Rotary Around the world : Taking cancer screening on the road in India

Area of focus: Fighting disease

Host sponsor: Rotary Club of Madras East, India

International sponsor: Rotary Club of San Antonio, Texas, USA

Total budget: $70,242

Background: India has more than 800,000 new cases of cancer every year; many people, especially in rural areas, are not aware of, cannot afford, or are afraid of screening for the disease. Late diagnosis of breast and cervical cancer leads to high mortality rates.

Scope: Rotarians identified a significant public health problem in their area, then found a strong cooperating organization to work with. They helped design a special vehicle to bring screenings to women in rural areas and mobilized their networks to ensure that the mobile unit would reach as many women as possible.

Impact: 3,650 women were screened during the project.

Top tip: Cooperate with an organization that is already experienced in the work your club plans to focus on.

Equipping a specialized medical center in New York state

Area of focus: Fighting disease

Host sponsor: Rotary Club of Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake, N.Y.

International sponsor: Rotary Club of Luanshya, Zambia

Total budget: $34,650

Background: Children in need of comprehensive services to correct cleft craniofacial abnormalities had to travel several hundred miles to Boston or New York City.

Scope: The grant funded specialized equipment, supplies, and educational materials for doctors and families at the Albany Medical Center, which serves an area of 15 million people.

Fun fact: This was the New York club and district’s first time sponsoring a global grant whose beneficiaries were in the United States.