International Service: Collaboration & Empowerment

International Service Committee members:

Don P, Douglas, Gary, Greta (Chair), John C, Peter, Trevor. Observer: Lynne. A very warm welcome to Hari, who recently joined our committee.

We endeavour to uplift the lives of those in need, by bringing education, health and sanitation, alleviation of poverty, small business development and food security to six countries on three continents. Working in collaboration with Rotary Clubs worldwide, we form lasting friendly relations. Seeing a project’s successful results or becoming self-sustainable is highly satisfactory. As there is an unending demand for help, budget restrictions can be a source of frustration. This is where the financial partnership of other Canadian and foreign clubs comes in. Our aim is to access District Grants and RI Foundation Global Grants in the near future.

Update on International Service Projects:

Kenya: Virtual Reality Health Education in Nairobi 

Students at the University of Nairobi using the VR goggles.

This past fall, VR technology was introduced by the Queen’s Radiology teaching program connecting Queen’s faculty in Kingston with resident learners at the Nairobi University hospital - the first program of its kind in the world. We are proud to be a partner in this project. Joining us in this venture were RC Kingston, RC Cataraqui Kingston, and John Cowan, resulting in a $ 9,000 sponsorship to the cost of $ 36.000 for the purchase of two headsets. Full details of the successful  project were published in the January 2024 edition of Queen’s Gazette. On request, Greta will send you a copy as an attachment.

Tanzania: Scholarship

Our young scholar Ilet started her second-year primary school at the Bright Future School in Tanzania and is doing very well. We have committed to a full 6-year scholarship of USD 500.00/year. Peter was the guest of honour at the school in November 2023.

South Africa: Blanket Drive
(with RC Morningside)

This project provides decent quality and warm blankets to shelters for street children, orphanages, homes for abused women and children as well at emergency situations and disasters. Initiated in 2012 by RC Morningside, Johannesburg (Greta’s former Rotary Club) , it grew to the yearly participation of up to 26 South African clubs. RC Morningside alone distributed 40,000 blankets between the years 2012 to 2022.

In July 2023 RC Kingston-Frontenac took on the Blanket Drive as their first project for the Rotary year 2023/24, contributing $ 500 from our budget plus $100 from a member of the public. This amount has been transferred to South Africa. In October 2023, the Blanket Drive project was presented at the Regional Joint International Service Committee and in November, donation cards were printed to be used as Christmas “stocking-stuffers”, enabling members of clubs and the public to participate. In December, we published an article on the Blanket Drive in the District 7040 Bulletin and posted it on the K-F Club website. All this resulted in an impressive response from six other clubs, with club funds and public money combined: RC Kingston, RC Cataraqui-Kingston, RC Gananoque, RC Ottawa West, RC Lake Placid (USA), RC Cordeirópolis (Brazil). Once all funds are collected, we will be able to transfer approx. $ 6,000 more to the South African Blanket Drive, for a grand total of $ 6,600 - a very successful  collaboration between clubs!

Brazil: Youth Developement
(with RC Cordeirópolis)

This joint educational and employment preparation/ development project resulted from a visit of Don P. to the Brazilian club in Sao Paulo state. Empowering high school students who demonstrate financial need with private English classes and social development coaching to prepare them for tertiary education or for entering the business world. In December 2023, we held a Zoom meeting with RC Cordeirópolis and the language school to align on details. We will sponsor ten students in the program, beginning April 2024.  The original amount of $ 1,500 previously committed to be reviewed. RC Cordeirópolis in turn decided to support the South African Blanket Drive with a generous donation. This is the Brazilian club’s first International Service activity.
“Brazil is very pleased with the project we are developing together and very proud to be able to support the Morningside project as well. We have helped them to “open the door” internationally (to Canada and South Africa) and with Youth.” (Don P.). 

Nepal: Water and Sanitation in Schools (WASH) and School Support
(with RC Kathmandu)

Brought to us by Trevor through  Utsav, his contact at RC Kathmandu, it is a support for the Shree Surya Ratri Primary School Surkedangi, Dang, a school of seventy-three pupils. The aim is to enhance the quality of education by providing stationery materials, creating awareness about the importance of health & sanitation, developing the public image and relationship of Rotary in the community, and improving the attendance of the students. They need desks, benches, stationery, sports equipment, school bags, WASH training and hygiene kits (nail cutter, toothpaste, brush, oil, Dettol soap) as well as school transportation. A detailed budget shows a total of C$ 3,892. The Rotary Club of Kathmandu will put in $ 2,392; we have committed $ 1,500.  In view of the project’s great necessity, the important input of the local club itself, and having recently received an updated project proposal , “we are ready to go” says Trevor.

East Africa : Tanzania & Uganda

Following Peter’s trip to the area, we are looking forward to project updates and new proposals.

Regional Joint International Service Committee

JISC is a committee made up of representation from four Rotary clubs in the Kingston region,  discussing international projects and building the potential to collaborate on projects. Quarterly meetings, in which we have participated since their inception, were originally chaired by John Gale of RC Cataraqui-Kingston, a position now taken over by our own Douglas Tanton.

Greta

Chair – International Service