-torn countries. For example, a literacy project sponsored by U.S. Rotarians in conjunction with the International Reading Association (IRA) is helping Sudanese refugees rebuild their communities by equipping them to teach future generations. The Southern Sudan Teacher Training Initiative provides refugees of the country's decades-long civil war, who are known as the Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan, with teacher training materials, guidance, and support to help them teach students in kindergarten through eighth grade. "People returning from refugee camps to rebuild their lives in Duk County are hungry for books and school supplies," says John Dau, a Lost Boy, humanitarian, and founder of the John Dau Foundation.
1. Eradicating polio
Around the world, Rotarians are taking millions of steps in walkathons, diving into icy ocean waters, and participating in other fundraisers to help Rotary fulfill its promise to rid the world of polio. Si Burgher, of the Rotary Club of Bloomfield, Indiana, USA, raised almost $1,600 by having his shaggy eyebrows shaved. The PolioPlus program was started in 1985. Since then, eradicating polio has been the organization's top priority.
In November, we will be focusing on the great work of TRF, and what we can do as individuals and a club to ensure that the great work carries on for several generations. I want to encourage you to continue supporting TRF through your generous donations and willingness to educate others about how Rotary serves others with the funding.
To learn more about The Rotary Foundation, log on to www.rotary.org.
Have a fruitful week.
Yours in Rotary,
Steve Walden
The following is a list of the Top Five Reasons to Support The Rotary Foundation is from Rotary.org:
5. Fighting hungerIn Romania, orphans and sick children have eggs, milk, and meat because of a Foundation grant that benefits local farmers. The farmers are able to buy everything from animal feed to packaging materials. There is one stipulation: They must donate a portion of their products to children's hospitals, schools, and orphanages. In Alaska, USA, the Rotary Club of Anchorage East is also fighting hunger by distributing food to low-income families through a mobile food pantry. Projects such as these help address the areas of focus of maternal and child health as well as economic and community development.
4. Reducing child mortality
The Rotary clubs of Jaela-Kandana, Western Province, Sri Lanka, and Madras Northwest, Tamil Nadu, India, are helping to reduce child mortality by providing improved sanitation facilities for 15 families in a small community in Sri Lanka. With a Rotary Foundation Matching Grant, the clubs have built 14 toilets, helping to prevent diarrhea and other diseases related to poor sanitation.
According to the World Health Organization, 1.8 million children die of diarrhea every year, making it the second leading cause of death among children under five. Proper sanitation can reduce the rate of child mortality in many communities by up to a third. Water and sanitation is the third area of focus.
3. Promoting peace and conflict resolution
Watching civil war tear apart his homeland of Côte d'Ivoire instilled in Rotary Peace Fellow Kouame Remi Oussou a passion to resolve conflict. He is now working for the United Nations Development Programme in the Central African Republic, a country that weathered periodic internal fighting before a comprehensive peace accord took effect in 2007. Rotary Peace Fellows are leaders in promoting national and international cooperation, peace, and conflict resolution. Peace and conflict prevention/resolution is the first area of focus.
2. Basic education and literacy
Education helps rebuild lives, whether it's in small rural towns or in war-torn countries. For example, a literacy project sponsored by U.S. Rotarians in conjunction with the International Reading Association (IRA) is helping Sudanese refugees rebuild their communities by equipping them to teach future generations. The Southern Sudan Teacher Training Initiative provides refugees of the country's decades-long civil war, who are known as the Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan, with teacher training materials, guidance, and support to help them teach students in kindergarten through eighth grade. "People returning from refugee camps to rebuild their lives in Duk County are hungry for books and school supplies," says John Dau, a Lost Boy, humanitarian, and founder of the John Dau Foundation.
1. Eradicating polio
Around the world, Rotarians are taking millions of steps in walkathons, diving into icy ocean waters, and participating in other fundraisers to help Rotary fulfill its promise to rid the world of polio. Si Burgher, of the Rotary Club of Bloomfield, Indiana, USA, raised almost $1,600 by having his shaggy eyebrows shaved. The PolioPlus program was started in 1985. Since then, eradicating polio has been the organization's top priority.
In November, we will be focusing on the great work of TRF, and what we can do as individuals and a club to ensure that the great work carries on for several generations. I want to encourage you to continue supporting TRF through your generous donations and willingness to educate others about how Rotary serves others with the funding.
To learn more about The Rotary Foundation, log on to www.rotary.org.
Have a fruitful week.
Yours in Rotary,
Steve Walden