from The Rotary Club of Halifax North West
Welcome to the monthly newsletter from the Rotary Club of Halifax Northwest, where we share the club’s and Rotary’s news and activities with the communities we serve. In keeping with our aim to feature Rotary’s seven Areas of Focus, this issue highlights the Maternal and Child Health Area of Focus.
April is Rotary Maternal and Child Health Month. Our club has supported a couple of projects in recent years related to child health. Although these projects were focused on child education, rather than health, there is a correlation between education and health, in that the development of a child’s mind contributes to mental health. Children’s education also supports maternal health by relieving anxiety over providing for a child’s future independence.
In 2017 the Rotary Club of Halifax Northwest funded a project in support of a deaf children academy in Haiti. Although this project did not directly impact the children’s education, it addressed a problem which had been plaguing the actual operation of the school. Because of an unreliable electric grid system in Haiti, the school’s electric power was often interrupted for extended periods, causing spoilage of essential food supplies. The project funded a solar system which provided a steady power supply to the school’s refrigerated storage, thereby greatly improving the school’s precarious bottom line and fulfilling the children’s dietary needs.
In 2019 our club embarked on a multi-year project to fund a child’s education in Managua, Nicaragua, through Pathways to Progress, a Canadian charity with a mission to make good education available to bright Nicaraguan children living in poverty. We “adopted” a then 7-year old third grade girl named Katherine by committing to fund her education at the Instuto Loyola through to her graduation. The school is a private, well respected Jesuit school in the centre of Managua, where academic standards are high. Katherine describes herself as “smart and friendly, and a little bit shy”. What she likes most about school is her friends, P.E. and reading. Her favourite subjects are Language Arts and Literature, and she loves borrowing books from the school library. We couldn’t be more proud of Katherine, who maintains a 80% + average. For more information about Pathways to Progress Nicaragua and how to donate, go to www. p2pnicaragua.org
Our Rotary Club of Halifax Northwest welcomes everyone to explore community service with us! We pride ourselves on being diverse and inclusive – and we’re friendly! We currently meet in a hybrid format (virtually and in person subject to pandemic circumstances) every Tuesday from 1145 to 1 pm. at Freeman’s on Dutch Village Road in Fairview. For more information contact Roger Chiasson at rogerchiasson305@gmail.com or 782 234 9408.
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash
