DG's October Message: Be Champions for your Community Areas

“Good health is not something we can buy. However, it can be an extremely valuable savings account.” – Anne Wilson Schaef

“He who has health has hope, and he who has hope has everything.” – Thomas Carlyle

 
RIP Shekhar was very much touched by the energy, enthusiasm, and commitment with which Rotarians of D9213 and D9214 on how they are serving their communities. At his meeting with President Museveni, he pledged to support in improving health within the country. This is a second call to all Rotarians and Rotaractors, especially those in medical profession to be the champions for their community areas. Do gather and share the following and other information which would help us to gain correct perspective and not leave behind those in far corners of the land where the need is great but goes unnoticed. 

 

RI President SHEKHAR’S PLEDGE 

RIP Shekhar was very much touched by the energy, enthusiasm, and commitment with which Rotarians of D9213 and D9214 are serving their communities. At his meeting with President Museveni, he pledged to support as follows each District: 

  1. Establishing a blood bank 
  2. Setting up an eye hospital 
  3. Acquiring dialysis machines 
  4. Cardio surgery for 100 children to correct ventricular septal defect (“hole” in the heart) 

Thank you for your responses to our preliminary call for feedback on needs for the above health care in the locations. This is a second call to all Rotarians and Rotaractors, especially those in medical profession to be the champions for their areas. Do gather and share the following and other information which would help us to gain correct perspective and not leave behind those in far corners of the land where the need is great but goes unnoticed. 

For the blood bank; eye hospital and dialysis machines 

  • Where in your area are the needs for these most urgent? 
  • How extensive is the need (number of incidents in a year) 
  • How those needs currently handled? 

While RIP's pledge may end up being less than the needs identified through this process, the collected information will enable the development of responsive larger scale multi club projects to further address the health needs of your communities . 

Our District’s ability to support you to serve to change the quality of health services in your area depends on how much feedback you yourself provide. So, let work together. Kindly forward your recommendations to: 

In Uganda: to Country Chair Francisco Ssemwanga (semfranca@gmail.com), cc. to Aide Joan Kantu (joan@letsgosafari-ug.com) 

In Tanzania: to Country Chair Agnes Batengas (agnes@urganmambo.net), 

cc. to Aide Cynthia Asiyo (casiyo@gmail.com) 

IN THE MONTH OF COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 

In many of our projects Vijana Poa Project, Empowering girls, etc., we provide training to skill our youth to become productive members of our community. At completion of training it has almost become the practice to handout tools and equipment to enable them to put the skills into practice. 

Instead of giving them the tools and equipment as handouts, what if we give them access to loans? Many “handouts” are unfortunately sold off rather than put to use as intended. 

Let us lend to groups with joint liability for repayment that substantially increases and the likelihood the loans will be recovered, so it will make it easier to enlist SACCOs to take part in the project. 

One quick way to stimulate good money management may be to tie ability to borrow to the balance in his/her savings account. One is likely to manage finances better to save more, borrow more and grow business.