International Service

Teaching women to create items to sell in their communities
Boca Del Toras, Panama
 
Making a difference in the lives of others.
 
Guatemala Literacy Program
 
The Guatemala Literacy Project (GLP) is one of the largest grassroots, multi-club, multi-district projects in Rotary. More than 800 clubs and 90 districts have worked together since 1997 to improve education for underserved students in Guatemala. In that time, more than 278,000 students have been served through four sustainable programs tested and proven to work. The students go on to higher education and then return to their communities to serve in medical, business, and educational roles to elevate the entire community.
 
Many of our Rotarians have helped by sponsoring a student starting in Grade 6 and going all the way through high school.  A number of us have chosen to sponsor girls as the graduation rate for females is abysmal.  
Summit In Honduras
 
Summit in Honduras is a Summit County-based non-profit whose mission includes medical outreach, education, literacy, clean water, and construction projects through partnering with small rural in the Departments of Copan and Santa Barbara in northwestern Honduras. Summit in Honduras works with the people of these villages, taking their lead from them. Their goal is to walk with them, not before or after them, providing support for sustainable programs.  Many locals (Rotarians, RWB Fire, and Summit Schools) in Summit County work with Summit in Honduras to achieve this mission.
 
We are also working with a team of firefighters to complete the “Eco Stove” project for an entire village.  The homes in this village will be smoke-free, and children can breathe without Nebulizers or Asthma medications.  Truly making a difference!
Boca Del Toras, Panama 
 
In Boca Del Toras we are helping to provide lunches in the schools for children at all levels because we know that hungry children cannot learn. In some cases, this is the only meal children have all day. We have also provided Sewing machines to women who then can create crafts to sell to tourists further helping to feed communities in need. Our goal is to enrich educational pursuits so communities can become self-sustainable.
Hopkins, Belize Skills Development  Program
 
School is free through 8th grade, but many classrooms have woefully insufficient supplies that are critical to help kids learn basic skills. In addition to providing books, we are teaching them skills like woodworking or sewing to create products they can sell at the Hopkins Market. Selling their products helps them earn enough money to attend high school. They have a massive sense of accomplishment that they can contribute to raising their own tuition. These kids will make even more significant contributions to their community. 
Amarok Society
 
The Amarok Society, started in Bangladesh, is a school for mothers in impoverished communities.  A mother attends an Amarok School each day. Then, after class, she teaches everything she's learned in her own micro-school for 5 neighborhood children with the hope that the boys and girls she teaches then advance to higher levels of education, moving from destitution to university graduation. This program not only improves the literacy of the mothers, they are then able to pass that on to their children and the children in the neighborhood. The schools are free to the mothers, but they need supplies like books and paper.
 
 
Shelter Box Donations 
 
Shelter Box is an international disaster relief charity that has helped more than 2.5 million displaced people in approximately 100 countries with emergency shelter, essential household items, and technical support. When a monumental disaster strikes, threatening the infrastructure and shelter in the community, we respond with Shelter Boxes. The signature green boxes feature Rotary’s logo and are adapted to fit the emergency before being transported on scant notice. Most boxes include family-size tents, though the contents differ depending on the disaster and climate. Many are packed with solar lights, water storage and purification equipment, thermal blankets, and cooking utensils. These boxes provide much-needed shelter until the damage can be repaired.