The mission of Project Amigo is enable the poor children of Colima, Mexico to achieve their highest potential by providing educational opportunities, material support, enrichment activities, and medical and dental services. To provide opportunities for volunteers from developed countries, to help and become friends with disadvantaged children of Mexico. To foster friendship and understanding between Rotarians from developed countries and from Mexico.
Each year Project Amigo provides scholarships to enable between 60 and 70 good students from poor families to continue their education beyond the 6th grade. Project Amigo facilitates partnerships between North American and Mexican Rotary Clubs to sponsor projects which benefit the children and their families. These projects include construction of playgrounds, installation of libraries and computer labs in poor rural schools, and distribution of fun children's books. We have contributed to a scholarship for Marissa Dominguez Candelario ( Mari) for the past three years. This year she is entering the University.
Contribution: $1,000
2 ROOTS OF PEACE
Roots of Peace is a humanitarian organization dedicated to eradicating land mines worldwide and rehabilitating the land to make it productive once more. Land mines are in many ways the perfect terrorists. They can wait almost indefinitely for their victims and require nothing to maintain them. Since 1862, when the first land mines were used in battle during the U.S. Civil War, these unseen enemies have claimed the lives, limbs, and land of millions of innocent people all over the world.
Today there are an estimated 70 million land mines lying in wait beneath the earth's surface in over 70 nations. Each year they maim or kill approximately 26,000 people, mostly women and children. The impact on victims, families, communities, and the land itself is devastating Roots of Peace was conceived by Heidi kuhn, A San Rafael CA Rotarian. This organization is dedicated to de-mining, replanting and rebuilding war torn countries including Afghanistan,Croatia, and Cambodia. They are dedicated to turning MInes into Vines and creating a harvest of hope for families and communities throughout the world.
Contribution: $1,000
3 THE ROTAPLAST FOUNDATION
Rotaplast International was founded in 1992 by Dr. Angelo Capozzi and then Rotary Club President Peter Lagarias in collaboration with the Rotary Club of San Francisco to facilitate a surgical program in La Serena, Chile to treat children with the cleft lip and palate anomaly who would otherwise not receive surgical intervention.
Rotaplast would not exist without funding provided by partners. Although a San Francisco-based organization, Rotaplast works nationally and internationally by partnering with Rotary Clubs, other organizations, and individuals across the United States, Canada. It provides a vehicle for medical professionals and non-medical volunteers to actively engage in projects that build international friendships and promote goodwill and understanding among the peoples of the world. To date, medical teams from Rotaplast have performed over 9,000 surgeries for children in 16 countries.
Contribution: $1,000
4 NOTHING BUT NETS
The UN Foundation and Millennium Promise have been working with the UN to fight malaria for years. Malaria is a disease caused by the blood parasite Plasmodium, which is transmitted by mosquitoes. Infected humans experience flu-like symptoms that can result in coma and death. Malaria infects more than 500 million people a year and kills more than a million— one person dies about every 30 seconds. The disease is particularly devastating in Africa, where it is a leading killer of children. Nearly 3,000 children die every day in Africa from malaria. And according to the World Health Organization, transmission of the disease would be reduced by 60% with the use of mosquito nets and prompt treatment for the infected. Three thousand children! That's a 9/11 every day!
In addition to being home to the deadliest strain of malaria and the mosquito best equipped to transmit the disease, many areas in Africa lack the proper infrastructure and resources to fight back. Malaria is both a preventable and treatable disease. It can be prevented by giving families and individuals insecticide-treated bed nets to sleep under and taking steps to kill mosquitoes where they breed and when they enter houses to feed at night.
The nets are coated with an insecticide and cost between $4 and $6. I requires about $10, all told, to get them shipped and installed. Some nets can cover a family of four. And they last four years.
