The 2018 Rotary International Convention in Toronto was full of love and generosity, emanating from 25,000 attendees from over 200 countries. People from all around the globe gathered together with one common goal: make the world a better place.
The convention attracted attention from all over the world and became the center of connections and dedication among people, organizations, and humanitarian projects. The convention isn’t only about establishing contacts; it also provides a means of giving back to the community, creating a social movement that engages people and encourages them to be stronger together.
For Alliance for Smiles this was also a very important moment where our team connected with other non-profit organizations, engaged with volunteers dedicated to doing good, and started meaningful conversations with potential new donors. In addition to an unprecedented opportunity to network with our target audience, we had the pleasure of listening to the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, who spoke about the hard work of Rotary and their leadership in the fight against Polio, the importance of gender equality, and the acceptance of one another in society.
AfS was founded by six members of the Rotary Club of San Francisco, therefore we can proudly say that AfS was born under the benevolent eye of Rotary, without whom we could not have transformed the lives of so many children and repaired so many smiles during the last 14 years.
Rotary has six areas of focus:
– Peace and conflict prevention/resolution
– Disease prevention and treatment
– Water and sanitation
– Maternal and child health
– Basic education and literacy
– Economic and community development
Alliance for Smiles’ mission of repairing cleft lip and palate falls under the Maternal and Child Health area of focus, and we are grateful for the unconditional support and dedication that Rotary has given us.
Much work still needs to be done and many more smiles need to be repaired. However, the Rotary Convention always provides an incredible opportunity to share our stories, engage with the international community about our work, and create new bridges of friendship – with the only goal being to help more people worldwide. This is summed up perfectly in the Rotary motto: Service Above Self!
