www.eflashonline.org October 2015

eFlash_Rotary Digest

Compendium of select postings from eFlash_Rotary

From the Editor’s Desk

It is often said that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. This is exactly what Rotary does in the Polio Plus campaign. When the hurdles are getting tougher; we are fighting harder. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two polio-endemic countries today. End of the tunnel is in sight. As the world celebrates an year of Polio-free Nigeria, we are now getting ready to observe the World Polio Day 2015 on 23 October. We will again be hosting a live-streamed global update from New York on the occasion. The event will recognize the milestones that we have achieved in the fight to end polio. It will also focus on the work that remains to be done. This issue of Digest tells you how to observe

World Polio Day and raise awareness of polio eradication efforts. Digest carries this month an interesting story on the history of the first Polio immunisation campaign in Philippines – a project that changed Rotary. In this issue, read about the H2OpenDoors expedition to central Mexico. The three-year-old Rotary project provides SunSpring water purification systems for poor villages and schools and allows the villages to sell the surplus water from the systems. Read also about an interesting project in education in rural Mexico – bringing education – one school at a time. We have featured two articles on Rotary’s youth exchange. It is a youth activity that really changes lives and bridges continents. In all, we present in the October issue a wide cross-section of Rotary activities. Rotary never fails to amaze! Happy reading! Sunil K Zachariah Editor

'Be a Gift to the World' through the Avenues of Service

RI President K.R. Ravindran challenges us to use our gifts — talents, knowledge, abilities, and efforts — to make an impact through our service, the backbone of club activity. Through our network, we have access to many resources that enable us to plan and carry out effective, sustainable projects. Here are a few examples of service activities with ongoing impact:

The Rotary Club of Udaipur Udai, Rajasthan, India, partnered with a cooperating organization to provide computer literacy classes for older residents. Members of the Rotaract Club of Aishwarya volunteered as teachers for the training, which covered topics including scheduling appointments, making reservations, and paying bills online. The Rotary club members provide continuing consultation for participants after they complete the classes.

The Rotary Club of Santurce, Puerto Rico, collaborated on a Rotary Friendship Exchange with the Rotary Club of Port of Spain West, Trinidad and Tobago, to build fellowship and friendship and to explore international service opportunities. The group from Puerto Rico visited several projects in Trinidad, engaged in fellowship, and met members of the Interact club and the Rotary Community Corps sponsored by the Port of Spain West Rotary club. The Puerto Rican Rotary members will host their new friends from Trinidad and Tobago later this year.

The Rotary Club of Irvine, California, USA, teamed up with Irvine Valley College to host an interview workshop and mock interviews for local college students. The students were interviewed by a panel of three Rotarians and then received feedback to improve their interviewing skills.

Through a global grant, the Rotary Club of Santa Maria, Bulacan, Philippines, works with the Rotary Community Corps of Pulong Buhangin 2 and other partners to provide safe water and sanitation for a community in Santa Maria Bulacan.

23 October, Rotary's World Polio day Event

Celebrate our remarkable progress toward a polio-free world with the Rotary World Polio Day event, streamed live from New York City on 23 October.

Co-hosted by UNICEF, the event will highlight recent milestones: In July, Nigeria marked one year without a case of polio caused by the wild poliovirus, and in August, the entire African continent celebrated one year without a case. Jeffrey Kluger, health and science editor at Time magazine, will serve as moderator, joining other health experts, including UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake and polio ambassadors.

The event, which drew 23,000 viewers in 24 countries last year, will be available on social media and will be rebroadcast immediately on endpolio.org. Clubs can host their own activities to help raise awareness and funding for our final push to eradicate polio worldwide.

World Polio Day, which officially is observed on 24 October, was established by Rotary International more than 10 years ago. The timing in late October is in honor of the birthday of Dr. Jonas Salk, who led the team that developed the first polio vaccine.

Here are ideas for promoting and marking World Polio Day:

Promote the streaming event on social media

Host a viewing party in your community.

Share your club’s celebration on social media, using #endpolio.

Show a recording of the streamed event at your next club meeting, along with an update on Africa’s progress toward polio eradication.

- Rotary International Announcement

http://livestream.com/rotaryinternational/worldpolioday

How to Observe World Polio Day To mark World Polio Day, Rotary will again be hosting a live-streamed global status update from New York on 23 October. The event will recognize recent milestones we’ve achieved in the fight to end polio, as well as focus on the work that remains to be done. You can help to observe World Polio Day and raise awareness of polio eradication efforts. TAKE PART IN THE LIVE EVENT:

Go to the Livestream page and add the event to your calendar.

Watch the live update on

endpolio.org on 23 October.

Follow the live event on social media and share it with your networks.

Join the conversation during the

event on the Facebook and Twitter End Polio Now pages.

HOST A VIEWING PARTY:

Organize your friends or Rotary club members to watch the live event together.

Invite your elected officials and

community leaders to attend your viewing party.

