Guidelines for Rotary Project Safaris

As proposed by Ray Klinginsmith for initial Safaris in 2010-11

  The following guidelines are suggested for Rotary Project Safaris to enable Rotarians from developed countries to visit Rotary projects in developing countries.

1. Team Members.  The safari teams will be composed of five to eight Rotarians, who will view and evaluate Rotary projects for the purpose of encouraging financial support for such projects upon their return home.  The teams may include non-Rotarian spouses of the team members, if the spouses are willing to participate in all of the project visits and to actively promote funding for the projects upon their return home.
2. Sending Clubs or Districts.  Each safari team will be sponsored by a Rotary club or a Rotary district in a developed country.
3. Host Clubs or Districts.  The visit of each safari team will be sponsored by a Rotary club or a Rotary district in a developing country.
4. Travel Expenses.  The travel expenses of the safari team members will be paid by the team members themselves, including the food and lodging expenses in the host country.  Local transportation will be provided by the host club or district.
5. Length of Visit.  The visit of a safari team to a host club or district will last no less than five days and no more than seven days, unless the sending club or district and the host club or district agree on an extended time.  The safari team will be free to visit other areas for normal tourist activities, either before or after the period of the Rotary safari, without assistance of the host club or district.
6. Responsibility of Host Club or District.  The host club or district will furnish local transportation for the safari team to visit Rotary projects and tourist attractions in the host area with approximately one-half time allocated to service projects that need additional funding and the other half to tourist activities.  The host club or district also will provide opportunities for the safari team to attend Rotary club meetings and other Rotary activities.  The host club or district also will make suitable arrangements for the safari team to stay in hotels or motels in the local area.  The expense of the local hotel or motels will be paid by the safari team members, and therefore, the team leader should be consulted in advance about the charges and services of the proposed hotels or motels.  The schedule of activities for each team will be provided well in advance by the host club or district.
7. Responsibility of Sending Club or District.  The sending club or district will verify that each member of the safari team is a Rotarian in good standing with his or her Rotary club or the spouse of a Rotarian in good standing.   All team members must be genuinely interested in helping to develop and fund Rotary service projects in the host area.
8. Responsibility of Team Members.  The safari team members will fulfill their responsibility to look for viable Rotary service projects in the host area and to seek funding for such projects when they return home.  They also will be responsible for all of their own travel expenses, including food and lodging in the host area.  Local transportation in the host area, as needed for the Rotary safari, will be furnished by the host club or district at no expense to the team members.
9. Safaris Not Limited to Africa.  Although the safari name usually connotes trips to Africa, the Rotary Project Safaris may be arranged between clubs and districts anywhere in the Rotary world.
10. The Four Way Test.  One of the purposes of the Rotary Project Safaris is to develop cooperative relationships between Rotary clubs and districts, and Rotarians involved in the safaris should be sure that the trips are beneficial to all concerned.
11. Similar Rotary Activities.  It is recognized that many Rotary clubs and districts are already engaged in humanitarian service projects and visits in a manner similar to the Rotary Project Safaris.  The safaris are not intended to replace or supplant any existing activities, but merely to provide a framework for additional Rotary clubs and districts to become involved in international service projects.
12. Areas of Focus.  It is recommended that the host clubs and districts give first priority to the type of projects within the six areas of focus for the TRF Future Vision Plan.  It also is recommended that the host club or district communicate well in advance with the team leader about the type of projects that will be shown to the team members in order for the interests of the team members to be suitably matched to the projects to be visited in the host areas.