International & Indigenous Services

 

Rotary is dedicated to causes that build international relationships, improve lives, and create a better world to support our peace efforts and end polio forever.

Indigenous Services

Our club is committed to meaningfully build Indigenous relationships and partnerships within Toronto and the GTA. 85% of Indigenous peoples in Ontario live in urban areas and Tkaronto is home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

In 2014, a small group of Rotarians from several southern Ontario Rotary clubs sat in the basement of a building in Oshawa talking about creating a country wide organization to work in partnership with Indigenous Peoples. Honouring Indigenous Peoples (HIP) began with a mission to catalyze societal change by inspiring Indigenous & Non-Indigenous relationship building, strengthening community well-being and advancing the next generation of leaders.

Together, we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change — across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.

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Nutrition Project Sri Lanka.  Following the success of the Rotary Club of Etobicoke’s pilot nutrition program in partnership with the Rotary Club of Colombo Regency in Sri Lanka which provided high protein biscuits to 220 children less than 5 years of age, (37% severely malnourished) which resulted in increased body weight in over 85% of children, a new expanded nutrition program was developed.   ISC applied for a district grant of $2,400 to support this expanded project.   The new nutrition project will provide 467,640 biscuits to 650 children in 4 locations including Jaffna. This high protein biscuit will reach many villages in each of the 4 area.     Also provided will be a new screening program for possible micro-nutrient deficiencies for 1,250 adults and children.   New foods supplement packs (5,500 pack/household/month) for 100 families identified as being in greatest need.  Each pack will contain food and medicine to correct iron, vitamin A and iodine deficiencies.  In addition, the creation of standardized manuals for awareness on nutrition, 25 awareness sessions by local midwives, information leaflets and follow on sessions for mothers to maintain the healthcare of their children.   Also, an  important addition,  will be the provision of Home Gardening for communities in this program.  ISC’s district grant application  received supporting funds from RC of Belleville.     Our partner, the Rotary Club of Colombo Regency, has provided additional funding, along with several other Rotary Clubs in Sri Lanka and they have applied for their own district grant and will shortly apply for a global grant.     

Ending Mother to Child Transmission of HIV in Malawi.   ISC provided funding to the Rotary Club of Uxbridge in support of their Global Grant project to prevent the spread of HIV from mother to child in Malawi.  The Uxbridge Rotary Club for over 10 years has supported projects in Malawi, especially, in the healthcare environment around the spread of HIV.  Almost 90% of the population is infected with HIV.   At present, pregnant mothers receive 1 dose of norvacine which will prevent the passing of HIV at the time of birth.  However, mothers are able to pass the virus by breast feeding and should, therefore, be taking antiviral drugs on an ongoing basis.  To this end, the RC of Uxbridge is perfectly positioned to develop a $700,000 project “Option B” to educate the illiterate population with an intensive awareness program in 7 districts of Malawi to create a 100% HIV/AIDS free environment for the next generation.

Malaga Vocational School at Mwanga

Malaga Vocational School at Mwanga, Kilimanjaro. Tanzania    ISC provided funding for the expansion of a Female Student Dormitory at the Malaga Vocational School.  The target population of the services are secondary students who missed chances for higher education and lack skills to combat daily challenges.    The school is able to provide skills in mechanics and welding, tailoring, electrical installation, computer applications and secretariat, cooking and decorating and driving.   After 2 years of training, the students can attempt the National Trade Examinations and be awarded certificates.  The beneficiaries of our funding will be female students studying at the school.  It will provide security, comfort and a better studying environment for female students by allowing them to avoid the risks facing them when they go home after classes.

AMORAK Society, Bangladesh

AMORAK Society, Bangladesh.   ISC provided funding to AMORAK Society to support their program for mothers and children in the slums of Bangladesh.  Here is a picture of Josna, one of the mothers, who teaches five children in her home.    We have been sponsoring Josna for several years and she is a very diligent and caring teacher.   ISC also provided funding for a new teaching program that will allow more teachers to be enrolled.    The program enrolls mothers in AMAROK schools where they are taught how to read and write in their local language.   They also learn English, necessary for economic advancement, math and life skills such as health, nutrition, childcare and conflict resolution.   The mothers attend school every day for two hours and in turn they go home and teach 5 children in their own home. It is well known that educational attainment of a mother has a direct correlation to the educational attainment of her child, for several reasons:   a mother will apply her knowledge directly to the benefit of her family, when you teach a mother, a culture of education is created in the household, educating a mother elevates her position within the household and establishes in the upcoming generations the value of teaching females and an assumption of gender equality.

 Water and Sanitation Project in Uganda.     ISC provided funding to the Rotary Club of Oakville Trafalgar, who in partnership with host Rotary Clubs of Kampala and Lira, have applied for a global grant for a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Project in Aloi and Barlonyo in Northern Uganda.   The $449,000 project will provide water systems, reservoir tanks for 10 stand pipes per village, flush toilets, biogas production systems, hygiene education campaigns, income generating activities– microfinance loans/tree planting for sustainability.   Beneficiaries will be 6,600 rural Ugandans in both villages and the Barlonyo School.

