To ensure strong grant projects that encompass sustainability, The Rotary Foundation has a network of Rotarian volunteers available to provide expertise and advice.  They are called the Cadre of Technical Advisers. With a database of 700 experts in Rotary’s six areas of focus as well as other specialties – mediators, diplomats, obstetricians, engineers, bankers, and agronomists, for example – there is sure to be someone who can help if an obstacle comes up.

Cadre members play an important role in ensuring that donors’ funds make a long-term impact. On behalf of The Rotary Foundation, cadre members do a technical review of the feasibility of larger grants before they are awarded and perform site visits to evaluate how the grants are being carried out. “Rotarians want to know if something is not working out or if they can do something better,” says Francis “Tusu” Tusubira, a member of the cadre from the Rotary Club of Kampala-North, Uganda. “The cadre is there to give as much support as possible.” 

Cadre members also perform random financial audits to help the Foundation ensure that grant funding is being used as approved. They provide accountability and quality assurance in general, and protect investors i.e. the people who donate – and also the beneficiaries.  In doing that,they also protect the Rotary brand. 

This is one of the ways in which your donation to The Rotary Foundation is guaranteed to be used responsibly. To donate go to Rotary.org/Give. Thank you. 

After 5 years of sending out these Foundation Minutes I am retiring.  Initiated by Past District Governor Bob Ross, we hope that these minutes helped our members understand how their donations and support benefited their communities and the world.  Thank you for your continued generosity in the past and in the future.  Lana Rouff

Everyday Rotary continues to “Do Good In the World!”  They look for ways to make a difference in their communities and in communities around the world.  They use their knowledge of local issues to identify areas of need, then apply their expertise and diverse perspectives to find solutions.  

In Korea they established a mentoring project to prepare students with autism and intellectual and emotional disabilities for careers in horticulture.  In Brazil, Rotarians offered Judo classes for youth to funnel their energy avoiding violence in the slums.  In Canada a Rotary club is helping Syrian refugees start new lives, and in Australia clubs are helping to end domestic violence.   

Your contribution to The Rotary Foundation enables this to happen.  Giving to the Foundation is much easier – just go to rotary.org/donate,  Thank you.  

There are 33,000 people with albinism in Tanzania – albinism is a congenital absence of pigment in the skin and hair which appears white and the eyes that usually are pink.  Over the years, superstitions have led to a wave of grisly albino killings, dismemberments and even grave robberies.  At least 76 Tanzanian albinos have been murdered in the last decade; 72 others have survived attacks, often with severe mutilations.     

In answer to this horrific circumstance, Tanzania-based Rotarians have partnered with local individuals and groups to dispel the myths that have led to so many murders through literature that has been distributed in primary schools across the country and have touched on nearly every aspect of the condition itself.

Club to club projects in several districts have supported albino students with mattresses, mosquito nets, vision aids, hats and sunscreen and financed livelihood-building projects in remote communities.  A current grant, active since late 2015 has focused on education. It  has supported more than seventy community outreach meetings and has focused on cancer prevention and treatment that affects the albino through training health workers and providing medical equipment. In five Tanzanian hospitals Rotary provided cryotherapy instruments and flasks of nitrogen, which are highly effective in removing precancerous lesions.  

Your contribution to The Rotary Foundation enables this to happen.  Giving to the Foundation is much easier – just go to rotary.org/donate,  Thank you

The Rotary Foundation is changing the world by providing grants for projects and activities around the globe and in our own backyards.  Sixty-five million dollars in grants have been given to clubs and districts to fight disease.  

Rotary makes amazing things happen, like:

Providing clean water: Rotary has worked with partners to provide more than 80 percent of Ghana’s people with clean water to fight Guinea worm disease.

Reducing HIV infection: In Liberia, Rotary members are helping women get tested for HIV early in their pregnancies. They used prenatal care to reduce new HIV infections in children by 95 percent over the last two years.

Ending polio: Rotary members have played a key role in bringing the world to the brink of polio eradication. Their efforts have not only ended polio in 122 countries but also created a system for tackling myriad other health priorities, such as Ebola.

Your contribution to The Rotary Foundation enables this to happen.  Giving to the Foundation is much easier – just go to rotary.org/donate,  Thank you.  

More than 775 million people over the age of fifteen are illiterate.  That is 17% of the world’s adult population.  Rotary’s goal is to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, to reduce gender disparity in education, and to increase adult literacy.  

Rotary members in Afghanistan have opened a girls’ school to break the cycle of poverty and social imbalance. In the United States, Rotary has partnered with ProLiteracy Detroit to recruit and train tutors after a study showed that more than half of the local adult population was functionally illiterate.

Rotary has collaborated with the SOUNS program in South Africa, Puerto Rico and the United States.   It teaches educators how to improve literacy by teaching children to recognize letters by sounds instead of names.

And Rotarians are providing clean, fresh water to every public school in Lebanon so students can be healthier and get a better education.

Your financial support of the Rotary Foundation enables this to happen.  Giving to the Foundation is much easier – just go to rotary.org/donate, 

Thank you.  

Last April in response to emergency relief, The Rotary Foundation established a new support fund to receive contributions for disasters that strike around the world. Entitled the Rotary Disaster Response Fund, staff in Programs and Grants are now able to reach out to the affected areas and their districts to assess the need and desire for funding.  Upon a qualified response - much like a district grant - the affected district will be awarded funding in increments of up to $25,000, consulting the TRF chair as needed.  Only districts in the affected country may request a grant.  

To date four such grants have been issued and the fund is now depleted.  The Foundation encourages donations to the fund so that when disasters occur, Rotary will be able to help.  

(The fund will accept DDF contributions and those in cash will be credited towards a club’s Annual Giving Goal and per capita giving calculations.  However the donations will NOT apply to SHARE or the DDF calculation. )  Thank you for your help.  To donate go to rotary.org/donate.  Thank you.  

Basic information about Rotary:

Rotary International is a global organization that operates in nearly every country in the world and deals in twenty-nine (29) currencies.  Rotary takes stewardship of its funds very seriously.  Money is spent on life-changing, sustainable grants, as well as programs and services that support its members’ transformative work. Three billion dollars have been invested in thousands of projects over the past 100 years.

Rotary International is a member organization and is overseen by its Board of Directors.  As a separate part of RI, the Rotary Foundation is organized as a public charity operating exclusively for charitable purposes and is governed by a Board of Trustees. RI and TRF are both tax-exempt organizations.  (The former is new for RI)

The headquarters of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation are in Evanston, Illinois, USA. There are associate foundations in Australia, Brazil, Canada, German, India, Japan and the United Kingdom.  

Contributions to The Rotary Foundation enables Rotary to carry out its live saving work.  Giving to the Foundation is much easier – just go to rotary.org/donate.

Thank you. 

As of April, 2019, nine cases of polio have been reported in the world specifically within the endemic countries of Pakistan and Afghanistan.    Polio continues to spread in these countries due to the unchecked borders where movement of people threatens efforts to eradicate the disease.

The numbers of those affected have decreased dramatically since 2014, however polio is still found in the country.  In response to that, the government of Pakistan has increased the number of manned permanent transit posts across the Pakistan/Afghanistan border where children can be vaccinated against the virus.  Conflict, political insecurity and remoteness of areas, combined with a highly mobile population and logistical challenges are significant obstacles to Pakistan’s effort to eradicate polio.  

The difficult geographical terrain in Afghanistan has been responsible for polio outbreaks.  Areas of the country, which are home to nomads, seasonal and economic migrants and agricultural laborer families, make it hard for immunization teams to reach them.   

Rotary along with the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and other NGOs continue their efforts to eradicate this dreadful disease.  Your financial support will support them – until the battle is finished.  Giving to the Foundation is much easier – just go to rotary.org/donate, 

Thank you.  

