Our International Programs

Our INTERNATIONAL projects.
.........creating positive change & enriching lives in the international community.

The Rotary Club of Bacchus Marsh reaches far beyond our shores with relief programs and donations to assist people in need from Asia, Africa and to the Pacific Islands. Whether it be emergency disaster relief or providing funds for orphaned children’s education or developing village infrastructure, our club is committed to helping our International neighbours.

Our other International programs include an International Youth Exchange, read about this in the Youth section.

Current INTERNATIONAL projects.

Yen Luat, Vietnam, PHU THO PROVINCE, Vietnam (our long term project).
September 2014 to NOW
After meeting with local officials in Hanoi, Vietnam, in September 2014, an interim report was prepared outlining the needs of a small village of 3500 poor subsistence farmers on the Red River, Yen Luat, North Vietnam. As there is no Rotary International presence in Vietnam, we have established links with the NGO Overseas Kids Foundation (OKF) in Hanoi and ably assisted by the Rotary Club of Balwyn North to provide support to this community.

Three major areas of support were identified:
Education, Infrastructure and Subsistence Income enterprises.

Our Yen Luat Timeline:

September 2014:

Due to the poor state of the Health Clinic, funds for a new vaccine/medicine fridge.
Kindergarten-blankets and bedding for the approaching winter.
Kindergarten & Primary School- toys, books and sporting equipment for the children.

2015:

Health Clinic- With the imminent wet season, funds for repairs of the Clinic’s leaking roof, water affected walls and electrical repairs.
Health Clinic- funds for completion of two "western" style toilets.
Child Education Sponsorship- the Rotary Club of Bacchus Marsh’s main emphasis to date in Yen Luat is the establishment of a “pilot” Child Sponsorship and Education program for the needy and/or orphaned children. Over 100 children can't attend school due to poverty, leaving little or no opportunity for education.
For AUD$45 per month, our Child Sponsorship program helps support both the child and family, by allowing the child to attend school, provide books and educational equipment and providing a nutritional source of food for the whole family.
Kindergarten- we assisted in the replacement of the leaking Yen Luat Kindergarden roof.

September- International Chair, Scott Pepin and fellow Rotarian, Lita Foot visited our “adopted” village of Yen Luat to identify further community needs
Primary & Secondary School- Our club provided lap top computers for both the primary and secondary schools. These were donated by Bacchus Marsh Grammar, and Windows software provide by Rotary’s Donations in Kind (D.I.K.)
Primary & Secondary School- Our club also provided sporting balls donated by Australian charity, Footy’s 4 All. Soccer balls, netballs and even AFL footballs were given to the children which were received with great delight.
Health Clinic- Our club provided a lap top computers for the clinic. These were donated by Bacchus Marsh Grammar, and Windows software provide by Rotary’s Donations in Kind (D.I.K.)
Community- an extensive range of reading glasses were provided for elderly population.

Child Education and Sponsorship Program- the children were presented with gifts and hygiene care packages. The highlight of the tour was to see the smiles of the children who many of our club members sponsor. Pleasingly since the start of our sponsor program a 100% school attendance and great improvements in their nutritional status have been achieved.

If you are interested in sponsoring a child, providing them with the only chance of an education, please contact our International Chair, Scott Pepin or Club secretary.
The sponsor children were then taken to a nearby town where they were presented with new bicycles provided by their sponsors. Smiles, laughter and tears-life changing gifts!

2016:

Health Clinic- provision of medical grade mattresses, bedding and blankets.
Health Clinic- purchase of a dry steam steriliser and oxygenation unit.
Primary & Secondary School- our club partnered with both schools to provide funds to establish two purpose English teaching classrooms for online English lessons. Locally made classroom furniture, lap tops, webcams and audiovisual equipment were provided in anticipation for online English classes to commence in 2017.
Secondary School- Future community project feasibility scoping to build a new toilet block facility for the Senior School, which will also provide fresh potable water for drinking and personal hygiene.
Community- Future community project feasibility scoping to establish four Moringa tree gardens. This project aims to provide nutritional supplementation especially for the children, and potentially a subsistence income enterprise source.

2017:

Primary & Secondary School- online English classes sponsored by our club, tuition provided by Filipino teachers liaising with local Vietnamese English teachers. Start date-March.
Rotary Bacchus Marsh teaming up with other regional Rotary Clubs of Melton, Melton Valley and Caroline Springs to provide funds to cultivate and grow the fast growing, deciduous Moringa Oliefera trees. Over 2000 seedlings have been planted. Every part of these trees can be used in cooking and traditional medicine to provide nutritional benefits to this subsistence farming community.

