Welcome

GRANT Partnering Opportunities
 
NOTE: 
Please check with the project contact to get the latest info on these opportunities. 
Additional info and new opportunities will be added as they become available....  
 
 
This SITE page is designed to provide Rotary Clubs in District 5580 with the chance to review active or upcoming projects and to evaluate opportunities for potentially participating in the projects financially or as volunteer workers.  This could be especially helpful to smaller clubs who may not be able to do a large project on its own, but by "partnering," a project could be funded, staffed, and successfully completed.
 
Here are some partnering opportunities that deal with The Rotary Foundation's Areas of Focus.
 
 
Current Opportunities:
(reference files at left side of page for supplemental info on projects)
 
 
Rotary CLUB VISTA HERMOSA, GUATEMALA WASH IN SCHOOLS - WINS PROJECT
Posted: April 2022
NOTE:  We are not endorsing the solicitation of donations to this project, however it appears to be a worthy project for district 5580 Rotary and / or Rotaract clubs to consider.  
Contact: Tim LeClair. District 5580 DISC, (FMAM Rotary Club) 
 
Julio Grazioso is requesting participation in a $227,000 WASH project improving hygiene habits and sanitation at 14 schools in Mixco and Amatitlan in Guatemala. The project will include infrastructure improvements, and training on good hygiene practices by Rotarians.  It is estimated to impact over 5,000 students.  See pdf info provided by Julio with links to additional information.  Per Julio's report at the District Conference they are $15,000 away from completing the funding for the project.  Julio's contact information is juliograzioso@gmail.com.  Cell:  502 54108810 
 
 
Benin, West Africa School Rehabilitation Project
Posted: January 2022
NOTE:  We are not endorsing the solicitation of donations to this project, however it appears to be a worthy project for district 5580 Rotary and / or Rotaract clubs to consider.  
Contact: Tim LeClair. District 5580 DISC, (FMAM Rotary Club) 
 
Good morning dear Rotary International leaders, District Governors, MDIO chairs and District Rotaract Representative,
 
My name is Eric de-SOUZA (ID: 9002514), I am the Rotaract Representative of District 9102 comprising four (04) West African countries namely: Benin, Ghana, Togo and Niger.
Please give me a few minutes of attention...
If I am sending you this letter today, it is to appeal to your generosity and your sense of SERVICE to the community. Indeed, the education sector in Africa and more precisely in Benin unfortunately faces enormous difficulties. The lack of adequate and decent infrastructure both in our big cities and in the provinces is a rather deplorable example. Alas, we observe children crammed into classrooms, schools with rickety buildings, sometimes open, without roofs, endangering the lives of schoolchildren and teachers.
Based on this observation, the Rotaract District 9102 Office decided for the year 2021-2022 to rehabilitate a module of three classrooms at the Primary School of the village of "Moumoudji" located in the city of Dassa-Zoumé in Benin. With a total cost of 23,000 euros, this work will contribute to the well-being of the 163 children of this school. However, the height of this amount requires us to look for different means of fundraising to complete the work.
The District 9102 Rotaract Committee therefore launched an online fundraiser to raise funds from around the world.
I remember in 2017, during the 112th anniversary of Rotary, I was invited to make a presentation at a Rotary seminar. In my very captivating presentation, I said that the main reason for being of Rotary lies in the fact that as individuals we cannot achieve what we can with 1.2 million people.
Dear Rotary International and District leaders, approximately 500 of you are receiving this mail. If each of you agrees to donate a minimum of 25 euros, and to convince two members of your District to do the same, we will reach the required amount in the blink of an eye.
 
Please of share fundraising link to Rotarians & Rotaractors of your district. The schoolchildren in the village of Moumoudji need you. Thank you for giving to “change lives”.
 
