Our Current International Projects
The Lead for our International Projects for the 2023-2024 Rotary year was Rotarian Richard Robbins. It has been agreed that Richard will continue in this role in the 2024-2025 year to ensure continuity. You can contact Richard by email via the form at the bottom of this page.
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Our projects in Ndola, Zambia
Refurbishing vital boreholes in Uganda
Support for Ukrainians in West Somerset
Our Lendwithcare loans
Our projects in Ndola, Zambia
Refurbishing vital boreholes in Uganda
Support for Ukrainians in West Somerset
Our Lendwithcare loans
Rotary Club of Ndola Central, in Zambia
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/RotaryNdolaCentral
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Richard Robbins was born in a city called Ndola in Zambia (then Northern Rhodesia) and his family lived there until 1975.
In October 2022, with his 2 brothers, he re-visted the town in which they used to live, 47 years after they left. |
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On that trip they visited the Primary School that all 3 attended and were struck by how they were coping with so few resources. Like many African countries, the economy is severely stretched and funding for public services is very limited. This means it can take years for vital services, things that we take for granted, to be provided, meaning that people have to soldier on and make the best of what they have. During the visit they met with some staff and former pupils who work together to raise funds to purchase educational materials and other items to improve things.
Richard had recently re-joined Minehead Rotary Club and on his return from Zambia he wondered if one of the local Rotary Clubs might be able to assist the school and the support group with advice and contacts and so he got in touch with the Club that seemed the most active, The Rotary Club of Ndola Central, and a connection was made! |
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“The Price of Being a Girl Child” Project
The Ndola Central Club is very active and launched a campaign to fight period poverty in the region. The campaign set out to raise funds to provide sanitary pads to girls who cannot afford them. Period poverty is a global issue that affects millions of girls and women. It is estimated that one in five girls in Zambia miss school during their periods because they do not have access to sanitary pads. This can have a devastating impact on their education and future prospects.
The Club works with the District Health Office and Dreams facilitator to provide training on menstrual health and hygiene to girls in Ndola. The training covers topics such as the importance of good menstrual hygiene, how to use sanitary pads, and how to dispose of them safely.
The Project
Minehead Rotary Club has joined with the Ndola Club and provided a grant, supplemented by one from District 1200, to support the delivery to three schools in Ndola of a sewing machine, materials and training to enable the students and staff to make reusable sanitary pads. This is a more long-term and sustainable solution, as well as being much better for the environment than continually providing off the shelf sanitary products.
We have estimated that at the three schools there will be around 800 girls who will benefit from this project. That's a lot of school time saved and the educational prospects of many girls significantly improved.
The Ndola Central Club
It has been a pleasure to work with Club President Nkonde Chola and his colleagues. There is such entusiasm to work on important issues, including disease prevention, health & hygiene, education & literacy, and the environment. We plan to continue to support the Club and its work.
The Club works with the District Health Office and Dreams facilitator to provide training on menstrual health and hygiene to girls in Ndola. The training covers topics such as the importance of good menstrual hygiene, how to use sanitary pads, and how to dispose of them safely.
The Project
Minehead Rotary Club has joined with the Ndola Club and provided a grant, supplemented by one from District 1200, to support the delivery to three schools in Ndola of a sewing machine, materials and training to enable the students and staff to make reusable sanitary pads. This is a more long-term and sustainable solution, as well as being much better for the environment than continually providing off the shelf sanitary products.
We have estimated that at the three schools there will be around 800 girls who will benefit from this project. That's a lot of school time saved and the educational prospects of many girls significantly improved.
The Ndola Central Club
It has been a pleasure to work with Club President Nkonde Chola and his colleagues. There is such entusiasm to work on important issues, including disease prevention, health & hygiene, education & literacy, and the environment. We plan to continue to support the Club and its work.
Some of the girls at Itawa Combined School
Refurbishing vital boreholes in Uganda
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At our meeting on Monday 17th April 2023, the Club had a visit from Cate Whitewood of Yeo Vale Rotary Club. Cate gave us a detailed presentation about District 1200's support for the Busoga Trust Wells Project in Uganda. Busoga Trust is a charity that brings clean, safe water to rural communities in Uganda through the rehabilitation of wells and boreholes.
Our Club subsequently agreed to make a donation of £500 toward the refurbishment of a borehole. We had already made use of a District Grant of £500 for our Zambian Period Poverty project (☝🏼) so we were very pleased and grateful to be able to enlist the help of the Rotary Club of Yeovil to claim another District Grant of £500 and so £1,000 was sent to Busoga Trust! |
We have recently received the completion report for the borehole that was refurbished with the support of our donations in a village in Uganda called Buwooya Alexander - exciting news!
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Not only was the borehole refurbished but the village received sanitation and hygiene guidance and a delivery of tree saplings and a beehive - the Trust has really made a lasting impact on the village!
We do recommend that you read the very interesting and comprehensive report below, or view a version in your browser by clicking here.
We do recommend that you read the very interesting and comprehensive report below, or view a version in your browser by clicking here.
Support for displaced Ukrainian families
For some time now the Cub has been working with a very active group operating in the Minehead area - Homes for Ukraine Minehead.
The Minehead Club distributed over 20 Rotary emergency Grants to displaced families as they arrived in the Minehead area in early 2022. Since that time the Club has supported the Homes for Ukraine Minehead Group's activites and has facilitated days out for Ukrainian childre and their carers, as well as Christmas presents in 2022.
The Club has accepted 2 Ukrainians (Alex & Kateryna) into Rotary as Associate Members of Rotary.
The Minehead Club distributed over 20 Rotary emergency Grants to displaced families as they arrived in the Minehead area in early 2022. Since that time the Club has supported the Homes for Ukraine Minehead Group's activites and has facilitated days out for Ukrainian childre and their carers, as well as Christmas presents in 2022.
The Club has accepted 2 Ukrainians (Alex & Kateryna) into Rotary as Associate Members of Rotary.
Rotary Responds to Ukraine
As the war in Ukraine continues, Rotary around the world has been uniting to respond. The loss of life and humanitarian hardship in the region has been devastating.
Click to visit Rotary Great Britain and Ireland website for more information
Find out more about what Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland has been doing to help,
and how you can support relief efforts.
Lend with Care
Lendwithcare, operated by Care International UK, is a revolutionary way to help people in low-income countries to work their way out of poverty with dignity. Through Lendwithcare, you can lend as little as £15 to fund a small business. Once your money is repaid, you can choose to recycle your loan to support more low-income entrepreneurs, make a donation or withdraw your funds.
Our Club has invested a total of £400 and as the loans have been repaid we have re-lent to support additional borrowers and you can see from the details below that as at the end og May 2024 we have now lent more than £860 in 19 loans.
Our Club has invested a total of £400 and as the loans have been repaid we have re-lent to support additional borrowers and you can see from the details below that as at the end og May 2024 we have now lent more than £860 in 19 loans.
Our current loans are below