2018:

August-International Chair, Scott Pepin visited our “adopted” village of Yen Luat to reunite with the sponsor children, give gifts, monitor progress of the Moringa tree project, English teaching project and identify further community needs.
To scope the building of a new Secondary school toilet amenity block. (See above photo). Currently, 220 teenage boys and girls and 20 staff share this "toileting area", four 1.2 metre high walls, divided into two sections, with no sewerage connection..........urinating only!! The Rotary Club of Bacchus Marsh is here to help!

Ongoing INTERNATIONAL programs and commitments.

SCHOOL OF St. JUDE, Arusha, Tanzania, 2014-2022.
Our international commitment on the African continent extends to our long term relationship with the students and teachers of the School of St. Judes, Tanzania.
Over $1000.00 per year is donated to the school to provide employment and housing to an essential teacher.
Several of our members have visited the school, reporting back to our club the valuable work this teacher contributes to the education of these needy kids.

ROTARY OCEANIA MEDICAL AID for CHILDREN (ROMAC), 2022.
ROMAC is a Rotary program assisted by many eminent Australian and New Zealand surgeons who generously donate their time free for the treatment of children from more the 20 developing countries with urgent medical treatment that has given them new hope. Bacchus Marsh Rotary is a ROMAC partner!

INTERPLAST, 2022.
Interplast sends teams of volunteer plastic and reconstructive surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and allied health professionals to provide life changing surgery and medical training in 17 countries across the Asia Pacific region. Bacchus Marsh Rotary is an INTERPLAST partner!

Past INTERNATIONAL projects.

Community Health Unit, Nepal, 2021/22
We joined with a consortium of international Rotary clubs to build community health unit in Nepal. We are happy to report that this was successfully completed in March 2022.

The Natalia Project, Jayapura, West Papua, Indonesia, 2018.
Natalia Asparay is 25 years old and lives in jayapura. She suffers from the highly disfiguring condition, Neurofibromatosis and has done since the age of three when lumps started to appear on her body.
Our club, along with many others around Australia have teamed up with the Rotary Club of Strathdale and their twin club, Rotary Club of Phnom Penh, Cambodia to assist with Natalia's condition. This involves multiple trips to Australia for tests, therapy and surgery.

TROPICAL CYCLONE PAM, Vanuatu- March 2015, NEPAL EARTHQUAKE RESPONSE, Nepal- April 2015
In response to devastating natural disasters, our club has recently established a protocol to provide rapid emergency relief and funds for the victims of these disasters. The Rotary Club of Bacchus Marsh’s donation of $5000.00 to Disaster Aid Australia provided “Family Survival Packs” to many affected families. Filled with blankets,water containers, cooking utensils, a stove, pots, pans, children’s books and pencils, mosquito nets, and most importantly , the “Disaster Aid” tent which is the largest humanitarian interconnect-able aid tent available.
Our contribution is helping rebuild broken lives in the Pacific and Nepal.
Special thanks to our visitors from Rotary Club of Fleetwood, UK, who “dug-deep” to purchase an extra “Family Survival Pack”.

FOUR WINDS ORPHANAGE, Cambodia, 2014
Our clubs continues our long term commitment to these orphaned children in Cambodia.

EBOLA VIRUS- Bo Children’s Hospital, Sierra Leone- September 2014
With the recent advent of the highly contagious Ebola Virus throughout Sierra Leone and neighbouring countries, RAWCS (Rotary Australia World Community Service) sought assistance of Rotary clubs throughout Australia to assist with the building and extension of the quarantine and isolation wards of the Bo Children’s Hospital in Sierra Leone.
Our club sensed the immediate need of the children of Bo, Sierra Leone, providing $1000.00 to help start this urgent situation.

OAKTREE FOUNDATION, 2014
The Oaktree Foundation is an organisation run by today’s youth to help those around the world who are living and experiencing extreme poverty every day.
Our club was delighted to assist by donating $250.00 to this worthy cause.

KAMPUS DIAKONIA MODERN (KDM), Pondek Gede, Jakarta, Indonesia-May/June 2014.
After being approached by an Australian overseas volunteer aid worker teaching “street kids” in Jakarta requesting funds for educational equipment, our club felt compelled to assist with the educational, physical and emotional out comes of these needy children. As KDM had no formal relationship with Rotary here or in Indonesia, our club sought out a partner-club in Jakarta, being the Rotary Club of Jakarta-Cilandak.
Funds were provided to purchase yoga mats, which were used during yoga sessions to help relieve physical, mental and social issues experienced by these “street kids” to promote positive educational outcomes.

TYPHOON HAIYAN, Philippines- November 2013.
Following the devastating super cyclone which devastated the Leyte region of the Central Philippines, our club reacted immediately to provide emergency relief funds to Disaster Aid Australia.
Our contribution of $5000.00 allowed for the purchase of “disaster shelter boxes” which were deployed rapidly to give relief to storm survivors.