International Service

During 2008, the International Committee reports involvement in three projects - expanded educational support for students in Kathmandu, Nepal, construction of flush toilets at a school in Belize and funding dictionaries for students in India.

EDUCATION IN KATHMANDU

For the past four years, our club has paid for educational expenses of Kamal and Santosh, two students living in Kathmandu, Nepal. Judy and Jerry Golphenee, former residents of Whitefish, live in Kathmandu, and created Children of Kathmandu Inc., a non-profit corporation to fund education of children living in Kathmandu. The Golphenees arrange and pay for educational opportunities as these two excellent students complete their high school program in early 2009. Given their academic achievements, Kamal and Santosh will attend two years of college, which the club will also financial support. In addition, the club added two more students starting next year, Mamata (class 6) and Nisha (class 7)

BATHROOMS IN BELIZE

In April 2008, construction of restrooms for 300 students at the Roaring Creek Village School in Belmopan, Belize, was completed. This cooperative project included the Rotary Clubs of Whitefish and Belmopan, with generous support from Rotary District 5390 and The Rotary Foundation. The project involved constructing flush toilets connected to the city water supply. These restrooms double as emergency shelter during hurricanes. Another school bathroom project in Belize is planned for 2009, with committee member Matt writing the grant application.

LITERACY IN INDIA

Finally, the International Committee recently approved the purchase of dictionaries for students in India. In conjunction with Hope Ranch (a therapeutic boarding school in Whitefish) the club will be sending 120 dictionaries through the Dictionary for Life program. The dictionaries are British English picture dictionaries that will be divided between two locations:

(1) Pace Universal Girls School (Calcutta, India)- Pace Universal is a girls school that currently has 123 students that have been saved from sex slavery. There is currently a waiting list of over 1500 girls. The dictionaries will be given to girls when the reach a certain level of literacy in their own language and are ready to begin working on English literacy skills.

(2) Kohmia Orphanage (Nagaland,India)- the orphanage currently has 68 residents and is ran by an 83 year old local woman who saves these children from the streets. It is important for these children to be taken into the orphanage and receive a last name, as typically orphanages in this region who are not taken in receive no assistance and are shunned by the community. The dictionaries will also be given to the kids once they reach a certain academic level to help with English literacy.

Club members interested in joining the International Committee - please contact Bruce.