WORLDCOMMUNITYSERVICE

2008-2009

Committee Members

Lake Oswego Rotary participates in many international projects both directly and as a co-sponsor of other District 5100 club projects.  The World Community Service committee of Lake Oswego Rotary seeks to promote projects with a strong educational element.  The current projects in which Lake Oswego Rotary is involved are:

Masoko Ward, Tanzania - Lake Oswego Rotary in cooperation with Iringa Rotary has recently received funding for a comprehensive, $288,500 multi-year program to assist orphaned and vulnerable children in the ward of Masoko in southwest Tanzania with the aid of a West Linn, Oregon based non-governmental organization, Africa Bridge.  The project uses agricultural and animal micro-loans to augment incomes of families who take in orphaned and vulnerable children.  In addition the project will provide scholarships of uniforms, shoes, exercise books and writing implements to school aged children along with 900 school desks and train select students to be peer educators for HIV/AIDS information.

Children of the Golden Triangle - In September 2006 Rotary District 5100 sponsored a district wide Partners in Service fair to introduce Rotary clubs in its district to projects and organizations with which District 5100 was currently or previously involved.  The speakers presenting at the fair also traveled to clubs throughout the district to present their programs.  It was through this process that Lake Oswego Rotary became familiar with an organization in Thailand entitled "Children of the Golden Triangle".  The organization provides safe shelter for children of the Akha tribes from the mountainous region of the southeast Asian peninsula.

Here is Past-President Sharon Starr surrounded by her new best friends Weemon, Mio and Jareeya as Lynne Wintermute looks on approvingly.

Lake Oswego Rotary, in cooperation with other clubs in District 5100, is preparing a grant request to provide a water system to Sikom village for a new primary school.  Rotarians Sharon Starr (Past-President) and David Bussman along with Rotarians from other Portland area clubs traveled to Thailand in May 2008 to better understand the needs of Children of the Golden Triangle.

Hogar San Pablo - To date this had been a program to supply clothing and books to boys in an orphanage in Mazatlan, Mexico.  Rotarians traveled to Mazatlan in February 2004 with supplies and brought back memories and photos.  Pictured here are Father Tovar who founded the facility and some visitors with children from the orphanage.

	Father Tovar		Visitors and Schoolboys

Secondary Education Scholarships - For several years Lake Oswego Rotary in conjunction with the Downtown Portland Rotary Club and the Rotary Club of Coatepeque have provided funding for scholarships to sixth through ninth grade students in the village of San Rafael Pacaya in Guatemala.