By PDG Belinda Yeung, JP, Rotary Club of Hong Kong Harbour
September is Basic Education and Literacy Month
September is Basic Education and Literacy Month. The goal is to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy. Support education for all children and literacy for children and adults.
Impact On Education
The Rotary Foundation supports education through scholarships, donations, and service projects around the world.
Rotary members make amazing things happen, like:
- Opening schools
- Educating adults in literacy
- Teaching with new methods
- Making schools healthy
- Providing training in teaching literacy, curriculum development, and school administration
- Working to reduce gender disparity in education
- Supporting studies for career-minded professionals related to basic education and literacy
- Accessing to quality basic primary and secondary education;
- Strengthening educational experience through improved materials and facilities
- Involving community in management of education systems
- Supporting with vocational training teams for the above activities
- Granting scholarships for graduate-level study in programs related to basic education and literacy.
Rotary Showcase
Project Name: Library of Love
Rotary Club: Rotary Club of Pflugerville, Marble Falls Daybreak, Georgetown Sunrise, Burnet, Northwest Austin, Georgetown
Beneficiaries: in Uganda
Area of Focus: Basic Education and Literacy
- Serve five new libraries to over 6,500 students in four primary schools and one high school.
- Prepare 15,000 books that were shipped, transport of books to the ship, shipping of a 20 ft container to Uganda, customs fees, flooring and metal book shelving for the five libraries, metal book cupboards for the 48 classrooms in the four primary schools, plus expenses for holding training meetings for the new principals and librarians, as well as for precious principals and librarians who joined them.
Project Name: Digital Literacy Project
Rotary Club: Rotary Club of Belleville and the Rotary Club of Dhaka Midtown along with the Amarok Society as a partner
Beneficiaries: in Bangladesh
Area of Focus: Basic Education and Literacy
- Introduce participants to digital skills by providing equipment (tablets and laptops) and training and to develop curriculum in Bengali, English and Math.
- Both the mothers and children become digitally literate and the program graduated 450 students who were transferred to government schools. Jobs became more available that required internet skills and the mothers and students learned how to advocate for themselves.
- 700 mothers and 3,675 children acquired digital skills.
Teach a mother, change the world.
New Programs of Scale
What are Programs of Scale programs?
Programs of Scale supports longer-term, high-impact programs led by Rotary members. These programs are:
- Evidence-based interventions that must have already demonstrated success in affectingchange;
- Locally-relevant to the needs, priorities, and institutional structures of the setting and participating communities;
- Ready to grow by having the right stakeholders and systems engaged to bring the intended benefits to new settings, such as a different community or group of people;
- Implemented according to a strong theory of change and have integrated monitoring, evaluation, and collaborative learning systems; and
- Guided by Rotary members in partnership with others, leveraging the unique strengths of Rotary.
- Each year, The Rotary Foundation awards $2 million to a member-led program that hasdemonstrated success and has the potential to reach more people through scaling up over a three- to five-year period.
Rotary’s Annual Programs of Scale Grant Award Recipients
2020-2021: Partners for a Malaria-Free Zambia
- Aim: Reduce cases of malaria in 10 heavily affected districts in Zambia’s Central and Muchinga provinces
- Especially focused on reducing severe malaria and death among pregnant women and children under age 5.
2021-2022: Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria
- Aim: Reduce maternal and infant mortality by increasing access to high-quality health care in several areas of Nigeria
- Involves training health care workers, equipping health facilities and creating new patient feedback and referral systems
2022-2023:United to End Cervical Cancer in Egypt
- Duration: four years
- Initiative: Reduce the number of cases while raising awareness and improving women’s access to preventive care
- Beneficiaries: vaccinate more than 30,000 girls ages 9-15, provide cancer screenings for 10,000 women, and launch a public awareness campaign to reach 4 million people. Health care workers, school administrators, and staff will receive training on cervical cancer and its causes to ensure proper care and counseling for women and girls.
- In addition to increasing awareness of cervical cancer and improving medical services for women, the program will make progress toward the goals set by WHO’s Cervical Cancer Elimination Initiative.
Meet with Our Major Donor AG Jimmy Lau
A Sharing by AG Jimmy Lau, Rotary Club of Star Avenue Rotary Foundation Major Donor Level 2.
Collected by PP Maki Wan, Rotary Club of Kowloon Golden Mile
“I am the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Richform Holdings Limited, the exclusive distributor of EVERPURE premium drinking water systems in Hong Kong and Macau. In addition, for many years, I have actively participated in volunteer work in Hong Kong. I have served the Scout Association of Hong Kong for more than 38 years. Besides, I joined Rotary Club of Wanchai in 2004 and rejoined Rotary Club of Hong Kong Financial Centre in 2009.”
