MAKING A DIFFERENCE INTERNATIONALLY - UPDATED

ROTARY CLUB OF LINDUM LINCOLN

INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS 

Assisted by Rotary grants, and exploiting the network of Rotary Clubs throughout the world, the club has a proud record of helping people living in poor countries. It has been able to do this by fund raising, for example at the Lincoln Christmas Market, and from donations. Over 200,000 people have been helped.

Our work can be summarised as follows: 

1. THE ERADICATION OF POLIO 

Rotary International’s greatest achievement, and possibly the biggest charitable effort in the world, has been End Polio Now. Initiated in 1985, 2.5 billion have been vaccinated, and the polio endemic cases reduced by 99.9%. Lindum has sold Christmas cards throughout the country, for eight years, raising over £46,000, which with the Gates Foundation double matching equates to £140,000.

2. INDIA 
The club has invested £167000, delivering 17 projects. Examples are school toilets and water supplies, hospital equipment and a blood transfusion laboratory and vehicle.

 3. BANGLADESH 

Arising from a visit by one of our members to a club in Dhaka, three projects have been completed. Of these two were major: 1) A year of vocational training and education for 74 street children; and 2) the drilling of 79 water wells at a cost of £48,000, providing clean water to initially, and then ongoing, 24,000 people across 27 villages. 

4. KENYA 

This is our current focus. The club has already provided approaching £37,000 towards £91,000 across ten projects. These have included tailoring workshops, community health and agriculture permaculture. We are currently a partner in another initiative “Water is Life” – to provide water boreholes. All of this is in the area of Meru. 

5. SHELTER BOXES 

Emergency aid as an immediate response to a disaster they currently cost £590. The club has sponsored many over the years. 

6. OTHER INITIATIVES 
Too many to list, although they include, projects in Nepal, Romania and the Philippines, and they have ranged from medium sized projects in Rwanda and Tanzania, to the smaller, like mosquito nets in Cambodia. 
MJR 

6 February 2024 

January 2024

The long rains which came in October  2023 were intense, unfortunately flooding many areas and washing away soil and seeds. After several failed rains and drought this complete reversal was unexpected and unfortunate. Despite the excess rainfall it does appear  that the community in general will have a much better crop than in the drought years, and so it seems despite the challenges of the rain the outcome will be better than drought. There have been delays to Permaculture 2 and 3 due in part to the excessive  rains, but also in part because Peter Gitonga, the Friends of Kianjai community worker who was supporting delivery of these projects was shot in a robbery mid 2023 and is only recently back to work. Concluding these activities swiftly is a priority for him.
PERMACULTURE 2

Update on Permaculture Projects in Meru, Kenya

Plan: For Mituntu Polytechnic to develop their 15 acre site as a permaculture demonstration farm, to include orchard, pig, diary and chicken units.

Progress: Pig unit is installed  with the first group of pigs having produced a successful litter. The orchard is established and has benefited from the recent rains as the area where they are planted is protected by swales ( long trenches) which were part of the permaculture design. The cow shed and the chicken coop are also completed. The animals for both will be purchased when the Poly students return on Jan 10^th. There is a very good grass harvest for the cows which will be good initial feed.The poly manager and the farm caretaker are working well together and expecting a good harvest from the farm.
 With the County government drilling a borehole at the polytechnic in summer 2023, and with the plan to solarise  this as part of the Water is Life project, the outcome for the polytechnic is looking very positive. The Board of Governors and the staff are very enthusiastic. Student enrolment in Jan 24 is higher than previous years which reflects growing community confidence in the institution. 
PERMACULTURE 3
Plan: To install 8 water tanks and drip irrigation systems into school farms to maximise the schools potential to feed the children, and to demonstrate best practice farming methods to the wider school community.
Progress: All tanks are installed and 5 drip installations are in place. These schools have reported good results from having access to the water even in this season with unusual rainfall. Many have used the drip system for early planting ahead of the rainfall which has helped reduce pests, and also enabled them to market produce at a good price when little was in the market place. 
Unfortunately the rains had started before the remaining 3 drip systems were installed. These are scheduled after the rains stop which should be imminent.
PERMACULTURE 4
Plan: To work with Mituntu Polytechnic and the County Agricultural Dept to support the schools and develop a broader based support network for the schools based on techniques developed by SCOPE.  Plus seedlings for 8 schools.
Progress: Activities under this grant are complete. There is however continued support from the County Agricultural office who make 6 visits a year to each school farm working with the school to set targets for the farm and supporting the farm work with their expertise.  Building relationships between the school farms and the wider community is ongoing, and is supported by other activities one being the proposed Water is Life solarisation project.

