Grant continues fight against tetanus

Grant continues fight against tetanus

Kiwanis is helping UNICEF combat infant and maternal mortality around the world.

By Erin Chandler

Kiwanis International proudly continues to support UNICEF in its work to protect mothers and babies from maternal and neonatal tetanus (MNT). In July, the Kiwanis Children’s Fund approved a US$275,000 grant that will help sustain UNICEF’s efforts to eliminate MNT around the world. 

MNT is a painful and deadly disease that disproportionately exists in areas where poverty, lack of education and inadequate health infrastructure make unhygienic birth practices more common. In 2010, Kiwanis joined UNICEF’s global initiative to eliminate MNT. Thanks to the combined efforts of UNICEF, the World Health Organization, national Ministries of Health, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Kiwanis and others, neonatal tetanus deaths dropped from 215,000 in 1999 to 24,000 in 2021. Forty-nine out of the 59 countries initially assessed to have more than one infant death from tetanus per 1,000 live births have now achieved MNT elimination. 

The latest US$275,000 grant from the Children’s Fund will be used to facilitate and accelerate mass tetanus vaccination campaigns for women of reproductive age in countries such as Angola, Papua New Guinea, Afghanistan and Somalia — the countries most in need, of the 10 that have not yet eliminated MNT. Although an inexpensive vaccine to prevent MNT has existed for nearly 100 years, systemic inequities have prevented it from becoming widely available in the most vulnerable areas of the world. The Children’s Fund grant will help to right this wrong and strengthen health systems to ensure the sustainability of elimination efforts.  

This grant comes a little less than a year after a previous US$275,000 grant from the Children’s Fund, which helped fund efforts that led to the elimination of MNT in Mali and Guinea. Mali’s elimination status was confirmed in April 2024, and Guinea’s in May. 

Support for UNICEF’s fight against MNT is just one way Kiwanis has furthered the global cause of children’s health. Through The Possibility Project, the Kiwanis Children’s Fund regularly awards grants to clubs around the world — like the Kiwanis Club of Pakistan, which has provided a sustainable water source within a village in Sindh; and the Kiwanis Clubs of Third District, New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S., and Spalding-Christiana, Jamaica, which repaired and replaced essential kitchen equipment in homes for at-risk youth, allowing them to store and prepare nutritious meals. In June, the Children’s Fund awarded pediatric medicine support grants to help four clubs in the U.S. improve the equipment, facilities and supplies at their local medical centers.  

If your club is looking for ways to help mothers and babies in your own community, check out our tips and examples. You can alsomake a giftto the Children’s Fund todayto make a healthier world possible for kids everywhere.

August grants develop leadership skills

August grants develop leadership skills

Four clubs received grants for outstanding youth leadership development projects.

By Erin Chandler

This August, the Kiwanis Children’s Fund awarded club grants to a remarkable 32 clubs serving communities around the world. Out of those projects, some of the most distinctive focused on the Kiwanis cause of youth leadership development by fostering young people’s creative independence. The following four projects exemplify different ways Kiwanis projects can guide the next generation on the path to becoming future leaders. 

CleanUP Community
Kiwanis Club of Craiova, Romania
The Kiwanis Club of Craiova is addressing Romania’s struggles with waste management, especially recycling, by getting the next generation involved. A Kiwanis Children’s Fund grant will help purchase materials for seminars and workshops to educate kids from age six through 18 on environmental issues. The grant also will go toward supplies for conservation activities in which local children can participate with other members of their community, such as recycling drives, cleanups and community gardens. The ultimate goal of the CleanUP Community project, though, is to give young people the means to become advocates and leaders, developing their own plans and strategies to improve waste management in their community. Within a year, the club hopes its community youth teams will develop at least one implementable plan and be ready to promote sustainable development goals. 

Creativ in die Lehre mit Kunst (Creative Teaching with Art)
Kiwanis Club of Lavanttal, Austria
A Kiwanis Children’s Fund grant will help the Kiwanis Club of Lavanttal purchase paints, brushes, canvas, ceramics and more to turn its community’s young people into artists. The Kiwanians are collaborating with a vocational school and a local artist to provide art classes for teens, including those with disabilities. Culminating in a public art exhibit to show off the students’ creations, these classes will allow the students to explore their artistic sides — with club members helping the students place their sculptures and other artworks in parks, gardens and other public places.   

Let’s Play! Leadership Training Program
Kiwanis Club of Melbourne, Florida, U.S.
Members of the Kiwanis Club of Melbourne noticed a lack of local accessible and affordable child development programs that focused on mental health for kids and families alike — and they decided to change that. Through the “Let’s Play!” program, the club will provide free programs at local libraries for kids ages 18 and younger and their caregivers. The programs will promote creativity, innovation and collaboration through activities like open-ended play, art projects and storytelling sessions. After working together to complete their projects, participants will reflect on their experiences through dialogue, drawing and writing. A grant from the Kiwanis Children’s Fund will help the Melbourne Kiwanians produce “how-to” videos, presentations and manuals to help other Kiwanis clubs and communities replicate “Let’s Play!” The club hopes to guide young people and families, regardless of income, to value play as a way of reducing anxiety and increasing understanding of their own and-w others’ creative abilities.  

