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International
International projects include supporting those in need in Haiti, Bolivia or other countries. Having an international focus is a major goal of Rotary International with projects such as Polio and Shelter Box for disaster relief. Our District (District 6220) also works on many international projects that involve our Club.
Our Club’s current international project is working with Etta Projects and assisting with a Women’s Bakery Project in Puesto Fernandez. The donation from our club’s NFL Hall of Fame Raffle this past spring is helping the 14 women enrolled in the project to:
- Produce and sell bread and bakery products
- Build skills in business management, group formation, and bread/pastry making
- Increase employment opportunities
- Strengthen skills within each member of the group
- Enhance resources in Fernandez Alonzo, providing a solution to the lack of employment for women
- Improve the income of families in Fernandez Alonzo
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The materials and equipment needed to begin the small business will be given to the group in the form of a loan. The women have one year to repay the loan in full. If the women make all their payments on time, Etta Projects and our Rotary Club 2663 will donate the oven to the group. If they fail to make their payments, the group will have to return the oven. Depending on the number of women that complete the course, each member's loan payments can range from $4 to $7 per month. All funding
repaid to the project will be put towards the startup of future women's projects.
The participants of the bakery project worked relentlessly this past month to complete the small business management class and to purchase the necessary equipment to begin their bakery. They are now busy learning how to bake pastries, breads, and cakes. The group has rented a small space just off the town's main plaza and will open their doors to the public on October 15th.
On October 7th the municipality of Fernandez Alonso held an inauguration ceremony to celebrate "Panaderia Etta" (Etta's Bakery); the women voted on this name after learning about Etta. At the event, the mayor and other members of the municipality spoke about the impact of this project in the community. The women gave speeches about the incredible opportunity of the bakery to make a positive change in their life and in their families'. Etta Projects shared their gratitude to have the opportunity to connect with 10 hard working women and the honor we felt for the women naming the bakery after Etta. The inauguration drew people throughout the community to the bakery to try the goods and pastries of the town's first bakery.
As you know, the startup funding necessary to begin the bakery was given to the women as a microloan. All funding repaid to Etta Projects will be put towards initiating future community projects.
Thanks again for all your support with this project. Please pass on my appreciation to your entire club for their support and dedication to communities in Bolivia. We have worked alongside communities under this new direction since March and have some developed some really exciting new initiatives. Now that communities are excited to make changes to improve the hygiene and sanitation in their communities, many are requesting ecological bathrooms. We also have plans to work with schools to augment the school garden project with a healthy school project. We will utilize the lessons learned from the school garden project to implement proactive community campaigns focused on health, hygiene, sanitation, and nutrition. The focus of a healthy school project is to train teachers and community leaders how to transform the school into a healthy, sanitary environment. If your club has any interest in either of these projects, please let me know and I can get you more information.
Below are some pics of the inauguration ceremony. It was held at their new bakery. Check out the sign... It was a present to the group from the project! You can also see many of the local people gathered around to celebrate the community's first bakery. They were very excited about the prospect of warm bread....
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Polio eradication is Rotary’s main goal is to eradicate polio and it is succeeding. This is such an important initiative that the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation donated a $100 million challenge grant to Rotary International.
In addition, Rotary’s Shelter Box program for disaster relief provides shelter, blankets, tools, nets and many other disaster relief equipment for up to 10 people for a minimum of 6 months. Since 2001, more than 500,000 Shelter Boxes have been distributed in more than 40 countries – including the U.S. In addition, Rotary’s Shelter Box Response Team was the first and only group to get to the most devastated area in Myanmar after its recent cyclone devastation.
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Click here 
for the most recent update on Etta Bakery