FOUNDATION MONTH

 

FOUNDATION SUPPORTED GLOBAL PROJECTS

Improving sanitation and hygiene training in Benin 

(Question Where is Benin? Click more and read the bottom of the page for the answer) 
 
Area of focus: Providing clean water
Host sponsor: Rotary Club of Abomey-Calavi, Benin
International sponsor: District 2080 (Italy)
Total budget: $158,999
Background: The village of Paouignan needed improved clean water infrastructure.
Scope: The Rotarians provided a new well and water tower and 10 new taps, repaired seven older taps, and provided hygiene training in Paouignan. 
Impact: Improved water access and sanitation practices benefited 17,000 people.
Fun fact: This grant was part of the Future Vision Pilot. The sponsoring clubs understood the Foundation’s desire for sustainable projects and created the hygiene component of the grant before any training documents were available. The grant sponsors communicated in three languages while carrying out this project.
 
 

Improving literacy in Guatemala 

 
Area of focus: Supporting education
Host sponsor: Rotary Club of Guatemala Vista Hermosa, Guatemala
International sponsor: Rotary Club of Summit County (Frisco), Colorado, USA
Total budget: $339,191
Background: The Guatemala Literacy Project is a 20-year partnership between Rotary clubs and districts and the nonprofit Cooperative for Education. 
Scope: This global grant provided textbooks, computer labs, teacher training, and scholarships to impoverished schools. The sustainable model requires families to pay a fee to rent the donated textbooks; schools use the money to buy new books when the old ones wear out.
Impact: This grant served 5,880 students and trained 337 teachers. First-graders in the program scored 71 percent higher than the national average in letter naming. 
Fun fact: More than 500 Rotary clubs have participated in the Guatemala Literacy Project over the past 20 years.
 
 

Fighting dengue fever in Indonesia

 
Area of focus: Fighting disease
Host sponsor: Rotary Club of Solo Kartini, Indonesia
International sponsor: Rotary Club of Westport, Connecticut, USA
Total budget: $70,725
Background: Dengue fever is the fastest-spreading tropical disease and a pandemic threat, according to the World Health Organization. An estimated 70 percent of cases occur in Asia.  
Scope: The project aimed to interrupt the life cycle of the mosquito that carries dengue in parts of Surakarta by eliminating a common breeding site. The sponsors tiled the cement bathtubs that are common in Indonesian homes with white ceramic tiles, which make mosquito larvae more visible, and trained residents to check for the larvae and to empty, scrub, and cover their tubs to prevent infestation. Community social workers followed up weekly. 
Impact: The Rotarians tiled 3,500 tubs. The government is now interested in taking up the project. 
Fun fact: This project has been supported by three global grants, including the first one to be approved under The Rotary Foundation’s new grant system. The host club’s members are all women. 
 
 
 
Answer to question - Benin is in West Africa and shares a border with Nigeria.