GET THE WORD OUT:

Download the World Polio Day toolkit for sample tweets and Facebook posts to share. Use the End Polio

Now logos on your website, blogs,

newsletters, and social media pages. Change your Facebook cover photo and Twitter avatar to World Polio Day graphics.

Embed the Livestream video player

on your club or district website.

Follow the End Polio Now Twitter account and Facebook page and share your posts.

CREATE YOUR OWN WORLD POLIO DAY EVENT:

Host a community event like an End Polio Now lighting.

Organize a fundraising event to

support polio eradication. Every dollar Rotary commits to the cause will be matched with two dollars from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Send a letter to the editor; suggest

a polio eradication story to a local reporter.

Be sure to share your photos on

social media with the #endpolio hashtag.

Nigeria Declared Polio-Free, Removed From Endemic List

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on 25 September that Nigeria is now polio-free and has been officially removed from the list of countries where polio is endemic. It’s been 14 months since any cases of polio caused by the wild virus have been detected there.

With Nigeria’s historic achievement, polio remains endemic in only two countries: Afghanistan and Pakistan. That means

transmission of the virus has never been stopped there.

Nigeria was the last country in Africa where polio was endemic. The continent celebrated its own first full year without the disease on 11 August. Once three years have passed without a case in WHO’s entire African region, officials will certify polio eradicated there.

“Rotary congratulates Nigeria on its tremendous accomplishment in stopping polio,” says RI President K.R. Ravindran. “On behalf of the entire Global Polio Eradication Initiative, we thank volunteers, health workers, and parents in communities across Nigeria for their tireless commitment to ensuring every last child is protected against this devastating disease. In the months ahead, their dedication will remain as important as ever, as we work to keep Nigeria polio-free and to eliminate polio from its final strongholds in Pakistan and Afghanistan.”

Nigeria’s success is the result of several sustained efforts, including domestic and international financing, the commitment of thousands of health workers, and new strategies that reached children who had not previously been immunized because of a lack of security in the country’s northern states.

TYPE 2 POLIOVIRUS GONE FOR GOOD

In other encouraging news, an independent global health commission officially verified on 21 September that wild poliovirus type 2, one of three strains of the wild virus, has been eradicated worldwide. Although the last type 2 case was detected back in 1999, the confirmation is an important milestone, as Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative prepare to switch from a form of the vaccine that targets all polio types to one that does not protect against type 2.

The announcement by the Global Commission for the Certification of Poliomyelitis Eradication confirms that only two strains of the wild poliovirus remain. Of those, type 3 wild poliovirus hasn’t been detected in almost three years, and wild poliovirus type 1 is endemic only in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

FUNDING INCREASE NEEDED TO REACH FINAL GOAL

On 25 September, the Polio Oversight Board met to determine the next steps needed to eradicate polio. The group concluded that $1.5 billion in new funding is needed to help Rotary and its partners end polio in the next few years. With Nigeria now polio-free, spending will focus on the most vulnerable children in Afghanistan and Pakistan, while continuing to shield millions of children already living in polio-free countries.

“With a fully funded program and global commitment to ending this disease, we have the opportunity to interrupt transmission of the wild poliovirus in Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2016, opening the door for certification of a global eradication in 2019,” says Michael K. McGovern, chair of Rotary’s International PolioPlus Committee. “With [Rotary members’] continued support, we will soon see our dream of a polio-free world realized.”

- Ryan Hyland, Rotary international

Meet the Miles to End polio team - John Hewko

On 21 November, Rotary staff members and I will join Arizona Rotary members to bike up to 104 miles in El Tour de Tucson to raise funds for polio eradication.

The event is one of the top cycling events in the U.S., attracting more than 9,000 cyclists each year. We are aiming to raise $3.4 million, which will be tripled by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for a total of more than $10 million for the fight to end polio.

We recently marked one year without polio in Africa. While this progress is momentous, we haven’t finished the job of eradicating polio yet. Now, more than ever, we need to redouble our efforts to help Pakistan and Afghanistan, and retain strong immunization coverage globally.

Meet the team. Learn more about each team member, follow them as they train, and add your support by donating to their

ride. Team members will be sharing their training experiences here on our blog as the event draws near.

Would you like to join the team? Take part in the Indoor Ride to End Polio! Ride a stationary bike at your local gym or at home any time from 14-21 November. Register today or make a contribution to help Rotary create a polio-free world.

Team members

Naish is a Member Benefits program manager in Rotary’s Polio Development Partnerships. “First and foremost, my two first cousins in India contracted polio and passed away before adulthood. Along with my brother and sister, I was fortunate to be born here in Chicago so that we got the polio vaccine that my cousins never did. Thus, I am passionate about doing whatever I can to help eradicate this disease.”

Norah is a Global Events learning specialist, focusing on the Rotary Convention. She has been with Rotary for nearly 11 years. “As long as I’ve been riding, I’ve been raising funds too. From pedaling around my hometown of Galena, Illinois, for children’s cancer research when I was nine, to raising $2,500 and riding from Minneapolis to Chicago in the Heartland AIDS Ride. I look forward to cycling for a new cause this year.”

