2026 January

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MORE THAN JOB TRAINING 

FRANCESCO AREZZO, President, Rotary International

In a garage outside Salinas, California, young people who are learning to restore classic cars are doing more than developing a skill — they are reclaiming their futures. This training program provides mentorship and, for some, a path away from gang involvement toward meaningful employment. Graduates leave with certifications, practical experience, and hope. 

This is what Rotary’s Vocational Service Month celebrates each January — the power of bringing together people with unique skills to do good in the world. It reminds us that integrity isn’t just about our actions matching our words. Integrity is in everything we do. 

The California automotive program has been such a success because it was built on integrity. Members of the Rotary Club of Carmel-by-the-Sea didn’t assume they knew what the community needed. They listened. They learned there was a shortage of skilled mechanics as well as a large number of young people lacking job training. They recognized that technical skills alone wouldn’t be enough, so they partnered with Rancho Cielo, a nonprofit offering counseling and support services alongside vocational training. 

That is The Four-Way Test in action. Those four simple questions help us not judge others but guide us toward genuine, effective service. 

Consider our commitment to ending polio. For nearly 40 years, we have promised the world’s children we will eliminate this disease. Despite obstacles, we persist, and today we are closer to defeating the virus. Keeping this promise is the very definition of integrity. 

The same integrity must drive our vocational service. With 1.2 billion young people in emerging economies reaching working age in the next decade and only 420 million jobs projected, we face a critical gap. Communities long excluded from economic opportunities need our support. 

But support doesn’t mean imposing our will. It means listening to local needs, building partnerships, and designing projects that communities can sustain themselves. 

You have knowledge that can transform lives. Whatever your profession, your expertise combined with Rotary’s values creates lasting change. The question isn’t whether you have something to offer, it’s how you’ll use your skills to serve. 

This January, I encourage you to ask how your club can address vocational needs in your community. What skills do your members have that could change someone’s life? 

How can your networks open doors for young people? What partnerships can create sustainable jobs? Let integrity guide you. Let The Four-Way Test light your path. And let the young people in California and the multitudes worldwide who need job skills remind you why vocational service matters. 

Let us celebrate putting our professional skills to work for humanity with integrity at the heart of everything we do.

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SUE VILLA STA. MARIA, Chairman, PRMFI

As we welcome 2026, we stand at the threshold of new opportunities and fresh beginnings. This moment invites both reflection and renewal. The past year has brought its share of challenges and triumphs. It is time to carry forward the lessons learned as we begin a new journey together. 

We need to consciously re-commit ourselves to Rotary’s enduring motto, “Service Above Self.” In serving our communities, we do more than uplift others — we also gain purpose, strengthen our sense of belonging, and find deeper personal well-being. Service connects us, grounds us, and, in many ways, helps ease the stresses of modern life. 

Past RI President (PRIP) Jennifer Jones emphasizes that Rotary must be a place of comfort and care, where members support communities while supporting one another’s emotional well-being. 

PRIP President Shekhar Mehta says that serving others “changes lives, including our own.” 

PRIP Holger Knaack notes that service offers “endless opportunities” to enrich our own lives through meaningful connections and purposeful action. 

This belief is powerfully reflected in the work of Past District Governor Guity Javid of District 5280, who helped charter the Rotary Club of Mental Health & Wellness — a cause-based club grounded in the idea that service and connection are essential to personal wellness. 

As we begin the year, let us remind ourselves: when we uplift others, we also renew ourselves. Every act of service — no matter how small — strengthens the lives of others as it enriches ours.

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SONNY COLOMA, Editor-in-chief

Servant-leadership has been embraced as a guiding principle, especially by those who have tapped to head organizations dedicated to uplifting the lives of the least of our brethren. 

Christ set the example when he washed the feet of his apostles during the Last Supper. When Peter protested and sought to exclude himself from being the object of the Lord’s humble act, he was told that if he insisted, he could not be regarded as a worthy disciple. 

Discipleship is intertwined with leadership. It is true that a disciple is essentially a follower, and that discipline implies strict compliance with orders and mandates. 

But in the Christian context, discipline also means committing oneself to a worthy mission: Service Above Self. 

When I became a Club President, I realized that to be effective, I needed to commit myself wholly to the service of the needs of our members so that, in turn, they would dedicate themselves to the tenets of Rotary service.  At that time, Rotary was propagating four avenues of service: club, vocational, community and international. 

Club service involved consistent attendance in weekly Club meetings and active interaction with fellow Rotarians, their spouses and families. Vocational service meant exemplifying the Rotary ideals in the. Active practice of one’s profession. Community service was directed at uplifting and supporting the most needy members and constituents of the Club’s designated service area. International service encouraged linkage with Rotary clubs overseas to enhance fellowship, and achieve synergy or a confluence of resources in serving the community’s needs. 

Rotary’s service and mission concept is now propagated in terms of areas of focus, instead of the erstwhile avenues of service. Yet, the essence of Service Above Self has not been diluted. Rather, it has been etched in bolder relief by the severity of the maladies that Rotarians experience: wars and disasters; famine and disease; alienation and disenchantment. 

As we usher in a New Year, let us rededicate ourselves with deeper fervor to the Object of Rotary and a rm anew our commitment to Service Above Self.

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LASTING TRANSFORMATION

HOLGER KNAACK, Foundation Trustee Chair 

When we think of global projects at Rotary, we often think of the cooperation between two clubs or districts that goes into Rotary Foundation global grants. These efforts form the backbone of our international grant activities. Yet we have also seen how larger projects can have even greater impact by attracting significant partners and long-term funding. These initiatives are measurable and visible, attracting yet more partners and new Rotary members who see the work in action. 

Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria, one of the Foundation’s Programs of Scale, embodies this vision. I asked Dolapo Lufadeju, a Rotarian from Nigeria and co-founder of the Rotary Action Group for Reproductive, Maternal, and Child Health, to share why this model has been so successful: "Together for Healthy Families in Nigeria, which began in 2022, aims to reduce maternal and neonatal deaths by 25 percent. 

We focus on training doctors, midwives, nurses, and community health extension workers in emergency obstetrics, neonatal care, respectful maternity practices, and long-acting reversible contraceptives. The most vital aspect is community engagement. We conduct dialogues with traditional, religious, and youth leaders. We are organizing joint medical outreach and home visitations. 

State ministries of health are increasingly adopting these approaches as part of their primary health care interventions, using the template and methodologies Rotary developed. 

Our electronic data-tracking system allows better monitoring of maternal and child deaths. 

Notably, our community-based system now tracks maternal deaths during home deliveries, something previously unmeasured. 

Most significantly, maternal deaths dropped by 20 percent and neonatal deaths decreased by 28 percent in supported facilities, while postnatal clinic attendance increased by 10 percent."

I am also a member of the action group and have followed this project for over 20 years, long before it was awarded a Programs of Scale grant. In November I observed the dedicated work there of the teams with midwives and health workers. 

This evolution shows what’s possible when Rotary dedication meets strategic partnerships. The program’s success prompted Nigerian philanthropist Sir Emeka Offor to contribute $5 million, allowing the initiative to expand. Other countries are interested in this model. 

Every contribution you make to The Rotary Foundation strengthens its power as a global force for change that channels your generosity into lasting transformation.