The Rotary Club of Vernon and the Zimbabwe Project Society (ZPS) have teamed up to help approximately 7,600 school children in rural areas of Zimbabwe by putting in 25 libraries complete with books, bookshelves, tables and chairs.
Training of librarians will also be provided so that the investment can reach its full value to the local villages.
Cost of this project will be around USD$98,000.
The original needs were assessed by members of the Zimbabwe Project who were overseeing other projects already completed.
Executive director Angela Yablonski took the idea of a Rotary Global Grant to Gary Soles and Derek Hall, who wrote the grant which was originally started with $16,000 raised at a dinner/auction held in Kamloops.
The money was added to by the local District 5060 and the Canadian Government, then sent to Rotary International outside Chicago.
A cheque came back to Vernon Rotary for USD$98,000 and the project began.
One of the Zimbabwe members of Angela’s team, Peter Maguwu is also a member of the Harare City Rotary Club in the country’s capital.
He has been the liaison between the two Rotary clubs and ZPS, as well as the person who has overseen the quality and quantity of the products produced and delivered to rural Zimbabweans.
This project will not only help the children of Zimbabwe but also some local suppliers, delivery companies and educators, keeping all the money within the borders of the country.
If you are philanthropically minded and volunteering with either the Rotary Club of Vernon or the Zimbabwe Project Society is of interest, please check out these websites and reach out, the rewards are life-changing.
Trips to Africa to see the project are also available starting in spring 2022.
For more information visit zimbabweproject.com or rotary.org.
READ MORE: Mounties deliver breakfast to Vernon schools
READ MORE: Notorious Lake Country hotel sells
@VernonNewsnewsroom@vernonmorningstar.comLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