Lifewise Program
Kiwanis Club of Wapakoneta, Ohio, U.S.
The Kiwanis Club of Wapakoneta’s Lifewise Program is geared toward at-risk adolescents between the ages of 16 and 18 who may be aging out of the foster system, not attending traditional schools or involved in the judicial system. Through a weekly series of six three-hour courses, club members hope to help these vulnerable young people graduate high school and prepare for the next steps in their lives. The courses will focus on basic cooking and cleaning skills, identifying risky situations, finding a job and achieving financial independence, basic auto knowledge, and dressing for success — with the sixth course serving as a culmination of the program. A Kiwanis Children’s Fund grant will go toward meals for instructors and participants at each course, as well as supplies the students can use during the courses and then take home with them. The entire Lifewise Program wraps up with a graduation ceremony to celebrate the participants’ achievements. 

More health and education projects
Other projects that received club grants in August include:  

  • A weekend food program from the Kiwanis Club of Hilliard, Ohio, U.S. 
  • Mental health care kits from the Kiwanis Club of Park Ridge, Illinois, U.S. 
  • A program to honor most-improved third-grade students from the Kiwanis Club of Opelousas, Louisiana, U.S. 
  • After-school tutoring from the Kiwanis Club of Shan Hsin, Taiwan. 
  • An inclusive playground from the Kiwanis Club of Lapeer, Michigan, U.S., and a musical instrument playground from the Kiwanis Club of Sycamore, Illinois, U.S. 
  • A recreation hour for children in the hospital from the Kiwanis Club of Granada-Meta, Colombia. 
  • A high school herbal garden from the Kiwanis Club of Greater Portmore, St. Catherine, Jamaica. 
  • Renovation and repairs at Shady Grove Basic School from the Kiwanis Club of 23 Central Surrey Online, Jamaica. 
  • Children’s swimming lessons from the Kiwanis Club of Rockaways, New York, U.S. 
  • Miracle League of Montgomery County inclusive baseball training and recruitment from the Kiwanis Club of Bethesda, Maryland, U.S. 
  • 2024 Signature Project Contest Group II Bronze-winning project “Kiwanis Cares for Kids,” providing supplies and experiences to local school children from the Kiwanis Club of Gig Harbor, Washington, U.S. 
  • Clothing, school and essential supply projects from the Kiwanis Clubs of Brigham City, Utah, U.S.; Fostoria, Ohio, U.S.; Hagerstown, Maryland, U.S.; Lenape Valley, New Jersey, U.S.; and North Shore, Long Island, New York, U.S.  
  • Holiday events from the Kiwanis Clubs of Bald Eagle and Nittany Valleys, Pennsylvania, U.S.; Petersburg, Virginia, U.S.; Providenciales, Florida, U.S.; and Sierra Vista-San Pedro, Arizona, U.S. 
  • Literacy projects from the Kiwanis Clubs of East Lansing, Michigan, U.S.; Hickory, North Carolina, U.S.; Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, U.S.; Richmond, Virginia, U.S.; The Rising Sun, Bahamas; and Siesta Key, Florida, U.S.  

How you can help
The Kiwanis Children’s Fund makes grants that improve the lives of children around the world by identifying projects that create a continuum of impact in a child’s life — one that spans their entire childhood and sets them up for a bright future. Through The Possibility Project, the Children’s Fund ensures that its grantmaking has the greatest possible impact, supporting projects that target the Kiwanis causes — health and nutrition, education and literacy, and youth leadership development — whether through a Kiwanis club’s local service project or a club’s partner. 

Learn how your club canapply for a grantto help kids in your community. If you are interested in extending your and your club’s impact beyond your community, make a gift in support of The Possibilty Project. 

7 ways to make people feel welcome

7 ways to make people feel welcome

For current and potential members alike, a few simple acts can let people know they belong. 

By Julie Saetre

Everyone Kiwanis member wants to feel welcome — regardless of how long they’ve been with their clubs. Potential members need to know they’re joining a group eager to work with newcomers. And existing members want to feel valued. These seven simple actions can go a long way toward making everyone feel respected: 

  • Consider your meeting location. Is your location convenient for all your members? Is it easy for newcomers to find? If not, seek out alternatives. You might also consider rotating meeting spots or adding a virtual option. 
  • Ask members about their meeting time preferences. Some schedules don’t allow for daytime gatherings; others make evening meetings difficult. Member availability also depends on whether weekends or weekdays work best. Again, flexibility is key. Perhaps varying meeting times or days will allow for more member participation. 
  • Respect people’s time. During your meetings, set an agenda and stick to it. If you say you will meet for an hour, don’t go past that. Also, make the most of the time you have. Don’t get bogged down in the minutiae that can be covered in a meeting with officers.  
  • Ask for input. When people feel heard, they feel welcome. Some people are outgoing and offer ideas and suggestions freely. Others might hesitate to speak up. Ask your less-vocal attendees to share their thoughts. Also let all members and guests know how to provide feedback outside of meetings; some might prefer one-on-one conversations or email/text.  
  • Make meeting minutes easily available. Every member will need to miss a meeting now and then, and you don’t want them to feel left out at the next one. Be sure they can catch up by ensuring minutes are written and distributed in a timely manner. It’s also a good idea to have minutes posted on your club’s website and/or linked in its social media accounts for the convenience of current members — and for those considering membership. 
  • Invite potential members to service events. What better way to be welcoming than to invite nonmembers to join you as you serve your community? When that invitation is accepted, make sure your guests feel valued and included. Ask members to introduce themselves and work alongside your guests during the project.  
  • Say thank you. Members and guests have a lot of options about how to spend their limited spare time. Let them know how much you appreciate them for their attendance, ideas, service and support.