Rob Rose

Rob Rose with children with disabilities in Kathmandu,Nepal. 
 
Our speaker yesterday was Rob Rose, owner of Brant Photographers in Bellevue, Washington and Executive Director of The Rose International Fund for Children (TRIFC).
In 1974, at the age of 16, Rob Rose was a Rotary Exchange Student and spent his junior year of high school in Calcutta, India.  It was a year that left a strong imprint on him.  Rob saw many families who had no idea where their next meal was coming from...Rob knew then that he wanted to help others.  Fast forward to today. Rob has been in Rotary over 30 years.  He is a member of the Rotary Club of Bellevue and is a Club Past President and recipient of numerous Rotarian awards including Rotary International’s Service Above Self Award and our District’s Rotarian of the Year. 

Rob shared with us the story of how one article in 1997 on impoverished lives of children in Nepal led him to make one phone call to volunteer to assist by using his photography skills.  That one call led him to go on, now 16 trips, to Nepal focused on providing assistance to disabled children, abused women and terminal cancer patients.  And, it led him to form TRIFC which raises funds to support non-profit organizations in Nepal that focus on disabled children, especially in the area of education, nutrition and medical needs. 

Throughout Rob’s talk, he continued to bring up how Rotary has played a significant role in his life and in its impact on the many projects Rob has been involved with in Nepal.  Rob has a wife Gina, who is also TRIFC’s Director and Secretary, and has three sons.  For more information, or to see how you can assist, visit TRIFC.