Rotary
WCE Relations with Rotary International
News: West Ottawa Rotary Club in Canada voted to approve US$2,550 and Santa Cruz Rotary Club in Bolivia approves funding for WCE shipment to Quipus Cultural Foundation. It looks like this is being matched by Apogee Minerals based in Toronto, Canada. The West Ottawa Rotary Club (Contact: C. J. Peters, Chair, World Community Service Committee) is also Sponsoring the sourcing and shipping costs for 20 Pentium 3s to go in August 2007 to support a project in schools in the area of the Rotary Club of Pétionville in Haiti. (Contact: Gaetan Mentor, President).
News: Foxborough (Massachusetts) Rotary Club gathered, tested, and packed (on May 20th) 50 Pentium computers for a container shipment by WCE to connect schools assisted by Peace Corps Volunteers in El Salvador. Lake George (New York) Rotary Club just delivered a truck full of computers to WCE.
News: In late May 2007, Chatham (Massachusetts) Rotary Club donated $250 toward a container of 400 computer sets for schools assisted by Peace Corps Volunteers in Honduras. WCE volunteers in St. Louis are approaching Rotary Clubs in their area for this same shipment. They are considering gathering and testing Pentium 3 computers for WCE in Chatham in October of 2007.
WCE is finding new ways to work with Rotary Clubs in the following 31 developing countries:
* Denotes Rotaries involved in both a developed and in an developing country (10).
*Argentina: WCE was approached by the Edmonton Rotary Club (by Neil John Hryciw) about their helping a Rotary Club in Argentina to help some schools as was listed on the Rotary International website. WCE has not yet shipped to Argentina.
*Bolivia: The West Ottawa Rotary Club (Contact: Jana Sedivy) has voted US$2,550 to match funding by the Santa Cruz of the Sierra Rotary Club (President: Miguel Moreno Paz and Secretary Rodolfo Soto) and the La Paz Rotary Club in Bolivia (President: José Manuel Palenque Armas Freddy Mercado) seeking assistance with a shipment of 400 computers to Fundación Cultural Quipus to help connect to the Internet 2,000 youth using a new museum and cultural complex on Late Titicaca and in the schools in the surrounding Guaqui area. (Implementation Plan 
). WCE has shipped multiple containers to Bolivia before and has one pending. It looks like their combined total will be matched by Apogee Minerals of Canada and Bolivia. ~ Documents
* Burkina Faso: President-elect Robert Rockwell, is considering approaching the Lake George Rotary Club to see if they are interested in helping to Sponsor a 20-foot container shipment of 200 Pentium computers. They are approaching the Bobo-Dioulasso Rotary Club via the Rotary District Governor in Accra, Ghana about this. This may be a shared container involving some groups that WCE has previously heard from. This club has previously gathered used computers for WCE.
* Burundi: WCE volunteer Carey Radebaugh is approaching Rotary Clubs around Boston seeking Sponsors of a container shipment to help Youth in Reconstruction of the World In Destruction in Burundi. (Implementation Plan ) (Contact: Prosper Ndabishuriye) that is working with the Bujumbura Rotary Club in Burundi. Tom Rowen of the Peabody Rotary Club in Massachusetts has begun approaching the new District Governor. This will be the first WCE shipment to Burundi. ~ Documents
Cameroon: Alex Mbianda is approaching Rotary Clubs in Eastern Massachusetts in support of the iEARN project in Cameroon (Contact: Francois Donfak) (Implementation Plan ). Another project is described in this letter of committment: Bamenda, Cameroon Rotary Club. WCE has shipped containers to Cameroon before and has another pending.
Cote d'Ivoire: Rotary Club Abidjan Golf is a WCE Partner. (Implementation Plan ) Not currently active due to the problems there. This will be the first WCE shipment to Cote d'Ivoire.
Democratic Republic of Congo: Rotary Club Butembo (Contact: Docteur Mumbere, président) is working with WCE Partner L'Initiative Humanitaire pour le Développement Communautaire (Implementation Plan ) (Contact: Bavon Mwabilwa) The container for the Goma area is going to include some sports equipment as well as computers for the schools in the area.
Ecuador: The Guayaquil Rotary Club in Ecuador is assisting WCE Partner E.ducate (Implementation Plan ) (Contact: Nathalie Cely) WCE has also heard from the Salina Rotary Club (Contact: Jorge Coello). WCE has shipped containers to Ecuador before and has another pending. ~ Documents .
