Rotary Service and Engagement | Empower others during Rotary Economic and Community Development Mont

The United Nations says 470 million jobs are needed globally for people entering the labor market between 2016 and 2030. Creating productive employment opportunities is essential to reducing poverty, stimulating sustainable development, and providing income security — especially for women, people with disabilities, young people, and the extremely poor.

Rotary clubs all over the world work with communities to enhance economic and community development. Every community has different needs and different opportunities to serve. During October, Rotary Economic and Community Development Month, take action within your communities by:

Providing skills or leadership training and job networking opportunities to young people.

Offering microloans and financial literacy training to female entrepreneurs.

Identifying local barrier barriers to agricultural opportunities and livelihood to help communities sustain and accelerate agricultural growth.

Taking on an adopt-a-village project to empower a community to become self-sufficient over a well-defined period of time.

Rotary’s Economic and Community Development Project Strategies guide can help clubs and districts ask the right questions, identify needs, and make the greatest impact with their available time, energy, and resources.

Collaborate with experts from a Rotarian Action Group

• Rotarian Action Group for Microfinance and Community Development (RAGM)works to alleviate poverty through sustainable microfinance and community development. 

• Environmental Sustainability Rotarian Action Group (ESRAG) helps clubs and districts plan, implement, and evaluate projects related to environmental sustainability, mitigation of climate disruption and awareness about climate change.

• Disaster Network of Assistance Rotarian Action Group (DNA-RAG)focuses on disaster preparedness, communication, and recovery worldwide.

• Food Plant Solutions helps people, particularly in developing countries, learn about and grow the local foods that best fill their nutritional needs as a way to mitigate hunger.

• Rotarian Action Group Against Slavery (RAGAS) raises awareness of slavery and supports programs, campaigns, and projects to end it.

• Rotarian Action Group for Endangered Species (RAGES) brings attention to endangered species and supports action to preserve and protect them. 

Work with our service partners on your next community development projects

• Ashoka helps find creative solutions to social problems.

• Habitat for Humanity Internationalprovides safe and affordable shelter to families in need.

• Peace Corps promotes peace and community development.

• ShelterBox provides disaster relief. ShelterBox is seeking volunteers for trained response teams that provide emergency shelter and aid to families. Applications are due 30 November.