It’s easy to think of Rotary clubs as service organizations in their local community, but Rotary’s global reach takes this concept and extends it to projects on a worldwide basis, benefiting people in places far removed from a club’s home turf. That’s the case for Columbia-Patuxent Rotary and one of its latest examples of international service to others.
In September 2022 the club initially donated $3,500 towards construction of a dedicated teachers staff room and work space at the St. Ursula Kalungu Primary School in Uganda under the auspices of the Assisi Centre for Peace and Justice. The new building, which took only a couple of months to complete, helped teachers feel that their school was complete.
For a second school-related project, Columbia-Patuxent partnered with 16 other US and Australian Rotary Clubs for the construction of 10 shower cubicles to be used by the 750 teenaged girls at the Kimaanya Secondary School in Uganda. This initiative was called Abigail's Project, named for the student who pushed for the much-needed hygiene facilities and developed the idea of requesting funding from Rotary.
On behalf of the Assisi Centre, Emily Nabakooza explained the need for showers as follows: “For a long time, mornings at BS Kimaanya Secondary School began in chaos, with students scrambling for a chance at the few available washing facilities. With so few bathrooms for so many learners, long lines tested patience and drained energy before the day even started. Those girls fortunate enough eventually secured their turn, but many faced a harsher reality like bathing in the open, where privacy was lost and hygiene compromised.”
Emily went on to say: “What should have been a simple daily routine became an exhausting struggle, leaving students weary before their first lesson. This Rotary-funded facility is more than just bathrooms. It is a space that reduces waiting times, improves hygiene, provides privacy and dignity, and restores confidence that empowers girls to start their day ready to learn."
International service is part and parcel of Rotary’s belief that fighting disease, providing clean water and sanitation, improving the health of mothers and children, supporting education and growing local economies builds optimal conditions for peaceful societies. Columbia-Patuxent Rotary is the largest and most active of the seven Rotary clubs in Howard County.
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