International President
ROTARY D6330 FOUNDATION NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER
2024
Rotary International President for 2024-25, Stephanie Urchick, highlights her initiatives in 2024-25, including championing the Action Plan and promoting Rotary’s peacebuilding initiatives.
RI President Stephanie urges all members to “grow the Magic of Rotary by adding new members to our Rotary family and providing wonderful experiences to those already involved.”
“Unlock the Magic of Rotary by unlocking the power of women and girls. Advance the Magic of Rotary by fundraising to help change the world.”
“Together, we can make every club and every district ‘simply irresistible. ’”
Click this link to view several videos from the 2024 Singapore Convention including RI President Stephanie and RI President-elect Mário César Martins de Camargo
Rotary
2024-25, Stephanie Urchick, (Pennsylvania, USA) District 6330 Governor, Katherine Hahn (RC of Stratford, ON) TRF Newsletter Editor – Kitty Bucsko (RC of D6330 Passport)
RI PRESIDENT Stephanie Urchick
1 Editor Kitty Bucsko
ROTARY INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT
SEPTEMBER 2024 MESSAGE
From meaning of family
The Magic of Rotary is belonging, and it’s a feeling that can appear when you least expect it.
Earlier this year, I was in Slovakia serving as a president’s representative during a six-week trip through Europe. When I wrote to Katarina Cechova, governor of District 2240 at the time, I mentioned that my grandmother Veronica Zilka grew up in a small village in the area before settling in the U.S.
It wasn’t long before Cechova tracked down my grandmother’s village, Jakubova Vol’a. She even organized a visit for me, where I received an unforgettable Slovakian welcome.
When I entered the community center of Jakubova Vol’a, a small crowd of people dressed in traditional Slovakian clothing greeted me. They sang with beautiful and powerful Central European voices that reminded me of my grandmother.
A lot of families play cards or games when they get together. When I was young, my father would pick up his accordion and lead my family in song. My grandmother would sing along with her impressive voice.
When I walked into the community center and heard traditional music from my childhood – when I saw a woman play the accordion the way my dad played – I suddenly felt like a little girl sitting at my grandmother’s house in Monessen, Pennsylvania. I burst into tears of joy at the memories.
But the magic didn’t stop there. District Governor Cechova really outdid herself. A local genealogist worked with a videographer to make a short film about my grandmother. We watched the video together in the community center.
When the video ended, I turned around and saw a man standing in the back of the room. I quickly learned that this stranger, Frantisek Zilka, was my second cousin. His grandmother and mine had been sisters. I felt like I had been struck by lightning.
I visited my newfound cousin’s home, which happens to be the home where my grandmother was born. There, he shared old photographs I had never seen of my dad, my uncle, and my grandmother.
Since then, I can’t stop thinking about my family of Rotary. When I refer to you as my family, I’m not just being kind. I really think of everyone in Rotary as my family. But I never would have imagined that my Rotary family would introduce me to long-lost personal family.
Sitting in that community center listening to traditional Slovakian music from my childhood filled me with joy and a profound sense of belonging. I am so grateful to District Governor Cechova and everyone who helped create that magical experience.
As members of Rotary, we have a unique opportunity to share the same magic with each other and with the world. I encourage you to consider how you can help spread that magic and ensure other members of your club – other members of our Rotary family – feel like they truly belong.
STEPHANIE A. URCHICK PRESIDENT, ROTARY
INTERNATIONAL 2024-25
THE ROTARY FOUNDATION TRUSTEE CHAIR
SEPTEMBER 2024 - MESSAGE
A legacy for future generations
“The great use of a life,” wrote American philosopher William James in 1900, “is to spend it for something that outlasts it.”
Some leave a legacy through family and friendships, others through faith or principles, and still others through their professions. The Rotary Foundation offers another powerful option.
As a believer in the power of passing down a legacy through The Rotary Foundation Endowment, I was humbled that my wife, Gay, and I were able recently to help others in Rotary leave their legacy.
Our district (6860 in northern Alabama) had never organized a fundraising dinner focused on the Foundation’s Endowment before, but we knew it was time. We called it a legacy dinner, emphasizing giving’s long-term impact.
Progress was slow at first, and there were skeptics who doubted we could raise $1 million, our initial goal. However, we remained optimistic, setting a date for 23 February 2024, Rotary’s anniversary.
During this campaign, committee members traveled throughout northern Alabama, meeting with small groups in fireside chats about contributing to the Endowment. Then, significant gifts began coming in. One Rotarian made a $25,000 commitment, handing over a check for $10,000. Soon, other members followed suit, and we had more than $200,000 in gifts and commitments.
We still had far to go, but if there is one thing I know about Rotary, it is this: If you present the opportunity to members, they will respond. Topping off the district’s generosity were two surprises. One was a bequest commitment of $500,000, and then another of $560,000.
