District 5950 Rotarians, pat yourselves on the back! Because so many of you care, the lives of hundreds of women and children will improve. Rotary’s April theme is Maternal and Child Health. Rotarians in 5950 have stepped up in that arena big time by using OUR contributions to leverage dollars through our global grant process.
I urge you to read the three following examples of how 5950 People of Action Rotarians make a difference in the world. Eighteen of our 62 clubs participated in these, turning $88,900.00 in club contributions into $500,650.00 in projects through matches from contributions to TRF by 5950 Rotarians and a generous anonymous donor. That leverage averages 6:1 -- quite a return on investment!Ellen Schreder (Brooklyn Center), in concert with the Rotary Club of Cap-Haitien, secured a global grant to provide sustainable Menstrual Health Solutions and Feminine Hygiene and Reproductive Health Education to women and girls in Haiti. With education, women and girls will learn to recognize the symptoms of urinary tract and vaginal infections caused by unclean supplies. Sustainable menstrual hygiene supplies and education will be available to females in many communities throughout Haiti, reducing the occurrence of infections and increasing women’s understanding about feminine hygiene and menstrual and reproductive health.
Sheila Loberg (Edina) and MATTER, in cooperation with the Rotary Club of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, is working on a grant to increase access to health by equipping the maternity and pediatric wards of the Bulawayo Central Hospital. The hospital needs basic maternity ward equipment, e.g., delivery beds, infant warmers, infant resuscitators, ultrasound machine. To support sustained health in a holistic way, the grant includes an onsite hospital farm to provide nutrient-rich foods for the patients and staff.
Sandy Pappas and Ellen Kennedy (Minneapolis University) authored a grant with the Rotary Club of East Jerusalem to institute a critical outreach program to women and children in Palestine’s remote southern areas. The focus of the grant will address the crisis in high rates of stillborn births, and the increased rates of children with birth defects and disabilities often due to consanguineous marriage and child-bearing at a young age. The objective is to improve birth outcomes and long-term prospects for the next generation of Palestinians, especially those in remote areas. A mobile health unit will bring diagnosis, education, and treatment into previously unreachable areas in rural Palestine.
What does the world need that your club might support?
--DG Irene