Dear Fellow Rotarians, visitors and guests!
WELCOME TO OUR E-CLUB!
Thank you for stopping by our club meeting! We hope you will enjoy your visit.
Our E-Club banner is shown at left! Please send us a virtual copy of your club banner and we will send you a copy of our new club banner in exchange. We will also display your club banner proudly on our meeting website.
Although our E-club has Provisional status at this time, we hope you will find the content of our meeting enlightening and will give us the benefit of your opinion on the content.
The month of May is passing so quickly! Then we look forward to June and Rotary Fellowships month.
Visiting Rotarians. Click this link to Apply for a Make-up. We will send you and your club secretary a make-up confirmation.
Active Members. Click here to sign in.
Happy Hour Hangout. We are adjusting the time of our Happy Hour Hangout to Saturday mornings - early enough so that you can join before your day gets away from you.
We meet for a live chat and sometimes business discussion. If you are interested in dropping by, please click the link below. Morning coffee is on the house! (Your house, that is...) Hope to see you there!
Please note: Now, attending our HHH will earn you a make-up!
The link to the Happy Hour Hangout for Saturday is at the bottom of this meeting.
Interested in joining us? Click the link Membership Application and Information.
Our Provisional President, Kitty, would now like to welcome you to this week's meeting. Please listen in...
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ROTARY E-CLUB OF THE CARIBBEAN, 7020
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ABCs OF ROTARY (Cliff Dochterman)
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| Cliff Dochterman RI President, 1992-93 |
World Community Service
World Community Service is the Rotary program by which a club or district in one country provides humanitarian assistance to a club in another country. Typically, the aid goes to a developing community where the Rotary project will help raise the standard of living and the quality of life. the ultimate object of World Community Service is to build goodwill and understanding among people of the world.
One important way to find a club in some other part of the world which needs help on a worthy project is to use the WCS Projects Exchange, a list of dozens of worthy activities in developing areas. The exchange list is maintained in the RI Secretariat in Evanston and is readily available upon request. It outlines projects, provides estimated costs and gives names of the appropriate contacts.
Clubs which need assistance, or are seeking another club to help with a humanitarian project, such as building a clinic, school, hospital, community water well, library or other beneficial activity may register their needs. Clubs seeking a desirable World Community Service project may easily review the list of needs registered in the Projects Exchange. Thus, the exchange provides a practical way to link needs with resources.
Every Rotary club is urged to undertake a new World Community Service project each year. The WCS Projects Exchange list is an excellent tool to find a real need, a project description and cooperating club in a developing area. the job then is to "go to work" to complete the project, and at the same time build bridges of friendship and world understanding.
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A VIDEO OF CLIFF DOCHTERMAN
Past RI President, Cliff Dochterman is an inspiring and delightful speaker! This video is about 28 minutes in length - well worth your listening!
Please listen and then stay to enjoy the rest of the meeting as well. There's a great deal of excellent information included in the rest of the meeting!
On March 29, 2013, Rotary International President (1992-1993) keynote speaker Cliff Dochterman treated the Petaluma Rotary Club at its 90-year anniversary to stories of wit, charm and heart-warming gifts of service.
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SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS START WITH THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
There are many slums around Nairobi. The people living in them don’t have access to many of the things we have. It would be nice to help them.
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The key to successful projects, whether they address water and
sanitation such as the one above, or one of the other areas of focus, is
to get community input and ask the local community what they need.
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That was the thought behind a project carried out by one U.S. Rotary club from a “very friendly district,” according to Geeta Manek, governor of District 9200, which includes Kenya. Some members of the club had volunteered at a community center in the Mukuru slums. They found that the slums had no toilets or showers, and they wanted to fix that. So they made a grant of $2,000 available to build two of each.
Some time later, one of the club members traveled to Kenya and decided to check on the project. The toilets and showers had no handles, and they were sitting unused. Manek got an exasperated call and was asked to go check it out.
“The knobs were not on because there was no money for connecting the water from the main line,” Manek says, “and there was no place to get rid of the used water. The knobs would have been stolen.