By the end of the campaign, our committee had exceeded our greatest expectations. We had raised $2,729,863.14 for the Endowment, nearly triple our goal. The impact of those gifrts will create a legacy that will keep on giving forever.
No single club or district alone will achieve our goal of fortifying The Rotary Foundation Endowment to $2,025 billion by 2025. Not all of us can give $25,000 now or as part of an estate plan. But I also know many of us can.
Please help us reach that Endowment goal and in doing so leave behgind a legacy and further the work of future generations of Rotary memers by visiting rotary.org/legacy. On behalf of the Foundation Trustees, I am grateful for your Rotary legacy.
MARK DANIEL MALONEY Foundation Trustee Chair,
2024-25
LOOKING FORWARD IN ROTARY INTERNATIONAL …SO YOU CAN BE PREPARED AND AWARE
Mário César Martins de Camargo President-elect for 2024-25
Rotary Club de Santo André São Paulo, Brazil
Mário César Martins de Camargo is a business consultant to the printing industry and former director of Gráfica Bandeirantes, a printing company founded by his father. Under de Camargo’s leadership, the company expanded to be a supplier of printed material for clients in Brazil and elsewhere in South America.
De Camargo attended military school and graduated from a secondary school in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA, during a Rotary Youth Exchange program. He had a yearlong internship at MAN Roland, a printing press manufacturer in Offenbach, Germany, before he earned his undergraduate degree at the Fundación Getulio Vargas’ São Paulo School of Business Administration. He also received his law degree from the Faculty of Law of São Bernardo do Campo.
He has led numerous professional associations, including as president of the Brazilian Association of Graphic Technology and ABIGRAF, the Brazilian Printing Industry Association. He was also delegate director of the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo (FIESP) in the National Confederation of Industry, vice president of FIESP, and vice president of the Latin American Confederation of the Printing Industry. He received the Printing Leader of the Americas award from the Printing Association of Florida and the Global Presidential Print Award from NPES, the Association for Suppliers of Printing, Publishing, and Converting Technologies.
De Camargo joined Rotary in 1980 at age 23. A past director and trustee, he will be the fourth RI president from Brazil. He has volunteered for numerous roles including RI learning facilitator, zone coordinator for the Avoidable Blindness Task Force, Latin American coordinator for the Health Concerns Task Force, RI president’s representative, and Council on Legislation representative. He has also served on committees including the RI Membership Growth Committee, The Rotary Foundation Programs Finance Committee, and the International PolioPlus Committee.
De Camargo says he is continually impressed by Rotary’s global reach. “With Service Above Self, Rotary has created a unique global identity that is unlike any other I know,” he says. “I think we all need to remember that we belong to an organization that opens up the world to us.”
During the start of the COVID pandemic in 2020, de Camargo took on two projects: studying for (and passing) the bar exam 38 years after attending law school and learning Italian. He also enjoys reading history and biography books and appreciating good wine.
De Camargo has received The Rotary Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award. He and his wife, Denise, are Major Donors and Benefactors of The Rotary Foundation.
Read the president-elect’s full biography
Learn more: https://www.rotary.org/en/sangkoo-yun-is-selected-to-be-2026-27-rotary-international-president
District website: https://rotary6330.org/
District 6330 Governor 2024-25
Katherine Hahn
Rotary Club of Stratford
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ROTARY FOUNDATION & GRANTS
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GRANTS IN DISTRICT 6330 –
Find the information on the home page (rotary6330.org) under the Learning tab -
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ROTARY FOUNDATION IN DISTRICT 6330 -
Find the information on the home page under the Rotary Foundation tab -
Thanks to donors like you, Rotary members around the world are:
• Uniting a divided nation around a water project in Lebanon
• Recognizing a woman’s worth and needs in Nigeria
• Giving the gift of reading to students in Guatemala
• Raising awareness about the environment in the United States
• Fighting for a community cure for malaria in Zambia
• Supporting female vaccinators who are doing more than helping end polio in Pakistan
To review your giving history, sign in to My Rotary, click on My Account in the upper right corner, and choose My Donations. We’re grateful for donors like you, who are dedicated to Doing Good in the World.
Sincerely,
The Rotary Foundation
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A CHANCE TO TRAVEL AND PARTICIPATE!! NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION DAY (NID) IN INDIA!
World Polio Day (October 24) provides an opportunity to highlight global efforts toward a polio-free world and honour the tireless contributions of those on the frontlines in the fight to eradicate polio from every corner of the globe.
Note - There are a several travel tour offers by Rotarians in India, a chance for you to see and experience firsthand the enormous efforts going on there to eradicate polio.
The October trips are scheduled so that you will be in attendance during their World Polio Day celebrations. Consider one of these trips to understand the impact on children and the amazing work of Rotarians to create a polio-free world.
All Rotarians, family, and friends are welcome.
Contact me if you would like more information.
Erin Zorzi
District 6330 Friendship Exchange Chair 519-832-7405
(Note - These trips are not separate from Friendship Exchanges.)
