International Service

HELPING OTHERS AROUND THE WORLD

The Rotary Club of Waupaca’s International Committee directs a number of initiatives that engage our club in serving others around the world, concentrating on Rotary International’s areas of focus.

Matching Grant Projects

Our club makes use of District and Global Grant programs to expand and increase the impact of international projects. Club members sometimes travel to participate in projects. Project examples are as follows:

    • Women’s Health Center in Rio Bravo: Rio Bravo is a poor community near the southeastern Texas border. Manos Juntas Mexico (“MJM”), a certified non-government charity in Rio Bravo, assists the community in the construction of homes, schools and medical facilities. With funding support from the Rotary Club of Waupaca, MJM added an exam room with an exam table and exam light that will enable medical staff care for women in Rio Bravo, improving health and longevity. A club member joined a team of 12 volunteers to complete construction of the exam room and other projects.
    • Vocational Center in Rio Bravo: Seeking to help residents of the community acquire job skills, MJM constructed a vocational education facility, focused on industrial arts. Our club supported the purchase of welding and woodworking equipment, and a club member travelled to provide both construction assistance and instruction in welding and woodworking skills.
    • Cologne, Argentina Water Project: Juan Baez, a Rotary Youth Exchange student from Argentina inspired this project. Leveraging matching grants from District 6220 and Rotary International’s World Fund, our club leveraged a $7,000 investment into over $35,000 in funding to help the Rotary Club of Curuzu Cuatia, Argentina provide the people of Cologne with a 200-foot deep well, a water storage tank, and an electrical line to power the well pump.
    • Guatemala Literacy Project (GLP): With over 600 clubs from over 80 districts involved, the GLP is one of the largest, grass-roots, multi-club, multi-district, projects in the Rotary World. The GLP currently serves over 55,000 impoverished children by providing textbooks, computers, teacher training, and scholarships. Incoming 7th graders are sponsored into the program, which aims to get them to high school graduation. Our club provides grant funds, and members will travel to see the program in action. Click to learn more about the More information about GLP is available Guatemala Literacy Project.

Open World Program

Through the Open World Program, clubs have an opportunity to host a small delegation of current and future leaders from Russia, Ukraine, and other Eurasian countries. Clubs prepare a professional program related to U.S. business, community, and civic life, and host delegates in their homes.

Visits help develop a network of leaders who understand how American communities tackle contemporary issues.

The Rotary Club of Waupaca has participated in the Open World program several times, including a Zoom conference with a Russian delegation focused on legal issues. In 2022, our club hosted a delegation from Tajikistan focused on technology in education. Pictured right – the delegates toured the Waupaca Foundry, with a focus on technology applications.