PP Cecilia Larita
Economic and Community Development is one of the basic Areas of Focus in Rotary Service. Rotary Clubs and Rotarians conduct projects and activities that benefit the communities they serve. It is concerned with what the communities need and their unique or particular necessity to the people of the community that can help them improve their economic way of life. With this goal, Rotary Clubs must be able to invest in projects and activities that can help alleviate the standard of living of the people in the community they serve.
Supporting the economic development of the impoverished community by developing opportunities for productive work is a means to help lessen poverty to those communities being served by a club.
As Rotarians, we can help our communities by:
- Partnering with local micro- finance institutions creating and financing community projects and home based industries that produce products demanded by manufacturing companies or even by the actual end users.
- Market assistance for community produce or even available community manpower to those who need such produce or available manpower.
- Provide equipment and supplies needed by the people in the community as their means of livelihood at a reasonable affordable cost if not for free.
- Provide vocational training to the members of the community by equipping its labor force to be competitive in seeking gainful employment.
- Organize a cooperative in the community for them to learn to organize their very own microfinance enterprise that can mutually help and benefit them in forming their own home industries or service enterprise.
In economic and community development, proper techniques on income generation and savings , locally patronizing goods and supplies available, establishment of the Rotary Community Corps, can empower people of the community to take action with the Rotary Clubs helping them. These ways to support community enterprises and small businesses help in the economic development of the community. These ways also help develop local business leaders, who can help multiply employment opportunities within the community.
Yes, Rotary International, its Rotary Clubs and its club’s Rotarians together Serve to Change Lives. For RY 2020-2021, RIP Shekhar Mehta with RID 3810 LCDG Robert Koa , will see to it that equal economic and community development will be provided to those areas where it is needed most.