The St. Joseph-Benton Harbor Rotary Club Foundation and the Rotary District 6360 Foundation have once again made a difference for people living in rural Uganda with the donation of $4,500 for students.
St. Joseph Rotarian Prudy Barrett Nelson started the Welfare Organization for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in the town of Kihihi about 12 years ago to get children out of ineffective schools and into private schools. She says the funds recently donated by the Rotary will help ensure those students receive their education, even in poor weather.
“When the kids get together, there’s almost 40 of them,” Barrett Nelson said. “There’s no place for them to gather if it’s raining or if the sun is really intense, which it is often. So this created a tented outdoor classroom or gathering area.”
The St. Joseph-Benton Harbor Rotary awarded the organization $3,200, while the Rotary District Foundation awarded $1,300 for the purchase of three large tents, 200 chairs, and a small PA system. Barrett Nelson says not only does this help the kids learn, but it gives them a space for celebrations.
“I will say they had their big Christmas party yesterday and there must have been 150 people there and they used it and it was awesome.”
The local Rotary previously helped set up a fresh water system in rural Ugandan communities, and Barrett Nelson says she finds her fellow Rotarians are always eager to help. She tells us while she’s done work all over Africa, Uganda has a special place in her heart.
“I’ve worked all over Africa and the East and Asia and all over the world, but Uganda just really tore at my heartstrings. I also made some great connections there when I was working with awesome people that shared my passion. And so it was pretty easy to put together a board of directors that could carry on the work.”
Anyone can contribute to the Welfare Organization for Orphans and Vulnerable Children online. Barrett Nelson says all support is appreciated.
