Events & News
Rotarians & Friends Haiti 2017 Update
We now have dates in place for our Haiti trip. Our scheduled date of departure is Tuesday, March 28th and leaving Port au Prince Saturday, April 8th. For those who cannot take the time, there is an option to leave at different times. These dates could change.
Route
The route will be via Miami on American Airlines. It is an early morning flight and we should arrive about 12:30 p.m. in Port au Prince. From the airport, it is a short bus ride to our hotel which is located in a safe area in the outskirts of Port au Prince. It is a 15 minute walk to the school.
Our Work
In partnership with Emmanuel International and Oeuvre Baptiste de Bethseda, we will be working mainly at the Delmas School constructing 2 classrooms. This is a private school. Private schools in Haiti, as in other developing countries, are much different than in Canada. This school is for marginalized children and they exist as an alternative to the poor public schools. Our focus will be on building new classrooms but will also involve some teaching and considerable interaction with the children and teachers. Work will not be heavy and no one is asked to do more than they are capable of. Depending on time and people, we may also help build a bridge linking the school with a church. The cost of the classrooms is about $17,000 US and the bridge about the same amount.
Delmas is a school which runs from Standard 1 – Standard 8. As we all know, education is the basis for poverty reduction in the developing world. It should be noted religion is very important in Haiti, however, as we know from previous partnerships with Emmanuel, religion is played out by the good works Emmanuel does in their community.
Daniel Jovin and Richard McGowan from Emmanuel will be with us for part of the time and will add considerably to our trip. Daniel’s parents oversee the project in Haiti.
Other Activities
Upon arrival, we will take time to get acquainted and start work on Wed. On the weekend, we will visit the rural areas and see the state of repairs from the earthquake and recent hurricane. We will also visit some of the other rebuilding sites.
It should be noted, we will be a distance from the area most affected by the hurricane. Cholera should not be an issue. One can protect oneself by drinking bottled water, eating only fruit and vegetables that have been peeled and taking proper medication such as Dukarol and staying out of swampy areas. We will also connect with local Rotary clubs.
We plan on having local speakers who can help us learn more about Haiti. The quality and diversity will be in keeping with what we have done in previous trips.
In summary, we want people to get as much of the feel of Haiti as possible. We all know Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere.
Accommodation and Contact Information
Our hotel will be the Luxcomfort in Port au Prince. We will have double rooms with showers and air conditioning. There is a swimming pool. Some meals will be at the hotel, however, many will be in restaurants nearby. If you wish a single room, this will cost an additional $200. However, do not expect the food and restaurants to be the same level as in Cambodia.
Baggage and Costs
Each person is allowed 100 lbs in 2 bags. No bag can weigh more than 50 lbs. The cost of the trip will require a donation of $4,000. The above includes amounts for building supplies, cancellation and baggage insurance, meals, accommodation and transportation. It does not cover the separate weekend excursion, alcohol, out of country medical insurance, souveneirs and other personal expenses.
Note: while we hope you will not have to cancel, if you do cancel for health reasons, you will receive a refund of the full amount less $400.00 plus an airline cancellation fee.
If there are extra expenses because of alternate travelling arrangements, this will be for your account.
All cheques are to be sent to Julie Dunaiskis c/o ECC Group, 100 Simcoe St, Suite 110, Toronto, ON M5H 3G2. Please send in all cheques together, post-date accordingly and fill in the attached participant application form (using your full name as it appears on your passport) along with the waiver as soon as possible. EMMANUEL INTERNATIONAL will pay the airline and other expenses.
Note: We suggest you send in the form and money as soon as possible to guarantee a place on the trip. The $400.00 will hold your place. If you wish the tax receipt for 2016, please send in an additional amount. If there is an over-subscription, forms and money will be held. If there are cancellations, we will provide opportunities to go in order of receipt.
Changes and Separate Excursions
If you wish to make separate travel plans before or after, please review with Chris Snyder at (416) 364-0181 Ext. 2501, email snyder@eccgroup.ca or 905-990-1735. The cost of any changes are your expense. We will connect you with our travel agent if you wish. We are using Raptim, an organization used by Emmanuel that specializes in humanitarian travel.
Passports & Visas
You will need a passport that has an expiry date no less than 6 months after your scheduled departure from Haiti.
What to Bring
Your attitude is the most important thing to bring, however, once we have received your deposit, you will be sent a “what to bring” sheet as well as a wish list from several of the organizations.
