In March 2024 Canterbury Sunrise Rotary, with whom we have a close association, having met one of their members on a Polio Immunisation trip to India, set about applying for a Global Grant to assist farming in this area of Zambia. They worked in conjunction with an organisation – The High Five Club – based locally, and the Rotary Club of Mfuwe.
The project cost $85,000, which was raised through donations from Canterbury Sunrise, together with other Rotary Clubs, their District, as well as their own twin club in Aachen and their District, ourselves and our District. Our involvement was interesting as I had approached their then president for help with Thomas’s scholarship. I was advised that because he had started this Zambian project he might be responsible for any shortfall, so was unable to commit.
Their Global Grant expert then asked me if I knew if our District had any spare District Designated Funds, as it was May and near the end of the Rotary year. I found out through District contacts that they did. They released £2,000 for the project on the understanding Winchester did the same. A combination of money from the International team and Rotarians privately, funded this and in return Thomas’s fund also received a generous donation from Canterbury Sunrise – a “win-win” situation.
The project involved purchasing and securing modern farm machinery, training farmers to use the machinery, providing a source of seeds, securing protection against elephant destruction of crops, training children in the importance of protecting the environment, ensuring long term sustainability.
These projects have benefited 20,000 people who now have enough to eat all year round – this works out at $4 per head! More details can be found attached.
We have just received notification that all reporting has been done and Rotary International have signed off all the Global Grant as at May 2025.
Nick Bell