July 16, 2015 West Bay Rotary Club Meeting

Today’s speakers were Mike Moore from Naples North and West Bay Rotaries and Dr. Lou Foley and Doug Burke from Naples North Rotary.  They updated the membership on the Tumaini Fund.  Tumaini means “Hope” in Swahili.  Founded in 2003 by Dr. Susan Wilson, the Tumaini Fund presently provides support to about 25,000 orphans with AIDS in the northwest corner of Tanzania in an area called Kagera.  The Tumaini Fund provides for private housing for the children as opposed to orphanages, primary and secondary school uniforms and education, non-school clothing, transportation and access to clean water for farming, drinking and bathing.   

 

The housing is usually a simple mud brick hut and 85 two person teams check on the children weekly.  Secondary education is critical for employment in Tanzania.  If the students do not have uniforms they cannot go to school.  Many volunteer groups from around the world make clothing for these children and the Tumaini Fund helps to distribute the clothes.  Bicycles are provided to get to school, work and water sources. 

 

 Access to and the distribution of clean water is one of the major projects of the Tumaini Fund.  However, digging wells and providing for the infrastructure to distribute the water is very expensive and requires the work of many organizations.  Naples North Rotary, Sanibel Rotary, West Bay Rotary and Water Mission International have joined forces to raise enough money to get a matching grant from Rotary International to raise $46,000 dollars for a water distribution system in the region.  So far, the fund-raising is going very well.  West Bay Rotary has raised $2500.00.  Presently 37 shallow wells have been dug and have vastly improved sustainable farming practices in the area. 

 

To learn more about the Tumaini Fund and how you can help go to www.TumainFundUSA.org

 

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Mark Coursey has earned his Blue Badge!!!!!  Good job Mark.

 

 

WBR Annual Board meeting will be held Wednesday, August 5^th from 5 - 7pm at the Lord Camden Inn.  All members are welcome.

 

Maine Homes Boats and Harbors show is the weekend of August 8 - 9th.  Please sign up to work the event.

 

International Committee meeting will be held next Wednesday from 8 - 9am at the Congregational church.

 

Next week’s speakers are:

Leni Gronros who will be speaking about Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) and representatives of several area charitable organizations who will be receiving donations from our club.