Nanaimo area Rotary Delegates on aid mission to Ghana
Posted by Craig Clarke
Six Nanaimo-area Rotary Club members depart April 22nd on a mission to assess and expand education, health, sanitation and community development projects in Ghana, one of the world's poorest countries.
The projects are based in the City of Sunyani and surrounding region, located about 300 km inland from the coast of the West African republic. Assistance is concentrated on a primary school, AIDS orphanages, and a women's resource centre. The focus of the mission is to address basic needs such as literacy and teaching aids, water supply, malaria prevention, and sanitation.
Community partners in the projects include the Rotary Club of Nanaimo, the Rotary Club of Lantzville, the Mid-Island Rotary World Community Service Group, the Rotary Club of Central Sunyani, Vancouver Island University and Sunyani Polytechnic, the Sunyani Municipal Assembly and the Regional District of Nanaimo.
To date more almost $40,000 has been raised by the local Rotary Clubs participating in the international service projects. Matching funds have been provided by the Rotary International Foundation.
The funding has provided students and teachers at the Sunyani Municipal Primary School with 1,700 new text books, a library, computer and audio visual equipment, storage cupboards and health and sanitation materials. AIDS orphans at the Korkors Charity Medical Centre have benefited from the construction of a well that supplies safe drinking water for the facility and computer equipment for improved record-keeping and administration.
A donation to the Rotary Club of Nanaimo plus matching funds from the District has enabled the purchase and distribution of malaria nets for infants and youth at the Sunyani Region hospitals, AIDS orphanage and municipal primary school (click on photo to enlarge).
"Rotary's motto is service above self," says Carey McIver, Ghana mission team leader and Chair of the Nanaimo Rotary Club World Community Services Committee. "That service extends beyond our local community to making a difference in developing countries and along the way building international understanding, peace and goodwill."
"Our team will be working with our host Rotary Club to develop new sustainable development programs. They range from improving the safety at the primary school by building a security wall, installing litter bins to help the City of Sunyani build on its success as being designated the cleanest city in Ghana, and creating a micro-credit lending capacity for a women's resource centre that cares for poor rural women and children."
The six Nanaimo-area Rotarians on the Ghana mission will be joined by five students and faculty members from Vancouver Island University working under the Ghana Canada Partnership for Environmental Education. Ken Hammer, who teaches Recreation and Tourism Management at VIU and is a Nanaimo Daybreak Rotary Club member, is leading the student/faculty team. "Our team will be working closely with Sunyani post-secondary institutions," Hammer says. "The aim is to build the capacity and knowledge base of rural communities in the areas of ecotourism, health and the environment in ways that will help reduce poverty."
The remaining Ghana mission team members are Leslie Cameron, Rotary Club of Lantzville, Nelson and Donna Allen, Nanaimo Daybreak Rotary, and Roy Ostling, Nanaimo Rotary Club. The team is supported by Ross White, Past District Governor of the Rotary Club of Nanaimo, who laid the groundwork for the Sunyani Ghana projects during a planning mission in 2007.
Click here to access the blog and follow the progress of the mission
To date more almost $40,000 has been raised by the local Rotary Clubs participating in the international service projects. Matching funds have been provided by the Rotary International Foundation.
The funding has provided students and teachers at the Sunyani Municipal Primary School with 1,700 new text books, a library, computer and audio visual equipment, storage cupboards and health and sanitation materials. AIDS orphans at the Korkors Charity Medical Centre have benefited from the construction of a well that supplies safe drinking water for the facility and computer equipment for improved record-keeping and administration.
A donation to the Rotary Club of Nanaimo plus matching funds from the District has enabled the purchase and distribution of malaria nets for infants and youth at the Sunyani Region hospitals, AIDS orphanage and municipal primary school (click on photo to enlarge).
"Rotary's motto is service above self," says Carey McIver, Ghana mission team leader and Chair of the Nanaimo Rotary Club World Community Services Committee. "That service extends beyond our local community to making a difference in developing countries and along the way building international understanding, peace and goodwill."
"Our team will be working with our host Rotary Club to develop new sustainable development programs. They range from improving the safety at the primary school by building a security wall, installing litter bins to help the City of Sunyani build on its success as being designated the cleanest city in Ghana, and creating a micro-credit lending capacity for a women's resource centre that cares for poor rural women and children."
The six Nanaimo-area Rotarians on the Ghana mission will be joined by five students and faculty members from Vancouver Island University working under the Ghana Canada Partnership for Environmental Education. Ken Hammer, who teaches Recreation and Tourism Management at VIU and is a Nanaimo Daybreak Rotary Club member, is leading the student/faculty team. "Our team will be working closely with Sunyani post-secondary institutions," Hammer says. "The aim is to build the capacity and knowledge base of rural communities in the areas of ecotourism, health and the environment in ways that will help reduce poverty."
The remaining Ghana mission team members are Leslie Cameron, Rotary Club of Lantzville, Nelson and Donna Allen, Nanaimo Daybreak Rotary, and Roy Ostling, Nanaimo Rotary Club. The team is supported by Ross White, Past District Governor of the Rotary Club of Nanaimo, who laid the groundwork for the Sunyani Ghana projects during a planning mission in 2007.
Click here to access the blog and follow the progress of the mission
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