ROTARY MAKES HIGH-QUALITY HEALTH CARE AVAILABLE TO VULNERABLE MOTHERS AND CHILDREN, SO THEY CAN LIVE LONGER AND GROW STRONGER.  ROTARIANS WORK TO ACCESS QUALITY CARE, SO MOTHERS AND CHILDREN EVERYWHERE CAN HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES FOR A HEALTHY FUTURE.  AN ESTIMATED 5.9 MILLION CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF FIVE DIE EACH YEAR BECAUSE OF MALNUTRITION, INADEQUATE HEALTH CARE AND POOR SANITATION – ALL OF WHICH CAN BE PREVENTED. 

HAITI HAS THE HIGHEST MATERNAL AND INFANT MORTALITY RATE OF ANY COUNTRY IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE.  ROTARY PROVIDED A FULLY EQUIPPED MEDICAL JEEP TO VOLUNTEERS AND MIDWIVES TO REACH MOTHERS AND CHILDREN IN REMOTE AREAS.

IN CHENNAI, INDIA, WHERE THERE IS A HIGH MORTALITY RATE OF WOMEN WITH BREAST AND CERVICAL CANCER DUE TO A LATE DIAGNOSIS, ROTARIANS PROVIDED A MOBILE CANCER SCREENING UNIT AND AWARENESS TRAINING.

AND IN NIGERIA, ROTARY MEMBERS LAUNCHED A $3 MILLION, FIVE -YEAR PILOT PROGRAM TO SAVE THE LIVES OF MOTHERS AND CHILDREN DURING HOME DELIVERIES.  SINCE 2005, THEY’VE ALSO REPAIRED 1,500 OBSTETRIC FISTULAS RESTORING DIGNITY AND HOPE TO VULNERABLE MOTHERS.

YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE ROTARY FOUNDATION ENABLES THIS TO HAPPEN.   GIVING TO THE FOUNDATION IS MUCH EASIER – JUST GO TO ROTARY.ORG/DONATE,

THANK YOU. 

It takes more than installing sanitation facilities for a water and sanitation project to succeed in the long term.  It’s also important to cultivate healthy habits.  Good hygiene practices can reduce diseases such as cholera, dysentery, and pneumonia by nearly 50%. Washing hands with soap can save lives.  

The Rotary Club of Box Hill Central, Victoria Australia, facilitates Operation Toilets, a program that builds toilets and delivers sanitation education to schools in developing countries including India and Ethiopia.  The group constructs separate facilities for boys and girls to ensure privacy, and Rotary members teach students how to wash their hands with soap. Workers in each school are instructed in how to maintain the facilities.

In the Philippines, the Rotary Club of Puchong Centennial Malaysia sponsored several speakers to instruct students about oral hygiene, hand washing and the importance of frequent bathing.  After each presentation, students were given kits that included toothbrushes, shampoo, soap, combs and other toiletries.

And in the United States, members from the Rotary Club of Ithaca in Ithaca, New York, visit schools within their district to instruct youngsters about the importance of handwashing and how to effectively wash their hands.

Your contribution to The Rotary Foundation enables this to happen.  Giving to the Foundation is much easier – just go to rotary.org/donate, 

Thank you.  

The lack of access to clean water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene resources is one of the world’s biggest health problems – and one of the hardest to solve.  Rotary has worked for decades to provide people with clean water by digging wells, laying pipes, providing filters, and installing sinks and toilets.  But the biggest challenge has come after the hardware is installed.  Too often, projects succeeded at first but eventually failed.

Rusted water pumps and dilapidated sanitation facilities are familiar sights in parts of Africa, South America, and South Asia – monuments to service projects that proved UNSUSTAINABLE. 

That is why Rotary has shifted its focus over the past several years to emphasize education, collaboration and sustainability.  Now TRF requires clubs and districts that apply for grants in other countries to show that local residents have developed a project plan that includes the above.  In doing so, projects are successful.

Your contribution to TRF enables this to happen.   Giving to the Foundation is easy – just go to rotary.org/donate,   Thank you.   

The lack of access to clean water, sanitation facilities, and hygiene resources is one of the world’s biggest health problems – and one of the hardest to solve.  Rotary has worked for decades to provide people with clean water by digging wells, laying pipes, providing filters, and installing sinks and toilets.  But the biggest challenge has come after the hardware is installed.  Too often, projects succeeded at first but eventually failed.

Rusted water pumps and dilapidated sanitation facilities are familiar sights in parts of Africa, South America, and South Asia – monuments to service projects that proved UNSUSTAINABLE. 

That is why Rotary has shifted its focus over the past several years to emphasize education, collaboration and sustainability.  Now TRF requires clubs and districts that apply for grants in other countries to show that local residents have developed a project plan that includes the above.  In doing so, projects are successful.

Your contribution to TRF enables this to happen.   Giving to the Foundation is easy – just go to rotary.org/donate,   Thank you.   

In response to emergency relief, The Rotary Foundation recently established a new support fund to receive contributions for disasters that strike around the world.  Entitled the Rotary Disaster Response Fund, staff in Programs and Grants will reach out to the affected areas and their districts to assess the need and desire for funding.  Upon a qualified response - much like a district grant - the affected district will be awarded funding in increments of up to $25,000, consulting the TRF chair as needed.  Only districts in the affected country may request a grant.  These districts can apply for more than one grant, and should some of the allocation not be used – the funds will be returned to the Disaster Fund.  Should requests exceed available funds, the General Secretary of RI will triage requests until additional funds are available.  

(The fund will accept DDF contributions and those in cash will be credited towards a club’s Annual Giving Goal and per capita giving calculations.  However the donations will NOT apply to SHARE or the DDF calculation. )  

Your contribution to The Rotary Foundation and their new fund exemplifies RI’s mission to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional and community leaders. Giving to the Foundation is easy – just go to rotary.org/donate, 

Thank you.   

Foundation Minute for Week of April  1

In Eastern Ukraine, thousands have died and millions have been displaced by the fighting between pro-Russian rebels and the Ukrainian military.  Children, many of whom have lost a parent or sibling, are among those affected by the violence, often suffering deep emotional scars.  When the conflict in Ukraine began in early 2014, Rotary members throughout Poland stepped up to help.  Working with Rotary’s Poland-Ukraine Intercountry Committee, (Poland, Ukraine, Sweden and Slovakia.)  Rotarians began an annual two-week camp that allows kids to enjoy games, field trips, and outdoor activities while receiving support from mental health professionals.  It’s a peaceful place where they can begin to heal from the trauma of war.

Children who experience violence can be prone to violent behavior themselves.  This camp shows them a different path.

More than 100 children have attended over the past four years.  At first, some endure sleepless nights or nightmares.  A few withdraw and emotionally shut down. But over the two weeks, many relax, learn coping strategies, build connections to others with similar experiences and, perhaps most important, rediscover how to be kids again. 

Your contribution to The Rotary Foundation enables this to happen.  Thank you. 

Foundation Minute for Week of March 25 –

Clean water, sanitation, and hygiene education are basic necessities for a healthy environment and a productive life.  When people have access to clean water and sanitation, waterborne diseases decrease, children stay healthier and attend school more regularly, and mothers can spend less time carrying water and more time helping their families. 

Through water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs, Rotarians mobilize resources, form partnerships, and invest in infrastructure and training that yield long-term change. 

Rotary has partnered with the US Agency for International Development in Ghana, Madagascar, and Uganda to implement such programs.  It has done the same in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, India, and Kenya.  Since 2013 the Foundation has invested in more than 1000 such programs in more than 100 countries. 

2030 is the year Rotary hopes to finish providing everyone with safe water, sanitation, and hygiene.  Your contribution to The Rotary Foundation enables this to happen.  Thank you for your generosity. 

Foundation Minute for Week of March 18

Mobile phones and simple text messages are not only used by us to update appointments, trace stock quotes, sport teams or your spouses’ where-abouts – they are now being used for the victory in the world’s largest public health initiative:  the eradication of polio.  As the disease retreats from the global stage, thriving in only a few remote areas in three countries, it’s up to health workers to deliver vaccines and share information with speed and accuracy.  Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative are strengthening lines of communication by giving cellphones to health workers in Pakistan and Nigeria where a single text message can save a life.  

