The Gift of Life (GOL) program is funded through Paul Harris Fellow Contributions and Matching Grants with foreign sister clubs. RCMW’S advocacy is for indigent Filipino children with heart disease and to prevent more untimely deaths of children with heart diseases. The GOL provides free heart operations for poor children with congenital heart disease. Children with congenital heart problems are generally weak and are susceptible to pneumonia, other respiratory and cardiovascular complications that may become life threatening.
The post-operational result is nearly immediately evident – they become stronger and more active; allowing them to attend classes while freeing their parents of a huge financial burden. Our members are involved in all aspects of the program, from generating the funding sources, to identifying partner hospitals to qualifying beneficiaries. A total of 700 heart operations in RY 20-21 alone and about 1,700 since inception in December 2014 when the first GOL operation was performed by our very own member Dr. Mon Diaz, a Cardiovascular Surgeon.
RCMW Guardian Angel Program (GAP) ensures beneficiaries complete all post-operative care requirements and attend follow-up check-ups and continue to monitor beneficiaries to ensure the child is recovering well. The GAP inculcates to the beneficiary’s family compassion of others, becoming role models to care for others in the future.
The Cataract Project – Gift of Sight aims to restore the functionality of the eye; involving eye surgeries, removal of the defective lens and replacing them with intraocular lenses. Cataracts can develop in one or both eyes caused by age, diabetes or eye injury resulting in blurry vision or blindness. More than 50% of people over 60 years of age have cataracts that cause blindness and many cannot afford cataract surgeries. Since the inception of the cataract project in 2010, over 130 eyes fixed in RY 20-21 and 514 since inception.
Surgeries are performed at the Medsurg Eye Center, Paranaque City. All medical supplies, lens and other equipment required are purchased by our team of doctors led by Dr. Timmy Tan. Lunch is provided for patients and their companions. After the surgery, patients are provided eye drops as well as goggles and given transportation allowance to attend the four weekly free follow up check- ups. Beneficiaries are grateful they are less reliant on family members.
The Artificial Limbs Project – Gift of Mobility has provided prostheses or artificial limbs to amputees, like soldiers who fought in the 2018 Marawi siege that lost their legs in battles as well as indigents who lost limbs in accidents or due to like diabetes, children born with disabilities. The project has brought hope and dignity as it helped restore mobility and reduced their dependence on family. The project started in 2004 and has provided a total of 1,025 prostheses to all amputees nation-wide; including the brave soldiers who fought during the Marawi siege in 2018.
Likhang Sining is a legacy project of the Rotary Club of Makati West started in 1995 by Past President Fern Pena. The project is an on-the-spot art contest where over 100 children will be given a topic, art supplies, and a few hours to complete their works. Club members as well as a professional artist will judge the works and choose winners.
The aim is to identify talented young artists and encourage them to continue to develop their skills in the future. The Rotary Club of Makati West truly believes in fostering creativity and hopes one day to identify a future master!
We hold this contest annually, to stay up to date please follow the Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/LikhangSiningByRCMW
