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In Haiti, there is a small town in the mountains where, for years, the residents traveled up and down the mountain each day simply to gather fresh water. It was a large and vital task, and the town chose to use its children to complete it.
Rather than go to school, girls as young as 8 years old were pressed into this service. It was a dangerous job, and some of the girls never returned home, having been abducted or killed in the process.
A man from a Rotary Club in Indiana heard the story and wanted to help. At a district conference, he met another Rotarian who was a well driller and who shared the desire to make a difference for this mountain town.
Soon, five different Rotary Clubs were involved. They put together a grant request to the larger organization, and before long, that little mountain town had water. The girls who had risked their lives every day now get to work toward a better life through education.
That is an example of what Rotary Club does. In Kokomo, two Rotary Club chapters recently merged, giving this community a greater opportunity to make a difference like those well-drilling Rotarians did. The Rotary Club of Kokomo became an official, consolidated entity on Nov. 30. According to Rotarian Alan Girton, the merger had been in the works for some time.
“Both clubs had been struggling with membership and attendance,” said Girton. “Both clubs had some aging members. And, you know, after COVID, there were a lot fewer people coming to things, but both had strong community service programs.
“Over the last couple of years, we had talked on and off about merging. Things seemed to, so this year, the two leadership groups got together to find our commonalities Very little adjustment needed to be made. Basically, we all fell under the same Rotary concept.”
The two clubs spent September and October finalizing the merger, and it was made official on Nov. 30. The new club, known as the Rotary Club of Kokomo, meets on Thursday mornings at 7 a.m. in Room 127 in Indiana University Kokomo’s main building, 2600 S. Washington St.
The merger was commemorated by a visit from Jennifer Stanfield, Rotary District 6560 Governor, based out of Zionsville. She shared the story of the town in Haiti with the members and discussed Rotary’s priorities for 2024.
“There are initiatives that our president wants us to focus on this year,” said Stanfield. “The first one and his highest priority is prioritizing mental health, removing the stigma associated with reaching out for help.
“This year, more than any other year as Rotarians who serve our communities, is an excellent opportunity for us to recognize people who might need help or need somebody to talk to. Really, what they're looking for is someone to listen.”
To that end, the Rotary Club provided virtual QPR training for interested members. The acronym stands for Question, Persuade, and Refer, which is a method for assisting those with a mental health issue to find the help they need. Those who participated received certification in the training.
Another priority set by the organization is empowering girls learn, achieve, and succeed.
“We've rebranded to call it the ‘Unlocking the Power within Girls Initiative,’” said Stanfield. “You use the word ‘empower’ to indicate we have the power to unlock the power within girls.”
Unlocking that power involves education. The Rotary Club is supporting efforts to get girls into computer coding and engineering. More than that, the Rotary Club is working to remove barriers to education for girls.
“You may think that's just for people overseas in developing countries, but right here in central Indiana, it is needed,” said Stanfield. “For instance, I currently work as a substitute schoolteacher in the elementary schools at Washington Township in Indianapolis. And there are little girls starting their periods for the first time in elementary school.
“So, there are some Rotary clubs doing projects that put supplies and things that young girls might need in the schools so that they aren’t embarrassed to go to school for fear of an accident or something like that.”
The Rotary Club of Kokomo is accepting new members who have a heart for service and a desire to improve the lives of people in the community. For additional information about the club and its activities, visit the Rotary Club of Kokomo Facebook page or www.kokomorotary.squarespace.com.