Jean is the supervisor of Rotary’s Global Events. As a kid, she knew she wanted to make a difference. Whether she was collecting pledges for the American Heart Association or carrying a fish food jar to collect nickels for the American Cancer Society, her desire to give to others came naturally. Today, Miles to End Polio is her way to support the fight to end polio and show the world that nothing can stop a movement like ours.

Scott is a Procurement Services manager and has worked for Rotary four years. “As a child, I vividly remember when people were really scared of polio. Pools closed and kids stayed home — one of my classmates had the disease. Today, the path is clear. We have to carry on with the fight, or it could return. It is to the men and women of Rotary, their fight, and particularly my club (Rotary Club of Glenview-Sunrise) that I will dedicate my ride.”

Debra is a senior regional Major Gifts officer based in Orlando, Florida, USA, and has worked at Rotary for over six years. Participating in Miles to End Polio is her way to honor all the Rotary members who have generously supported PolioPlus. And riding alongside her colleagues will allow her to combine her two greatest passions, fitness and Rotary, to raise funds in support of a polio-free world.

Lindsay is a Youth Exchange senior specialist. Her love of biking flourished when she moved to Chicago and bought a bike from a shop that supports at-risk youth through its earn-a-bike summer program.

Kristin is the manager of Rotary Service Connections. A member of the Rotary Club of Evanston Lighthouse and an avid cyclist, Kristin was the Miles to End Polio team captain last year and raised $4,000 to support the campaign.

- John Hewko in Rotary Voices

Polio: The Rotarian Conversation with Aseefa Bhutto Zardari

Illustration by Berto Martinez

Before her family was forced into exile, before her mother was assassinated, before her father became president, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari was known for something simpler, but in some ways equally powerful: In 1994, she became the first child in Pakistan to receive the oral polio vaccine, as part of the country’s first National Immunization Day. Benazir Bhutto, then prime minister, gave the drops to her daughter herself, a compelling endorsement of the nascent campaign.

“I was a baby at the time, so I don’t remember it,” says Bhutto Zardari, now 22. “But the moment was an inspirational one

for the nation, and encouraged women to believe that polio drops were and are safe.”

In 1988, at age 35, Benazir Bhutto became the first woman elected to lead a Muslim country. She was assassinated in 2007, just months after she had returned to Pakistan after almost nine years in exile. But Aseefa Bhutto Zardari – whose father, Asif Ali Zardari, served as president of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013 – is carrying on her mother’s work. As a Rotary polio ambassador, she meets with officials, visits schools, and talks with families of health workers who were killed while working to vaccinate children.

Bhutto Zardari has raised the profile of the polio eradication campaign in Pakistan and around the world. She writes about the topic for the Huffington Post and joined Rotary International General Secretary John Hewko onstage at the 2012 Global Citizen Festival in New York City’s Central Park. On Twitter, with more than half a million followers, she encourages people in Pakistan to support ending polio and chastises those who stand in the way. In April, she invited two other prominent women in Pakistani politics to join her in the polio eradication effort, a move that garnered media coverage across the country.

In 1994, the year Bhutto Zardari received those first drops of vaccine, Pakistan had an estimated 35,000 cases of polio. As of 10 June, 24 cases had been reported in the country in 2015. Bhutto Zardari, who is completing a master’s degree in global health and development in London, talked to us about ending polio in Pakistan, her future in politics, and prospects for peace in her country.

THE ROTARIAN: Recently in Pakistan, some parents who refused the polio vaccine for their children have been arrested. Are those arrests justified?

BHUTTO ZARDARI: There is a great ethical debate about whether the arrests are justified. Is it the right of the citizen to refuse care? Is it the right of the child to have the best health care? Personally, I don’t believe arresting people is the best solution. Parents want the best for their children, and they are trying to ensure their safety. Educating the parents and persuading them to let their children have the polio drops is more powerful and, although time consuming, will be more successful in the long term.

TR: You’re active on Twitter. If you could use more than 140 characters on Twitter to send a message to parents who choose not to vaccinate, what would you say?

BHUTTO ZARDARI: In the media environment today, so much of our lives and what we seek to do is oversimplified, often stripped of meaning and context. Much of what I say on Twitter about this topic [of vaccination] is directed at people in positions of influence who are abusing their position by taking an anti-vaccination approach, rather than at individual parents. I know that the majority of parents, even those refusing vaccinations, have their children’s best interests at heart.

To parents who have held off on vaccinating: Do not take rumors as truth or let people use health as a political or religious weapon. Your children’s lives are at risk, and by giving them two small drops, you can ensure they will avoid the suffering that polio can cause. Speak to families who have experienced polio personally. Talk to the polio workers and learn from them.

If we had to reduce it to a campaign slogan, I would say to those parents: Don’t rob your children of a future they deserve. Give them a chance. Let them get the polio vaccine.