Georgia: WCE worked with Computers 4 the World and the Seattle Rotary Club (Contact: Robin DuBrin) to have a small team of students to go work with a WCE Partner in the Republic of Georgia (Contact: Dr. Teimuraz Chichua) (Implementation Plan). WCE has shipped several containers to Georgia before and has another pending. ~ Documents
Ghana: The Sekondi/Takoradi Rotary Club (President: Bedu Mensah) and the Kumasi East Rotary Cub (President: Seth Asiama) are working with local WCE Partners. WCE Partner, Agent of Change, is working with the Ho Rotary Club. (Implementation Plan ). WCE has made shipments to Ghana before and has another pending. - Documents .
Guinea: Conakry Rotary Club in Guinea is working with the Foundation International de Solidair (Contact: Karim Camara). (Implementation Plan ) WCE has shipped to Guinea before and has another pending. ~ Documents .
* Haiti: Le Rotary Club de Pétionville (Implementation Plan ) (Contact: Gaetan Mentor, President) is receiving 20 Pentium 3 computers sets. The sourcing and shipping by WCE is being Sponsored by West Ottawa Rotary Club (Contact: C. J. Peters, Chair, World Community Service Committee). ~ Documents
Honduras: In late May 2007, the Chatham (Massachusetts) Rotary Club donated the first $250 toward a 40-foot container of 400 Pentiums to go to Honduras to help connect schools assisted by Peace Corps Volunteers. WCE St. Louis volunteers have spoken to six Rotary Clubs around St. Louis about this same shipment.
India: WCE has been approached by the Chennai Rotary Club, Bangalore Rotary Club, and the Vasco Da Gama Rotary Club. WCE has shipped many containers to India and has another pending.
* Kenya: WCE is very pleased that the Modesto Sunrise Rotary Club in California (President: David Gallager) donated $1,500 in February to Sponsor 20 computers for Teenage Mothers and Girls Association of Kenya in Kisumu, Kenya departing Boston as part of a shared container at the beginning of June 2006. Also in this container - Ikonzo Musanda Self Help Group in Kenya (Contact: Francis Anyona) is working with the Kakamega Rotary Club (President :Robertson Binayo Osangaleto) to bring in 42 computer sets that left Boston as part of a shared container at the beginning of June 2006 (Implementation Plan ). WCE has also heard from Nairobi Central Rotary Club and the Langata Rotary Club. WCE Partner, Glorious Poverty Eradication Project, is working with the Rotary Club of Nairobi (Implementation Plan ). WCE has shipped containers to Kenya before and has another pending. ~ Documents .
Kyrgyzstan: Rotary's Gift of Life, School for the Blind, and the Public Fund for Open Technology, (Contact: Jon Post) contacted WCE. This would be WCE's first shipment to Kyrgyzstan.
Lebanon: WCE has had an initial informal inquiry from Rotary Club Baabda www.rcbaabda.org part of RoLEC www.rotary.org.lb - the 20 Rotary Clubs and 15 Rotaracts of Lebanon.
Malawai: The Rotary Club of Mzuzu is working with WCE Partner Sustainable Development Initiatives (Implementation Plan ). WCE has shipped to Malawi befor and has another pending. ~ Documents.
* Mali: As part of WCE's current computer sale, there is a pending shipment of 400 computers sets to connect 70 schools with 5,000 students from a Rotary Club in Mali - the Bamako Amitié Rotary Club (Contact: Sunny Akuopha) working with the National Ministry of Education. (Implementation Plan ) Rotary Clubs from England and Australia have visited and are working together on automobile ideas to raise funds to Sponsor this container. WCE has shipped to Mali before and has another pending. ~ Documents . Listing on Rotary International website: http://www.matchinggrants.org/grant617.html
* Mexico: In 2004, the Rotary Club of Padre Island in Texas (Contact: John Wilson) working with Texas A & M and the Rotary Club of San Miguel de Allende in Mexico and the local Governor arranged for a shipment of computers from WCE to help connect local schools to the Internet. (project website) (Implementation Plan ) The two Rotary Clubs in two countries are again planning another shipment from WCE. ~ Documents .
