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Photo Gallery
Partners in Ag. -- Haiti
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World Community Service Projects
World Community Service Projects sponsored by clubs in District 7750 are underway in multiple countries. The following projects are currently active:
Click here for the Photo Gallery -- see World Community Service Projects
Click here for a PowerPoint overview of these projects
Partners in Agriculture (PIA) Program
Haiti -- Central Plateau
  The program is completing its fourth year of operation. Starting with a leased barren plot of land measuring 40 acres, it was converted into a flourishing farm producing a variety of vegetables, fruits and grains. After preparing the soil for planting, mostly by hand, 14,000 bananas were planted, and seeds were used to produce food for the hospital and clinics in the region, and distributed on an as needed basis. The fields were irrigated either by flood or drip methods. In addition, local farmers have been helped with the supply of seeds, tools and education in sustainable agriculture practices.
 Last year a change in the program and types of planting took place to better focus on the crisis problem of Malnutrition among the children. Vegetables were practically eliminated and the fields used to make room for plantings of corn, peanuts and beans, all of which are key ingredients of three products used to eradicate malnutrition. A processing line was created to convert the produce into these products – Nourimil and Nourimanba, which at this time help to treat over 1500 children registered in the Malnutrition Program. The program will be expanded this year to treat 3000 children. As the demand is so great, 15 neighbors are now growing for PIA to increase the supply of peanuts. New crops are being sown such as soya beans, and trees for re-forestation, along with of a variety of fruit trees, are being grown from seed in the nursery of the farm.
 The newest development working hand in hand with the Malnutrition is the Family Assistance program. Families with children in the Malnutrition program are being helped to improve their situation with advice from Agriculture Agents, supplies of tools, grains, fruit trees and the gift of a goat. Grain and a kid after the first harvest and ‘drop’ will be returned to the program to further aid more families.
Rotary clubs in District 7750 have been supportive of the program from the start. They have provided funds for irrigation equipment, pumps, seeds and equipment for the processing of the grains going into the baby formula - about $75,000 to this time with another $75,000 each year needed in the next three years.
 Partners in Agriculture is a subsidiary of Partners in Health, a 501C3 trust, but run separately.
PIA has begun purchasing farm land alongside the leased land in order to establish a long term sustainable agriculture program, as well as an Agriculture college for the education and training of residents in trades such as farming, electricity, water, welding, mechanics and allied trades. Some 16 acres have so far been purchased.
A lot has been accomplished but a lot needs to be accomplished. With the help of Rotary and other organizations and individuals we will continue to make a difference.
 District 7750 Clubs participating in this project are: Greater Greer, Fair Play, North Greenville, Pleasantburg, Aiken South, Aiken Breakfast, Greenville, Golden Strip Sunrise, and Greenwood.
A video of the PIA project was completed in May 07 and is available to present to 7750 Clubs should they wish to see what is being accomplished.
Engineers Without Borders
El Salvador
The Clemson University chapter of Engineers Without Borders-USA (EWB-USA) has been asked by the Foundation for Self-Sufficiency in Central America (FSSCA) to assist a local peasant organization in El Salvador with three projects to better the lives of 86 local communities that comprise the cooperative. In order of priority, the chapter has been asked to assist the NGO in:
- Assessing the feasibility of providing clean drinking water to communities on El Salvador’s southern peninsula, the largest community of which is Isla Mendez,
- Providing solar power needs to power the organization’s computers and radio station during frequent electrical disruptions, and
- Providing water and septic infrastructure to a rural (eco-) tourism project on the Bay of Jiquilisco near Isla Mendez. More.....
These needs represent a commitment of 3 to 5 years between the teaming organizations, which also include the Yale School of Public Health.
Students and faculty from Clemson are expected to travel to El Salvador in Spring 2008 (during the students’ spring break) to do an initial site assessment trip, gather data and information, and begin implementation on various aspects of these projects.
Projected timeline:
Spring 2008
Spring-Summer 2009
Spring-Summer 2010
Spring-Summer 2011
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Site assessment trip
Implementation Trip 1
Implementation Trip 2
Implementation Trip 3 |
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