Rotary Moment 4/3/24
*The Rotary Programs of Scale grant was awarded to an initiative in Nigeria called Together for Healthy Families. This initiative is sponsored by a Rotary District in Germany and four Rotary Districts in Nigeria. The goal for the $2 million dollar grant is to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality by 25% in target areas of Nigeria by the end of the three-year program. In 2020, 82,000 pregnant woman and new mothers died in Nigeria, making it the highest maternal death rate in the world. Factors that led to death include lack of access to health centers or hospitals and poor quality of care. The Rotary Programs of Scale grant is being used to establish outreach centers, train healthcare workers and educate the community on prenatal/postnatal care and family planning. Data from the Together for Healthy Families initiative is being gathered and analyzed so that it can be replicated in other needy areas.
*The Rotary Club of Houston Skyline initiated a plan to relieve the urban hot spots in the Third Ward section of Houston. Urban hot spots are areas of cities that experience significantly hotter temperatures than their suburban neighbors in the summer months. Temperatures in urban hot spots can be 15 to 20 degrees warmer due to the heat absorbing the concrete, pavement steel and glass and radiating it back into the air. The lack of grassy areas and shade from trees also contribute to the rise in temperatures. Extreme heat over extended periods of time can lead to many health issues and even death. Lower-income urban communities are most vulnerable due to their high-density housing and lack of green spaces. When Rotary International had its convention in Houston in 2022, members of Rotary clubs in the Houston area highlighted the urban hot spot issue and offered solutions to this wide-spread issue. Solutions such as light-colored and green roofs, lighter-colored pavement and planting more trees and vegetation can be adopted by Rotary clubs everywhere to help alleviate hot spots in their own cities.
*Rotary Clubs are thinking of creative ways to attract new members. The Rotaract Club of Dhaka Orchid in Bangladesh believed that if they could interest more young people to serve in Rotaract club, they could show them how they can serve everywhere at any time. The club used young people’s love of rock music to organize a large-scale music festival. It was a huge success. After the event, 670 people expressed interest in joining the club and plans were made to charter more than 30 clubs in the city. The Rotaract Club of Dhaka Orchid has these tips for planning an event intended to recruit members and raise your club’s profile in the community: (1) Create a event that reflects your community’s popular music, art or food, (2) Enlist influencers to promote your event on social media, (3) Use merch to advertise your club in the community, (4) Bring the fun into your club, and (5) Dream big and don’t take no for an answer.
*Adapted from the April 2024 issue of Rotary Magazine.