Just a reminder that this week's meeting will be at The Mining Exchange Hotel, Nevada & Pikes Peak Avenues. Paid parking is available on the street or at the city parking garages in the area. You may also park with no fee at The Antlers and take a free shuttle from the front door to The Mining Exchange -- just see the hotel valet.
Our meeting this week is the first of two Diamond Awards presentations. We will honor Mrs. Laurie Ross, Coronado High School math teacher, and Mr. Hunter Conde, Doherty High School social studies teacher. Our second Diamond Awards presentation will be on April 28th for Mitchell, Early College (Wasson Campus), and Palmer High Schools.
A special thanks to Judy Casey who has served as our Youth Exchange Officer (YEO) this year. Judy stepped in last Summer and helped with our current exchange student from Austria, Christopher Grundner. Also helping with youth exchange this year has been Kevin Vick as an exchange counselor for Chris. Judy has decided to step down as YEO and Juliana Howard is taking on the role to allow a smooth transition for our next exchange student. Another Rotary helper, in a big way, was Larry Keefe and wife Chris who were host parents for Chris from Austria -- December through February. There are always opportunities for helping with Rotary Youth Exchange -- counselors, host families, special events, etc..
Our March board meeting is tomorrow, March 16th, from 7:30 to 9:00 a.m. at the Board Room of the Antlers Hotel. Counts as a make-up and you're always welcome to attend.
Special Request -- Our Rotary Youth Exchange student, Christopher Grundner, is moving from his current host family this weekend due to a serious illness within the host family. Chris was planning a ski trip to Pagosa Springs with the family; however, that has been cancelled. If there's any Rotarian/non-Rotarian heading to the mountains for D20 Spring Break (last week of March) who has an opening for a guest, please let me know. Chris was really looking forward to some skiing over spring break.
The following is an article written for the District 1260 (UK) newsletter by our Global Grant Scholar, Jourdan McGinn. Jourdan studies at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
On March 8th, we celebrated International Women’s Day. Over the last century, we have seen unprecedented progress in developing ways to support women, most notably mothers and their children. Medical breakthroughs have provided new ways to save mothers before, during and after birth and to ensure children are born health, happy, and with full health. The technology exists, the research on best practices is robust, and the requirements to save mothers and babies are known. We have the answers.
And yet, every day, approximately 830 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth [World Health Organization, WHO Statistics]. 99% of these are in developing countries. Poor mothers and mothers living in rural areas face the biggest risks.
But why?
The answer is simply a matter of inequality. The solutions that save mothers lives are only accessible to some instead of all women.
I spent the last four years working in East Africa, primarily Kenya and Uganda, on a series of projects including projects to support safe motherhood and ensure no woman dies while giving life.
I have worked in health facilities where simple supplies like latex gloves and razors to cut the umbilical cords of babies are out of supply. I have seen women lose their babies in childbirth because they had to wait too long to see a medical professional after the health facility lost funding to pay the nurses. I have seen women having an obstetric emergency carried ten miles on the back of their family members to the closest facility because they couldn’t afford any other form of transport.
But I have also seen incredible resiliency in light of these challenges. I have met a nurse that delivered a baby to the light of a single candle after her town was flooded and all roads washed away. I have seen communities cook food and provide childcare for the nurses that worked long hours after staff shortages.
More than anything, I have seen hope. The world is joined together in the belief that no woman should die while giving life, the solutions to ensure they don’t die exist, and the commitment by the communities most affected is stronger than ever.
Now it is in the hands of every citizen across the globe to step up and ensure health facilities have the supplies they need, health workers receive the training and resources they need, and we support the poorest women in ensuring they can access and afford those services.
Here's a no-cost way for you to donate to our Service Fund with every purchase you make online at Amazon.com with your existing account. Sign up for Amazon Smile at https://smile.amazon.com/ and select Community Service Fund of the Rotary Club of Colorado Springs as your designated charity. .5% of your purchase amount will be donated to the Service Fund. It's easy and costs you nothing. Give it a try!
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