A trip to India to immunize children has become a mission for local Rotarians.
Sheila Pope, Brenda Wilkinson and Heather Blackwood recently travelled to Delhi, India, to help administer polio vaccine to thousands of children at risk of the disease. The vaccinations were part of the PolioPlus Rotary program that has been in existence for 20 years. The program sees dozens of Rotarians travel to underdeveloped parts of the world each year at their own expense to administer vaccine funded by the clubs. Non-members are also welcome to take part in the effort.
Pope said although the trip was meant to help stop the disease, she saw another need she feels will now be a priority for local Rotary clubs.
"We expected to do the immunizations, but we did not expect to visit other projects the Delhi Rotary clubs are funding, and those projects really touched me," said Pope - projects like the local free blood bank that stores blood for people who need it in emergencies and can't afford to pay for it; the rehabilitation centre for children who have been crippled by polio; and the Ashram, where children who have been rescued from slavery are taught English and skills that will help them become productive members of society.
"These are kids who would have been either sold or stolen from their parents and forced to work in factories, mainly rug factories, working 18 hours a day with little food and left to sleep in a corner of the place," said Pope.
There are about 70 Rotary clubs in Delhi that have sought out projects like these to fund, and Pope says local Rotary clubs will certainly get on board.
"We will be involved financially with one or more of these projects," she said.
Rotary's involvement with administering polio vaccine has made an impact in Delhi, with no new reported cases of the disease this year, said Pope.
She noted the vaccine clinics were well organized and that 168 million children throughout India were immunized during their trip.
She saw great poverty in the areas in which the immunization centres were set up and said it wasn't unusual to see makeshift homes composed of cardboard, discarded pieces of plastic and bits of scavenged wood.
"Polio is a big problem there because these areas are so dirty and the disease is transferred through water," said Pope.
But she said that despite the conditions, the people of Delhi are very friendly and fun loving. "They really seem to enjoy life," she said.
