Rotary International - World Peace through Acquaintance, Understanding and Service (Kindness)
By Catherine Moore
The concept seemed too vague and too big to grasp. Although my father was a Rotarian, I knew absolutely nothing about this International organization. In 1986, I was honored to be invited to join 398 businessmen and one other women for lunch each week in an Albuquerque convention style setting. It was intimidating to say the least!! I did not join out of a desire to serve, but because the next time my father visited and invited my husband to the Rotary luncheon, I got to say “Dad, why don’t you come with me?”
Soon I learned that Rotary had embarked on a crusade to eradicate Polio in the entire Globe. It seemed impossible. I was impressed that two members of the Albuquerque Club were heading to India for 6 months, on their own dime, to manage accounting during the massive vaccination drive. Several others were going for 1 or 2 weeks to scour remote villages administering vaccine. Rotary Clubs from around the world teamed with Rotary Clubs in affected areas and fanned out to vaccinate children. It still seemed like a drop in a bucket, or was it a pebble in the pond?
Soon, new cases of Polio began to drop dramatically. The World Health Organization and UNICEF joined the fight. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation stepped up with a 2 to 1 match for Rotary donations up to $35 million per year. Now only two countries in the world, Afghanistan and Pakistan report new cases. 35 years later Arizona Rotarians still team with Mexican Rotary Clubs every year to administer Polio vaccine to babies in remote Mexican villages. I chose this story of kindness and perseverance, because it shows the power of Rotary to accomplish things that seem impossible. It feels good to be a small part of this gift to the world.
After moving to Sedona, I got the chance to head a water project in Africa and travel to Kenya. The Rotary Club of Sedona partnered with a Club in Naivasha, Kenya. Our Club raised $25,000.00 that was matched by the District, which was then matched by Rotary International for a $100,000 project. We were able to create a water distribution system to serve a school, a health clinic and about 10,000 Maasai & countless cows. It took 4 years, but when we returned to celebrate, the changes in the school and the thankfulness of the teachers, the women and the cows… it was the most heartwarming experience of my life. And how many people have a real Maasai warrior as a friend?
Now my Club, Rotary Club of Sedona, is working with the Northern Arizona District to supply water to rural communities on the Navajo Reservation.
Just like SedonaKind, I love that our Rotary is also active in many ways in our Sedona community. We started the Imagination Library in Sedona in 2012. This program is now independent and has expanded, sending free, age appropriate books to over 2,000 preschool children throughout the Verde Valley.
We sponsor the Interact Club at Red Rock High School, yearlong and summer exchange students, and other youth programs. And I loved that we partnered with SedonaKind to host Kindness Rallies at local schools to reduce bullying. Like SedonaKind we accomplish a lot, but it’s also fun, builds friendships and really makes a difference.
Rotary brings together a global network of 1.2 million volunteers who tackle the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. That’s not a pond… that’s an ocean! We haven’t accomplished Word Peace yet, but both of these organizations that I love know that no matter how large or small the act of kindness and compassion, for those lives we touch it means the world.
We can all be a pebble in a pond. What ripples will you spread?
Soon I learned that Rotary had embarked on a crusade to eradicate Polio in the entire Globe. It seemed impossible. I was impressed that two members of the Albuquerque Club were heading to India for 6 months, on their own dime, to manage accounting during the massive vaccination drive. Several others were going for 1 or 2 weeks to scour remote villages administering vaccine. Rotary Clubs from around the world teamed with Rotary Clubs in affected areas and fanned out to vaccinate children. It still seemed like a drop in a bucket, or was it a pebble in the pond?
Soon, new cases of Polio began to drop dramatically. The World Health Organization and UNICEF joined the fight. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation stepped up with a 2 to 1 match for Rotary donations up to $35 million per year. Now only two countries in the world, Afghanistan and Pakistan report new cases. 35 years later Arizona Rotarians still team with Mexican Rotary Clubs every year to administer Polio vaccine to babies in remote Mexican villages. I chose this story of kindness and perseverance, because it shows the power of Rotary to accomplish things that seem impossible. It feels good to be a small part of this gift to the world.
After moving to Sedona, I got the chance to head a water project in Africa and travel to Kenya. The Rotary Club of Sedona partnered with a Club in Naivasha, Kenya. Our Club raised $25,000.00 that was matched by the District, which was then matched by Rotary International for a $100,000 project. We were able to create a water distribution system to serve a school, a health clinic and about 10,000 Maasai & countless cows. It took 4 years, but when we returned to celebrate, the changes in the school and the thankfulness of the teachers, the women and the cows… it was the most heartwarming experience of my life. And how many people have a real Maasai warrior as a friend?
Now my Club, Rotary Club of Sedona, is working with the Northern Arizona District to supply water to rural communities on the Navajo Reservation.
Just like SedonaKind, I love that our Rotary is also active in many ways in our Sedona community. We started the Imagination Library in Sedona in 2012. This program is now independent and has expanded, sending free, age appropriate books to over 2,000 preschool children throughout the Verde Valley.
We sponsor the Interact Club at Red Rock High School, yearlong and summer exchange students, and other youth programs. And I loved that we partnered with SedonaKind to host Kindness Rallies at local schools to reduce bullying. Like SedonaKind we accomplish a lot, but it’s also fun, builds friendships and really makes a difference.
Rotary brings together a global network of 1.2 million volunteers who tackle the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges. That’s not a pond… that’s an ocean! We haven’t accomplished Word Peace yet, but both of these organizations that I love know that no matter how large or small the act of kindness and compassion, for those lives we touch it means the world.
We can all be a pebble in a pond. What ripples will you spread?
