Rotary in Uganda launches new giving platform
Rotarians in Uganda raised nearly Shs2.5 billion (USD645,000) in the year ending 30th June to support Rotary’s work in local communities all over the world.
This contribution maintains Uganda as the highest giving country in the region, second only to Nigeria in Africa, and among the world’s top 30 giving countries to The Rotary Foundation (TRF).
The Rotary Foundation uses this money to provide clean water and sanitation, support education, prevent and treat disease, save mothers and children, grow local economies, promote peace, and protect the environment.
Rotary International has set a target of growing the Foundation’s Endowment Fund to $2.025 billion by 2025. District 9213, which covers most of Uganda, in turn aims to raise a minimum of $700,000 to contribute to this global target.
In order to make giving easier and more convenient for more Rotarians, District Governor Anne Nkutu has today launched the 25 x 25 TRF Relay, a mobile money-based solution.
The new giving platform will complement other ways that Rotarians give to The Rotary Foundation, including direct card payments and collections from their clubs.
In Uganda, contributions to the Rotary Foundation have enabled clubs to implement community service projects in a number of areas, including provision of clean water and sanitation in remote communities and construction of classroom blocks and dormitories.
“Part of increasing the impact of our community service projects is ensuring that we have a strong resource base,” says District Governor Nkutu.
In the last Rotary year, clubs in District 9213 implemented projects worth more than Shs2 billion.
These life-changing projects are in addition to others that Rotary in Uganda has implemented over the years. For example, the Rotary Blood Bank at Mengo Hospital, has contributed significantly to addressing the challenge of blood shortage in the country.
The Rotary Cancer Run, which has been held annually for more than a dozen years, has not only raised awareness about the killer disease but also supported the construction of two bunkers at Nsambya Hospital, housing testing and treatment machines.
Uganda also implements the Rotary Family Health Days, a massive annual 1-3-day nationwide health campaign that provides comprehensive free healthcare services and referrals to thousands of citizens across communities in the country. The programme, which had served nearly a million Ugandans by the time the Covid-19 Pandemic struck in 2020, was a response to inadequate medical facilities and insufficient numbers of health workers in many communities.
Uganda also hosts a Rotary Peace Centre, the first in Africa, at Makerere University. These Centres train change-makers devoted to peacebuilding and conflict resolution.
“This Rotary year, we are going to consolidate, increase our impact and promote sustainability,” says District Governor Nkutu. “We want to build on what is already there, and encourage clubs to stay longer with the projects they are already working on so that we can increase our impact.”
About Rotary
Rotary unites a global network of volunteer leaders dedicated to tackling the world’s most pressing humanitarian challenges and creating lasting change. Rotary connects 1.4 million people of action from more than 46,000 Rotary clubs in almost every country in the world. Their service improves lives at both local and international levels. For more information, visit Rotary.org
About District 9213
District 9213 brings together a network of 4,708 Rotarians and 2,517 Rotaractors from 128 Rotary Clubs and 127 Rotaract Clubs in Uganda. For more information, visit https://portal.clubrunner.ca/50109
About District Governor Anne Nkutu
Ms. Nkutu is a charter member of the Rotary Club of Kampala-Naalya. She has served Rotary in different capacities at club, country, and district levels. Ms. Nkutu holds a B.A (Hons)Social Sciences from Makerere University and an M.A. (Econ) in Development Administration and Management from the University of Manchester. She is a gender and Monitoring & Evaluation consultant and has for the last 20 years provided advisory services to development agencies and civil society organisations on gender equality, women’s empowerment, social inclusion and programme management issues in different African countries.