Rotary Club members Dena Russell-Marino and Karen Belford will be presenting our program this week about Big Brothers Big Sisters in the Emporia area. Be sure to join us on Zoom.
Hanwash is not an ordinary Rotary project. In fact, according to John Smarge, a Rotarian from Naples, Florida who addressed our club about it, Hanwash is not a single "water project" at all, but a long-term "program" that is maintained until the goal of providing clean water, sanitation and hygiene to a particular area in Haiti is finished. In fact, John Smarge's role for Hanwash is to raise $2.3 billion over the next 30 years in order to reach their goal. According to John, Haiti has been the beneficiary of too many water projects that are not maintained and end up not working after only a few years. After many water projects, only 30% of the people in Haiti have access to potable water within 500 meters, 20% have access to a toilet, and water-borne illnesses account for 50% of deaths. These statistics exist while one-half of sanitation infrastructure in Haiti does not work. There are no wide-scale programs in Haiti. In fact, John said that charity in Haiti has failed.
Hanwash (Haiti National Clean Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Strategy) is an umbrella organization (lead by Rotarians) bringing together entities to make a difference. It has a different business approach:
- Gather current data - find out what water sources are available.
- community assessment that must be driven by the local community.
- develop a community action plan.
- needs financial buy-in from locals in order for it to work long-term.
- A cultural change:
- pay-for service. 85% of the people are paying their water bill after trust & confidence has been established.
- local government provides the services.
- non-government organizations consider what is good for sustainability.
- no more small good & charity.
District Governor Faron Barr addressed our club. He explained his path to how he ended up as District Governor of 5710
. Governor Barr was a Toastmaster member for a long time, but joined Rotary in May, 2009 after being invited to visit and feeling the desire to do more service work. Here are several of the subjects addressed by Governor Barr at our club meeting:
. Governor Barr was a Toastmaster member for a long time, but joined Rotary in May, 2009 after being invited to visit and feeling the desire to do more service work. Here are several of the subjects addressed by Governor Barr at our club meeting:- Signature causes that some Rotary Clubs have adopted, such as "Soul Mates", which is an ongoing project of donating shoes to those needing them, including school children.
- A "Human Trafficking" cause club is a new virtual Rotary Club starting up devoted to this cause.
- Human trafficking conference - 1/2 day last year. 120 people in attendance is the goal this year with a one-day event event scheduled so that everyone in attendance can attend all four sessions.
- Internal Global Grant is a grant in which dollars donated (from a Rotary Club outside of the US) goes to a cause in the United States. One grant being planned is to renovate a day center for human trafficking in Topeka. This center is in operation with 130 victims served last year. Our club had a program featuring this center last year.
- Two global grants are being considered by District 5710:
- A swarm center with a partner district in Taiwan.
- A training center to integrate victims back to a normal life.
- District Foundation event is being planned. It is not a banquet this year. No awards...just fun...live entertainment...silent & live auction - Charlie Moon is the auctioneer. Each Rotary Club puts together an auction item to be auctioned off.
- Public image dollars $16,000 to be allocated district-wide to help promote an event.
- District 5710 is partnering with District 5680 and the Kansas Leadership Center. "Kansas Beats the Virus" helping to promote getting vaccinations.
Alice Dryer, Board President of the Emporia Senior Center, presented to our Rotary Club. The Emporia Senior Center on East 12th Avenue was started in 1983 by the Blue Key National Fraternity. Their current director, Ian Boyd, started in 2018, and has been busy creating policies and procedures to protect the organization. Ian has industriously been creating a new image as a busy community center for those 50 and over. Prior to the current pandemic, activities have included Bingo (as their main fund raiser), friendship meals, tax services, legal clinics , social and recreational activities, a senior disc golf league, health classes, card players, an exercise group, and pool players. Meals on Wheels served food at the center until the pandemic began. Ian helped the Senior Center sponsor Seniors Without Food from a Kroger grant that provides food and medical help to those in need. In January of 2020, the center replaced their walk-in cooler. A Christmas Gala in December 2019 netted $16,000. After the pandemic began, the center has mostly been closed to the public with ongoing improvements as help has been available. One example of their volunteer help has been Justice Painting volunteering their time to painting and cleanup work as they can. Watch for future new activities to take shape once the current pandemic environment allows. Their goal is to create a relaxing atmosphere with lots of activities for learning and visiting. It sounds like they are well on their way.
Please welcome Jason Kuehl as our newest Rotary Club member. Jason is an Emporia State University accounting major. Ed Bashaw sponsored Jason. Thanks for joining our club, Jason.The Emporia Rotary Club now has a PayPal account, which we will be trying out for a year. This means you can now use PayPal for handling dues, sending Happy Bucks, and making donations for End Polio Now. Our PayPal page is available on our club website (rotaryemporia.com) at the top of the screen.
How do I use PayPal?
Clicking on the "donate" button will take you to our PayPal page. Enter the amount you wish to pay and select where the money should be designated. If you wish, you can make it a regular, monthly donation (must have a PayPal account). You can then choose to pay using your PayPal account or your Debit or Credit Card.
Is there a fee?
PayPal is free to use, except when you receive money from a purchase or send payments using a Debit or Credit Card. If you choose to send a donation or payment using a Debit or Credit Card, a transaction fee will be taken out of your payment. The transaction fee for Debit or Credit Cards is 2.9% plus $0.30 per transaction. There is no fee if you send a donation or payment using your bank account.
Do I need a PayPal account?
A PayPal account is not required, but it is recommended to avoid sending payments with transaction fees. A PayPal account is the only method that allows you to send payments linked to your bank account, thus avoiding any transaction fees.
How do I set up an account?
You can sign up for a free personal account at www.paypal.com. You will be asked to verify your phone number, e-mail, login credentials, name, and address. You will then be asked to link your account to a Debit/Credit Card and/or bank account. You can link your account to multiple payment options and select a preferred payment option. You will be asked to confirm two small deposits to your Debit/Credit Card and/or bank account. It will take 3-5 business days for these deposits to appear in your bank account and will be withdrawn within 10 days.
Can I use PayPal on my phone?
Yes, you can download the PayPal Mobile App. You can send payments to our PayPal link: http://paypal.me/rotaryemporia or search for us by our e-mail at rotaryemporia@gmail.com. You will not be able to select a designation for the payment, so make sure to let our treasurer, Dan Robertson, know.
For further questions, ask Alex Mosakowski at amosakow@gmail.com.
For those wanting to make year-end contributions to The Rotary Foundation, please send checks to Navrat’s Inc ATTN: Richard Duncan PO Box N Emporia, KS 66801. Note whether you want it to go towards the Annual Fund or Polio Plus.
Thanks,
Richard Duncan
Navrat’s Inc.
728 Mechanic St.
Emporia, KS 66801
620-342-2092
www.navrats.com
Catherine Coleman Flowers reveals Americas dirty secret
Flowers discusses the inadequate management of wastewater in rural communities, bridging partisan divides, the ways those two topics intersect — and how Rotarians can be part of the solution
Water for Peace
The Supurunda Water Supply Project in Papua New Guinea has been a successful example of how Rotary is advancing peace and providing clean water and sanitation.
Club innovation: The expat experience
For the Rotary Club of Chiang Mai International, Thailand, virtual meetings were a lifeline.
Former soccer star leaves it all on the field to improve education in Tanzania
Here’s how joining a Rotary club helped enhance Ashley Holmer’s work
How we got there: WHO African region is certified free of wild poliovirus
In a challenging time, Rotary members and partners have shown drive in overcoming challenges.
