My Fellow Rotarians,
Cyclone Idai has caused widespread flooding across Southern African countries of Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Over 2.5 million people have been impacted by the storm, and hundreds of thousands have been left homeless. According to the UN, this devastating cyclone may be the worst ever disaster to hit the southern hemisphere. You may be asking "what is the best way to respond?" For Rotary, the answer is by supporting the life-saving, hope-bringing work of ShelterBox. .......
ShelterBox is Rotary International's Project Partner in disaster relief and has been in close contact with the District Governor for Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. ShelterBox has previously worked with Rotary in Malawi and Mozambique and has aid ready to go to help families in need - click here to see a short video.
A ShelterBox team is on route to Malawi. ShelterBox focuses on reaching the most vulnerable families who would not otherwise receive aid. Over 900,000 people in Malawi were already impacted by flooding before Cyclone Idai hit, and the storm has made the situation worse. Very few organizations are working in Malawi so this is ShelterBox's priority. ShelterBox teams are also closely monitoring the situation in Mozambique, Madagascar, and Zimbabwe to see how they can help.
Our District can make a huge difference for families affected by disasters around the world. Please consider a personal and/or a club donation today to support ShelterBox's efforts in Southern Africa and around the world.
To make this easier, we have set up a District fundraising page. You can donate online via this page and receive a tax receipt. Your club can also send a cheque to ShelterBox Canada. These donations will be added to our District's total.
ShelterBox Canada
159 Jane Street, Office 2
Toronto, Ontario
M6S 3Y8
You can also chose to set up a club fundraising page by going to the District page and clicking on register. This might be worthwhile doing if you would like to send the link to your club's page to friends of the club and/or to the personal network of club members. An ask from your club might get a better response than one asking for a donation to the District's page.
However you choose to solicit donations, every dollar donated will help displaced individuals and families. Thank you, in advance, for your support.
Yours in Rotary service,
Mary Lou
Mary Lou Harrison, 2018-19 District Governor, District 7070