Daughter joins father on mission of mercy
By Sylvie Belmond belmond@theacorn.com

"No one can change the world singlehandedly, but working together we can make a difference," said Cliff Williams, a Camarillo resident and Moorpark Rotarian, who went to India last month to help eradicate polio one vaccination at a time.

The voyage renewed Williams' faith in the Rotary Club's mission to eradicate the crippling disease throughout the world, he said.

Despite the tremendous progress made in reducing the incidence of the disease, polio continues to threaten children worldwide, according to Rotary International.

Polio remains active in four countries, including Nigeria, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan. In support of the Rotary's efforts, Williams also traveled to India last year, when 666 new cases were reported.

But this year's trip was even more special for Williams because he shared the experience with his 17yearold daughter, CristiAnne, a senior at La Reina High School in Thousand Oaks. She showed a real sense of adventure, Williams said.

"During those two weeks she changed from an American teenager into a mature adult," he said.

Cristi witnessed some depressing scenes but she showed courage, respect and compassion for others, her father said, and that's what made him most proud.

"It was an experience of a lifetime, and people were so giving and kind even as they have nothing," Cristi said. People were very gracious and generous, she said.

Cristi was inspired to go to India after seeing pictures her father brought back from his first trip, showing people affected by polio.

India is crowded and the traffic is terrible, Cristi said, but everything has so much color and she finds the culture beautiful. She learned a lot about the country and the works of Mother Teresa during a world religion course.

"It's absolute chaos but there is a raw and unconventional beauty too," she said.

After high school, Cristi plans to pursue a degree in business and she said she'll join the Rotary Club when she's established in her profession.

Her father, who is captain of the California Highway Patrol station in Moorpark, was also fascinated by the hectic traffic patterns, especially since cows are allowed to roam freely on city streets, he said. But Williams didn't see any accidents involving the revered cattle, probably because drivers know that would be a bad omen, he said.

In addition to the humanitarian experience and the deep immersion in the Indian culture, Cristi benefited from the time she spent with Rotarians who were part of the delegation, said Williams.

The 21 individuals who traveled together to India broke up into smaller groups to visit various locations. Williams led a fourmember team of local Rotarians.

The father and daughter were accompanied by Evie Greene of the Westlake Village Sunrise Rotary Club and Randy Roth, a member of the Ojai Rotary. The small group visited fellow Rotarians in Delhi to offer support, saw surgery performed on a polio victim and traveled to a small village near the border of Pakistan to inoculate young children there. They also managed to squeeze in a camel ride and a visit to the Taj Mahal, and attended a local wedding during their busy two-week stay.

"It was a wonderful way to understand the reach of the Rotary locally and worldwide," said Roth. It's also an intense twoweek experience that forges bonds, he said.

"The experience was amazing and life altering because I realize I'm making a difference," Greene said.