Category Archives: Saving mothers and children

Bringing hope and joy to abandoned, neglected Filipino children

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Members of the Rotary Club of Cubao Edsa visit with children at Cottolengo Filipino in Rodriguez, Philippines.

By Maurice Librea, past president of the Rotary Club of Cubao Edsa, Quezon City, Philippines

Recently, we celebrated the fourth year of our signature project by dedicating three hours to a facility that offers residential care for abandoned, neglected, and orphaned individuals with disabilities.

Cottolengo Filipino is located in Rodriguez, Rizal. On our visit, we encountered children with a range of disabilities – autism, cerebral palsy, mental illness, and more. Their frail physiques and innocent eyes conveyed stories of abandonment and longing. It was a gut-wrenching experience that weighed heavy on our hearts.

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Preventing cervical cancer through vaccinations

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Dr. Amal El-Sisi

By Dr. Amal El-Sisi, Technical Coordinator for Maternal and Child Health, The Rotary Foundation Cadre of Technical Advisers and honorary program director of “United to End Cervical Cancer in Egypt”

Three years ago, I was talking to a mother in my clinic confused by the contradictory messages she was hearing about the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccine. On the one hand, she had heard about the effectiveness of the vaccine to guard against cervical cancer. On the other hand, she had also heard about the stigma surrounding the vaccine – a stigma related to sexual promiscuity.

Cervical cancer, the fourth most common cancer among women, is caused by HPV, a sexually transmitted infection. Cervical cancer is preventable through vaccination, screening, and treatment, but faces stigma, even among medical professionals, due to religious and cultural norms.

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Canadian club provides support through meals

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Members of the Rotary Club of Ladner serve out Christmas dinner to members of a support group for families of children with autism and other conditions.

By Peter Roaf, Rotary Club of Ladner, Delta, British Columbia, Canada

My first son was autistic. He was on the more severe end of the spectrum. His mother and I had to take ourselves from joy over our firstborn through denial and grief. We had to accept the harsh reality of raising a child with special needs.

John was a jolly little guy with a sense of humour, but he couldn’t talk, learn, or care for himself. As he was growing up, I wondered what he would be like – what we would be like – when he became an adult. How would we lead our lives when the time for his care as an adult arrived?

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Celebrate International Day of the Girl Child

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Rotary members in Egypt partnered with Duma Toy Company to provide high-quality doll making training for underserved girls and women.

By Elizabeth Usovicz, a past Rotary International Director and chair of Rotary’s Girls’ Empowerment Global Task Force

What does it mean for a girl to be empowered? This question is especially relevant on 11 October, the day set aside by the United Nations as International Day of the Girl Child.

Canadian-Indian poet Rupi Kaur expresses empowerment beautifully in her poem, “Being Independent:”

“I do not want to have you … fill the empty parts of me. I want to be full on my own. I want to be so complete I could light a whole city.”

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Rotary scholar transforms lives through public health

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Rotary Scholar Eunji Cho in front of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine

By Eunji Cho, 2020-21 Rotary Scholar from District 3640 (Korea)

Vanuatu is a small island nation in the South Pacific, comprising approximately 300,000 people spread across 83 islands. It has natural beauty and tourist appeal. Yet residents often have difficulty accessing quality health care. Reaching medical facilities often requires hours of boat travel, and even then, there is a shortage of healthcare professionals.

Vanuatu is also susceptible to natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones, volcanic eruptions, and the effects of climate change. All of these impact residents’ health. When a cyclone struck in March, the capital was without water and power causing waterborne diseases to spread in the humid climate and among close-knit family units.

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