(Islamabad, 20 February 2007)
- President Pervez Musharraf presented the Sitara-e-Eisar Award, one
of the highest honors in Pakistan, to Rotary International
President-elect Wilfrid J. Wilkinson today in recognition of Rotary
International's swift response to assist survivors of the Kashmir
earthquake of October 2005.
Immediately after the 7.6-magnitude
earthquake occurred, local and international Rotary clubs rallied in
response, rushing emergency relief to hundreds of thousands of
affected people. Rotary club members organized medical teams, set up
mobile relief camps, and collected blood and donated goods for the
earthquake victims. In total, Rotary contributed more than US$5
million in cash and in-kind donations to assist survivors.
Examples of relief provided by
Rotary clubs in Pakistan and abroad:
- Clubs raised funds to help address
the immediate need for tents and food and sent Rotary volunteers to
relief camps
- Collected medical supplies dry
food items, warm clothing, blankets, tents and drinking water for
victims in the most affected regions.
- Rotary clubs in Great Britain and
Ireland sent 5000 shelter boxes, tents and medical supplies. Each
shelter box kit provides tents and basic necessities for up to 10
people.
With its network of more than 32,000
local clubs in nearly 170 countries, Rotary works at the grassroots
level to improve communities. Pakistan is home to more than 100
Rotary clubs with a total membership of about 2,900 business and
professional leaders. Rotary's long history in Pakistan began with
the chartering of the Rotary Club of Lahore in 1927. In addition to
the earthquake relief effort, Rotary clubs in Pakistan support many
other humanitarian projects such as building schools for children,
conducting vocational training for the poor and providing access to
clean water in poor villages, and harvesting rain water in
Tharparker Desert in Province of Sindh.
As part of its global polio
eradication effort, Rotary International is also providing financial
support and volunteers in the drive to eliminate polio in Pakistan.
Rotary is one of the spearheading partners in the Global Polio
Eradication Initiative, along with the World Health Organization,
UNICEF and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. To date, Rotary has
contributed US$616 million to the global effort, including $39
million to help make Pakistan polio-free.
Rotary is an organization of
business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide
humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the
world. There are approximately 1.2 million Rotarians who are members
of more than 32,000 Rotary clubs in nearly 170 countries.
www.rotary.org.
CONTACT:
Howard Chang at +1-847-866-3408
link to article:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/YAOI-6YN4UH?OpenDocument