So we had to come up with extra money to supply water and to put a caretaker there. The problem was that a feasibility study was not done. Nobody had gone and checked out, What are we going to do before and after the project?”
This is not an uncommon phenomenon, says Ted Rose, a California native who has lived in Colima, Mexico, for 28 years. A member of the Rotary Club of Colima, he frequently speaks to clubs and districts about how to avert such problems.
“I’ve been a Rotary volunteer around the world and helped a lot of clubs be successful with grants. In the process, I’ve made every possible mistake a guy can make. I’ve also seen a lot of other people’s mistakes.”
Why projects fail
As an example, he cites a young woman, the daughter of a California Rotarian, who had volunteered at an orphanage in Guatemala. After she came home, her father’s club decided to build the orphanage a carpentry workshop, so the children could learn a valuable trade. A good idea – in theory.
But after four years (and thousands of dollars), some of the Rotarians went to see the project and found that the tools had been stolen and the shop was standing empty. The children at the orphanage could not remember it ever having been used.
What went wrong?
Something simple: No one had asked the orphanage if it needed, or wanted, a carpentry shop. Rose says this lack of support from recipients is one of the main reasons projects fail. If it wasn’t their idea, or their money, why should they care?
The realization that these conversations must happen may seem straightforward, but it has been long in coming. It is also part of a larger trend in thinking about how assistance and aid are distributed around the world.
The last few years have seen a debate over whether aid itself is even a good idea. Economists Dambisa Moyo, author of Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa, and William Easterly, author of The White Man’s Burden: Why the West’s Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good, say that the trillion or so dollars poured into Africa since 1960 have not been effective. Each year, the continent loses about $148 billion (about 25 percent of the GDP of African states) to corruption, yet some African countries get more than half their budgets from aid.
To what end?
There is a big difference between that large-scale aid and the smaller grants and projects of individual Rotary clubs. But the change in thinking is relevant to both.
In the past, people thought poverty was a simple lack of money or things. Fixing poverty meant adding money and things. But it’s not that easy.
Ask, investigate, repeat
Economists such as Harvard’s Michael Kremer are calling for “smart aid,” which targets specific issues and rigorously measures results. Other people, such as Emeka Okafor, a New York City-based entrepreneur and director of TED-Africa, have pushed for aid that bypasses government coffers and instead invests in civil society and social institutions.
The terminology these days is more about investment, trade, growth, results, and accountability than it used to be. Even Bono and Bob Geldof have started investment funds.
The “appropriate technology” movement, which once held that supplying people with the right machines was all that was needed for development, has given way to a market-driven approach led by Paul Polak and the “social entrepreneurs” who look for unmet demands, then create products to sell that will meet those demands. They help people, make money, and everyone feels some ownership over the result.
All these changes boil down to one thing: asking people what they need instead of telling them.
It means treating them like partners. It also reflects a shift of focus from alleviating poverty as an abstract idea to the messy reality of helping people who don’t have much money. Unless you know a certain part of the world intimately, the chances of you knowing how to solve its problems are small.
The solution? Ask. Investigate. Repeat.
Change is happening on both ends. District 9200 is a Future Vision pilot district. Kaushik Manek, Geeta Manek’s husband and a past governor of the same district, says that all projects now must include a feasibility study, and will be examined by auditing and monitoring teams. “We want sustainable projects, not handouts,” he says. “We want projects that last five to seven years.”
Qualities of a successful project
A little further south, in Arusha, Tanzania, another past district governor, Amir Somji, noted that because Arusha is a tourist city, Rotarians there see a lot of dubious project proposals.
“People come here to travel, and they see poverty,” Somji says. “Fair enough. But it is a bad project when they say, ‘Please help this village there.’ Then it is not our choice. It’s the choice of people from outside.
You don’t want the project to be thrust upon you. You want a project that you are also passionate about.”
Rose lists several qualities that help projects succeed:
- Training and education, because if people don’t understand the project, it’s much more likely to fail.
- Maintenance.
- And local knowledge, whether that means working with an area Rotary club or another organization with a long track record there.
“That way if any bad stuff was going to show up, it would have already shown up,” he says. “One of the projects I work on in Mexico has been there for 27 years.” Rotary International conventions and project fairs are good places to find host partners.
But the most important aspects are the ownership, the partnership, and the communication.
To achieve those, approach with more questions than answers.
- Ask the people what their community needs.
- Then ask what they think is the best way to meet that need.
- And then ask if that’s what the project will accomplish.
Beginning with that attitude is the best way to ensure the effort will serve the greatest number of people for as long as possible.
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HOW POLIO CHANGED MY LIFE
A truly inspiring story!
HOW POLIO CHANGED MY LIFE
A truly inspiring story!
Posted on February 7, 2013
By Eliana Zagui, author of Pulmão de Aço (Iron Lung)
Before it was eradicated through the effort of massive immunization campaigns in 1989, poliomyelitis was prevalent in Brazil. The lack of vaccine and poor sanitation in small towns resulted in thousands of victims a year.
Avoiding polio was often a matter of luck. In January 1976, at the age of two, my luck ran out.
I woke up with a fever and weak lower limbs. Although my parents were used to my recurrent episodes of sore throat, they brought me to the nearest city of Jaboticabal for medical treatment.
The next day, lacking a diagnosis, I was sent to Ribeirão Preto, a larger city with better medical facilities. By the time the doctors came to the conclusion that I had contracted polio, the virus had already started its devastating muscular paralysis process.
We lived in Guariba near São Paulo, more than 180 miles from the major polio treatment center in Brazil. Getting to the ‘Hospital das Clínicas’ in São Paulo was a struggle. But after several hours, we received a ride from a charitable individual.
By that time, I was already paralyzed from my neck down, and my breathing was restricted by the paralysis of my diaphragm.
I was placed in an iron lung a number of times in an attempt to reverse the respiratory failure, but eventually the doctors concluded the battle was lost. I was tracheotomized and connected to an artificial respirator. More than 36 years later, I still depend on the artificial respirator to breathe.
I have lived the rest of my life at the same ‘Hospital das Clínicas.’
Out of hundreds of children admitted to the hospital in the ‘60s and ‘70s, seven of us formed a family, and developed bonds with the doctors and nurses who looked after us. Five of our family died in the ‘80s, and now only Paulo Henrique Machado and I remain. We still share a room in the Intensive Care Unit.
It was in that room that Paulo and I learned how to read and write. While Paulo has limited hand movements, I can only move my neck and head. Everything I can do with some autonomy has to be done with my mouth. That includes my paintings, which are sold around the world through an association.
The story of how Paulo and I survived polio and how, for decades, we have lived almost completely paralyzed at Hospital das Clínicas is told in the book Pulmão de Aço (Iron Lung), published this year in Brazil by Belaletra Editora
Here are some photos I've located of Eliana.
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SPEAKER - Unleash your inner artist
Young-ha Kim wishes that his eighth grade teacher, rather than chiding him for a poorly-executed drawing with a sweeping backstory, had told him, “Well, Young-ha, you may not be good at drawing but you have a talent for storytelling.” Without encouragement, he took the long road toward becoming a writer.
Kim’s latest book, Black Flower, was sparked by a random conversation on a trans-Pacific flight. It tells the story of 1,033 Korean immigrants who found themselves sold into indentured servitude in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula in 1905. Publisher's Weekly wrote of the novel in October of 2012, “Spare and beautiful, Kim’s novel offers a look at the roots of the little-known tribulations of the Korean diaspora in Mexico.”
Kim’s work mixes high and low genres and focuses on the issue of: what does it mean to be Korean in a globalized, quickly-changing world? His novels have served as a source of inspiration for Korean filmmakers -- two have already been adapted for the big screen with the film version of a third on its way.
Until 2008, Kim was a professor in the Drama School at Korean National University of Arts -- a post he left in 2008 to focus exclusively on writing.
