Rotary Program Provides Update On Guatamala Projects
October 31, 2017
By: Stephen Kent
Chuck Cusick
Member
Chuck Cusick updated the club on the status of the Guatemala projects on Tuesday. For many years the club had chosen different international projects to support each year.
In 2008 the board decided to select a single area and concentrate its support there. The Adopt-A-Village project in Guatemala, headed by Francis Dixon, and recipient of an earlier grant, was selected and has been the club's focus since.
As a result of a 30-year civil war, many of the Mayan people native to the area fled to Mexico. After the war ended after 1996, the people began to return although their way of life was, by then destroyed.
Francis Dixon started a program at that time and rallied Rotary clubs to help start an education system for those people. That effort, called Adopt-A-Village continues to this day and is the program our club supports.
The initial AAV program started schools where children would come for two weeks then go home for two weeks to pass on what they learned. That program has grown to incorporate traditional education, computers, sanitation, nutrition and farming.
Guatemala has the highest level of child malnutrition in Latin America. It is, in fact, the fourth highest level in the world. AAV has expanded its education programs with farming and nutrition assistance.
The latest project of AAV has been to reintroduce the amaranth grain. Once a staple of the Mayan people, the grain was systematically destroyed by invading armies. It was replaced by less useful crops which do not have the same impact. By bringing back the highly nutritious grain, AAV is giving the people a crop they can build on to provide a sustainable source of nutrition.
Chuck showed slides of the projects and talked about the impact our club's efforts have made.
Rotary Club of Bay City
Guatemala Adopt-A-Village
|
2002-7 | Libraries for schools in seven villages. |
2008-09 | Computers and garden seeds |
2010-11 | Organic garden project |
2011-12 | Community Nutritional training center |
2012-13 | Scholarship |
2013-14 | Computers for computer science program. |
2014-15 | Amaranth Project with District Grant. |
CLUB NEWS and ANNOUNCEMENTS
The club will meet OFF SITE at the Marriott on March 7. In light of Vocational Day on the 14th, the board will meet at 11:00 prior to the regular meeting on the 7th.
The club welcomes new inductee
Lindsay Richardson, who was inducted on Tuesday.
Tickets are still available for the Foundation Gala in Frankenmuth scheduled for November 17. See Bob or Cindy Chadwick if you want to attend.
Next summer's
International Convention will be in Toronto, an easy trip for many of us.
Be sure you sign up with her if you can make this life-changing Rotary experience.
Current and past
DISTRICT DISPATCH newsletters are available on the District site shown in the LINKS section below.
---- DATES TO REMEMBER ----
November 7, 2017 Board Meeting
ONE WEEK EARLY
- 11:00, prior to the regular meeting.
Everyone welcome.
Meet at the Marriott
Nov 7, 2017
Meet at the Marriott
Board meets at 11:00 prior to the regular meeting.
November 14, 2017 - Annual Vocational Day for High School Juniors.
After many years of being the sole sponsor of this event, the Rotary Club of Bay City and the Rotary Club of Bay City Morning will be co-sponsoring this event.
November 17, 2017 - Foundation Gala Zehnder's, Frankenmuth
May 4-5, 2018 - District Conference Frankenmuth
New format and breakout sessions.
1 and a half days rather than two full days.
Upcoming Programs
(See the official schedule at
RotaryBayCity.org )
November 7, 2017
MEET AT THE MARRIOTT
Personal Planned Response Plan to Acts of Violence
Increase your situational awareness and learn tactics to avoid, survive and escape dangerous situations from expert
Henry Reyna of Secure Solution LLC. A 34-year veteran law enforcement officer offers the training and tools needed to protect yourself and your family from those who would do them harm.
Board meets at 11:00, prior to the regular meeting.
November 14, 2017 Vocational Day SPONSORED BY THE ROTARY CLUBS OF BAY CITY
Annual Vocational Day for High School Juniors. After many years of being the sole sponsor of this event, the Rotary Club of Bay City and the Rotary Club of Bay City Morning will be co-sponsoring this event.
November 21, 2017 YWCA Safe Sitter Program recipient of recent Community Grant.
Rotary is an intimate affiliation of carefully selected business and professional people,
having as its objective the promotion of high ethical standards in private, commercial
and civic life, and dedicated to the ideal that the basis of all worthy endeavor is unselfish service.
Current and past
DISTRICT DISPATCH newsletters are available on the District site shown in the LINKS section below.
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