In the western Amazon, Rotary clubs in the city of Iquitos participated in a seminar in January to learn about the state of the area’s schools. Two District 4465 leaders, Doris Alván and Fernando Del Aguila, enlisted a well-known educator in the area, Josefa Ríos Gil, to share with Rotarians what they can do to assist educators. In May, the Rotary Club of Iquitos Amazonas finished one related initiative, a district grant-supported teen empowerment project that taught young people to make earrings sold at eco-lodges near Lake Zungarococha. The club also provided school supplies to primary schools in the area.

 

Prom is an expensive rite of passage, with purchases of gowns, tuxedos, flowers, meals, and transportation. In New York City, the Rotary Club of North Shore (Staten Island) is helping students through its “Cinderella/Cinderfella” project. The entire 25-member club solicits new and gently used formal attire, some of which is purchased new by Rotarians. In April, students from across the borough are invited to choose from about 200 free dresses and suits, as well as shoes and accessories, so they’re ready for prom season. The project was started in 2024 by then-President Suzanne Demetrio and is led by members Stephanie Accardo and Regina Boukhvalova. “We believe no student should miss out due to financial hardship,” says Demetrio. “We are giving young people the chance to feel special and confident on one of the biggest nights of their lives.”

 

The Rotary Club of Zagreb International organizes regular treks for members and friends. The club, says immediate Past President Petra Pungerčar, had “noticed our members were not as connected and focused as they once were.” So the group conceived of the hikes as a way to reconnect and motivate members while also raising money for the club’s signature project, a mentoring initiative. Their inaugural hike took members of the country’s only English-speaking club through the Slapnica Valley near Zagreb in October. They walked in Budapest during a trip to Hungary, and in June they strolled beside the Kamačnik River in Croatia’s mountainous Gorski Kotar region. “Relaxed, happy, and laughing, it was an incredible experience,” the club posted on Facebook.

 

During the early stages of a global grant project to support mothers and their children, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Rotary Club of Hiranandani Estate in Maharashtra state to reimagine the enterprise. Rotarians pivoted to organize vaccination camps, distribute emergency food, and establish basic health care. The three-year effort reached more than 6,000 people across four communities in the city of Navi Mumbai. The club partnered with the Rotary Club of Metropolitan Lubbock, Texas, on the nearly $50,000 global grant, which also provided 12 industrial sewing machines and offered training in their use. Namrataa Srivastav, project director, lauds the program as a “milestone, opening doors for future collaborations between Rotary and prestigious social service institutions.”

 

After an earthquake of magnitude 7.7 struck Myanmar in March, killing more than 3,700 people and injuring many more, the Rotary Club of Yangon coordinated a relief effort both at home and at the epicenter near Mandalay, about 400 miles away. The club gathered supplies donated by its members, Mandalay Rotarians, and other Rotary clubs in neighboring countries, notably the Rotary Club of Bangkok South in Thailand. In May, a District 3350 delegation to Myanmar brought water purification systems, temporary shelters, and thousands of hot meals. The district committed to providing long-term recovery assistance, including a tube well in Sein Pan, a hard-hit ward in Mandalay. “The project reminded us that Rotary’s strength lies not only in delivering aid but in showing up together across borders with compassion and commitment,” says Thordur Adalsteinsson, a member of the Bangkok club that helped. “The partnership between our club, Rotary Myanmar, and District 3350 brought tangible relief to those in urgent need, but even more importantly, it brought hope and human connection in a time of crisis.”