16

2012-2013 SERVICE COMMITTEES & SPECIAL PROJECTS

CLUB SERVICE …………...……… Sue Gardner, Director Attendance ………………………………...Kam Breitenbach Change of Command Party …………...……..Sue Gardner Club Historian ………………………....……...…..Paul Elder Club Photographer ……………………….………..Jim Boyd Dinner for 8 ……………..…...Cathy Groves, Jane Johnson Holiday Party ……………………..…………....Sue Gardner Inspiration/Invocations, Pledge, 4-Way Test, Greeters Liaison to Cherry Creek Valley Club ….Kam Breitenbach Music Jim Muir, Doug Young, Steve Gilbert, Steve Brown Newsletter Editarian ………………………..…...Bill Fernow Newsletter Editarian Assistant ……………..Steve Gilbert Programs ……………….………......Randy Hill, Glenn Petty Summer Picnic …………………….………...Sue Gardner Webmaster ……………………………………….Bob Forbes COMMUNITY SERVICE …….........Bob Haeflein, Director American Indian Center Mike Oldham, Pius Schenker, Carl Finamore, Andy Becher Castlewood Canyon State Park Carl Finamore, Jim Boyd, Bill Kelly Douglas County Rotarians Wounded Veterans Project Lindy Blackburn, Andy Becher, Carl Finamore, Al & Jane Johnson, Steve Small Firefly Autism Center Kevin Roth, Irv Buck Flower Power ………………………………...Larree Morgan Homes for Our Troops ………………….…..Carl Finamore MS 150 Bill Shriver, Ken Claiborne, Michele Duncan Nami Wa Nami Walk ………………………...…..Bill Shriver Parker Senior Center Kam Breitenbach, Wayne Wagoner Parker Task Force Jim Boyd, Bill & Nancy Gripman, Dean Weaver, Bob Kramer, Steve Small Praying Hands Ranch …………………….………..Jim Muir Project Sanctuary Bill Shriver, Bill Kelly, Steve Small Rotary Community Corps Kam Breitenbach, Michele Duncan, Li Pettett Rotary Reads Bob Kramer, Dick Gordon, Bill & Nancy Gripman, Trick or Treat on Main Street……….………..…...Jo Stone Women’s Crisis and Family Outreach Center Larry Brutlag, Michele Duncan, Kam Breitenbach VOCATIONAL SERVICE …………... Jack Braly, Director Community Service Award……………..…..…..Jack Braly District Club Ethics Award …...Cathy Groves, Bill Shriver Four Way Test Dave Selden, Doug Young, Al & Jane Johnson Vocational Talks ………………………….……..Glenn Petty

INTERNATIONAL SERVICE …... Steve Brown, Director Ambassadorial & World Peace Scholars EWB—Nepal …………………………………..…..Jack Braly Ghana ………………………………Jo Stone, Amy Erickson Global Children’s Organization…...

Group Study Exchange ………………………….... India Water & Related Mongolia (Commerce City Rotary Club) ……... Open World .. Polio Plus…………………………. Project C.U.R.E. ……………….. Nigeria Project C.U.R.E. (Fort Collins Rotary Club) ShelterBox ……………………….. Socially Conscious Coffee (Westminster 7:10) . Toys for God’s Kids ……………………….….. Walk for Life …………………….….... Zimbabwe ………………………………………….... NEW GENERATIONS ……..... Michele Duncan , Director Interact Chaparral Michele Duncan, Bill Fernow Interact, Ponderosa Bill Fernow Rotaract Rotary Youth Exchange Liz Volz, Michele Duncan, Steve Brown RYLA/Young RYLA Mike Oldham, Michele Duncan Scholarships, Chaparral Tom Vanderheiden Scholarships, Ponderosa Larree Morgan Student of the Month, Chaparral …….………. Paul Elder Student of the Month, Ponderosa ……………… Bill Kelly Mike Oldham FUND RAISING ……………....…..… Cathy Groves, Chair Annual Golf Tournament ……………..…….Carl Finamore Lindy Blackburn, Michele Duncan, Al Johnson, Jane John-son, Bill Kelly, Eydie Hoeppner, Andy Becher, Mike Old-ham Peaches …………………………………..……..Larry Brutlag Bill Shriver, Carl Finamore, Jane Johnson, Cathy Groves State of the Town ……………..………...…..Cathy Groves Finance: Tom Duncan Public Relations: Eydie Hoeppner Parker Impact Award: Lindy Blackburn Sponsorship: Larry Brutlag Registrations: Bill Shriver Publications: Bob Forbes PUBLIC RELATIONS …………Eydie Hoeppner, Director

THE ROTARY CLUB OF PARKER Chartered August 18, 1993

Membership & Extension Month

August 2, 2012 TODAY’S PROGRAM

RYLA Participants

Wednesday, August 8—Board Meeting, The Warhorse Inn, 7:15 am

Thursday, August 9—Tom Duncan, Genealogy in a Digital World

Thursday, August 16—Jaime Gotleip, Early Literacy

Thursday, August 23—Theodore C. Ning, Starfish One by One

DISTRICT 5450

Mike Klingbiel

Governor

2012-2013 Theme

Sakuji Tanaka

RI President

The Lamplighter A Multiple Bemis Award Winning Publication of

The Rotary Club of Parker P.O. Box #473, Parker, CO 80134

Breakfast Meeting each Thursday 6:45-8:15 a.m.

The Club at Pradera 5225 Raintree Drive

The Parker Rotary Centennial Gift to

the Town of Parker - 2005

Member of

2

August 2, 2012 VOLUME 20, NUMBER 5

Bill Fernow, Editarian (303) 805-5039

FAX: (303) 805-5039 wfernow@comcast.net

HEATHER AMEN - JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT

Heather is a Denver native, former RYLA participant, member of

the Denver Five Points Rotary club, active in RYLA and Interact,

and is the District 5450 New Generations Chair. She is a Pro-

gram Manager with Junior Achievement Colorado.

Junior Achievement (JA) was started in 1919. The national

headquarters is in Colorado Springs. Junior Achievement USA is

the nation's largest organization dedicated to giving young people

the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success,

plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic

choices. JA’s programs—in the core content areas of work readi-

ness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy—ignite the spark in

young people to experience and realize the opportunities and reali-

ties of work and life in the 21st century.

As with all non-profits, JA has a need for donations and volunteers. It happens again and

again. Someone volunteers with JA, and he or she is so surprised at how rewarding the experi-

ence is. Maybe you help a young girl realize that she might use math in the job she wants to

do every day. Or you might help a disadvantaged student discover that going to college can be

a reality. However you help, you’ll soon discover that pushing a young person to reach for his

or her dreams is just as satisfying as realizing your own. Better yet, JA makes volunteering

easy with age-appropriate curriculum using real-world lessons about entrepreneurship, finan-

cial literacy and work readiness.

Why Volunteer?

Keep kids in school and help them achieve their dreams. Be on the front line of chang-

ing current statistics regarding America’s competitiveness. Experience those “ah-ha”

moments when one of your students grasps a new concept. Connect with your commu-

nity, and learn about the challenges and successes local schools face. Sharpen your

presentation and coaching skills. Represent your company and industry to students.

15

2012-2013 CLUB OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jo Stone ..………………...….…….President Carl Finamore ……………..President-Elect Kam Breitenbach ……..........…….Secretary Bob Satrom ..…….….……………..Treasurer Wayne Wagener……..…..Sergeant-at-Arms Jane Johnson ...Immediate Past President Tony Barnard ………………….Foundations

Bob Haeflein…........…..Community Service Steve Brown ……....…International Service Sue Gardner …….….....……….Club Service Jack Braly ……………....Vocational Service Michele Duncan .New Generations Service Cathy Groves …….…..……....Fund Raising Eydie Hoeppner...………...Public Relations

PARKER ROTARIANS WITH DISTRICT RESPONSIBILITIES PDG Mike Oldham: Executive Committee, Extension Committee, Strategic Planning,

Literacy and Education, American Indian, Health & Hunger Concerns, Nominating, Polio

Eradication, World Peace Fellowship, PDG Advisory Group - Carl Finamore: American

Indian - Andy Becher: American Indian - Bill Fernow: Technology and Communications

- Larry Brutlag: Grants - Bob Forbes: Scholarships - Doug Young: 4-Way Test - Irv

Buck: Water Management and Sanitation

MEMBERSHIP ……………………...……….......Carl Finamore, Director Past Chair …………………….……………………....………….….Jo Stone Classifications ………………………………………….……..….Bill Shriver Club Roster ………………………………….………..…...Kam Breitenbach Fireside Chats ………………………………………...….……Mike Oldham Inductions …………………………………………..……..….Carl Finamore Internal Communications ……………………………….……...Al Johnson External Communications …………………...Jim Boyd, Michele Duncan Mentor Program ……………………………Jane Johnson, Carl Finamore New Member Information ……………...…..…..Jim Boyd, Carl Finamore Recruitment-New Generations …...Michele Duncan, Michelle Wozniak, Bob Forbes, Ryan Braden Red Badge, Blue Badge ……………………………………...Bob Haeflein Family of Rotary …………………………....Jane Johnson, Tony Barnard Retention Program ……….…..Jim Boyd, Jane Johnson, Carl Finamore