Contribution: $1,000
5 ADOPT A VILLAGE *
Frank and Kathie Mayhew of the Sebastopol Rotary Club have visited Uganda three times, leading groups of Rotarians and non-Rotarians. In January, 2006 they visited six villages along with local Rotarians to interview the villagers to determine what they think their needs are to help them lift themselves up out of extreme poverty. Every village had the same problems: lack of clean water; malaria; lack of adequate diet and the inability of the kids to attend school. This trip confirmed the philosophy behind Ending Poverty--One Village at a Time through Adopt a Village.
Adopt a village is dedicated to helping solve the problems of poverty and to truly give the poor a chance to lift themselves up out of this poverty. It requires
treating all the major problems of poverty at the same time. The metaphor of the the three-legged stool has been used to describe this condition. The three legs are: Health, Hunger and Education. Adopt a Village is a concept that attacks all the most pressing problems of poverty in one project for a single group of people, a village. In essence a Rotary Club in the developed country would "adopt" a village and, in the initial project provide: Clean Water, Mosquito Nets to reduce malaria, Food Production and/ or Education portions that are designed to meet the needs of that village. After the initial project is completed other follow-on projects would be undertaken in that village to further improve the quality of life and the chances of totally eliminating poverty for that village
Rotary Clubs in third-world countries identify villages that suffer from poverty. They do a needs assessment of the village in cooperation with the villagers themselves and work up a project for that village that address the needs of the villagers to lift themselves up out of poverty. The projects must include all three legs of the stool: Health, Hunger and Education.
Health: Clean Water, Insecticide treated mosquito nets and Medical equipment or supplies
Hunger: Cows, pigs, goats, poultry. Farm implements and seed stock.
Education: School supplies for children, Mosquito abatement and malaria prevention, farming practices and small business practices
Contribution: $1,000
6 VILLAGE HOPECORE INTERNATIONAL 4
Village HopeCore International is a small, innovative non profit currently working in Chogoria, Kenya to alleviate poverty through micro lending with education and training. Village HopeCore provides small loans at low interest rates to women and men to develop and improve self-sustaining businesses. Money alone does not disrupt the cycle of poverty. Village HopeCore provides:
1 Business training
2 Personal development
3 Professional mentoring
4 HIV/AIDS prevention education
In Chogoria, villagers wanting to start or improve a business have had nowhere to turn to find the capital for their projects. They can't afford the 20% interest a
bank charges on a loan, nor do they have any collateral. Village Hopecore addresses this need by making small loans available at low interest and with no collateral. Repaid loans fund new loans. Groups of 12 form who are committed to supporting each other through the 18 month micro lending process. They attend business and personal development training together. If one person cannot meet her monthly payment, the others in the group must agree to make
that payment. In this way, Village HopeCore builds communities through group responsibility. When a group is funded, each person in the group receives a $400 loan to start or develop a self-sustaining business. This amount reflects the current economy in Chogoria. For example, most villagers can raise a cow, and in Chogoria a cow plus feed costs approximately $400. Some examples of businesses include dairy farming, dressmaking, furniture making, raising goats and chickens, and operating a hair salon.
The loan is repaid over 18 months, at an interest rate of 6%. Each group attends training in business methodology, personal development, and HIV/AIDS prevention. Then, each person develops a workable business plan. Business are monitored and on site technical support is available. Successful groups mentor new groups.
Repaid loans are used to finance new groups, creating a village-owned and self-perpetuating fund, a Village Trust Bank. To date, there has been a 100% repayment rate.
Contribution: $1,000
7 RUSSIAN HOSPITAL PROJECT *
Dr. Kim Bauriedel of the Eureka Rotary Club, along with the Rotary Clubs of Barnaul and Novosibirsk Russia have had several project to bring much needed surgical equipment to the local hospitals in these Siberian communities The hospitals lack the specialized instruments for performing essential surgeries. Dr. Bauriedel spends several months a year in Russia. In July he returned from an extensive trip to Russia and is currently planning to apply for a grant for one or more of the following projects in Siberia 1. An operating Microscope equipment for a Neurology Department at a Regional hospital servicing about 2.5 million
people, and 2. Urology equipment for a community hospital.
