World Community Service
International Humanitarian Projects
The Rotary Club of Bainbridge Island has a rich history of humanitarian projects, undertaken to improve the quality of life of less advantaged people around the globe.
Part of each year’s Auction & Rummage Sale proceeds are directed toward this work. At any given time, we have 10-15 projects underway; primarily projects in which we are actively involved and assume a leadership role.
We leverage our funds with grants from The Rotary Foundation, as well as partnerships with other Rotary clubs, private foundations, and individuals. Noteworthy accomplishments include drilling and rehabilitating 191 borehole wells in Uganda, organizing village water committees, and forming and training 298 village saving and loan groups in Tanzania.
World Community Service Accomplishments – 2019 – 2020
UGANDA
- This project in Kumi, Uganda was funded through a District Community Grant. When complete, 1,400 girls will receive menstrual kits to ensure they stay in school and 2,000 boys will receive underwear and be educated on female development.
- RCBI funded two Kumi, Uganda Family Health Days through Rotary District Community Grants. The first two-day medical, dental, and eye care clinic was held in December 2019 and treated 1,860 people. 21 Ugandan Rotarians participated. The second two-day clinic will be held once the country re-opens due to COVID-19.
- RCBI funded and planned a Village Savings and Loan (VSL) project in Amalotar, Uganda in cooperation with AWIGOE Foundation and the Rotary Club of Kyoga Basin. It will commence when the country re-opens due to COVID-19 and train 18 VSL groups made up of 400 members the first year to drive economic development among villages where our wells were drilled. RCBI member Michael Camp visited Uganda in September 2019 and worked with the Kyoga Basin club to plan this project.
RCBI and the Rotary Club of Kyoga Basin, Uganda, planned a new Village Savings and Loan project during a field visit in September 2019.
TANZANIA
- RCBI’s Save to Grow project with Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) in northern Tanzania was completed. It trained 3,775 needy subsistence farmers in 180 savings and loan groups with 81% women, and built nearly $400,000 in assets to drive economic development; 200 farmers were trained in improved techniques, 14 producer groups contracted with 5 local exporters, and 10 groups were trained in managing digital savings groups through mobile phones. Poulsbo, Kingston, and Bellevue Rotary clubs help fund the project.
- RCBI, the Poulsbo Rotary Club, and the Aga Khan Foundation successfully qualified in the top 10 for a $2M Rotary Foundation Program of Scale grant to create 1,500 digital savings and loan groups for 30,000 needy farmers in the Arusha Region, called Save to Grow 2.0. The final grant award winner will be announced in September 2020.
- RCBI member Michael Camp along with Gayle Heller and Ann Pyles from the Rotary Club of Poulsbo visited Tanzania in September 2019 to evaluate Save to Grow 1.0 and plan Save to Grow 2.0 to reach up to eight times the number of subsistence farmers.
Rotarians from RCBI and Poulsbo visited and reported on the Save to Grow project in September 2019. This is a typical village savings and loan meeting.
KENYA
- In two disbursements, RCBI supported Hifadi Africa to fund scholarships for students at Chemolinogot Secondary School in the East Pokot Region, an extremely poor area of Kenya. Our funds helped 18 students in the first disbursement and is anticipated to help at least 18 more in the second. The Port Orchard Rotary Club is the lead on this project.
NEPAL
- Through the Wilderness Medical Society, RCBI contributed essential medical supplies and equipment to the remote Wangchu Hospital in Chyangba, Nepal. One goal of the project is for the government to sign off on financial and medical support and that medical supplies will get the hospital operational before the rains come and wash the road out.
Wangchu Hospital in Chyangba, Nepal, received essential medical supplies from RCBI.
GUATEMALA
- RCBI helped fund with the Kalispell, Montana Rotary Club and the Mazatenango, Guatemala Rotary club, the La Vega Water Project. It will provide a safe and secure well for drinking water, a pump, chlorination system, an elevated water storage tank, a water distribution system, and wastewater sanitation for 1,340 Mayan residents in a mountainous region in the north. The system will be maintained through local municipal leadership that will collect fees for water usage.
- RCBI member Al Quan attended a Rotary Latin America Project Fair in February 2020 and made plans to participate in future projects in Guatemala.
YEMEN
- RCBI helped fund and worked with the Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation to deliver food baskets to 1,528 adults and 2,856 children in 975 needy families in war-torn Yemen. Mercer Island Rotary Club was the lead, and Lake Forest Park and Seattle International clubs also participated.
INDIA and BANGLADESH
- RCBI’s past investments through Upaya Ventures in two businesses, SMV Green (financing electric rickshaws for poor entrepreneurs), and Drinkwell (safe water kiosks) continued to drive job creation and healthier living for the poor.