Speaker: Bob Hand
Bob Hand's primary working life in the USA was as research engineer in microelectronics, first with IBM and then with the IIT Research Institute. Later he sold computers and then electronic components, finally becoming a consultant in Lean Manufacturing techniques. About eight years ago he founded a non-profit organization, BizKidz of Brazil, to help street kids there develop legitimate business skills.
Why Brazil? Many years ago, as an amateur radio operator, Bob became interested in Brazil through a ten-year long series of contacts with a particular amateur operator in Garça, SP. During those contacts he gradually learned to speak Portuguese. His first visit to Brazil (and his first Rotary Club meeting) was in 1973 to visit his friend in Garça. In 2000, a chance contact with someone in MInas Gerais on the Internet led to a visit to their town and an agreement to help sponsor a project there, and BizKidz of Brazil was born. The organization now is BizKidz International, and Bob expects to find and support projects in other countries in addition to Brazil.
This story is about Bob's move to Brazil, but hopefully we can get a program about BizKidz sometime in the coming months!
HandHomeandCommunityinBrazil.pdf
This week comments: 137, this week visitors: 65
Amazingly beautiful architecture. Good luck Bob and keep up the great work.
Very interesting material.
Congratulations Bob you gave us a wonderful tour through “Nova Petropolis” the photos are excellent do you work for National Geographic?... You should.
Brazil is somewhere I have wanted to visit for a long time. Does Bob want visitors? I use my volunteer hours for my own foundation, Opportunity Thru Entrepreneurship Foundation, to teach those skills to the disadvantaged in Arizona.
Great program and super meeting as always (though for the record, I see no difference in this forum vs the last. ) :)
Thanks for the opportunity. I have had perfect atttendance for over 50 years and am now in the hospital.
I loved the pictures! Would like to visit there sometime -- especlally at Christmas.
Wonderful to hear about about Brazil! Having to buy the kitchen sink is most interesting.
Excellent program. Bob's words and photos were superb! I am sharing this with our oldest grandson so that he can expand his knowledge of culture and traditions in countries like Brazil.
Nice story. Amazing how a culture can move thousands of miles and have an influence culturally and socially.
We can use the press to promote concrete projects by rotary benefit areas for all to know for what we were created.
Congratulations to all the celebrated
Looking forward to followup stories.
Thank you for this portrait of your new home town, Bob! It's great to be introduced to a part of the world that I've never been to. I think I'd like southern Brazil! :)
This was a great story and nice pictures o f a small town in Brazil, South America.
It was my first e-meeting. I liked the speaker's experience in Brazil as it remember a trip I had there a long time ago.
Splendid!...quite inspiring!!. It takes passion for change, understaning of the of causes of the socio-economic inequalities to fill such gap.
In Nigeria, a smilar program is chamioned by an NGO called "STREET UNIVERSITY" if I remember correctly. I met someone involved a couple years back, maybe 2 or 3 years ago.
"My challenge to you: In the next six months, let's create a marketing/PR plan that we can implement internationally to highlight Rotary International and our eClub".
I believe I am quoting the president correctly above;
I have tried to take up the 6 months challenge but I like every toddler I am wobbling in Rotary, since am only a few days old!.
I have a very simple idea that I think might just help with boosting RI's PR, projecting our eClub and promoting the much sought after global peace and security.
One simple way to this, is promoting a cause that is of collective global concern by using/mobilizing already available resource-persons within TRF reach and network, particularly in Peace fragile regions or countries. This can have a significant media impact and scale-up Rotary's image/PR in the locale if the programs are concieved locally to address local issues which have global connotations. In my opinion these could have a positive ripple effect. The problem here, could be ripple management.
This could be done directly or directly, depends on how Rotary and eClub choses to or it usually works which I am still learning.
One of such platforms will be to mobilize peace Fellows/Scholars like myself in a country where there are at least 5 fellows/scholars to contribute constructively on Conflict Resolution and Peace Building Process.
If Fellows are encouraged to build/form themselves into Local Rotary World Peace Fellow Teams, their synergy could do much more than addressing conflicts, it will definitely be taken up by the local/interntional media Projecting what Rotary is achieving through its Peace Fellows. I think it will easier, cheaper and faster to flaunt what we (ROTARIANS) already have-Fellows and Scholars while we brainstorm new ideas on PR for both eClub and RI.
If fellows could be encourage to visit their local Rotary at once year, It was also help tell the club of what local Resource they and clubs could as well start thinking of optimizing resource in conflict times.
Our eClub is very well position to roll out this idea and of course manage itnor even share it out with other clubs, after all the entire globe is our backyard!.
Although, TRF has an Alumni Relations Coordinator, for all peace fellows/scholars the eClub can may decide to pilot this befor scaling-up if it so decides.
Thanks for a fun program, Bob. We once had a Rotary Youth Exchange student from Barra do Garças, Mato Grosso, Brazil. She is a wonderful young woman, whom we still keep in touch with. Your program took me back to her (too short) time with us, and all she taught us about her culture and family. Thanks for sharing your experiences with us.
Interesting....
You have a great set of meetings. I enjoy making up here and seeing the photos, etc. I always learn something.
Great Program. Thanks for the make up. Come Visit us in Kansas City!
Very interesting. Makes you want to go there.
I thought Bob Hand's presentation and the photographs was great. Beautiful pictures.
I enjoyed reading all the information provided. As immediate past president of the Eureka Springs Rotary Club I can appreciate the amount of work involved in organizing meetings.
