This month is jam packed with exciting news!

 

First, the development of our International Schistosomiasis Project. Born from a request by Jim Mulry, a Rotarian global scientist here in District 5495, this project’s aim is to provide funding for as many treatments as possible for the deadly disease Schistosomiasis. This disease, common in tropical areas and especially Africa, occurs when a parasite enters a person’s body through pores, drinking water, or urine stream. In adults, it affects the intestines and other organs, and is treated with a large, bitter pill. For children, it enters the brain and starts eating tissue, which can lead to lifelong learning disabilities, other ailments, or death.  80 million children are infected worldwide, and 200,000 die from the disease every year.  Up until last year, no treatment was available for children.

 

Recently, a cure has been developed and approved for children that consists of five strawberry-flavored pills, which can kill the worms and save a child’s life. We have been offered this life saving treatment at manufacturing cost, including packaging and shipping, which is about $2 per five pills. This is where Interact comes in — kids helping kids.

 

Our Interact District has been asked to take the lead in encouraging Interact clubs and districts around the world to join together in raising as much money as possible to save as many lives as we can. Our Interact Global Schisto Project plan is for each club to create a Life Saver Trophy Jar or Vase, and for every $2 they raise, they will add a Life Saver candy to their Trophy Jar. With that being said, are YOU and your Interact club willing to become a Life Saver Club this year? Encourage your club to create a Life Saver Trophy Jar and begin collecting $ 2 contributions to save as many lives as possible each year. More information and materials will be available for this project soon, so look out!

 

In addition, on Saturday, December 7, a loading day will take place to send all of the mobility devices collected in the Phoenix metro area to Denver, to be combined with other equipment already there at the Rotarian Crutches 4 Africa base of operations, from which a 40-ft. container will be shipped to Uganda and Kenya on Dec. 28. This loading day will begin in our East Valley collection location from 10 am - noon, and will continue at our West Valley collection location from 1pm-3pm. This will be a very important day, enabling us to keep our commitment to our Rotarian partners in Kenya to ship mobility devices to them each year, a vital aspect of this District’s signature Interact Crutches 4 Africa Project. Another key aspect is that applications are now being received, up until December 31, for positions on our Interact Ambassadors to Mexico and Kenya teams, which will be traveling to those countries next summer.

 

Finally, the Interact District Conference is coming up soon! On February 22, 2025. at Verde Valley School in Sedona, Arizona, IDC 2025 will be held from 9am to 4pm. This event will be full of inspiring speakers, motivational and educational breakout sessions, and many more aspects that are perfect for Interactors who are hoping to grow as leaders within their clubs and the District. Early Bird Registration, which is $25, will begin January 1, and end on January 22. Registration after this date will be $30 and will end on February 15. We hope to see as many of you and your Interactors there as possible!