World Community Service / Domestic Grants Reports

Domestic Grant Committee

Rotary District Grant 2024-25

Each year, our club has the opportunity to apply for a district grant with District 5750 in which our club contributes 1/3 the cost of a project and the district provides the other 2/3rds of funding. This past May, our domestic service committee submitted a $6,514 grant to purchase a Vibe board for the Down Syndrome Association of Central Oklahoma.  The vibe board has multifunctional capabilities that will support their educational endeavors, foster community, and advocacy efforts, and streamline administrative processes.

Currently DSACO serves almost 1,000 families in the central Oklahoma area and this device will help the reach more of those families and will also give them the opportunity to provide more services to educators and medical professionals by offering webinars and sessions. Thank you to Domestic Service Chair Jake Krattiger and the committee for completing this great project on behalf of our club and District 5750.

Rotary Club 29 Foundation Provides Teacher Grants Through Oklahoma City Public Schools Teacher Grant Fund

In 2023, the Rotary Club 29 Foundation, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Oklahoma City, established a $10,000 grant fund using domestic service project funds made possible through our Foundation’s annual spending policy. The “Oklahoma City Public Schools Teacher Micro-Grant Fund” is overseen by the Club’s Domestic Service Committee to award grants to teachers in the Oklahoma City Public Schools who submit grant requests using the Donor’s Choose platform (https://www.donorschoose.org/).

Each academic year, members of the Club’s Domestic Service Committee review and score grant applications submitted by OKCPS Teachers. The maximum award for any individual grant is $2,000 without any further approval needed from the Rotary Club 29 Foundation Board. The Committee has the discretion to consider each grant submission on its merits, but is encouraged to consider awarding grants for sustainable supplies or programs that will be used by a teacher or classroom for multiple years. To ensure the grants have as much impact as possible, the Committee is focused on awarding grants to teachers at schools which are historically underfunded, and will provide resources in the areas of literacy and language and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math).

In Spring 2024, the Committee awarded 14 grants to teachers across OKCPS. The grants included reading materials for elementary school students, microscopes for middle school and high school students, sensory tables, PPE for labs, and even a laser engraving machine or stage and film props. Work has already begun to award additional grants in Fall 2024 so the teachers can be funded during the current school year.

If you are interested in working on these grant awards, or with the other work of the Domestic Service Committee, please reach out to cheryl@okcrotary.com or Jake Krattiger jkrattiger@gablelaw.com to join the committee today.

9-19-2024

Rotary Club 29 in the Fight Against Malaria

by Mary Jane Calvey

Over Labor Day, Rotarians Clayton Taylor and Mary Jane Calvey joined Malaria Partners International(MPI) and members of several Washington State Rotary Clubs in Zimbabwe and Zambia in the global effort to eliminate Malaria.  This ongoing effort helps by educating and empowering Community Health workers.  Providing training, supplies, and sometimes bicycles to reach remote villages with messages of prevention, treatment, and cure malaria, MPI and Rotary hope to break the cycle of malaria illness and death.

Malaria is cause by the bite of the drosophila melanogaster mosquito which carries the malaria parasite.  Young children as especially susceptible to serious illness from infections caused by bites from this pest.  Prevention includes eliminating breeding habitat such as standing water, sleeping under treated bed nets to prevent bites from the night-flying mosquito, and wearing protective clothing.  Many people are unaware of early symptoms and delay treatment until severe illness sets in.

Visitors to Africa and other places with endemic malaria are advised to take preventive medications and sleep under bed nets.  Clayton Taylor served as president of Malaria Partners International, and Steven Shepelwich will assume that role next year.  Many Rotary Clubs have joined together to support this fight against this preventable disease.  Pharmaceutical companies are developing vaccines for malaria but none are completely vetted yet.  Given how long distribution of the polio vaccine has taken and how several cases of polio are diagnosed in war-torn countries when vaccinations are interrupted, the fight against malaria will require mobilization of multiple efforts to wipe out this debilitating disease.

