First, I want to thank sincerely to Carlos for submitting our proposal “Adopt a River” to RC of Northbrook on our behalf. We also want to thank to you both, and the members of RC of Northbrook, for agreeing to join us in this global grant of impact regarding the environment, in Guatemala and Honduras, along the Motagua River.
Let me tell you a little bit about this program. The Motagua River, along the border Guatemala-Honduras, is one of the most polluted rivers in the world, plastic wise. Maybe you know the problem generated by micro plastics in the biodiversity of the oceans.
All the Rotary Clubs of Guatemala and Honduras, located along the river are committed to work on several programs not only to clean the river, but to educate communities, to teach children at the schools and to advocate to clean the river with municipalities and local authorities in the cities and villages along the river.
We will submit a Global Grant, lead locally in Guatemala by RC Guatemala Sur and RC Guatemala Este, jointly with all the Rotary Clubs along the Motagua River. We expect to raise funds in the amount of approx. $10,000 from RCs and District 4250.
Thanks again to the RC of Northbrook for being the international sponsor. For sure, another clubs and districts from USA will join this grant.
We’ll present at the ESRAG booth in Melbourne a video of the current awful situation of the Motagua River and the global grant “Adopt a River” to look for other international sponsors.
End plastic soup Rotarian Action Group, through PDG Salvador Rico from California, is ready to also support this program. Another Global Grant will be submitted soon by the RCs of Honduras.
The board of Trustees expect to sign an agreement with UNEP (United Nations Environment Program) maybe in Melbourne. UNEP, with Headquarters in Kenya, has the technology, the information, the experience of cleaning rivers in Kenya jointly with Rotary and maybe additional resources to invest in this program.
Others “Adopt a River” programs took place in several countries around the world. The Adopt Motagua River Program will be benefitted for the experience collected from other countries and UNEP.
As you can see, this Global Grant will be a high impact environment program to benefit not only our countries but the whole ocean environment.
2.- A power point ppt, unfortunately in Spanish regarding general goals of the Grant. This presentation is being translated also. I’ll send to you the English version ASAP.
Thank you again for your support to this GG. This program could be a good opportunity to visit Guatemala for the launching of the program Adopt a River.
I’ll send more information soon. Please let me know if you have any question.
As soon as we have the information to submit the grant, we’ll inform you.
Confirming my message of Tuesday, our board approved partnering with your club on the river cleanup project. Please see below the contact information for Jeff Tideman, our International Service chair, who will be your liaison with us.
I am also copying Mitch Portugal , who is our current president. As I mentioned before, our next president is Sandy.
A Rotary Community Corps (RCC) is a group of non-Rotarians who share our commitment to changing the world through service projects.
RCC members plan and carry out projects in their communities in collaboration with local Rotary clubs. Sponsored by a Rotary club, an RCC leverages Rotary’s network, brand, and mentorship by partnering with clubs to plan and implement service projects. RCCs increase Rotary’s impact and expand its reach by bringing the knowledge and talents of local people to strengthen their community through sustainable projects.
There are more than 12,000 corps in 105 countries and 257 districts. RCCs are active everywhere Rotary is present: in urban and rural areas, and in both developed and developing countries. Read more about RCC trends worldwide in the annual Rotary Community Corps report.
Program Goals
Promote sustainable solutions to community needs
Support community members in addressing community needs while recognizing their unique ability to identify pressing concerns and appropriate solutions
Develop partnerships between Rotarians and non-Rotarians in a joint effort to strengthen the community
How does my Rotary club sponsor an RCC?
By sponsoring an RCC, your club gives more people a chance to take action to solve your community’s problems. Here are the steps to start an RCC:
Create awareness for the RCC program within your club.
Assess the need for, and feasibility of, establishing an RCC.
Celebrate once your RCC certificate arrives. Organize an event to recognize the partnership between the RCC and your club.
Help your RCC develop a brand in conformity with Rotary’s visual guidelines. Here are some resources that will help your RCC to develop a strong brand:
Create your RCC’s logo by using the template on Rotary’s Brand Center
Work with Rotary’s licensed vendors to purchase customized merchandize or supplies.
