In October 2012, Rotarian Joanne Hildebrandt , member of our club,  joined a team of US and Canadian Rotarians travelling to Ethiopia to take part in a National Polio Immunization Day.  Polio immunization has been a  Rotary Foundation Program since 1987.  At that time there were more than 350,000 cases reported annually.  As of 2012, that number had been reduced to 212 cases.  The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and most recently Bloomberg Philanthropies have joined the global efforts to eradicate polio with their donations of millions of dollars.  This picture is one she took of a polio survivor. The second, Jo giving the vaccine to a child. 
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Joanne’s trip was one she will never forget.  With a tiny bottle of vaccine, two drops to each child, she gave a welcomed ‘special gift’ to mothers.  Their children would be protected from the dreaded disease – polio.  When asked to sum up her experience, Joanne said, “ It was a great honour to take part in this humanitarian effort.  Our group was divided in two and my group flew to Asosa to immunize in the city and surrounding villages.”  The photos she shared with us showed  two things: the humble living conditions of the villagers, and their generosity even though they had very little.

 

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    Joanne continued by saying “The RC of Kitimat has assisted two Terrace Rotarians, Lesley and Art Erasmus, with funding to support a water supply and library in Legge Taffo village aka Yeka Taffo.  I was so touched.  The school children were a delight to behold and the staff so appreciative of all that we have done for them.  Quite the contrast for me, to see a class of 64 grade 1 students and class of 70 grade 8 students, sitting in barren rooms intent on learning with extremely limited school supplies and resources.” 

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            Joanne is a special education elementary school teacher.  She is a past president of the Rotary Club of Kitimat, and president of the Board of Directors of the Kitimat Child Development Centre.  Persons volunteering to assist with this program take on the responsibility for travel and other costs tied into their commitment.  

Our club celebrates Joanne’s commitment to this Polio Plus vision to END POLIO NOW!