What is Rotary to me?
Rotary is where we are invited to share ideas, join leaders, and take action to create a lasting change. We are people of action! With 1.2 million members worldwide united to create a lasting change cross the borders, in our communities and in ourselves. With 16 million volunteering hours on an annual base, we are taking action locally and globally through passion, integrity, and intelligence. No challenge is too big for us! In Rotary, we are connected to serve in 6 focus areas. Areas of focus considered our causes that we support and serve to solve! Scroll down, to learn more.
Rotary usually includes people above 30 years old (1.2 million members worldwide to date), and there are 3 other programs for younger age to serve the community with a Rotary Club. Rotakids for 7-12 years old because we believe that it is never too early to start creating an impact in your community (4,810 members worldwide to date). Interact for 12-18 years old as we believe in developing young leaders since a young age (468,556 members worldwide to date). Rotaract for 18-30 years old as we believe in having fun through service (250,792 members worldwide to date). All programs should be sponsored by a Rotary Club at the end.
In addition to those programs, we also have the Rotary Community Corps. Which includes a group of non-Rotarians working to improve their communities. So, Rotary clubs decides to sponsor them. Currently, we have 7,500 RCCs worldwide.
We do aim to nurture our young members since they are 7 years old all the way to becoming Rotarians at age of 30. The first step taken 2 days ago was agreeing on a new enactment to #ElevateRotaract. To elevate Rotaract from being a program to becoming a true partner of service with Rotary. As Rotaract is a vital member of the Rotary family, so it is time to measure their impact and contribution. We can never take Rotaract for granted anymore. Elevating Rotaract is intended to increase the support the Rotaract clubs receives from Rotary International and enhance their ability to serve.
We need to be an inspiration to our young partners, so they will continue doing the great service that they do. This sends a strong message that they are truly our partners in service. - Rotary International President Barry Rassin
This will enlarge the definition to memebership in Rotary to include both Rotary and Rotaract.
#1 Promoting Peace:
We are Promoting Peace through fostering cross-cultures understanding through training young leaders and adults to mediate conflict and help refugees who have left dangerous areas. In 2018, more than 68 million people were displaced due to conflict and violence. Rotary fosters understanding and provides communities with the needed skills to resolve conflict through trainings. We are promoting peace through breaking myths & stigmas, rebuilding lives and educating refugees, bridging cultures through being a Global Citizen, empowering youth, and preventing domestic violence. Rotary has helped in:
1. Improving the quality of life; through helping families to afford food, clothing, housing, medicine, and necessities
2. Raising awareness against bullying.
3. Protecting domestic violence survivors and their families.
4. Promoting positive peace through addressing the root-causes of conflict.
#2 Fighting Disease:
We are Fighting Disease through getting rid of Polio forever, in addition to this we are educating and equipping communities to stop other diseases through expanding access to health care. We are fighting Polio, Malaria, Alzheimer's, Dengue Fever, and providing Telemedicine & Vaccines. Rotary's impact is:
1. Ending Polio through immunizing 2.5 billion children around the globe.
2. Providing clean water to fight diseases in rural areas.
3. Reducing HIV infection through prenatal care.
#3 Providing Clean Water:
We are Providing Clean Water through sustainable sources that are high in hygiene. We are providing clean water and sanitation which will help humans live healthier and spend less time carrying water for miles. We are helping through making schools healthier, providing water for communities, promoting "Wash" initiative, and providing access to toilets. Rotary's impact is:
1. USAID partnership to provide sustainable, long-term programs to improve water supply, hygiene, and sanitation.
2. Promoting "Wash" is schools to raise hygiene education in schools.
3. Raising funds to support water purification, hygiene education, latrine construction, and waste management.
#4 Saving Mothers & Children:
We are Saving Mothers & Children through expanding the access to quality medical care, sanitation, education, and economic opportunities so both mothers and children can live and grow stronger. Rotary keeps providing education, immunization, birth kits, and mobile birth clinics. Teaching mothers how to prevent mother-to-infant HIV transmission, how to breast-feed, how to protect themselves and their kids from diseases. Rotary's impact is:
1. Mobile prenatal clinics through providing a fully-equipped Jeep to provide the needed maternal health in remote areas.
2. Cancer screening through a mobile screening unit to screen for breast & cervical cancer early enough.
3. Preventing injuries and death caused by home delivery.
#5 Supporting Education:
We are Supporting Education through strengthening the community capacity to support basic education, literacy, and gender disparity in education. We are providing teachers' training, adults' literacy program, scholarships, educating refugees, mentoring students, and coaching teachers. Rotary's impact is:
1. Opening schools in rural areas to break the cycle of both poverty and social imbalance.
2. Teaching adults to read.
3. Proposing new teaching methods in schools for easiness.
4. Promoting healthy schools through providing clean water.
#6 Growing Local Economies:
We are Growing Local Economies through carrying out service projects that enhances the economy and develops the community through creating opportunities for productive work for both young and old. We are doing so through: Micro-Loans, agricultural opportunities, adopting a village, promoting human rights, and providing electricity Rotary's impact is:
1. Breaking the cycle of poverty in women through educating them financially to start their own small businesses and gain a living.
2. Provide citizens with business training and skills development to help them start their own small businesses such as sewing, baking, plumbing, and so on.
3. Promote sustainable farming through educating farmers to improve their soil fertility, control their soil erosion, and market their products.
Rotary helps us change the community through our service projects. And changing ourselves through the four-way test. This test is our moral code since 1940 for personal and professional relationships. Before thinking, saying, or doing anything we ask ourselves 4 important questions:
1. Is it the TRUTH?
2. Is it FAIR for all concerned?
3. Will it build GOODWILL & BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?