Weekly News & Views by: Dave Morse
Photographs by: Patsy Inouye
August 23, 2019. President Tim Daleiden started our meeting with the
ring of the bell, I played the introduction and all joined in singing “Smile” and “America the Beautiful.”
Visitors included Kevin Yu, a guest of Brodie Hamilton and potential new member.
Announcements:
The Sunset Rotary Club is looking for some volunteers for “Movies in the Park.”
Bob Poppenga thanked members for supporting the Rotary Beer booth, given some changes in the music line up, revenues may be down.
Patsy Inyoue reminded folks, October 5, is our Oktoberfest event.
Larry Greene. Cool Davis needs a part time bookkeeper.
David Murphy. Our Club sponsored exchange student from Bolivia will be at the first meeting in September.
Foundation News:
Chair Larry Greene, highlighted polio facts:
Nigeria has passed the three- year- no-cases threshold. Africa will soon be declared a polio-free continent. Polio Plus is focusing on the last two non-polio-free countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The Rotary Foundation has a budget of about $400 million:
$150 million for worldwide projects
$50 million for Polio Plus (matched with $100 million from Gates Foundation)
$75 million for an endowment.
$35 million for grants.
Paul Harris awards were made to members: John Bowes, Lori Raineri, and Dennis Lindsay.
Sgt. of the day Andrew Newman called for happy bucks.
President Tim thanked members for attending the Wednesday social and thanked Chuck Snipes for bringing water.
Jim Grieshop and his wife went to Seattle and met their 3 grandsons, ages 15,12, and 10 for eight days.
Chuck Snipes is happy college football is beginning.
Meghan Likes thanks club golfers Mack Walker, Larry Greene, and Jack Latow for supporting the Kiwanis golf tournament.
Dennis Lindsay is happy that his 95 year old mother is now with his father.
Lori Raineri is happy that she completed a recent event hosting 300 people. She also shared a copy of the so called best statistical graphic ever created, by Charles Joseph Minard, which portrays the losses suffered by Napoleon’s arm in the Russian campaign of 1812.
John Bowes is happy with the starting of the school year. Today is a breakfast with teachers, Monday a staff meet, and Wednesday school starts.
Vanessa Errecarte is happy that we have a future Rotarian, Lane David, 5 lbs., 2 oz.; Stephanie, husband and baby are doing fine.
Sgt. Andrew, called on Carolyn Stiver, who could use a few more backpacks. You can get them at Target or TJ Max. They like to have 90 to 100 backpacks, this year she received 53. 
Several members stood, identifying themselves of being guilty for not following up on Lori’s request to draw a name and then arrange a meeting with that member. Dick Berry responded to the request for anyone to talk about their experience. Dick brought along his book of 50 years of wood sign projects, which he shared with Bud Harmon.
Sgt. Andrew confessed he is off a bit and ended up fining himself because “I botched it.” This botching it up included a reference to anyone visiting Iceland? (Greenland?); and a question about Texas. Lori answered the question and identified a comment made by the governor of Texas, “20% of the homeless in California come from Texas.”
Program chair Lori Raineri introduced our guest speaker Michael Carter, “What’s Hope Got to do with it?” Michael is a professor of economics in the UC Davis Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. His work has focused on international poverty and violence.
Michael began by asking how many folks like or studied economics, there were several hands up. How many folks took an economic class but never wanted to take another economics class? Several. Michael presented a detailed set of largely unreadable charts and tables. However, his message was clear, simple, and persuasive.
One billion people today are at or below the poverty level, of $1.9per day.
The Hope Multiplier: Studies have shown that a $100 transfer of livestock to a family in poverty, yields a 20% increase in consumption, a 15% increase in standard of living, and about a 75% rate of return. Hope is a psychological asset.
Conversely “Hopelessness can become a pathway to an endless cycle of poverty.”
Michael and his students have studied poverty in South American and Africa. Their studies have included families who have experienced violence.
The “Ladder of Life” was used to measure family attitudes about basic needs such as food, shelter, water, and education. Researchers asked people in Peru and Kenya to report where they see themselves on the Ladder of Life and where they see themselves in the future. Families that were in poverty and not subject to violence expressed a movement up the Ladder of Life in the future. Conversely, families subjected to violence saw no improvement in the future.
The Graduation model, recommends key steps to reduce extreme poverty:
- An asset to spur income generation, such as livestock or goods to start an informal store, micro loans.
- Training on how to manage the asset.
- Basic food or cash support to stabilize households and reduce the need to sell the new asset in an emergency.
- Frequent (usually weekly) coaching visits to reinforce skills, build confidence, and help participants handle any challenges.
The model has proven successful, but is costly and in some instances governments are reluctant to implement it. The return on investment is well above 100%.
Time for only one question:
Matthew Crider, jokingly asked, will the model formula be on the final? Yes. Mathew also asked if there are examples of programs with implantation steps including training? Yes, implementation was successful in Columbia. A quick check on the Internet, noted a 2015 study of use of the Graduation Model in six countries, Peru, Honduras, Ghana, Ethiopia, Pakistan and India.
One year after the program ended—three years after receiving the assets—program participants on average had significantly more assets and savings, spent more time working, went hungry on fewer days, and experienced lower levels of stress and improved physical health compared to those who did not receive the program. The program was also cost effective, with positive returns in five of six countries, ranging from 133 percent in Ghana to 433 percent in India. In other words, for every dollar spent on the program in India, ultra-poor households had $4.33 in long-term benefits.
Draw of the day: Vanessa Errecarte was awarded ten tickets for identifying this week’s name that tune, “You Are My Sunshine,” $824 in the pot.
Chuck Snipes won a free breakfast.