May 2021, Issue 11

ROTARY DISTRICT 1130 NEWSLETTER

T H E O F F I C I A L N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E D I S T R I C T

STORIES INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

May 28, 2021 is MHH Day Kweini Inc offering wheelchair to disable May 28, 2021 has be declared Menstrual person - 2 Health and Hygiene (MHH) Day. A new Rotary action group RAGMHH has been approved by Change Agent Network Rotary International. Let's all try to create Post covid-19 news -3 awareness about MHH in order to break the silence. Save a Child's Heart -4

Rotary in London, District 1130 - Greater London, United Kingdom ARTICLES INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Contact: Suresh Bharwaney

Email: [email protected] The Giving Capsules - Mobile: +44-7876 - 570 -775 Menstrual Health and Hygiene Matters -6 May 2021, Issue 11

Donation of wheelchair to a disabled person by Kweini Inc in Vavoua

Kweini Inc Offering a Wheelchair to a Disabled Person in Keini Inc must keep its Vavoua. promise

two greats memebers of Kweni Inc

Kweini Inc in Action – Offering a wheelchair decided to go because Kweni Inc must to a disabled person in Vavoua which is in keep its promise. Cote D’Ivorie. The head of Logistics, Mr Ta Bi Severin

They have been informed that in the village and Joli Baby Yougone are on their of Pelezi, there is a very disabled young way to the village. man, so they go looking for him i.e. offer him a wheelchair in the name of #kweniproject. The mission continues. BIG BOX initiative, a partnership of the Rotary

The one who told them about the young Club of Paddington UK and @Roll Out man refused to accompany them, the Barrel and Kweni Inc. May 2021, Issue 11

Education is the key

Change Agent Network - Post Covid-19 News

Eric Wowah brings you warm greetings from the children and people of Liberia! It is good to be back to the US again after been in Liberia.

He returned to America about four weeks ago from Liberia and he is presently in his American hometown of Lafayette Louisiana working on shipping a container to Liberia. This was his longest trip ever to Liberia since he relocated to the US in 2006. This trip lasted for one full year largely because of COVID-19.

Coming back to America this time around for him, everything looks strange and different in the space of just one year. It’s like experiencing twenty to forty years of history unfolded in one single year. Everything changed forever but he thanks God that they are alive and well.

After his arrival back in the US, he felt like he was just coming to America for the very first time again, but the only difference now is that he knows what he is doing, and he has a few numbers to call just in case. Unlike 2006, when he just came to America as a refugee, he had no idea what to do, where to go and no number to call.

He strongly believes that they are going to certainly change the world by having collective impact for education, social economic, health, equality, and community transformation to the glory and all the well-wishers! May 2021, Issue 11

SAVE A CHILD’S HEART (charity no:1077939)

SAVE A CHILD'S HEART

We in Rotary are justly proud of our achievements in ridding the world of a cruel killer diseases of children born in the poorer countries of the world. Killer diseases like Smallpox, Measles, many horrible water-borne diseases and of course Polio which took the lives of 1. In 200 children have been consigned to history.

But there is another cruel killer disease that we don’t hear much about Congenital Heart Disease doesn’t appear in the infant mortality list because babies born with a malformed heart mostly survive a wretched existence until they die in adolescent years. It claims the life of 1 in every 100 children in the world - that is twice as many as ever died of Polio.

It is a disease that cannot be treated with vaccines or drugs. Organizations like Medicins sans Frontiers and Mercy Ships are unable to help these children, the only remedy is Open Heart Surgery where highly skilled surgical teams equipped with a Heart /Lung machine operate on a diseased heart drained of blood. In our world this facility is available in a limited number of hospitals, and overly expensive.

For over 20 years Save a Child’s Heart, a surgical team in Israel has treated free of charge Six Thousand children from over 60 of the world’s poorer countries, half of them Palestinian children, their neighbors.

May 2021, Issue 11

SAVE A CHILD’S HEART (charity no:1077939)

SAVE A CHILD'S HEART

Uniquely, children brought to Israel with a parent for treatment are accommodated in a modern building close to the hospital and are offered food that they are used to at home. Young volunteers, from many countries. mostly in their university gap years have wonderful experiences and lifelong fond memories of healing out in the house and entertaining the children.

