International Committee
The International Service Committee currently is working on several projects in Africa, often in cooperation with our sister club, the Rotary Club of Nakuru, Kenya.
Our club supports projects that are sustainable and environmentally friendly. Recent projects have focused on promoting education and providing clean water.
1. Our largest project is a solar-powered well and water distribution system in Ichuni, a village in western Kenya. This project is in cooperation with the Rotary Club of Kakamega, Kenya and funded through a Global Grant from Rotary International. The project includes drilling a deep well, fitting a solar power supply, building a pump house and pumping system, building an elevated steel water tower and tank, and installing a pipe distribution system to provide water to three schools and the local communities. Community members are charged a nominal fee covering ongoing costs which allows water to be provided free of charge to three schools.
2. Our Club is also engaged in a project near Nakuru, Kenya to improve the water supply for a school and the adjacent community. This project, at Soar Kenya Academy, is being completed with the aid of a District Grant and with the help of our sister club. The project includes providing a solar power system and pump, improvement of the water purification system, the addition of a rain water harvesting system, and repairs to the water storage tanks. Substantial improvements to a building at the school have been undertaken to provide a location for the solar power system. Ongoing financial planning for the school and water management ensures that operating costs are covered and the school will continue to thrive.
3. We continue to support projects to provide reusable sanitary pads for girls in schools in Kenya. The initial phase of the project provided sewing machines and materials for creating a co-op to sew the pads. The pads are both distributed for free at schools and are available for purchase. This provides a range of social benefits, including providing local employment allowing girls to attend school uninterrupted. This is a joint project with our sister club. It has generated interest from our Rotary District and inspired other clubs to start similar projects.
4. We have provided libraries to schools in South Africa and are currently funding a program to provide education as to how to best make use of these resources.
5. We are providing funding for a project in Uganda to train technicians in the use of diagnostic ultrasound equipment in rural medical clinics throughout the country.
6. Recently the Club has supported a variety of other projects including funding for pain-relief medication for a hospice, food for families forced to move by rising water levels in a lake, food for people in need because of the economic disruption of COVID-19, and tuition for students to attend school.