If your club is looking for an HIV/AIDS Project, take a look at the projects on our Projects List or fill out our Partner Club Form indicating your interest.

Successful Matches

The following projects are successful examples of how Rotary Clubs have partnered in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Los Altos Rotary Club

Hesperian Foundation
David and Lucile Packard Foundation

To help fill the need for appropriate educational materials for health care workers in developing countries, the Los Altos Rotary AIDS Project of the Los Altos Rotary Club, Los Altos, CA (District 5170) launched a project to print and distribute a highly regarded book entitled HIV, Health, and Your Community: A Guide for Action by Drs. Reuben Granich and Jonathan Mermin. The book was published by the non-profit Hesperian Foundation. A special Rotary edition was printed with a custom back cover that described the goals of Rotary in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The book printing and distribution was made possible by a grant from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation of Los Altos, California, along with significant contributions by other Rotary Clubs in our area. As of August 2003, approximately 4000 copies of the book have been distributed free of charge to recipients.

The distribution of the book began in June 2002 at the Rotary International Convention in Barcelona, Spain. The Los Altos Rotary AIDS Project had booth space at the convention that was attended by over 40,000 Rotarians. Most of the books were given to Rotarians who were interested both in learning more about HIV themselves as well as helping other Rotarians in their country understand more about the HIV epidemic. When books were distributed to Rotary clubs, we included a copy of the film “The Los Altos Story” that was available in either videotape or DVD format. This Peabody Award-winning documentary shows the impact of HIV/AIDS on the personal lives of Rotarians. A mailing list was developed for Rotarians who were involved with medical or public health activities that would benefit from the receipt of additional copies of the book. Books were subsequently shipped by surface mail to those Rotarians making such requests. We have also provided books and videos to non-Rotary organizations that were involved in HIV/AIDS education and healthcare in developing countries experiencing a profound effect from the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

Books and videos were also distributed at the Rotary International Africa Presidential Conference on Peace and Development in Nairobi, Kenya that focused on combating the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa. The employees of the conference center in Nairobi, who were all young men and women in their late teens and early 20s, showed special interest. They were given books with the understanding that they would share with as many of their friends and family members as possible.

Our book supply is now depleted. However we urge other Rotary Clubs to consider initiating book distribution projects. There is a pressing need to continue to supply this book to health care workers in developing countries. The response by book recipients was overwhelmingly positive and we continue to receive requests that we are unable to fill. The Hesperian Foundation has an “open copyright” policy that allows re-printing of the book when distribution will be free of charges to the recipient. Please contact either the Rotary AIDS Project of Los Altos or the Hesperian Foundation for further information.