[D9640general] [eFlash_Rotary] Digest Number 815

[Garry Krischock]

 Messages In This Digest (2 Messages) 

 

1. d1544: <>  R I President's August Message From: Sunil K Zachariah 

 

2. 1543: <>  Florida Rotarians make water tank project a priority From:
Sunil K Zachariah 

 

Messages 

1.
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eFlash_Rotary/message/1460;_ylc=X3oDMTJxOWpnO
WxrBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzI3ODYwNzYEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDY0MDg2BG1zZ0lkAzE0N
jAEc2VjA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTIxNzc1Mzc1Ng--> 1544: R I President's
August Message 

 

Sat Aug 2, 2008 5:49 pm (PDT) 

R I President's August Message

Dear fellow Rotarians, 

This year, we have set ourselves an ambitious goal: to Make Dreams 
Real for the world's children by reducing child mortality. I believe 
we can achieve this goal, if we focus our efforts and work together. 
But I also know that at the end of this year, there will be a great 
deal left for us to do to bring health and hope to all of the world's 
children. 

If we are to reduce child mortality, in this Rotary year and for many 
years to come, we need to have Rotarians to do it. Every project we 
do in water, health and hunger, and literacy helps create a better 
world. Every project helps change the world, a little bit at a time. 

And every project needs caring and capable Rotarians. 

Each new Rotarian we bring into our clubs helps to Make Dreams Real . 
That is why, this year, I am asking Rotarians everywhere to meet bold 
membership goals: first, to increase membership by 10 percent and, 
second, to create two new clubs per district. 

Like the goal of reducing child mortality, these are ambitious goals 
that we can achieve - if we set our minds to them. If we look for new 
Rotarians only among our friends and family, we may not be able to 
find enough qualified new members. But if we reach out to community 
leaders who are of a different profession, or a different generation, 
we will find many potential Rotarians. 

It is natural to want to invite people into our clubs who are like 
ourselves, but that limits the diversity and talent of each club. We 
must welcome younger members to our clubs, or we will have not only 
lost an important source of energy and expertise but also failed in 
our duty to our organization to train the next generation of club 
presidents, district governors, and senior RI leaders. 

Remember: Membership is the responsibility of each of us. Every one 
of us has an obligation to keep Rotary strong, active, and growing. 
If we hope to Make Dreams Real for the world's children in a 
meaningful and lasting way, we must ensure a new generation of 
Rotarians to continue our work. 

Dong Kurn (D.K.) Lee 
President, Rotary International 

Courtesy: eFlash_Rotary

 

2.
<http://groups.yahoo.com/group/eFlash_Rotary/message/1461;_ylc=X3oDMTJxdHJtM
zR2BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE1BGdycElkAzI3ODYwNzYEZ3Jwc3BJZAMxNzA1MDY0MDg2BG1zZ0lkAzE0N
jEEc2VjA2Rtc2cEc2xrA3Ztc2cEc3RpbWUDMTIxNzc1Mzc1Ng--> 1543: Florida Rotarians
make water tank project a priority 

 

Sat Aug 2, 2008 5:49 pm (PDT) 

Florida Rotarians make water tank project a priority
By Donna Polydoros 

The Rotary Club of Daytona Beach West, Florida, USA, is helping a 
remote village in Guyana gain access to clean drinking water by 
purchasing 150 rainwater collection tanks for the people of 
Kabakaburi. 

The tanks offer an alternative to the contaminated water of the 
nearby Pomeroon River, which can cause conditions such as typhoid and 
diarrhea. 

To carry out the two-year, US$20,000 effort, the club has partnered 
with the Rotary clubs of Daytona Beach; Oceanside, Daytona Beach; and 
Stabroek-Georgetown, Guyana. A Matching Grant from The Rotary 
Foundation has helped provide funding. 

The project began after Dr. Andrea Thorpe, of the Daytona Beach West 
club, traveled to Guyana on a Volunteer Service Grant. She was joined 
by a team that included Past District Governor Ron Denham, chair of 
the Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group, and a representative 
from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

"We got into specifics, speaking to villagers, understanding their 
sanitation and what solutions they wanted," Thorpe recalled. "The 
villagers came up with the solution: They have six months of rainy 
season, so the best thing would be to get water tanks." 

She returned to her club with a plan to purchase tanks for the 
village. The response was enthusiastic. 

"The fact that we can possibly eradicate a disease like typhoid [in 
Kabakaburi] by supplying clean drinking water is fantastic. The whole 
district became excited," said Thorpe. 

Rainwater
Villagers "own" the program by paying a nominal $5 for the tanks and 
by building wooden stands and gutters to collect the rainwater. 
They've already installed 100 tanks and will put in the remaining 50 
by the end of 2008, Thorpe said. 

The Daytona Beach West club also plans to support the village's 
efforts to address sanitation concerns by helping residents build six 
toilets at a local school. Because of improper sanitation, sewage 
runoff enters the river during the rainy season and contributes to 
water contamination issues. 

Thorpe said the club is looking to replicate the water and sanitation 
project in two nearby villages with high diarrhea-related mortality 
rates. 

"Going to the villages themselves and getting their input is 
extremely important. Maintaining the project is key," she 
explained. "By doing this we are also spreading knowledge of Rotary." 

Thorpe returned to Kabakaburi in June. The villagers thanked 
Rotarians for their hard work during a ceremony marked by speeches, 
dancing, and handmade tokens of appreciation. 

Source: Rotary International News 
Courtesy: eFlash_Rotary

 

 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://rotary9640.org/pipermail/d9640general_rotary9640.org/attachments/20080804/a9048b48/attachment.html