***********************
October trip
Cal India Tours and Travel
https://calindiatours.com/rotary-6860/default.aspx
January trip
Cal India Tours and Travel
https://calindiatours.com/india-polio-nid-tours/default.aspx
…Details follow on the next pages.
India is among the last bastions of world’s most crippling disease Polio, and we continue our efforts towards the Polio-free world. The last case of polio was reported in January 2011, and India is the latest country to have officially stopped endemic transmission of Polio. However, the threat is still ongoing for us, and we are still on the mark as long as our neighbouring countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan continue to report polio cases. We are getting remarkably close to eradicating polio globally.
Every year, Rotarians from around the world gather in India to participate in India’s Polio Immunization drive. This year again we invite you to join the team, participate in Polio NID, Build goodwill, exchange ideas and see the amazing projects of the fellow Rotarians. In addition to the Rotary initiative, the trip is infused with the true favours of India, its diversity, vibrant cultures, lifelong traditions and wonderful hospitality that has enthralled travelers for literally thousands of years.
ONE OF THE TRIPS AVAILABLE –
Why would you wish to participate in a National Immunization Day (NID)?
You will have the chance to experience a lifetime unforgettable humanitarian service experience with a holiday. You can view in person Rotary International’s initiatives in support of polio eradication since 1978.
Our Indian hosts welcome you with open arms and are looking forward to your visit on a unique and exceptional itinerary specially created for you.
In addition to our participation in Polio Routine Immunization, we will participate in special Rotary activities and events – KEEP INDIA POLIO FREE DRIVE. During your visit, all participants will experience all events and official programs, including our Polio Rally Day door-to-door campaign activities and Rotary club and Rotary Foundation projects visits.
Click here to view details of this tour – Rotary Club of Agra Tajmahal, District 3110
Why would you wish to participate in a National Immunization Day (NID)?
Rotary connects the World!
You will never be the same after you have looked into the appreciative eyes of someone whose life you have changed
This journey will be a landmark event in your Rotary experience. It also may be your last chance to give the two drops of a polio vaccine to a child that changes their life. This experience will combine participation in India’s Polio Immunization activities. Interaction with local Rotarians and projects.
Why participate in a National Immunization Day?
It’s an opportunity to view – in person - Rotary International’s initiatives in support of Polio Eradication. Rotary has been working since 1978, contributing millions of dollars, in association with WHO, UNICEF, among others, including especially Rotarians worldwide. Our Indian hosts are looking forward with open arms to your visit on a unique and exceptional itinerary specially created for you.
Rotary Activities
In addition to our participation in Polio Routine Immunization, we will participate in special Rotary activities and events KEEP INDIA POLIO FREE DRIVE . During visit, all participants are going to experience all events and official programs, including Polio Rally Day door to door campaign activities and Rotary club and Rotary Foundation projects visits.
Polio Rally on Tuk Tuk, Tractors, Cycles and Bikes
The purpose is to raise awareness in the community for polio vaccination to protect every child from this devastating disease. You’ll see the KEEP INDIA POLIO FREE DRIVE in action, celebrate with parents, professionals, and volunteers whose contributions make polio eradication achievable over years. Our Indian borders are crossed by refugees and carriers of polio virus We must keep the immunization mission going on. We have to participate house to house distributing flyers in slum areas defined by local medical authorities. WE will be joining our procession on the road with beating drums, music, dancing accompanying with the local public, school teachers, students, Rotarians, and medical staff.
Polio Immunization at slums
The virus spreads from person to person and can infect a person's spinal cord, causing paralysis There is no cure for polio, but it can be prevented with safe and effective vaccination.
Join the Polio drive by giving 2 drops of Polio vaccine at D-type booths run by government Auxiliary Nurses and Midwives under health department of Agra along with local Club Rotarians and volunteers.
Contact Rotarian Erin Zorzi for further information. ezorzi@bmts.com 519-832-7405
At left - A Basic Education and Literacy project organized by Rotary clubs in Canada placed a twopage spread of a storybook at 21 stations on a trail to encourage children to read and play outdoors.2
2 From https://rotaryserviceblog.org/2022/09/16/support-rotarys-commitment-to-quality-education-for-all/
THE UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 4 – Education!
The United Nations Sustainable Development Gold 4 Education prioritizes ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all.
The United Nations reports that the COVID-19 pandemic has deepened a global learning crisis.
• An estimated 24 million students (pre-primary to university level) may never return to school.
• Communities are prioritizing getting students back into in-person learning environments, rebuilding and enhancing school infrastructure from reliable electricity to safe drinking water and needed sanitation systems along with hygiene habit training to meet learning needs, training, and supporting teachers.
Rotary members around the world are helping educators, students, and their families access needed infrastructure, resources, and training to ensure all students are receiving an inclusive and equitable quality education.