The group started in Harare, Zimbabwe where they met with local Rotarians at a garden party where much enthusiasm for this project was expressed.  After experiencing a Braai (local barbeque) and enjoying the Fleetwood Lodge, the 20 person group boarded a bus for a celebration and demonstration of techniques used by community health workers, lunch gave the group an opportunity to interact with the health workers and some bikes were presented to the community trainers to be used to reach remote villages.  A tour of the local hospital convinced all that prevention and early treatment is more effective than a trip to the hospital with an intense illness.  Local staff affirmed that during a drought such as the Mudzi region is experiencing, malaria rates were down.  But they also need rain to grow crops so local citizens are not malnourished.  Meeting with local government officials, MPI was assured of local cooperation and encouragement for their efforts.

From Harare, the group traveled to Gweru where local Rotarians and Rotaractors (college age Rotarians) provided an al fresco lunch and discussions of their local projects.  From Gweru, the group proceeded to Bulawayo where an enthusiastic group of Rotary Clubs and Rotaractors greeted the bus with traditional dancing and song.  The dancers soon drew the visitors out into their circle to join the fun.  Each host club was introduced and spoke about their many efforts in the community.  An elegant outdoor buffet followed.  The Crests Churchill Hotel provided a brief respite and then the bus headed out over “ challenging” roads to Hwange National Park, a game preserve and National protected area.  It could have been called a forest except that the many elephant herds kept most of the vegetation truncated  (awful pun).  The next day we toured a local demonstration farm where pigs, rabbits, ducks and other flocks were well fed and local crops cultivated for food and feed.  This farm is owned by an American couple with Zimbabwean roots.

While some of the groups were at the farm, the elephant herd visited the groups quarters and drank water out of the pool in which some members were swimming. It seems the adjacent watering hole was a frequent attraction and visitors were warned that occasional wildlife could roam inside the walled compound at night.  The next day everyone had opportunities to see elephants, impala, wildebeests, giraffes, zebras, bushbucks (tiny antelope), and waited breathlessly for a stalking cheetah that caused an impala to freeze in hopes of not being seen.  None of us saw the cheetah.  We observed exotic birds and finally a resting pride of lions.

Off over really awful roads, we journeyed to Victoria Falls and a lunch with the Victoria Falls Rotary Club at a restaurant on the downfalls side after hiking the long trail that offered multiple views of the Falls.  Even during drought season, the amount of water thundering over the cataract was awesome.  A stay at A’ Zambezi Lodge on the Zimbabwean side gave an opportunity to rest- and be awakened after midnight to see the resident hippos grazing.

Lastly, the bus crossed over the bridge to Zambia where we were greeted by the Livingstone Rotary Club members and Zambia Malaria Partners who had experience working on Malaria prevention in their country.  By last count, this makes six Rotary Clubs and at least that many makeups!!  The last evening was capped by a sunset cruise on the Zambezi and a large herd of elephants coming out to say goodbye under the shy gaze of two hippos and a large crocodile.  probably checking on why crocodile wraps were featured on the lodge menu?).  A final farewell visit with the Zambian Rotarians and off to the airport the following morning.

Lots of new friends, and enthusiastic Rotarians, as well as a new crew of friends from the Seattle and Belleview Washington area, mean that these efforts will set an example of practical public health efforts to attack malaria at its roots.

ROTARIANS AGAINST MALARIA-GLOBAL (RAM-G)

Trip to Western Kenya, February 10-18, 2024

By Dennis Shockley, Ph.D.

We carefully negotiated the small dirt passageways of corrugated metal and clumsily plastered concrete walls stepping over stones, interrupted by occasional sunlight, and arrived in a narrow alleyway where we were surrounded by about 50 bug-eyed, shiny headed small children of God. They were gathered there for what would perhaps be their only meal that day, rice, beans and flatbread. We were in the heart of Kibra, the worst slum town in Nairobi. Alice brought us here.

Last month I had the privilege to accompany 17 other US Rotarians to Western Kenya on a RAM-G educational and humanitarian safari. The goal was to learn about interventions against malaria in partnership with Rotary District 9212. The group was led by Dr. Dan Perlman, a retired epidemiologist and Rotarian from the Denver area. We were accompanied for the entirety of our adventure by Alice Atemo, a past president of the Kakamega Rotary Club. She is also the founder of the Overcoming Faith Schools for Orphans in Western Kenya. She rescues kids from Kibra, but is restricted in student body size by the government.

