President Pat called on Donna Parry to introduce Guest Speaker, Tamara Larson. As Tamara visited our Club on October 14, 2021, Donna simply reminded us that Tamara is a Rotarian from Edmonton who has a host of District and Zone responsibilities which includes a role as a Zone 28 Assistant Ambassador.
In her opening remarks Tamara reminded us that at the Rotary International Convention in June 2021, Shekhar Mehta urged Rotary members to put improving girls’ futures at the forefront of their work - this being the # 1 priority of his three priorities he has identified for the year. It was this focus which brought Tamara to our Club and hopefully to other clubs in District 5550. As part of RI President Mehta’s initiative, Rotary has designated Empowering Girls Ambassadors to provide resources for districts and clubs and suggest ways to incorporate support for girls into existing projects or make it the basis for new ones. This is not to drop projects but rather to explore how current initiatives can be refined to ensure the focus is consistent with this priority.
In her power point presentation, Tamara raised the question of,"How do you leave no girl behind"? She followed this up by suggesting this is Rotary's opportunity to develop a framework and resources which enhance the ability of Rotary and Rotaract club members and leaders, as well as district leaders, to participate in and promote service projects which focus on the health, education, safety, well-being, and economic development of the girls of our world. We need to empower girls because it makes families more healthy; educated girls have better-educated children, earn better wages which reduces the poverty cycle; every girl should be in charge of her own future, and as Rotarians we have an obligation to promote "girl well-being". There are countries in the world where preference is to have sons, which has resulted in the belief that the world population lacks an estimated 140 million women because of parental preference for sons. Health and nutrition is a significant barrier for the wellness and development of children and especially girls. In the past 2 decades little progress has been made in reducing the number of girls ages 5-19 that are moderately or severely underweight. Sadly, in the area of health and hygiene, the number of girls ages 10-19 who are living with HIV has increased 35% since 1995 and now the number is nearing 1 million girls. Child marriage is another concern. It is estimated that 1 in 5 girls around the world marries before the age of 18, and without intervention the number of under 18 child marriages will exceed 120 million girls by 2030. Female genital mutilation is of grave concern and has been performed on at least 200 million girls and women in 31 countries across 3 continents, with more than half in Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia. Complication in adolescent pregnancy and childbirth are the world's leading cause of death for girls’ ages 15-19, is a statistic of major concern. Contributing to these frightening statistic the United Nations says 60 million girls worldwide have no access to even basic education and of the 960 million illiterate persons in the world 2/3rds are women. Tamara shared addition challenges faced by girls in our world. So, what can Rotary do?
Rotary Clubs and districts can participate by creating and implementing projects that enhance the quality of life for girls, and improve girls’ chances of enjoying safe, healthy, and productive lives. Clubs should also be able to modify existing projects to include aspects that focus on empowering girls. We should ask ourselves:
What challenges do girls face in our community?
How can our Club work with communities to find solutions to these challenges?
What cultural norms in our area might keep girls from attending school?
Which local organization can we work with on projects that empower girls? Does our club empower women to take leadership roles?
How can we raise awareness of the need to empower girls with our community and among our partners?
Challenging questions in challenging time. In the prophetic words of Alice in Alice in Wonderland, "Where to from here?"
Thank you, Tamara Larson, for creating an opening for this conversation.
Leave no Girls Behind
PolioPlus is engaging reluctant communities by addressing basic needs
Khadim Solangi Goth, a community on the outskirts of Karachi, Pakistan, sits in one of the last remaining polio reservoirs on the planet. More than 40,000 people live in improvised dwellings made of earth or other found materials. For some, a cotton sheet is all that protects them from the hot sun and monsoon rains. “The poorest of the poor are living in this area,” says Asher Ali, the project manager for the Pakistan PolioPlus Committee.
In Pakistan, 53,000 children under age 5 die each year from diarrhea caused by contaminated water.
What makes polio thrive in this place? The piles of trash and open sewers are one reason; the poliovirus gets transmitted through contaminated water. But another major factor is the area’s low vaccination rate. In a community whose basic needs aren’t met, residents see the polio vaccine as a low priority. “The refusals are not for the sake of religion but because civic amenities are missing,” says Aziz Memon, chair of the Pakistan PolioPlus Committee. “They ask us, ‘What are you doing here? You come again and again and again to give us polio drops. You never tell us how you’re going to help us with electricity, roads, or clean water.’”
The Family of Rotary
I was saddened to learn that Clifford L. Dochterman, past RI President (1992-93) died on 23 November 2021. “Real Happiness is Helping Others” was the theme that year. As incoming President, Regina Eastview sent Margaret and me to the International Convention in Orlando. It was an eye opening, never to be forgotten experience and opened a host of wonderful Rotary opportunities over the last 3 decades.
An accomplished public speaker, President Cliff, was recognized around the world as one of the premier spokespersons for Rotary.
He was one of the architects of Rotary’s Health, Hunger and Humanity (3-H) program in the late 1970's and was recognized for his leadership in creating the PolioPlus program.
Rotarian Jizinge Mwela is presented with his 5-year pin by Allen Hillsden, Regina Eastview Secretary. Jizinge has used his financial skills assisting the Finance area, and this year has added his shoulder to the Fund Raising wheel of our Club
Thank you Jizinge for your service through Rotary.
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FELLOWSHIP HIGHLIGHTS
A high light for a number of our members today was getting into the meeting itself - seems there was a need to know our e-mail address and our "password" - the first part was easy, the 2nd not so much;
We missed Sergeant-At-Arms Richard Schwan because even with his authority getting past the firewall was not easy;
So President Pat assumed the role and fined this scribe because he turned down the opportunity;
Supporting Peter, caused the Acting Sergeant to extend her judicious wrath, to the unsuspecting Allen Hillsden who was "wanting to be a good friend" and became part of the collateral damage;
The Sergeant softened her approach and gave virtual Rotobucks to members who had sent Valentine GALA information on to others;
Rotobucks were also gifted to those members who cleared the snow from their neighbours’ driveways;
Jeff Barber was happy that all the water damage to their Regina Beach cottage was finally completed last week and the Barber family are all excited about next summer - seems like some members of Eastview viewed themselves as part of the "family";
Peter Peters shared a Happy New Year Greeting from Mounir Bouchaibi who having taken on a "rocking, guitar picking star" persona, wished to be remembered to his Eastview friends - "Rock On", Mounir;
Have a great week everyone and stay well.
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“Life is like a ten-speed bike. Most of us have gears we never use.” Charles M. Schulz
Today's guests
We were pleased to welcome our two special guests, first our Guest Speaker, Tamara Larson, from the RC of Edmonton Whyte Avenue; and, our immediate Past District Governor Gailmarie Anderson from the RC of Melfort.
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