Contribution: $1,000
8 EAST MEETS WEST FOUNDATION-CLEAN WATER PROJECT
Many people in rural Vietnam do not have a reliable source of clean water. No single type of intervention has greater overall impact on public health and the quality of life than the provision of safe drinking water. According to a recent report by the World Health Organization, "Every eight seconds worldwide, a child dies of a water-related
disease. Every year more than five million human beings die from illnesses linked to unsafe drinking water, unclean domestic environments and improper human waste disposal. At any given time perhaps one-half of all people in the developing world are suffering from one or more of the six main diseases associated with water supply and sanitation. It is not uncommon for people in Vietnam to walk several kilometers to a river to carry home water in buckets. Since 1992, East Meets West has been committed to providing fresh water to thousands of people in Central Vietnam, by building small community wells and large water delivery systems for villages and hospitals. The East Meets West Foundation in partnership with local residents, has been providing clean water for several provinces in rural Vietnam since 1992. By building small community wells and large water delivery systems for villages and hospitals, the project has provided for thousands of Vietnamese with clean water, reducing childhood mortality and water borne illnesses.
Contribution: $1,000
9 SEVA FOUNDATION
The Seva Sight Programs are a combined effort of the Seva Foundation, based in Berkeley, California and the Seva Service Society, based in Vancouver, Canada. For two decades, Seva has played a vital role in international efforts to reduce avoidable blindness around the globe. Seva's sight program team develops and disseminates effective methods to restore sight to cataract-blind people, and to build comprehensive, sustainable blindness prevention programs. Worldwide, an estimated 40 million people are blind. The number of people affected grows each year, particularly in developing countries which are least equipped to respond. In these countries, cataract accounts for at least half of the blindness, and preventable conditions cause much of the rest. Seva works to prevent blindness and restore sight by supporting locally run programs in under served communities. Seva's eye care work emphasizes research, service and evaluation of community-based methods to provide cataract surgery and other eye care of high quality, high volume and low cost. The program is in its second decade of providing services that truly make a
difference in people’s lives.
Contribution: $1,000
10 THE WHEELCHAIR FOUNDATION
The Wheelchair Foundation is a nonprofit organization leading an international effort to create awareness of the needs and abilities of people with physical disabilities, to promote the joy of giving, create global friendship, and to deliver a wheelchair to every child, teen and adult in the world who needs one, but cannot afford one. For these people, the Wheelchair Foundation delivers Hope, Mobility and Freedom. In 2002 Philanthropist Kenneth Behring, Chairman of the nonprofit Wheelchair Foundation invited Rotarians to join his campaign to assist the underprivileged. Heavy duty wheelchairs can cost as much as $375. The Wheelchair Foundation now deals directly with manufacturers and can reduce the cost to $150. To date, the Wheelchair Foundation has delivered over 500,000 wheelchairs in over 140 countries worldwide.
Contribution: $1,000
11. INTERNATIONAL SOMALIA RELIEF FUND
The worst drought in 60 years has gripped the Horn of Africa, leading to acute famine in parts of Somalia, where hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing to Ethiopia and Kenya for aid. More than 10 million
people are affected in the drought-humanitarian crisis in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. The Rotary Foundations as established the Rotary Horn of Africa Famine and Refuge Relief Fund.
Contribution: $2,000
Total contributions for FY 2010-11 $11,000
PROJECT GOALS
Many of these projects have been supported for several years. Project Amigo has received contributions since our club was chartered in 2000. The current projects were selected not only for their individual merit but in keeping with our goal to support the areas that are most important to all Rotarians. Health, Clean water, Literacy, Alleviation of Hunger and Eradication of Poverty.
The Vocational Services Committee of Valley of the Moon Rotary supports an ongoing commitment to vocational service in the community. This support has several facets:
Vocational speakers: Speakers focus on providing vocational support for community youth. 2010-2011 speakers will include a juvenile court judge, a community college scholarship director and a variety of probation personnel.