Dr. Perlman, far left. Group with Alice Atemo

We flew to Kakamega the next day and visited one of Alice’s schools. Later that morning we toured a medical camp supported by the Kakamega Rotary Club where malaria was being diagnosed and treated and met with some 50 Community Health Promoters (CHPs). We also received presentations by  professors at Masinde Muliro University in Kakamega to learn about malaria health care training using microscopy to diagnose malaria and other diseases.

For the next several days we traveled some of the worst dirt roads you can possibly imagine, roads our three safari trucks could barely navigate. We were very thankful it was not rainy season. We went to places no tourist would or could ever go because they would never find them. This was Rural Western Kenya with a capital R.

From Kakamega we drove to Vihiga and Busia counties near Lake Victoria and met with CHPs, who are lacking in adequate training, equipment and stipend support. We also visited the Rumbiye Health Facility where the Rotary Club of Busia had been  granted funds by the Kenya Ministry of Health for a Health Pop-up. There we helped distribute 900 mosquito nets, plus cooking oil, vegetable seeds and donated funds for indoor spraying to reduce Anopheles mosquitos. The Rumbiye facility has recorded a 53% malaria prevalence among children under one year of age. This facility serves remote villages with the highest malaria rate in Kenya. They critically need more CHPs, better training and equipment.

Rumbiye

We were accompanied on our travels at one time or another by local Rotarians from about 5 different clubs. The delivery of equipment and supplies on our trip was coordinated through them. Local Rotary Clubs in Kenya are just like in the US. They are active and involved in many activities in their communities. One morning we helped one local club plant Eucalyptus trees that will be harvested some years in the future to be made into furniture.

Planting Trees

The next day, our group met with CHPs at the Hawinga Health Center in Siaya County. There we supplied new bicycles, backpacks, boots and rain gear to 44 CHPs. We also distributed  shoes to 80 kids at the Precious Tears Initiative, a rural orphanage school.

The following  day we had lunch at the Rafiki Foundation in Rarieda near Lake Victoria and met with another CHP group. They had previously received bicycles and other equipment through an Aspen, CO club grant coordinated by RAM-G.

The very next day we stopped for a photo at the Equator. After that the bulk of the tour concluded at the Kenya Epidemiological Medical Research Institute in Kisumu. Here we learned of research about changing mosquito entomology and how this impacts malaria rates. Mosquito eggs mature twice as fast in the equatorial climate than they do in Oklahoma.

How did we let the Lion’s beat us to this?

We had very little time to rest during our dizzying malaria travels. So the final day and a half were reserved for rest and recuperation at the Maasai Mara Animal Reserve and Enkorok Tented Camp. After that, a quick flight back to Nairobi and a long flight home. Our eight nights of accommodations at four different locations on the trip ran from excellent to spartan and there was always plenty of food and water for our group. The temperatures averaged about 82F during our days and in the 50s at night.

It was an incredible trip, far beyond my meager attempt to relate it here. The journey was nothing like I thought it would be. I came away not only with a greater knowledge of malaria and interventions, but also a respect and appreciation for the beautiful and friendly people of Kenya. At most of the schools and health clinics we visited we were warmly greeted by Rotarians and others singing and dancing. Perhaps our Club 29 Chorale should consider a choreographer.

Finally, I will always remember the children we interacted with throughout our trip. They are so like children everywhere, curious, joyful and engaging. I encourage all Club 29 members to take a Rotarian field trip like this somewhere abroad. No TV documentary can ever capture this three dimensional week I experienced in Kenya embracing and touching people.

