We Cannot Predict the Future but We Can Make It
We team up every year to create something very special for The Rotary
Foundation with young people in every club around the world. These outstanding young people are planning to tackle a wide range of important issues, from
reforming the delinquent youth, expanding access to affordable health care in
every county, to fighting climate change and protecting the rights of marginalized communities around the world.
Together, they give me and all those who love The Rotary Foundation so much hope to create a bigger and brighter future for Rotary. I am sure that these grassroots workers from every club will inspire you too. After the two horrific years we have had, it feels especially important to reflect on just how far we have come as individuals, as communities and as a Foundation and how far we still have to go. How far we can go will depend on how much people contribute to The Rotary Foundation. It is heartening to see that Rotarians in USA have donated US $11,259,404 till date followed by Korea with US $6,704,810, India with
US $2,221,886 and Japan with US $2,919,163. Rotarians from other countries
are also contributing, but to take our work to every part of the world we need more donors who can accelerate the pace of giving.
While we have plenty of hard work ahead of us, I am encouraged by the stories of progress that is coming from the batch of 2022, especially the examples set by a
new generation of young leaders. This year, I got a chance to meet some of them
in India. In Mumbai, I heard from passionate activists who are demanding real,
lasting action in response to the climate crisis. In New Delhi, I sat down with
inspiring young community leaders to talk about how they are working to protect
and improve their communities. And no matter where I went or who I met with,
every single person held an unshakeable belief that things can and will get better
if we put in the work to make The Rotary Foundation the most sought-after organisation for donors from the industry and other philanthropic organisations
and individuals.
These leaders and many more like them, keep me going this year. And they reaffirmed why The Rotary Foundation was started - to inspire, empower, and connect people so they can change the world. It is why we want to give hope a
new base in every country. And it will be able to make so much progress for The Rotary Foundation during another challenging year.
I encourage every Rotarian to take a look at the work that came out of The Rotary Foundation over the past years. They will see highlights from our road to groundbreaking, global programming, fundraising efforts and more.
Finally, I want to thank every Rotarian for their energy and interest in The
Foundation. At a difficult time, they helped to make a real difference and I am
deeply grateful. This shows that in the future, The Rotary Foundation can be
made to be the most relevant organisation for donors to support and people to
come to for help.