Empowering global changemakers: Rotary’s impact through diverse community leaders
Meet three ordinary people doing extraordinary work through their involvement in Rotary.
Rotary members participate in a campaign to vaccinate children in India against polio. Photo: Rotary International
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An arbitrator and mediator from Australia on a mission to eradicate polio. A former entrepreneur-investor from Singapore who is bringing basic services to marginalised communities in Southeast Asia. A maxillofacial surgeon who utilises equine therapy to help vulnerable children in Singapore.
While these three individuals hail from diverse backgrounds, they all found their way to community service through their local Rotary clubs. These clubs – numbering 46,000 with 1.4 million members – are part of Rotary International, a global organisation that brings together business and professional leaders who leverage one another’s expertise, resources and connections to empower people and communities to thrive.
Ms Jennifer Scott, a Rotary member from Australia, and regional vice chair of the End Polio Now: Countdown to History campaign commitee, got off to an early start – she joined the Rotary-sponsored Interact club at her local high school, and became a Rotary member in 1996.
“Seeing others in need, I realised I could join fellow members in creating sustainable change through community development and education,” shared Ms Scott.
For semi-retired Singaporean entrepreneur Chew Ghim Bok, he was inspired to join a club after reading about Rotary’s polio eradication project in a local newspaper. Today, he is a member of the Rotary Club of Bugis Junction, one of 41 Rotary clubs in Singapore.
As for Dr Chan Siew Luen, his surgery skills brought him to the Rotary Club of Singapore, which invited him on a mission to the Philippines to perform cleft lip and palate surgeries in 2000.
“From my first encounter, I saw that there are many developing countries that can benefit from medical missions,” he said. “However, Rotary showed me that by mobilising people and resources, I can create a greater and more lasting impact than just doing surgery.”
A PLATFORM FOR THOSE WITH A PASSION TO SERVE
For all three Rotary members, joining a Rotary club has enabled them to use their skills for good, providing them with the network and resources to create impact in communities – locally and globally.
Ms Scott recalled how when she was still in school, she had classmates afflicted by polio, a disease that can cause paralysis and has no known cure. As a Rotary member, she learnt about Rotary’s End Polio Now campaign, and decided to volunteer with a national immunisation team in India in 2012, which helped to vaccinate 45 million children under five years old within a week.
“Our efforts helped India to become polio-free and reduced global cases by over 99.9 per cent,” shared Ms Scott, who continues to advocate with Rotary members, governments and the public to sustain financial support for the cause.
The ability to create impact beyond borders was a big draw for Mr Chew, who is now a member of Rotary International’s board of directors. Mr Chew has supported overseas projects, like fundraising for cleft lip operations in Indonesia, providing prosthetic limbs in Malaysia, and providing food rations and accommodation for students from hill tribes in Thailand.
“I count myself fortunate to have been born and raised in Singapore, where access to necessities like water, sanitation and healthcare is often taken for granted. This has motivated me to engage in regional projects aimed at extending these basic services to communities in need,” said Mr Chew, who helped Singapore win the bid to host the 2024 Rotary International Convention, which takes place in May.
He remains passionate about serving local needs and counts the formation of the FRCS (Foundation of Rotary Clubs Singapore) Active Ageing Centre, which serves 2,500 seniors and residents in the Bukit Batok area, as one of his proudest achievements.
Dr Chan said a non-profit organisation like Rotary has the capacity to develop programmes that are tailored to local community needs, citing the example of At Home With Horses. This initiative, created in partnership with Equal-Ark, an animal therapy charity, and Chen Su Lan Methodist Children’s Home, utilises equine-assisted sessions to aid vulnerable children with emotional healing and personal growth.
“Scientific research has shown that working with horses has a calming effect on these children and aids in their recovery,” he said, noting the feedback has been positive. The goal is to expand the programme to 18 other children’s homes in Singapore.
THE NEXT LAP: MENTORING PEOPLE OF ACTION
Having experienced the rewards of creating positive and lasting change, Rotary members are also keen on passing the torch to the next generation.
Back home in Australia, Ms Scott actively encourages business and professional groups to lend their expertise through volunteering and imparting leadership, public speaking and conflict management skills to the younger generation.
“Unless we mentor the next generation of volunteers, there will be a huge gap in areas of need,” she said. “If you wish to live in a society you want, you have to be prepared to build it.”
Ms Scott’s passion for empowering a new generation of community leaders goes beyond borders. Her local Rotary club collaborates with the Rotary Club of Pursat on the Sustainable Cambodia programme, dedicated to fostering sustainability and self-sufficiency in Cambodian villages through irrigation systems, schools and training.
Dr Chan, meanwhile, helped to start the first public health cause-based community Interact Club, the Interact Club of Sembawang (ICS). “Through ICS, we not only improve public health in the community but also support youth in their personal development, building their leadership skills and instilling a community service mindset,” he said.
He hopes that more people will consider joining Rotary clubs to put their skills to good use and develop a passion for serving communities. “In Rotary, the greatest reward is being exposed to the needs of the community and being in a position to muster resources among like-minded people to create a lasting and meaningful change,” he shared.
Said Ms Scott: “As a peace builder and lawyer, I’ve applied my professional expertise to tackle global challenges. I’ve also witnessed a multitude of inspiring contributions from Rotary members across various professions. If you have the vision, drive and commitment to improve your community and the world, there is a place for you in Rotary.”
Take action by visiting rotary.org.sg today.