Africa Travel with Malaria Partners International
by Clayton Taylor

As a member of the Board of Malaria Partners International “MPI” and in behalf of our OKC Rotary Club 29 , in early October I traveled to the East African country of Uganda.  I traveled with MPI Board Chairman Frank Boosman from Houston.  This was Frank’s first visit to Africa and my first visit to Uganda.  We were the first from MPI or Rotary to visit in person our Malaria Project in Uganda.  Our local “Guide” in Uganda was Dorothy Echodu, CEO of Pilgrim Africa, which is a contractor organization that has been working on our project.

Our OKC Rotary Club 29 is serving as the U.S. Sponsor Club in partnership with the Rotary Club of Muyenga in Kampala, Uganda, which is serving as the in-country Rotary Club project sponsor.  Working with MPI and our two Rotary Clubs, and with strong support from the Rotary International Foundation, the Gates Foundation and World Vision, we have implemented a $1.2 million project.  The major goal has been to train and equip 1,100 village healthcare workers in the Katakwi District of Eastern Uganda to diagnose and treat more than 350,000 Ugandans for malaria, diarrhea and pneumonia.       This area has an annual 30%-40% Malaria incidence among the population.

Our visit to Uganda started in the capitol city of Kampala where we were briefed by Pilgrim Africa on the impacts of Malaria in Uganda with specific focus on Easter Uganda.  While in Kampala, we also had some very positive meetings with representatives of the Uganda Ministry of Health, as they will ultimately take over management of the prevention and treatment program when Rotary completes the training and implementation phase of the project and transitions out.

I want to make sure that everyone in our Rotary Club knows the great work that our Club 29 members Steve Shepelwich and Larry Stone did in raising the local Rotary money that was needed to match the funding from RI, the Gates Foundation and World Vision.  Thank you Steve and Larry!!

Again, the horrible effects of Malaria are similar to extreme flu or COVID 19.  It frequently kills infants under the age of 5.  It will make mothers so sick that they cannot care for their children.  So, if a child is has malaria when the mother becomes sick, she may not be able to carry the sick child to get treatment.    It will make fathers so sick that they cannot work. If a father cannot go to work, then there is no money to buy food for the family.  It is a horrible downward spiral effect!

When we traveled to Soroti and Katakwi Districts in Uganda, we had several in-person visits with trained Village Healthcare Workers who are diagnosing and treating malaria, diarrhea and pneumonia at the local level.  This was inspiring as we heard how committed these folks are even though they are essentially serving as volunteers.

They expressed great pride in their work and take their responsibilities very seriously.  They end up being on call 24 hours per day.  They also let us know that they need more supplies, including — bicycles and head lamps for travel; more medications for patients; and more bed nets and interior spraying to help with prevention.

Finally they let us know that they would greatly appreciate an increase in their compensation — from current $3 per month for transportation expense reimbursement to a more meaningful wage of $10-20 per month.

We were told that the average monthly Village Healthcare Worker compensation in other countries in East Africa is closer to $35-45 per month.

As a member of Club 29, you can be proud that your contributions and support are helping to attack malaria in Uganda.  Please note that RAM Global “Rotarians Against Malaria” is an official committee of Rotary International and will be taking a larger group of 12-18 Rotarians to Uganda February 10-18, 2024.  If you are interested in perhaps traveling to Uganda, please let me know and I can get you in touch for more information.

April 5, 2023
Disaster Assistance
by Matt Bown

Sadly, there has been no shortage of tragic news related to extreme hardship for people in disaster areas.  From ongoing refugee tragedies related to conflict in Ukraine and Syria to natural disasters of drought, flooding and earthquakes in Somalia, Pakistan and Turkey. Club 29, through the Rotary Club 29 Foundation, consistently strives to impact lives in these disaster areas

Through our Club’s partnership with ShelterBox as a Gold HERO club, we are participating in relief efforts in each of these areas, as well as many others.  In addition, our Club’s has recently participated with direct contributions to Ukrainian refugee relief and to Rotary International’s program to support earthquake recovery efforts in Turkey.

Turkey and Syria Earthquakes

Following powerful earthquakes, over 50,000 people died and 66,000 buildings were damaged.  The displacement and lack of shelter during winter months represented a significant humanitarian crisis.  ShelterBox has stepped in with tents, blankets, mattresses and winter coats to provide protection from weather and disease as people work to get back on their feet.

