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. |
| World Community Service: A Guide to Action |
The newly revised World Community Service: A Guide to Action (742) is now available! The publication provides an overview of the program, ideas for identifying international partners, guidelines for working with donated goods, and more. It is available in English, French, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. Download it at www.rotary.org, or purchase it at shop.rotary.org for US$3.50. |
| ProjectLINK Submission Form |
Rotary clubs and districts sponsoring projects that need funding, volunteers, donated goods, or partners for a Rotary Foundation Matching Grant can now use the ProjectLINK Submission Form: Project Seeking Support to publicize their efforts on the ProjectLINK database. The form is available as a Word document at www.rotary.org/projectlink. (See "Related Information.")
The new form replaces both the World Community Service Project Form (784) and the Rotary Volunteers Project Registration Form (285). Although the ProjectLINK database is available in English only, clubs and districts may submit forms in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish.
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| 2009 Uniendo America Project Fair |
There is still time to register for the upcoming Uniendo America Project Fair in Belize City, Belize. This event is a great way to connect with Rotarians in Central America and learn about projects in their communities that need international partners. |
| Disaster Relief Rotarian Action Group news |
The Disaster Relief Rotarian Action Group has launched a new Web site, www.drrag.org. The site provides a forum for Rotarians worldwide to publicize requests for disaster relief, contribute to service efforts, and share resources.
The group recently hosted the third Rotary Emergency Disaster Initiative (REDI) Conference in Nassau, Bahamas. Video footage is now available to group members on Web site. |
| Disaster relief effort: Brazil |
Flooding and landslides in November left thousands homeless in southern Brazil. Rotarians in District 4650 have been collecting financial contributions and donated goods to assist victims. Learn more about how Rotarians are helping. |
| Reach Out to Africa Committee resources online |
New materials from the Reach Out to Africa Committee have been posted on RI President Dong Kurn Lee's Web pages to facilitate involvement in projects in Africa. Resources include a report of the Africa Progress Panel, demographic information, statistics, and a link to the committee's Web site. Additionally, the committee contact list provides e-mail addresses for members of the Africa and Service Associate Countries subcommittees and functional coordinators for the focus areas of child care, disabilities, economic empowerment, health initiatives, literacy and education, and water management. Visit the committee's Web site to learn more. |
| Water & Sanitation Rotarian Action Group |
The Water & Sanitation Rotarian Action Group (WASRAG) helps Rotary clubs find project partners and funding sources and choose appropriate technologies to solve water and sanitation problems. WASRAG is seeking Rotarians with expertise on any aspect of water and sanitation issues in the developing world to serve on its panel of experts, who can advise on project planning and implementation. Learn more on the group's Web site.
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| Request for stories and photos |
Rotary clubs that have gained support for their projects -- financial contributions, donated goods, or volunteers -- after having them listed on ProjectLINK are invited to send their success stories to RI. Selected projects will be featured in RI publications. Volunteers who have located project sites using ProjectLINK are also welcome to share their direct service experiences. Stories and photos can be e-mailed to international.service@rotary.org or mailed to International Service Programs at RI World Headquarters, 1560 Sherman Avenue, Evanston, IL 60201-3698. | |
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| Highlight on service: Uganda |
Uganda has a diverse environment of forests, woodlands, savannas, wetlands, and lakes, and is home to the mountain gorilla, more than half of African bird species, and 345 mammal species. The Nile River source is Lake Victoria, which forms part of the country's southern border.
Though English is Uganda's official language, Swahili is widely spoken and serves as the common language for conducting business. Most Ugandans belong to one of the country's 34 ethnic groups and speak one of the Bantu, Eastern Nilotic, Western Nilotic, or Sudanic languages.
Civil war and economic catastrophe gripped Uganda during the 1970s and 1980s. Since the 1986 election of President Yoweri Museveni, the government has introduced numerous democratic reforms and social improvements. Conflict is still present in parts of northern Uganda and contributes to humanitarian issues affecting peace and conflict resolution, child and maternal health, and education.
The country is working toward many of the UN Millennium Development Goals, including those addressing health. The United Nations estimates that 67 percent of Ugandan households lack access to clean water, 13.7 percent of children die before their fifth birthday, and 435 of every 100,000 new mothers die during childbirth.
Uganda has made progress on some of the goals, including reducing poverty, providing universal primary education, and combating HIV/AIDS. A prevention campaign has helped HIV-prevalence decline from 18 percent in 1995 to 6.4 percent in 2005.
Rotary Projects seek assistance
Ugandan Rotary clubs sponsor 55 active Rotary Community Corps. There are currently four World Community Service and Rotary Volunteers projects in Uganda seeking support on ProjectLINK. These efforts, which include developing educational programs for at-risk girls, providing potable water to villages, and improving schools for deaf children, are in need of both contributions and volunteers.
Find more information on how to support these projects and others on ProjectLINK. |
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