Community health workers across Pakistan have received more than 5, 000 phones through a partnership with Rotary, its government as well as Telenor the country’s second-largest telecommunications provider and Eycon a data monitoring and evaluation specialist.  Cellphone technology signals tremendous progress in polio eradication. It gives governments and polio eradication leaders an advantage in the decisions needed to make to eliminate polio. 

Your continued support of Polioplus enables this happen.  Thank you. 

Foundation Minute for Week of March 11

Nearly 800 million people live on less that $1.90 a day!  Rotary members are passionate about providing sustainable solutions to poverty.  Rotarians and its foundation work to strengthen local entrepreneurs and community leaders, particularly women in impoverished communities.  It provides training and access to well-paying jobs and financial management institutions. It creates opportunities to help individuals and communities thrive financially and socially.

In Guatemala the Rotary Club of Guatemala de la Ermita helped 400 local women complete financial literacy courses, so they could pool their money and fund their own microlending program.  In Esmeraldas, Ecuador Rotary members helped grant more than 250 microloans, and train more the 270 community members in sewing, baking, plumbing, microcredit, business management and leadership.

And in West Cameroon, Rotary members gave farmers skills to improve soil fertility, control soil erosion, and market their produce resulting in increased crop yields and profits.

Your contribution to The Rotary Foundation enabled this to happen.  Thank you. 

Foundation Minute for Week of March 4

A project to provide clean water to all of Lebanon’s schools is uniting leaders from many of the country’s diverse religious, cultural, and political divisions!

In 2011 Rotary members in northern Lebanon decided to install new tanks and water filters in a few nearby schools with the help of a Rotary Foundation grant.  The idea caught on and two years later one giant water project that would reach every school in Lebanon and involve all 24 of the country’s Rotary clubs developed.

While clean water was the main objective, the leaders also saw the effort as a means of helping heal Lebanon’s long history of sectarian strife. Working alongside Rotarians of various faiths to promote the project deepened understanding of those with different religious or political views. 

This project exemplifies the mission of Rotary which is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.

Your financial support enables this to happen.  Thank you. 

In 2011 Hong Kong native Spencer Leung applied and was accepted for a three-month Rotary Peace Fellow program for professionals in agriculture. His dream was to launch an organic seed operation in Thailand.  He believed that demand for organic food would continue to expand, and he wanted to do something good.  He states, “The more I looked in to it the more I believed organic agriculture could be a powerful peace building platform.  So he established Go Organics.

Go Organics aims to improve productivity and sustainability for farmers who cultivate less than five acres of crops, based on the belief that creating economic stability for small farmers will help cultivate peace.  It works to improve the marketplace for these farmers and to provide simple and cost-effective technologies that helps improve operations.   It offers farmers through microfinancing an affordable cold storage unit that will keep crops fresh up to ten days longer thus opening market opportunities.  Go Organics also guarantees the sale of a certain amount of their produce.  It introduced technologies to dry produce properly, to package them safely and to prevent the growth of mold. 

The mission of Go Organics is to channel the work to those who are in need and to bring these people into the workforce.  Small farms produce around 80% of the world’s food and make up 90% of the world’s 570 million farms.  Leung says, “If we can raise their standard of living – its sustainability – we’re going to make a lot of changes the whole world – it’s going to be amazing.”

Your contribution to The Rotary Foundation enables this to happen.  Thank you

Our health is everything. Yet 400 million people in the world can’t afford or don’t have access to basic health care. We believe good health care is everyone’s right.

Disease results in misery, pain, and poverty for millions of people worldwide. That’s why treating and preventing disease is so important to Rotarians. It leads efforts both large and small. It sets up temporary clinics, blood donation centers, and training facilities in underserved communities struggling with outbreaks and health care access. It designs and builds infrastructure that allows doctors, patients, and governments to work together.

As Rotarians our members combat diseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and polio. Prevention is important, which is why we also focus on health education and bringing people routine hearing, vision, and dental care.

Your contribution and support of The Rotary Foundation enables to happen.  Thank you. 

Through the Rotary Foundation amazing things happen!

In Afghanistan, Rotary members opened a girls’ school to break the cycle of poverty and social imbalance.  Rotary members in the US partnered with ProLiteracy Detroit to recruit and train tutors after a study showed that more than half of the local adult population was functionally illiterate.  

Rotary members helped develop the SOUNS program in South Africa, Puerto Rico and US which teaches educators how to improve literacy by teaching children to recognize letters by sounds instead of names.  

And Rotarians are providing clean, fresh water to every public school in Lebanon, so students can be healthier and get a better education!  

According to Rotarian Mark Wilson, “When you teach somebody how to read, they have that for a lifetime.  It ripples through the community, one by one.”

Your contribution to The Rotary Foundation enables this to happen.  Thank you.  

Joi Burton, a member of the Rotary Club of North Garland County, Arkansas proves how a small club can make a difference in the world.  Through Rotary, Joi experienced a great love for the country of Kenya, and after her first visit she was invited by a friend to live a few weeks in a village a day’s drive from the Nairobi airport.  Before she left, the Rotary Club of Arlington South gave her $500 to do a project in the village that was comprised of a few houses, several huts, a school and a church – no electricity, no water and was located several miles from the nearest road. 

The day after she arrived she told Moses, the man that accompanied her, that she had a “little bit of money” from her club and asked if there was something they needed.  He told her they needed concrete to replace the floors in the school as the children were getting their uniforms dirty from having to sit on the floor all day.  She and Moses went to the nearest town and purchased gravel, sand, and cement – the villagers then completed the floors in all the rooms. 

The next week, she again told Moses that she had a “little bit of money” and asked if there was anything else they needed.  They needed glass to replace the broken windows in the school.  She and Moses bought large plates of glass and were able to place windows in the entire school.  The following week, she again told Moses that she had a “little bit of money” left – what else do they need?  They then purchased metal paint and brushes to paint the rusted tin roof.  And with a little more of that money left – they were able to make ladders with sticks and rope to paint the roof!  And on the last week that Joi stayed – she still had “a little money left” where they purchased school books and two cases of chalk!  They were completely out of chalk.

This experience built the foundation for other efforts including global grants for wells.  What a difference one small Rotary club can make with a little bit on money.  Thank you.   

Twelve generous supporters of Rotary's polio eradication efforts will have the opportunity to play golf with legend Jack Nicklaus, a Rotary ambassador for polio eradication.

Nicklaus plans to thank the next twelve (12) individuals who make a new donation of $250,000 or more to the PolioPlus Fund by inviting them to play golf with him at the Bear's Club in Jupiter, Florida, USA, on 12 March 2019. There, donors will be divided into three groups of four, and each group will play eighteen (18) holes of golf – six with Nicklaus. Donors who prefer not to golf may allow one friend or family member to golf in their place.

Space is limited to the first twelve (12) donors. To qualify, donors need to complete a gift intent form and make the full donation by 22 January 2019. Contact Harvey Newcomb III, Director of Principal Gifts at The Rotary Foundation, for more information. Please see the gift intent form for details.

What a super way to support the Rotary Foundation!!  Enjoy and keep your head down!

Recently, The Rotary Foundation was inducted into University of Oxford’s Chancellor’s Court of Benefactors for it continuous support of the university.  Since 1949 the foundation has provided scholarships to more than 200 Oxford scholars including a former American ambassador to the United Kingdom, a Pulitzer Prize winning author and investigative reporter with the New York Times, and a Director and Senior Fellow at the Ansari Africa Centre.  For almost 70 years, this support has enabled students from around the world to benefit from all that Oxford has to offer. 

Membership in the Court of Benefactors is conferred by the Chancellor on those who have been outstandingly generous towards the university.    The Rotary Foundation joins a prestigious list of over 250 members including Thomson Reuters Foundation and The Skoll Foundation. The members are from around the globe whose significant contributions have assisted Oxford in being the world ‘s leading institution that it is today.  

Your contribution to The Rotary Foundation enables this to happen.  Thank you. 

Late in August, a family of eight migrant persons from Honduras arrived at a refugee shelter, where Giorgio Algeri, a former Rotary Peace Fellow, was serving as a short-term volunteer in Tabasco, Mexico, near the Guatemala border.  The family of three adults and five children, most below the age of 10, had fled their country for security reasons and was waiting asylum.  There, the son of their landlord came home drunk and threatened the family with a machete, forcing them to leave all their belongs behind.  The refugee shelter welcomed them addressing their basic needs such as food, clothing and personal hygiene kits.

This emerging migration crisis is apparent in such countries as El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. It is also found in Spain, Malta and Italy.  The decision of governments such as the United States to deny migrants and refugees denotes an alarming worsening of human rights and represents a violation of international humanitarian law for the repatriation of vulnerable migrants. Anti -migrant alliances are creating a climate of hate and violence against migrants and refugees. 

“The one thing most vulnerable migrants and refugees have in common,” says Algeri, “is a desire to live safely with dignity. Existing initiatives and programs such as the one in Tabasco, play a crucial role and provide a safe pathway for such vulnerable groups.”  

He states, “ Everyone has a responsibility to promote acceptance of the right of others!  

You don’t need to be a humanitarian worker to make a difference. Anyone can contribute by holding an event to commemorate the rights of refugees, or taking part in social media campaigns.  You can also volunteer in service projects that promote a culture of positive peace and create a more constructive dialogue between migrants, refugees and host communities.  It’s time to stand up for the human rights of migrants and take action now. “ 

Contributions to the Rotary Foundation will enable this to happen.  Thank you.  

With 2017 -2018 behind us – The Rotary Foundation is pleased to report an outstanding year!  Its annual fund raised $131.4 million dollars, its endowment brought in $28.5 million with an 8% return, and the PolioPlus Fund brought in $143.6 million.  It has been awarded 4 stars by Charities Navigator for the 11^th year in a row and has approved 503 district grants and its program awards totaled $27.4 million! 

Cumulatively, since 1985 Rotary has helped immunize more than 2.5 billion children against polio and as of June, 2018, had spent more than $1.8 billion toward global polio eradication.  Since 2002-2003, 1,245 fellows from more than 120 countries have participated in Rotary’s Peace Fellowship Program, and program awards for these fellows and the centers have totaled $4.0 million.  Since 2013-14, the Foundation awarded 5,677 global grants totaling $332.1 million and 2,466 in district grants totaling $126.1 million.  

Your generosity has enabled this to happen!  Happy New Year!  Thank you.   

• The latest figures reflecting the status of polio in the world are disappointing. Globally there has been 28 cases of WPV (wild polio virus) and 98 cases of cVDPV (circulating vaccine derived polio virus) reported as of December 4^th.  This time last year there were 16 cases of WPV and 80 cases of cVDPV.   
• To address this, the 19^th IHR (International Health Regulations) Emergency Committee including members, advisers, and invited member states convened to discuss the status of the international spread of poliovirus. The Committee unanimously agreed that the risk of polio spread continues to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) and proposed an extension of Temporary Recommendations for an additional three months. The Committee expressed concern that complacency to achieving a polio-free world could now become the biggest risk to the effort and urged that all countries and partners regard polio eradication as an emergency.  “We have the tools, we need to focus on what works, we need to get to every child,” commented Prof. Helen Rees, Chairperson of the Committee.  “The reality is that there is no reason why we should not be able to finish this job, but we have to keep at it.”  Prof. Rees and the Committee urged countries, donors and partners to continue their support, until a polio-free world is achieved, cautioning that failure to eradicate polio would lead to global resurgence of the disease, with potentially as many as 200,000 new cases occurring annually within ten years.  “We have achieved eradication of a disease once before, with smallpox,” Rees concluded.  “The world is a much better place without smallpox.  It’s now more urgent than ever that we redouble our efforts and finish this job once and for all as well.”  

Despite an increase in cases, Rotary International continues to make progress in countries where polio is a threat to children.  – It is using innovative techniques to reach more children than ever before in some of the hardest-to-reach areas of the world, and its surveillance systems are continually becoming more sophisticated. -  As the organization that first had the vision of a world without polio, it can take pride in its work and commitment thus far.   It will continue to persevere until the day it fulfills its promise of a polio-free world.”

Thank you for your continued and dedicated support.  

There will be no Foundation Minutes for the weeks of December 24 and 31^st.  They will resume on January 4 – Have a happy holiday season and a happy, healthy and peaceful New Year.  

Happy Holidays to All of You!  As Global Grant Chair for our  Rotary District 7170, I recently received this following letter from Carole Coppins - ED for Binghamton's YWCA.  She had just returned from Haiti where she met with the Director of the YWCA in Port au Prince.  She had hoped to coordinate a district grant directed towards their needs, however because of the time constraint,  this won't be feasible.  So - Carole is asking that our local clubs consider this appeal individually.  The letter follows, and I hope your club and perhaps its individual members might respond generously.  Thank you -  Lana Rouff

To:  YWCA Binghamton, NY   -Mrs Carol Coppens  

Your Solidarity Is Needed To Help Us Sustain Our Programs

Dear Sister YWCA of Binghamton -  

The Young Women's Christian Association Haiti (YWCA Haiti) is proud to be an affiliated member of the global YWCA movement and to have helped empower thousands of young women over the years, gradually transforming the power structures in our society. The YWCA Haiti was founded on November 28^th, 2008 and began to actively support girls and young women living in difficult conditions outside the city of Port-au-Prince after the January 12, 2010 earthquake.

Thanks to the generosity of sister organizations worldwide wanting to facilitate the healing process of earthquake survivors, the YWCA Haiti was able to address the enormous problems girls and young women faced. Later, we opened the Youth Center where we provide after school tutoring services and soft skills programming to girls and young women aged 6 to 18 years old. Our Center is considered a safe space, feeding nearly two hundred girls every day who come from the most deprived and marginalized areas of Pétion-Ville.  

Through the Leadership Academy program, we have trained approximately two thousand young women aged 19 to 35, who are better equipped to face daily life challenges, make important life choices and be more competitive in the job market. Many of these program participants come from areas such as Cité-Soleil and Martissant that are at the mercy of violent street gangs. They come from these areas where girls live in despair and danger every week determined to learn and to lead positive changes in their lives and their community.  

Today the YWCA Haiti is facing a very difficult financial situation. Yearly, around 20 to 25% of our budget relies on our fund-raising activities. Unfortunately, due to the instable financial, economic and political situation in Haiti in 2018, our fund-raising efforts have led to a poor outcome, leaving us with a gap of one-month worth of costs to be able to fully complete our year. 

Over the past decade, we have been successful in attracting funding from renowned donors such as USAID, World Bank, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), American Red Cross (ARC) and Horyzon Switzerland. As we approach our 10th anniversary, however, we are facing a severe financial crisis that puts the continuity of our daily activities in jeopardy. We need the help of our YWCA sisters more than ever to support our programs. While we are doing everything in our power to keep our Youth Center open in December, your solidarity would represent an important step in maintaining our programs, which are essential for the well-being of our girls.

To facilitate donations from anywhere in the world, a GoFundMe page has been created: https://www.gofundme.com/ywca-haiti-fundraising-initiative. Our immediate goal is to raise $10,000 but each contribution counts and will make a difference in the lives of our participants. To know more about the YWCA Haiti and our programs, visit our website: www.ywcahaiti.org.

We thank you in advance for your solidarity, your generosity and sisterhood.  

--

Sandrine Kenol Wiener
YWCA Haiti
Program Manager
Board Vice-President
509-3816-0555

skenol@ywcahaiti.org

Se Ave'm chanjman an komanse

Change starts with me

Rotarian Karin Davies, a retired pediatrician and a member of the Rotary Club of Del Mar, California, marshaled resources and connected key players to establish a curriculum for neonatal care at the University of Gondar’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences in Ethiopia,  which is helping reduce their high infant mortality rate. 

Davis led four vocational training team trips to Gondar between 2015 and 2017. The team, funded by a $107,000 Rotary Foundation Global Grant, trained 73 health care providers who now teach classes for midwives, nurses, and medical students on resuscitation techniques and post-recitation care for newborns.