Read the RCC President Survey highlights where RCC presidents and advisors share lessons learned and insights into the motives, attributes, and activities of their RCCs.
How to sustain a successful RCC
Support and mentorship from the sponsoring club is the key to an RCC’s success. Rotary clubs provide ongoing guidance to their sponsored RCC and share service-related resources and tools with the corps. The primary club sponsor is responsible for ensuring that the RCC’s activities are aligned with RI’s policies and procedures. Sponsor clubs are encouraged to invite RCC members to their meetings and events.
Sponsor Rotary clubs appoint at least one RCC advisor or an RCC committee whose is responsible for participating in the RCC’s meetings and activities, advising on administrative matters, mentoring the RCC leadership and members, keeping the sponsor club informed about the RCC’s activities, and identifying opportunities for the club and RCC to partner on service projects.
Sponsor clubs must update the contact information of their RCC advisor and RCC president annually using this online form. Visit Rotary Club Central to review a list of RCCs sponsored by your club (Reports > Service > List of Rotary Community Corps)
How to promote RCC
Publicize an RCC’s accomplishments through your club and district communication channels. Share success stories from your sponsored RCC’s activities with Rotary International by emailing us at rotary.service@rotary.org.
Read stories about RCCs on our Rotary Service in Action Blog.
District governors are encouraged to appoint a district community service committee to promote RCCs and other service-related resources to Rotary clubs.
What are the benefits?
By joining or organizing an RCC, you can make a tremendous impact in your community. RCCs empower community members to take the lead in addressing their needs. Projects are more sustainable and have greater impact when community members are involved in their design, implementation, and long-term oversight. Through RCCs, clubs diversify participation in their service activities and help develop new leaders in the community.
RCCs can be created to address an identified need in the short-term through a service project or to address various local needs through ongoing service projects.
Membership into RCCs is open to any adult in the community who shares Rotary’s commitment to service but is not a Rotary member. Members can be comprised of individuals or an entire village, neighborhood, or community association that wants to work with a club on service projects. The majority of RCCs do not charge membership dues. Those that charge nominal dues use funds to solely offset administrative costs. You can find an RCC in your area by contacting your local Rotary club. If there isn’t a community corps, discuss the idea of starting one with your local Rotary club president. Learn more about what you can do through a Rotary Community Corps.
How do I form an RCC as a community volunteer?
You can form an RCC anywhere community members are interested in working with Rotary. Here are some guidelines:
Work with other local residents to identify the community’s greatest needs using this assessment form.
Work with a local Rotary club to outline how you will work together.
Recruit RCC members. Start with a core group of members. Community organizations and nongovernmental agencies are good places to recruit.
Celebrate once your RCC certificate arrives. Organize an event to recognize the partnership between the RCC and your club.
Help your RCC develop a brand in conformity with Rotary’s visual guidelines. Here are some resources that will help your RCC to develop a strong brand:
Create your RCC’s logo by using the template on Rotary’s Brand Center
Work with Rotary’s licensed vendors to purchase customized merchandize or supplies.
Read the RCC President Survey highlights where RCC presidents and advisors share lessons learned and insights into the motives, attributes, and activities of their RCCs.
How to sustain a successful RCC
Support and mentorship from the sponsoring club is the key to an RCC’s success. Rotary clubs provide ongoing guidance to their sponsored RCC and share service-related resources and tools with the corps. The primary club sponsor is responsible for ensuring that the RCC’s activities are aligned with RI’s policies and procedures. Sponsor clubs are encouraged to invite RCC members to their meetings and events.
Sponsor Rotary clubs appoint at least one RCC advisor or an RCC committee whose is responsible for participating in the RCC’s meetings and activities, advising on administrative matters, mentoring the RCC leadership and members, keeping the sponsor club informed about the RCC’s activities, and identifying opportunities for the club and RCC to partner on service projects.
Sponsor clubs must update the contact information of their RCC advisor and RCC president annually using this online form. Visit Rotary Club Central to review a list of RCCs sponsored by your club (Reports > Service > List of Rotary Community Corps)
How to promote RCC
Publicize an RCC’s accomplishments through your club and district communication channels. Share success stories from your sponsored RCC’s activities with Rotary International by emailing us at rotary.service@rotary.org.
