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. |
| West Africa Project Fair |
The fifth annual West Africa Project Fair, which will take place 4-11 November in Cotonou, Benin, is a great opportunity to meet West African Rotarians and learn about service projects in need of partners. The fair will include a projects exhibition, project site visits, and a Rotary Foundation seminar. Learn more, and download the registration form. |
| Requesting volunteers on ProjectLINK |
| If your club or district is in need of assistance on an international service project, consider posting a call for volunteers on ProjectLINK. Register the project using the ProjectLINK Submission Form: Project Seeking Support, and list the required skills, languages, and other details on the "Request for Rotary Volunteers" page. Volunteers who are interested in serving on the project will contact your club or district directly. Download the form (see "Related Information").
|
| Take advantage of RI's social networking pages |
If your club is looking to promote international service projects, consider using Rotary International's pages on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites to connect with Rotarians worldwide. Learn more, and start networking.
|
| ProjectLINK helps connect Argentine and Italian clubs |
The port city of Necochea, in the southeast corner of Argentina's Buenos Aires Province, draws many sunbathers to its beaches and surfers to some of the best waves on the coast. But while visitors enjoyed the city's natural beauty, the students of Public School No. 48 struggled with poverty and lacked the necessary resources for learning and educational development. The Rotary Club of Necochea recently completed a World Community Service project to build a library that is serving over 300 students and their families. Five Italian clubs in District 2070 (Italy; San Marino) heard about the effort through ProjectLINK and provided the Necochea club with US$2,750 to supply the library with more than 200 books, bookshelves, a computer, tables, and chairs. Since receiving the funds, the Necochea club has publicized the project on television, in newspapers, and on local radio stations. Learn more about ProjectLINK. |
| Rotarian Action Group for Blindness Prevention |
The Rotarian Action Group for Blindness Prevention brings together Rotarians who have an active interest in the prevention of blindness and the promotion of eye health and vision worldwide. Members have carried out numerous projects, such as coordinating eyeglass donations in Mexico, training optometrists and eye care  professionals in Ghana, providing cataract surgeries in India, and conducting a variety of events to raise awareness of vision-related issues around the world. This group is an outgrowth of the former Avoidable Blindness Task Force, the Fellowship of Eye Care Professionals, and the Eye Care Fellowship of Rotarians. Learn more. |
| Posting board for potential Global Networking Groups |
Rotary International is now posting Rotarian-submitted ideas for Global Networking Groups, which encompass Rotarian Action Groups and Rotary Fellowships. Groups that appear on the posting board have not been recognized by RI; they must first secure the approval of the RI Board of Directors. If you're interested in participating in any of the prospective groups, e-mail the organizer directly. Learn more about suggested Global Networking Groups. | |
|
|
|
| Quick Links |
|
|
| Country Profile:
Argentina |
Country overview
Argentina is the eighth-largest country in the world. Its terrain includes the Andes mountain range, swamps, the grassy interior plains known as the Pampas, and a long coastline.
Argentina has a wealth of natural resources including the fertile plains of its central Pampas region, and raw minerals comprising of petroleum, uranium and iron. Though it has the highest per capita income in South America, its economy is still recovering from a 2002 economic collapse that left more than half the population in poverty. Recovery began in 2003, yet economic concerns remain: The country struggles with the threat of high inflation, a quarter of its population still lives in poverty, and about 7 percent of residents live on less than US$1 a day.
Children are particularly vulnerable in Argentina. Though the country boasts high youth and adult literacy rates, many students repeat grades or drop out of secondary school. Argentina is making progress in these areas with initiatives such as the government-run Plan Familias, which ensures that children attend school and receive primary health care.
Environmental challenges in Argentina include a massive increase in soy plantations. The crop accounts for almost 50 percent of the country's grain production, and over half a million acres of forest have been cleared to plant it. Desertification is an issue in many regions, and with soy replacing other grain crops, some worry that the country is in danger of losing its self-sufficiency in food production.
Argentina is striving to improve the lives of the most vulnerable members of its population by working toward the UN Millennium Development Goals. By rebuilding institutional, economic, and social structures, the country has made substantial strides in achieving universal primary education; promoting gender equality and empowering women; reducing child mortality; and combating HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases.
Projects seeking assistance
Argentine Rotary clubs sponsor 34 active Rotary Community Corps. There are 23 World Community Service and Rotary Volunteers projects in Argentina seeking support on ProjectLINK. These efforts include providing medical care, clean water, microfinance, vocational training, and education, and they are in need of contributions.
Find more information on how to support these projects and others on ProjectLINK. |
|
|
|
