
- Building the capacity of entrepreneurs, community leaders, local organizations, and community networks to support economic development in impoverished communities;
- Developing opportunities for productive work;
- Reducing poverty in under-served; and
- Supporting studies for career-minded professionals related to economic and community development.
Approximately 1.4 billion individuals, with nearly half of them being employed, are living on less than $1.25 per day. So, what actions can Rotary, through your Club, take to address this issue? Here are some ideas:
If your Club is already involved with a developing Country project (such as a water, health or education project), consider going a step further and see if there is an opportunity to foster the development of a sustainable local economy:
- Expand vocational training opportunities and job placement programs at local nonprofit organizations.
- Deploy vocational training teams to educate business leaders in developing communities on creating effective business plans and maintaining accurate financial accounting.
Form partnerships with cooperatives that offer training, joint economic ventures, and asset ownership to their members through a democratic structure.
Provide essential equipment or supplies to cooperatives to boost their production and sales within the local market.
Offer support to entrepreneurs and small businesses in developing communities. The success of these local business leaders has the potential to increase employment opportunities within the community significantly.
Projects such as these require a sound understanding of the area's economic situation, the opportunities and how far your club (or group of clubs) will go to make it work. The locals may not see an opportunity that an outside observer might see. The point is that Rotary is a powerful organisation with a network of experienced people in a huge range of disciplines and geographical areas. If you want to engage in a life-changing, community-building project: work the Rotary network, look for examples of similar situations, find the knowledge and people who made a positive change and work with the people you have selected to see if the ideas you have come up with could work for them.