Youth residential treatment programs: VOM Rotary provides support to two diversion programs for youth who have been assigned by the court system:
R House is a residential program where youth work, earn, play and solve problems in a drug-free environment with peers who support recovery. VOM Rotarians support activities include the following:
• Scholarship – one $1000 scholarship for post-secondary vocational study in an associate degree, licensure or certificate program in a public institution
-Tutorial support – one-on-one tutoring for girls or boys as needed
-Career Panels – VOM Rotarians with appropriate vocational expertise meet with the students to share personal experiences and provide information about the background and training required in identified careers
•Career Center tour/career search activities – VOM Rotarians accompany R House students to the Santa Rosa Junior College Career Center. The students receive a guided tour of the center and the materials available there. Finally students work individually on computerized career searches, assisted by VOM Rotarians
•Resume writing – Students identify areas of career interest and complete resumes. Rotarians review each resume, providing each student with personal feedback and recommendations
-Mock interviews – Students participate in mock interviews, learning how to present themselves and their skills in this setting. Following the interview sessions, each student is provided with feedback and recommendations
Sierra Youth Center - The Sierra Youth Center (SYC) is a residential treatment program for up to 15 girls run by the Sonoma County Probation Department. VOM Rotary supports this center through the following:
- Development of a three-quarter acre garden which is culminating in a student entrepreneurship program through which the girls are selling their fruits, vegetables and herbs with 12-week subscription baskets during the summer growing season. In addition, the girls are marketing holiday wreaths and providing a catering service using the garden produce.
- A one day per week culinary arts program, utilizing the garden produce for meals for the girls
- Scholarship – one $1000 scholarship for post-secondary vocational study in an associate degree, licensure or certificate program in a public institution
Other Scholarships. Post-secondary education has become increasingly expensive for students and their families. VOM Rotary provides the following assistance to local students:
-Two $1000 scholarships to students enrolled in an associate degree, licensure or certificate program at Santa Rosa Junior College, Empire College Business School and School of Law, Redwood Empire Beauty College, or other similar institution. Preference is given to students graduating from Maria Carrillo High School.
-Two $1500 scholarships to students enrolled at Santa Rosa Junior College who are transferring to a public four-year academic institution to complete their vocational education. Preference is given to students graduating from Maria Carrillo High School.
The Valley of the Moon Community Service Committee is dedicated to helping groups within the community that need financial and moral support. Our members are committed to seeing that we fulfill our promises to the organizations in both of these areas. We support the following programs:
R HOUSE
R House is a facility for children who have been placed there by the courts due to substance abuse, gang activity or illegal acts. They are housed and schooled in this facility. We provide funds to assist with a Thanksgiving dinner for the clients and their families (approx. 200). Christmas gift cards in the amount of $25 were provided to each of 60 resident students. Every year we assist the facility with funds to benefit students. This year we are providing mattresses for 10 beds. We hold an annual spring picnic for the students and staff at a local park. Approximately 50% of the members attend both a Christmas party and the Spring picnic.
SIERRA YOUTH CENTER
This is a center for incarcerated teen-age girls. We are currently working together with the Vocational Committee to assist them in helping the girls. This year we provided $25 gift cards at Christmas. Members attended a Christmas dinner, Fall Garden party, and Spaghetti Feed benefit. We will also sponsor a spring BBQ staffed by club members for the girls and staff. The club will provide funds to fence the garden project. One of our members provided culinary skills instruction to the girls. Approximately 80% of our members have contributed in one or more of these activities.
VALLEY OF THE MOON CHILDREN’S HOME
This facility provides temporary shelter and schooling removed from their homes by court order. A spring picnic is provided by the club and staffed by club member. Each year money is allotted for educational services. Also, members supply “gently used” suitcases for children to transport their belongings as they are often shifted from place to place.
