* Any views expressed in this article are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
As Rotary International turns 110, we reflect on how the global network, which has 1.2 million members in more than 200 countries, has been so important to our growth and the way we work.
When ShelterBox formed in 2000, it was adopted as the millennium project of the local Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard. Since then, we have grown into the largest Rotary club project in the history of the organisation and in 2012 we became Rotary International’s first project partner.
The partnership offers opportunities to collaborate and combine resources with Rotary clubs around the world to help us provide emergency shelter for families around the world who are affected by disasters and humanitarian crises.
When disasters strike, local Rotarians are frequently some of the first people we contact, as they are not only able to give us a first-hand picture of the situation, but they can often help with essential logistics such as transport, accommodation and translation, which helps us to reach displaced families much faster.
Our Rotary connections have been invaluable to us time and time again, and one country where this is particularly evident is in the Philippines. It suffers from an onslaught of tropical storms and typhoons each year, as well as frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity, and as a result is the country that ShelterBox has delivered aid to more times than any other.
Stephen Castillo, a long-standing senior Rotarian from Cebu City, the country’s second city, is one of these invaluable supporters and partners. He first heard about ShelterBox in late 2013 in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan, the strongest typhoon ever recorded to make landfall, which destroyed more than a million homes and claimed 6,200 lives.
Stephen not only helped with warehousing and logistics during ShelterBox’s response to the typhoon, but also continued to assist us with our subsequent emergency responses in 2014.
In July, he reached out to his Rotary contacts in the city of Legazpi after Typhoon Rammasun struck land there, enabling a ShelterBox response team to make a swift initial damage assessment with the assistance of local Rotarians. He subsequently facilitated the speedy movement of tents and other items from Cebu City to the areas worst affected. ShelterBox response teams were also assisted on the ground by the Rotary Club of Legazpi throughout the response to the disaster.
Our Rotary connections in the Philippines helped once more during Typhoon Hagupit, which struck the Philippines last December. The Rotary Club of Borongan, one of the worst hit areas, was able to give such an accurate assessment of the damage that we were able to send a ShelterBox response team to the country within 48 hours of the disaster. Again, Stephen Castillo gave us invaluable practical assistance, even arranging Philippine Air Force flights for ShelterBox response teams to the areas worst affected.
In addition to providing logistical support, Rotarians are tireless fundraisers and ambassadors for ShelterBox. From sponsored walks to speeches, Rotarians not only raise a phenomenal amount of money each year but also inspire people around the world to support our work.
ShelterBox CEO Alison Wallace said: ‘Rotarians pave the way for so many of our deployments, many of them as response team members. Wherever we are in the world, and what ever disaster or conflict we are responding to, we know a handshake from a Rotarian is a greeting from a tried, trusted and reliable friend.
Without the help of the global Rotary community, we could not continue our work to help families in need following disasters.
