By Rotary International

A Rotary volunteer administers polio drops to a child missed by earlier rounds in Pakistan.

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”

Henry Ford

By Alina A. Visram, manager, Pakistan National PolioPlus Committee

When I first joined Pakistan’s PolioPlus Committee (PNPPC) as a manager close to eight years ago, polio eradication seemed within our reach. I used the opportunity to study poliomyelitis beyond just perceiving it as “a crippling disease.” I researched the causes and consequences; the types of polio virus; modes of prevention; and how elusive the virus can be given the right conditions.

Then in 2012, the dynamics of my country changed. We were faced with hostile militants, who refused to allow polio teams to vaccinate children in their territory. Our front line workers were regularly targeted for their work during campaigns.

Alina Visram bonds with the community in Pakistan.

Children were deprived of polio vaccine in several regions occupied by the militants making it inaccessible and hard to reach. Common myths and misconceptions were rife in most backward communities. Our biggest hurdle was “how do we change their mindset,” while they eyed us with suspicion and disdain.

We expanded our motley crew to a larger team. Together we worked …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Sarah Ehlinger Affotey, a former Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, at a project site in Ghana.

By Sarah Ehlinger Affotey

After receiving an Ambassadorial Scholarship from Rotary in 2011, I put a lot of pressure on myself to “do it right,” or in other words, give Rotary a solid return on their investment. With each passing month in Ghana, what I had first deemed as peripheral – the friendships, conversations, and breakdown of stereotypes – were actually advancing world understanding, goodwill, and peace. How ingenious that this scholarship allowed me to advance Rotary’s mission subconsciously?

Despite all these “non-tangible” returns, at the end of my master’s program in Ghana I was itching for real-world action. While waiting for my thesis review and graduation schedule (sometimes a yearlong process), a Rotarian from my host club told me about her NGO on the outskirts of Accra. She mentioned the community suffered from a large waste pile contaminating their water. With my background in environmental health, I immediately latched onto the potential project but didn’t know how to help make it happen.

Key takeaways
We tried to crowd source funds to no avail. I was back in the US presenting at a district conference and figured it wouldn’t hurt …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

Gates Foundation to host 2017 World Polio

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Source:: Rotary.org

By Rotary International

Administering polio drops during an immunization trip to India.

Editor’s note: This is the first of a series of posts from polio eradication volunteers, Rotary staff, and survivors in honor of World Polio Day 24 October.

By Nancy Barbee, past governor of District 7730 (North Carolina, USA)

Picture a small town country girl from North Carolina on her way to India for the first time with her 12-year-old son. A personal mission to visit friends in the remote state of Bihar was the beginning of my Rotary story that has lasted for more than a decade.

In the city of Dhanbad, we met Rotarians. They showed us many projects but the ones that impacted me the most were dropping the polio drops in the mouths of babies and observing polio corrective surgeries. I’d never met anyone with polio and had no idea it was still in the world. It was in Dhanbad that we learned the realities that those affected with this terrible disease live with every day. It became my dream to bring other Rotarians to India so they could experience a National Immunization Day and witness first hand the devastation of polio.

“I cried when the mother bent down and touched my feet. …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

Rotary partners with Habitat for HumanityEVANSTON, IL (October 2, 2017) — More than 1 billion people around the world live in inadequate housing according to the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements. Through a partnership between

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Source:: Rotary.org

Rotary peace fellow creates Red Dot Foundation to fight street harassment and violence against

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Source:: Rotary.org

Women share stories of humanitarian service on International Women’s

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Source:: Rotary.org

By Rotary International

Night at the Park attendees learn about Rotary’s efforts to eradicate polio.

By Jim Ferguson, governor-elect of District 7550 (West Virginia, USA)

Why did I become a Rotarian? Was it fellowship, networking, building a resume, or some other reason? For me it was about the chance to add purpose to my life and make a difference. And eradicating polio is very important to me.

My amazing mother had polio and I witnessed firsthand how it affected her life. Despite her disability she raised 9 children during some very rough times. Her perseverance motivated me to be an advocate, to raise funds, travel to India to immunize children, and do whatever it takes to ensure no child anywhere in the world is ever crippled by this horrible virus again.

My district has planned several events leading up to World Polio Day. Two of which were held at minor league baseball parks. On 13 July, the Rotary Club of Bluefield, West Virginia hosted Rotary Night at the Park with the Blue Jays in lieu of their regular meeting. Baseball caps were handed out to the first 300 attendees as we enjoyed fellowship and raised awareness for Rotary’s polio eradication efforts.

Princeton Rays …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

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

Every year, 35,000 new presidents pick up the reins to guide their Rotary clubs. Having recently completed a year as president myself, I thought it would be beneficial to share three lessons I learned from the experience.

1. Prioritize

Unless you are a member of a large club, it is probably best to focus your club’s energy on only one main goal each year, as opposed to pursuing many different goals. A year goes by quickly. Trying to achieve too many goals may mean not achieving any of them very well.

Our top priority was to rebuild our membership. After many years of decline, we started the year officially with 18 members. Practically, we had at best 15, because two told us they were relocating over the summer and another had to be terminated. Of those 15, only about half were fully engaged. Thanks to a few initiatives I’ve spelled out in a free e-book, and a bit of luck, we ended up with 40 members. In some areas, we did well with our objective. In others, we still have a long way to go. …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog

By Rotary International

Children in Abansere wanting a school to call their own.

By Walter Hughes, a member of the Rotary Club of Rocky Mount, Virginia, USA, and a 2013 Rotary Champion of Change

Have you ever wished as a Rotarian that you could do something to help educate a child? Have you ever dreamed that a child could start their education at a younger age? We see children in communities all over Ghana in West Africa and realize that they should be in school.

The parents of Abansere are very poor and hard working. Abansere is a remote and rural community. Children do not start school until the age of twelve. The children must be old enough to safely walk seven miles each way to the nearest elementary school. The parents asked for help to build a preschool that would include first to third grade classrooms.

Frank Kofi Owusu-Debrah, past president of the Rotary Club of Sunyani Central.

Frank Kofi Owusu-Debrah has a heart for education. He works for the Sunyani Technical University. He submitted the first Rotary global grant for the new pilot program called “Simple Schools” with my club in Virginia. The school teachers will be funded by and the school owned …read more

Source:: Rotary International Blog