On 18th June, Ryoichi Suzuki, Deputy Executive Director, JOICFP, visited the Kamakura Chuo Rotary Club to receive a donation of 100,000 Japanese yen from the club to be used for White Ribbon Alliance activities for safe motherhood.

(from left) Dr. Matsumoto, Suzuki, and Motohiko Otsuki, President, Kamakura Chou Rotarians Club

In April 2007, Seichi Matsumoto, President Japan Family Planning Association, and JOICFP Board member, spoke to the Rotarians about the world state of reproductive health, including the situation of women and adolescents, and the fact that safe delivery by skilled birth attendants still had not been achieved for everyone.

He highlighted this by telling the Rotarians of the fact that one woman every minute dies of pregnancy and delivery related complications - or 529,000 a year.

The White Ribbon Alliance was founded in 1999, and JOICFP joined in 2002. There are now 300 organizations in 88 countries, and JOICFP has White Ribbon-related activities in Afghanistan, Indonesia, Mongolia and Tanzania.

Suzuki thanked the Rotarians for their donations, noting that there were over 100,000 Rotarians in Japan and that they made a significant contribution by civil society to international cooperation.