Jonathan Majiyagbe of the Rotary Club of Kano, Nigeria became the first African to be President of Rotary International in 2003-04.
Watch this video below on Worldwide Efforts to Eradicate Polio.
Jonathan Majiyagbe, talked at America's National Press Club about Rotary’s efforts to eradicate polio from the entire world. He focused on Rotary’s approach to promoting peace and addressed the underlying problems that create instability and trigger conflicts, such as hunger, poverty, poor health, and illiteracy. He also talked about the statistics of death from HIV/AIDS, polio, malaria, and measles.
Rotary Theme 2003-04
Rotary International President Jonthan Majiyagbe at the International Convention in 2003:
To guide us on our path of service in 2003-04, I am asking all Rotarians to Lend a Hand. This is a simple theme, but one that I believe eloquently captures the essence of Rotary service. As Rotarians, we routinely Lend a Hand to our communities and to the world. We Lend a Hand to our fellow Rotarians, those who are members of our club and those abroad who need help in tackling problems in their community. Sometimes this simple gesture is all that is needed to transform a person's life. In other cases, one hand can become many, as Rotarians work together to eradicate polio, raise literacy levels, provide low-cost shelters, resolve conflicts, and alleviate suffering for thousands of people. It is in our Rotarian nature to offer help wherever it is needed, and in 2003-04, I will ask Rotarians to actively seek out even more opportunities to Lend a Hand.
Let us begin the 2003-04 Rotary year with our hands outstretched, ready to help our brothers and sisters in need. Working together, there is no limit to what the helping hands of Rotary can accomplish.