TR: What is the future of the polio eradication campaign in Pakistan? How will you continue your involvement?

BHUTTO ZARDARI: There is a serious disconnect between the significant and targeted efforts put in by the provincial governments and the hands-off approach taken by the federal government. To ensure the best chance of success, we need collaboration with the federal and provincial governments in order to have a united front. Along with this, we need to focus on training more lady health workers

[a program launched by Benazir Bhutto that has trained more than 100,000 women to provide community health services] and polio workers. These health care workers will be able to use their expertise to support other areas of our health service in the future, and we need to plan for this. I am committed to a polio-free Pakistan, but I’m also committed to a healthier Pakistan overall. For now my focus is on polio, but I hope to carry on my training to get involved in other areas of health care.

This campaign needs more resources, especially in the environment of fragile security that so many of our heroic vaccinators face. The PPP [Pakistan People’s Party, founded by Bhutto Zardari’s grandfather, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto] recently proposed that donors fund a security health corps to protect vaccinators as they attempt to reach children in dangerous areas. This is crucial to protect the lives of our vaccinators and to ensure the success of the program. I often hear of vaccinators returning from high-security-risk areas, such as Quetta, who were unable to reach children because of the danger. The conventional methods of taking the program forward may not be enough if we do not simultaneously address the security concerns.

TR: Will you go into politics?

BHUTTO ZARDARI: I have always been in politics. Since I was a child, I have been surrounded by it. With a mother who was prime minister twice and a father who served as president, it is impossible to avoid politics. I am keen to make my own mark and ensure that I have the skills to best serve Pakistan in the future. That is why I have dedicated so much effort to my education, specifically focusing on health care and humanitarian concerns.

TR: What was it like to grow up in exile?

BHUTTO ZARDARI: I spent a good portion of my life in Dubai. It was difficult to see the struggles my mother faced being away from our home. At the same time, it was inspiring to see how she was able to maintain a presence in Pakistan while in exile. My father was in jail, and she was petitioning leaders worldwide to help bring democracy back to Pakistan. Despite all of that, she always made the effort to help my siblings and me with our homework, and attend our school functions and plays. We were always hoping to return home, but she made sure we never felt lost.

TR: Your grandfather was executed under a military dictatorship, your father was jailed, your mother was killed. What drives you to risk your own security by staying involved? Why not walk away?

BHUTTO ZARDARI: Walking away is not an option. My mother, father, grandparents, aunts, uncles, brother, and sister have all committed themselves to serving Pakistan. They have all believed that they could have a positive impact. While to many, they are simply political figures, they are my family. I trust them, and they have shaped who I am. I will carry on the cause that they have believed in, and that many of them have died for, to honor them and to serve my country.

TR: What prevents you from focusing on the tragedy you have experienced?

BHUTTO ZARDARI: While there has been great tragedy in my life, I am also aware that I have been given great opportunities. I have been able to study, I have been able to travel, and I have been able to create friendships with people from all over the world. I have also been blessed with an incredible brother and sister and a wonderful father. The support I get from my family is a great comfort.

TR: One of your mother’s legacies was inspiring women and girls, including Malala Yousafzai, who calls your mother her role model. What will it take to develop more female leaders in Pakistan?

BHUTTO ZARDARI: Just as I have been blessed to have such an inspiring mother, I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to get to know Malala. She is exactly right in identifying how we will empower women to take the lead in Pakistan in the future: education. We must ensure that women and girls have access to quality education so they are able to obtain leadership positions. At the same time, we must make sure that men and boys are being educated about equality.

TR: Will your country and the region ever see peace?

BHUTTO ZARDARI: I have great faith that one day Pakistan will have peace. I pray for the day when people can look beyond the bombs and the bullets and see my beautiful country, where the people have so much talent and bravery. It is a region in deep transition. One can only hope that the challenges of rapid population growth in South Asia will motivate leaders to strive harder for peace, and that we will be able to work with our neighboring countries to form a more stable and safe environment for our families.

Host an event for World Polio Day on or around 24 October and spread the word in your community about Rotary's role in the campaign to eradicate polio. During your program, watch an update on the state of polio at endpolio.org.

Diana Schoberg in The Rotarian

Enriching education for our keiki (children)

As incoming president of our club, I wondered how we could have an even greater impact on the education of our local keiki (children).

We have been supporting Koloa Elementary School over the years with our Rotary Readers program and dictionary distribution to third graders. We have also provided funds and volunteers for theGrowing Our Own Teachers program on our island in order to fill a teacher gap. But I still felt we should be doing more.

Our elementary school in Koloa does a wonderful job but continues to struggle when it comes to resources. Like many teachers across the U.S., the teachers here often reach into their own pockets to purchase classroom supplies. They have to forgo field trips that would get the local keiki out into the community to broaden their horizons. And lack of public funding has prevented the school from providing creative extracurricular activities after school.

