As Chair of our Rotary District’s Global Grants Committee and member of our District Grants Committee Dawn Straka witnessed meaningful work being done by Rotarians and Rotary Clubs across Central Ontario and North-Western Quebec. This good work happens right here in our own communities and across the globe. What we do close to home is easy to see but how many of us have really experienced the full effects of our actions thousands of miles away where District Grants and Global Grants may be contributing to our efforts?District Grants support projects at home and abroad while the larger Global Grants generally support projects outside of Canada but with good partnership, they can also support projects in Canada. All our District and Global Committee Members are in roles that encourage, educate, share, enlighten and support individual Rotarians and Clubs as they plan, prepare, problem solve, work through and then evaluate their projects.
Dawn has been fortunate to have had many international experiences both outside and inside Rotary. For Dawn, each experience has been meaningful, while some have been life-altering. Dawn knows for sure others have found International work is very rewarding. Dawn’s challenge as Chair, is to get this message across so that her Rotary colleagues as well as those benefitting from their actions have a life-altering depth of experience.
In Rotary, our District Grants and Global Grants help support our work; it is the work that really counts. To get the financial support and all that comes with it in terms of guidance, we need to learn how to grant write. This learning takes time, but it is time well spent. Our District Global Committee members are here to assist, recommend and proof if needed.
Another way we can help Clubs and individual Rotarians is to make connections. Committee members have had experience in a variety of projects that are led by Rotarians in our District. Some of these projects have been well publicized. These include:
- Rotary Wheels for Learning (RWFL) led by MaryAnne Marshall and Mike Cole of the Rotary Club of Gravenhurst.
- Hispaniola Humanitarian Assistance and Relief Team (HHART) led by Steve Wallace of the Rotary Club of Wasaga Beach and Area.
- Rotarians Enhancing Learning of African Youth (R.E.L.A.Y. ) led by Shelly and Michael Duben of the Rotary Club of Bracebridge-Muskoka Lakes.
- Guatemala Literacy this year led by Lise Dutrisac of the Rotary Club of Sudbury.
There are also other projects, small and large, in various stages of development. These projects receive their monies through a mix of their own and other Clubs and friends funding. To get Global Grant support the project must cost at least $30,000.00 US.
- The 2 English Language Schools in Cambodia with all the auxiliary projects led by Susan Davidson of the BEL Rotary Club and Mike Kinsey of the Barrie Kempenfelt Rotary Club.
- The Huntsville Rotary Club led by Brandy van Gelder and Marie Press of the Peterborough Club are working with 2 Nepalese clubs focusing on female empowerment, community development and education. A trip is being planned for December 2020. Please contact Brandy or Marie for further information.
- Marie Press of the Peterborough Club is also working with a club in Honduras on the island of Roatan. This Global Grant seeks to create economic opportunities for the informal waste pickers at the dump. This will fight the serious problem of improper solid waste management, making the process profitable and using the plastic product in tables or to build desks, playground equipment or even houses. If interested, please contact Marie).
Other Canadian and American Clubs are sometimes looking for financial help for some specifically identified project. Recently Dawn received a request from Yves Fecteau a member of the Rotary Club of Quebec in District 7790. This is his Club’s 3rd major hospital project in Togo, Africa. They already have TRF and GOC approval to proceed. After it was approved one of their funders pulled out leaving them short about $20,000.US. They have already made up some of the $20,000 but still need some help. Since we are getting closer to Rotary’s year end there may be some clubs in our District that might be able to assist financially. Yves is also suggesting that if a club wants some money for a water project, there is a Quebec foundation that gives money only for water projects and that possibly an exchange type arrangement could be made. If your club is at all interested, please get in touch with Yves or if you want some more project details, Dawn can give you a copy of his approved application. Of note, for a few years our District used Rotarians from District 7790 to help us with our PETS training for our French Clubs.
Within our own Rotary District many of our Clubs that we have not yet written about are doing International projects that are either at the stage of seeking or of using funding from The Rotary Foundation. If Clubs want their information shared, please contact Shelly Duben or Dawn Straka as Chair of the Global Grants Committee for whatever support may be needed. Sometimes just speaking about an issue will help solve it. Our Committee is also in touch with colleagues outside our District. In the last two months we have heard from Rotarians in India, Brazil and Argentina who are looking for project partners. That kind of information as well as information about needs of our own Clubs will be circulated and shared quarterly or more frequently as needed. It is kind of like the effect of ocean waves; one never quite knows the extent and depth of where information goes. By working in partnership our own lives and the lives of those we serve can be altered for the betterment of all. ROTARY CONNECTS THE WORLD!
Yours in Rotary Service,
Shelly
Shelly Duben
Director of Service Projects
Rotary District 7010
Editor's Note:
This is the 3rd in a series of "Spotlight on Service" stories about District and Global Grants written by Past District Governor Dawn Straka and Chair of District 7010's Global Grants Committee.