The Chair of the managing board and most of its members are Israeli and Arab Rotarian's who have supported Save a Child's Heart since it was founded over 20 years ago and supplying food to the Children’s Home. The team’s greatest pride is the more than 100 thoracic surgeons, cardiologists’ anesthetists’ nurses, and heart/lung machine technicians from developing countries that they have trained in the skills to treat the children of their own communities. These countries are now independent of outside charity. Tanzania and Ethiopia are the latest countries where children can receive lifesaving treatment in local hospitals from surgical teams trained and equipped by Save a Child’s Heart. This is a worthwhile project for any Rotary Club, it ticks so many boxes which define Rotary. Eradicating a killer disease of children, Saving the lives of children enabling them to support their family and community Enabling the poorer countries of the world to be independent of outside charity. Spreading goodwill in place of strife. Fulfilling the 4th Object of Rotary. Want a speaker? Email David Silverston ([email protected]) District 1130 London Newsletter May 2021, Issue 11

ProHumane Afrique International is a charitable development & think thank organization working with communities & individuals to create sustainable solutions to transform communities through diverse pro-poor initiatives. Don't always be amazing in life, learn to #beHumane. LinkedIn |Facebook | Twitter |Instagram - ProHumane Afrique International

The Giving Capsules: Menstrual Health and Hygiene Matters

By Baptista S. Gebu - Executive Director

World Menstrual Hygiene Day is observed on May 28. The reason for marking this day is to create awareness and change the social stigma associated with menstruation. Without considering needs for safe and dignified menstruation, the world cannot achieve the vision for sanitation and hygiene.

Menstruation or menses is the normal biological process of discharging blood and associated matter from the uterus through the vagina as part of the menstrual cycle. Menarche is the onset of menstruation, the time when a girl has her first menstrual period. Menstrual hygiene management (MHM) refers to management of hygiene associated with the menstrual process and it includes both MHM and the broader systemic factors that link menstruation with health, well-being, gender equality, education, equity, empowerment, and rights. A menstruator is a person (women and girls for instance) that menstruates. These menstruators have needs including health and hygiene needs which affects girls, women, trans-gender and non-binary persons. We usually use the term ‘girls and women’ to refers to all menstruators regardless of gender identity.

Menstrual hygiene materials are the products these women and girls use to catch menstrual flow, such as pads, cloths, tampons or cups. Menstrual supplies are other supportive items needed for MHH, such as body and laundry soap, lime and lemon for natural cleansing, underwear and pain relief items. Menstrual facilities are those facilities most associated with a safe and dignified menstruation, such as toilets and water infrastructure. Gender refers to the roles, behaviours, activities, and attributes that a given society at a given time considers appropriate for men and women.

Let’s discuss the summary of menstrual materials. Menstrual cloth, re-usable pad, disposable pads, menstrual cups and tampons are all examples of menstrual materials. Some are reusable whiles other are very convenient and affordable. Others rely on good disposal systems whiles others are hindered by cultural taboos. District 1130 London Newsletter May 2021, Issue 11

By Baptista S. Gebu - Executive Director

Menstrual cloth is reusable, affordable, already used in many contexts. Relies on privacy, clean water and soap, and time to wash and dry. Not having access to a good and clean drying line and space can generate health issues with its use. This is because, these cloths must be well washed first with soap and clean water and allowed to dry preferably under sunny conditions. Adopting a practice of adding lime and lemon juice as a natural washing conditioner prior to drying helps to take away germs and bad odor. Reusable pad is reusable, can be home-made or produced locally, when the good quality is good, its use is comfortable. It also relies on privacy, water soap and time to wash and dry. The quality of material used in its production is always the big issue. Poor material usage in its pad’s design will propose adverse reaction for the menstruator when used. Disposable pads are convenient, widely available, preferred by many women and girls and comfortable. It relies on disposal systems and access to markets. It can be expensive as compared to other materials. Menstrual cups are reusable, available in some countries. Relies on privacy, water and soap to clean, but hindered by cultural taboos on inserting and virginity. It can be considered affordable due to the duration of use and the cost associated with it initial purchase. It is not known by many and due to cultural taboos, seen by many not as a viable alternative. Tampons are also convenient, available in some countries. Relies on disposal systems and hindered by cultural taboos surrounding insertion and virginity. Menstruation is not a problem, poor menstrual hygiene is. This is because for the over 1. 8 billion girls and women of reproductive age, menstruation is a normal fact of life and a monthly occurrence. Menstrual health and hygiene is a neglected health and development issue, seen as a taboo in many cultures. . It is often assumed that girls with disabilities do not menstruate, so education is needed to dispel menstruation and disability myths. Menstruating girls and women with different disabilities may have different needs. As a result, women and girls are denied the right to manage their monthly menstrual cycle in a dignified and healthy way. To be continued... Which of the menstrual materials do you prefer and why? write to us [email protected] May 2021, Issue 11

ROTARY DISTRICT 1130 NEWSLETTER

T H E O F F I C I A L N E W S L E T T E R O F T H E D I S T R I C T

May 28, 2021 is Menstrual Health and Hygiene Day