1. As a long-time committed Rotarian and CP of Rotary Club of Star Avenue, what inspired you to establish a new club? What’s your vision for Star Avenue?
I have always aimed to cultivate a spirit of care and service in my social circle and in the organizations I manage. This spirit inspires me to set up Rotary Club of Star Avenue. It is my deepest hope that I can lead Rotary Club of Star Avenue to build up a friendship platform to serve disadvantaged groups and people in need in our community.
2. What is the driving force for you in your commitment to help people in need? What’s your passion in Rotary?
I have earnest passion and unwavering determination in serving Hong Kong. In my many decades of community service, I have worked with the elderly, the young and the less privileged. I am especially interested in the growth, the cultivation, and the development of Rotary members for enhancing their contribution to the Rotary movement.
3. What impact do you hope your donation will have on society or future generations?
I hope that my donation to TRF would set an example to my business partners, employees and community members by making a positive impact. Through my donation, I believe that there will be impact on the future generations for enhancing their passion to give back to the community.
4. Tell us a little bit about yourself – We have heard that you are a well-respected scouter in the scouting movement in Hong Kong!
My personal and professional network spans the social welfare sector as well as the commercial world. My wide-reaching experience gives me greater perspective. I have been involved in different organizations in the social welfare sector for many years. My extensive network with the Scout Association of Hong Kong offers many opportunities for synergistic cooperation, which will surely enhance my ability to recruit Rotary members and to promote Rotary services.
Meet with Our Major Donor P Sabina Tong
A Sharing by P Sabina Tong, Rotary Club of Star Avenue Rotary Foundation Major Donor Level 1.
Collected by PP Maki Wan, Rotary Club of Kowloon Golden Mile
1. I have heard that Rotary Club of Star Avenue has a string of Presidents becoming major donors during or soon after their Presidencies. As President of this Rotary year, what inspired you to become a major donor?
The Rotary Song has indeed inspired me a lot to become a major donor, in particular when I sing “He profits most who serves the best”. Being a major donor is also a good example to fellow Rotarians – demonstrating the beauty of giving and creating hope in the world.
2. What is the driving force for you in your commitment to help people in need?
The main driving force for my commitment to help those in need is from a saying in Zhu Xi’s Family Maxims*:「勿為善小而不為」 referring to the importance of not leaving a good thing undone because it is insignificant. I am convinced everyone can give those in need a helping hand.
* 朱熹《朱子家訓》
3. What do you want to say to potential major donors?
To potential major donors, I’d like to say that it is always more blessed to give than to receive「施比受更為有福」because we are more fortunate than enough to have spare resources to help people in need. The blessing provides us with great satisfaction.
4. Tell us a little bit about yourself!
I am a Customer Care Director of a SME in Hong Kong. The Rotary Four-Way Test is my guiding force while handling my daily work with clients; I am proud to be a Rotarian. In my free time, I like to play golf. I am indeed a keen golfer. Golfing is not just a good relaxation that challenges both my mind and body, it is also a great outdoor, character-building activity that brings me health and peace.
Language learning corner: Let’s speak Mongolian!!!
Trustee Chair Message
Barry Rassin
Foundation Trustee Chair 2023 – 24Barry Rassin
Reaching into the future
Urge all Rotarians to think big about The Rotary Foundation.
Think outside the box tomorrow, and in the future.and embrace innovation. Make bold plans to expand the reach today,
Foundation-supported projects:
- Engage in Rotary Foundation district grant or global grant projects.
- Collaborate with Rotary counterparts in another district on one of Rotary’s seven areas of focus
- Explore Rotary Showcase at rotary.org/showcase / Arrange meetingbetween club and district rotary foundation chair to start as conversation
Polio fundraising
- Start planning the World Polio Day fundraiser now for 24 October 2023. Join with Rotaract and Rotary clubs to make this year’s fundraisers the best ever.
Impact
- Goes beyond the current Rotary year, like Programs of Scale. Through them, aim to establish sustainable partnerships and cost- effective programs that deliver tangible benefits beyond the funding period. This way, Rotary and its Foundation can reach and assist more people in more places.
Strive to reach $2.025 billion by 2025 for Rotary’s Endowment
Upcoming Events
District Grant Application: Deadline – 31 August 2023
End Polio Day & InterCity Dinner Meeting – 18 November 2023
District Rotary Foundation Seminar & Grant Management Seminar – 4 May 2024