| The International Service Update provides news about World Community Service, Rotary Volunteers, and Rotary Community Corps, as well as disaster relief and recovery. Visit the Service and Fellowship pages on the Rotary International Web site, www.rotary.org, for more information. |
| International Literacy Day |
International Literacy Day, celebrated each year on 8 September, presents an opportunity for clubs and districts to increase their focus on literacy efforts in their communities and around the world. Rotary International and the International Reading Association (IRA) have worked together since 2002 to promote literacy worldwide. Rotary clubs and districts have collaborated with local IRA councils at both the community and international level to build literacy centers, develop training materials, mentor students, and provide books and educational tools. Learn more about joint IRA and Rotary literacy efforts.
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| West Africa Project Fair and Village Immunization Program |
| The sixth annual West Africa Project Fair, which will take place 1-9 November in
Accra
,
Ghana
, is a great opportunity to meet West African Rotarians and learn about service projects in need of partners. The fair will include a projects exhibition, immunization day, sightseeing tours of some of the most famous sites in
Ghana
, and a community service/humanitarian day. Learn more, and download the application form. |
| Donations-in-kind projects |
Is your club considering a project that involves donated goods? Rotary clubs can register donations-in-kind projects on ProjectLINK, and donor clubs can search the database for projects in need of certain items. Before requesting or donating goods, consider whether they are obtainable in the project country; if so, a cash contribution is often more appropriate. Be specific when asking for items to make sure the donations you receive meet recipients’ needs. For example, donated computer equipment typically should be less than five years old, and donated books must be appropriate for the age, language, and culture of the recipients. Clear communication between the donating and receiving clubs is essential before shipments are made. Read tips for working with donated goods. |
| Project technology: Educational software for the visually impaired |
If you’re interested in getting involved in a literacy project, consider incorporating technology that ensures equal access to education for people with disabilities. One possible resource is computer software for visually impaired individuals. These programs have the ability to read aloud, allowing people to hear the text in a document, along with menu selections, dialogue boxes, error messages, and other information. For those who have a partial ability to see, screen magnification options can increase the size of the display on the computer monitor. Braille keyboards are also available to improve typing. Variations on these tools have been developed to suit a range of needs. System requirements and cost vary according to the features and brand of software. |
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| Issue Focus |
Lack of educational resources for people with disabilities
As you work to promote education and literacy, keep in mind that poverty, education, and disability are intertwined issues. A lack of education poses a barrier to the alleviation of poverty, and poverty impedes access to schooling. As a result, there is a considerable educational disparity between developed and developing countries. This inequality hinders efforts toward achieving universal primary education, one of the UN Millennium Development Goals.
Disability often compounds educational inequality. In impoverished communities, there is a considerable gap between opportunities for children with and without disabilities. In Malawi and Tanzania, for example, a disabled child is twice as likely as a nondisabled child to never attend school. Out of the 75 million primary-school-aged children in the world who are not in school, one-third have disabilities. In developing countries alone, more than 90 percent of disabled children do not attend school. In addition, the worldwide literacy rate for disabled adults is as low as 3 percent.
International institutions, governments, and human rights groups have taken legislative action to protect the rights of people with disabilities, including the right to education. While these are positive steps toward ensuring educational opportunities, those with disabilities still do not have equal rights in many parts of the world and are not explicitly included in some large-scale development initiatives.
Connect with educational projects and volunteers
In Argentina, Bulgaria, India, and the Philippines, Rotary clubs are working to implement service projects to provide educational resources to individuals with mental and physical disabilities. These clubs are seeking international partners and volunteers to aid them in their efforts. To learn more about these projects and how you can help, please visit ProjectLINK.
ProjectLINK also features successfully completed projects that have offered educational opportunities to people with disabilities. Clubs have funded vocational training schools, provided computer training programs, and established a resource library for individuals with learning disabilities. These efforts can inspire other clubs looking for project ideas and provide guidance on best practices. Learn more by searching for a model project on ProjectLINK. To narrow your search, include the keyword disabled.
If your club is seeking international volunteers for educational projects benefiting disabled individuals, search the Rotary Volunteers Database. Volunteers currently listed have expertise in areas such as special education, physical therapy, sign language, and social work. |
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