September 1, 2022
Global Grant “Transforming Lives” (GG2239604) has been approved by The Rotary Foundation. It proposes the completion of a comprehensive training program for 11 Pediatric Orthopedists/ Orthopedic Surgeons (“trainees”) in Ecuador. The 11 trainees have already completed a first phase of training and have begun to establish 10 clinics in 8 cities distributed across Ecuador. During this project, three International Trainers will visit the trainees’ clinics (8 of which are in public hospitals) to evaluate the trainees in relation to the technique of the Ponseti Method (“PM”) and the organizational functioning of their clinics. The project will also distribute 500 braces to the clinics and promote the use of the PM within the Ecuadorian health care system by sponsoring the dissemination of information and guidance on the PM within the Ecuadorian scientific community. Annually, there are an estimated 350 new children born with clubfoot in Ecuador. Over the course of the trainees’ careers, it is expected that thousands of children will benefit from this project. The Rotary Club of Saint Helena (California) in District 5130 is the International Sponsor and the Rotary Club of Tsáchila de Santo Domingo (Ecuador) in District 4400 will host the project.