INTERNATIONAL PROJECT

Posted by Rick Hooks 
 
Rotarian Wendell Ross recently returned from a visit to Columbia SA. During his visit he identified an an international project, rebuilding a classroom. We will partner with clubs in our area and one near the school. Information about Wendell's travels and the school (along with a video) can be found after the break.
 
 On a recent visit to Columbia I visited  a small volunteer school for kids and

orphans. The woman that runs/teaches is 80 years old and has been doing

this for 30 years. As this school is in the pueblo ( not in the city)

there is no government support, just volunteer. If this school wasn't there

these kids would have no education. I made a commitment to myself to try

and give this school some support.  First I had to go there and access the

need of the school. Their #1 priority at this time is to

repair/reconstruct the regular classroom as the roof, wall and floors have

deteriorated to a point where they are dangerous to the students ( see

pics). Classes are now held in a very small room in the front of the

building.

After identifying the needs of the school  I  had to find a local Rotary club in

Barranquilla to help. The phone numbers at the Rotary International web

page were nonfunctional. So had to take some guesses and do some

searching. I found the Rotary Oriente club ( Rotary East). Showed up

unannounced and was very well received. And they

seemed very excited about the proposed project.

The next morning they wanted me to see first hand the local projects

they support. One of their projects is a center that helps sexually abused ( 12

to 16) and drug addicted girls. The center has a capacity to take

care of 28 girls which is always at capacity. The program lasts 4 months.

There is an in house psychiatrist, large kitchen for feeding and cooking

training for the girls.  The chief administrator is also the president of

Rotary Centro as I later found out.

I also visited a public hospital where  the independent Crilap foundation is located. This is where children with the

"hair lip" deformity is helped. I was told this comes by the way of heredity

and the mothers use of drugs while pregnant.  Doctors donate their time

for the surgery and the foundation pays the bill for the hospital expense

which is around  $1150 USD per operation. And it takes more than 1

operation to fully resolve this affliction. They take a lot of pictures of

each patient to show their progress. One girl had 13 operations. And the

group pic is with  the mothers and children who came for help.

They also  support prosthesis for children . Which means the acquire new

and used prosthesis's and have them fitted for children that need them.

And the Club also needs help in acquiring these .

At this time we are  awaiting the information on this proposed project

and proposed using funds from the Paul Harris fellowship to support it.

Also the Rotary Oriente club is willing to supply an architect and oversee

this project.  This is a project I believe will expand the meaning of

Rotary in this part of the world and these children and reinforce the

goals of Rotary of trying to make the world a little better place . I have

left copies of the 4 way test in English and Spanish at the school and one

of our East Alton Rotary banners.