The Rotary Club of Alliston has just been approved for a $65,500 US grant by The Rotary Foundation Canada and The Foundation of Rotary International for a project to focus on education and job creation in Ukraine.
Last September Rotarians from Alliston visited The Rotary Club of Rivne, about a 3-hour drive from the border between Poland and Ukraine. Rivne is a 3-hours’ drive west of the capital, Kiev. Since Ukrainian independence from the USSR, little money has been available from the central government.
The first part of the program deals with helping blind school-aged children learn Braille. The Rivne Rotarians have developed a unique cube that allows young children to learn the Ukrainian alphabet and numbers through Braille. The school system is moving to an integrated program, accommodating all children with disabilities into regular classes, not unlike the Ontario model.
Children in Ukraine learning braille with the new cubes
All children of school age who are blind will receive their own Braille cube and their teachers will receive training on how to use the cube with their students. At the same time this is happening, a small recording studio is being set up to make audio CDs of Ukrainian books to be distributed to local libraries in Rivne Province. Other teaching aids will also be made available to blind children as shown in the picture.
In Ukraine there is a blind association similar to our CNIB. It is very poorly funded. There is a residential facility in Rivne that has about 80 clients who are either blind or visually-impaired and have at least one other disability. These clients will benefit from the grant because of jobs that will be created. This will be done through the purchase of a tissue paper cutting machine which will allow the clients to produce toilet rolls for sale to local distributors. In addition, a small sewing facility on this site will be expanded by the purchase of new sewing machines, modernization of the sewing room, and a new embroidery machine for making simple uniforms with embroidered logos and names. There is a large cottage textile industry operating in Ukraine so clients will be taught sewing skills that should allow them to get jobs in this industry.
At least 6 Rotarians will be returning to Rivne, Ukraine this coming September to audit the project and find other opportunities to work with Rivne Rotarians and support projects that they will identify.