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February 2007
The
International Service Update provides current news and
information about World Community Service, Rotary Volunteers, and
Rotary Community Corps, as well as disaster relief. Each issue also
features a country in which at least one WCS or Rotary Volunteers
project is seeking support.
WCS upcoming
events
If your club or
district is organizing a project fair or other WCS-related event,
consider advertising it on the
WCS Upcoming Events Web page. You may also want to
distribute WCS promotional materials, including a WCS Projects
Exchange flier, WCS PowerPoint presentation, and an International
Service Update flier. Send your event information and materials
requests to the
WCS program coordinator. Materials are also available in the
WCS Download Center.
Rotary Community Corps
project ideas
The
Community Projects Database
houses an extensive compilation of successful community service
projects, both completed and ongoing. Whether you’re planning your
first RCC service project or seeking ideas for your next one, take
advantage of this great resource. To include your RCC project in the
database, complete the
Community Projects Database Submission Form.
Disaster
relief volunteers
If you’d like
to volunteer your specialized skills and experience in a
disaster-relief capacity, consider registering with RI as an
international Rotary Volunteer. Your information will be added to
the
Rotary Volunteers Database for project coordinators
searching for volunteers. To register, download a PDF of the
Volunteer Registration Form posted at www.rotary.org.
Rotarians with
expertise in disaster relief might also consider joining the
Humanitarian Service Rotarian Action Group
http://www.hsrf.net/ and offering their skills as a
project specialist.
To become a
volunteer with Red Cross/Red Crescent, contact the society’s nearest
branch in your country for program and training details, as well as
current needs for volunteers:
Red Cross/Red Crescent Directory |
New disaster
relief e-mail address
Clubs and
districts organizing disaster relief and recovery efforts can now
e-mail general disaster-relief inquiries and postings to
relief@rotary.org. Notices appear on the
Club and District Relief and Recovery Efforts Web page.
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Country
highlight: Tanzania
Tanzania may be
best known as home to Mount Kilimanjaro and the
Great Rift Valley, but
this East African country is full of many other natural wonders and
rich with economic potential. Tanzania comprises mainland Tanganyika
and the island of Zanzibar and has an estimated population of 35.5
million.
Environment and
economy
Tanzania is rich in minerals, including gold, diamonds, tanzanite,
natural gas, iron ore, coal, phosphates, and salt. Agricultural
items — cotton, coffee, tea, nuts, sisal, maize, rice, wheat,
cassava, tobacco — account for 50 percent of the GDP and 85 percent
of all exports. The industrial sector makes up less than 10 percent
of GDP, one of the smallest in
Africa.
With its long coastline on the Indian Ocean, three large lakes (Victoria,
Tanganyika,
and Nyasa), and rivers and wetlands, it boasts a large and active
fishing industry. A dozen national parks, the Ngorngoro conservation
area, 13 game reserves, 38 game-controlled areas, and numerous
national cultural heritage sites support the tourism and wildlife
industry. Environmental concerns include decreased rainfall, an
increase in insect infestations, and loss of cultivatable land.
These problems could eventually escalate the existing problems of
food insecurity and malaria.
Culture
Tanzania is predominantly Christian (45 percent) and Muslim (45
percent); about 10 percent of the population hold indigenous
beliefs. The official language is Kiswahili, a Bantu-based tongue
strongly influenced by Arabic. English and numerous local languages
are also spoken. There are more than 120 African ethnic groups in
Tanzania, of which the Sukuma, Haya, Nyakyusa, Nyamwezi, and Chaga
have more than one million members.
Development
Despite the country’s rich natural resources, an estimated 48
percent of the population lives below the basic needs poverty line.
Committed to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals,
Tanzania has created the National Poverty Eradication Strategy to
help achieve the goals for ending extreme poverty. Schools in rural
areas struggle with low enrollment rates, mostly because many
parents cannot pay school fees. HIV/AIDS is a growing problem; an
estimated two million children have been orphaned by the pandemic.
Tanzania has launched proactive HIV/AIDS prevention campaigns,
including a recent call for voluntary testing and counseling. With
about half the population affected by malaria, access to clean
drinking water is an ongoing concern.
More information on
Tanzania
OneWorld.net
http://uk.oneworld.net/guides/tanzania/development
U.S. Department of State
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/2843.htm
Tanzania National Website
http://www.tanzania.go.tz/profile.html
Tanzania Development Vision 2025
http://www.tanzania.go.tz/vision.htm |
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Tanzania:
WCS and RV projects, and RCCs
The Rotary Club of Bahari--Dar-es-Salaam would like to provide a
mobile health clinic to a large, rural population in the Kilombero
Valley. The clinic will provide HIV/AIDS testing, counseling,
support, and education to roughly 60,000 people. The club seeks
funding for the vehicle and supplies. This WCS project is registered
on the
WCS Projects Exchange.
Nurses and specialist medical staff, as well as volunteers who may
be able to assist with education efforts and vaccine/medication
distribution, will also be needed for the project. See the
Rotary Volunteers International Site Database.
The country has three active Rotary Community Corps, all in Arusha.
One has received a Rotary Foundation Matching Grant for its project
to provide clean water to nearby villagers.
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