Here are a few examples of recent basic education and literacy projects from our global community:
• The Rotaract Club of Abia State College of Sciences, and Management Technology, ABA in Nigeria partnered with the Rotary Club of Eziukwu Aba to raise funds and award scholarships to cover students’ school fees and daily transportation costs. The clubs will continue partnering with students to support them with their education journey throughout the school year Read more
• On 8 September 2022, International Literacy Day, the Rotary Club of Dhrangadhra in India recognized 25 outstanding teachers for their commitment to outstanding education. The club organized a special celebratory event to recognize educators for prioritizing students’ physical, social and emotional wellbeing, advancing education for students with special needs, and creating a safe environment for students to return to in-person learning. Learn more.
• The Rotary Club of Ladner, in partnership with two other clubs of North Delta and Tsawwassen in British Columbia, Canada, partnered with the City of Delta and local organizations to create a story walk: a storybook displayed across 21 stations along a one-kilometer trail. The monthly stories encourage curiosity, a love for reading, physical well-being, and literacy. Read more.
Throughout September, Rotary’s Basic Education and Literacy Month, share on Rotary Showcase how your club is supporting educators, learners, and their families to help close the gap in access to quality education.
Looking for additional support?
• Review the Basic Education and Literacy Project Strategies Guide to start or scale your program.
• Contact the Basic Education and Literacy Rotary Action Group for assistance with a project idea.
For more information, click here - https://belrag.org/
Since 2017, BELRAG emphasizes Rotary’s commitment to basic education and literacy by offering clubs and districts opportunity to share their local BEL project. Four projects are selected to receive a $500 award.
Literacy Awards 2023: Acknowledging and Supporting Club BEL Initiatives
Click here to learn and read about the award-winning Literacy projects from 2023.
A second link to provide you more information.
Rotary Club of Grove, OK , USA (D7750) RC Blackburg VA, USA D7570
Rotaract Club of Salinas Spondylus
RC Salinas Spondylus and Gualaceo (D4400)
RC Golden Hauhinia, Hong Kong (D3450)
HOW ROTARY MAKES HELP HAPPEN
Click here to join the webinars
Make a note of the link below for future webinars.
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86755780910?pwd=pOP9Y2J6g78EkCgPLFnDT4kH5OOgfc.1#success
PAUL HARRIS SOCIETY
What's the Paul Harris Society?
Not to be confused with a Paul Harris Fellow (which means a life-time gift of $1000 to The Rotary Foundation's annual fund), the Paul Harris Society is the name given to those Rotarians who pledge a $1000 gift annually –every year.
You may know these committed individuals they wear a "flag" below their Rotary pin that reads "PHS."
One easy way to give at the $1000 level is through Rotary Direct sign up and an amount of money you designate is automatically deducted from your account each month. Learn more at www.rotary.org
Members of the Paul Harris Society know that the need never ends and neither should the giving.
D6330 Long-time Paul Harris Society Chair is Rotarian Jamie Pole.
What your giving supports
Paul Harris Society gifts have helped provide:
• Vocational training for teachers establishing an early childhood education center in South Africa
• Water filters, toilets, and hygiene training to prevent fluorosis, diarrhea, and other diseases in India
• A scholarship for a medical professional in Italy to research treatments that minimize mortality rates among premature babies
• Peace-building seminars for 200 teachers and 1,300 students in Uganda
• Treated mosquito nets and medical services that prevent malaria in Mali
In District 6330 we are proud to have over 116 members in our Paul Harris Society.
We have over 32 of our clubs that now have members in the Paul Harris Society.
For information please contact
Rotarian Jamie Pole President, RC of Sarnia (2024-25)
THE ROTARY FOUNDATION CANADA
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Raise for Rotary is a platform that allows individuals, clubs, and districts to create online fundraisers that benefit The Rotary Foundation. It is a great way to celebrate personal events and special occasions. Organizers can share their fundraisers through social media, email, and text, so family, friends, colleagues, and supporters can donate online.
The Raise for Rotary site will notify you immediately when a donation is made. You can send a note of thanks to the individual. The Foundation sends the official thank you donation notification and tax receipt.
The site can easily be updated with thank you notes, flyers, photos and videos, or just about any information you’d like to include. It’s so easy to keep the site updated with new information. Adding major gifts is a breeze.
External non-Rotary fundraising platforms charge fees and donors do not receive Paul Harris recognition points. By using our own platform, the funds you raise go directly toward Doing Good in the World.
For further information visit https://raise.rotary.org/ FAQs https://raise.rotary.org/faq #trfCanada #rotary #raiseforrotary
Summary of new polioviruses this week, cases and positive environmental isolates:
• Afghanistan: two WPV1 cases and 11 positive environmental samples
• Niger: four cVDPV2 cases
• Nigeria: one cVDPV2 case
• Sierra Leone: two cVDPV2 positive environmental samples
• A variant poliovirus case has been reported from Deir al-Balah area of Gaza in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). The affected child is 10 months old with paralysis onset on 25 July 2024. This is an advance notification, and the new poliovirus case will be officially reflected in the next week’s global update.
