Page 8 - 2024年5月號

TRUSTEE CHAIR’S MESSAGE

Service at the center
There is something magical about Rotary. Irish members to initiate a project that is equipping
Even after all these years of being a member, I six schools and three community centers in the rural
continue to be amazed by it. Sololá area with plug-and-play servers containing
Take successful leaders from various backgrounds educational materials like books and videos. The
and professions and bring them together under a set of grant also furnishes laptops and uninterruptible power
core values with service at the center. Add networks and supplies and trains teachers, benefiting about 1,800
friendship and then watch the magic start happening. individuals as it leverages technology for literacy and
It’s you Ñ Rotarians and Rotaractors Ñ who education.
make that magic happen. You are the business and Don’t forget: Foundation global grants also
community leaders and the entrepreneurs who bring support scholarships. One such scholarship,
your passions, skills, and interests to everything we sponsored by Italian and German clubs, focuses
do. It’s you who think outside of the box and apply on artificial intelligence in disease prevention and
what you know to serve others. treatment. Italian scholar Salvatore Galati conducted
I see the same magic in Rotary Foundation research at a university in Bonn, Germany,
grants that are funded by you and led by you. using AI algorithms to analyze vast datasets for
It’s present in the partnership between Rotary innovative drug development. Such computer-aided
clubs in Canada and Uganda that supports economic approaches can reduce costs and research time in
and community development vocational training at the development of lifesaving drugs.
the same time. This global grant-funded initiative It’s fantastic to see us innovating and
trains Ugandan youths in welding and related incorporating new approaches and technology into
skills to make wheelchairs for a children’s home our Foundation grants.
serving people with disabilities. Technicians receive I look forward to meeting many of you at the
training in Canada and return home with valuable 2024 Rotary International Convention in Singapore
skills to start enterprises, helping meet the need for in a few short weeks, where we will learn about
wheelchairs in the community. new opportunities to serve and innovate. It will be a
Another global grant-supported project that chance to celebrate that Rotary magic and the many
reflects Rotary’s entrepreneurial spirit is in Guatemala. ways we Create Hope in the World.
To address the challenges of limited internet access for
rural schools, a host club in Guatemala partnered with BARRY RASSIN
Foundation trustee chair
Illustration by Viktor Miller Gausa

6 ᇃᢊ׭ᎈȁ2024.5