International

The purpose of this committee is twofold. Firstly we raise money to support overseas charities, large and small, to help fight not only poverty and disease but also to provide technology, equipment and education to promote self-sufficiency

1. Ongoing support

Firstly, we raise money to support overseas charities, both large and small, to help fight not only poverty and disease but also to provide technology, equipment and education to promote self-sufficiency.

We have for many years paid for the education of children in India and Africa through respectively the International Children’s Trust (www.internationalchildren.org ) and Cecily’s Fund (www.cecilysfund.org). These are rolling programs. Sponsorship is maintained for each child from their first foot on the educational ladder until the end of their education when we then sponsor another child. Our latest sponsored child via ICT is A. Karthikeyan who is now able to attend the Boys Town School in Maharashtra.

We have a 3 year commitment to support Sreepur Children’s Village in Bangladesh which continues to help many hundreds of children and their families (www.sreepurvillage.org).

Since 2017 our Club has been providing funds to enable people in developing countries start their own business and work their way out of poverty by supporting Lend withCare (www.lendwithcare.org) which makes loans and gives support. To date 128 loans have been made and in excess of £20,000 has been lent. We are able to choose which projects we wish to support, many of which are to entrepreneurial women. We have also found that the default rate is absolutely miniscule – so far we have only had 4 with the defaults principally caused by the collapse of the economy in that country. All the repaid loans are lent out again.

Amongst the many other charities we support are Mary’s Meals (www.marysmeals.org.uk ) which sets up school feeding programmes in some of the world’s poorest communities where hunger and poverty prevent children from gaining an education. They provide millions of meals every year

Rotary International, our umbrella organisation , was a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative over 35 years ago. As a result of Rotary fund raising world-wide, matched by 2:1 grants from the Gates Foundation, the End Polio Campaign (www.endpolio.org) has reduced polio cases by 99.9% with cases now arising only in Afghanistan and Pakistan. To date, Rotary International has donated over £2.3 billion to this cause.

Rotary International is also involved in raising funds to end Malaria, via the work of Rotarians against Malaria Global (www.ram-global.org). This is the first programme of scale with the aim to end Malaria worldwide.

Our Club is always keen to support specific projects via Rotary Global Grants. We have in the recent past supported the Rotary Club of Butare in Rwanda to provide biodigesters to 100 very poor farmers. Biodigesters are simply a basic construction sealed with a dome into which water, animal dung and other vegetable waste is deposited. In this sealed chamber, anaerobic digestion takes place which produces methane that one can cook with and power lights. There is also a very useable crop fertiliser.

Another such project was to supply 4 goats with training in small farming skills to 216 very poor households in Rwanda to create sustainable improvements in lifestyle.

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2. Response toWorld-Wide Disasters

Every year brings disasters which call for immediate help, not only for money but also equipment. We raise money so that we can respond and give immediate support.

We continue to fully support, as we have done for many years, ShelterBox, a charity initially founded by Rotarians in the UK which has grown to become an internationally recognised, independent disaster relief organisation (www.shelterbox.org ). This year our Club gave support for Tunisia and Libya following the disastrous earthquake and flooding by funding ShelterBoxes which provide much needed emergency shelter, clothing and water purification.

Very considerable financial support has been given to various organisations in the Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in February 2022 including £7,125 towards our Rotary District’s initiative.

Our Club has raised considerable sums of money to help and support many charities throughout the world in activities to make life more bearable for those in need including at times of crisis.

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Fundraising

In order to maintain our international support we organise fundraising events throughout the year including a very successful local quiz night and recently had a Skittles Night. International Committee Members also take an active part in our Club’s Christmas Collection the proceeds of which are used to support both UK and International charities.