By Rotary International

Dave Stumpf during a training ride.

By Dave Stumpf, Rotary staff

On one of my travels for Rotary, I visited our offices in New Delhi, India, in 2002. One image has always stuck with me since – that of a little girl begging on a train platform.

She was clearly afflicted with something terrible, impacting her ability to stand much less walk. My local hosts explained that she likely had polio. Now, I have my own 12-year-old daughter, and to know that she is safe from the scourge of polio, just because she had the good fortune to be born in the United States – well, it should be everyone’s good fortune to be protected from this disease.

Persistence pays

I’m excited to be doing the Miles to End Polio bike ride as part of El Tour de Tucson this November for a number of reasons. I’ve worked with Rotary in various capacities since 1995, principally in our accounting group and currently in our Auditing Services group. I’ve had the ability to work many International Assemblies and International Conventions, giving me the opportunity to meet people from all over the world, which would not have happened, had I not been part of Rotary.

To me, the …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

A Canadian Rotarian immunizes a young girl against polio in Katsina, Nigeria. Photo by Jean-Marc Giboux

By Quentin Wodon, president, Rotary Club of Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., USA

As a Rotarian and a lead economist at the World Bank, it has been exciting to see my organization step up to the plate and commit resources to the fight to eradicate polio, as we observe World Polio Day.

While the World Bank is not one of the spearheading partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), the organization does work closely with the GPEI, of which Rotary is a leading partner, as well as country governments to provide financing to help end polio. At the request of the Government of Nigeria, the World Bank has recently committed $125 million for polio eradication in the country this summer. About half of these resources will fund oral polio vaccines and other operational requirements, while the other half will help fund routine immunizations.

In considering the World Bank’s investments, I am struck by how intertwined the two issues of polio eradication and broader development are.

The World Bank program document notes multiple obstacles to eradicating polio, in large part due to the lack of security …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Nancy Wright Beasley, who wrote The Little Lion, sits on one of the motorcycles used in the stage adaptation of her book during rehearsal at Swift Creek Mill Theatre. Photo by Clement Britt

By Nancy Wright Beasley, a polio survivor and member of the Rotary Club of Brandermill, Virginia, USA

I thought I’d never walk again, but I did.

I thought I’d never talk about polio either, but I’ve regularly shared my childhood memories of the disease since joining the Rotary Club of Brandermill in 2005. I had been invited to speak about my first book, Izzy’s Fire. That’s where I first learned about PolioPlus, and decided — that day — to join Rotary International’s fight to eradicate the disease. I often say that I’m the only speaker who gave a speech then never left.

I contracted polio in the summer of 1952, in the middle of one of the worst epidemics in U.S. history.

Nancy Wright Beasley with her favorite Muppet, Miss Piggy, spreading the word about polio eradication.

Some 60,000 people nationwide were infected, killing 3,000 and paralyzing 21,000 others. My brother still remembers the summer day when he found me, the youngest of four children, unconscious under a snowball bush just …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Avenida del Libertador, Buenos Aires

By Christine Cloonan, former Rotary Scholar

I first heard about the Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship during a coffee meeting with a fellow member of a women’s business network now known as Ellevate Network. My life path prior to that had been clear, but not always direct.

My goal was to study to get the best education I could with the ultimate purpose of getting a “good job.” But to the bafflement of my older relatives, landing on that good job took a bit of exploring. My first job was with a law firm, which convinced me not to go to law school. Accepting a one year teaching fellowship, I began a five year teaching career and earned a Master of Spanish at Middlebury College. I then developed an “itch” to go abroad to perfect my language skills and explore new places.

Over coffee, my colleague, who like me was a native New Englander, spoke about the Ambassadorial Scholarship and all the various opportunities that it had led to in her life. She emphasized why it is important to take “calculated risks.” This conversation became a turning point both personally and professionally.

Argentina bound

After searching around for a sponsor, the …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Our neighboring club, Sunyani East, presented exercise books and other supplies to students at Nwawasua school in September. Remarkable Rotarians donate time to projects such as this.

By Dominic Kornu, Rotary Club of Sunyani Central, Ghana

I first visited the Sunyani Central Rotary club in August of last year as a guest, and was instantly welcomed and integrated into club activities. I knew from the start my relationship with the club was meant to be.

I was immediately encouraged to be part of visits to project sites. My professional skills in information and communication technology were tapped to help design fliers, revamp the club’s website, and teach members about Internet security. It’s been an exciting and challenging year as I grow as a Rotarian. Through it, I’ve come to understand and appreciate three main ingredients that make a Rotarian remarkable:

Time: My club undertakes a number of projects, mostly installing pipes to communities that lack access to clean drinking water. It’s the willingness of members to be available to perform needs assessments and make site visits that allows these projects to succeed. Remarkable Rotarians freely donate an hour of their time each week to engage in fellowship with other members and contribute their ideas …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog