By Rotary International

Operations Coordinator Sam Hewett (left) briefs MP Sarah Newton on preparations to help people fleeing Mosul. Photo © Thom Axon

By Sarah Newton, Rotary Club of Falmouth, and a Member of Parliament representing Truro and Falmouth, United Kingdom

In July, Cornwall-based international disaster relief charity ShelterBox moved its headquarters to Truro, keeping its warehousing and aid-packing base in Helston.

On 10 November, I made my first visit to Falcon House, now that ShelterBox has relocated most if its staff, including its operational and fundraising teams, into my

Newton visits ShelterBox headquarters in Truro. Photo © Thom Axon

Truro and Falmouth constituency. The visit was hosted by Chief Executive Chris Warham, my first chance to meet him since Chris’s appointment in July.

In 2013 I was pleased to help arrange a week-long exhibition for ShelterBox in the Palace of Westminster, and a special reception event attended by Ministers and Members of Parliament that led to the growth of donations from more parts of the country.

I am delighted that ShelterBox is now headquartered in Truro. I was interested to learn that this year ShelterBox has provided shelter for over 120,000 people from Haiti to Iraq and Syria, people who have been …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

So much warmth, hospitality, and joy at the polio rally in Khera Khurd, a village on the outskirts of Delhi. And so many fun selfies! #endpolio @rotaryinternational

By Ingrid Schwab, Rotary staff

Amit says it feels like our team has been in India for a week, but really it’s been about two days. It definitely feels like a lifetime. This is the first Rotary staff Sub-National Immunization Day (SNID) trip to India, and our schedule is full of activities to experience and understand the fight to end polio. On this day, our colleagues at Rotary’s National PolioPlus office, Amit, Lokesh, and Deepak, arranged for us to take part in a polio awareness rally in Khera Khurd, a village on the outskirts of Delhi.

We first arrive at the local school and are greeted with beating drums, beaming smiles, and fragrant flower garlands. We are each welcomed with a tilaka on the forehead, made of red paste (for peace), rice grains (for happiness), and coconut (for success). We meet with Rotarian and community leaders, school administrators, teachers, and the schoolchildren. Many selfies and giggles later, we are treated to a special dance by girls in vibrant costume. You can tell from …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Corporate membership has helped the Rotary Club of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, attract senior business leaders.

By Robert Fisher, Rotary Club of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

As the first club chartered in Australia, we have a membership of around 250 people. We had two ‘champions’ who were keen to introduce corporate membership. Over several years, they sought acceptance of this category in the upper layers of Rotary, and eventually were given the go-ahead to try it as part of a pilot project in 2011.

Motivators

We saw corporate membership as a way to uphold our club’s long tradition of attracting the most senior members of Melbourne’s business community, and tap into corporate networks to use their expertise to enhance our social programs. It was our belief that we could achieve significantly greater impact by getting entire corporations involved. We are able to offer them access to a highly respected service organization, and opportunities for their staff to put in volunteer hours and engage in projects.

Five years on

We currently have 17 members from six corporations. RI, district and Rotary Down Under dues are paid for each corporate member as if they were ordinary members. We aim to have just one corporate partner per industry or field. …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Click to view slideshow.

On 19 November, Rotary staff joined Rotary members from District 5500 (Arizona, USA) and around the world in El Tour de Tucson, one of the premier organized fundraising rides in the United States. This year’s staff team met the challenge head on, completing 104-miles in good spirits and with only one flat tire. They raised close to $10 million for Rotary’s effort to end polio, after the 2 to 1 match by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, with donations still being accepted through the end of the day 30 November. Since District 5500 first organized the Ride to End Polio in 2009, it has generated more than $35 million for PolioPlus. Above our photos from this year’s staff team.

…read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

A girl in Ghana balances a container of water on her head.

By Rotary staff

When you make a donation to The Rotary Foundation, you are helping Rotary members make a difference in the lives of millions of people around the world, by promoting peace, preventing disease, supporting education, bolstering economic development, and providing clean water and sanitation. Your gift this year will also help us reach our goal of raising $300 million in celebration of the Foundation’s centennial.

Here are just a few ways your generosity is changing lives.

Eradicating polio

Thanks to you, we are closer than ever to ending polio. We have reduced cases by 99.9 percent since 1988, and with our partners, have immunized more than 2.5 billion children worldwide. To end polio for good, we need to reach every last child in Afghanistan and Pakistan, stop the newly detected outbreak in Nigeria, and protect the progress made in polio-free parts of the world. Eradicating polio is an achievable goal that will be known as one of the greatest achievements in history. And thanks to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which is matching every dollar two to one, your donation works even harder. Learn more about …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Wayne Kauffman and his wife, middle, with Natalie and her parents. Rotary connections helped Natalie get surgery to repair a problem with her heart.

By Wayne Kauffman, Rotary Club of Edmonton Riverview, Alberta, Canada

Esperanza is the Spanish word for “hope.” When I think about what motivates me to serve as a Rotary Foundation chair for my district, I am drawn to this word, which is the name of one of our recent projects. To me, hope is really at the core of our Rotary Foundation.

Our Esperanza project is in its 20th year, and sends Canadian medical and dental teams to provide vocational training and medical care to the people of Cuenca, Ecuador. It is led by Dr. Tom Greidanus, a member of the Rotary Club of Edmonton Riverview.

The teams train and mentor orthopedic surgeons, physiotherapists, nurses, dentists and dental students. They:

Educate parents and family members on proper care of infants and children to avoid preventable hip problems
Provide hip and knee replacements to approximately 40 impoverished adults from the region
Give pediatric orthopedic surgeries to about 15 children to correct hip and leg deformities
Provide patients with dental screening and care, if needed, and follow-up care for patients from previous years
Provide dental care and …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Mark Wilson during his Rotary Youth Exchange in South Africa.

By Mark Wilson, Rotary Club of London

After a long flight from London, I arrived in Durban, South Africa, in 2011 to begin a year as a Rotary Youth Exchange student, sponsored by the Rotary Club of Canterbury and hosted by Westville Rotary. I did not know what or who would be greeting me, so I had a bit of anxiety which I can clearly remember to this day.

In hindsight, of course, I had nothing to fear as I stepped off the plane into King Shaka International Airport. What followed was an adventure like nothing I had ever experienced before. Enjoying many opportunities to volunteer made me feel as though I was making a contribution to the world. And taking time to listen to my hosts, I learned a lot about South Africa.

The meaning of kindness

But by far the most memorable part of the trip was the people. Rotary members and their families inspired me, and those interactions had a lasting impact on me. Rotarians showed me the meaning of kindness, generosity, and love. I thank Rotary and the wonderful people in South Africa for giving me first-hand experience of …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog