Last week the club received 2 important updates – Polio Plus and the Rotary Foundation (TRF) - with contributions from Larry Salmen, Judy Boggs, Irene Josey, and Ruth Lutes.
Larry led off reminding us of Rotary Foundation’s 7 causes.
- Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
- Basic Education and Literacy
- Disease Prevention and treatment
- Maternal and Child Health
- Peace Building and Conflict Prevention
- Community Economic Development
- Protecting the Environment (new!)
Larry said the next slide was the most important, illustrating the TRF funding process – starting with Rotarian contributions to Club Funds to Share (where funds are kept for 3 years growing by 3%) and then on to Directed District Funds (DDF) or World Funds; ultimately funneled to either Polio Eradication, District Grants, Global Grants or TRF programs. The contributor can earmark funds or make a general contribution. Please note that the 3% growth in Share covers all administrative costs so that 96% of funds go to the programs. The DDF is multiplied by a 2:1 district match. The Rotary Foundation has been awarded the highest rating for charities (100%).
The next slide was a partial list of RCFC current projects.
- Barron Health Clinic (Larry Salmen)
- Colorado River Training (Dave Stewart)
- El Potrero Guatemala Water System (John Trone)
- Uhambo Vocational Training (Lucinda Kershensteiner & Robin Steele)
- African Pads (Holly Petit)
- Bhopal (Rajiv Mehta)
Larry next shared some of the details of “his” project - the Clean Water for Barron Community Health Clinic in Mexico. The project includes a water purification system, storage tank, handwashing stations, plumbing and toilets. Along the way, Larry was able to get other clubs involved as well as obtain several Rotary Matching Grants. Finally, he shared the strengths of the project and its financing summary.
Next, Judy Boggs shared an update on Polio Plus. October 24 is World Polio Day with its stated goal to vaccinate every child, while celebrating the parents, volunteers, and donors that make this possible. Rotary launched Polio Plus in 1985 and was a founding member of the Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988. Together with their partners (including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) 20 million cases of paralytic polio have been prevented (99% eradication rate). The last case in the US was diagnosed in 1979. The vaccination rate in the US is 92.5%.
In 2021 there were only 12 wild cases reported worldwide. Since then, there has been a modest increase (30 cases in 2022, but only 8 cases year-to-date in 2023). Only 2 countries continue to report wild cases – Afghanistan and Pakistan. But complete eradication is just a matter of time, funding, and effort because “Rotarians never quit!” Judy distributed 3 handouts with a more details about the cases of wild and vaccine-related cases worldwide.
Ruth Lutes reminded us of The Polio Plus Society and distributed forms to engage members with a commitment to donate at least $100 per year and become a member of the PolioPlus Society of 5440. There are currently 85 members in District 5440 - $14,000 annual contributions pledged or $42,000 with the Gates Foundation Double Match.
Next, RCFC members were recognized for their financial support of Rotary’s commitment to eradicate polio. And don’t forget - save the date for Purple Pins – February 4, 2024.