Archive for June, 2024
“Welcome to Week THREE of RI’s Month of Fellowships.
The island countries of the South Pacific are tropically warm, economically diverse, and really, really far apart. In this region, which spans millions of square miles, even individual countries’ islands are scattered across vast distances. Public health workers face unique challenges in vaccinating the islands’ children. The news this week is from a report by Etelka Lehoczky where Rotary’s Give Every Child a Future program vaccinated over 100,000 children in several South Pacific islands. “It’s hard to transport vaccines to the outer islands because of the distance and transport availability. Sometimes they have to wait one to three months to get a boat across,” says Rufina Tutai, who oversees immunizations for the Cook Islands. The 15 islands in her jurisdiction are spread over nearly 2 million square kilometers (770,000 square miles). “Flights are expensive to charter, and we’re lucky if a flight can go to the outer islands in less than two weeks,” she adds.
Such obstacles did not deter the Rotarians of Australia, New Zealand, and several Pacific Island countries from organizing a major vaccination program in the islands. Called Give Every Child a Future, the effort – which celebrates 100 years of Rotary in the region – is providing three new vaccines to 100,000 children in nine Pacific Island groups: the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. Ultimately, the members applied for 23 Rotary Foundation Global Grants, securing more than US$980,000 in funds from The Rotary Foundation. The program was also funded by about US$807,000 in District Designated Funds, US$990,000 from clubs and individual members, US$264,000 from other foundations, and US$860,000 from the Australian government. That funding paid for much more than vaccines. It was used to purchase special refrigerators, insulated containers, and other equipment to keep vaccines cool and transport them to the most distant islands. The health ministries in the nine island groups will be able to use this equipment for many years. That fulfills the project’s other goal of helping the targeted areas add the three vaccines to their regular immunization schedules.” Submitted by: Christopher W Knapp, District 6000 Foundation Chair
#Rotary #rotaryinternational #ServiceAboveSelf
Scott Fricke will be hosting Michelle Hutchinson & Nate Hasse from ATR Childcare Fund.
Rotarians and guests are welcome!
6/18/24 at noon at the Legion in TRF.
“Welcome to Week TWO of RI’s Month of Fellowships.
Rotary International’s fourth Programs of Scale grant will support members’ work with Indian farmers who have been affected by climate change. Barry Rassin, chair of The Rotary Foundation Board of Trustees, announced the US$2 million grant at the 2024 Rotary International Convention in Singapore. The program, Partners for Water Access and Better Harvests in India, will aim to increase groundwater tables, extend cultivation areas, and raise the incomes of about 60,000 farmers by 25% to 30%. “Farmers in India are responsible for producing much of the world’s wheat, rice, and other food staples. But the groundwater these farmers depend on is vanishing. Climate change is making rainfall more erratic, which leads to drought,” Rassin said. “We are working with Indian farmers on a five-year program to plant the seeds for sustainable farming in India for generations to come.”
The Rotary Foundation has awarded Programs of Scale grants to evidence-based, sustainable, and successful programs that target at least one of Rotary’s areas of focus and can be expanded to create far-reaching change. The programs are sponsored by Rotary members in collaboration with local communities and partners that offer additional expertise and support. The other finalist this year is One Million Healthy Mothers and Newborns. This Ugandan initiative aims to reduce maternal deaths by 35% and newborn deaths by 35% in at least 200 public health centers.” – Submitted by: Christopher W Knapp, District 6000 Foundation Chair
#ServiceAboveSelf #Rotary #rotaryinternational #fellowship #farmers
Why Rotary?
“The focus of service to others has been the focal point of Rotary during my short membership. There is a priority in all activities of children and community. I appreciate the ability to network with our community leaders in a manner that is so impactful. It has been a productive and positive experience!” – Dr. Christopher E. Mills
Superintendent of Schools
Thief River Falls Public Schools
#ServiceAboveSelf #Rotary #TRF #service #comejoinus #children #community #leaders #positive
Why Rotary?
“I enjoy being in Rotary for the opportunity to socialize with smart, motivated people; to hear and learn from speakers about area events and organizations that I would not otherwise; and to support local and global charitable projects.” – Richard Laager
#ServiceAboveSelf #Rotary #TRF #ComeJoinUs #opportunity #socialize #Smart #motivated #people #charity
“Welcome to Week ONE of RI’s Month of Rotary Fellowships.
No better news this week than one coming from the on-going international conference in Singapore.
The sum of $30m has been set aside by Rotary International in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and World Vision to fight deadliest diseases in four African countries including Nigeria. In a statement distributed in Nigeria by Ibim Semenitari (communications unit of Rotary) with the endorsement of Claudia Brunner (Rotary International), Nicole Harris of World Vision, and Gates Foundation leadership, it was disclosed that the USD$30 million program is to tackle ‘Rotary Healthy Communities Challenge’ and strengthen health systems and tackle leading childhood killers named as malaria, pneumonia, and diarrheal diseases.
The focus countries, according to the statement include the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique, Nigeria, and Zambia. Over the next three years, the Rotary Foundation, World Vision, and the Gates Foundation will collectively contribute US$30 million to fund large-scale, high-impact programming, with local leadership and organizations to improve health outcomes for children in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mozambique, Nigeria, and Zambia.
“Investing in community health workers is one of the best things we can do to bolster the fight against malaria and other preventable diseases,” said Philip Welkhoff, Director of Malaria at the Gates Foundation. “We are proud to build on our partnership with Rotary and World Vision and are confident this new initiative will help ensure that children in these four countries have the opportunity to grow up healthy and reach their full potential.”
Over the last 100 years, US $5.5 billion has been awarded through The Rotary Foundation.” – Submitted by: Christopher W Knapp, District 6000 Foundation Chair
#ServiceAboveSelf #Rotary #TRF #rotaryinternational #fellowship