International Projects
Danvers Rotary has had long-term success in supporting International projects including:
​Polio Plus
Polio Plus is Rotary International’s campaign for eradicating polio from the world! It is the major focus of The Rotary Foundation. Polio Plus has been outstandingly successful reducing polio worldwide by 99.9%
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History: Rotary announced this worldwide campaign in 1985. It was joined in 1988 by the World Health Organization (WHO). Since then, a total of six organizations formed the Global Eradication of Polio Initiative. The other partners are: The US Center for Disease Control (US CDC), UNICEF (United Nation’s Children’s Fund), Gates Foundation, and Gavi (The Vaccine Alliance). Other participants include the governments of the world and other donors.
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Importance Today: Polio Plus remains a vital part of The Rotary Foundation which pledges $50 million annually to the partnership. In recent years the number of wild polio cases is under 100. All of these cases are in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Both countries are actively involved in the eradication program. Rotary’s commitment to eradication has not changed.
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The Polio Plus Society: Club Members are encouraged to make an annual commitment of $100 to Polio Plus. A commitment form is linked to the Club website. Completing the form documents member commitment to the $100 annual donation.
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Our Club’s Role: Danvers Rotary is committed to Polio Plus fundraising. We have one or two programs per year focused on Polio Plus and the international eradication efforts. The Club participates in special events for Polio Plus fundraising. A donation basket is passed at every meeting and members are encouraged to join the Polio Plus Society.
Rotary’s great historic accomplishment is that it has led the way to the reduction of polio in the world by 99.9% from approximately 300,000 cases worldwide per year to now around 100!
Questions: Philip Wilson, 201-956-8509 or wilsonphilipe@Gmail.com
Clean Water
Since 2013, The Rotary Foundation has invested in over 2000 projects worldwide. Through this investment, Rotary volunteers of action have improved access to safely managed and basic WASH services to communities, schools and healthcare facilities, while protecting and conserving water resources. Clean water, sanitation, and hygiene education are basic necessities for a healthy environment and a productive life. Through water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs, Rotary’s people of action mobilize resources, form partnerships, and invest in infrastructure and training that yield long-term change.
The Danvers Rotary Club has sponsored, supported and actively volunteered to attend a number of missions in South American to build water filtration systems for a number of village’s to prevent malnutrition, disease and infant deaths.
RotaPlast
Since 1999, Rotaplast International has been the District’s official committee for providers of reconstructive surgery of cleft lip and cleft palate for children. Their goal is to fund and participate in medical missions to underdeveloped countries where children cannot be helped otherwise. The committee was founded by District Governor Daniel Bronson and has conducted nearly twenty missions to third world nations every year since then. Committee members also serve on the missions of other districts when additional personnel are needed.
Rotaplast International is a non-profit, humanitarian organization founded in 1992 as a world community service project of the Rotary Club on San Francisco. Its outreach serves over twenty-six nations in Asia, Africa, South and Central America and Eastern Europe. The missions are requested by Rotary clubs in nations where free medical help is not available from the government or private organizations.
Rotaplast International is committed to changing lives through reconstructive plastic surgery, and has performed over 14,000 surgeries around the world. The Rotaplast family is comprised of over 400 Rotarian volunteers, 20 board members and 6 paid staff. It is recognized by Charity Navigator as a 4-star Charity; its highest rating.
The Danvers Rotary Club has had a number of volunteers that have devoted their time and energy to raising funds that transform children’s lives and have participated in a number of missions. Each mission includes, medical teams up to 19 medical volunteers and 10 Rotarians. No prior experience is required. Rotaplast provides training for volunteers to become mission directors, quartermasters, medical records keepers, sterilizers, photojournalists, interpreters, and other roles needed to assist in all aspects of a mission.