Read stories about RCCs on our Rotary Service in Action Blog.
District governors are encouraged to appoint a district community service committee to promote RCCs and other service-related resources to Rotary clubs.
The Rotary International and UNEP partnership Adopt a River for Sustainable Development is a locally focused, global initiative that aims to protect, restore, and sustain freshwater ecosystems to assist and promote the sustainable development of communities. It is part of UNEP’s wider efforts to support local and international action on the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
To kick off this initiative, in 2020 UNEP signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Rotary District 9212, which covers Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya and South Sudan, to support direct action at the local level under the “Adopt-a-River” slogan.
Rotary Clubs, or a coalition of Rotary Clubs, make a long-term commitment to protect, restore and sustain a local waterbody by developing a programme strategy to address the threats impacting the waterway. The aim is to bring together the community and stakeholders, both local and international, to implement projects that benefit the waterbody and the surrounding community.
In 2022 Rotary International introduced “Environment” as a new area of focus, underscoring the relevance of the Adopt-a-River initiative for Rotary International. The projects implemented by Rotary and Rotaract clubs (youth aged 18-30) under the MoU have proven the effectiveness of the initiative and helped move Adopt-a-River onto a global stage.
Adopt-a-River will have a side event and booth at the Rotary Convention in Melbourne, Australia, at the end of May 2023 to share information, raise awareness and recruit more clubs.
For more information contact: Gavin Reynolds Programme Management Officer UNEP, Freshwater Ecosystem Unit
President Jennifer Jones visited the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
By Charles Bartlett
Rotary International President Jennifer Jones visited the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters on 30 August 2022 and met Executive Director Inger Andersen. The two leaders reaffirmed their joint commitment to scaling up collaboration on environmental action to promote the Sustainable Development Agenda.
UNEP caught up with Jennifer after her meeting to ask a few questions about Rotary’s new focus on the environment and plans to scale up collaboration with UNEP, especially on the Adopt-a-River initiative.
UNEP: Adopt-a-River has had some initial successes during its pilot phase over the last 18 months. Rotary has tremendous reach with 46,000 clubs around the world. How can UNEP help Rotary to ramp up action to protect and restore rivers over a wider geographical area than District 9212?
Jennifer Jones (JJ): People of action are excited about the opportunity to take on big or small challenges and make a positive difference. Sustainability is at the core of – and runs right through – Rotary’s entire structure. In terms of a planet-wide perspective, there is no more appropriate thing than an environmental focus.
UNEP: Rotary has 1.4 million paid up members globally. If we are going to shift the needle on environmental sustainability, youth engagement is vital. To what extent are environmental projects such as Adopt-a-River attracting youth to Rotary?
JJ: This new area of focus is attractive especially to our younger members, volunteers and thinkers. Rotary clubs are seeing more and more young people coming forward to take action – even children from age 12 upwards. This can excite individuals and ignite collective action, and it resonates well with all generations.
UNEP: What does environment becoming an area of focus mean to clubs and districts that are seeking support to conduct environmental projects? How can UNEP and Rotary work together to promote environmental action at the community level?
JJ: The partnersip with UNEP lends additional credibility to environmental initiatives. Knowing that we are aligned and that there is mutual respect is a great boost. I believe this is an exciting new chapter for our new focus on environmental issues. We have a grant structure that is available to support clubs to get things done at the community level. We are collaborating with a number of national and international voluntary organizations. Knowing we are not going it alone is super important. We are always on the lookout for partnerships with other like-minded organizations to scale up our work.
UNEP: Do you have a message for Rotarians and UNEP relating to World Rivers Day on 25 September?
JJ: Rivers Day is a great metaphor for all of us to stream together to build collaborative efforts with each other, and to raise awareness in communities outside the big cities. The UNEP-Rotary partnership is a chance to build messages and capacity behind that.
See also a conversation between Jennifer Jones and Inger Andersen, Executive DIrector of UNEP here.
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