Littlehampton Rotary Club’s international fund-raising boost

Littlehampton Rotary Club was visited by Henni de Bruin and his wife Beth, members of the Rotary Club of Pietermaritzburg, in South Africa.

Local Rotary members have been working with the South African branch for the last five years, and at the meeting, last week, the Littlehampton branch donated £4,000 to Henni and Beth’s club’s projects, in Kwa Zulu Natal.

Littlehampton Rotarian Geoff Watts said: “Hennie outlined to members the scale of the problems faced in Natal, with more than 50 per cent of the African population having AIDS, a great deal of tuberculosis, and much poverty and hunger.

“The club was thanked for our two most recent projects, with the Hillcrest Club, the provision of toilet blocks and play equipment at three children’s day care centres, and with the Estcourt Club a programme to feed and clothe 200 AIDS orphans.”

Beth talked about a programme she runs to help local women, many of whom had been denied an education, improve their lives. The project has won an award from UNESCO: “By just teaching them how to read and do basic maths,” said Geoff, “their lives can be transformed.”

At the end of the meeting, club banners were exchanged.