Pakistan Flooding

Severe monsoon flooding in Pakistan has left thousands of people homeless.  Flooding has affected 33 million people and damaged around 1 million homes.  ShelterBox has provided tents, water filters and carriers, mosquito nets, and solar lights.

Ukrainian Refugees

The war in Ukraine has displaced millions of Ukrainians.  ShelterBox, as well as our Club and District have provided support to aid these refugees.  ShelterBox focuses on supplies for those living in damaged homes without heat or power.  Support includes thermal clothing, solar lights, water carriers, stoves, and emergency repair kits.  Our Club and District have provided direct financial support to partner Rotary Clubs in Poland and Moldova to aid them in providing refugees with essential humanitarian relief.  In addition, our Club has facilitated and supported Rotary International funding to our partner Moldova club.  All together these efforts have resulted in over $120,000 of support for Ukrainian refugees over the past year.

Rotary is an amazing force for good in the world, connecting people and providing opportunities to impact lives wherever needed.  Our Club, as always, is an active participant in this Rotary world of good!

Global Grant 1868701, Mara Talek Community Water Project, Narok County, Kenya
World Community Service Report by Larry Stone

The completed Mara Talek water tower which provides water for the surrounding communities.

Rotarian PDG Bob Felt of North Carolina cuts the ribbon on the new water kiosk.

On July 22, Rotarians from Oklahoma, Arizona, and North Carolina, visited Narok, Kenya, to participate in the dedication of Global Grant 1868701, Mara Talek Community Water Project, Narok County, Kenya. This $145,000 water project included contributions from from six Rotary districts and twenty-eight individual clubs. The project began in 2015 and completed in 2019. Due to COVID, the project dedication could not take place until 2022.

Community members line up for water at the new kiosk. A small monthly fee for water insures project sustainability.

Global Grant 1868701 built a water system for the rural East African community of Talek with little access to clean water. The project included drilling a borehole, installing a pump and a solar generator to power it, a water tower, and a distribution system. Over 5,000 Maasai community members benefited directly from this project as well as their cattle, goats, and sheep. Two schools, a beading cooperative, and an education center also received water access through this project.

Felt with community elders at the dedication of the second water tower.

Three clubs from District 5750, Woodward Rotary, Oklahoma City Rotary, and Weatherford Rotary, invested in this project along with our district and the Rotary Foundation. Our district’s contribution from all sources totaled $38,500. On the Kenyan side, Professor Meitamei Ole Dapash, the director of MERC (an NGO) organized and hosted the trip. He has extensive experience as a Rotarian, working in the Kenyan government, and as a member of the Maasai community.

Kevin Pitts, Rotary Club of Prescott, AZ, cuts the ribbon on the new well and pumping station.

The local Maasai community turned out for the dedication of this project as well as another water project. Bob Felt, a Rotarian from North Carolina, has worked on water projects with the Maasai over the past ten years. Felt led our delegation on our visit to a kiosk for local water distribution for its dedication, a water storage tower, the project well site, and to the gathering at a school where the community turned out to celebrate the successful completion of the project.

Maasai trainees graduate from the Guides Program to teach community members to work as tourist guides. The program is led by Meitamei Dapash, pictured on the right.

This project, along with three related water projects, has changed the lives of many thousands of the Maasai community for the better. Community members no longer spend hours each day searching for water that may change location depending on weather patterns. Women and girls in particular have been freed to attend school. Men and boys have water for livestock and don’t spend their time herding animals to water sources that may lie far away.

Rotary members who reviewed the water projects receive a Maasai name.

School children perform at the dedication ceremony with poetry, singing, and dancing

All Rotarians received a gift from the Maasai elders denoting his status as a special friend of the community.

I was humbled to experience the heartfelt gratitude of the community and their enthusiasm to greet us and celebrate the completion of this project. This is truly Rotary in Action.