She relates that she had just finished teaching a group of Ethiopian health care providers a life-saving technique for newborn babies, when a third-year obstetric resident came rushing in - “It really works,” he said. The night before, he had delivered an infant who was born limp and not breathing. After several unsuccessful attempts to stimulate the baby’s breathing, he used a technique, known as positive pressure ventilation, that he had learned only the day before. Within minutes, the baby was screaming. 

 “We saw the power of vocational training right before our eyes.”  Your contribution to TRF enables this happen!  Thank you

Whenever a global grant is awarded – a global grant consists of a project’s budget over $30,000 up to $200,000, The Rotary Foundation provides technical expertise.  Called the Global Grant Cadre of Technical Advisors, it maintains a registry of individuals that serve in countries other than their own.  These Rotarians are qualified in areas of health, education, literacy, water, small business, micro-credit and financial auditing - in other words chartered accountants and certified public accountants.  Cadre members are fluent in a variety of languages which include French, Spanish, Portuguese and other language skills.  They conduct on-site project visits for two to three days with written reports upon their return.  This technique assures the validity of the project and its sustainability. 

The Rotary Foundation welcomes individuals who might join the cadre.  If you are interested contact the Rotary Foundation at 847-866-3000.   Thank you.  

Now that the holiday season is upon us – many of us are scurrying around trying to find the best gift for our families, our neighbors, teachers and more.  Here is an idea that will save all of you a great deal of time and give you an enormous feeling of satisfaction!  

In place of that gift, why not give the gift of Rotary thorough The Rotary Foundation?  A $100 contribution can help provide textbooks for one elementary school in Zambia, provide a hearing aid for a deaf child in Pakistan, buy de-worming tablets for 112 children in the Philippines, pay for cataract operations for three blind people in India, or provide 230 blankets for the elderly in the winter months of Korea! And there are many more opportunities even within our own country!  

For more information contact The Rotary Foundation at 866-9 ROTARY (866-976-8279).  Thank you for your generosity.  

In today’s world one in four victims of slavery are children, and 10 million children are considered slaves!  300,000 child soldiers are forced to fight wars, 700 million women alive today are married as children, and 17.2 million children are working as domestic workers.  A new partnership with the Rotary Action Group Against Slavery and Freedom United is giving Rotarians a chance to do something to stop it.   Freedom United is a nonprofit organization that has mobilized millions of partners, activists and advocates through online campaigns to convince governments and companies to end slavery. 

Through its website, Rotary clubs of any size can sign up to form “freedom rings,” which raise community awareness of slavery while sharing information with one another through an online platform.  Freedom United helps Rotary clubs plan a two-hour community event by arranging speakers that can include experts, survivors, and representatives of local nonprofits that are already fighting modern slavery.  One of these rings in Chattanooga, Tennessee is planning a gala fundraiser; in Raleigh, NC a walk/run to raise awareness is planned.  And another ring is organizing a “red sand project,” where volunteers sprinkle red sand in the cracks of city streets to represent all the people in the world who are enslaved.  And in Johnson City, New York – purple pinwheels were planted in a major traffic circle.

Support from People in Action to The Rotary Foundation enables this to happen.  Thank you.   

Communities around the world are making a difference at home and across the seas.  Right now, they feed the hungry, tutor disadvantaged children, maintain parks and playgrounds and more.  Since the installation of more than 175 solar lights, families living on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona, USA can now read, work, and study long after the sun sets.  Rotary helps Tanzanians with albinism find safe futures.  It offers Judo for Brazilian youth as an escape from the slums;  in Canada, Rotary clubs help refugees start new lives and in Australia clubs help end domestic violence.

Your contribution to The Rotary Foundation enables these projects to happen.  Thank you. 

Last week we talked about various projects that were accomplished through Rotary’s global grants in the USA.  Here are a few more:

1.     Dental Equipment and oral healthcare services were provided by Rotarians to low-income residents in Ventura, Cty, California.

2.    In Pittsburgh, PA and Richmond, California, Rotary provided free longitudinal care for 75 patients at two Rotacare Free medical clinics.

3.    It provided a baseball clinic with a focus on teamwork and anti-bullying among youngsters ages 7-16 in Yonkers, New York.

4.    It developed and implemented a school based dental model within two schools in Cabell County, West Virginia.

5.    And it created a “Kids Club Literary Project” to promote age/grade level reading for children living in Loveland Housing Authority apartments in Loveland, Colorado. 

These projects had a budget of over $30,000 and were initiated by clubs and districts within the United States with financial support from countries outside the US. Your contribution to The Rotary Foundation enabled this to happen.  Thank you.  

In 2017, the majority of The Rotary Foundation’s global grants were awarded to clubs and districts outside the United States; however many of our US districts have recognized immediate needs within our own country.  Working within the grant process:

1.     A health service center was created in Salinas, California to assist homeless residents in their community and helped them obtain references to healthcare professionals.

2.    In Greensboro Alabama, Rotary provided financial literacy and small business development trainings for at risk youth.

3.    Rotary provided a social and job skill training program targeting unemployed and underemployed residents of West Coconut Grove, a Bahamian founded community in Miami, Florida.

4.    It equipped a mobile vision unit to serve patients in a region of rural Appalachia.

5.    And in UpState New York, it developed a grant to address the severe epidemic of opioid/heroin abuse.

Your generous contributions to The Rotary Foundation enabled this to happen!   

Rotary is dedicated to six areas of focus in order to build international relationships, improve lives, and create a better world to support our peace efforts and end polio forever.

We learned about three areas last week and here are the others;

Saving mothers and children: Nearly 6 million children under the age of five die each year because of malnutrition, poor health care, and inadequate sanitation.  Rotary expands access to quality care, so mothers and their children can live and grow stronger.

Supporting education: More than 775 million people over the age of 15 are illiterate.  Rotary’s goal is to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy. And finally

Growing local economies: Rotary carries out service projects that enhance economic and community development and creates opportunities for decent and productive work for young and old.  Rotary also strengthens local entrepreneurs and community leaders, particularly women in impoverished communities.  

Your support of TRF enables this to happen.  Thank you. 

Rotary is dedicated to six areas of focus in order to build international relationships, improve lives, and create a better world. Three of these focus areas are:

1.    Promoting peace: Rotary encourages conversations to foster understanding within and across cultures.  We train adults and young leaders to prevent and mediate conflict and help refugees who have fled dangerous areas.

2.    Fighting disease:  We educate and equip communities to stop the spread of life-threatening diseases like polio, HIV/AIDS, and malaria.  We improve and expand access to low-cost and free health care in developing areas. AND

3.    Providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene:  We support local solutions to bring clean water, sanitation, and hygiene to more people every day.  We don’t just build wells and walk away.  We share our expertise with community leaders and educators to make sure our projects succeed long-term.  

Learn about the other three next week!  Your contribution to the Rotary Foundation enables this to happen.  Thank you.  

In 2009, Salvador Rico stood in the waters of the Russian River in Northern California with other members of the Rotary Club of South Ukiah.  They were there for a river clean-up, during which they removed toilets, refrigerators, car parts, and garbage.  

After participating in the Russian River cleanup, Rico’s thoughts turned to the Ameca River which flows past his father’s farm in western Mexico.  That was where his oldest sister contracted polio which killed her in the 1960s.  He also thought of another river, the Lerma, which carried trash and toxic waste from Guadalajara.

With the help of Rotary clubs in Mexico and California cleanups were organized and the project eventually expanded to become Cleaning the Rivers of the World which has challenged Rotary clubs across the globe to clean up a river.  The initiative has been adopted by the Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group as well as the Environmental Sustainability Action Group that have initiated cleanup projects in Colombia, India, Nigeria, Peru, Turkey and Venezuela, Mexico and in the US.

Your contribution to the Rotary Foundation supports this project and helps sustain a better world. Thank you. 

