Rotary/CESO: Partners in International Service

Rotarian Co-founder of Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO)

Before 1966 Canada's international aid program was largely bilateral, flowing directly from the federal government to recipient countries. According to the reports from that time, much of this aid was like water being poured into sand, vanishing without a trace and doing little good for intended recipients.  In 1967 Rotarian Maurice Strong became head of External Aid for the Canadian government and sought to make more effective use of Canada's aid dollars and to involve more ordinary Canadians in the worldwide struggle against poverty. Along with Claude Hébert,  Cy Peachey, Paul Martin Sr., and Mitchell Sharp, Maurice Strong co-founded the Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO), a Canadian volunteer organization comprised of retired professionals,  created to help in developing countries.  Thus began a long standing, supportive relationship between Canada's largest international volunteer agency and Rotary.

CESO's approach to reducing poverty starts with helping individual businesses and organizations to grow, thereby creating jobs and wealth and supporting the development of vibrant, flourishing economies. ' CESO is one of the finest expressions of the Canadian values of service, commitment and practicality' says Maurice Strong, its highly regarded Rotarian Co-founder.

Since its inception, CESO's primary partners have been the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC). With  ongoing support by these agencies, CESO has been able to complete over 40,000 assignments since 1967 (15,000 international and 25,000 in Canada).

http://www.ceso-saco.com/english/about/history.php

Rotary Club of Truro:  CESO Volunteers Working Internationally

When Rotarian Lydia Sorflaten retired in 1998 after 33 years of teaching, she couldn't imagine the possibilities that would open up to her through two avenues: volunteering with CESO and joining the Rotary Club of Truro. She and her husband Allan joined CESO and as Volunteer Advisors (VAs) together have undertaken assignments with small business people in Trinidad and Tobago: fishermen, farmers, handcraft and jewelry makers, Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality Training Institute, and AgapéCenter for the Deaf. Most recently they have begun working with an association of cottage-scale food processors (EMPRETEC) in Guyana. Their biggest satisfaction comes from working with local people 'on the ground' and seeing families lift themselves from poverty to a life style that may include running water, electricity and other amenities.  Over the past ten years they've found it very rewarding to see their host families/clients secure the resources needed to educate their children in a trade or profession .

Truro Rotarian Marilyn Brown also became a CESO volunteer following her retirement from the field of social work.  Marilyn has completed two assignments in Armenia as well as working with 'CESO' at home in Aboriginal communities. 

Rotary and CESO Working Together

CESO is a volunteer organization that matches clients in countries of the developing world with volunteer advisory (VA) services. CESO's major dollar outlay in this process is the cost of VA return air fare to the country involved.  Sometimes the host client is able to provide for VA accommodation while in that country. If not, CESO volunteers normally pay for their own accommodation as well as their daily living expenses (meals, etc.). It also is usual practice for the VA or a related sponsor like Rotary or a Church group to provide for the costs of materials and other supplies that might be needed to properly deliver the assignment. The CESO web site acknowledges and thanks Rotary for making these sorts of valued contributions to volunteer assignments. 

The Rotary Club of Truro has directly helped its CESO VAs (along with Rotary Clubs in the countries involved) in several ways; for instance: materials for business start ups by a number of individuals and groups in Trinidad and Tobago (including some who are deaf), materials for building an orphanage,  building materials and supplies for a children's camp in Armenia, and most recently, sponsorship of  a FoodSafe workshop in Guyana for 30 small businesses that are struggling to market their value-added agro products.

When individuals apply to become CESO volunteers, they're asked about Rotary membership.  If they are not members, CESO then suggests that they may wish to consider joining (though by no means is it compulsory).

It generally has been our experience while working as CESO volunteers that a Rotary connection gives VAs a real 'leg up' in the developing country.  Rotarians are leaders in their communities, both here and abroad.  They know the culture, oftentimes the best route to getting things done, and are the best of hosts.  In attending their meetings, a great deal is able to be learned, both about the role of local clubs, prevailing issues and the culture overall. Rotary members and their associated clubs greatly facilitate and help to improve CESO's work in developing countries.

Living 'on the ground' in one of these countries, working with their people, hearing their hopes and observing their challenges and satisfactions (even if only for a short while), provides an ample measure of  return from this involvement. Thanks to CESO and Rotary for providing the opportunity to enrich our lives in this way.

Allan & Lydia Sorflaten

December 19, 2008