News for August/September 2013

News from Jamaica

This is a dream come through, for years we have prayed for York Hill ECI to be blessed with computers. Thanks to you for taking up this challenge to give computers, especially to the early childhood institutions. The staff of this institution expresses our gratitude for the gift of five computers, tables, chairs and other goodies. We promise to use them to enhance and motivate the students in the school and those in the wider community. Keep up the good work, God bless you.

Staff members: Rosetta Drummond, Joan Beadle, Feonia Bentley and Pauline Bennett

The Sterling ECI would like to express their profound gratitude to the Rotary International community for the valuable gifts donated to us. These gifts will be of great assistance to the school. We will be able to expand and build on our students' development with these resources, in such a way that they will enjoy. The courtesies extended are highly appreciated and well look forward to your continued support.

Yours Truly,
Angela Williams-Dookie -(Principal)

News from Belize

Good day Mr. Mel,
I am happy hearing from you again. Well feel free to contact me when you come back to Belize in December. I will to assist you Mr. Mel. Right now the resource center is closed but as soon school opens, it will be in used again and the school children will have good use of it. Once more I am happy with the resource center you granted to our school.

Roberto Bobadillo - Village Chairman (Trinidad)

Making the Most of Each RCI Computer Donation

When RCI gets donated computers we go through a process that insures that each one sent is in working order at its final destination. We wipe the hard drive and then load it with business software and music. We check out each computer before it leaves our warehouse and at its final destination. For the past several months we have been trying to obtain free educational software to load onto each computer to better serve the communities we are supporting.

Can you help?
We need an individual, or a group to write a learning software package for children from age 2 to 8. This could be a great project for a class or an individual looking for a Masters project in early education. We will load all of our computers with the software the donated computers can be used to greatest advantage. Please contact Mel Honig; gailmel75@yahoo.com if interested in this project.

Donations

Funding Donations

Purchases

Presentations

Presidents' Councils

• Metropolitan Toledo
• Area 5 & 6

Rotary Clubs of

• Bucyrus
• Reynolds Corners
• Oak Harbor
• Sylvania

Mel Honig, Project Coordinator, gave a presentation at the Rotary Club of Bucyrus in early August. Trying to get as many Rotarians involved as possible presentations are not only given to Rotary Clubs, but also Interact Clubs and Presidents Councils. On the screen is shown a picture of our team and Orange Walk Rotarians during our last mission to Belize in December 2012. For our next mission we will return to Orange Walk to continue the work we started last year.

The Year Ahead

Originally it was planned to have two missions in fiscal year 2013-2014; one in December (Belize) and a second in March (Jamaica). This has been scaled back to one in March because we cannot get enough computers or children's books to fulfill the goals of each mission. Thus the December mission has been moved to March, with RCI planning to do two missions to Jamaica in fiscal year 2014-2015; one in September 2014 and a second during winter 2015.

Our need for computers and books is never ending and significant. To help meet the need for books we will be contacting the Interact Clubs of District 6600 and asking them to conduct drives to obtain educational books, games, toys, VHS tapes and sporting equipment. The Interact Clubs of Brookside (Avon/Avon Lake) Northview and Southview (Sylvania) and Edison High Schools (Milan) have conducted drives in the past and these have been most helpful in having educational materials sent to the schools and communities of Belize and Jamaica.

Shown are some of the items collected by the Edison High School Interact Club last spring. We need continued support from Interact Clubs to meet our goals.

Computers continue to be a commodity that we need. If you know of a source where we can obtain computers we will gladly pick them up. There is also a great need to develop an

Educational software package, something that is extremely expensive to purchase. We have been looking for an individual, or institution willing to develop a basic educational software package(s) for preschoolers up to grade 3.

We need the continued help of District Rotarians to help fill these important needs. If you know of the possibility of available computers or know someone who can help develop a software package please contact the RCI Project Coordinator, Mel Honig: gailmel75@yahoo.com or phone 419.843.4459.

Our budget, along with additional information about the work of RCI can be found at our website:
https://resourcecentersinternational.org/.

This year's budget represents one mission and partial costs related to the two missions we are planning for Jamaica in fiscal year 2014-2015.

Budget: 2013-2014

*Includes costs for Jamaica missions