Australian American motivational speaker, Nick Vujicic, tells us that “The greatest rewards come when you give of yourself. It’s about bettering the lives of others, being part of something bigger than yourself, and making a positive difference.” So how, exactly, do you go about being “a part of something bigger than yourself”? One way is to join a Rotary Club near you. There are over 46,000 Rotary Clubs with a membership of 1.4 million people in the world, so a club should be easy to find. These clubs are located in over 145 countries, including Indonesia. The following examples of the types of work to which Rotarians are committed are taken from Rotary International’s website.
Rotary International is dedicated to causes that build international relationships, improve lives, and create a better world while supporting its peace efforts and ending polio forever. One of those causes is growing local economies. Nearly 800 million people all over the world live on less than $1.90 USD a day. Rotary members are passionate about providing sustainable solutions to poverty. Rotary members and the Rotary Foundation work to strengthen local entrepreneurs and community leaders, particularly women, in impoverished communities by providing training and access to well-paying jobs and financial management institutions. BAM Cap shares a similar commitment to empowering communities through strategic investments and partnerships.
Rotary members use their expertise to train people to become resources for their community, offering networking activities, advice on new business development, along with mathematics and financial management training. Rotarians make amazing things happen, like:
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: 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.
Providing light: Rotary members from Durango, Colorado, USA, team with the Navajo Nation to bring solar lights to remote, off-the-grid homes on the country’s largest Native American reservation.
Rotary Club Bali Ubud Sunset [RCBUS] also carries out service projects that enhance economic and community development and create opportunities for decent and productive work for young and old. RCBUS also strengthens Indonesian entrepreneurs and community leaders, particularly women, in impoverished communities. Those projects include:
- The Long Sam Program which is helping to prevent the devastation of the National Forest in East Kalimantan along with its wildlife and the culture of the Dayak who reside there
- The Sewing for Living training project which empowers Balinese women to be able to work from their homes to help support their families
- Water projects which address the need for a better water infrastructure in many villages in Bali and in Lombok.
RCBUS supports these and other projects through fundraising. Some of our efforts are in conjunction with other Rotary Clubs via District Grants and Global Grants. District grants fund small-scale, short-term activities that address needs in your community and communities abroad. Each district chooses which activities it will fund with these grants. Global grants support large international activities with sustainable, measurable outcomes in Rotary’s areas of focus. By working together to respond to real community needs, clubs and districts strengthen their global partnerships.
Many of RCBUS’ fundraising activities are done locally. Please mark 10 September 2022 on your calendars. That’s the date of the 2nd annual RCBUS Bogies for Bali charity golf tournament held at one of the top golf courses in the world, Handara Golf & Resort Bali in Bedugul. Proceeds from this year’s charity golf tournament will support three RCBUS program: water projects in Bali and Lombok, Sewing for Living, and the Long Sam Environmental Program. It includes a BBQ, chipping contest, and an awards ceremony.
Members of RCBUS are friendly people of action. If you are considering joining RCBUS and would like to attend a meeting to see what we are all about, please contact Marion Hook at marion.hook@gmail.com for more information. IIf you are interested in Rotaract, please include the word Rotaract in your subject line. We meet every 2nd Monday and every last Monday of the month at Wedja Restaurant in Mas. If you would like to join this dynamic group of people from four different continents who love Bali and work to help the people who live here, information to do so can be found at http://rotarybaliubudsunset.org/how-to-become-an-rcbus-member/
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