Rotaplast Update from Medellin
I’ve recently completed my first Rotaplast mission. We traveled to Medellin, Colombia and our team of volunteer Rotarians and medical specialists provided cleft lip and/or palate surgeries for over 80 children. Some children walked for over three days with their parents to come out of the remote areas for this life-changing procedure. Our humanitarian medical team even trained local interns and medical students on how to care for and support these children. Education and sustainability are a big part of Rotaplast. Working ourselves out of a job in Colombia is part of the mission.
The main thing I came home with from this mission was a reinforcement of not how different life was there, or the people were in Colombia – it was how similar we were. Parents with tears of joy seeing their children now with a better chance to be free, strong, and supported in their communities.
There were non-profit organizations offering new shoes to each child, some wearing them, I’m sure, for the first time in their lives. There was a government doing the best they could to support this effort by providing transportation, housing, and support. Local Rotarians worked with us every day to help in any way they could. They provided lunches, transportation, and translators for us, and educated us on their efforts to serve their community with love. Mucho Gusto, by the way, means “it’s nice to meet you.” I feel like I heard that phrase a thousand times during our mission. And you know what? It really was.
For the past couple of years, I have been involved with the District 7430 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. To be honest, it’s been a challenge. There have been times when our efforts have been met with open hostility. It’s hard for me to understand, but there are many Rotarians who believe there is no place for a discussion about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in a Rotary club.
If you are a Rotarian, it is likely that you also believe in the motto of “Service Above Self,” you acknowledge the value in the 4-Way Test, and you understand that, within our own community, our country, and globally, there is an infinite amount of service to be done to help others who are significantly less fortunate than we are. Thank you for that! But, the truth is, even with these noble ideals, we all have biases, we all have prejudices, too. And most of us involved in Rotary have no small degree of privilege as well. To reflect on or examine these traits in our own lives, or within our own clubs, is difficult; these are the issues we discuss at our DEI meetings along with any possible way to nudge our clubs towards creating a more welcoming environment for everyone. 
For me, there is no better way to reduce our bias or prejudice than travel. And, there is no better way to lift myself up than to take part in the process of lifting up others. Rotary gives us this opportunity in many ways: ShelterBox, Polio vaccinations, Peace initiatives, Global Grants, and Rotaplast are prime examples.
The universal truth that I hope may someday save our planet is a firm understanding that there is no “them,” there is only us. Thank you Rotary, and thank you Rotaplast for helping me see that more clearly.
- Steve Kendra