FOUNDATIONS Tony Barnard, Director

Trustees Steve Small, Jo Stone, Bob Martin, Dean Weaver, Hank Coll, Tom Duncan, Lew Million, Bob Satrom, Harold McCloud

The Rotary Club of Parker Foundation

PO Box 1472 Parker, Colorado 80134

14

UPCOMING EVENTS

July 29—Aug 3 YRLYA, Ponderosa Retreat & Convention Center

August 4-11 Colorado Trail Work Crew

August 13 Chamber Golf Tournament, Colorado Golf Club

August 16 Annual Summer Picnic, Challenger Park

August 18 Praying Hands Ranch Open House, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

August 18 RCC Car Wash

August 18-25 Colorado Trail Work Crew

August 22 Work day at Project C.U.R.E.

August 25 Peach Pickup Day, Big Lots Parking Lot

September 10 Golf Tournament Fundraiser, Meridian Golf Club

September 18 Work day at Project C.U.R.E.

September 22 Praying Hands Ranch Pedals & Hoofs Pledge Ride Fundraiser

Hidden Mesa Open Space 9:00 am

October 17 Work day at Project C.U.R.E.

October 26 - Nov 3 Host Open World Program (Siberians)

November 7 Work day at Project C.U.R.E.

December Work day at Project C.U.R.E.

April 2 State of the Town, PACE Center

3

Steve Small accepts another

Paul Harris Fellow award

from Foundations Chair

Tony Barnard.

LIFE STORY—LI PETTETT

Li was born in Germany with the given

name of Elizabeth. Her first husband was in

the Army and their first duty station was at

Fort Carson. She did a great deal of volun-

teer work as a young wife. She developed

unique programs for providing positions for

incoming spouses of servicemen. After

working with the Army and Air Force in

Colorado, Li went on to establish support

programs for the Navy wives in Hawaii.

There were several somber moments at last

week’s meeting. The haunting memory of

the tragedy at the movie theatre in Aurora

last week set the tone. Doug Young and

Lindy Blackburn both reminded everyone

and encouraged us to move one.

4

OPEN WORLD

In October we will be hosting six people

from Siberia as part of the Open World Pro-

gram. We will need host families, transpor-

tation, etc. again. See Steve Brown to sign

up for this important opportunity.

The Open World Leadership Center ad-

ministers the Open World program, one of

the most effective U.S. exchange programs

with post-Soviet countries. Begun as a pilot

program in 1999 and established as a per-

manent entity in late 2000, the Center is the

first and only international exchange agency

in the U.S. Legislative Branch. Through

Open World, nearly 18,000 current and fu-

ture leaders from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bel-

arus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,

Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, Tajik-

istan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan have

meaningfully engaged and interacted with

Members of Congress, Congressional staff,

and thousands of other Americans, many

the direct professional counterparts of these

Eurasian leaders.

ROTARY TOUR OF INDIA

Janet Greiner (RC of Denver LoDo) has

worked very hard to fashion a fantastic 11-

day tour to exotic India. Irv Buck has dis-

tributed a 20-page paper with a splendid

itinerary put together with Arrow Sinha

Roy’s assistance. It includes the Taj Mahal,

the White Tiger Re-

serve, and the weekly

meeting of the Rota-

ry Club of Mid-town

Bombay - our part-

ners - acclaimed in

2012 as one of the

finest Clubs in all of Rotary. The climax, of

course, - being accompanied by some of

these same Club Members for a visit to the

Watershed Management Projects where all

those pictures we've seen will become reali-

ty.

The February weather will be perfect for

such a tour. If you have any intentions, you

need to contact Janet or Irv quite soon. This

type of itinerary needs to be closed out early

because the price is so competitive. Reser-

vations need to be confirmed soon.

Fantastic pricing - roughly $4,000, plus

incidentals, includes ROUND TRIP air

fare!

Contact Janet or Irv with any questions.

13

THE FOUR-WAY TEST

Of the things we think, say or do:

Is it the TRUTH?