"Kim Young-ha is a celebrated South Korean author whose 1996 debut novel about a suicide consultant earned him his nation’s most coveted literary award, the Munhak-dongne prize. His genre-crossing style and penetrating voice have generated tons of international buzz. "
--The Beijinger
Click this link to view the video. You may want to turn your sound down, since this has English sub-titles. Then, click your browser's BACK button to return to the meeting.
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OUR BUTTERFLY STORYBOOK BOOK
Our successful Butterfly Storybook has been uploaded in French as well.
There are still some translations required before we actually print the book, but the stories can be read in French at this point by clicking the link below:
http://issuu.com/rotary7020/docs/e-book_for_printer_fr
Here is the English version of the Storybook.
http://issuu.com/rotary7020/docs/butterfly_e-storybook_2013
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TO END OUR MEETING
To end our meeting, please recite aloud (on your honour!) the Rotary Four-Way Test of the things we think, say, and do.
Kenan Kern, who is the Regional Rotary Foundation Co-ordinator for Zone 34, leads us.
1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
3. Will it BUILD GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
...and official close of meeting
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Thank you for stopping by our E-club meeting! We wish you well in the next week in all that you do for Rotary!
The meeting has now come to an end. Please do have a safe and happy week! If you have enjoyed our E-club meeting, please leave a comment below.
Rotary cheers!
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ATTENDANCE VERIFICATION
Visiting Rotarians. Click this link to Apply for a Make-up. We will send you and your club secretary a make-up confirmation.
Active Members. Click here to sign in.
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HAPPY HOUR HANGOUT #1- Please join us on Saturday! (our regular time)
Please join our Happy Hour Hangout, Saturday morning May 25, 2013 at 9:00 AM Eastern Time.
Click the link below just before the meeting time at 9:00 a.m. Saturday morning.
Dial +1 (805) 309-0010
Access Code: 744-623-304
Audio PIN: Shown after joining the meeting
Meeting ID: 744-623-304
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HAPPY HOUR HANGOUT #2- Please join us on Wednesday evening! (a second HHH)
A Second Happy Hour Hangout. A second HHH is scheduled this week only just to see how many would find the week-day get-together more convenient.
- If enough members find it more convenient, we can add this as a regular part of our program.
- We wish to find the best solution that will be "Fair to all concerned."
So, please join our Second Happy Hour Hangout on Wednesday, at 7:00 p.m. Atlantic/Eastern time if that time is more convenient for you.
Click the link below just before the meeting time on Wednesday.
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/join/810671153
Use your microphone and speakers (VoIP) - a headset is recommended. Or, call in using your telephone.
Dial +1 (213) 289-0016
Access Code: 810-671-153
Audio PIN: Shown after joining the meeting
Meeting ID: 810-671-153
ROTARY REFERENCES
Mission of the Rotary Foundation
http://www.rotary.org/en/Aboutus/therotaryfoundation/pages/ridefault.aspx
Programs of the Rotary Foundation
http://www.rotary.org/en/AboutUs/TheRotaryFoundation/Programs/Pages/ridefault.aspx
Financing the Rotary Foundation
http://www.rotary.org/en/Contribute/Pages/ridefault.aspx
Polio Eradication Campaign
http://www.rotary.org/en/SERVICEANDFELLOWSHIP/ Pages/ridefault.aspx
Educational Programs
http://www.rotary.org/EN/Studentsandyouth/educationalprograms/RotaryCentersfor InternationalStudies/pages/ridefault.aspx
Rotary Grants
http://www.rotary.org/grants
Club Foundation Committee Manual
http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/226e_en.pdf
TRF Quick Reference Guide
http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/219en.pdf
Rotary Foundation 2011-2012 Annual Report
http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/187en09.pdf
The District Rotary Foundation Committee Manual for Non-Pilot Districts http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/300en.pdf
For Current Information
Contact.center@rotary.org
Manual of Procedure 2010 http://www.rotary.org/RIdocuments/en_pdf/035en_full.pdf
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