As part of the Kick Polio Out of Africa awareness campaign, a special soccer ball is making its way through 22 polio-affected countries en route to the RI Convention in Montréal, Québec, Canada, in June. Follow its progress on the interactive map or read about it on the Kick Polio Out of Africa blog.
Tom Henderson: CEO & founder of Shelterbox
Fresh on the back of the visit to ShelterBox HQ in Cornwall by Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cornwall, ShelterBox Founder and CEO Tom Henderson has collected his OBE from Her Majesty The Queen.
Tom attended a ceremony at Buckingham Palace last week to receive the accolade.
He was appointed an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) for his outstanding contribution to charity and humanitarian work since he founded ShelterBox in 2000.
During that time ShelterBox has worked on every continent providing emergency aid after earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, hurricanes, typhoons, landslides, volcanoes and armed conflicts.
ShelterBox Family
In 2010 ShelterBox has so far responded to the devastating earthquakes in Haiti and Chile as well as disasters in Peru, Egypt, Kenya and Uganda. In less than three months, more than 12,000 ShelterBoxes have been distributed with thousands more set to be sent out throughout March.
As a result of Tom’s initiative and tireless work across the last decade, people who have lost everything have been given something back and the chance to start rebuilding their lives.
Speaking after the ceremony, Tom said: ‘Her Majesty asked me when ShelterBox started, where we were currently working in the world and how many people we had helped. I explained that I had just come back from Haiti and saw the tents being used myself which was very encouraging.
‘While this is a personal award, I feel I am receiving it on behalf of the ShelterBox family around the world.’
Visit ShelterBox at: www.shelterbox.org
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See Tom deliver a show-stopping, standing ovation speech at the 2009 Rotary International Convention in Birmingham:
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The Rotary Friendship Exchange program gives Rotarians and their families the opportunity to experience other cultures firsthand, by participating in reciprocal visits with Rotarians from other countries and their families. Introduced in 1984, this program aims to advance international understanding among Rotarians. It provides Rotarians with the opportunity to form personal contacts and make long-lasting friendships while exploring different areas of the world.