From the Desk of the District Governor

“I guess there are never enough books.” – John Steinbeck.

As a Salinas Steinbeck Rotary Club member, I strongly support Rotary’s focus on primary education and literacy.  We know that literacy improves lives.  Imagine being in a foreign city where you can’t read the language – you can’t read shop signs, you can’t read warning labels, you can’t even read a menu – that’s what it’s like to be illiterate.  Children who learn to read and attend school have a greater chance of becoming adults who rise out of poverty, get a good job, stay out of prison, and become active community members.
 That’s why Rotarians around our District participate in so many education projects.  Many of our recently approved District grants fund school supplies, particularly book and dictionary distributions (Dinuba Sunrise, Hanford Sunset, and Salinas Alisal Rotary Clubs).  

What is your club doing to improve primary education and literacy in your community or worldwide? Abroad, it’s as simple as putting toilets in rural schools to ensure that girls feel safe attending school or providing desks and chairs so that children don’t have to write on the floor – both projects that clubs in our District have supported in the past. 

Locally, it asks teachers what supplies they need and awards funds via Project Helping Hand (Salinas Valley and Monterey Peninsula Sunrise Rotary Clubs).  It’s giving students Chromebook holders so that parents don’t have to replace expensive tablets if their young children drop them (Salinas Steinbeck Rotary).

It provides free libraries in low-income neighborhoods, so there are more books for everyone to read (Visalia Community Rotaract).  It also hosts awards programs to recognize top students, which lets students know their hard work will be recognized (Kingsburg and many other Rotary Clubs).  Or it’s creating a reading program for children (Tulare Sunrise).

Send your photos to me showing how your Rotary club promotes primary education and literacy, and I’ll share them on Facebook this month.

Thank you for doing your part to Create Hope in the World!

From the desk of the District Governor
Debbie Hale, HaleRotary@gmail.com