Travelling Money
You will not need much money unless you wish to buy a number of souvenirs or travel separately afterwards. We will be visiting local markets. U.S. dollars are recommended. ATMs are available and credit cards may be used in Haiti in a few places but generally cash is best.
Participation
This is a trip in which everyone participates. Many activities will be group activities, however, it is recognized there is a need for individual space. It is not intended that anyone receives special treatment. We will be working alongside local people. The main focus will be to build, however, as indicated, we will provide opportunities at other jobs at the hospital, in the schools and other organizations.
The schedule is important. It will be necessary for everyone to be on time. It is not fair for one person to hold up the entire group. Meals, flights, tours and meetings need to operate on schedule. Please act with the entire group’s welfare in mind.
It should, though, be recognized things in Haiti do not always go as planned. Being flexible is a must.
Fundraising
We have found that friends and others wish to make donations to help with the building of the school. We will provide details at a later date. However, we will need to raise approximately $20,000 over and above our own donations. We will also bring other supplies such as clothes, sports equipment and school supplies. Details will be provided. Often it is better to buy these locally.
First Aid/Medical
Report any medical problems to the team leader immediately.
Remember, in a hot or tropical country the climate demands that you drink plenty of water whether you think you are thirsty or not. This will be provided for you on the job site.
Check with your family doctor to determine your personal needs for special medical precautions, shots, prescriptions, etc. Local travel clinics will advise on the specific needs. The big precautions are for Hepatitis A and B, influenza, Measles .I have had mixed comments on Malaria.
Dukarol is also recommended for stomach problems including cholera and an antibiotic such as Cipro is often recommended. You should also keep in mind this is a physical trip.
Your health is your responsibility as is out of country health coverage.
You should exercise great caution with the food. We sometimes have people who get sick.
Safety is always important. Always being aware of your surroundings is a good mantra.
Pre-Trip Meetings
Will be held in advance and we will be in touch to schedule.
In Summary
Anyone who has ever been on one of these trips knows how special they are. The camaraderie with others in the group and the local people for many is the best part of the trip. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Chris or visit our website makeanimpact.ca.
Regards,
J. Christopher Snyder, Coordinator, District 7070, 100 Simcoe St., Suite 110, Toronto M5H 3G2
- 416-364-0181 Ext. 2501
905 9901735
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Rotarians & Friends 2015 – Malawi Update
We now have dates in place for our next trip to Malawi. Our date of departure is Thursday, April 23, 2015 and leaving Blantyre Monday, May 11th, 2015. For those who cannot take the time, there is the option to leave Friday, May 8th. These dates could change.
Route
The route will be via Ethiopian Airlines direct to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia then on to Blantyre. We travelled via Ethiopian in the past. They are an excellent airline. Addis Ababa is a hub if you wish to make plans for a side trip before or after. The direct flight makes getting there much easier. If you wish to go on another date or another route, it may be possible to arrange.
Our Work
In partnership with Emmanuel International, we will be working mainly at the Mbidi School where we have worked in the past. Our focus will be on building new classrooms and refurbishing others but will also involve some teaching and considerable interaction with the children and teachers. Work will not be heavy and no one is asked to do more than they are capable of.
Mbidi is a school which now runs from Standard 1 – Standard 7. This was made possible because of the new classrooms and teachers’ facilities we funded. We also provided desks, books, chairs, mats for the children. The provision of new classrooms means students can stay at the school until Standard 8. This reduces the dropout rate considerably. Only about 35% of the children in Malawi complete primary school.
We will also likely be involved with Dignitas in their teen AIDS program as well as Emmanuel’s micro-credit and water programmes and some home-based care and other activities at Kachere. There will be plenty to do and you will have considerable involvement with the local people.
For details from our previous trip, check our website makeanimpact.ca. Click on blogs to view details. Also, see attached for a partial report on last year’s trip.
Other Activities
The first weekend, we will spend in the Zomba area – the second will be a trip which we will go to Mvuu Game Park. People in the past loved this trip. There are plenty of elephants, wart hogs, hippos and other wildlife. This will be extra and will cost approximately $350(subject to change).
We will also have local speakers. In the past, these have included senior people working in forestry, fisheries, education, water, agriculture and the environment. In the past, the District Commissioner, the senior political person in the district spoke to us. You will have considerable involvement with the local people. We plan to interact with the Limbe Rotary Club about 1 1/2 hours away and be part of some local water projects.
