Rotary Club of Visalia

Arua

International Project Summary in Oli Community of Arua, Uganda

This project was a joint effort of District 5230 Rotary Clubs in Visalia and Tulare California, along with the District 9211 Rotary Club of Arua Uganda. This project was led jointly by Sharon Sheltzer , President of the Visalia County Center Rotary Club and Royce Gloria Androa of the Arua Rotary Club. The Visalia Rotary Club contributed an initial total of $7,608.00 to the Global Grant request. A total of $24.000 in cash contributions from the 5 local clubs involved, along with $4,190 from the Arua Club was submitted to Rotary International along with $24,000 in District Designated Funds. Rotary International contributed $40,485 in matching funds to complete our total project budget amount of $97,455.
Local Rotary Clubs contributing to this project are: Visalia Rotary, Visalia – Sunset, Visalia – County Center, Visalia – Breakfast, Tulare Sunrise and Tulare Rotary Club.

Bruce Nicotero of the Visalia Rotary Club along with Sharon Sheltzer and Jody Grove of Visalia County Center Rotary travelled to Arua/Oli Community during the first week of April in 2015. There was quite a reception waiting for the visitors to each of the schools involved and with local dignitaries and Arua Rotarians. Oversight was completed and some training done by the local Rotarians with the teachers and youth groups. With the available funds the following project items were completed in 2014 and 2015.

•   10 schools supplied with assorted text books as per curriculum together with bookshelves for proper storage and management.
•   2 VIP latrines constructed, functional and managed.
•   5 water storage tanks with hand washing facilities.
•   Insecticide treated mosquito nets distributed to 1,500 mothers and children under five years.
•   5000 children in schools dewormed.
•   A grain grinding machine for the youth to start generating income.
•   A brick making machine was supplied to youth group for poverty alleviation.
•   Tailoring machines for school dropout girls for skills development and income.
•   Capacity development for all beneficiaries for health, education and economic sustainability.

Additionally we added some funds in 2016 for the youth groups to buy additional chairs and sound system equipment to help them grow their event management business.
We are continuing to follow up on a periodic basis as there has been some further conversation about helping out with a well at a girl’s school in Arua.