Aloha Angels

We learned of a way to partner financially with Aloha Angels, part of the Hawaii Community Foundation, to make a greater impact. Working through them, we have donated $19,500 to Koloa Elementary School teachers for the year. We are adopting all 20 classes and five after-school clubs. That means that each teacher receives $700 for classroom supplies and a field trip. It also means paying teachers to mentor five after-school clubs each quarter.

We surprised the teachers with the donation at their staff meeting. Their reaction and gratitude were heart-warming. They shared with us some of the ideas they had to get the keiki out into the community and to provide other learning experiences.

Some were so overjoyed, they hugged all the Rotary members present!

We’re looking forward to seeing the creative ways the teachers use this funding, and also to volunteering our time to participate with them.

- Michael Carlsson in Rotary Voices

History of Polio Immunizations in the Philippines Ron Nethercutt, RC Mabalacat, D 3790, Philippines

Photo Courtesy: IVAC Blog

The following is what I have researched about the history of polio immunizations in the Philippines. These events led to what is now known as Polio Plus by Rotary International. As a personal note I joined Rotary in the US in 1986, and like all the members of the Rotary Club of Hammond, Louisiana, contributed $100 to RI’s initial polio contribution. Little did I know at the time that the RI President was M.A.T. Caparas was from the Philippines, and that I would later become a member of RC Mabalacat; a club that did the initial pilot program (1983) for

polio inoculations. BTW, RIPE MATC and I have become good friends and email regularly since we first met at the RI Convention in New Orleans. This is why remain interested in Rotary

The 75 Anniversary Fund was a special fund of RI’s Health, Hunger and Humanity Program in 1978. It was out of this program that the Philippines and Rotary developed at five year plan to immunize children against polio. However they found that in 1980 a small

percentage of the population were being immunized due to cost and delivery.

Dr. Jonas Salk had developed a

polio vaccine in 1953, in 1954 he created an oral vaccine which was easy to administer and provided lengthy immunity. This vaccine was used throughout the world in most developed nations. It was one of the many inoculations which were required for children prior to admittance to school.

In 1979 RIP Clem Renouf (1978-79)

contacted the Philippine Health Organization began RI’s five year plan to eradicate polio in the Philippines.

At the RI convention in Rome in

1979, RIPE Jim Bomar was able to gain the assistance of the Rotary Club of Rome and they announced that they would provide 500,000 polio vaccines to be sent to the Philippines. PDG Jun Tambunting and PDG Benny Santos received the vaccines in the Manila airport with the Philippines

Department of Health. 500,000 more were provided soon afterward.

Shortly afterward, Rotary

International approved the 3 H program which would immunize six million children. The Department of Health was to solicit the names of children below five years of age.

It was at this point that RC

Mabalacat, under its President Bruce McTavish and RC Angeles with Dr. Ben Henson, developed an immunization plan which became a pilot program for polio inoculations. David Rosmer, Historian for the US Clark Air Force, wrote the procedural manual that later was to be used throughout the Philippines for polio inoculations. The following were gathered from the Rotary Cllulb of Mabalacat’s Weekly Bulletins. All of which have been bound since it’s installation in 1980 and on file at the club’s office.

From November 22, 1983 By Rtn. Ben Pennell – Saturday 12 November 1983 saw the Rotary Clubs of Angeles West and Mabalacat join the kick-off of an Anti-Polio Drive. Five members of Mabalacat and a contingent from RC Angeles met at Café Valenzuela along with twelve Midwives from the Dau Rural Health Center and three from the Mother of Perpetual Help School of Medicine. These individuals split into working groups and departed to the rural areas including David St. Magsaysay, Mabiga, Homesite, Camachile, Laoandola, and Paralayunan. Interesting to note that in most cases the children

were not waiting and with the help of the Midwives the word spread and speaking for myself and most of the other we accomplished the project like a salesman – DOOR to DOOR. Really a very enjoyable treat for those of us fortunate enough to be involved. If you can remember the day when your friends were stricken down, many died, and many were paralyzed with no cure in sight. Now we can at least see that over five hundred young children who might not have received a total of six little drops of vaccine over a three month period that insures they will never be stricken with that dreaded disease. Our records indicate that RC Mabalacat immunized a total

of 330 children. That coupled with vaccinations by RC Angeles and RC Angeles West will give children of Mabalacat a good start. The next immunizations will be given on the 10th of December. For those of you that want to assist driving, holding, caring, you will get a real feeling of serving for just a few hours of your time. Sign up with Dir Jim and enjoy the 10th of December….Not to forget, the Mabalacat Drum and Bugle Corps were also on hand for this project. President’s Corner by President Bruce McTavish “Many things have happened since our last regular meeting. The most noteworthy being our club’s

