We did it! Thank you to all Rotarians, students, Rotaractors, Interactors, and clubs who participated!
You remember my story…
Two years ago this week, while attending the Rotary International Assembly in San Diego, I was seated next to Dr. Zamin Hussain, the District Governor Elect from District 3040 in India, from the home District of Siddhant Mehta, the inbound Rotary Youth Exchange student living in my home at the time. Zamin shared that one of the global grant projects he had been involved in recently was providing classroom furniture and teacher training for the government schools throughout his district. The global grant focused on the city of Sonkutch, Madya Pradesh, India, and 128 surrounding villages, where most of the 1.9 million school aged children attend the government run public schools. Due to the lack of funding for basic furniture and supplies many of the students are forced to sit on the floor to learn where they develop eye strain and spinal/back problems. There is also a high dropout rate of the students due to health issues and lack of adequately trained teachers with 33% of students dropping out by the 5th grade and 45% by the 8th grade.
With your help we raised over $10,000 in our District, which was matched by $10,000 of our District’s Designated Share Fund, $15,000 from District 3040, and $25,000 from The Rotary Foundation World Fund, making over $60,000 available for furniture and teacher training. This furniture will provide seating and desks for thousands of students in central India for over the next decade. As a result, students will be able to stay in school and learn, be healthier, and contribute more to their local economies.
Some of the attached pictures show teachers being trained in September. Other pictures show furniture being delivered to schools. (Click on Read more to view pictures.)
Officially the following Rotary Clubs were partners to the project, although more made contributions: Rockford, Sonkutch, Grand Rapids, Gaylord, Holland, Houghton Lake, Kentwood, Montague-Whitehall, Petoskey Sunrise, Roscommon, Sault Ste. Marie North, Club Sault Ste. Marie Michigan, Sault Ste. Marie Ontario, White Cloud, Great Lakes International Rotaract Club. I thank you all for your support. We truly have been able to Make a Difference.
In addition to thanking the Rotary Clubs and Rotarians of District 6290 I want to thank the Rotary Youth Exchange, Interact, and Rotaract students and Jon Loux and the Rotary Club of Rockford for believing in this project and supporting me to make this happen.
Thank you for your Service Above Self,
Ed Swart
District 6290 Governor 2017-18
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