International & Overseas Projects

Shelter Box now in constant demand with so many people being displaced by climate change events and conflict within their areas. People losing their homes and all their possessions in some cataclysmic event. 

Shelter box gives them a tent, a roof over their heads. Water purification kits, blankets a small stove and cooking utensils, crayons and pencils and other items for the children, some warm clothes and other items to help then exist until more help from all the appropriate agencies is received. It gives them the means to survive and exist in the immediate aftermath of the catastrophe.

Mercy Ships, so many areas are so poorly served for health and dental services that the Mercy Hospital ships are constantly in demand. A new ship has recently been commissioned and is currently visiting various ports in Africa. These ships are staffed by volunteers, Doctors, Nurses, Dentists, Pharmacists and other medical professions. The amount of work they do during their visits is amazing as the demand is so very great.

Water Aid, continue to try and bring safe potable water supplies to so many people who still have to manage by collecting water daily from various water holes. In many instances the water is contaminated and not safe to drink but they collect it just the same as they have no other choice and boil it in an attempt to reduce the contamination. It often, though, makes them very ill particularly the children. Everyone has a right to have a supply of clean safe drinking water, a commodity we take for granted in our own homes.

Sand Dams, another means of trapping the water that comes in the rainy season and then can be used from the sand dam in periods of hotter weather to help to grow crops to feed the community and have some over to sell to produce some income. It also provides water for livestock, again for food and also for the cows to give sufficient milk for the children.

The sand Dams are constructed by the local people but with the help from Rotary Engineers. It allows communities to become more self-sufficient as water is so important to their growth and survival.

Polio, Rotary is committed to eradicating polio from the world.

Recently though these plans were disrupted. After the Taliban resumed control in AFGHANISTAN, all the vaccinators were thrown out of the country. The cases of polio soared and so many children were affected. Fortunately the Taliban realized their error and vaccination has now been allowed to be re-commenced. There are still some cases in very remote areas of Pakistan but these are now being visited by vaccinators even if they have to access the people by donkey, mule or horse.

We became complacent about polio in this country, people stopped having their children vaccinated as polio was under control so they thought Traces of polio were found in the sewers at Walthamstow.

Fortunately the requirement for polio vaccination has now increased as people understand the risk is still there. 

There is no cure for polio only vaccination to stop a child from being affected. Polio can kill and if a child survives they will usually be very disabled and unable to have a normal life. We have to keep vaccinating and we will keep this up and press on to eradicate the disease from the world. Rotary are determined with the help of the Gates Foundation to ensure that polio is the second disease to be eradicated from the world.