Larry Stone

Healthy Start Program in Guatemala

The World Service Committee is pleased to report continuing support of the Rotary/Agros International Healthy Start program in Guatemala.  Our Club first participated in this program in its inaugural year during 2020.  We joined 11 other clubs from Washington, California, Colorado, Guatemala, and China.  An interesting fact is this is the first project that a China club (Macau) was permitted to participate in outside of China.  Club 29 has committed to continue participation in the next phase of the program which should be funded in 2022.

The Healthy Start program is operating in the Ixil region of Guatemala which was severely disadvantaged during the decades long Guatemalan civil war.   The program is focused on reducing chronic child malnutrition.  The primary strategies of the program include:

• Establish a network of Community Health Brigadistas to actively work in the villages to provide and promote health measures
• Provide prenatal care to pregnant women and early childhood care to children, such as immunizations
• Provide nutritional supplements in villages where food scarcity occurs
• Increase food production from local gardens for both local use and for agribusiness

The Healthy Start program was off to a successful start when two severe hurricanes hit Central American within two weeks in November 2020. Agros had team members on the ground assisting the Healthy Start communities recover from the damage, and to their credit were able to achieve the program’s first year goals despite the hurricane setbacks.

The impact of the program has gained attention in Guatemala and Agros was recently invited by the Guatemalan government to present the details of Healthy Start to key members of Congress and the Ministry of Food Security and Nutrition. Partnership and support of the government is a key long-term strategy to increasing the scale of the program and impact across the impoverished regions of the country.

The Rotary partners, including our club, are committed to expanding the number of Rotary Clubs participating in Healthy Start in this next phase, and Agros is also aggressively fundraising to match the contributions made by Rotary. It is a true partnership and a program of impact. Club 29 and our Rotary District are making a difference for the people of the Ixil region.

When the day comes that COVID is manageable, Agros is planning a trip to Guatemala to visit the Healthy Start villages and we will certainly be invited to participate.

Thank you for your support of the Club 29 Foundation and the Rotary Foundation that makes this program possible!

Do not hesitate to contact me or any member of the World Service committee for additional information.
Matt Bown

Mercy Ships: Opening Health Opportunities for All

A Rotary project becomes a passion to support healthcare in Africa

Like many things I have discovered in life, one phone call, opening one door, asking one question, or reading one email can lead you somewhere you never thought you’d be.  That is how I learned about a project that has since become a passion for me.  That project is Mercy Ships.

Founded in 1978 by Don and Deyon Stephens, Mercy Ships seeks to transform individuals, communities, and nations by using hospital ships to deliver free world-class healthcare services to people in need.  These services include training and educating local healthcare providers and doctors and nurses as well as providing a wide range of surgeries and follow-up care for sustainable development.

Mercy Ships has worked in more than 55 developing countries, providing services valued at more than $1.65 billion, and treating more than 2.8 million people with just one ship.  The ship is crewed by volunteers from over 50 nations, averaging 1,300 volunteers each year.  Professionals ranging from surgeons, dentists, and nurses to cooks, engineers, teachers and cleaning crews donate their time and skills.

A second Mercy Ship, Global Mercy, has been partially funded by the largest Rotary International Grant ever, totaling $1,126,000.  Paul Denton, chair of District 1260 Global Grants committee in the U.K. said, “The Rotary grant galvanized the generosity of Rotary, truly capturing imaginations and hearts.  31 Rotary Districts, 340-plus clubs across the U.K. and the world from Oklahoma to Seoul all found a common cause to support Mercy Ships and shows that ROTARY OPENS OPPORTUNITIES.”

Building this ship involved over 800 workers 24 hours a day for nearly 4 years. It is over 570’ long, 93’ wide, weighs 37,000 tons, and is 12 decks high.  It contains new operating theaters, infection isolation rooms, post-operative recovery rooms, and intensive care beds.  Also included are training/education rooms and conference rooms for local healthcare professionals and staff as well as housing for patients, their families, and volunteers.  Surgeries performed will include tumor removal, cleft lip and palate repair and cataract removal.

