Three Rotary women were recognized on 7 March at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., USA, for their commitment to improving lives through innovative humanitarian projects.
The celebration, hosted by the World Bank Group Staff Association, and sponsored by Rotary International and investment firm Oppenheimer & Co., was one of many events held this week to mark International Women's Day, which is on 8 March each year. It highlighted the positive changes women make around the world. Annette Dixon, vice president of the World Bank for South Asia, moderated the event.
Speaking to more than 300 people, with thousands watching the livestream, Dr. Geetha Jayaram, Marie-Irène Richmond Ahoua, and Danielle De La Fuente, all Rotarians, told their stories and explained how their work helped poor women in India gain access to mental health care, vaccinate hundreds of thousands against polio in West Africa, and empower refugee children around the world.
"These are women of action who are making a huge contribution to the world," Dixon said. "They have given a lot of themselves to their initiatives and are playing a leadership role for many women."
• WHY - Because "We Are This Close" to ending the dreaded disease of polio. With your support children around the world will be able to walk and play as healthy individuals.
• WHERE - Rotary District 5170
• WHAT - Each Rotarian in our district is being asked to donate $50.00. All funds will be matched 2 to 1 by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Deliver checks (payable to The Rotary Foundation, Memo Polio Plus) to your Club TRF Chair, Sara Calkins no later than at the April 26 meeting or mail to Sara today at the address below or to the District Office.
• SOMETHING EXTRA - For those who have not yet contributed a total of $1,000 to become a Paul Harris Fellow, our district will match any contribution you make with recognition points to help you achieve that recognition level.
Your $50 turns into a $150 donation to PolioPlus! Join the team and let's get it done!
Rotarian Richard Dorsay and his wife Dorothy received a heart-felt letter from the District 9210 Asst. Governor, Hudson Mtomba. In it he thanks them and the members of the Rotary Club of San Jose East/Evergreen for "all your efforts over the years...without your assistance, many of these students would be unable to continue with their education."
I would like to give an update from the Vocational Services desk of the Rotary Club of San Jose East/Evergreen. We had a successful crab feed and the club has allocated $4040 to the Vocational Service towards our AI/Robotics project. With that our present total for this AI/Robotics project has now increased to $6000.
Our club endowment president Mr. Robbie Izat has also announced the availability of $38000 for the year 2018 from the club endowment funds towards club projects. The deadline for the application from the club members has been extended to April 30th, 2018. There is a limit of $11,000 per project. We hope that our Vocational Service project will be able to get the funding from the club endowment board making the total amount raised to be $17,000.
Since there is a delay in obtaining these funds so I would like to request high school AI/Robotics clubs to recruit more Juniors so that we can hold the competition in the fall. Since now all the funds are coming from our own club so there are some changes to the rules regarding the equipment.
1. The equipment now will remain the property of the Rotary Club of San Jose East/Evergreen.
2. Rotary SJE/E will monitor the progress of the clubs to ensure that the provided equipment is used properly otherwise we have the right to reclaim the equipment.
3. Rotary SJE/E may use the equipment for different summer clubs at the same high school or different high schools in ESUHSD.
4. Club advisors will be required to provide a monthly update on the progress to the Rotary SJE/E vocational chair.
We would like to visit the schools AI clubs in April before our club endowment application deadline so that we can provide a proper funding guidance for our project.
We would advise all clubs to make sure that their students have signed up on the following website