By: Bill Dunn, Member, District International Service Committee, Yarmouth RC
On October 12 about 25 Rotarians, Rotaractors and others participated in the latest International Café via Zoom. The first session was on International Youth Exchange, of which there are two flavors: year-long and summer. Antonio Soriano Lujon from Spain described his year-long stay in Maine, sponsored by the Portland RC. Then Remick Matty described his summer exchange to India, sponsored by the Kittery RC. If your Club would like to participate in either type of Youth Exchange, contact Kathi Perkins of the Westbrook-Gorham RC at kperkins1@myfairpoint.net.
Next Carol Marcotte of the Caso Bay Sunset RC introduced Harshil Patel, President of the University of New England (UNE) Rotaract Club. Harshil introduced other officers of the Club and presented information on the Club’s activities, including an upcoming trip to Poland. Eight Rotaractors are expected to make the Poland trip in mid-March 2025. They will be helping the ARK project upgrading facilities to assist young people suffering from various addictions, including a group of Ukrainian refugees with hearing and speech challenges currently living in those facilities. Peggy Belanger offered to provide a support letter from the District for the students to use with UNE administration.
DGE Emma Bodwell of the Bridgton-Lake Region RC described Project Fairs in general and then showed a video of an upcoming Project Fair in Medellín, Colombia. She indicated that as part of the trip to that Project Fair in 2025, they will visit an aquaponics project that resulted from a previous Project Fair.
Emma also described the International Outreach to the Philippines that will take place early next year. She said that information on the trip and an application to participate is available to all District Rotarians. It is a fillable google doc found at:
Anyone with specific questions should reach out to Emma directly at ebodwell@icloud.com, referencing "District 7780 International Outreach" in the memo line.
For access to the recording of this café, contact Bill Dunn at wdunn@sunsetpoint.biz.