from The Rotary Club of Halifax North West
Welcome to the monthly newsletter from the Rotary Club of Halifax Northwest, where we share the club’s and Rotary’s news and activities with the communities we serve. The Rotary theme for October is Community Economic Development. This issue highlights Rotary initiatives to support investments in people to create measurable and enduring economic improvement in their lives and communities.
Fact: Nearly 800 million people on our planet live on less than $1.90 a day! Rotary members are passionate about providing sustainable solutions to poverty. Rotarians and the Rotary foundation work to become resources for their community and strengthen local entrepreneurs and community leaders, particularly women, in impoverished communities.
Rotarians make amazing things happen, like:
• Providing training and access to well-paying jobs and financial management institutions.
• Creating opportunities to help communities thrive financially and socially, often by providing microloans for people to become self-sufficient as street vendors, rickshaw drivers, weavers, and tailors.
• Training people to become resources for their community.
A microloan is a small loan, typically for financing entrepreneurial projects by impoverished individuals and groups, especially in poor or developing regions.
These are typical examples of impactful Rotary projects:
• Breaking the cycle of poverty for women:
Most of the women living in rural Guatemala do not have the collateral to get loans from regulated financial institutions. The Rotary Club of Guatemala de la Ermita helped 400 local women complete financial literacy courses so they could pool their money and fund their own microlending program.
• Skills development, business training:
In Esmeraldas, Ecuador, Rotary members helped grant more than 250 microloans and train more than 270 community members in sewing, baking, plumbing, microcredit, business management, and leadership.
• Sustainable farming:
Entrepreneurs in rural communities can borrow money to buy livestock or plant crops or get training in sustainable farming. In west Cameroon, soil erosion and loss of soil fertility have significantly reduced farmers’ harvests. Rotary members gave farmers the skills they needed to improve soil fertility, control soil erosion, and market their produce. The results: increased crop yields and profits. Rotary International and Heifer International are teaching farmers to extend their growing season and help residents eat healthier, local food.
Our Rotary Club of Halifax Northwest welcomes everyone to explore community service with us! We pride ourselves on being diverse and inclusive – and we’re friendly! Corporate members from the business community are welcome as well. We meet every Tuesday from noon to 1 pm at Freeman’s on Dutch Village Road in Fairview. Join us for lunch to meet the members and share the camaraderie and networking. For more information contact Roger Chiasson at rogerchiasson305@gmail.com or 782 234 9408.
Photo credits to : https://www.rotary.org/en/our-causes/growing-local-economies