• The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on immunization (SAGE) Polio Working Group is meeting this week at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, to review key aspects of the global polio eradication effort. Among other topics, the group is expected to evaluate and provide recommendations on policy frameworks for eventual cessation of bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV) from routine immunization programmes; use of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) for polio eradication; and, concomitant use of novel OPV type 2 (nOPV2) and bOPV. Outcomes and recommendations of the Working Group’s meeting will be presented to the full SAGE meeting on 23-26 September in Geneva.
POLIO UPDATES
IMMUNIZATION LEVELS –
GLOBAL CHILDHOOD IMMUNIZATION LEVELS STALLED IN 2023 leaving many without life-saving protection
NEW DATA REVEAL NEARLY 3 IN 4 INFANTS LIVE IN COUNTRIES WHERE LOW VACCINE COVERAGE is driving measles outbreaks 15 July 2024 – Joint News Release Geneva/New York
Global childhood immunization coverage stalled in 2023, leaving 2.7 million additional children un- and undervaccinated compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019, according to data published today by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF.
The latest WHO and UNICEF estimates of national immunization coverage (WUENIC) – which provide the world’s largest and most comprehensive dataset on immunization trends for vaccinations against 14 diseases –underscore the need for ongoing catch-up, recovery and system-strengthening efforts.
“The latest trends demonstrate that many countries continue to miss far too many children,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Closing the immunization gap requires a global effort, with governments, partners, and local leaders investing in primary healthcare and community workers to ensure every child gets vaccinated, and that overall healthcare is strengthened.”
According to the findings, the number of children who received three doses of the vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP) in 2023 – a key marker for global immunization coverage –stalled at 84% (108 million).
However, the number of children who did not receive a single dose of the vaccine increased from 13.9 million in 2022 to 14.5 million in 2023.
Click here to read the full article.
VARIANT TYPE 2 POLIOVIRUS IN GAZA -
VARIANT TYPE 2 POLIOVIRUS ISOLATED FROM SEWAGE SAMPLES IN GAZA
Circulating variant type 2 poliovirus (cVDPV) has been confirmed in the Gaza Strip. Virus was isolated from six environmental (sewage) samples, collected from two different collection sites in two sub-regions within Gaza, collected on 23 June 2024.
The variant poliovirus strains detected in six wastewater samples, collected from two environmental surveillance sites in Khan Younis and Deir al Balah. Further genomic sequencing of poliovirus isolates has identified that these strains have close genetic links with each other and are also closely related to the poliovirus variant that was circulating in Egypt during the second half of 2023. The last detection of the related variant polioviruses in Egypt was in samples collected in December 2023.
Based on the analysis of genetic changes in the isolates, the variant poliovirus could have been introduced in Gaza as early as September 2023. It is important to note that virus has been isolated from the environment only at this time; no associated paralytic cases have been detected.
A risk assessment is being implemented, led by the Ministry of Health, including to assess surveillance sensitivity for the detection of acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) and environmental surveillance, and subnational immunity levels are being more clearly assessed.
WHO, UNICEF and UNRWA continue to work with all public health authorities on the ground, as part of urgent efforts to mitigate the impact of the current crisis on the health of populations in Gaza. The ongoing crisis continues to pose a significant challenge to the ability to implement full disease surveillance and outreach with immunization services.
Routine immunization rates in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) were optimal before the start of conflict in October 2023. Polio vaccination coverage (POL3), primarily conducted through routine immunization, was estimated at 99% in 2022.
This has declined to 89% in 2023, according to the latest WHO-UNICEF routine immunization estimates (WUENIC).
Currently, only 16 out of 36 hospitals are partially functional and 45 out of 105 primary health care facilities are operational.
The impact on health system, insecurity, inaccessibility, population displacement, and shortages of medical supplies, coupled with poor quality of water and weakened sanitation, have contributed to reduced routine immunization rates and an increased risk of vaccine-preventable diseases, including polio.
WHO considers there to be a high risk of spread of this strain within Gaza, and internationally, particularly given the impact the current situation continues to have on public health services.
This statement was published on 19 July and was updated with additional information on 21 July.
Click here to learn more.
WHO POLIO WORKERS REFLECT ON THEIR ROLE IN 2022 AFGHANISTAN EARTHQUAKE RESPONSE
11 June 2024
When a 5.9-magnitude earthquake struck south-eastern Afghanistan in the early hours of 22 June 2022, WHO’s polio workers were among the first responders. As dawn broke in Khost and Paktika provinces, and the extent of the devastation became evident, they helped attend to the many injured.
WHO’s polio teams dressed wounds, provided trauma care and generally gave a helping hand wherever needed. This included digging for survivors, putting up tents, unpacking trucks and distributing shipments of WHO emergency and surgical kits, medical supplies and equipment. Polio workers were also involved in the heartbreaking task of preparing the dead for burial.
