Rotary is a worldwide organisation of more than 1.2 million business, professional, and community leaders. Members of Rotary clubs, known as Rotarians, provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.
There are 33,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Clubs are non-political, non-religious, and open to all cultures, races, and creeds. As signified by the motto Service Above Self, Rotary’s main objective is service — in the community, in the workplace, and throughout the world.
Each Rotary Club seeks to carry out projects of service to the community, whether it be to the sick, the under-privileged, the elderly or to the youth. In the international field, a club will sponsor students overseas in exchange programs, post-graduate scholarships and business study groups.
Rotary provides financial assistance to the people of under-developed countries as well promoting international understanding and goodwill.
The Rotary Foundation, an international trust fund, contributes approximately $22 million to educational programs. The Foundation is funded by voluntary contributions by individuals and Clubs.
Rotary, through its Health, Hunger and Humanity Program, has awarded grants to provide 235 million doses of vaccine against polio in 15 countries. Rotary has set a goal for itself of immunising every child in the world against polio. The Rotary Foundation funds the vaccine through the Polio Plus program. 170 million children were immunised on one day in India alone!