International
We’ve been involved in a handful of worthwhile projects over the years and have contributed almost $60,000 toward these projects. Take a look at these incredible steps at making the world a better place:
- Partners of Hope—Lilongwe, Malawi Africa
- Blood Count Machine—Hope Medical Clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi Africa
- Guatemala Water Project
- Clean Water Project—Sichili Mission Hospital in Zambia, Africa
- Project Amigo—Mexico
There’s always room in Rotary and in our international committee for more committed folks! Contact Mike Giari at mgiari@redwoodcityport.com for more information.
(Committee Chair 2008-2009: Don Horsley
Committee Chair 2007-2008: Rod Toews)
Wild & Wonderful
Wine Auction
May 4, 2010
5 to 7 p.m.
at the Seaport Conference Center
459 Seaport Court,
Redwood City, CA 94063
Wine and other auction items will be displayed while you enjoy nibbles and refreshments on the waterfront deck. A raffle will also be held.
A video presentation will be shown (with Dr. Perry Jansen) with an update of the Malawi Aids hospital/clinic project that the wine auction funds will go to support.
For further information, please contact: Mike Giari at 650-306-4150 or mgiari@redwoodcityport.com
Serious Radio:
View the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlXc2TlaHLQ&feature=channel_page
The International World Service Committee of the Redwood City Rotary Club hosted an event to raise funds for our Malawi based foundations, “Wings of Hope” founded by Bayana Chunga and “Partners in Malawi” founded by Dr. Perry Jensen.
Held at the Veterans Memorial Center in Redwood City on the evening of May 21st, the evening began with a hosted cocktail hour followed by African-themed hors d'oeuvres; a silent auction and a very brief live auction.
The evening’s program featured a film made by Rotarian Pete Leibengood, who prior to his retirement was a regular TV personality in the Bay Area. Pete and his wife, Alicia Aguirre who is also a Redwood City Councilwoman, went to Malawi and filmed a variety of scenes in Malawi and chronicles the work that Bayana Chunga’s foundation is doing in Africa.
The involvement of the Redwood City Rotary Club began with a visit to the Club by Dr. Perry Jensen. The Club was so impressed with Dr. Jensen’s work in Malawi that the Club dedicated the next several years to raising funds to assist the work of Dr. Jensen’s medical team. Since the beginning of that relationship, the Club has purchased a blood analyzer and modern X-ray equipment for Dr. Jensen’s clinic. Incidentally, one of Dr. Jensen’s strategic partners is UCLA Medical School!
From our relationship with Dr. Jensen’s Foundation and a local church, Peninsula Covenant Church in Redwood City, the Club was introduced to a visitor from Malawi, Bayana Chunga and his wife Singi. Bayana and his wife were hosted by and sponsored by Peninsula Covenant Church. Bayana is the Founder of “Wings of Hope” dedicated to the prevention of HIV/AIDS. Both foundations work together to prevent and the spread of this deadly contagion and, in the case of Dr. Jensen’s clinic provide medical treatment.
Partners of Hope—Lilongwe, Malawi Africa
Malawians with HIV/AIDS die alone in deplorable conditions or in the care of family who are helpless to alleviate their suffering. But the true measure of HIV/AIDS is not limited to those who are infected. The pandemic literally impacts every Malawian. Family units crumble as one or more parents die, contributing to the escalating orphan population, now known to exceed 800,000. In the absence of one or more parents, many orphans are raised outside of traditional society; cultural norms and values that would have informed their lives are lost, leaving children ill equipped to duplicate family life. Children with sick parents find themselves prematurely thrust into the role of care giver placing themselves at considerable health risk. As teachers die, schools become overcrowded or close down altogether. Girls who drop out of school often become prostitutes and boys join gangs.
The Redwood City Rotary Club partners with the Partners of Hope to assist in rescuing babies left to die in fields and on city streets. The infants are left to die most often by mother that have HIV/AIDS and cannot afford them. They are left there by others because of the fear of AIDS, the lack of understanding about how the disease is spread, and strong social stigmas. Partners of Hope rescue the infants and bring them to a crisis center where they are cared for until homes can be found for them.
We have donated funds toward an additional nursery, so that Partners of HOPE could rescue more babies and toward the training of nine to ten year old children who have become parents to their younger siblings because of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. (Before this epidemic, the children would have gone to live with other family. Now they are abandoned by family and friends and forced to live alone with the older sibling raising the younger ones.)
We believe over 100 babies and 300 siblings will be touched by these funds and efforts.
Blood Count Machine—Hope Medical Clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi Africa
Past Committee Chairman Rod Toews visited to Lilongwe, Malawi, to meet with the Lilongwe Rotary Club leaders to establish a partnership in a project for Lilongwe. The project was to purchase a blood count machine to aid the Hope Medical Clinic, Lilongwe, Malawi. The unit is used in the HIV/AIDS Clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi for their Laboratory support program.
The Lilongwe Rotary Club helped supervise the project.
To accomplish this project, the Redwood City Rotary Club organized a fundraiser. The fundraiser was an auction and was held at the Sequoia Yacht club at Seaport Village in Redwood City. About 50 Rotarians and guests enjoyed an evening of great food, variety of drinks, fellowship and the opportunity to bid for tremendous prizes from wines, two Train weekend excursions for two, a box of Cigars, etc. The evening contributed significantly to our Club's efforts in Lilongwe, Malawi.
Guatemala Water Project
In another Rotary partnership endeavor, we donated funds to the Menlo Park Rotary Club toward their Guatemala project to provide water, sanitation and education to Rio Blanco and Colonia Choatulum, Guatemala,—two villages whose water supply was demolished by hurricane Stan.
Based on the facts the Menlo Park Rotarians gathered during a ten day trip, the local organization has set out to rai
se nearly $35,000 to provide clean water to Rio Blanco and Choatulum, each with a population of about 400. Those two villages were chosen because they have the most infrastructures in place. The water project called for installing pipes from two nearby lakes up the hill to the villages, and to eventually provide townspeople with individual UV purification buckets—a new, easy-to-use technology that allows residents to filter their water after it’s delivered to their homes. Rotary also supplied latrines and a gray-water disposal system.
Clean Water Project—Sichili Mission Hospital in Zambia, Africa
Sichili is at the centre of an area of over 15,000 sq. km, in southwest Zambia—200 km from the town of Livingstone. This vast territory, crossed by the River Zambezi, is inhabited by the Lozi tribe, who occupies traditional huts and live by stock-raising, hunting and fishing in a land that is for the most part sandy and unsuitable for agriculture.
The Sichili Mission Hospital is of great importance to this area as it is the only medical facility available in this vast area, and the only place of assistance for over 50,000. The hospital was run by Zambian doctors and nurses who didn’t have a proper means of getting clean water. This project will provide the hospital with a clean water system consisting of piping the water from the water source and into a UV purification system to allow the water to be purified on a larger scale after it gets to the hospital.
Project Amigo—Mexico
The Redwood City Rotary Club has worked with Project Amigo many times in the past on building projects for Colima. This more recent program enables poor children of C
olima to achieve their highest potential by providing educational opportunities, material support, enrichment activities, and medical and dental services not otherwise available to them. The Redwood City Rotary Club sponsors children in school.
Approximately three youth will be touched by these funds and efforts.