The Rotary Club of Punta Gorda Belize and the Racine Wisconsin Founders Club team up to work on valuable projects for the Toledo District of Belize
By Jill Cotter
Rotary Club of Punta Gorda
Four years ago, the Racine Wisconsin Rotary Club heard about the work that the Rotary Club of Punta Gorda (PG) was doing in Belize and contacted the club to help them identify projects its club could work on in the area.
Members of the Racine club visited PG and met with various NGOs and government institutions to determine their first steps. The first major global grant project was the purchase of a five-part hematology analyzer and a coagulation analyzer for a hospital. The Racine Rotary Club is currently purchasing a sterilizer as well.
Racine has also reached out to the Hillside Clinic, a privately funded medical operation located about 10 miles from PG. Not only did the club fund a much-needed renovation of the sidewalks leading into the clinic, but they also donated medicines and supplies.
The club also met with the PG Fire Department’s chief, Chadwick Forman. Over the years, they have sent down fire hoses, bunker gear, a thermal image camera, a smoke fog machine, provided first aid training to the fire crew, and offered CPR training in several Mayan villages to enable villagers to keep patients alive until the arrival of the first responders. Racine has recently sent down a fire truck and compressor for the fire station.
Literacy experts are working with the Punta Gorda Ministry of Education on phonics materials to enhance the mandated phonics program used in all the primary schools, and funded the PG Library After School Reading Program for the year.
The total funds involved in all of these projects, including global grants, district funds, and rotary club donations, exceed $100,000 USD. The number of people impacted by these projects runs into the hundreds. We look forward to many more years of this collaboration.
