Get Involved
The Rotary Club of Mount Shasta has a notable partnership with Save the Rain, focusing on providing reliable access to clean water in various communities. This collaboration has successfully brought clean water to over 137,400 people in 27 different villages in Tanzania. The project involves building water catchment systems that ensure sufficient water for hygiene and nutrition.
Lumumba Children’s Library and Learning Center, Goma, DRC
Contact Debbie Koo @ debbie.koo@gmail.com
Moraga Rotary
In the eastern Congo, many children face the harsh reality where some have never seen a book, where war and displacement are the everyday norm, where the average wage is 2 dollars a day. A computer is science fiction and education are a luxury that exists for only a few. This environment fosters a cycle of poverty and oppression, leaving children in the eastern Congo without the tools to imagine a different future.
The Lumumba Children’s Library and Learning Center (LCL) is dedicated to breaking this cycle. As the first state-of-the-art educational hub in the region, LCL offers essential resources: developing reading and writing skills, enhancing English proficiency, providing digital literacy and computer training, and promoting mental health and wellness. Their mission is to empower children to think independently, explore their limitless potential, and shape their own destinies. The Rotary Club of Moraga and Rotary Club of Goma-Tumaini will be submitting a Global Grant for Solar Panels and Internet Connective once construction is completed.
Educating Children, Transforming Worlds
Contact Erna Grasz @ egrasz@asanteafrica.org
Danville San Ramon Rotary
Asante Africa Foundation is a strong, vibrant, and engaged global team committed to empowering East Africa’s youth to confidently address life’s challenges and opportunities, thrive in the global economy, and catalyze positive change. Because complex system challenges require system solutions, they deliver an ecosystem model of interconnected programs that encourage, educate, train, and apply knowledge to life challenges
Promoting Hope & Opportunity in Guatemala
Contact Skip McCowan @ jackbmccowan@gmail.com
Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary
They lay the foundation for lasting change; Guatemalans pursuing and fulfilling their dreams. The obstacles and struggles families face today will not be the same for the next generation.
Develop Housing for Teachers in The Gambia
Contact Michael Barrington @ majb7016@gmail.com
Concord Rotary
More than 50% of children in The Gambia do not attend school. A major issue is the lack of teachers. Gambia Rising, a nonprofit organization, is trying to remedy that issue. It offers training scholarships to many women.
While the government builds schools and pays the teachers, there is no housing or place the teachers to stay. Most end up having to live in villages with families where there is no water or electric light. Often, they must help with family chores and are unable to prepare their classes.
After one year many teachers give up teaching and seek alternative work in the larger towns or cities.
For examples of projects see here.
The Rotary Club of Orinda has a notable partnership with International Vision Volunteers (IVV). Orinda Rotarian Dr. Hwang is the Chair of IVV. IVV was founded years ago by Dr. James “Bud” Tysinger. Tysinger trained to be an ophthalmologist after serving a mission in West Africa, when he found that restoring sight profoundly and immediately impacted patients’ lives. Since then, he has devoted his life to providing high quality eye care in Africa.
In 1995, he was able to gather the funds to build a freestanding eye clinic and modern operating room in Zimba, Zambia, adjacent to the already existing Zimba Mission Hospital.
Every year, hundreds of surgeries are done, and thousands of patients receive care. Volunteer ophthalmologists, nurses, operating room techs, optometrists and other eye-care professionals pay their own travel expenses to hold eye camps four to six times a year to provide care. In the early 2000s, IVV opened one of the only public libraries in southern Zambia with the containers used to ship over operating room equipment.
IVV relies solely on charitable donations to fund this work. The organization is not affiliated with any religious group and welcomes members of any faith to serve.
Visit Website at www.ivvusa.org
