The secretary of International Business, Lucas Ferraz, received the president of Rotary International, Jennifer Jones, at Palácio dos Bandeirantes, this Thursday (2). Jones is the first female president of Rotary International and, along with her entourage, is visiting the country to celebrate the organization’s 100th anniversary in Brazil.
On the occasion, the secretary spoke about the actions of the Government of São Paulo in the social area. He noted that they are similar to the purposes of Rotary, which seeks to cause lasting changes in people, communities and the world: “We have many possibilities for collaboration with Rotary and we are going to talk to strengthen ties even more and promote possible partnerships”, he pointed out.
The president of Rotary International made herself available for partnerships with social projects developed by the Government of São Paulo. “This visit is an opportunity to show our work. Rotary is dedicated to different causes around the world, such as promoting peace, fighting disease, clean water and sanitation, health of mothers and children, supporting education, economic development, and protecting the environment,” said Jones.
Rotary is a global network of community leaders whose mission is to serve others, spread integrity, and promote goodwill, peace, and world understanding. Currently, Rotary is present in 219 countries, acting through more than 36,000 Rotary clubs, which together add up to approximately 1.2 million volunteers. In Brazil, the organization has 2,332 Rotary clubs and 49,979 members.
The organization acts from prevention to treatment and has already created itinerant clinics, blood donation centers and promoted training for poor communities affected by outbreaks and without access to medical care. It also acts in the fight against malaria, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, polio, among other diseases.
During the meeting, Jennifer Jones also spoke about a Rotary initiative called ‘Empowerment of girls’ that seeks to encourage them in the most diverse activities. Then, the Secretary of International Business highlighted that for the first time the State of São Paulo has a specific secretariat for women, the Secretariat of Policies for Women, led by Sonaira Fernandes, which is developing actions based on self-financing and entrepreneurship; dignity and health; and combating violence.