Imagine a mother not being able to see her new born child.  This is exactly what happened to Adama, a young mother from Guinea.  During pregnancy, Adama developed cataracts and by the time she gave birth to twins, she was completely blind.  Unable to access the simple surgery that would restore her sight, Adama would never see her new family.  It was not until Adama received a free, 20-minute procedure from Mercy Ships that she was able to see her children’s faces for the first time.  Mercy Ships made such a difference in her life and that of her children.

Our Rotary Club 29 has partnered to make these types of opportunities a reality. Our club donated $5,000 toward this Global Grant which was matched by an additional $20,000 from the District. More importantly we have built strong partnerships with Mercy Ships and other Rotary Clubs that will ensure this work continues.

I agree that Rotary opens opportunities.  Each donation you make; every time you volunteer, can be your opportunity to make a difference in the world.

Ron Rocke

Rotary Club 29 World Service Committee member

Take Action:

• Learn more about Mercy Ships by visiting its website and watching this video.
• Explore Rotary’s involvement in fighting disease and supporting maternal and child health around the world.
• Attend your Club’s next World Service Committee meeting to learn how to get involved. Contact Steve Shepelwich at shepelwich@gmail.com for info.

Potential Handles/Hashtags:

@MercyShips

@MercyShipsUK

@RotaryGBI

@Rotary

@Rotary5750

#MercyShips

#globalhealth

#PeopleOfAction

#GlobalMercy

Club 29 Joins in Worldwide Rotary Partnership with ShelterBox to Deliver Disaster Relief
by Matt Bown

Club 29 recently joined over 500 Rotary Clubs worldwide to support the disaster relief mission of ShelterBox.  ShelterBox is a relief organization started by a Rotary Club in Cornwall, England in 2000 and in 2012, Rotary International adopted ShelterBox as its first Project Partner and remains its only disaster relief charity partner.

Facts about ShelterBox:

• Rapid response to disasters on a worldwide basis
• In 2020, aid was provided in 13 countries impacting over 200,000 people
• For over 20 years, aid has been provided in more than 100 countries impacting over 1.7 million people
• Aid is provided for individuals impacted by natural disasters as well as conflict

What ShelterBox Does:

• Delivers essential aid in the aftermath of a disaster
• ShelterBoxes contain family sized tents and necessary survival supplies tailored to local conditions
• ShelterKits contain essential tools needed to start repairing and rebuilding homes

ShelterBox responds to disasters with highly trained ShelterBox Response Teams and is supported by a network of volunteers.  These teams will travel by foot, boat or helicopter to provide aid where it is needed.

Club 29 and ShelterBox

• Why has Club 29 has partnered to be a Gold Level Hero with ShelterBox?

During November of 2020, in the midst of the COVID pandemic, Central America was hit by two devastating hurricanes (Eta and Iota) within a two-week period.  Our Club was already participating in a Rotary Global Grant project in Guatemala to prevent and reduce chronic child malnutrition.  When the hurricanes hit this area, the Club’s World Service Committee began looking for ways to help and learned of ShelterBox as the go-to Rotary partner for international disaster relief.

• Can Club 29 members become more involved?

For Club members able and desirous of participating in disaster relief, ShelterBox has a volunteer process to serve on ShelterBox Response Teams.  This is a significant commitment that offers both huge responsibilities and is incredibly rewarding.  ShelterBox also has other volunteer opportunities related to fundraising and communications.  More information can be found at:   https://www.shelterboxusa.org/volunteer/

Club 29 continues to impact our local community and our world neighbors with significant and important projects.  Joining the Rotary partnership with ShelterBox once again extends our impact for good and we are excited to be involved!

Matt Bown

Rotary Club 29 World Service Committee member

Take Action

• Learn more about ShelterBox by visiting its website and watching this video.
• Explore Rotary’s involvement in disaster response and promoting peace around the world.
• Contact Matt Bown at matt.bown@mcafeetaft.com to learn more about our club’s partnership with ShelterBox and our work in Guatemala.
• Attend your Club’s next World Service Committee meeting to learn other ways to get involved. Contact Steve Shepelwich at shepelwich@gmail.com for info.

