Enkindle

ENKINDLE By PP Nevine Abdelkhalek The Rotary Club of El Tahrir – District 2451 Rotary Egypt #throwbacktherotaryclubofmadras #throwbacktherotaryclubofeltahrir #throwbackrotaryegypt #throwbacktherotaryflame #throwbackthegreatestmealintheworld

We need people who possess a The Flame’s Timeline in Egypt fiery passion about a cause in We combined the Flame’s journey with the World’s Greatest Meal in our endeavor to spread awareness and raise funds for our causes; not just to end polio but our lives. They bring a certain working towards zero hunger in our communities; we created the joint Tour of the World Greatest Meal to End Polio and Polio Flame. Another combination evolved light into the equation. They are in support of the cause from the leadership of my club the Rotary Club of El Tahrir (Est 1996) PP Laila Sabry and my district leadership PDG Ahmed Saada (2014- those special dreamers who 2015); together, we gave the touring Flame a memorable journey across Egypt. think outside the box; their #throwbacktherotaryflame passion ignites a different kind of motivation, which drives them to act creatively and with commitment to reach and sustain their objectives. In my world, they have a name. They are called Rotarians, because they understand that being passionate requires dedication, hard work, focus, and the willingness to dream unconventionally, before ultimately succeeding with a jolt. However, if you are ready to put in the work, then being passionate, while knowing what you want can bring excitement, joy, and a sense of true purpose to your life. I am guilty of being a passionate Rotarian, especially about bringing an end to polio; and witnessing that end in my beloved Egypt. So, today, I am going to tell you about a chance meeting in North Carolina, not so long ago, which led to a historic opportunity to share the Original Flame to End Polio all around Egypt and the world, with my fellow Rotarians Gopinath Nuggehalli Krishna and Susan Rea.

Interact MES El Tahrir Rotary and its partners launched the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988, we have watched the number of cases fall worldwide from 350,000 children per year to only a handful to date in 2017. But we cannot stop until we reach zero cases and we have confirmed that this disease has been eradicated. The Rotary “Flame” was launched in Chennai, India, in December 2014 to celebrate both India’s certification as polio-free, and to commemorate the 30th anniversary of PolioPlus. The torch made its way through many countries on its journey around the world to the 2015 International Convention in São Paulo, Brazil. With Susan Rea & PP Laila Sabry at the RC of El Tahrir & RGHF

Egypt has suffered from polio; a disease that has been endemic in our country for almost 3000 years, as illustrated in ancient Egyptian inscriptions, infecting millions of children in Egypt and the world until 1955 when scientists discovered the first vaccine against poliovirus. The vaccine was in the form of an injection till 1961 when an oral route of administration was discovered. Since then, many countries have succeeded in eradicating the disease by vaccinating children under five years of age. Egypt joined the list in 2006 with the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF both declaring Egypt as polio-free after the Karnak Temple, Luxor, Egypt last case had been #throwbackrotaryegypt discovered in 2004. This was due to the extensive vaccination coverage in all the governorates of Egypt through seven doses within the schedule of routine immunizations and the additional doses through periodic national campaigns, asserted by Rotarians in Egypt. In 2018, Egypt entered the final phase of eradicating the disease completely thereby ensuring that no new cases have arisen due to any viruses coming from abroad. The Flame made its journey through Egypt marking the midpoint of not only eradicating the virus but as a celebratory victory dance to a polio-free Egypt.

Journey Down the Nile



Temple of Luxor





Qaitbay, Alexandria