DG Louis - September Message

 
Dear Fellow Rotarians,
 
I would first like to commend the Rotarians and Rotaractors of District 7020 for banding together once again in the face of a natural disaster to assist our fellow brothers and sisters in Haiti after the devasting 7.2 Magnitude Earthquake on August 14th 2021. District 7020 Earthquake Response Chair Haresh Ramchandani and his team have been working tirelessly in assessing and assisting where possible and they are also doing a fantastic job with keeping the District and Rotarians and Rotaractors Worldwide up to date on the progress and needs of Haiti. I would like to wish all of those who have been affected by the Earthquake much strength during this difficult time. Let us continue to donate the District 7020’s Haiti Earthquake Recovery Fund, and please spread the word to family and friends. Nap mache men dan la men avèk nou! (“We walk hand in hand with you” in Haitian Creole).
 
September is Basic Education & Literacy month, it is stated on Rotary.org that 17% of the Worlds adult population are illiterate – that is about 775 million people over the age of 15. The Rotary Foundation supports education through scholarships, donations and service projects. Rotary Clubs around the World are making their impact on education by doing actions such as: 
  1. Teaching adults to read, Rotarians in the United States partnered with ProLiteracy Detroit to recruit and train tutors after a study showed that more than half of the adult population was illiterate. 
  2. Making schools healthy by providing clean water to public schools in Lebanon so that students can be healthy and have a better education
The Rotary Foundation promotes education and literacy for all by ensuring children have access to quality education, reducing gender disparity in education and strengthening the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, to name a few. 
I have seen Clubs in our District do amazing projects to improve Literacy and Basic Education some of them are:
  1. Spelling Bee Competitions (which are known to improve a child’s confidence and improve their vocabulary)
  2. Hosting virtual or in person reading sessions for kids (which helps to develop a child’s brain, ability to focus, along with social and communication skills)
  3. The Butterfly Storybook Contest (which provides young students with a catalyst to achieve success, promotes literacy and provides books to Primary Schools across developing countries)
  4. Installation of Free Little Libraries (which improves access to books and helps to tackle low literacy rates)
 
I look forward to seeing the impactful projects that the Clubs in our District have planned for the coming months and I also want to encourage you all to share your projects and fundraisers with District Newsletter Chair Rosemarie Flax as we continue to Serve to Change Lives. 
 
Yours in Rotary Service,
Louis Wever
District Governor 2021-2022
District 7020 
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