participation in a Polio Vaccine Drive throughout Mabalacat. Last Sunday (November 20th) Dir Ralph and I (Pres. Bruce McTavish) attended a Polio Vaccine Drive with RC Angeles and RC Angeles North- this completed the first phase of a three part mission. The joint meeting attended by the eight clubs in Pampanga was held at the Shanghai Restaurant and the American Ambassador was the guest speaker. President’s Corner by President McTavish Last Saturday morning our Polio drive started off with the orphans who I invited; taking the vaccine at the Café Valenzuela. After that, Dir. Jim, Dir, Paul, Editor Ben and Rtn. Ken for the second month in a row took the vaccine to the distant Barrios. President Ted from RC Angeles and President Bito from RC Angeles West were among the Rotarians from the other clubs. THE WEEK THAT WAS BY Rtn. Ben Pennell from Bulletin of Dec 13, 1983 The next day (Dec 6th) President Bruce and myself accompanied by our Anns and travelled to Manila for the visit of RI Pres Bill and Ann Skelton. President Bruce received the Presidential Citation from President Skelton. This Citation was signed by the RI President and all the Philippine District Governors. President Bruce received his Paul Harris Fellow award at the same program. Saturday morning saw us in action in the Anti-Polio Drive; the Mabalacat club coupled with RC Angeles West, RC Angeles, and RC Angeles North. In a personal interview between me, PP Ron and PP Bruce, he told me that

his four year old daughter gave the first vaccine to young child. It appeared that the young Filipina might be afraid of the 6’ 2” McTavish, but would easily allow his daughter to give the vaccine drops to the child. In 1984 RIP Carlos Canseco launched the Polio Plus project at the RI Convention in Kansas City, Missouri. (USA) Dr. Albert Sabin, developer of the polio vaccine, was honoured at the convention who said, “There is no organization that can eradicate polio, but Rotary.” Rotary’s goal (at that time) was to eradicate the disease by 2005, the 100th year of Rotary. News of the Polio Plus Campaign began to spread around the world and captured the imagination of Rotarians. However a large amount of money would be needed, and in 1986 TRF set a goal to raise 125 million dollars. The following gathered from PDG Dr. Ben Henson’s post to Rotary eClub One

From 1986 to 1988 Rotary Clubs throughout the world were called on to help in the drive to raise funds, and every Rotary club rallied to the cause. Rotary Clubs put on dinner, raffled off cars, had golf tournaments, and even sea cruises to raise money. One club even tried a “nearly new” men’s suit sale.

Two years later at the RI Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA) RIP Chuck Keller announced the 125 million dollar goal had been raised and PDG Jun Tambunting was told that $550,000 would be given to the Philippines.

The Polio Plus Program of Rotary International was officially launched in Angeles City as on October 1987 by PDG Jun Tambunting.

Two days before the arrival of RIP Chuck Keller, the Rotarians held a two day workshop at several schools to prepare them for inoculations. The schools were Sto. Rosario Elementary School, Angles Elementary School, Pandan Elementary for Angeles City, and Mabalacat Elementary School for the town of Mabalacat.

RIP Chuck Keller

witnessed the Angeles City experiment with PRID Benny Santos and PDG Leslie Whitcroft of Australia. Whitcroft’s wife was herself a polio victim. The school selected for the first Polio Plus Immunization was the Santo Rosario Elementary School in Angeles City. Thousands of children were given the polio vaccine drops by RIP Chuck Keller and aided by PRD Benny Santos. Former Secretary General Herbert Pigman was also present. Due to the successes RC Mabalacat and RC Angeles, they became the model for the National Immunization Day (NID) which was later followed by many countries.

Making A Difference Through Rotary Youth Exchange

When Gabriela Vessani was 12 years old, her mother took her to stay with friends in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, for the summer.

“I loved it, so when I heard about Rotary Youth Exchange, I knew that was something I wanted to do,” says Vessani, who is an Interactor from São Paulo.

This year, Vessani participated in the program. Hosted by the Rotary Club of Waterdown, Ontario, Canada, she stayed with four families, one of which included adopted children from different parts of the world.

“They had seven children, and it was crazy for me. But I loved it,” she says. “It was such a unique experience getting to know all of

my host brothers and sisters, and learning about so many cultures.”

CHANGING LIVES

Vessani and 104 other Rotary Youth Exchange students visited Rotary World Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, in July as part of a 31-day Discover America cross-country bus trip that was a finale to the exchange experience.

“This is the best program Rotary can be involved with, because Rotary is all about changing lives,” says Vessani.

Rotary Youth Exchange has been providing intercultural exchange opportunities for secondary school students ages 15-19 since the 1920s. Students become cultural ambassadors for up to a full academic year, and the host families can help build peace

and international understanding, serving one of Rotary’s six areas of focus.

CLUB BENEFITS

Mike Lubelfeld, an elementary school superintendent and member of the Rotary Club of Deerfield, Illinois, spent weeks making arrangements for his club to host its first exchange student in more than two decades. In August, Leo, a 17-year-old from Indonesia, was greeted at the airport by an enthusiastic welcome committee from the club.