School Libraries Development Project Cape Town. ISC provided funding to support the Rotary Club of Waterfront, Cape Town with their School Libraries Development Project.   The RC of Waterfront will continue their earlier project to develop much needed libraries in the Cape Town area.    The funding will now go towards their new 3 year project to expand on their work in 9 schools.  6 of the school libraries will be upgraded from developing libraries to functioning libraries and the largest school with 1020 students will have their first library. Beneficiaries will be 5517 students.

Fistula Repair Project, Uganda.     ISC provided funding for a project we are developing with RC Kampala South in support of a Fistula Repair Pilot Project in Uganda.    There are over 200,000 women in Uganda living with obstetric fistula.   One of the most serious injuries of childbirth, obstetric fistula, is a perforation in the birth canal caused by prolonged, obstructed labour due to the lack of timely and adequate medical intervention.    RC Kampala South will oversee the project.   Partnerships have been developed locally with Nakesero Hospital and with support from Deseret International and Hope Against Fistula Support Organisations among others; the project will provide free surgery to sufferers.   Our pilot project plan will have an average of 10 women treated each month.  These women are expected to spend an average of three days in the hospital and then moved to a recovery center for recuperation and counseling.  Also simply business skills will be taught to them while in recovery along with some microfinance loans.     The young women will be encouraged to become ambassadors for this project when they are escorted back to their villages.

KIVA.    $10,000    – Small loans for women/families around the world.  KIVA provides Field Partners around the worlds that vet, administer and disburse loans.   Throughout the life of the loan ISC gets updates on the repayment of our loans.    The repayments go directly back into our KIVA account.    ISC has maintained for several years a $10,000 investment in KIVA that enables us to fund over 17 individuals to operate or start up small businesses each year.    This year we have been fully reimbursed for our loans in  : two Peru, two Rwanda, two Kenya, two Philippines, two Ecuador and one in Mali, Cambodia, Bolivia, Tanzania, Nicaragua, Ghana, and Mexico.    

Rotary Club of Etobicoke without delay was able to provide $2,500 to the Emergency Relief for the Philippines Typhoon Disaster.    Funding was provided to two relief organizations – ShelterBox and Global Medics – an Etobicoke relief agency.     Our donations received matching funds from the Canadian Government. 

ALMA is dedicated to improving the quality of educational services delivered to young children in the most economically challenged areas of Latin America.    Funding was provided to Manos Unidas, a registered Peruvian non-profit organization that founded the first and only private non-profit school for Special Education in Cusco.    Manos Unidas is serving more than 50 children and young adults with Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy and other intellectual differences between 3 and 28 years.  We will provide a Gross Motor Skills Room with equipment for 15 students with special needs age 5 to 12.

Mine Free World Foundation Cambodia.    We provided funding for landmine-affected families for micro-businesses and vocational training including chicken, cow, pig rearing, bicycle repair.   Also for Rotary Wheels a project that provides children in rural landmine affected areas with a bicycle so they can go to school.  

SUNFLOWER CROP TANZANIA.     Funding was provided to support a project initiated by the RC of Strathcona-Sunrise to provide local farmers in the Bunda District, Mara Region with the ability to grow sunflowers, mill the sunflowers locally in community owned mill and market the oil seed.   This project will increase average annual farm income by $500 and when fully implemented will benefit more than 300,000 rural residents directly.

Masithandane Health and Wellness Programme

Funding was provided to Masithandane Health and Wellness Programme in South Africa.  This program provides important fresh produce to 50 adults and 15 OVC (orphans and vulnerable children).   The recipients attend the Health and Wellness Center at Masithandane every week for their bag of produce and are monitored for health concerns.    

S.C.A.W.- Sleeping Children Around the World.  ISC has been funding SCAW for many years.  This organization, located in Etobicoke, provides, through public donations, bedkits to children who benefit the most around the world.     No portion of the money raised for bedkits is spent on administration.   Each $35 donation provides a bedkit that consists of a mat or mattress, pillows, sheet, blanket (mosquito net if applicable) clothes and school supplies.
 
POLIO PLUS.    We provide yearly funding to this incredible Rotary project that mobilizes hundreds of thousand Rotarians around the world to eradicate polio.    We are working constantly to ensure that children are immunized against this crippling disease.     Rotary, along with our partners, has reduced polio cases by an amazing percentage since our first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979.   We are getting very close to our goal of eradication of polio worldwide. 

Barlonyo Early Childhood Development CentreFor two years ISC has funded school uniforms for Barlonyo Early Childhood Development Centre and also we provided teaching materials and school supplies.

For further info please contact: Gerald Lue (Chair)