Attached you will find some photos of the current state of the school (see attached file).  
I remain personally reachable on: souze93@yahoo.fr / +229 94790491
Best regards,
Eric de-SOUZA (ID: 9002514)
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Téléphone: +229 53 96 16 06 /  +229 94 79 04 81
 
 
Papua New Guinnea Water Project 
Posted: November 2021
Contact: Karl Everett (Duluth Harbortown Rotary) and Keith Brokke (FMAM Rotary Club)
 
Looking for multiple D5580 Rotary club partners to help our friends from Warrnambool, Australia District 9780 to make this project happen.  Their Warrnabool Rotary club and District 9780 partnered with us on the Indigenous women Prenatal Care Project a few years ago.  PDG Brian Trenery and his wife Jenny were our hosts when we went to Australia on a Friendship Exchange in 2012. Brian has asked our District to partner with their Warrnambool Rotary Club (Tony Austin, International Services Director) to help provide well drilling equipment to be shipped to Papua, New Guinea. 
It was to be a Global Grant, but Tony Austin explained:
RI haven’t denied my request as I haven’t submitted my draft beyond district level.  The district supports the proposal but obviously RI does not approve the submission.
There are 2 criteria that are problematic for me. I’ve been trying for more than two years to find a way to satisfy these.
Through Brian and others, enquiries have been made and it’s clear that the RI criterion must be satisfied.
 
Problem 1.
RI insists on a host Rotary Club in the country where the grant funds would be applied.
I understand that they have rules but there are only a handful of Rotary clubs in PNG and they are miles away from where we work.
The only way to get from their locations to where we work is by aeroplane (very expensive).
Apart from that I have not been able to get any PNG club to agree to come on board.
 
Problem 2.
RI also insists on a hydrological survey of the area in which we work.
I understand why; they need to know the water is ok and we’re not going to cause any damage to sub surface aquifers with our bores/wells.
Getting a hydrological survey done isn’t feasible in our situation.
We work in extremely remote areas which are only accessible via very rough 4wd tracks or small open boats. 
I asked a PNG university if they could do a hydrological survey.
They responded with an estimate to test one sample in one place only which it was so expensive it made my eyes water.
 
I don’t believe there is an issue. As explained in the document I sent you, we know the water is ok.
The area where we work is basically a delta of eroded mountains.  The ground is comprised mostly of river stone and gravel from the surface to the bedrock or in some areas to the ancient sea bottom; a perfect water filter.
Because of the high rainfall the gravels are saturated with water from the mountains on its way to the sea.
It’s because of this that we are usually successful with our bores (2 failures due to mud out of 18 bores).
We have no need to drill deep enough to interfere with sub-surface aquifers. There are many places where we’ve seen old bores/wells that are being used and have been years.
The Palm Oil plantations in the province all use bore water and the government has provided bores in a few large schools.
Nevertheless, a hydrological survey is a RI requirement.
 
Elijah, my PNG mate, has just sent me a letter (left of page under files) to support the application.
I thought you might be interested in reading it.
He asked me to tidy up the spelling and grammar.
I’m going to leave it; I think it’s great the way it is.
As it is it reads like it’s coming from the heart.
 
Feel free to use either when you’re promoting our work if you think it might help.
 
Ghanaian Accessible School Project
Posted: November 2021
Contact:  Nicole Ronchetti (Hibbing-Chisholm Rotary Club)
 

This project is looking to build an accessible school outside of Accra, Ghana, specifically designed for children with disabilities. Imagined and begun by Dr. Sefakor Komabu-Pomeyie, a polio survivor who experienced the obstacles present for those with disabilities in Ghana’s school system, the project seeks to address and set an example of accessible schools in West Africa. We are looking to partner with her organization, EEPD Africa, and other Rotary clubs to ensure that all children, regardless of their ability level, can access education.

The land has already been acquired, the construction would be using local materials and experts and the estimated cost is $240,000. We are also looking into seeking an appropriate grant from Rotary. If you are interested in partnering or learning more, please contact Nicole Ronchetti at naronchetti@gmail.com  and CC Dr. Komabu-Pomeyie at gratefulmiranda@yahoo.com 

Additional Information: Adeiso Project Proposal

 
Camaroon school textbooks and sanitary facility construction
Posted:  Jan 2020
Contact:  Keith Brokke (FMAM Rotary Club)
 
Looking for funding partners for Global Grant in conjunction with Kumbo Rotary club, Chris Idirisu
Project needs are approx $14,000 for textbooks and $39,000 for construction of Sanitary Toilets in 6 Primary Schools
more info to come...