While many people would like to think that slavery was a tragedy of the past, the truth is that it still exists today, with up to 46 million people enslaved worldwide.  The Rotarian Action Group Against Slavery has a strategy for fighting this horrible problem, working at the local level:

In a village in northeastern India the action group is tackling the problem of debt bondage.  With the help of 13 clubs, a district grant from the Rotary Club of Binghamton, New York, and other sources, the action group provided $36,000 to the Schools4Freedom which works with local partners to battle debt bondage. 

Poverty, illiteracy, innumeracy, and natural disasters that destroy crops or homes can leave villagers vulnerable to debt bondage in rural villages.  When people don’t have enough to eat, or a roof over their head and their family is quite literally alive, they will often turn to whatever means are possible for survival.  Families may seek an arrangement with a business owner who asks them to sign a contract that they can’t read and therefore can’t understand, and they inadvertently trade their freedom for survival. 

Within a three-year period, The School4Freedom establishes a school inside the village that educates those enslaved of their basic rights and often gives them a trade.  It helps bring the once enslaved village to a position of strength resulting in their freedom.

Your contribution to The Rotary Foundation enables this to happen.  Thank you. 

Through academic training, study and practice, The Rotary Peace Centers program develops leaders who become catalysts, for peace and conflict prevention and resolution in their communities and around the globe.  Each year, up to 100 Rotary Peace Fellows are chosen to participate in a master’s degree (lasting 2 years) program or a certificate program (lasting 3 months) at one of our partner universities.  Fellows study subjects related to the root causes of conflict and explore innovative solutions that address real-world needs.  

As of 2016-17, there were 1247 Rotary Peace Fellows working around the world.  Peace centers can be found in Bangkok, North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Tokyo, England, Australia and Sweden.  

Your contribution to TRF enables this to happen.  Thank you.  

We’re so close to eradicating polio.  But to fully eradicate this deplorable disease we still need $1.5 billion to finish the job.  Why?  Even if the last case of polio is identified this year, a huge amount of work will remain to ensure that it stays “GONE”, which means vaccinating children for at least three more years.  To ensure that polio is truly eradicated forever it must be detected.  This requires continuous surveillance that is complicated and costly: first doctors and community health workers must monitor children for acute flaccid paralysis and second is the process that involves local authorities collecting samples from sewage systems or in places that don’t have adequate sanitation facilities, including rivers or bodies of water near a large group of residents. 

In addition, large scale vaccinations are enormous undertakings that require money as well as thousands of volunteers on the ground.  And in places where the vaccination programs have been successful, the challenge is to locate and vaccinate that small percentage of children who have been missed.  The vaccine itself isn’t the biggest expense, it’s the distribution of the vaccine – i.e. transportation and staffing.  A vaccination campaign is almost mind-bogglingly complex.  Rotarians’ contributions pay for planning by technical experts, large-scale communication efforts to make people aware of the benefits of vaccinations and the dates of the campaign, plus support for volunteers to go door-to-door in large cities as well as in remote areas that may not appear on any map. 

Yes, we are 99.9% there.  Now is the hardest part and with your help our goal to eradicate polio will be accomplished and celebrated.  Thank you for your support. 

In Vancouver, British Columbia there exists a Police Tactical Training Center a state-of-the-art facility complete with firing range, simulation rooms, gymnasium, and classrooms. A Rotary Peace Fellow named Bryan Nykon, has put his police experience and his education as a Rotary Peace Fellow to work in this facility.  He trains police members to de-escalate unpredictable situations and to use words in place of force, when possible, to control confrontations.

Bryan’s duties include teaching high-yield, low-risk judo combined with the tactical police judo, focusing on control tactics best suited to street-level policing and self-defense. The approach incorporates empty-handed control and defensive tactics like arm-grabbing or using pressure points.

The highest risk of violence generally occurs during an arrest. Bryan teaches his students that risk can be avoided by something as simple as altering your arm grip. One grip gives the person enough room to swing around with a kick, while another can prevent that from happening. Everyone’s safer when a fight is avoided.

Law enforcement agencies have policies that guide the use of force, describing an escalating series of actions to resolve a situation. Police officers are instructed to respond with a level of force appropriate to the situation. The policies acknowledge that the officer may have to move from one part of the continuum to another in a matter of seconds. This is a key area where Bryan’s training at the Rotary Peace Center influences how he instructs recruits and experienced police officers.

The use of words, or when necessary open hand control, can reduce the need for a baton or Taser-like device, thus avoiding interactions that can intensify into prolonged confrontations with a community lasting weeks.

Byran has learned at the Rotary Peace Center, that critical listening is the most important lesson which he uses now in training police officers. “Police officers need to listen to find out what is happening, how they can help, and who is responsible before applying any kind of force, whenever possible … “You need to really listen to understand what the person is saying. Do they understand what is happening, is there a language barrier, drugs, or a cognitive challenge?”

It is rewarding to see a Rotary Peace Fellow applying their skills, experience, and training to reduce the need for the use of force in the community.  Your contribution to The Rotary Foundation enables this to happen.  Thank you.

The Rotary Foundation has a unique funding cycle that utilizes contributions for programs three years after they are received.  The three-year cycle gives districts time for program planning and participant selections, and allows The Rotary Foundation to invest the contributions.  The earnings from those investments help pay for the Foundation’s administration, program operations and fund development costs. 

At the end of the three year period – say in 2021-22, ½ of district’s contribution made in Rotary year 2018 – 19 is returned to the district for district projects while the other half is placed in the World Fund which is used to match project expenses and support the fight to eradicate polio. 

This approach of using donations wisely has won a four star rating from Charity Navigator for many years. 

Please consider supporting The Rotary Foundation now and get involved in planning future projects.  Thank you. 

About three years ago, on the nightly news in Berlin, Rotarian Pia Skarabis-Querfeld saw refugees arriving in Berlin after fleeing war, persecution, and poverty in their home countries. Wanting to help, she gathered a bag of clothes to donate and headed to a nearby gym filled with refugees.

When she arrived at the gymnasium to drop off her donation, Skarabis-Querfeld found sick children, most of them untreated because hospitals in the area were overrun. Helpers were not allowed to give out pain relievers or even cough syrup due to legal constraints. All they could do was send people to the emergency room if they looked extremely ill.

Seeing this, and knowing about the treacherous journeys the refugees had just made across land and sea, Skarabis-Querfeld, who is a medical doctor and Rotarian, returned that same afternoon with medical supplies and her husband, Uwe Querfeld, who is a professor of pediatrics and also a Rotarian. The couple spent most of that holiday season treating patients in the gymnasium. 

“The suffering of the people, their bitter fate, … wouldn’t let go of me,” says Skarabis-Querfeld.  “You just don’t forget.”

What began as a single act of charity eventually evolved into an all-encompassing volunteer project: Over the next three years, Skarabis-Querfeld would build a nonprofit organization called Medizin Hilft (Medicine Helps) and run a network that, at peak times, would include more than 100 volunteers helping thousands of refugees at community centers, tent camps, and other shelters across the city.  Today, her nonprofit continues to treat patients who have nowhere else to turn.

The Rotary Club of Berlin-Nord was quick to support Skarabis-Querfeld’s nonprofit. National media took notice of her efforts, and other Rotary clubs, including Rotary Club of Berlin-Tiergarten, joined the effort.  A Rotary global grant of $160,000 made it possible for Medizin Hilft to run an open.med clinic as well as information campaigns.

People of Action continue to make a difference in the world and your support of The Rotary Foundation enables this to happen.  Thank you.

Ricardo Roman was shopping with his wife at a department store in Chile in 2012 when a woman in her early 20s approached him.  He didn’t recognize her – for two good reasons – he had last seen her more than a decade earlier and her smile had changed drastically! 

Roman, a member of the Rotary Club of Renaca, Chile, is the national coordinator of a program that has helped thousands of children in Chile with cleft lips, palates, and other birth defects – including this stranger who now wanted to give Roman a hug. 
 

She told me, “This is my Rotarian smile,” Roman recalls, his voice full of emotion, “It was a very gratifying moment.”