“We have just started the process and, already, there is so much excitement,” says Lubelfeld. “Working with youth of the world is one of the best ways to ensure a better future. And for our club to be able to take part in this cultural exchange is a huge opportunity that will not only benefit Leo but our members as well.”

BUILDING SELF-CONFIDENCE

Varda Shah’s family was asked by a friend to host an exchange student two years ago in Mumbai. At first, family members were reluctant.

“We were like, he’s a boy, he’s German, I don’t know how this is going to work,” says Shah. “But we decided to take a chance, and I never would have thought I could grow so close to someone in three months. We still Skype and connect through social media constantly and are always in touch.”

Shah decided she wanted her own exchange experience. She stayed with three host families in New York, learning about camping, tailgating at sports events, and ice hockey. But the biggest change was to her self-confidence.

“Before, I would never be able to make a conversation with a person I didn’t know,” she says. “Now, I can proudly say it isn’t like that anymore. I can go up to people. I have become more open, more mature.”

ACCEPTING OTHERS

Juliana Kinnl of Vienna decided to follow in her older sister’s footsteps and take part in a Rotary Youth Exchange. She was hosted by two families from the Rotary Club of Newtown, Pennsylvania, and says she learned to be more accepting of other people and their differences.

“Meeting exchange students from all over the world, I have grown to accept people for who they are and not to judge them because they are different,” says Kinnl. “I’ve also grown more confident in my own abilities and who I am.”

GROWING BOLDER

Minerva Lopez Martinez of Marcia, Spain, spent her exchange in Canada, hosted by the Rotary Club of Simcoe, Ontario. She said some of her friends at home chose not to pursue an exchange because they felt they would be losing a year of schoolwork. But she has a different perspective on that.

“You have your whole life to go to school and learn. You only have one opportunity for a youth exchange,” she says. “The reason I came on the exchange is that I can be shy, and I didn’t want to be like that anymore. Now, I am trying new things, talking to people I don’t know. It has changed me a lot.”

- Arnold R. Grahl in www.rotary.org

Road Trip Revs Up Interest in Rotary

Members of the news media had gathered, along with the mayor of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, and a group of Rotary members, on the bank of the murky Detroit River. It was early August and the members were about to amaze the reporters on hand.

Jason Browne and Adam Barth, members of Rollin’ With Rotary, a four person team of Rotary members who visited a dozen cities this summer, dipped a bucket into the polluted water. The reporters watched as they poured the brownish water into a filter, part of a $1,000 survival kit that Rotary and its project partner ShelterBox distribute to disaster victims worldwide. The water came out clear. Browne, Barth, and their teammates drank glassfuls and grinned broadly.

Then they invited Mayor Drew Dilkens to take a drink. “He survived,” says Rotary

International Director Jennifer Jones, laughing. “And the media went nuts!” Jones, who is from Windsor, traveled with the team.

That day, Rotary was front-page news locally and featured on radio and TV. It was the kind of coverage that would be repeated almost every day of the nine-day Rollin’ With Rotary tour, 1-9 August. Says Jones: “Our aim was to make Rotary look cool, hip, and relevant. And I think we did it.”

The trip was a direct outgrowth of Rotary’s Young Professionals Summit, held last September in Chicago, at which Jones had encouraged the young Rotary participants to dream big. Barth, 31, of the Rotary Club of Jacksonville, North Carolina, USA, took that exhortation to heart and came up with the idea for the tour.

His plan was immediately endorsed by Kathy Fahy, 41, of the Rotary Club of Iowa Great Lakes (Spirit Lake), Iowa; Marie Fallon, 40, of the Rotary Club of Pittsburgh East, Pennsylvania; and Browne, 32, of the Rotary Club of State College-Downtown, Pennsylvania. “We were discussing what people don’t understand about Rotary and we said, ‘What would people think if we stopped in their town and did something crazy? That would show them how fun Rotary can be,’ ” recalls Browne.

Some of the fun was on display at Cedar Point amusement park in Ohio, where the team gave away discount coupons. “It gave us a chance to explain Rotary,” says Browne, “and we also went on rides and got people to yell, ‘Let’s Go Rotary!’ ”

At other stops, the team delivered explicitly educational messages about the good that Rotary does. In Perrysburg, Ohio, the team participated in a six-block “water walk,” toting heavy containers of water to demonstrate how women and children in the developing world struggle daily to provide water for their families.

During the drive between Taylor and Ann Arbor, Michigan, the team’s RV – festooned with the Rotary logo -- had a motorcycle escort of more than 80 members of the Wounded Warrior Project. Other drivers pulled off the road to watch, took photos, and were among the people who donated $11,000 that day to help disabled veterans.

While in Ann Arbor, team members participated in an End Polio Now walk that concluded on the University of Michigan campus, in the building where, 60 years ago, the public announcement of the polio vaccine’s effectiveness was made.

And the team even meditated in front of Rotary International World Headquarters in Evanston, Illinois, near hand-lettered signs bearing messages like “Pause, Breathe, and Relax With Rotary.” The team members were joined by several local people,

including Sensei Mui, a Buddhist priest and the husband of a Rotary member, who was marking the 70th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing.

