Guest Speaker – Michelle Tanner from Matamata kept us on the edge of our seats with her great presentation (even had Thames Rotary in the title slide!).
Rotary started its campaign to eradicate Polio from the world in 1979.
In 1985 we got the World Health Organisation, United Nations International Children Emergency Fund and Centre for Disease Control on board.
Eradication is only possible because humans are the only known hosts. So far this year there have only been two cases of wild virus polio in the world. However, the project will still have a long way to go as there are still babies being born.
Michelle is also heavily involved in our Australia / New Zealand centennial project – https://everychildafuture.com/. She is on the Supervisory Committee. Work has started in Samoa, Nauru, Tonga and Tuvalu. Niue and Vanuatu starting next week. Then the Cook Islands, Kiribati and Tokelau start next month. Over the next three years, we will vaccinate 100,000 children against rotavirus, pneumococcal disease and cervical cancer. Michelle suggested that the younger generations are very impressed by it and for clubs to contact those individuals in our communities.
Michelle is also chair of our district Georgia programme: https://rotary9930.org/60075/Page/Show?ClassCode=Page&Slug=youth-georgia-rotary-student-programme.
90 free undergraduate scholarships are awarded every year to study at a university in Georgia USA. The successful candidate only has to fund their health insurance and socialising!!
Our immediate Past President Chris thanked Michelle for her presentation.