Since 1993 Rotarians in Chile and the United States have teamed up to provide life-altering reconstructive surgeries.  The project was started by California Rotarians and has evolved into a nonprofit organization that has since sent teams to 26 countries. 

This is another example of Rotary’s People of Action and how Rotarian’s ability to give works!  Thank you

A quote:  “What we as Rotarians do is touch other people … open the horizon to them … say “You matter.”  You see, the five men who chose me to become an Ambassador Scholar are gone … but they’re not.  They never will be. Because along the way, I will in my own share with others – and have what those five men and the 60 members of the Marshall (Texas) Rotary and the tens of thousands of other members of Rotary did in 1956 when they said, “Bill Moyers, you can matter.  This quote was said by Bill Moyers, TV journalist and commentator, and former Deputy Director of the Peace Corps.

Although Ambassadorial Scholarships per se are no longer available– Rotary still offers a myriad of scholarships for secondary, undergraduate or graduate study through club, district and global scholarships.

For more information about scholarships - contact your club president or district governor. Your continued financial support enables this to happen.   Thank you.

During the past 100 years, the Foundation has spent $3 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects.  With your help, countless lives have been made better in your communities and the world.  The Rotary Foundation impacts communities through its grants program which offers two opportunities for funding:

District Grants fund small, short term activities that address needs in your community and communities abroad.  Each district chooses which activities it will fund with these grants.

And Global Grants that fund large-scale international activities with sustainable and measurable results that support Rotary’s six area of focus.  Activities include humanitarian projects, scholarships and vocational training teams. 

As a Rotarian you are eligible to participate in any one of these programs where it interests you.  Just contact your club and/or District Foundation chair. 

Thank you. 

Over the next year, a short weekly message about The Rotary Foundation, its programs and the need for your support will be shared with you.  To begin – here is a quote from Paulo Costa, Past President of Rotary International in 1990-91.  “Rotary International’s masterpiece is The Rotary Foundation.  It transforms our dreams into splendid realities … it is the most generous expression of Rotarian generosity that not only brings benefits but also brings help and cooperation to solve the problems that affect mankind. The Rotary Foundation achieves the best that mankind can possibly achieve.”

It is an honor to belong to Rotary International and to be part of such an organization that not only makes a difference in the world and our communities, but as People of Action serves above self.  

Thank you. 

What does The Rotary Foundation do with its money?  It spends its charitable contributions on multiple programs – from the eradication of polio, to scholarships, vocational training teams, Rotary Peace Centers, and humanitarian projects.  The funds are used for programs and projects about which Rotarians feel passionate. With a four-star rating by Charity Navigator for ten years in a row and over 1.2 million Rotarians over-seeing the funds at a grassroots level, its funds are in amazing hands doing amazing work in our communities and abroad.  

Your contributions enable this to happen.  Thank you

The Rotary Foundation was founded by Arch Klumph is 1916 and left us with these words: “The Rotary Foundation is not to build monuments of brick and stone.  If we work upon marble, it will perish; if we work on brass, time will efface it;  if we rear temples they will crumble into dust; but if we work upon immortal minds, if we imbue them with the full meaning of the spirit of Rotary … we are engraving on those tablets something that will brighten all eternity.

Your contribution to The Rotary Foundation will make this happen.  Thank you.  

What is a Paul Harris Fellow?  First of all, Paul Harris was the founder of Rotary and in 1957, under the direction of Arch Klumph, President of Rotary in 1916-17, the Paul Harris Fellow was established.  The recognition is given to individuals who contribute financially, or have contributions made in their name, of $1000 to the Annual Fund, Polioplus, or an approved foundation grant.  Recognition consists of a certificate and a pin.

Paul Harris Fellows can also be given on behalf of someone through Foundation Recognition points or through a combination of points and outright donations.  Points are given for every dollar contribution to the Foundation. Since the creation of the Paul Harris Fellow over 1.6 million people have become Paul Harris Fellows.  

Join your fellow Rotarians in financially supporting The Rotary Foundation by becoming a Paul Harris Fellow.  Thank you.

What Is the Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund?  It is the primary source of unrestricted support for the programs of The Rotary Foundation.  From digging clean water wells for villages in Africa to teaching basic literacy skills to children in Latin America, during any given moment in a day, thousands of Rotarians volunteer their time and expertise to ensure that all contributions given to the Annual Fund are spent wisely on quality Rotary projects.

In the 2016-17 Rotary year, a record US $140.2million was donated to The Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund.   Rotarians completed over 30,000 Rotary service projects and dedicated 24.3 million hours to volunteering in the communities that need us most.

The Annual Fund is comprised of donations from Rotarians, friends of Rotary corporations, and workplace giving vehicles.  These donations can be matched by corporate gifts to leverage donations.  There is even an online resource that allows Rotarians to see if their company has a charitable matching program … check it out a Rotary.org/matchinggifts.

Your generosity has made it possible for Rotarians to stay hard at work Doing Good in the World. You have until June 30 to make your gift for 2017-18.  If you haven’t contributed this year – please do so – and give generously. 

Rotary’s commitment to eradicating polio worldwide won Best Nonprofit Act in the Hero Awards of the One Billion Acts of Peace campaign, an international global citizens’ movement to tackle the world’s most important issues.

The campaign is an initiative of PeacejJam Foundation and is led by 14 Nobel Peace laureates, including the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and Rigoberta Mencu tum, with the ambitious goal of inspiring a billion acts of peace by 2020.

Each year, the campaign picks two finalists in each of six categories for their work to make a measurable impact in one of the 10 areas considered most important by the Nobel laureates.  Winners are chosen by people from around the world.  

Rotary and Mercy Corps were the two finalists in the Best Nonprofit Act category.  Rotary and the five other winners will be recognized at a ceremony on June in Monaco.  Betty Williams, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977 for her advocacy for peace in Northern Ireland will present the award.  

We all should be proud to be a Rotarian!  You are People of Action and Make A Difference in the world.  Thank you. 

Foundation Minute for Week of May 28

The Rotary Foundation celebrated its centennial with a year of festivities that began at the 2016 Rotary International Convention in Seoul, Korea, and culminated at the 2017 convention in Atlanta, Georgia.

Throughout the year, members organized celebrations, educated their communities about the Foundation’s impact, raised funds for the Foundation, and shared their own centennial projects on social media.  In the US, the Rotary Club of Austin, Texas packed more than 22,000 meals for people in need.  In South Africa, the Rotaract Club of Durban Berea celebrated Diwali by handing out boxes of treats to children, police and maintenance workers.  And in the Philippines, the Rotary Club of Midtwon-General Santos visited a retirement facility to serve lunch.  

In 1917 Rotary President Arch Klumph proposed an endowment fund dedicated to “doing good in the world.” What started with an initial contribution of $26.50 has grown into a foundation that has invested $3.95 billion in programs, projects, and scholarships.  

Your contribution to TRF has made this possible.

            (Annual Report – 16-17)

Turkey is home to more than 2.7 million Syrian refugees, according to the United Nations.  To promote understanding among Syrian and Turkish schoolchildren, the Rotaract Club of Izmir Ekonomi trained young students to become partners in peace.  Working with the Council of Europe, European Law Students’ Association, the UN, and child psychologists, the Rotaractors hosted two workshops, asking the children to express their feelings through painting.  The artwork revealed that the students had a lot in common.  Club members also taught the children conflict resolution skills.

For establishing peaceful relationships in the community, the Izmir Ekonomi club received the 2016-17 Rotaract Outstanding Project Award for Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia.  

This is Rotary at work – its mission is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, good will and PEACE through its fellowship of business, professional and community leaders.  

            (Annual Report 2016-17)

Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation are separate legal entities that comply with

the laws and accounting standards of the countries in which they operate.  Philosophically and practically, however, they function as one organization.  

As a global organization that operates in almost every country of the world and in 29 currencies, Rotary takes stewardship of its funds very seriously.  Stewardship begins as funds are received around the world through its prudent investment practices and continues as funds are spent to provide life-changing and sustainable grants, and programs and services for members. 

