International Service Project

Sometimes the impact of Rotary is best measured not in dollars, but in lives changed.

In early December, the Rotary Club of Sydney Sunrise awarded a CAD $10,000 District Grant to support a school serving children in a refugee settlement in Uganda. The project is being implemented in partnership with African Initiatives for Change (AIC), with the Rotary Club of Kiwatule (Uganda) providing local oversight and progress monitoring. Implementation began at the start of the school term in December and is expected to be completed early in the new term beginning in February. 
 
Ask yourselves why you and your club might want to get more involved in International Service Projects. Some suggestions follow AIC’s Report.

Please enjoy reading the (AIC) report in 'read more'.
AIC’s FIRST REPORT
 
WE BEGAN OUR DREAM PROJECT: NEW HORIZON FOR REFUGEE ORPHANS.
@African Initiatives for Change - AIC
@Rotary Club Kiwatule of Uganda
@Rotary Club Sydney Sunrise
@Hope of the Nation Primary and Nursery School
 
And we shall not stop here; every child deserves an education, every child matters.
 
We express our deepest appreciation to the Rotary Club of Sydney Sunrise and the Rotary Club Kiwatule of Uganda, and all other contributors whose commitment and generosity made this project a reality.
 
Refugees never made that choice. Yet today, you still have the chance to shape a life that lost its direction and give it purpose again.
 
Last Thursday, we officially launched our new project, “New Horizons for Refugee Orphans.” Through this initiative, dozens of refugee children now have access to education through a full two-year scholarship, covering everything they need to stay and succeed in school. I personally can’t hold back my tears knowing that this is now a reality 🥹.
 
 
 
We love the Rotary Club of Sydney Sunrise. Through their YOU, 65 refugee children now have access to education. They have truly changed our lives. 
 
 
 
Emmanuel Mukarandimu
Founder of AIC
Hope of Nation Primary and Nursery
 
_________________________
 

Why Get Involved in International Service Projects?

Rotarians engage in international service because it is central to Rotary’s mission of Service Above Self and to advancing international understanding, goodwill, and peace.

Core Motivations

  • A desire to build peace and cross-cultural understanding by working alongside clubs and communities in other countries
  • A commitment to addressing global humanitarian needs—such as health care, hunger, poverty, illiteracy, clean water, and environmental sustainability—beyond what can be achieved at the local level

Personal and Club-Level Benefits

  • Personal fulfillment: Members experience a deep sense of purpose and satisfaction when they see lives changed in communities around the world
  • Professional and relational growth: International projects strengthen Rotary’s global fellowship, expanding networks, skills, and perspectives
  • Greater impact: By pooling resources through The Rotary Foundation and leveraging District and Global Grants, clubs can support larger, more sustainable projects than they could accomplish alone