Nepal: WCE Partner COPPADES is working with the Kathmandu Rotary Club in Nepal. WCE has also heard from the Butwal Rotary Club. WCE has shipped containers of computers to Nepal before and has another shipment pending. ~ Documents .
Nigeria: Anambra State Rotary Club of Awka in Anambra State, Nigeria has been approached by Youth Awareness Nigeria (Contact: Odinikpo Augustine). (Implementation Plan ) Also the Trans Amadi Rotary Club, Port Harcourt, River State, Nigeria: helping the Society for Development and Cooperation (Contact: Kayode Adedoye) (Implementation Plan ). WCE has also heard from the Iju/Ajuwon Rotary Club (Ikeja) . WCE has shipped many computers to Nigeria and has another pending. ~ Documents .
Pakistan: Rotary Club Hayatabad, District 3270 (Muhammad Usman Khan Marwat Assistant Governor 2005-06) has sent this July 2006 letter committing to non-cash full support in coordination and assistance in the implementation of the project of Afghan Welfare Center. They also recommend the project to go forward. WCE volunteers Thomas Graham and Tas Murhutta are approaching Rotary Clubs in the area around Washington DC seeking Sponsors of a container shipment to help the Afghan Welfare Center help to connect more Afghan refugees living in Pakistan to the Internet. (Implementation Plan ). WCE has shipped to Pakistan before and has another pending. ~ Documents .
* Peru: Bytown Rotary Club of Ottawa is exploring a project to ship computers from WCE to help a Rotary Club in Peru connect more youth to the Internet. (Contact: Drew Antrobus)
Philippines: The Cebu City Rotary Club (Contact: Fred Kintinar) is assisting that is a pilot for work with the Board of Education of Cebu Province and being helped by a Peace Corps Volunteer to install 1,180 previously used computers in the Province's 113 secondary schools with 38,000. One school, Compostela National High Schooll will have 80 sets in thin-client labs for their 2,000 students. The computers are expected to begin being shipped in September 2007. (List of Schools ) ~ Documents
Sierra Leone: iEARN Sierra Leone is working with the Freetown Rotary Club to match some of the funds for a container donated by a WCE Sponsor. (Contact: Andrew Greene) Crusaders Club Ministry is also approaching them (Implementation Plan ). This will be the first WCE shipment to Sierra Leone. There is already a donor who has covered two-thirds of the sourcing and shipping costs. ~ Documents .
Tanzania: A Rotary Club from Germany (Roary Letter) is assisting the St. Francis Primary School and another school of the Missionary Society of St. Francis De Sales with their computer project. The schools are receiving 40 Pentium III sets as part of a shared container to Tanzania. (Implementation Plan ). WCE has shipped to Tanzania before and has another pending. ~ Documents
Togo: The Lomé Rotary Club in Togo (President: Prof. M Gbeassor) is assiting WCE Partner iEARN Togo (Contact: Abotchi Yao) to connect several schools in Togo to the Internet. (Implementation Plan ) Jacques Roy of the Ottawa Rotary Club expressed interest. This will be the first WCE shipment to Togo. ~ Documents .
Uganda: The Masaka Rotary Club is seeking computers to set up youth computers labs in Masaka. They are considering being part of a shared container that we are shipping to Kampala. (Contact: John E. Sekaggya, Past President) Setting Developments And Keeping The Foundation, one of the WCE Partners has contacted the Kampala Rotary Club seeking support. (Contact: Charles Odere, President) Another WCE Partner also approached the Mbale Rotary Club but they did not seem to understand why all of the computers from us needed to go to connect youth. (Contact: Micheal Nangoshya). WCE Partner Elim Pentecostal Temples has met with Tororo Rotary Club to see about working together.
* Ukraine: The International Committee of the Boston Rotary Club (Contact: Wilson Lee) approached WCE about computers for their proposed shipment to asssist a Rotary Club project in Ukraine. WCE has not yet shipped to Ukraine.
Zambia: The Pittsburgh Rotary Club was approached by Project Educate, a WCE Partner in Zambia (Contact: Mbao Mwiya-Ngula). (Implementation Plan ) WCE has shipped many containers of computers to Zambia. ~ Documents .
If you are a WCE Volunteer preparing to approach your local Rotary Club or Rotary District - here is a draft letter and a summary document that you may find useful.
The WCE Rotary Relations Manager is Jana Sedivy (she is a member of the Ottawa Rotary Club).
