Four Avenues of Service - International Service

International Service

2004-2005 Co-Chairspersons

Lora Simonsgaard - World Community Service   Herschel Berger - R.I. Foundation Programs

 In addition to the long list of pending grants submitted separately here is a brief description of some other related projects/events involving International Service:

Zambia: Our club sponsored 3 members and an honorary member to travel to Zambia for a variety of reasons.  Primarily for the official signing of a “Sister Club” agreement.  This will promote goodwill between our countries and was reciprocal for the Friendship Exchange we hosted of 2 Zambian Rotarians in recent years.  The team visited 3 different clubs in 3 different cities and 2 other clubs came to visit with them.  They did much Discovery work for use in choosing and assisting with future projects with Matching Grants.  The team also assisted with wheelchair assembly for distribution within their district. They have presented their program highlighting their visit to the Simi Sunset Club and to our club.  They were extremely well received. 

Sri Lanka:   Last year a club member brought a visiting Rotarian from Sri Lanka to a meeting and a relationship ensued.  We now have a club member communicating with the club there and putting together a team for a Discovery Trip to research helping them with a hospital project as well as a clean water project. Since the tsunami we have sent their club relief funds totaling $6,000 and started 3 MG’s for fishing boats and computers.

Chile: 2 MG’s from the Discovery Trip by 2 club members and a spouse earlier in 2004 to Puerto Montt, Chile.

Ecuador: ongoing projects from 2 members visiting, at their own expense, clubs and a Poverty Conference in Ecuador earlier in 2004.

Greece: 2 club members visited Greece, at their own expense, and we are awaiting reports as to if/what projects may ensue.

Ambassadorial Scholarship: We are presently in discussions with District 5240 officials and Rotarians in Chile to bring a Doctor to our area.  A Reverse Exchange.

India: 1 member traveled to India for NID in 2004 and again for NID in 2005

Poverty Conference: 1 member attended the San Diego “Educate the Girl Child”

Please see the pending grant report for other potential Discovery Grants & Travel

International presented 6 programs at the club meetings for better exposure and               communication with the club members and plans 1 more before the end of the year.

Please refer to the attached Grants List for the remainder of activity.

2003-2004 Co-Chairpersons

Ray Cruz - World Community Service    Lora Simonsgaard - R.I. Foundation Programs

Rotary International Foundation Programs

Centennial Project – A joint project with the Rotary Club of Simi Valley and the Rotary

Club of Simi Sunset is to refurbish and add lighting and American flags to the “Welcome

to Simi Valley” sign at the East entrance to our city.

New Project – We held a charity music concert featuring members of the band

“Chicago.” A pre-concert wine tasting was included. The purpose was to raise funds for

the District Wheelchair project. This event raised $10,000 plus an additional $5,000

contribution from the Rotary Club of Simi Valley.

New Project – We held a concert performance of the Music Man to kick off the 2005

Centennial Project. This joint project with the Rotary Club of Simi Valley and the Rotary

Club of Simi Sunset kicked off the 2005 Centennial Project raising $750.

New Project – We held a raffle drawing for a free one-week cruise as a Centennial

Project fundraiser with the Rotary Club of Simi Valley and the Rotary Club of Simi

Sunset. This raffle raised in excess of $15,000.

Lora Simonsgaard, Director Rotary Foundation Programs, attended the Poverty

Conference in San Diego.

Rotary Club of Simi Sunrise members Dick Strayer and Cesar Zambrano attended the

Project Conference in Ecuador.

Polio Plus – Rotary Club of Simi Sunrise members Peter Cicciari and Kjell Seeger

competed in a weight loss contest and asked Club members to make pledges to support

their efforts. This program delivered $5,013.25 to Polio Plus.

Sponsorship of Rotary Youth Exchange, sponsoring Maria Lucia Juliano, 17 year old,

student from Argentina.

Comments: see Super Club International Service Projects narrative 13

World Community Service

Chile 12 Postas  MG 53400 Approved

Chile 550 Wheelchairs MG 53010 Approved

Ecuador 550 Wheelchairs MG 53242 Approved

Zambia Wheelchairs MG51390 Shipped delivery scheduled for the end of June

Russia Densitometer MG 50898 Funded, equipment purchase underway

Peru Exam Room-Senior MG 50752 Funded March 2004

Mexico Fetal Heart Monitor MG Sponsor-Simi Sunset, result of our Discovery

Grant and Simi Sunrise $1,000 donation

India 550 Wheelchairs MG 52222 Project given to Simi Valley RC, Simi Sunrise

funded most of $5,000 recruitment

Other Activity – projects that were active this year

India-D3210 550

Wheelchairs

MG 23313 Approved September 2003

Peru Hydro Pool-Disabled MG 23739 Completed funding March 2004

Zimbabwe Malaria MG 16000 Completed January 2004

Guyana Malaria MG 14843 Very active, targeted to be complete June 2004

India Cataract Surgeries MG 23214 Funded, targeted to be complete in June 2004

India Cleft Pallets MG 23782 Funded November 2003, underway

Peru 550 Wheelchairs MG 23782 Shipped January 1, 2004, distribution underway

Zambia – Malaria None Money raised, major Centennial Project

underway

Chile – Individual Grants IG #50880 Three member traveled to Puerto Montt, Chile

We also have several other projects in the works but are not ready for a report. They include

wheelchairs to Egypt, India, Ghana and Guatemala, malaria in Africa, clean water in Ecuador

and Chili