Accommodation and Contact Information
We will be staying in Zomba, a lush city on the edge of the Zomba Plateau. Zomba was the capital of Nyassaland when it was a British colony. Our hotel will be Annie’s Lodge where we stayed last time or we are considering changing to Peter’s Lodge. We will have double rooms with showers. Most meals will be at the hotel sometimes with the monkeys who frequent the area.
Baggage and Costs
Each person is allowed 100 lbs in 2 bags. No bag can weigh more than 50 lbs. The cost of the trip will require a donation of $4,600.00, however, in the event of increases in fuel prices, we reserve the right to increase the cost of the trip. The above includes amounts for building supplies, cancellation and baggage insurance. It does not cover the separate weekend excursion, alcohol, out of country medical insurance, souvenirs and other personal expenses.
Cheques need to be received as follows:
Cheques are to be made payable to EMMANUEL INTERNATIONAL
• $400.00 deposit with application(non-refundable)
• $2,200.00 dated January 3rd
• $2,000.00 dated March 1st ($1,850 if returning May 8th)
For those returning May 8th, the donation is $4,450.00.
• Note: while we hope you will not have to cancel, if you do cancel for health reasons, you will receive a refund of the full amount less $400.00 plus an airline cancellation fee.
• If there are extra expenses because of alternate travelling arrangements, this will be for your account.
All cheques are to be sent to Chris Snyder c/o ECC Group, 100 Simcoe St, Suite 110, Toronto, ON M5H 3G2. Please send in all cheques together, postdate accordingly and fill in the attached participant application form (using your full name as it appears on your passport) along with the waiver as soon as possible. EMMANUEL INTERNATIONAL will pay the airline and other expenses.
Note: We suggest you send in the form and money as soon as possible to guarantee a place on the trip. The $400.00 will hold your place. If there is an over subscription, forms and money will be held. If there are cancellations, we will provide opportunities to go in order of receipt.
Changes and Separate Excursions
If you wish to make separate travel plans before or after, please review with Chris Snyder at (416) 364-0181 Ext. 2501, email snyder@eccgroup.ca. The cost of any changes are your expense.
We will connect you with our travel agent if you wish.
Passports & Visas
You will need a passport that has an expiry date no less than 6 months after your scheduled departure from Malawi.
What to Bring
Your attitude is the most important thing to bring, however, once we have received your deposit, you will be sent a “what to bring” sheet as well as a wish list from several of the organizations.
Travelling Money
You will not need much money unless you wish to buy a number of souvenirs or travel separately afterwards. We will be visiting local markets. U.S. dollars or Euros are acceptable, however, we suggest you bring at least $350 US in cash. ATMs are available in Zomba but are temperamental. Credit cards may be used in Malawi in a few places but generally cash is best.
Participation
This is a trip in which everyone participates. Many activities will be group activities, however, it is recognized there is a need for individual space. It is not intended that anyone receives special treatment. We will be working alongside local people. The main focus will be to build, however, as indicated we will provide opportunities at other jobs at the hospital, in the schools and other organizations.
The schedule is important. It will be necessary for everyone to be on time. It is not fair for one person to hold up the entire group. Meals, flights, tours and meetings need to operate on schedule. Please act with the entire group’s welfare in mind.
It should, though, be recognized things in Africa do not always go as planned. Being flexible is a must.
Fundraising
We have found that friends and others wish to make donations to help with the building of the school. We will provide details at a later date. We will also bring other supplies such as clothes, sports equipment, school supplies. Details will be provided. Often it is better to buy these locally.
First Aid/Medical
Report any medical problems to the team leader immediately.
Remember, in a hot or tropical country the climate demands that you drink plenty of water whether you think you are thirsty or not. This will be provided for you on the job site.
Check with your family doctor to determine your personal needs for special medical precautions, shots, prescriptions, etc. Local travel clinics will advise on the specific needs. Malaria pills are mandatory. We also recommend Dukarol, which helps with stomach problems. Questions have been asked about the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. West Africa is a long distance away and Ebola is not currently a problem. We will notify you if there are changes. You should also keep in mind this is a physical trip.
Your health is your responsibility as is out of country health coverage.
You should exercise great caution with the food. We sometimes have people who get sick.
