From Doctors Without Borders to Our Local Bakery!At Rotary, disease prevention isn’t just a talking point—it’s one of our core areas of focus. We’ve been in the trenches fighting to end polio for decades, so when the recent news of Ebola came to light, we were all ears to learn more about how these kinds of global health challenges are managed.
As it turns out, we didn’t have to look very far to find someone who has actually been on the front lines.
We had the pleasure of hearing from our fellow Marblehead resident, Katherine Dedieu. Today, you might know her and her husband as the talented folks behind Farine, baking incredible treats for our town. But Katherine has a remarkable history in global health logistics. Her journey started way back in 2003, when she worked on the front lines during the SARS outbreak. Years later, when the Ebola crisis hit Africa, she was right back out there with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). She was tasked with the incredibly intense, vital job of setting up protocols for the safe handling of the disease to keep both patients and medical workers safe.
Hearing Katherine speak was a powerful reminder that while we enjoy the quiet comfort of our community, organizations like Médecins Sans Frontières are out there every day safeguarding the world’s most vulnerable.
For us, her story hits home. Whether it’s Rotary working to end polio or Doctors Without Borders fighting Ebola, it’s all about people helping people, no matter how far away they are. We are so grateful to Katherine for sharing her journey with us—and for keeping our community both inspired and well fed!