INTERNATIONAL SERVICES

Local Action. Global Impact.

The International Services Committee connects our local community with trusted global projects that deliver sustainable, life-changing impact around the world.

 

 

The World Has Big Problems — But Helping Can Feel Overwhelming

Across the globe, communities struggle with access to clean water, education, healthcare, and economic opportunity. Many people want to help — but don’t know where to start or how to ensure their support truly makes a difference.

Without trusted leadership and sustainable solutions, short-term aid often falls short.

Why Action Matters

Without sustained global support, communities remain without access to opportunity, dignity, and stability. The ability to help exists — but impact only happens when people step forward.
International Service Committee promotes and contributes to projects in all 6 areas of Rotary International Focus. Our club has specific interests in Education, Providing Safe Drinking Water, and Fighting Disease.

Kenya Scholarship Program

Rusinga Island – Eastern part of Lake Victoria
Most residents of Rusinga make their living from subsistence agriculture (maize and millet), as well as fishing. The local language is Luo, although the ancestors of the current inhabitants were Suba people who came in boats several hundred years ago from Uganda as refugees from a dynastic war.
 

This year’s scholarship winners: Cecil Magolo, Scholarstica Odhiambo, Carol Oguta, and Winnie Gagra.

This program has been a tremendous success! Thanks to all who started the program, and currently run the program! The biggest thanks goes to all Rotarians who have helped raise funds to ensure that the International Committee can continue this program.
 

Rotary Burlington Lakeshore has been supporting children (majority girls) in Kenya finish high school education through a scholarship program. For $1000/year/student a girl can complete her education. Currently RCBL supports 16 students, 4 in each year of high school. Since 2008, 47 students have had a chance to go to high school.

  • 30 of the remaining 31 graduated from high school.
  • 4 have graduated from university or college
  • 17 are presently attending university or college
  • 5 are waiting to hear about acceptance into university or college
  • 3 are working at better jobs than they would have had without graduating high school
  • 1 started college but had to stop due to finances.
Want to help? Contact our  International Services Committee Director.

Vietnam Education Society

Vietnam is improving economically, however, this is more evident in the cities than in the rural areas. Many students in rural Vietnam continue to study under extremely difficult conditions. Schools are often poorly designed, aging and not properly maintained. The classrooms can be drafty, cold in the winter, hot in the spring and summer, and are typically poorly lit. The teachers worry about the challenges the children face when they try to study in such conditions.

In 2016 RCBL contributed $5000 towards the newest project – a kindergarten school for 160 children in Quang Tri province. The ground breaking took place at the end of April 2020 and construction was completed in August of 2020.

Vietnam Education Society is a Canadian-based organization consisting of volunteers who have adopted Vietnamese children and former Vietnamese Boat People, refugees who came to Canada in the late 70’s.

RCBL has supported the following projects:

  • Cat Ne early childhood education centre
  • Thai Thuy primary school
  • Nguyen Hien primary school
  • Kon Kloc early childhood education centre
  • Thanh Chung early childhood education centre

More photos and projects: http://vietnameducation.ca/

 

Mexico Aqua Prieta

Aqua Prieta is an impoverished area along the Arizona-Mexico border in the Sonora desert.  This is a harsh environment, and the people feel the impact of cold winters and extreme heat in the summer, as they live in shanty towns with little or no infrastructure.

For more than a decade, a District 7080 Rotary team has travelled annually to work with the Rotarians in Agua Prieta.  When we travel there, we visit schools, and provide resources that are very much needed: heat in cold classrooms, winter coats, books, paper, teacher supplies, library shelves, computers, sports equipment, playground equipment and so much more. Around the community we distribute blankets, warm clothing and other items as recommended by the local Rotarians.

Larger projects include supplying clean running water in many locations, special equipment for children and young adults with physical or mental challenges, shade for schoolyards, a sports court, a computer lab and the list goes on.

Most of the projects we have accomplished have centred around schools, thereby enhancing literacy opportunities for the local young people

Rotary Burlington Lakeshore proudly supports this project and provides an annual scholarship for a student to attend high school. 

The photographs show how we ‘adopted’ a school for a day. The playground was in very poor shape: we cleaned that up and provided new playground equipment. We painted the exterior of the whole school and donated much needed school supplies. We also gave encouragement and inspiration to the locals, who came and helped!

Local commitment. Global transformation.

Together, we turn compassion into sustainable action around the world.