Rotary Basic Education & Literacy month
Rotary's theme in September each year. International projects.
September is Rotary Basic Education & Literacy month
Each September Rotary raises awareness of the many projects they undertake that support people around the world with education and literacy. Below are a few examples of what Rotarians in Cumbria & Lancashire have provided to support young people.
Darwen Rotary : This was a joint project with the Rotary Club of Iyaganku-Ibadan, Nigeria in December 2023 and provided funding for a Dental Health project. It was tagged Child Dental Mission with focus and emphasis being on children between the ages of 6 and 16 years. The programme included Enlightenment and Mobilisation, Dental Health Education, Dental Examination and Treatment, Counselling and referral to higher centres for subsidized management.
Darwen Rotary contributed to the cost of running these clinics. The children and their accompanying parents were provided with demonstrations of tooth brushing techniques and the parts of the mouth and teeth.
Penrith Rotary helped fund a Water Project at Bright Future School, Moshi in Kilimanjaro in 2021, where a new primary school for disadvantaged children was constructed. Unfortunately the area is very dry resulting in the need for a well. The task of digging the well, and providing an overhead tank along with installation of a pump was made possible through the support of the Rotary Club of Hai, Kilimanjaro and the Rotary Club of Penrith. The school now has a constant supply of clean water for 35 children.
Image : Water Project, Bright Future School
Workington Rotary and Rotarian Ken Kirkwood have donated over 7.5 million reject pencils, that were destined for landfill to 46 third world countries. Rotary Clubs throughout Cumbria & Lancashire obtained some of these pencils for their own overseas projects.
One club Whitehaven Castle Rotary donated some pencils and funds to the Cumbria Rungwe Community Link for their three week trip to Rungwe in Tanzania in 2024. The charity benefits many young local people from all kinds of different backgrounds, giving them the chance to experience a completely different culture and helping build self confidence. Their trips are part of an exchange programme. They also visit local organisations for disabled people. The integration of the Western and African cultures is immense during these visits and it teaches those involved how to enhance and accept diversity in life.
“The big amount of colour pencils you donated to us was very much appreciated by the various schools we passed them on to.”
Some of the International projects have been about empowering girls, and helping them to remain in school.
Carlisle Rotary has donated to Education for All, sponsoring a Moroccan student for several years. The organisation provides marginalised girls in rural Morocco with access to the education. By eradicating the logistic, economic and social obstacles girls face in rural Morocco to access quality education, the young women are empowered to fulfil their true potential. They can improve their own lives and positively impact their communities ultimately building a more just, equitable, and sustainable future for all.
Furness Peninsula Rotary - Their menstrual health project in India took place in Puttur, in the state of Karnataka. This was the latest project they did with the Puttur East Rotary Club. The intention was to support three schools in the town with sanitary dispensers and incinerators, but they eventually managed to provide these to eight schools. This project has provided the young girls with some support to feel more comfortable to attend school.
