International & Foundation

The International and Foundation Committee.

The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is one of the world's leading charitable foundations which seeks to achieve world understanding and peace through local, national and international 
humanitarian, educational and cultural support programmes.

To this end Braids Rotary International & Foundation Committee is actively involved in the following:

• S Tanzania:   Following our successful project last year to provide mattresses for the hospital in Ukerewe, we are now proposing to help the hospital to harvest rainwater. At present they have difficulty in keeping a constant supply of fresh water, but there is an adequate annual rainfall, so we are hoping to fund the building of storage tanks. 
• Kenya: We are continuing to sponsor 3 school pupils, to help with their education, clothing and food while at school.

• S Africa: One of our former Rotarians has contact with Anima Children’s Therapy Centre, in the Overstrand Region, where his wife is a volunteer.  The Centre deals with children with developmental delay caused by brain damage, Down’s, Angelman, Autism and other syndromes, and is the only suitable alternative to mainstream schools in the area.  Braid’s Club has donated equipment for arts & crafts and other activities, as well as refurbishing the Centre.  
• Vision Aid: We are continuing to pass unwanted spectacles on to Vision Aid, recently collecting over 100 pairs.
• Polio Eradication:  Rotary has donated $688.5 million to support polio eradication efforts in Africa over the past thirty years.                                                                  
  In June 2015, Rotary donated $40.3million to the WHO and UNICEF for the eradication of Polio through immunisation, surveillance and research activities in 10 countries.
  
  The funding commitment comes at a critical time as Nigeria (the last polio endemic country in Africa) has been declared Polio Free. . Funds will be going to Pakistan and Afghanistan.
  
  So far this year, Pakistan has had 25 cases and Afghanistan 4: 29 cases as compared to 89 last year.      
  Braid’s  Past President, Ken Logan is the ‘End Polio Now’ District Coordinator.

• Group Study Exchange (GSE) Programmes.  These programmes provide cultural and vocational exchange opportunities for young business and professional men and women between the ages of 25 and 40.
   
• Ambassadorial Scholarships. These provide the opportunity for students to study for a minimum of one year at a university or college of higher education at institutions across the world. Braids Club recently hosted Reiko Takashi of Japan for several years while she followed her studies at Edinburgh University. Other recent scholars were Rosa Bochelli  from Italy and Beth Stanton  of the USA. 

• Georgia (USA) Rotary Student Programme(GRSP). This is open to young people between the ages of 18 to 25 able to undertake a year long course of study at a University College in Georgia, USA. The Rotary Clubs of Georgia finances this excellent initiative. Two schools in Edinburgh, St.Thomas of Aquin's High and Boroughmuir High are interested in participating in the scheme. 

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Updates Nov 2015

We have updates on two major projects that we have been involved with. Click on each to see the relevant page.

Ukerewe Mattress Project

Mashimoni Primary School