Take action during Rotary Economic and Community Development Month 

 
During October, designated by Rotary as Economic and Community Development Month, members spotlight one of Rotary’s vital causes: growing local economies. According to the United Nations, 836 million people still live in extreme poverty.
 
Unemployment and underemployment, along with a lack of economic opportunity, appropriate training, and social services, lie at the core of poverty.

 
 
Rotarians worldwide are determined to reduce poverty through projects that deliver equipment, vocational training, and work to strengthen local entrepreneurs and community leaders, particularly women, from impoverished communities. Here is a couple of Rotary Showcase examples of members taking action to grow local economies and communities:

•    The Rotary Club of Abuja, Nigeria, carried out three months of training for 30 internally displaced women, who were affected by terrorist groups in the region. The women were trained in sewing clothes, and at the end of the program, the best participants received sewing machines, tools, and other necessities. The club also helped the best participants find jobs in the sewing industry.

•    The Rotary Club of Addis Ababa West, Ethiopia, offered vocational training to local participants, who attended a workshop on marketable businesses and management training. Then, they chose further training in a single vocation, such as hairdressing, sewing, food preparation, and video and photo editing. Government offices and private institutions trained them for two to five months. Afterward, participants received start-up tools, equipment, and supplies to begin their own business ventures.

Generating income and opportunities for entrepreneurship and a productive workforce is essential, along with education and health strategies, to reducing poverty. Every community has different needs and different opportunities to serve. The new Rotary guide Economic and Community Development Project Strategies aims to help clubs and districts ask the right questions, identify needs, and make the greatest possible impact with the time, energy, and resources they have. Download the guide and take action this Economic and Community Development Month.
 
TAKE ACTION