ST. JOSEPH'S HEALTH CLINIC
For the past 5 years we have committed funds to the clinic and have renewed our commitment for another 5 years. The clinic provides medical support and immunizations to migrant workers in Sonoma Valley.
REDWOOD FOOD BANK
We have donated money to the Food Bank and support a continuous food drive at our club meetings and the Sterling Bank.
COUNCIL ON AGING
The Council is granted money for their ongoing Meals on Wheels program.
SONOMA COUNTY VETERANS ASSOCIATION
Each year approximately 50% of our club members support a joint effort with Kiwanis to honor our veterans. We help to set up and clean up for the annual November event at the Santa Rosa Veterans Hall. Members may attend or help by donating tickets for veterans. This year we also provided $250 for bus tickets to the new administration center near the Santa Rosa airport.
PUBLIC SCHOOL SUPPORT
Flowery School: Club members continue to volunteer twice a week at the school’s “Read Along” program.
El Verano School; Funds were provided for the school library program. Our speakers choose a book and it is presented to the school with a name plate honoring the speaker. A mural is being painted this spring from funds made available by our club along with a District Matching Grant. The Sonoma Valley Club was also involved in the joint venture. Rotary will be featured in the mural along with other community supporters. The mural will be located on the exterior assembly area of the school.
Douglas Whited School; Volunteer readers are working twice a week with first graders. Books have been ordered for the school library and processed as at El Verano in recognition of our speakers. Funds and a District Matching Grant provided materials for the school’s tutoring program which was in danger of being discontinued. Club members and friends of Valley of the Moon Rotary have supported all of the above projects.
POLIO PLUS CONCERT
This April concert was funded by our committee. The proceeds will go to the Rotary Foundation Polio Eradication program. The concert this year was an evening of Italian cabaret music with a donation of $20 or more. It was advertised in local papers and held in Oakmont. Attendance wasf over 200 and took in more than $6000 for PolioPlus.
YOUTH GROUPS
Cool Kids’ Camp; We will provide funds to send two children to this camp for special needs children.
COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARDS
The club will select two individuals to honor for their outstanding service to our Valley community. Club members make the nominations and the individuals will be honored with a plaque at a club breakfast in June.
PUBLICITY
All of our activities are announced, described and reported in the Kenwood Press and Oakmont News on a regular basis. A synopsis of our speakers’ subjects is often included. Highlights of our community service are described in our club’s tri-fold brochure that is given to prospective members and others.
Valley of the Moon Rotary has realigned our Avenues of Service to correspond to the updated Rotary International recommendation of bringing all of the programs and services for youth under the Avenue of Service entitled New Generations. This structure provides our club with a variety of ways in which we interact with our local youth:
Scholarships: VOM Rotary provides both academic and vocational scholarships for youth, including 2 transfer scholarships for students transferring from Santa Rosa Junior College to a 4-year California college, 2 vocational scholarships for high school or SRJC graduates, and 3 vocational scholarships for incarcerated youth.
Speakers: VOM Rotary features programs that help club members to understand the challenges and opportunities for local youth.
Vocational programs for R House (Recovery House) and Sierra Youth Center youth: VOM Rotarians work directly with these incarcerated youth, providing activities and support that includes field trips, scholarships, career panels, mock interviews, and a horticulture/culinary program.
Cool Kids Camp: VOM Rotary provides scholarships for a camping experience designed to heal children who have suffered abuse.
Valley of the Moon Children’s Home: VOM Rotary provides a picnic for children who live temporarily in this center when they have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect.
School reading programs: VOM Rotarians read to children in Whited and Flowery Elementary Schools; library materials are also purchased for both schools.
Maria Carrillo High School Culinary Arts program: Youth enrolled in this Sonoma County Regional Occupational Program serve dinner at our annual Crab Feed fundraiser. VOM Rotary provides these students with financial support and an opportunity to use their developing skills in a meaningful way