Here they reflect on their experiences.
My name is Najibullah, and I am the District Polio Officer for Gyan district in Paktika province. When the earthquake struck Gyan, I was at home, sleeping. I woke up because the house was shaking and dust was falling on me. It was dark and I didn’t know what had happened until I heard people’s shouts.
“We used a tent and beds and chairs from people’s houses and by late morning we had built a small temporary clinic.”
The phones were still working so I called our Provincial Polio Officer and let him know what had happened. I was the first person to report the earthquake in Gyan. After finishing my call, I ran to help rescue the injured.
It was dark but I could see houses were destroyed and could hear people screaming and crying. We used any cars that were available to transport the injured to the nearest clinic for first aid. But there were many injured and the clinic was 4 kilometres away, so we established a makeshift clinic in the village.
Our polio staff, who live all over the district, came to help. We used a tent and beds and chairs from people’s houses and by late morning we had built a small temporary clinic.
I have worked for the Polio Eradication Programme in Gyan for 20 years. Over the next 5 days, I used my local knowledge to help guide partners and other agencies, directing them to the most affected areas. I accompanied United Nations partners to every village – anywhere people needed assistance and medical services – and used my familiarity with the region to help map out the UN-wide response.
In Gyan district, we have 11 villages, and more than 19 000 people were affected by the earthquake. It was difficult to move from one village to another because the roads, which are unpaved, were badly damaged by the earthquake. In such a devastating time of need, I did everything I could to help my people, both day and night. I remember I even helped rescue livestock trapped in the rubble.
Click here to read the rest of the article
Mr Najibullah, District Polio Officer, Gyan district, Paktika
Dear polio eradication supporter3
In a major win for children’s health, the annual Soccer Aid for UNICEF raised over £15 million this year, bringing its total fundraising to over £106 million since 2006. These funds will support UNICEF’s work to ensure that children everywhere have access to life-saving vaccines and are protected from diseases like polio.
Meanwhile, the fight against vaccine-preventable diseases gained momentum as Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance launched their investment opportunity to raise US $9 billion to vaccinate 500 million more children by 2030. World leaders met in Paris for the launch event, hosted by Gavi alongside the African Union, and the French Republic where an early pledge of support worth US $2.4 billion was made towards Gavi’s goal.
On the ground in Liberia, Michael Essien, the celebrated football icon and coach, along with his wife, Akosua Puni Essien, joined the country’s ongoing efforts to eradicate polio, and increase child immunization. Their visit coincided with the second round of synchronized polio campaigns across Liberia and six West African countries.
Gender-informed strategies help stop wild polio outbreak
On 14 May 2024, the wild poliovirus outbreaks in Malawi and Mozambique were declared officially closed.
This achievement was driven by the dedicated efforts of health workers and authorities across Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, with support from the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
By actively addressing cultural norms, and overcoming societal barriers that limited vaccine access, gender-informed strategies were critical in ensuring equitable vaccine access for all children and protecting them from this crippling disease. Click here to read more.
3 https://polioeradication.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/polio-news-june2024-en.pdf
THE POLIOPLUS SOCIETY
Join the PolioPlus Society in your club or in District 6330.
Donations are matched annually 2-to-1 by the Gates Foundation up to US$50 million, generating a potential total of US$150 million toward polio eradication.
Raise awareness in your community by planning events or projects that support the fight against polio. Visit endpolio.org to find the latest information and tools to help you share the story of our fight against polio and raise support.
Ending this disease forever remains our top humanitarian priority and needs our full commitment.
How can you take action?
Donate to End Polio
WE GO WHERE OTHERS CAN’T OR WON’T SHELTERBOX
We have aid being distributed to people in Gaza. Items like tarpaulins, mattresses, water carriers and kitchen sets are being distributed by our partner Social Development Forum who are based in Gaza.
We have more aid on the move. Trucks filled with tents are joining the queue in Egypt, waiting to enter Gaza. And we have more tents being stored near Amman in Jordan. Watch our team’s latest update from Jordan now.
Click here or the photo to the left to view a short video about the Gaza efforts.
Up to 1.7 million people are displaced in Gaza. That’s over 80% of the population with no choice but to shelter in community buildings like schools, makeshift shelters, or out in the open.
There is severe overcrowding and disease is spreading. Many of the people who had fled their homes had travelled to Rafah. Now 100,000 people have been ordered to evacuate the city. People who have already been displaced now face having to move again, and there is no where safe to go.
We are providing emergency items like tarpaulins and rope, to help people make damaged buildings and other shelters watertight. Blankets, mattresses, pillows and floormats help people to stay warm. We’re providing washing sets, water carriers, kitchen sets, and items like nappies, toothbrushes, and sanitary items. Vital items for people with no belongings and unable to return home. We are also scaling up our response with durable tents.
