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First of all I would like to thank all of the clubs who donate funds for us to take on our GSE trip. We were able to raise $2,500 to take with us to Ghana and Burkina Faso. So what have we done with the money?
While we were in Kumasi, Ghana we attended a Rotary club meeting during which the Rotoractors from the local polytechnic college gave a short presentation on their efforts to raise funds for an upcoming project. Their were funding a hepatitis B screening and vaccination of 500 students at their school. They were a couple of hundred dollars short of their goal and so the team decided to donate $100 to further their cause. As it happened their was a group of Rotarians from Holland at the meeting that were their with Habitat for Humanity. Not to be outdone, one of the Dutch Rotarians also contribute 100 euros which gave the Rotoractors all of the funds they need to go ahead with the program.
While attending a meeting of the Ouagadougou Millennium Rotary club, I asked that they tell us if they had any water projects for our district to partner on in the future and also if they had any specific needs that we could satisfy with the remainder of the monies collected before we left. As it turned our they have an ongoing project to donate mosquito nets to women who have just delivered babies. Malaria kills more people in Burkina Faso than does AIDS or any other disease, particularly infants. Of course we did not hesitate to join them in this effort and on Monday, April 26, we visited the Charles De Gaulle pediatric hospital, the largest in Burkina Faso. Following a very formal gathering with many speeches thanking Rotary for all of the help they have given and the GSE team for their latest donatinon, we proceeded to distribute some of the first 250 nets that had been delivered to the hospital. In total the $2,400 that the clubs of district 6400 donated will enable the local Rotary club to deliver more that 400 nets. This hopefully will save the lives of over 400 children that would other wise succumb to malaria, and maybe some of the mothers.
Again I thank the clubs who donated and I’m sure that those whose lives will be saved would also thank you if they could.
Derek
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What wonderful work you all are doing!
This mission has touched your lives and the lives of many others in both countries.
Great work guys !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Derek, great work by you and the Team. You have put the money to good use and have set a wonderful example for all future GSE Teams from our district as we continue to exchange with developing nations in the world. Look forward to seeing you all (although I will not be at conference we will meet up) somewhere in the near future I am sure.
Very, very good. The potential of saving as many as 300 lives is a great thing.
Congratulations on a successful trip. What Rotary stands was well shown by the GSE Team, Service above self.