President Bruce administers the life-saving polio vaccine to a young Indian child.
My recent trip to India brought home the fabulous work that Rotary does around the world. Hearing from representatives of Rotary International, as well as the World Health Organization and UNICEF, was inspiring in terms of the progress made against polio. We are down to two endemic countries (Pakistan and Afghanistan) and must keep enthusiasm and commitment high as we continue into the home stretch toward eliminating this terrible disease from the world. Our meetings included a trip to the Rotary Blood Bank in New Delhi, along with visits to St. Stephen's Hospital, where Dr. Matthew Varghese has operated on hundreds of polio patients over the decades, allowing them to lead more normal lives. Rotarian Dr. Nischel Pandey told us about the free surgeries he has done for patients from India and other south Asian countries, and brought us to a school for street children that he started under a tree (literally) and now has over 120 students housed in a nice basement with dedicated teachers and support from Rotarians.
I will write about some of our club's projects over the next couple of months - but the engagement and impact of what you do is truly amazing.
Let's all support the Dolphin Derby fundraising effort, to make this year's event a real success - and allow us to do more good in the community and the world.
Thank you, for all you do!