Reading and Websites
An Imperfect Offering – James Orbinski – co-founder of Dignitas, Past President of Doctors Without Borders(our Malawi trip will be working with Dignitas in Malawi)
The Bottom Billion – Paul Collier
Common Wealth – Jeffrey Sachs – a great book by one of the world’s foremost developing country economists.
Race Against Time – Stephen Lewis – about the AIDS pandemic and other poverty-related issues.
The White Nile – Alan Moorehead – stories of early explorations in Africa
28 – Stories of AIDS in Africa – by Stephanie Nolen. 28 stories representing 1
story per million people affected by AIDS in Africa. According to Stephen
Lewis, the best book ever written about AIDS.
Three Cups of Tea / Stones into Schools– Greg Mortenson – Greg grew up in Moshi, Tanzania however, he has spent the past 12 years building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan
The End of Poverty – Jeffrey Sachs
Creating a World Without Poverty – Muhammad Yunus(former Nobel Peace
Prize Winner)
One Half the Sky – Nicholass Kristoff and Catherine W Dunn – an excellent book focused on the empowerment of women
www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/7231.htm
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/malawi – general website of history, politics, demographics etc. of Malawi
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/zomba – general website about Zomba
Kaisernetwork@cme.kff.org – a regular update on AIDS activity
Pre-Trip Meetings
Will be held in advance and we will be in touch to schedule.
In Summary
Anyone who has ever been on one of these trips knows how special they are. The camaraderie with others in the group and the local people for many is the best part of the trip. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Chris or Rhonda or visit the website. makeanimpact.ca.
Regards,
J. Christopher Snyder
Coordinator, District 7070
100 Simcoe St., Suite 110
Toronto, ON M5H 3G2
416-364-0181 Ext. 2501
snyder@eccgroup.ca
Rhonda VanderLinde
Trip Leader
rvanderlinde@oshawa.ca
905-213-5107
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Due to a system failure, we lost our sweat equity database that we use to communicate regularly with people interested in sweat equity projects. If you would like to receive updates on future sweat equity trips or know someone who may be interested, please contact us and we will have your email added to our new database so you will be advised. Thanks and we look forward to having you join on one of our trips in 2015.
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Malawi 2015
We are looking to have a team go to Malawi in May 2015. Keep watching for updates later in 2014. The plan is to continue work on Mbidi School. We hope you will consider participating.
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Update – Malawi, Cambodia, Tanzania – Important Infomration
Malawi
The Malawi trip in partnership with Emmanuel International was a great success. Mbidi School now has a library, books, 4 new latrines and work stations for the teachers. (One year ago, they only had one chair in the school). As a result of last year’s new classrooms, there are now 13 teachers for 850 students up from 9 teachers for 700 students. It is expected there will be an influx of students as it is anticipated starting in Sept. the World Food Program will be supplying lunch for the children. They will need 2 more classrooms which we have agreed to fund. See the website makeanimpact.ca for more information.
Cambodia
There is still room on the first trip leaving November 10th and there could be possibly 1 or 2 spots on the second scheduled to leave Nov. 17th(a change from the 19th).
The trip done in partnership with the Canadian Landmine Foundation will be to finish off the classrooms for the vocational school so the school can start in January. This school will provide vocational training to many in the Siem Reap area including many landmine survivors.
The official opening is scheduled for November 25th when we are there.
Please see attached. If interested, please contact Julie Dunaiskis @ 416-364-0181 Ex. 2500 or julie@eccgroup.ca. See also the website makeanimpact.ca.
Tanzania
Attached is some information from Roger Hayward and David Green the Tanzanian co-ordinators.
The Tanzania project has expanded beyond the initial school building phase and now requires people to
1) Help inspect projects that have grown out of the initial building
2) Do some building in some rural medical clinics and
3) Several nurses to work in several rural medical clinics
It is very exciting to see the outgrowth of our initial work in all of these areas. This work touches the lives in many ways of many people. The percentage or people who return to continue this work is proof of the personal rewards those who go on these trips receive.
If you or anyone you know is interested, please contact Julie or Roger or myself.
Regards,
Chris Snyder
Co-ordinator, Rotary District 7070
Sweat Equity Teams
Attached are some photos from Cambodia of buildings 2 & 3. With the assistance of the Rotary Club of Toronto’s Centennial Grant money, the work is being completed. Well done! Stay tuned for further information on the upcoming sweat equity trips in November 2013. We hope you can join in and see these buildings up close.