The Rotary Foundation and ShelterBox have a longstanding relationship focused on disaster relief and humanitarian aid. ShelterBox is a disaster relief charity that provides emergency shelter and essential tools for families affected by natural disasters and conflict. Rotary and ShelterBox have collaborated in various ways to respond to crises around the world.
Rotary International and ShelterBox
1. Strategic Partnership: ShelterBox has been a Rotary International project partner since 2012. This partnership allows both organizations to work together efficiently during disasters. Rotary clubs often provide support in fundraising, logistics, and volunteer efforts, while ShelterBox delivers the essential aid.
2. Rotary Club Involvement: Local Rotary clubs play a crucial role in supporting ShelterBox's operations. They help with fundraising efforts, raising awareness, and sometimes even providing volunteers on the ground to assist with the distribution of aid.
3. The Rotary Foundation Grants: The Rotary Foundation provides grants to support ShelterBox’s work. These grants help fund specific disaster response operations, enabling the rapid deployment of ShelterBox aid to affected areas.
4. Shared Values: Both organizations share a commitment to improving lives and providing assistance where it's needed most. Their partnership allows them to maximize their impact in disaster-stricken areas, leveraging Rotary's global network and ShelterBox's expertise in emergency response.
Through their collaboration, The Rotary Foundation and ShelterBox have been able to provide life-saving assistance to millions of people around the world, making a significant impact in the field of disaster relief.
Donate now - https://www.shelterboxcanada.org/gaza/
Doing Good in the World beyond your lifetime
Click here to read the Endowment Fund Financial report for 2022-23.
FOUNDATION GRANTS – 7 AREAS OF FOCUS
Rotarians can get involved in various types of service –
Club Service, Community Service, International Service, Vocational Service, New Generations (Youth) Service
A list of Rotary's 7 areas of focus and a brief description of each:
1. Peacebuilding and conflict prevention: Rotary aims to address the root causes of conflict and promote sustainable peace through initiatives that support education and training, promote community dialogue, and build networks of peacebuilders.
2. Disease prevention and treatment: Rotary works to improve health outcomes and reduce the spread of disease through initiatives that promote immunization, provide access to clean water and sanitation, and support medical research.
3. Water and sanitation: Rotary aims to improve access to clean water and sanitation in underserved communities, through initiatives that promote infrastructure development, support education and training, and raise awareness about the importance of clean water and sanitation.
4. Maternal and child health: Rotary works to improve maternal and child health outcomes by supporting initiatives that provide access to prenatal and postnatal care, promote vaccination, and support nutrition and education programs for mothers and children.
5. Basic education and literacy: Rotary aims to improve access to education and literacy for children and adults, through initiatives that support teacher training, provide educational resources and materials, and promote community-based programs that increase literacy rates.
6. Economic and community development: Rotary works to support economic and community development initiatives that promote job creation, increase access to financial services, and support small business development and entrepreneurship.
7. Supporting the environment: Rotary aims to support environmental sustainability initiatives, through programs that promote conservation, improve access to clean energy, and support the development of sustainable agriculture and other eco-friendly practices.
WHERE THE NEED IS GREATEST -
FAST FORWARD TO OCTOBER
COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT - THE FOCUS FOR OCTOBER!
In October, Rotary emphasizes economic and community development, recognizing the critical role that sustainable growth plays in lifting people out of poverty.
By supporting small businesses, enhancing local economies, and promoting entrepreneurship, Rotary empowers communities to thrive independently. This focus strengthens the foundation for lasting social and economic progress, helping to create more resilient and prosperous societies worldwide.
Click here to view a short video on MicroFinance and MicroLending through kiva.org.
And another short video here
Click here to listen to We are the World.
A creative way to look at the Four-Way Test4
Posted on February 27, 2019 by rotaryservice
By Dennis Wong, Co-Founder of
the Rotarian Action Group for Peace and member of the E-Club of World Peace
Imagine yourself addressing conflicts through the lenses of fellowship, empathy, accountability and trust. That is the Four-Way Test.
Imagine the power four questions and twenty-four words can have to help resolve conflicts without violence and fulfill our Rotary peace mission.
The Four-Way Test is Rotary’s unique approach and process to address conflicts, solve problems and make decisions to achieve desired outcomes. It can help us be more successful in reaching mutually beneficial, sustainable and scalable solutions.
The Four-Way Test has been a go-to for Rotary members when they have found themselves in difficult situations.
With the Rotarian Code of Conduct, it is an ethical and effective guide for Rotary members to use for their personal and professional relationships.
Furthermore, the concepts of conflict transformation embrace many of the Rotary principles. The Test is about fellowship, empathy, accountability and trust.
Conflict transformation is the process to transform conflict into constructive change without violence. It differs from conflict resolution and conflict management approaches by recognizing “contemporary conflicts require more than the reframing of positions and identification of win-win outcomes. The very structure of parties and relationships may be embedded in a pattern of conflictual relationships that extend beyond the particular site of conflict.
