Polio Immunization Day in Africa
A recent email from Brad Howard has announced a new initiative to immunize children in Togo, west Africa for Polio. Rotarians are being asked if any of them would be willing to travel to West Africa to administer the immunization drops. His letter follows:
The purpose of this correspondence is to announce an upcoming trip to Togo, West Africa in October 2013 to participate in a polio immunization exercise, attend the 9th Annual West Africa Project Fair, and engage in a hands-on work project. Attached is detailed trip information. Please feel free to share this information with the Rotarians in your club as soon as possible as we have a limited amount of space and expect this trip to be filled in the next week or two.
Trip Dates: October 15 – 24, 2013
Travel to: Lomé, Togo, West Africa
Per Person Price: $1,689, double occupancy
Program includes: Hotel accommodations, transfers, most meals, polio immunization exercise, hands-on community service field work, West Africa Project Fair registration, special Rotary and fellowship events, sightseeing, etc.
In October 2013, North American Rotarians will travel to Lomé, Togo, for a life changing experience. Have you ever heard a Rotarian speak about their personal experience participating in a polio eradication exercise, a cleft lip/cleft palate mission, or work on a humanitarian grant? These trips have a profound effect upon the individual. For those of you who have gone on one of these trips you know, and for those of you who have yet to enjoy this experience, you should.
The experiences you have stay with you forever. You get up early in the morning, travel with local Rotarians to a village, health clinic or impoverished neighborhood, and for the next few hours, you change. Small children come up to you to say thank you. Mothers and fathers smile at you knowing that you are giving their child a chance for a better life. You meet with the leaders in the village to learn of their needs and their hopes. It is hot; it is dusty; it makes you uncomfortable; it is exquisite.
The West Africa Project Fair is endorsed by Rotary’s Reach Out to Africa Committee (ROTA), who is trying to generate greater connectivity between the African and North American Rotarians to generate greater support of the projects of Africa. Your involvement, or your club’s involvement, in this Fair would not only provide an opportunity for project support, it would also help your members to grow and to understand the benefits of being a Rotarian. Involvement in Rotary gives the ordinary Rotarian extraordinary opportunities to do things that they could never do anywhere else. This trip is just such an experience.
Even if you are unable to join us this year, please feel free to announce this program in your club over the next month, get it on websites, and get it in newsletters. Encourage your members to participate – help them to Engage Rotary and Change Lives.
Let us know if you have any questions. We hope to hear from you soon.
Best regards,
Bradford R. Howard, PDG
North American Coordinator
West Africa Project Fair Committee
516 Grand Avenue
Oakland, CA 94610
Phone: (510) 834-2260
FAX: (510) 834-1019
E-mail: Rotary@HowardTours.net