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Rotary makes high-quality health care available to vulnerable mothers and children so they can live longer and grow stronger.Rotary expands access to quality care, so mothers and children everywhere can have the same opportunities for a healthy future. An estimated 5.9 million children under the age of five die each year because of malnutrition, inadequate health care, and poor sanitation — all of which can be prevented.

Rotary provides education, immunizations, birth kits, and mobile health clinics. Women are taught how to prevent mother-to-infant HIV transmission, how to breast-feed, and how to protect themselves and their children from disease.

“If mothers are empowered and healthy, so are their families, leading to an alleviation of poverty and hunger.” Robert Zinser, co-founder of the Rotarian Action Group for Population and Development and retired president for Asia at chemical giant BASF

The Rotary Foundation funds district community grants that pay for scholarships, travel, and projects that all align with our mission to help Rotarians contribute to world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving people’s health, supporting education, and alleviating poverty.

Clubs can apply for either a single-club or collaborative grant.  Deadline to apply for the upcoming year is May 30, 2023.  Learn more about district community grants, and download an application - click on this link and scroll down to "The Rotary Foundation District Community Grants."

On March 3, 2023 the Rotary Club of Windsor (1918) received approval of a global grant of $32,596 for a Vocational Training Team (VTT).  The main objective is to educate traditional birth attendants in Masaai villages in the Siha district, Tanzania.  The VTT members will work with medical professionals in Tanzania, though an NGO called PANETA, to deliver the training.  The VTT and PANETA members have been working together on the curriculum for at least the past 2 years through online meetings. Working with PANETA we have identified the training topics that would be accessible to the traditional birth attendants and have the biggest impact on mortality rates: Respectful Maternity Care, Hand Washing and Infection Control and Sepsis, Essential Newborn Care, Risk Factors and Transport, Ultrasound Training (Introduction to the benefits and diagnostic purpose), and Bleeding after birth.  The VTT team will bring a portable ultrasound machine to the Siha District.  The machine, its transport and installation are a personal donation from a non-Rotarian.   

The team leader is Windsor (1918) Andrea Cassidy-Boulos.  Andrea, a midwife, was featured on page 12 of the November 2021 Rotary Magazine.  Andrea lives in Windsor, and she is the founder and lead midwife of the Midwifery Collective of Essex County.  The other team members are Dr. Idris Yekinni, Lin Stephenson, and Leesha Mafuru.  Idris is an OBGYN and is Chief of Surgery at Leamington. Lin is a registered nurse with a variety of experiences, including education. She lives in Stoney Point. Leesha is a registered midwife with many years of experience in Tanzania.  She lives in Taber, Alberta.

Thanks for your generosity!  Mary Kay Gallagher of Northville, show here receiving her Paul Harris +1 Pin from District Governor Traci Sincock, also a Northville Rotarian!

District Governor Elect Russ Jones, along with District Trainers Shelly & PDG Michael Duben, led the District Training Sessions for incoming club presidents at the Great Lakes Rotary Presidents-Elect Training Seminar last month.

The Tipping Point Theatre is the latest Rotary Club of Northville's corporate member.  Pictured at right are the Theatre's representatives in the club with President Jennifer Walker and District Governor (and Northville Rotarian) Traci Sincock.

(Below) Northville inducted several other new club members last month, including (below left) Dave Tiernan, Bill Moylan and Isidoro Mazzitelli; and (below far right) Mike Blough.

(Left) Plymouth welcomed four new members. Please welcome Al Blixt, Kyle Keaffaber, Robyn Baidas, and Bryce Billinski to the Rotary family. They were all inducted by President Penny Joy, and they were pinned by their sponsors.


(Below) The Rotary Club of Windsor (1918) proudly welcomed two new members March 27th, Michelle White (left) and Asmat Naebkhil (right)! Please join us in welcoming them to Rotary!

(Below) A few Livonia A.M. Rotarians traveled to Northville’s first annual Community Awards Dinner to honor seven individuals who made a difference in their community, one of them being the club's very own Nancy Darga.

Nancy was recognized by the city’s dignitaries as the Volunteer of the Year at the Marquis Theatre. This is a huge honor, she has been instrumental in the reconstruction, development, and implementation of many of the city’s areas, the river walk, the farmers market, and a pavilion to name a few.

