Shelter Box
The ShelterBox Trust was founded by Rotary clubs in the UK. The goal of the trust is to provide emergency aid to regions of the world that have been affected by disasters, both natural and man-made. This is accomplished by assembling boxes containing temporary shelters and enough emergency supplies for a family of up to 10 people for six months. Since the program was started, The ShelterBox Trust has distributed aid to more than 500,000 people in more than 40 countries.
Rotaract of Howard County has been raising funds from a variety of sources for some time. When the shelter box program was brought to our attention, we immediately decided that it was an ideal cause to contribute raised funds. In May 2008, our Rotaract club donated the funds for a shelter box. This box was sent to the Sichuan Province in China to help earthquake victims. Since then, we have donated two additional shelter boxes that have been sent to the Democratic Republic of Congo to assist with those displaced by war and to Haiti following the devastating earthquake in 2009.
For more information, visit the ShelterBox web site.
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Sierra Leone School Project
Howard County Rotaract is a proud sponsor of a primary school in Sierra Leone, West Africa. The school has faced unimaginable hardships over the years and we wanted to be able to help the students reach their academic potential. Along with our parent club, the Columbia Rotary, we raised $450 in 2010 to purchase much needed supplies for the school. We delivered the funds to the school's head teacher while she was visiting the United States.
About the School
The June Hartranft Memorial Primary School for Girls was opened in 1968 in rural Moyamba, Sierra Leone, West Africa. The school continued to grow until the country erupted into a violent civil war. When the rebels reached Moyamba in 1995, they looted items such as beds, school supplies, and furniture as well as damaged major parts of the school’s structures. School supplies and textbooks were thrown into wells. The school, which once had running water, was reduced to almost nothing.
Leaving their possessions behind, the students fled into an orchard where they sought refuge until they were brought to the capital city of Freetown. For the next seven years, classes were held in garages so that the girls’ education would not be interrupted.
When it was safe to return to Moyamba in 2002, the teachers and students had to start over at the school after it had been destroyed by rebels. Despite these incredible hardships, this free public school continues to welcome almost 400 students from all backgrounds each year.
If you are interested in supporting the school, contact Jennifer Carr at jnc5000@gmail.com.
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