Welcome to the Rotary Club To End Human Trafficking

We meet via Zoom on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of every month at 7 AM US CT.

Email President@endHTrotaryclub.org to request the meeting link.

Dear Rotarians,

One of Rotary’s greatest strengths is the ability of our members to come together to create lasting change, and The Rotary Foundation helps us transform dreams of change into reality.

From eradicating polio to building peace, much of the work we do around the world would not be possible without our continued support of our different Foundations.

The many foundations that exist within the rotary structure offer so many ways to change the world for the better. It is a great time to get to know your Foundation better and pursue causes that appeal to you.

Global grants support large international activities with sustainable, measurable outcomes in Rotary’s areas of focus. By working together to respond to pressing community needs, clubs and districts strengthen their global partnerships.

District grants fund small-scale, short-term activities that address needs in your community and in communities abroad. Each district chooses which activities it will fund with these grants.

The Rotary Club to End Human Trafficking (RCEHT) also has its own Foundation that helps support projects around the world with a focus on economic development to prevent the scourge of human trafficking. Despite our Foundation’s relative youth, this year alone our club has co-sponsored a global grant with the Rotary Club of Edina to prevent the illicit recruitment of the youth in Cuenca, Ecuador and co-sponsored two separate youth education programs in the states of Georgia and Florida.

Your gifts to our Foundation make these projects possible.

The Magic of Rotary does not appear out of nowhere. We create the magic with every new member inducted, every project completed, and every dollar donated to our Foundation.

Please join me in supporting The Rotary Foundation, and the RCEHT Foundation, and together, we will change the world for the better.

FUNDRAISING NEEDS FOR 2024-2026

The R

otary Club to End Human Trafficking (RCEHT) Board has identified three strategic priorities for the next 2 years for the club. As with any organizational priorities, funding is usually required. With that in mind, we have estimated the financial needs to support these exciting initiatives. We know that we are a small club and do not expect that our members will be able to raise these funds on our own. BUT we ask that you reach out to your own networks and ask them to support our club initiatives as well. We will be including these ideas in our newsletter with links to the RCEHT Foundation PayPal link for easy donations. PLEASE help achieve our goals!!!!

1. Economic Development Initiative: We are looking to provide seed funding to support entrepreneurs starting businesses as options to trafficking. Major Assumptions for this initiative:

Lack of economic opportunity is a key component to vulnerability to trafficking.
If we serious about eradicating human trafficking, we need to address basic economic opportunity around the world.
Despite massive investments over long periods of time, the trajectory of economic opportunity in much of the world has not changed.
A different approach is required.
That approach must by systemic and not transactional.

This Initiative:

Focuses on geographic areas where trafficking is known to be a problem.
Identifies candidates who are open to change and are ambitious despite the circumstances they are in.
Recruits mentors who are passionate about the mission, empathetic, supportive, understand business, and are good teachers.
Delivers core teaching (learning management system) in a manner easy for candidates to absorb.
Provides capital and on-going support and community to overcome inevitable challenges.

2. Support of our Club Branches and Branch members:

Rotary International is encouraging new and innovative ways to bring in new members including multiple meeting times, special interest groups (wine groups, gardening groups, Book Clubs, travel groups, other).The Rotary Club to End Human Trafficking has created “branches” which are clubs in countries where we have a significant number of members. We currently have 2 branches-one in Ghana and one in South Sudan/Kenya. The two branches have over 20 people and represent the largest membership recruiting opportunity for our club. Unfortunately these members cannot afford the costs of membership so we are looking for others to support these amazing people who have overcome so much and are improving lives in their own countries.

There are two ways you can help:

Support an individual with their annual dues: 20 individuals at $250 USD/year/person
Support a branch=2 branches at $2,500 USD/year

FUNDING NEEDED for 2024-2026: $5,000

3. Partner with other Rotary clubs for Rotary District and Global Grant matching grants

More clubs within our District are interested in projects that can impact other countries to end human trafficking. Our district has many clubs who are generous and great collaborators and know the power of leveraging dollars. Our club has already contributed only $500 to a grant that another Rotary club submitted to Rotary International and was ultimately awarded more than$20,000. We want to continue to support great work with other clubs to increase the power of collaboration.

FUNDING GOAL FOR 2024-2026: $2,000 USD

TOTAL FUNDRAISING GOAL FOR 2024-2025 $9,000

Please consider a donation now!

LINK FOR DONATIONS: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=525MMAAWSPK54

RCEHT – TRULY A GLOBAL CLUB

I had the opportunity this month to go to the West African country of Ghana. Ghana is a county where multiple projects are taking place associated with our mission.
As you hear what is happening here, you will understand our club is serious about taking real action that will lead to the eradication of human slavery.
I had two objectives for this very short trip. I wanted to see first-hand what was happening at the Theodora Africa Project, and I wanted share in the kick-off of our Economic Development Initiative’s Pilot Project with the Rotary Club of Tamale.

I wanted to see how the lessons learned at Theodora are influencing the plans for EDI. (Full disclosure, the head of these projects is my Father, and I’ve been a part of his thinking for years, even sitting on the Board of the non-profit which is a partner of Theodora Africa.) But, hearing things from afar is one thing. Experiencing them directly is another. Michael has talked about the transformational effect economic opportunity has on the attitudes of those either prone to or subject to human slavery. I was particularly interested in getting a hands-on feel for that.

During my four days, I met with Theodora program participants, women who’ve gone from sex work to gainful employment as virtual administrative assistants in the United States. I met with the Rotary members in Accra, and other significant volunteers who helped make the program happen. I met with the leadership of the Rotary Club of Tamale in the north of Ghana where we signed our preliminary Memorandum of Understanding and built out our initial implementation plan steps. And I met with villagers of a community identified by our RC Tamale colleagues as prone to trafficking where they would like to conduct the Pilot Project. Talk about seeing our club in action!

After such a trip, I could write so much more about the opportunities and challenges we at RCEHT are going to be facing taking on EDI but I’m in an airport getting ready to return to the United States. I will find a time on our speaker’s schedule to give a much more in-depth report on my experiences. However, remember this. We Are A Club of Action. We Are Doing Things.