Recent Grants Made Possible by the Worldwide Service Project

"Fellow Kiwanians, the children of the world still need us. Their eyes are beamed on us...full of longing and hope...we will not let them down...it can be done, and together we will do it."
      -Juan F. Torres Jr., MD, 2002-03 Kiwanis International President

All children deserve the best possible start in life.

The Worldwide Service Project to virtually eliminate iodine deficiency disorders (IDD) makes great strides around the world.

The progress report from Mali covers the activities in the country during the period of May 2002 to June 2003. During this period, US$88,755 was used to hold a national advocacy workshop that strengthened the government’s commitment to the elimination of IDD, to reassess the national action plan, and to train customer officers and program directors about salt quality inspections.

The Andean region’s progress report discusses the activities undertaken between June 2002 and June 2003 and the use of US$227,764. This region includes the countries of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Paraguay. In the Andean region, five of the countries (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia) were recognized—before the scheduled date—as countries that “keep iodine deficiency under control.” Based on this recognition, the governments of each of these countries have made additional efforts to keep up the achievements that already have been made.

The progress report from Nigeria covers the activities from January to May 2003. Of the programmable amount of US$203,217, US$53,007 has been spent. The accomplishments of this project include: the reassessment of iodized salt at the factory, distributor and household levels; the implementation of a salt project with the local salt industry in Nigeria; and the approval of a National Demographic and Health Survey.

Bhutan’s final report highlights activities between January and May 2003. This project has used US$39,822 from its budget allotment of US$43,600. Bhutan was evaluated and has achieved all the criteria for iodine deficiency elimination set by the World Health Organization. Despite its place in the “iodine deficiency belt,” Bhutan has achieved elimination and the country office recognizes the contributions of Kiwanis members around the world for their generous contributions.

Paraguay’s progress report covers activities in the country between January and December 2002. During this period, Paraguay used US$79,287 of the programmable funds. Some of the IDD activities in Paraguay include: research conducted by an international advisor to test children’s thyroid glands for goiters; a review of salt management and inspection (100 percent of Paraguay’s salt is imported); and a campaign to target women for education campaigns about iodized salt.

The progress report from East Asia and the Pacific discusses activities between January 2002 and March of 2003. During this period, US$139,396 of the total allotment of US$273,453 was utilized to perform external reviews of country programs by the Salt Network and to bring together regional salt producers to a meeting of the Mekong salt producers.

Quechua Indian children in a classroom in Bolivia, where iodine deficiency affected more than 60 percent of the school-age population in the early 1980s. Following intervention by Kiwanis, UNICEF, and their partners, iodized salt is now used in most Bolivian households.