The International Service Update provides news about World Community Service, Rotary Volunteers, and Rotary Community Corps, as well as disaster relief and recovery. Visit the Service and Fellowship pages on the Rotary International Web site, www.rotary.org, for more information. |
| Upcoming events |
Meet fellow Rotarians and collaborate on projects by attending one of these upcoming events.
West Africa Project Fair
Belize City, Belize
29-31 January |
| Disaster relief and recovery: Iowa, USA |
Flooding caused massive damage in the U.S. state of Iowa in June, forcing as many as 40,000 residents to flee their homes. Iowa Rotary districts 5970 and 6000 have established funds to help with relief and recovery efforts. Learn more about the effects of this disaster - and how to make a contribution - from a recent article on this effort. |
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Child Mortality |
RI President D.K. Lee is asking Rotarians in 2008-09 to Make Dreams Real for the world's children. He challenges Rotarians to work together to reduce the rate of child mortality through projects focusing on Rotary's emphases of health and hunger, literacy, and water. Review the RI resource group pages to learn more about these emphases and how to get involved in related projects. |
| Presidential membership conferences |
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| Reach Out to Africa Committee |
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RI President D.K. Lee and Past RI President Wilf Wilkinson have appointed a Reach Out to Africa committee to enhance Rotary in Africa with an emphasis on service project development, needs assessments, hands-on participation, partnerships with Rotary clubs in other countries, utilization of RI and Rotary Foundation resources, and involvement in youth programs. This is a special three-year project, with five subcommittees that will work in the field in support of their activities, both in Africa and in partner countries. If you're interested in learning how to get involved in projects in Africa, please contact one of the committee members. You can find the list of members and their contact information in the Official Directory. |
| Rotarian action group: Rotarians for Fighting AIDS (RFFA) |
Rotarians for Fighting AIDS (RFFA) aims to educate and mobilize Rotarians in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. Recently, the RFFA was chosen as an implementation partner for a youth prevention program in Kenya aimed at reducing HIV infections by 50% in five years. If your club is interested in learning more about RFFA projects, becoming involved in a project addressing HIV/AIDS, or joining the group, visit the RFFA Web site. | |
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| Quick Links |
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Highlight on service: Kenya |
Kenya has a rich history and landscape, making it one of the most visited and well-known countries in Africa. Its ethnic diversity and stability in a region that struggles with conflict has led it to become a regional mediator for neighboring countries such as Sudan and Somalia. Kenya has also become known as a haven for refugees fleeing nearby conflicts.
In spite of Kenya's many strengths, it will face challenges in achieving the UN Millennium Development Goals by 2015. A recent study concluded that achieving these health and poverty reduction targets would cost Kenya nearly US$61 billion. In contrast, its foreign aid is less than $1 billion per year. Although Kenya has a larger middle class than its neighboring countries, around 46 percent of Kenya's 38 million people live in poverty, and 20 percent live in extreme poverty. Much of Kenya's territory is arid or semi-arid, making it difficult to become self-sufficient in food production. Cycles of severe floods and droughts also impact its food security.
Over half of Kenya's population is under 15 years of age. This high dependency ratio puts tremendous strain on the country's health care and educational programs. Additionally, child and infant mortality have increased steadily in the last 15 years.
The HIV/AIDS epidemic has also had a devastating effect, reducing life expectancy to only 52 years. On an encouraging note, the prevalence of the virus has halved from its rate in the late 1990s to 5.1 percent due to greater public awareness and free antiretroviral drug therapy treatment.
Projects seeking assistance
Kenyan Rotary clubs engage in many education and water projects to help combat some of the country's worst poverty and health issues. They also sponsor 60 Rotary Community Corps throughout the country.
To contribute to projects in Kenya, please visit ProjectLINK for more details. For interested volunteers, there are currently two projects seeking educational, medical, and dental assistance on ProjectLINK. All Rotary clubs in Kenya seeking international assistance for a World Community Service project are encouraged to register their projects to be posted on ProjectLINK. |
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