Is it FAIR to all concerned?

Will it build GOODWILL and BET-

TER FRIENDSHIPS?

Will it be BENEFICIAL to all con-

cerned?

ROTARY INFO ON THE WEB

Rotary International www.rotary.org

District 5450

www.rotary5450.org

District Polio www.endpolio.com

CLUB WEBSITE -

www.parkerrotary.org

CLUB LINKED-IN SITE http://www.linkedin.com/

groups?gid=1813524

Eclub One Meeting on the web www.rotaryeclubone.org

Rotary on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/

rotaryinternational

Rotary on Twitter http://twitter.com/rotary

Rotary on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/

Rotary-International/7268844551

Rotary on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/groups?

gid=858557&trk=hb_side_g

MAKE-UP OPPORTUNITIES

Thursday—Castle Rock High Noon Club

Noon

Philip S. Miller Library

100 South Wilcox Street

Thursday—Castle Pines

7:00 am

Grill at the Pines

872 Happy Canyon Road

Castle Rock,

Friday – University Hills

12:10 pm

Glenmoor Country Club

110 Glenmoor Drive

(just off Belleview)

Don’t forget that you can make-up meet-

ings by attending a Board of Directors

meeting (2nd Tuesday of each month)

12

TODAY IN HISTORY

In the early morning hours of August 2, 1942, torpedo boat PT-109 was patrolling

the Blackett Strait in the Solomon Islands when suddenly a black shape loomed in the

darkness off the starboard bow. A crewman yelled, “Ship at two o’clock!” but it was

too late. The Japanese destroyer Amagiri plowed into the little boat, slicing it in half.

The collision threw the PT’s commander, Lt. John F. Kennedy Jr., hard against the

side of the cockpit, and as gasoline ignited on the water around him, he thought, so this

is how it feels to die.

Two crew members were killed in the crash. The eleven who survived, including

Kennedy, clung to wreckage. When the remains of the hull began to sink, them made

a four-hour swim to a tiny deserted island three miles away. Most of the crew clung to

a large piece of timber as they swam, but one man was badly burned, so Kennedy

clenched the straps of the man’s life jacket in his teeth and towed him, swimming the

breaststroke.

Leaving his crew on the island, Kennedy swam out again, hoping to flag down an-

other PT boat, but none appeared. Exhausted, he barely made it back to the island.

The next day he led his men to another islet. Several times he ventured out into the

shark-infested waters, looking for help but found none.

On August 6, two Solomon Islanders in a dugout canoe found the stranded sailors.

Kennedy carved a message onto a coconut, which they took to Allied troops:

NAURO ISL NATIVE KNOW POSIT HE CAN PILOT 11 ALIVE NEED SMALL

BOAT KENNEDY.

Within two more days, the PT crew had been rescued. When he became president of

the United States,, Kennedy kept the coconut with its scratched message on his desk in

the Oval Office to remind himself of the awful ordeal and his two lost comrades.

1776 Members of the Continental Congress begin signing an engrossed copy of the

Declaration of Independence.

1876 Western frontiersman Wild Bill Hickok is shot dead while playing cards in a

Deadwood, South Dakota, saloon.

1923 Warren G. Harding, the twenty-ninth U.S. president, dies in office while in San

Francisco.

1939 Albert Einstein signs a letter to President Roosevelt, urging him to develop an

atomic bomb before the Nazis do.

1943 John F. Kennedy’s PT-109 is ripped in two by a Japanese destroyer off the Sol-

omon Islands.

5

ANNUAL PICNIC

The club’s annual picnic will be held on

August 16th at Challenger Park on Lin-

coln.

GOLF TOURNAMENT

The 19th annual golf tournament will be

held on September 10th at the Meridian

Golf Club in Englewood. Foursome may

include a Wounded Vet. There will also be

a putting contest. Pick up a brochure and

get on the ball finding sponsors and en-

trants.

An African safari will be one of the silent

auction. Cathy Groves has challenged the

membership that each member should com-

mit to bringing at least one silent auction

item.

Meridian is a private membership club,

featuring a Jack Nicklaus Signature course

that is recognized as one of the premier

layouts in the region.

The Gripmans will be entertaining friends

from Russia at the end of August and early

September. Club members are encouraged

to contact Bill or Nancy to see how we can

help them with transportation, etc.