INTERNATIONAL & FOUNDATION COMMITTEE - 2022-23

Despite the club’s limited finances the committee has had a very successful year with targeted use of ring fenced and budget funds as well as maintaining the club’s commitment to supporting The Rotary Foundation. $1805 has been raised towards end polio now through the Christmas card scheme making Lindum the 4th highest club in the district for per capita donations. Though the committee the club has continued to support ShelterBox and Mary’s Meals with donations of £600 and £250 respectively as well as donating £1000 to the Kenya Drought appeal and £500 to the Turkey and Syria Earthquake disasters. With the generous help of Honorary Member Shanti Shah the club continues to raise money for projects in Meru Kenya as detailed below and the committee is committed to adding to these funds through Rotary International and District grants.

Kenya Projects - Changing Lives - A growing Involvement

Following a successful Global Grant application to provide womens’ workshops Lindum Rotary has now been Involved in 10 projects in Kenya with a total cost of £91000. £37,000 has been directly raised by Lindum (41%) attracting Rotary grants totalling £42000 ( 46%)   The initial project working alongside the Rotary Clubs of Grantham Kesteven, Oakville Toronto and Meru Kenya has seen the refurbishment and kitting out of buildings at Kalithera and Kini and the successful setting up of two tailoring workshops giving employment, and profits to fund free sanitary wear and community services. The workshops are also producing much needed school uniforms and the initial aim of the proposal (to give Dignity and Respect to Ladies and Girls in the Meru Region of Kenya) is now coming into fruition with the local community taking ownership and developing the potential for the future with the establishment of a retail shop. Building on contacts made in Kenya and in partnership with the charity Friends of Kianjai Kenya (FKK) Lindum is continuing to facilitate and raise funds for projects in the area.

 These include : -

Microbanking - Community banking sometimes called table banking takes place over tables in the countryside. Customers become share-holders in the bank.They have access to credit, pay much lower interest, and the bank retains a profit margin to ensure continuing viability.                                                                                                          Early Intervention Centre - A facility to help and empower parents and provide care such as physiotherapy to young children with disabilities. The suffering of most of these children is reflected in their malnutrition, poor health, hygiene and the like. Such children and their families also experience great stigma.                                                                               Meru Street Children - The coronavirus situation in Meru was dire. One of the most vulnerable groups were the street children. They would previously have received some support from the local people but this became extremely limited . The cost of the food needed was $100 a day approx £80.                                                                                Water Harvesting - Water collection tanks and irrigation systems have been provided to help overcome the severe drought problems at several special needs school farms with a further 8 installations currently in progress with the help of a Rotary District Grant.         Permaculture - Concept: Mixing local traditional farming with western science. Working with Meru Polytechnic through the charity 'Friends of Kianjai Kenya' demonstration sites are being developed which include a Dairy Farm, Piggery, Chicken Coop, Orchard and Tree Planting. To date this has resulted : -                                

Successful maize crop due to drought resistant seeds

Pig unit built                                                                                                                     Chicken units provided

Planted trees growing well despite the drought and helping the bees 5.                                    Farm labourer funded                                                                                                              All Poly students receiving tuition in agriculture.

Boreholes - A further global grant application is now under consideration to provide solar power to existing boreholes to alleviate the effects of drought both on agriculture and sanitation in schools.