Rotary Club of La Conner International Projects

 
 

Our club is involved in parallel international projects in Copan, Honduras.  One is grant funded in partnership with nine other clubs, and the other is funded by our club and individual members.

 

Grant-Funded Project

 

This International Project Alliance (IPA) is a holistic approach to a community need – education, sanitation, potable water, economic development and the infrastructure to support it.

 

Eleven area clubs have pledged to pool funds.  Other clubs are considering joining the alliance.  Our club contributes $5,000 per year plus a district grant.   The Fidalgo Rotary Club manages the funds and serves as the lead club for grant management, with each participating club having one vote.  Jerry Willins is our club’s representative.  Projects are initiated by the village through the Copan Rotary Club.

 

So far, the IPA has provided funds for a new school and several renovations, replaced furniture in several schools, built a wooden bridge and several other hands-on projects, provided school room supplies for all schools and have facilitated teacher training.  We are working to rebuild a large water system that will benefit thousands.  In short we have approved, started, and finished a couple of dozen projects with an annual pooled budget of more than $30,000 and additional donated and grant dollars exceeding $25,000.

 

Club-Funded Project

 

This includes our Adopt-a-School and Adopt-a-Dream Programs.  The nine clubs involved in the IPA currently support 19 schools and more than 926 children and hope to cover seven additional schools in 2017.  Of these, our club supports two schools, Nueva San Isidro and El Cisne. 

 

Our money can go a long way toward supporting Copan school children through Adopt-a-School:

 

  •     $10/year provides what a kindergartener needs to go to school.
  •     $20/year provides for students in grades 1-6.

 

The Adopt-a-Dream program costs $200/year or less (varies by school) and supports an individual student in grades 7-9.  This level of education is now mandated and requires most students walk a couple of hours to schools outside their villages.  Adopt-a-Dream asks for a three-year commitment for each student funded.

 

Individual members can also support these schools Adopt-a-School and Adopt-a-Dream.  Checks can be made out to the Rotary Club of La Conner Foundation.  Be sure to specify Adopt-a-School or Adopt-a-Dream.