GOLF TOURNAMENT MAJOR SPONSORS

Dinner Co-sponsors: Jo Stone Law, Anonymous Family Foundation

Colonel Level Sponsors: IREA, Innovest Portfolio Solutions, Martin Family Dentistry

Hole Sponsors: Hughes Landscaping, Sundance Printing, Shriver Investments, Tom Dun-

can, Jane and Al Johnson

SILENT AUCTION

Big O tires has contributed four tires again.

Jo Stone is giving an estate planning pack-

age.

6

Editarian - Bill Fernow

Asst. Editarian - Steve Gilbert

Head Photographer - Jim Boyd

Backup Photographer - Michele Duncan

Feature Editor - Open Job Opportunity

Special Features -Steve Gilbert

Circulation Manager Position Available

Lamplighter Staff

STATE OF THE TOWN CORPORATE SPONSORS

The trouble with being punctual is that

there’s nobody there to appreciate it.

Harold Rome

August 2 August 9 August 16

GREETER Bill Kelly Harold McCloud Jim Boyd

PLEDGE Pius Schenker Randy Hill Bob Forbes

4-WAY TEST Randy Hill Ben Martin Dick Gordon

INVOCATION/

INSPIRATION Ben Martin Jane Johnson

ROTARY MINUTE Irv Buck

MUSIC Jim Muir Steve Gilbert Jim Muir

NEW ROTARY CLUB BEING FORMED

Volunteer to help Gene Felgenhauer work

on forming a new Rotary club in Eliza-

beth. Help bring the benefits that Rotary

has to the area!

11

ROTARY YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARDS (RYLA)

Each summer thousands of young people are selected to attend Rotary-sponsored

leadership camps or seminars in the United States, Australia, Canada, India,

France, Argentina, Korea and numerous other countries. In an informal out-of-doors

atmosphere, 50 to 75 outstanding young men and/or women spend a week in a

challenging program of discussions, inspirational addresses, leadership training and

social activities designed to enhance personal development, leadership skills and

good citizenship. The official name of this activity is the Rotary Youth Leadership

Awards program (RYLA), although the event is occasionally referred to as Camp

Royal, Camp Enterprise, Youth Leaders Seminars, Youth Conferences or other

terms.

The RYLA program began in Australia in 1959, when young people throughout the

state of Queensland were selected to meet with Princess Alexandra, the young

cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. The Rotarians of Brisbane, who hosted the partici-

pants, were impressed with the quality of the young leaders. It was decided to bring

youth leaders together each year for a week of so-

cial, cultural and educational activities. The RYLA

program gradually grew throughout all the Rotary dis-

tricts of Australia and New Zealand. In 1971, the RI

Board of Directors adopted RYLA as an official pro-

gram of Rotary International.

MORE HOW TO KNOW YOU’RE GROWING OLDER

You sink your teeth into a steak and they stay there. ♣ You get your exercise acting as

a pallbearer for your friends who exercise. ♦ A fortune teller offers to read your face.

♥ You just can’t stand people who are intolerant. ♠ Your knees buckle and your belt

won’t. ◊ You turn out the light for economic rather than romantic reasons. ► You

look forward to a dull evening. ▼ The gleam in your eyes is from the sun hitting your

bifocals. ◄ You burn the midnight oil after 9 p.m. ▲

10

The International Vision Could Rotary have remained a single club in down-town Chicago? It is difficult to know. However, Paul Harris doubted that a single club could ever maintain the vitality of the Rotary Movement. He believed that the explosive growth of Rotary not only spread a vision to cities around the world, but it also inspired all Ro-tarians to greater accomplishment. “Just what would have become of the Rotary Club of Chicago, had it not been for the urge to carry the movement into other cities and other countries is difficult to conjecture; it is safe to say, how-ever, that it would have lacked its most inspirational feature. Individual Rotary clubs of today are borne on the tide of the worldwide movement. From the expenditure of time and money, rich dividends continue to flow in at an ever higher rate.” (Paul Harris, This Rotarian Age, pages 79-80) Reprinted by permission of the Rotary Global History from the Newslet-

ter Nuggets Section of “What Paul Harris Wrote” (www.whatpaulharriswrote.org).

