District Rotary Foundation Committee 2024 – 25

February is the birthday of Rotary International. It is also the month of Peace & Conflict Prevention/Resolution.

Rotary International held the International Peace Conference in Turkey and remain all of us the important of peace.

Rotary peace conference seeks to heal in a divided world

Our member PP Mitzi Leung also committed to donated US$10,000 to the Conference and joined the event with Rotary International President Stephaine A Urchick in Turkey.

When Peace & Conflict Prevention/resolution is the month focus in February, Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene is the theme of March. We would like to introduce a meaningful water project to you this month.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much”– an example of how a Global Grant can benefit rural schools in Siem Reap, Cambodia in having clean water

By installing WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) infrastructure and leading educational workshops in 11 rural schools in Siem Reap province, Cambodia, a lasting impact has been made on over 5,000 students and community members.

This project was hosted by the Rotary Club of Phnom Penh Metro and in partnership with Rotary Passport Melbourne and the Rotaract Club of Siem Reap with the funding from Global Grant of The Rotary Foundation and has provided these schools with water filtration systems, offering access to clean drinking water for the first time.  Additionally, the project supported the installation of latrines and professionally built incinerators, significantly improving sanitation and the overall school environment.

Drinking water system installed in a school

Teachers from all 11 schools participated in WASH educational workshops organized by the WASH Skills Development Organization and are now sharing their newfound knowledge with thousands of students. To ensure long-term sustainability, WASH Committees at each school have been trained to manage and maintain the infrastructure.

Local students with clean drinking water

This project was completed in just six months and US$4,500 under budget and with this project, the health, productivity and education of thousands of rural Cambodian students and community members have been improved.

Commemorative plaque to mark the opening of the water filtration system, a Global grant funded project supported by The Rotary Foundation

Endowment fund

Do you know that your Rotary Club can make an endowment fund in your Club’s name?  This can be a good way to celebrate a Club’s anniversary or mark milestones, creating a legacy that is long-lasting. This water project is a good example of how a club participates at global grant project by setting up their club endowment fund. In fact, it is easy and meaningful to create our own club endowment fund to donate and contribute to specific service projects. If you are interested in doing so, please do not hesitate to contact District Rotary Foundation Committee or our Fund-raising Sub-committee Chair Frank Chan. We would be happy to support and share our experience with you.