What a beautiful city where Bob lives. So nice to visit Brazil in the comfort of my home!!!
It looks very much like areas in Zurich that I have visiited and gone to meetings. Beautiful atmosphere and thank you for sharing they area that I thought was so forset and not so city..
Really enjoyed Bob's moved to Brazil. At this time of the year it would be tempting for an old Canadian.
Well done great story.
This is my first time using this e-mail format. I really enjoyed it! I am presently studying on line and have had difficulty making our club meetings.
GREAT
Very interesting! Makes one want to visit
As I sit here in Alexandria, Egypt it is interesting to read about Christmas in Brazil. Actual they are still celibrating Christmas here. it is Coptic Christmas.
Loved the trip to the southern hemisphere! Also, it might be a very cool move to have Dave Brubeck videos start more meetings. Great catch, Larry!
Wonderful presentation of many things/international...very enjoyable and interesting visual visits...Thank you / Wayne McCune / Rotary Chinook -Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
A nice collection of items of multiple interest
Very interesting information about Brazil
Thank you for allowing me to participate in your meeting. I loved the story by Bob Hand. We have a member in our club who was born and raised in Brazil but has been here for many years now. She's a vivacious and energetic woman with the talent of speaking many languages. Now I understand where she comes from better than I had previously.
Very interesting reading!
Very good program and pictures. Made me start thinking about living outside the USA for a time.
Thank you for the opportunity to make up Rotary attendance with this online forum.
Thanks Bob, What a great program, makes me want to go live in Brazil. Very european for sure. I like it!!
I look forward to hearing more about life in Brazil
Very interesting.
Bob, I love Brazil. Our visiting GSE team member is from the Minas Gerais area. It was great to see your photos.
Terry
Always enjoy your meetings have you book marked on my favorites.
Great. Keep it going.
None
Very interesting. I would have liked to have seen a map of Brazil with the locaton he is speaking of pin pointed I have done some travel in Southern Brazil for our Rotary group and found everyone to be so hospitable. Rotary truly puts hands around the world.
Excellent program Bob,,the decorations in the streets really impressed me,Brazil is around 10% in land mass larger than Australia,would very munch like to visit one day
Very exciting to read about someone living out their passion for service. Thanks for sharing!
INTERESTING
Nice pictures
Very interesting program. And the photographs were exceptional--a beautiful part of the world!
Great presentation. This is my first make up meeting on line. I will participate more even if I don't need to make up meetings!
Good site and program. Have used in the past with great satisfactions
Its very interesting. Its another way of learning another countries culture and tradition eventhough briefly but described very nicely. Keep up the good work, Bob.
I agree with Rushton that stories about daily life in the various in the various parts of the world in which our members are found is a great way for us to increase World Peace and Understanding as Rotarians. I'm guessing that the story about Nova Petrópolis will be quite a surprise to most Americans who learn about Brazil mainly through news stories and Soccer reports. I'm looking forward to many such programs. I hope all enjoyed this one.
I really like the way that the eprogram was broken down the same as an actual meeting, complete with all the details. This is definitley my eclub of choice for makeups. Thanks.
I have been unable to attend my own meeting lately and remembered about making up with your club. A true pleasure. I really em=njoyed Bob Hand's presentation. I aslo learned something new regarding Perihelion Day and Aphelion Day. I love interesting little known bits of trivia and factoids.
Thanks,
Gerard Brokerhof
Gilbert Rotary Club
Great Program Bob. What a wondeful way to share our personal holidays, tranditions and new experiences.
A few years ago, I spent some time in South Africa in December. It was the middle of their summer, which made seeing Christmas decorations at about 95F a little different than how I experieced it growing up in New England! (The last couple of weeks in Connecticut have been really cold and pretty snowy--quite like when I was a kid.) I really enjoy the diversity of this e-club, which is well represented by this presentation.
INteresting, this was my first visit.
Excellent article on Worldwide Peace
I enjoyed reading Bob's story about his relocation and recent holiday experiences in Brazil. Thanks for sharing the personal experiences and picturs.
Great to see how others live
I found this presentation quite interesting! We wish Bob and Cidinha the best, and I am sure that it is very exciting to live in such a wonderful, small town. I lived in Madrid, Spain for 3 years, and I had the same experiences when we rented an apartment. This is a very nice way to get to know our fellow members. Thanks!!!!
Wow, the previous tenants took the kitchen sink with them. There are different customs where ever we travel and most eClubbers, from my experience do travel. Bob Hand is a member of RGHF to came to hear me speak recently. I enjoyed meeting him and look forward to his work for our eClub and Rotary Global History Fellowship from Brazil where he joins just two other members of our 500 globally. Good luck in all you do, Bob.
Wow, os inquilinos anteriores tiveram pia da cozinha com eles. Há costumes diferentes onde sempre viajamos e mais eClubbers, da minha experiência do curso. Bob Hand é um membro de RGHF que veio para me ouvir falar recentemente. Eu gostava de conhecê-lo e aguardamos a sua obra para a nossa eClub e Global história do Rotary Clube do Brasil, onde se junta a apenas dois outros membros de nossa 500 globalmente. Boa sorte em tudo que você faz, Bob.
Bob Hand's new home is lovely and surprising for me. I did not know about the German tradition there or the unique architecture for this South American "Alps". Yes, I would love to visit in our program the places where other eClubbers live. Very enjoyable program.
Thank you Bob Hand. Your presentation was like a National Geographic presentation.
