June 10 - Tom Egan, President,  and Jared Leslie, Development Director, from Esperanca gave the club a very comprehensive overview of the history, mission, and key projects that Esperanca is involved in in 14 countries. The organization was started in 1970 by a Franciscan monk and has been growing ever since. Their mission is:  Improving health and providing hope for families in the poorest communities of the world through sustainable disease prevention, education and treatment. The following facts give a good overview -
1. Surgical teams operate on hundreds of men,women and children, each year; 2. Food-related microbusiness opportunities are created for hundreds of very poor families;
3. Clean water is provided for thousands of people through wells and water systems; 4. Homes are constructed for thousands so they can live in a safe, healthy environment;
5. Preventive health education, screening and testing reaches tens of thousands of people; and 6. They serve millions of people globally. Check this web page to see more details about what they do.