Irv Buck August 8

Harold McCloud August 22

Mark Scheffel August 27

Jo Stone August 27

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Ted & Genese Sweeney August 4

Bob & Sharleen Forbes August 7

Dick & Cindy Gordon August 10

Eydie Hoeppner &

Darren Willingham August 12

Dean & Ann Weaver August 18

Steve & Nanci Trevino August 24

Liz & Dennis Volz August 25

Steve & Vernette Gilbert August 27

John & Susan Gile August 27

Jim & Leigh Boyd August 28

Irv & Kathy Buck August 29

WHAT PAUL HARRIS SAID

7

Liz Volz is still looking for host families for our incoming exchange

student, Nicolas Reinhard. Nicolas is a 16 year old student from Swit-

zerland. He will be arriving on August 6. The host family is responsi-

ble for providing a bedroom, arranging transportation to school (school

bus is fine), and meals. Rotary pays for all school fees and provides a

monthly allowance and cell phone, as well as any mandatory District

events. There is more information on the Rocky Mountain Youth Ex-

change website.

A GARY MERAZ TRUE STORY

Customer: “Can I please get your name and position with

the company?”

Employee: “This is Ryan, and I am sitting down.”

PRAYING HANDS RANCH Praying Hands Ranch is celebrating 25 years of operation by holding an

Open House on August 18 from 10 am to 2 pm. You are invited to tour

their facilities which include two indoor heated arenas with lifts, outdoor

arenas and sensory trails. Their Drill Team will perform and there will be

actual classes with clients and volunteers. Meet their horses, goats, sheep,

ducks, chickens, and tour the gardens. There will be BBQ hamburgers and

hot dogs, entertainment and many other activities happening around the 40

acre ranch.

Additionally, Praying Hands Ranch will be holding their 16th annual fundraiser—PEDALS

& HOOFS on Saturday, September 22 at Hidden Mesa Open Space (one mile north of Frank-

town on Parker Road). The entry fee is $40 per participant in this Horse/Bicycle/Walk event.

There are pledge forms available to sign up sponsors. For non-participants the fee for lunch

will be $10.

8

FUTURE VISION (part two)

On July 1, 2012 all Rotary Districts will shift to a new model for ob-

taining and conducting grants. This new model is titled Future Vi-

sion. For the next few week, this section will contain short descrip-

tions of various portions of Future Vision.

Areas of focus After examining the range of humanitarian issues that Rotarians ad-

dress worldwide, the Foundation Trustees identified six areas in

which clubs and districts could best achieve substantive, quantifiable

results. All projects, scholars, and vocational training teams funded

by global grants should work toward specific goals within one or

more of the following areas of focus:

Peace and conflict prevention/resolution

• Strengthening local peace efforts

• Training local leaders to prevent and mediate conflict

• Supporting long-term peacebuilding in areas affected by con-

flict

• Assisting vulnerable populations affected by conflict, particu-

larly children and youth

• Supporting studies related to peace and conflict resolution

Disease prevention and treatment

• Improving the capacity of local health care professionals

• Combating the spread of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other ma-

jor diseases

• Enhancing the health infrastructure of local communities

• Educating and mobilizing communities to help prevent the

spread of major diseases

• Supporting studies related to disease prevention and treat-

ment

9

Rotarian Action Group expands maternal health project

in Nigeria

In Nigeria, one out of every 18 women dies as a result of childbirth. The country has the se-

cond-highest maternal mortality rate in the world.

That’s why the Rotarian Action Group for Population Growth and Sustainable Development

targeted the northern Nigerian states of Kaduna and Kano with a pilot program aimed at re-

ducing maternal mortality by preventing and treating obstetric fistula, a serious birth injury.

From 2005 until 2010, the project, partly supported by a grant from The Rotary Foundation,

reduced maternal death by 60 percent in participating hospitals, reached 1 million women of

childbearing age, and repaired obstetric fistulas for 1,500 Nigerian women.

“We have to empower women, and women cannot be empowered if they can’t make their

own choices in antenatal care and child spacing,” says Dr. Robert Zinser, CEO of the Rotar-

ian Action Group for Population Growth and Sustainable Development and member of the

Rotary Club of Ludwigshafen-Rheinschanze, Germany.

Zinser has been to Nigeria nearly 20 times to work on maternal and child health projects, in-

cluding the northern Nigeria pilot focused on the prevention and treatment of fistulas. An ob-

stetric fistula is a birth injury that can cause stillbirth and, in the mother, chronic inconti-

nence, infection, nerve damage, or death. The primary cause is labor that goes on for too

long, often for days. Because 70 percent of Nigerian women deliver at home, often without

access to proper medical care, long labors that would be prevented in the developed world

are more common.

According to the World Health Organization, “prevention is the key,” Zinser says. “We in-

sisted on a comprehensive approach of better antenatal care” that includes training, equip-

ment, quality, hygiene, and benchmarking.