The inter country committees (ICC) are a structure in Rotary International not very well known yet, which is growing too fast across the world. They make real the creation of a section in each of two countries (The ICC). Each country section puts together a more or less large number of Rotary clubs in both countries, which will become twin clubs. Then, as an example, the ICC France - Unites States or
Portugal - United Kingdom, for instance, associated or not with other ICC, representing more and more Rotary clubs involved, can support one or more developing projects in each of these countries, or, not less important, in a third region.
It's here that appears «Reach out to Africa» (ROTA). As you can easily realize, theoretically, it is possible to implement growing projects, gathering most of the spread and small projects in the same field or area, in literacy, health and hunger or safe water, because Rotarians and clubs can work in a larger scale.
The Rotary clubs in Portugal have built ICC with almost all the European and North and South American countries or districts. They did it also with Africa, mainly with Portuguese language speaking countries. The Portuguese are starting this process of enlargement of the ways to support large projects, together with other ICC.
This cooperation was started with Portuguese clubs with two kinds of projects in Guinea Bissau, the poorest country in the world for the time being. The 3-H grant supported by the TRF - which allowed the Rotary Club of Viana do Castelo in association with RC of Cacheu, to develop in Guinea Bissau the transformation of maternity and child health services in the old hospital, and to adequate all basic schools, is now complimented by the ICC Portugal Guinea-Bissau. Now the multiple ICC approach is starting to create literacy addressing about 200'000 people in this country for the next four years, through the CLE method.
A similar project named tenderly «Escolinhas», started in Mozambique through the Portuguese Rotary Club of Vila Real,in cooperation with Rotary Club Matola, with a matching grant supporting the whole basic school networking. This project will soon be complemented by the multiple European ICC cooperation with Portugal-Mozambique ICC, developping literacy for about 20'000 people in the near future.
A third kind of multiple ICC cooperation started directly through the Portugal - Cape Verde ICC support to a Portuguese NGO «Saúde em Português» (Health in Portuguese) and the Coimbra University hospital. It aims to install the whole process of telemedicine in San Vincente Island. This project will soon cover the nine islands of the territory supported by other ICC in Europe.
Also for literacy it is possible now through ICC cooperation such important innovative health devices for a large and spread population of one million. This is the reason to emphasize the role of multiple ICC cooperation with ROTA, enlarging the scale and achieving a higher quality level of the Clubs projects support and effectiveness.
Reach Out to Africa Breakout Session in RI Montréal Convention
June 21, Montréal
Henrique Pinto
PHOTOS:
Cirque du Soleil in RI Montréal Convention Closing Ceremony; Montréal City, Boulevard
René-Lévesque;
Henrique Pinto talking with african friends before the Breakout Session to start;
Henrique Pinto making his speach in Reach out to Africa session, helped by friend
Shirley Downie (South Africa), in the computor, together with RI past presidents
Jonathan Majiagbé and
Wilfred Wilkinson, and
Örsçelik Balkan; the friends who made me company in the whole Convention,
Fernando and São Laranjeira (Rotary Club S. João da Madeira), Lurdes and Abel (RC Guimarães) in Montréal Marriot Hotel; TRF Chair
Carl-Whilhelm Stenhammar and his wife Monica at Montréal; Montréal panoramics from
Mont Royal; ICC Montréal Break out session with
Serge Gouteyron, speaking;
Carlos Pimentel, Brazil, in the audience; Montréal
Chinatown.