Impact in Guatemala
Posted by Carlos Früm
on Apr 10, 2012
Wrote Director Elect Celia Cruz de
Giay in her capacity as Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator:
"Because of the importance, value and scope of the work that Guatemalan Rotarians do, the President of the Republic, General Otto Perez Molina, attended the opening ceremony of the Conference not only to thank [visiting volunteer Rotarians]... but to put in front of the people of his country as an example, how Rotarians are working for the present and future of the nation."
Click "More" to read her complete letter.
 |
| Dir.Elect Celia Cruz de Giay |
"Because of the importance, value and scope of the work that Guatemalan Rotarians do, the President of the Republic, General Otto Perez Molina, attended the opening ceremony of the Conference not only to thank [visiting volunteer Rotarians]... but to put in front of the people of his country as an example, how Rotarians are working for the present and future of the nation."
Click "More" to read her complete letter.
"Commitment is the stuff that builds character to change things."
Shearson Lehman.
(Message from RI Director Elect Celia Cruz de Giay in her capacity as Regional Rotary
Foundation Coordinator for Zones 23 B & C [Her husband, Luis Vicente Giay is Past RI
President and Past TRF Chair])
A few days ago, with Luis we visited District 4250 in Central America covering Guatemala, Honduras and Belize. We were invited as speakers at its annual conference, which took the name of former RI director Luis Felipe Valenzuela, in recognition of his 50 years in Rotary, and had the joy of participating in an unforgettable encounter.
There I could see how Rotarians in Guatemala work, a country that, along with Ecuador, India, Uganda and Brazil, is among those that receive the most assistance from the programs of The Rotary Foundation. And I could feel how that group of slightly more than 700 Rotarians in its 27 clubs, made such an extraordinary job that deserves recognition.
Last year, for example, they received foreign aid projects worth more than three million dollars that were transformed into schools and nursing homes supported by Rotary and benefited millions of people in partnership with cooperating organizations. Because of the importance, value and scope of the work that Guatemalan Rotarians do the President of the Republic General Otto Perez Molina attended the opening ceremony of the Conference not only to thank them but to put, in front of the people of his country as an example, how Rotarians are working for the present and future of the nation.
Then my astonishment surpassed expectations during the conference when a group of Rotarians from D.6440 of Illinois, who were present, announced the agreement signed between the Ministry of Health of Guatemala, the Pan American Health Organization and Rotary Illinois and Guatemala to establish a network of 29 units of state of the art x-ray systems as satellites that meet at a central processing center that covers the entire Guatemala at a cost of which exceeds two and a half million dollars and processes the images and provides the diagnosis in less than 30 minutes throughout the country. For the magnitude of the idea and vision to make this work conceived in partnership with government and health authorities, these Rotarians deserve great respect and gratitude.
My surprise did not end there, because then I learned that throughout the year, every month come to Guatemala at least two groups of volunteers from abroad who spend about seven days working on existing projects or helping in new ones. I must confess I had not seen in a while Rotary work together so massive and fully agree with the sentence heard from the President of Guatemala: "Thanks to the remarkable work of Rotary we have a better Guatemala and thanks to men like Rotarian Luis Felipe Valenzuela those of us who live here
have a mirror where to look if we want a country like we deserve."
I had many memorable moments in my life in Rotary but to see a very active and enthusiastic Rotarism made me think I had found people with a commitment to transform limitless dreams into action and promises into reality.
Congratulations dear and great leaders of Rotary D.4250. You exemplify what Rotary and its Foundation need to embrace humanity.
CELIA
Shearson Lehman.
(Message from RI Director Elect Celia Cruz de Giay in her capacity as Regional Rotary
Foundation Coordinator for Zones 23 B & C [Her husband, Luis Vicente Giay is Past RI
President and Past TRF Chair])
A few days ago, with Luis we visited District 4250 in Central America covering Guatemala, Honduras and Belize. We were invited as speakers at its annual conference, which took the name of former RI director Luis Felipe Valenzuela, in recognition of his 50 years in Rotary, and had the joy of participating in an unforgettable encounter.
There I could see how Rotarians in Guatemala work, a country that, along with Ecuador, India, Uganda and Brazil, is among those that receive the most assistance from the programs of The Rotary Foundation. And I could feel how that group of slightly more than 700 Rotarians in its 27 clubs, made such an extraordinary job that deserves recognition.
Last year, for example, they received foreign aid projects worth more than three million dollars that were transformed into schools and nursing homes supported by Rotary and benefited millions of people in partnership with cooperating organizations. Because of the importance, value and scope of the work that Guatemalan Rotarians do the President of the Republic General Otto Perez Molina attended the opening ceremony of the Conference not only to thank them but to put, in front of the people of his country as an example, how Rotarians are working for the present and future of the nation.
Then my astonishment surpassed expectations during the conference when a group of Rotarians from D.6440 of Illinois, who were present, announced the agreement signed between the Ministry of Health of Guatemala, the Pan American Health Organization and Rotary Illinois and Guatemala to establish a network of 29 units of state of the art x-ray systems as satellites that meet at a central processing center that covers the entire Guatemala at a cost of which exceeds two and a half million dollars and processes the images and provides the diagnosis in less than 30 minutes throughout the country. For the magnitude of the idea and vision to make this work conceived in partnership with government and health authorities, these Rotarians deserve great respect and gratitude.
My surprise did not end there, because then I learned that throughout the year, every month come to Guatemala at least two groups of volunteers from abroad who spend about seven days working on existing projects or helping in new ones. I must confess I had not seen in a while Rotary work together so massive and fully agree with the sentence heard from the President of Guatemala: "Thanks to the remarkable work of Rotary we have a better Guatemala and thanks to men like Rotarian Luis Felipe Valenzuela those of us who live here
have a mirror where to look if we want a country like we deserve."
I had many memorable moments in my life in Rotary but to see a very active and enthusiastic Rotarism made me think I had found people with a commitment to transform limitless dreams into action and promises into reality.
Congratulations dear and great leaders of Rotary D.4250. You exemplify what Rotary and its Foundation need to embrace humanity.
CELIA