Recently, Mandela Day highlighted the power of ordinary citizens to give back.<\/p>\n
For those of you who are looking to make even more of a difference, Rotary Family Health Days offer another great opportunity for volunteers to get involved.<\/p>
The fourth annual Rotary Family Health Days will be held at sites across South Africa over three days from October 12 to 14.<\/p>\n
Members of underprivileged communities get access to vital basic health care, including free health screenings and immunisations.<\/p>
Months of preparation go into making the event a success, and it couldn\u2019t happen without the contribution of many dedicated volunteers.<\/p>\n
Rotary is well-known as the world\u2019s largest volunteer service organisation.<\/p>\n
The story of Rotary Family Health Days goes back to one Rotarian, Marion Bunch, who lost her son to Aids in 1994.<\/p>\n
Determined to turn her grief into a positive force for change, Marion founded Rotarians for Family Health and Aids Prevention (RFHA) in 2004.<\/p>\n
In 2013, RFHA launched the first Rotary Family Health Days event in South Africa.<\/p>\n
In 2015, Rotary Family Health Days became part of the National Department of Health\u2019s annual programme of activities, with RFHA as the convener and managing partner of the event.<\/p>\n
Rotary Family Health Days 2016 will, therefore, be an example of public-private partnership at its best.<\/p>\n
The National Department of Health provides the logistics for the sites with support from Rotary volunteers.<\/p>\n
Sponsorship is provided by Gilead, the California-based biopharmaceutical company. Media support for awareness of the campaign will be provided by the SABC, Caxton, Independent Newspapers and Media24.<\/p>\n
This year, there is a particular focus on adolescent girls and young women as part of the National Department of Health\u2019s strategic plan.<\/p>\n
The campaign will fast-track efforts to empower young people, especially adolescent girls and women.<\/p>\n
High HIV incidence in young women and girls is compounded by high levels of teenage pregnancy, school dropout, and gender based violence, and occurs in a context where there are limited economic opportunities for young people.<\/p>\n
If you would like to get involved with Rotary Family Health Days, go to rfha.org.za and click on \u201cHow to volunteer\u201d.<\/p>\n
Simply fill in the form and Rotary will contact you.<\/p>\n
This year, the aim is to reach 100 000 people.<\/p>\n
Rotary Family Health Days will be held at 110 sites across South Africa.<\/p>\n
Free services offered include:<\/strong><\/p>\n Find out more by calling *120 * 7434# or contacting the helpline on 0800 012 322 for your nearest site details.<\/p>\n You can also go to rfha.org.za for more information.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Other articles you may be interested in:<\/p>\n\n