Conflict transformation is a process of engaging with and transforming the relationships, interests, discourses and, if necessary, the very constitution of society that supports the continuation of violent conflict.” *
The Four-Way Test is not a rigid process. Be creative and consider flipping the order of the four questions. On the next page are ideas for using The Four-Way Test and conflict transformation concepts for constructive change without violence.
• Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? FELLOWSHIP. Rotarians are known for being sociable and building relationships. Ensure the process is civil and there’s a feeling of respect and
4 https://rotaryserviceblog.org/2019/02/27/a-creative-look-at-the-four-way-test/?blogid=59367419&blogsub=subscribed#subscribeblog
openness to ask questions that can lead to creative and innovative solutions. Discuss and agree on desired outcomes.
• Will it BENEFICIAL to all concerned? EMPATHY Have an open mind and a curiosity for new ideas, novel applications and different point-of views. Consider many options and build on different ideas. Come to mutually beneficial solutions that are sustainable and scalable.
• Is it FAIR to all concerned? ACCOUNTABILITY. Keep in mind both the Golden Rule and the Platinum Rule. Identify and include all interested and affected parties. Try to understand the other point-of-views in the context of conflict and reaching shared goals.
• Is it the TRUTH? TRUST. From the Rotarian Code of Conduct, act with integrity and high ethical standards. Acknowledge and define the problem including the root causes. Collect information and apply critical thinking by asking questions to identify the difference between facts, beliefs, assumptions and opinions. Moreover, be a trusted problem solver.
The Four-Way Test is an adaptive process. It takes into account everyone’s’ point-of-view and concerns, as well as their needs and wants.
The process is designed to build goodwill and earn trust so a particular end result is mutually beneficial, sustainable and has scalable outcomes.
I encourage you to consider using The Four-Way Test to address conflicts or work towards conflict transformation in your community.
Please contact me for more information, as well as your comments.
INTERNATIONAL DATES TO NOTE (plus links)
International Day of Charity Thursday, September 5
International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies Saturday, September 7
International Literacy Day Sunday, September 8
International Day to Protect Education from Attack Monday, September 9
Click here to view a short video – Rehabilitating Schools in Gaza
International Day of Democracy Sunday, September 15
International Day of Peace Saturday, September 21
Click here to view a short vide about peace.
World Maritime Day …and
International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons Thursday, September 26
International Day for Awareness of Food Loss and Waste Sunday, September 29
ROTARY’S CORE VALUES
Click the 4-way test above and open the link to hear the Four-Way Test by RC of Saskatoon
Nutana.
THE ROTARY FOUNDATION EREY –
Every Rotarian Every Year
Click here for a short video
Our Every Rotarian, Every Year (EREY) initiative encourages all Rotary club members to contribute something each year to The Rotary Foundation. We hope that you can consider at least $100 USD every year to help us reach our goal to support the Rotary Foundation financially each year.
Sustaining member. One who contributes $100 USD every year is a Sustaining Member. With EREY, we encourage you to contribute an amount you can afford every year.
ROTARY BEQUEST SOCIETY
What is a Rotary Foundation Bequest Society Member?
Those who have made commitments for future gifts of $10,000 or more to The Rotary Foundation are invited to join the Bequest Society.
Donors may elect to receive various benefits and recognition pieces commemorating their commitment at each new recognition level, including pins, crystals, named funds, and special seating at the Rotary International Convention.
A bequest gift of at least $10,000 in your name to The Rotary Foundation creates a legacy of your generosity and compassion as you are helping many people live better lives around the world.
Today there are over 18,000 Bequest Society Members worldwide. Will you join them by leaving a gift to Rotary in your estate? Contact the Rotary Foundation’s Planned Giving team.
Your in-person registration includes a full day of activities:
• Admission to the convention’s opening and closing ceremonies, general sessions, breakout sessions, and the House of Friendship.
• Transportation between your hotel and the convention venue, if you booked your hotel through Rotary’s official housing partner, Maritz Events.
What’s not included:
• Preconvention events
• Rotary- and host-ticketed events
• Housing, meals, and transportation to and from the airport
• If you register as Saturday, House of Friendship only, anything other than access to the House of Friendship on Saturday, 21 June, is not included
Cancellations and refunds
Should you need to cancel a registration, a $50 processing fee applies to each registrant (each person). Requests to cancel registrants or Rotary-ticketed events must be received in writing by 30 April 2025. Cancellations caused by visa denial must be received in writing by 25 June 2025.
We prefer you cancel online, but you can also email ri.registration@rotary.org or fax +1-847-556-2194.
RI will refund registration and ticket fees if the convention is cancelled but is not responsible for travel or other related costs incurred by Rotarians and their guests.
Registration and tickets are not transferable.
When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever. In its place is something that you have left behind. Let it be something good.5