The awards presentation was preceded by a delicious dinner at Genitti’s Hole in the Wall.

Members of the Rotary Club of Windsor-St. Clair delivered fresh apples and bananas to over a dozen local shelters and agencies early last month. Thanks to everyone who participated in the drop-offs and thanks to all of the hardworking staff and volunteers at local agencies who care for our neighbours in need.

Honouring Indigenous Peoples (HIP) is a Rotary-based organization which aims to raise cultural awareness, promote mutual understanding among indigenous and non-indigenous, and promote progress on the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action and treaty relations in Canada. They also have an international committee which includes the US and Australia. The emphasis is on relationship building, while also promoting education and awareness in order to change attitudes and behaviours.

District 6400 is represented by Suzanne Grouette from the Rotary Club of Windsor-WIDE. She is the District Coordinator for HIP.

 HIP is sponsoring an initiative called National Youth Truth & Reconciliation Experience, a unique Youth-to-Youth (Y2Y) learning opportunity for Indigenous and Non-Indigenous students in grades 9 to 11. Youth will spend 4-days participating in a Ceremonial Gathering at Turtle Lodge in Manitoba providing Knowledge Keepers and Youth Leaders with the opportunity to present Indigenous spiritual leadership perspectives of the land. The intent of the Gathering is for First Nations Youth, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers to share land-based knowledge, what healing means to us, and the meaning and practice of leadership. Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth will learn, through experience, ancestral ways of stewardship, and kindle in them a spiritual relationship with the land. The youth will also experience a private tour of the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, the world’s first museum dedicated to human rights, and engage in dialogue about the truths of Residential Schools from The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

Suzanne has been asked to be a chaperone for this terrific initiative. She will be traveling with a 16 year old indigenous girl from Windsor and a 17 year old indigenous girl from Deer Lake Newfoundland. As with all HIP activities, chaperones will be indigenous and non-indigenous, Rotary and non-Rotary, male and female. It’s a true testament to the strength of diversity. We look forward to hearing more about this event and the experiences of the young people involved.

(Right) Congresswoman Debbie Dingell presented the Dearborn Rotary club with a Congressional Record in honor of its 100 years of service to the community.

Pictured here is Past President Roger Miller, a 50-year member of the Rotary Club of Dearborn accepting the plaque during the club's 100th Anniversary celebration last month (shown below).

On Wednesday, March 15, a group of Blissfield Rotarians visited Blissfield’s third-grade classrooms.  The Rotarians took copies of the book, Horrible Harry Moves Up to the Third Grade, and bookmarks emblazoned with the words of Rotary’s guiding philosophy, the Four-Way Test, for each student. Rotarians read to the students and discussed Rotary and the Four-Way Test. The project is part of Blissfield Rotary’s literacy initiative which also includes book donations to the Schultz-Holmes Memorial Library.

Thanks to the Rotarians who volunteered in the third-grade classrooms at Blissfield Elementary, including: Danielle Gross, Laura Nichols, Christine Webster, Marty Nine, Bob Barringer, Art Weeber, Mike Cory, Julie Goll,  Angie Wingerd, Chance Due, Jakob Norment, and Scott Croft.

Trenton Rotarians (above) supported the Woodhaven-Brownstown club's music bingo last month.  Rose Angela Gronda was a big winner (at right).

(Below) Trenton also sponsored a membership engagement party March 23rd, featuring trivia and a fun chili contest!

 

(Above) Garden City Rotary completed a project with the Garden City Library.  The club worked with Youth Services Librarian Kim Poma, producing science learning kits with the Rotary logo that students can check-out and use.

Monroe Rotarian Ron George, a member for almost 10 years, won the club's Toledo Walleye Hockey Game Raffle. Ron's ticket was drawn from the 216 tickets sold.  Ron is a resident of Newport and owner of Plumb-Tech Design and Consulting Services, a company he started 20 years ago and then renamed to Plumb-Tech in 2011.

Club Treasurer Gloria Rumans, the leading force behind the raffle, reported the club's profit was $4,109.04!