You as a Rotary member support Rotary International with your dues, and The Rotary Foundation through your voluntary contributions.  We Rotarians are passionate about making positive, lasting changes at home and abroad. Clubs and districts direct the funds provided by the Foundation into grant projects that serve humanity.

Rotary is well positioned to remain the world’s foremost membership and service organization while continuing to serve its members.  

Be proud that you are a Rotarian.

                        Annual Report – 2016-17)

The Rotary Club of Leogane, Haiti, brought electricity to the Respire Haiti Christian School in Gressier – and with it, education for children and adults.  The school serves 500 orphans, disadvantaged children, and restavecs(child domestic servants).  For a long time, its six buildings had no electrical power, forcing teachers to rely on the sun as their primary light source and preventing the school from offering evening classes to address the community’s high adult illiteracy rate.

Using funds from a Rotary global grant, the Leogane club and its international partner, the Rotary Club of Parker, Colorado, installed a hybrid energy system, featuring locally sourced solar panels, to power lights, computers, and even the school’s water pump. Teachers received training in adult literacy instruction so the school could offer evening reading and writing classes in Creole and French.  Now both young students and adult learners are receiving the education they deserve. 

Your contribution to The Rotary Foundation enables this to happen.  Thank you for your support.  

                                                (Annual Report – 2016-17)

Like most rural communities in Papua New Guinea, the village of Kurt has relied on water from rivers and other unprotected sources.  Contaminated water and poor sanitation increases the risk of illness and raises infant and child mortality rates.

To improve conditions in Kurt, the Rotary Clubs of Mount Hagen, Papua New Guinea, and Centralia, Washington worked together on a multiphase global grant project.  They used grant funding to install and maintain a 36,000-liter rainwater harvesting and distribution system, and built toilet facilities at the Madan Coffee and Tea Plantation, the area’s economic center. The project also provided systems to turn toilet waste into fertilizer, reducing the spread of water borne diseases. Today residents have sustainable access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation.

The clubs’ work will not end there.  Members are planning economic and education projects to continue supporting the Kurt community.  

Your contribution to The Rotary Foundation enables this to happen.  Thank you.

                                                                        (Annual Report 2016-17)

In August 2016, Nigeria reported its first polio cases in two years.  They occurred in Borno
State, where ongoing conflict had prevented health workers from reaching some children.

Working with the nation’s government and Global Polio Eradication Initiative partners, Nigerian Rotarians traveled from across the country to join the emergency response team, which immunized one million children in the weeks after the outbreak. By December, an additional 60 million children had been immunized.  

Resolve in Nigeria remains strong.  “Polio eradication is about national pride and honor,” said Nigerian Health Minister Isaac Adewole.  “ We will not let our citizens or the world down.”

This year there hasn’t been a single polio case in Nigeria.  However ,6 cases have been reported in Afghanistan, 3 in the Congo and 1 in Pakistan.  

Over 400 million children are immunized against this dreaded disease every year and 16 million people are walking today who otherwise would have been paralyzed.

Your continued support towards polio eradication enables this to happen.  Thank you.  

                                                (Annual Report 2016-17)

In Brazil's Riberia Valley, a neonatal intensive care unit faced a problem.  It didn't have nearly enough equipment.  With only seven incubators, the unit at the state-run Dr. Leopoldo Bevilacqua Regional Hospital filled up quickly.  Newborns often would be transferred to another facility - a harrowing journey that the tiny, fragile patients sometimes didn't survive.  This factor contributed to the hospital's high mortality rate.

The Rotary Club of Registro, Sao Paulo, stepped in to help, partnering with the Rotary Club of Nakatsugawa, Gifu, Japan, on a global grant.  They raised funds to purchase equipment, including incubators, cribs, ventilators, and monitors, and launched a publicity campaign about the importance of prenatal care and breastfeeding.  The clubs also provided training for at-risk pregnant adolescents and education on maternal-infant health.

The new equipment doubled the capacity of the unit, which now provides care t o220 of the community's newest and tiniest residents each year.

Your continued support of The Rotary Foundation enabled this to happen.  Thank you.

                                (Annual Report 2016-17)  

According to Mark Little, founder of the Rotary Action Group Against Slavery, the Rotary Foundation has just approved a global grant for the biggest anti-trafficking project to date.  Two District 5180 Rotarians from California masterminded the project.  They partnered with districts in the Philippines, Mexico, Brazil, Australia and Argentina.  The project addressed the need for education both for those who were most vulnerable and also for the general community population. 

The grant will consist of a sex trafficking education program rolled out to selected teachers, administrators and students in 5^th, 7^th, 9^th and 11^th grades within their district as well as a 30 month human trafficking public awareness campaign aimed to make their communities aware of these atrocities. 

Raising awareness of the existence and extent of human trafficking and slavery is the raison d’etre of the California project.  As Matt Friedman (CEO of the Mekong Club and author of his book “Where Are You?”) states,  “ If we don’t know about a problem, we can’t care about it.  If we don’t care about it, we will never act!  If we don’t act, it is inevitable that the problem will continue to exist or more likely get worse.  So we need to raise awareness on this issue of modern slavery to increase the number of those people who care …”

With the help of The Rotary Foundation, and your contributions, Rotarians - People of Action- have taken on the responsibility of opening the eyes of as many people as possible to the unseen world where millions languish in slavery everywhere because of poverty, corruption and greed.  As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. “ Thank you. 

• According to Rotary International the African country of Nigeria has only one physician for every 2,500 individuals.   In rural communities people seeking health service have make long, arduous trips to find treatment which results in many not receiving care.  While it would be ideal to get more doctors in remote regions, it would take years.
•  
• To solve this problem, Dr. James Gude of Sebastopol, California and Mikel Cook of the Rotary Club of Sebastopol Sunrise brought technology to bear by using telemedicine.  This is the use of information technology to provide health care from a distance –virtually bringing doctors to patients.  Thanks to a global grant from TRF, a team of health care professionals from Nigeria has been trained in this process.
•  
• Telemedicine allows physicians to connect with patients remotely as well as consult with colleagues all over the world.  At its simplest, it consists of a chat via online video, but it can also allow a physician to examine a patient remotely using a robot.
•  
• Telemedicine technology and training is used in several hospitals around the world, allowing health care for the underprivileged, for the underserved, in remote areas.  Your contribution to The Rotary Foundation enables this to happen.  Thank you. 

• In September, Hurricane Maria pummeled Puerto Rico, the strongest storm to make landfall on the island in 85 years.  More than three months later, people are still struggling to recover.  The immediate response from Rotarians in District 7000 was quick and precise.  Several clubs around the island began to provide humanitarian aid to those affected.  The help included non-perishable food, water, hygiene kits, water filters, solar lights and power generators. 
•  
• Now local Rotarians are focusing on recovery and reconstruction.  Plans are underway to work with pumping systems for renewable energy projects in communities without potable water, the installation of water filtration systems, and the rollout of community economic development projects for the most affected areas.  Disease prevention efforts in areas affected by the hurricane are also taking place among other initiatives. 
•  
• Rotary International has established a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) of the Rotary Foundation to support projects for the recovery of Puerto Rico.  Given the great work that remains ahead, contributions from Rotarians to this fund will be essential to help Puerto Rico get back on their feet.  Visit District 7000 website to learn more.  Your contribution will make a difference in lifting Puerto Rico.  Thank you.

From the March 2016 issue of The Rotarian

I believe I am safe in assuming that most of you are not regular readers of the Journal of Leadership Studies. Nor that you had the pleasure of perusing the article in that magazine’s Winter 2014 issue titled “Followership in Leadership Studies: A Case of Leader-Follower Trade Approach.” To save you the trouble, let me summarize the argument put forward by the author, Petros G. Malakyan:

While an abundance of research is devoted to leaders – an entire literature, in fact –almost nothing is written about followers.

The reason for this is not particularly elusive. From presidents to mob bosses, from generals to drug lords, we love narratives that center on figures who hold, or aspire to hold, absolute power.
 

Illustration by Bjorn Rune Lie