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Ethiopia: Kim’s Report
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L-R: Jim Owens, Margie Burnette & Kim Shrader
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President Shrader was delighted the off-site meeting went so bookingly at the Library. “Thanks to Jeanne Thorsen, Cary Kopczynski, and the Fellowship Committee, headed by Peter Powell, for doing a great job on this program.”
Kim called his travel mates up to the front, all decked out in their bright yellow vests and caps. Jim Owens, Margie Burnett, and Kim Shrader provided their own travel resources to join 60 other Rotarians from District 5030 for a National Immunization Day (NID) in Ethiopia. This 13-day excursion took them into one of the poorest countries in Africa on a mission to vaccinate two million children with polio vaccine.
Margie said the “Ethiopian people were warm and friendly, despite their plight.” Jim said the “grinding poverty everywhere was overwhelming, but the dedication of all the people who volunteered to help the Ethiopians was outstanding.” The whole process of getting the vaccine to the people and the efficiency by which the money raised by Rotary was used made these volunteers converts to Rotary’s reach around the world.
Kim was amazed at the organization it took to canvass those needing the vaccine. “Tens of thousands of people going through the entire country to administer the vaccine was one enormous undertaking. One day – a Saturday – I was assigned to go hut to hut with two workers from the clinic. I can count the important watershed days in my life – my birth, my graduation, my marriage, the arrival of my children – and this day was added to those days that meant so much to me.”
The trio will return soon to give a full program on Rotary’s Polio Eradication Campaign, now in full swing in several polio endemic countries in the world.
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The following email was received, addressed to “Fellow Rotarians of Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club.”
This year polio vaccination in Ethiopia was indeed a great event. About 14 million children, age below 6, could be vaccinated. We hope to get the polio-free certificate by the year 2005, the year of the 100th anniversary of RI. The visit of 80 Rotarians from Seattle was very much appreciated by the Rotarian society of Addis Ababa (5 clubs with a total of about 180 members). The visiting Rotarians participated actively in all vaccination procedures, which was gratefully acknowledged by the Ethiopian people, starting with the president of the nation. Your own Margie Burnett showed an eager interest in all events connected to the campaign. I dare to say that you could not have sent a more Rotary-minded and Rotary-dedicated Rotarian like Margie.
I herewith extend my personal thanks to your club for your efforts of eradicating polio from this world, which special emphasis to Ethiopia. I am particularly grateful to Margie, who won the hearts of the Ethiopian people around her through her dedication to help and her outstanding personality. We all, and I in particular, wish to see her again next year for the polio campaign or for any other reason. Once Margie has reported on this great immunization days to you, I could imagine that there also may be other members of your club wanting to visit Ethiopia.
To all of you lovely people, THANKS! Let us continue to SEW THE SEEDS OF LOVE!
[Not only is Margie our Treasurer, but she’s also our Ethiopian Ambassador!]
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