In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the team, along with local Rotary members, engaged in three hours of random acts of kindness. Team members gave out cards bearing the Rotary logo that encouraged recipients of the kind acts to pass along the kindness -- and the cards -- to others.

“It helped that nobody (on the team) was afraid to do goofy things,” says Fahy. “We couldn’t have afforded this kind of media coverage.” By the end of the trip, 1,500 people had liked the Rollin’ With Rotary Facebook page

The entire trip was pulled together in just six weeks. Each of the team members contacted Rotary members along the planned route and solicited ideas for attention-getting activities in their area. “We looked for movers and shakers who wouldn’t just ask us to attend club meetings,” says Fallon, who organized the water walk in Perrysburg.

“We’re showing that there are fun, inexpensive things you can do to bring attention to Rotary,” says Fahy. “Don’t wait for permission -- you can just take it and run with it.”

A Rotary grant covered a budget of $12,000, and generous Rotary members all along the route opened their homes for meals and overnight stays. The four never slept in a hotel.

Near the end of the tour, already thinking how much he would miss it, Jason Browne offered a piece of advice to fellow Rotary members: “We would have loved to come to every city in the country. We couldn’t do that, so do something on your own -- anything you can think of to promote Rotary!

- Nancy Shepherdson in www.rotary.org

Success stories from a program to develop great teachers

Many young professionals in Florence, Oregon, end up leaving when their children reach school age, seeking greener educational pastures for their kids. Our club began to think about how we could help our schools keep those bright young families around.

We came up with the idea of a Continuing Professional Education Fellowship program, modeled after a national teacher grant program we had seen, to help teachers pursue professional development.

Each year, our club offers two $2,000 fellowships to teachers and otherprofessionals serving the community who are interested in improving their skills. Seven years after its launch, the program is thriving. Here are some of the results:

A middle school science teacher attended a graduate-level course at Portland State University focused on engineering and design education. He now leads a robotics club, and his students are award-winning robotics “engineers” who use Legos and other materials to design new projects. His classroom not only introduces young people to science, technology,

engineering, and math skills, it is also a fun place where students are better prepared for the workplace of the future.

An elementary-school teacher who was struggling to engage the highest and lowest achievers in her classroom used our funding to attend a national conference about using tablets to manage differentiated learning. This approach advocates the use of small workstations throughout a classroom where students can learn in different ways — using a computer or tablet, touching or interacting with objects, engaging in discussion, or pursuing individual study.

A teacher of Spanish was able to travel to Guatemala with members of the advanced Spanish class (who raised their own funds for the trip).

A counselor received training to teach women and children how to deal with domestic abuse, and the organization that provided the training also provides similar support for the Siuslaw School District staff.

A teacher received training to offer an advanced-placement literature and composition course at Florence’s high school, which significantly improved resources available to students planning to go on to college.

Our elementary school music teacher was able to attend professional conferences.

We use a simple application and reporting process that keeps the program attainable for busy professionals. We look for teachers and staff in local nonprofits who want to improve their professional skills and who can present a plan, which becomes our contract with them. Fellowship recipients are expected to remain with their employer for at least a year.

As Rotarians, we have many opportunities to help our communities overcome challenges. Our club uses this simple grant program to help the teachers who educate our children and the professionals working with vulnerable populations to do their jobs better.

Contact me to find out more about our program: meg@siuslawlibrary.org. How are you using your vocation to improve your community?

Rtn. Meg Spencer director of the Siuslaw Public Library District, in Rotary Voices

Visiting polio immunization booths on the border of Nepal

In June, members of my Rotary Club of Kakarvitta, Jhapa, Nepal, inspected 15 polio immunization booths around the

municipality of Mechinagar, on the border of Nepal and India. The Nepal PolioPlus Committee had declared a National Immunization Day on 23 May, but due to the major earthquake in April, our inspection was postponed to early June. We visited booths from urban areas to far rural areas, and distributed banners, pamphlets, and water bottles to the volunteers at each booth.

We felt good to see the enthusiasm of the volunteers, and to see them motivated in their work. We saw that the parents were participating actively to immunize their children and were also spreading knowledge and awareness to their neighbors. We were also pleased to see an eight-year-old girl bringing her four-year-old sister to the booth.

We did find that increased publicity would be beneficial in the future to get the message into rural areas, and that more banners and pamphlets could be useful.

We had an opportunity to meet with the vaccination chief, Surya Bahadur Khadka, and his team as they were inspecting a booth on behalf of the Nepal government, under the authority of the Child Health Ministry. We had a short conversation with them and presented the data we had collected on our inspection.

It was good to see the dedication and enthusiasm of the volunteers as they help keep up the immunization and surveillance necessary to keep our region polio-free. We must continue to protect all children from this disease.

Sujan Pradhan in Rotary Voices

Videos & Photographs

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