 Handles/Hashtags:

@shelterboxusa

#shelterbox

@Rotary

@Rotary5750

#PeopleOfAction

Malaria Partners International – Striving to elimnate Malaria Worldwide
by Clayton Taylor

With Polio “Nearly” eradicated, we now strive to tackle the next preventable worldwide killer.

Malaria is seen by many as the next worst, widespread disease that is impacting the world – after polio.  Malaria is a mosquito borne blood disease.  In simplest terms, it has the most severe impact on children 5-years old and younger, as millions of the youngest children have died.  For adults, it has the impact of a very bad case of the flu, thus resulting in mothers who cannot care for their children and fathers who cannot go to work to pay for food for their families.

To address this head on, Malaria Partners International (MPI) was created by Rotarians to fight Malaria on a worldwide scale. Founded by Seattle Rotary Club 4, MPI now involves more than 40 other Rotary Clubs and significant partners in the international health field. MPI’s efforts first focused on the African country of Zambia and are now spreading to other African countries including The Gambia, Tanzania, and Uganda.

MPI on the Ground

The MPI approach to attacking malaria is unique, using lessons learned from polio eradication programs to trace and target hotspots of malaria outbreaks. The Zambia project has focused directly on the training and equipping of over 1,250 village health care workers who can test for and treat malaria at the local level, impacting over 625,000 local residents.

Another major aspect of the Zambia project is the effective partnership with the national government in the work.  This government involvement provides the long-term sustainability that will make this effort endure through the years.

Club 29 in Partnership

Malaria Partners International “MPI” reached out to Oklahoma City Rotary Club 29 several years ago because of our club size and reputation for international service.  Again, that reputation points back to the leadership and hard work of our departed friend and fellow Rotarian Bob Medley.  Bob re-established our club as a leader in international service and for that we will always be appreciative.

With the recommendation of our World Service Committee, our club has partnered with MPI and other Rotary Clubs in the Zambia project. Our $10,000 investment leveraged an additional $25,000 contribution from the District.

Our Club members were invited to join a group from MPI to visit the Zambia project in October of 2019 — pre-COVID.  I made the trip and am forever changed.

As a result of this trip, I was invited to join the MPI Board of Directors. I have now served on the Board for nearly one year. I continue to be amazed by their efforts to fight Malaria.

Club 29 Taking the Lead in Uganda

Most recently I was asked if Club 29 would take the lead on MPI’s efforts for a major Rotary Grant to expand the Zambia-model into Uganda — to train and equip village health care workers to fight Malaria at the local level.  I am excited to report that our World Service Committee and Club Leadership have embraced this effort.  It will be the first in time in modern club history that we have been the lead club on a major international grant effort like this.

The Uganda Malaria project is still being finalized but looks to be in the $800,000 to $1 million range for total funding.  Because MPI has developed long-term working relationships with other groups, the majority of this funding will not have to come from Rotary.  We can reasonably expect major funding from the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative; World Vision; Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; The Rotary International Foundation; as well as a range of U.S. and International Rotary Clubs through their local foundations.

As the sponsor of the major grant, our Club will lead the fundraising efforts with a goal to raise donations in the range of $100 – $125,000 from other Rotary Clubs. These Rotary funds will then be matched by some or all of the groups outlined above.  Our club will administer the funds for the project — paying the bills as receipts are received – and ensuring proper reporting and accountability.

Come Join in the Work

Thank you Club 29 for stepping up to take the lead on this major grant to fight Malaria in Uganda. I am continually reminded why I am proud to be a member of our club.  If you are interested in becoming involved, please let us know.  And know that MPI is planning to put together a trip to visit the Uganda project as soon as we have the all clear to travel again, post-COVID.

Clayton Taylor

Club 29 Past President and MPI Board Member

Take Action

• Learn more about Malaria Partners International by visiting its website and watching this video.
• Explore Rotary’s involvement in fighting disease and maternal and child health around the world.
• Contact Clayton Taylor at claytontaylor@cox.net to learn more about our Club’s partnership with Malaria Partners International and our work in Zambia and Uganda.
• Attend your Club’s next World Service Committee meeting to learn other ways to get involved. Contact Steve Shepelwich at shepelwich@gmail.com for info.

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