December is about more than the holidays
28 Dec
By Stacey Chikoto, member of the Rotaract Club of Toronto, Canada
This year seems to have flown by so fast! Time flies when you’re having fun with Rotaract and before you know it, the end of the year is upon us. December is not only a month of holiday celebrations around the world, but it is also Rotary Disease Prevention and Treatment month. While it might seem odd to put these two topics in the same sentence, they do have a commonality in that the end of year holidays bring about a mindset of hope and looking towards a better future, which can be applied to fuel our motivation in the fight against disease.
Disease prevention and treatment is one of the world’s most critical and widespread humanitarian concerns, and the Rotaract Club of Toronto is constantly working to play our part in addressing this need. We do this by…
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Why the Rotarian Action Group for Multiple Sclerosis Awareness (RAGMSA) was formed
27 DecBy Martin Taurins, Chair of the Rotarian Action Group for Multiple Sclerosis Awareness (RAGMSA) and member of the Rotary Club of Gisborne, Victoria, Australia
When my son Jacob, a budding musician, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) at age 20, my wife Diana and I didn’t know anything about the disease.
Our world changed when our son became one of 2.5 million people worldwide diagnosed with this neurological condition in which the body’s immune system inexplicably turns on itself, attacking the protective sheaths that surround nerve fibers. Depending on the type of MS, symptoms range from tingling or numbness, visual impairment, mobility restrictions, loss of coordination, independence and eventually paralysis.
The disease most commonly impacts adults ages 20-40 and three times as many more women than men. MS has no cure, but our family wanted to take action. We felt frustrated that no one could tell us what causes MS…
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Celebrating Rotary’s commitment to creating a healthier world
26 DecBy Rotary Service and Engagement Staff
400 million people in the world can’t afford or don’t have access to basic health care resulting in misery, pain, and poverty. Which is why Rotary members are devoted to fighting and preventing diseases. From setting up temporary clinics, blood donation centers, and training facilities in underserved communities to designing and building infrastructure allowing doctors, patients, and governments to work together, Rotary members take on efforts both large and small.
This December, Rotary Disease Treatment and Prevention Month, gain inspiration to take action to fight and prevent disease in your community by:
- Supporting health education programs that explain how diseases are spread, and promoting ways to reduce the risk of transmission;
- Partnering with medical institutions or ministries of health to help immunize people against infectious diseases;
- Supporting continued education and training for health workers through scholarships, stipends, and public recognition;
- Improving and expanding access…
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A quest for international service led to my Rotary moment
22 DecBy Jerry Kallman, Past President of the Rotary Club of Ridgewood, New Jersey, USA
When I first served as president of the Rotary Club of Ridgewood in 2008, I sought out an international service project to complement the several community service activities our club traditionally supported. During that year’s District Conference, I learned the Rotary Club of Maywood, also in New Jersey, was supporting a school in the Maasai Mara Reserve of southern Kenya. My wife Lorraine and I joined the club’s annual visit to Kenya, with the intention of emulating their experiences while seeking out a school of our own to support.
In Kenya we found the Kishermoruak Primary School. After an informational meeting and learning session with the head teacher, who had never heard of Rotary, we agreed to a partnership. We drew up a wish list of project ideas based on community needs and as they say…
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