Business owner returns from Peru

FRANKLIN — Jeremy Slate, owner of JR Slate Fitness, has returned home after a month abroad with the Rotary Group Study Exchange from Peru.

Slate is the owner of personal training and nutrition company, JR Slate Fitness and franchisee of the Internet shopping hub, www.shopjrslate.com. The month in Peru was spent enhancing business growth of the online shopping platform, brand new to the country.

It seeks to bring economic growth to Peru, the world s 40th largest economy.

According to internetworldstats.com, only 12.5 percent of Peruvians are on the Internet. Slate visited Internet provider OLO while in Peru, which is driving mobile Internet and creating growth in the regions of Lima and Arequipa. These cities have seen a 2.5 percent growth in Internet use since 2013, leading the Internet to be a new expanding sector of the economy.

Slate accompanied New Jersey Rotary to Peru as part of a Group Study Exchange, a program for young professionals. The purpose of the exchange was to learn about professions on the exchange country, expand individual businesses international, as well as aid in Rotary projects. New Jersey and Peru have crossed political lines by dealing Rotary-to-Rotary, to help those Peruvians most in need.

Of the projects Slate saw, firefighters and children saw the most need. Peruvian clubs, such as Arequipa Rotary Club, Kallpa Suyay, seek to fund their firefighters in excess of $30,000. The current uniforms in use can sustain up to 6 high-risk fires, but have been exposed to more than 60 each. As for the disabled children of Lima, Rotary Club Lima Nueva Era, seeks to aid children that are currently only given extra attention a few times a year.

The returning team members in America, are returning to their respective Rotary Clubs to advise them of the projects and needs in Peru. Current Peruvian Rotary Governor, Carlos Riojas, will be returning to America this summer to personally communicate with the New Jersey Rotary clubs.