Rtn. Missy Willis is a member of our Rotary e-club Houston and is the Executive Director of this group.  She lives in Lawrenceville, Georgia.  Since this is Rotary Foundation Month, the editor thought it worthwhile to share how the dollars donated to the Rotary Foundation are put to use.  The Rotary Foundation (TRF) offers an array of programs that help Rotary Clubs maximize their World Community Service work. (www.rotary.org) The Foundation’s Global Grants program encourages Rotary clubs in Developed Countries and Rotary clubs in Developing Countries to partner in projects that improve their communities. The clubs commit funds for a project, and that amount is matched 50 cents on the dollar by TRF. District Designated Funds used for projects are matched dollar for dollar. The RFPD Project Database has projects which follow the TRF guidelines for population Global Grants and can be sponsored by your club.

District Project 9125

Scaling up project - Maternal and Child Health 

Club/District Partner(s): District 9125, RC Samaru (Nigeria) , RC Bottrop-Writtringen (Germany), RC Bielefeld- Sued (Germany)
Other organizations involved:  German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ); also involved through in kind donations: ICA Foundation (Bayer Healthcare), BASF
Project location: Sate of Kano, Kaduna FCT Abuja and Ondo, Nigeria
Project budget: $680,000.00

This project is fully covered by the Rotary Area of Focus, Maternal and Child Health. The overall goal of this project is for the state government health system to take over this Rotary model to reduce maternal and newborn health. 

Goals: 

• Scaling up/Replication of the pilot project MG #(2005-2010) in the new states FCT Abuja and Ondo, Nigeria.
• Reduction of maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity through implementation of quality assurance in obstetrics in twenty selected rural hospitals in the state of Kano, Kaduna, FCT Abuju and Ondo. 

Measures: 

• Intensification and upgrading of quality assurance in obstetrics in the selected hospitals in Kano State and in Kaduna State, as well as scaling up of the model in five rural hospitals in FCT Abuja and five hospitals in Ondo State, including the provision of necessary equipment and infastructure.
• Statistical data collection in all selected hospital - documented in semiannual hospital reports.
• Conducting meetings for results analysis ("Review Meetings") for the exchange of experiences and know-how among the doctors and midwives involved, benchmarking and elimination of deficits.
• Informing the population about sexual and reproductive health and rights through village gatherings ("Community Dialogues") with distributions of birth kits and mosquito net for traditional birth attendants.