Rotary International’s District Governor (DG) Sonya Alleyne along with Assistant District Governor (Tobago Area) Julien Skeete, and five other members of the organisation paid a courtesy visit to Assemblyman Dr. Faith B.Yisrael, Secretary of Health, Wellness and Social Protection earlier today (17th March, 2022). DG Alleyne visited from her homeland Barbados.
Discussions focused on areas of collaboration with Rotary’s signature Child Obesity Prevention Project, which seeks to get children to exercise regularly and to eat healthier. Additionally, each attendee, who represented different sub groups of Rotary International, shared other health related projects. Completed projects include: women’s health awareness sessions, a Diabetes prevention project, Breast cancer awareness sessions and a back to school project, which focused on improving children’s health.
Secretary Dr. B.Yisrael commended the organisation for their work thus far and committed to providing the necessary partnerships in the execution of their projects. She indicated “Rotary “has been doing a lot of good work in Tobago…we certainly need to work together to deal with the backlash of online schooling and excessive home eating, which is a bad combination. Childhood obesity is a real problem and we are happy to partner with the Rotary Club to deal with it.”
DG Alleyne said “for our projects to have a better impact, we need to have meaningful partnerships with public and private sector. We know Government cannot do everything and we want to be part of the solution.” She added “we don’t just talk about what we want to do, we roll up our sleeves and take action”.
The other Rotary representatives present at the meeting were Rotarian Moylyn Williams, President, Rotary Club of Tobago; Rotarian Jasiyah Ibrahim, Incoming President, Rotary Club of Tobago; Rotarian Danelle De Coteau-Campbell, President, Rotary Club of South West Tobago; Roteractor Reon Lyons, President, Roteract Club of Tobago and Interactor Daniese Henry, Sergeant at Arms, Interact Club of Southwest Tobago.
Rotary International is a global network of 1.4 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers, who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in communities, and in themselves. Their clubs work together to promote peace, fight disease, provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene, save mothers and children, support education, grow local economies and protect the environment.