The Orphan Train Project began in 1997. Over the years, children’s lives in as many as thirteen countries have been enhanced by the generosity of many organizations across the United States and elsewhere.  While exact numbers are not recorded, these schools, churches, businesses and other groups and individuals have contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars and countless volunteer hours here and abroad in helping children who, through no fault of their own, have been orphaned, abandoned, neglected and institutionalized. During this same period of time, at least 25 people who work with orphanages across the globe have had the benefit of training at Mooseheart and seeing other childcare models in Wisconsin and elsewhere. With the assistance and generosity of Mooseheart personnel, we have held three short courses in their model of care in Bulgaria, Romania and Tanzania during the time of our existence.  In those short courses, a combined total exceeding 80 people have been given new tools to assist them in their work with children. In the years since we began, I would estimate that 30 or more groups have traveled to other countries to seek information and assist the orphanages of their choice.

We can’t say enough about Sustainable Engineering, led by our Rotary President Svein Morner.  Thanks to Svein and his team (as well as one of their former employees), the homes at Ilakov Rut, Bulgaria have received amounts of $3900 and $4000 in the past two years alone.  Actually, substantial donations by the Sustainable team have been happening for several years.  Helping implement the annual gifts to the homes in Ilakov Rut are long-time intermediary Mitko Nenkov and the Rotary Club and Rotaract Club of Svishtov, Bulgaria, who generously give of time and treasure as well.

St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Parish in Madison, Wisconsin regularly budgets about $5000 per year for their orphanage in Tanzania called Mgolole. While I don’t recall the exact number of the years, St. Thomas Aquinas has been an Orphan Train Project “conductor” I would estimate it has been at least ten years. With the benefit of the donations, infants and toddlers have access to milk on a regular basis (something volunteer Jeannine Desautels recommended many years ago).  Other benefits have included HIV/AIDS testing, furniture, books etc. Over the years, members and non-members of the parish have traveled to Tanzania on an annual basis, working at the home.   At different times, members of the Rotary Club of Madison West Towne-Middleton have been amongst the volunteers, including Cora Holloway, Jeannine and Ray Holloway. Cora Holloway has gone to Tanzania for several years in a row, each time spending several weeks volunteering there. One of her most recent visits was for seven weeks.   

 

 

St. Maria Goretti School of Madison, Wisconsin has been an Orphan Train conductor, on a consistent basis, longer than any other organization. St. Maria Goretti has been with us since the beginning. During that time they have had three different principals.  St. Maria Goretti’s children started by supporting a Bulgarian orphanage for two or three years, only to see the home closed by the Bulgarian government.  From there, St. Maria Goretti’s generosity moved on to assist Santa Maria de Jesus in Guatemala.  While I don’t have exact numbers for all those years, I know that St. Maria Goretti has contributed in excess of $40,000 to assist their foreign friends.  Recently, I was told by the principal that the children had raised $4000 (not a precise number, at the time given) in this past school year’s collections and fund raisers.  Last year, St. Maria Goretti School sent our foundation a check for $6397.86 (representing two years of fundraising) with the suggested use being assistance to Santa Maria de Jesus. Our board accepted that proposition, and we used $5850 in combination with another $5000 Rotary District Grant to build a solar system for the orphanage. According to reports, the home is receiving significant savings in energy costs since the installation. $547.86 of that donation remains to be distributed by our foundation. We recently learned that the nuns who ran Santa Maria de Jesus have left the home, and a new group has taken over management of the home. St. Maria Goretti has been told of this change. We will be discussing with them their future course of action.

The Rotary Club of Marshfield Sunrise, for the past ten years or so, has been sending the orphanage in Gotse Delchev, Bulgaria $500 for Christmas gifts. For awhile, they sent shoe boxes of gifts to individual children. However, with children coming and going from the orphanage and customs problems, they no longer send individual boxes. In 2013, three club members traveled to their orphanage. It was reportedly a very special experience for the club members. This club has been a loyal Orphan Train conductor for many years.

St. Jerome School in Columbus, Wisconsin recently donated $643.00 from their Halloween Blast to the children of Divina Providencia Orphanage in Costa Rica. The school had been a conductor for an orphanage in Bulgaria, which has now closed. St. Jerome also hosted an exhibit of our Orphan Train Art Contest, featuring artwork of institutionalized children from around the world.

Madison West Kiwanis for several years made donations to Pillco Mozo orphanage in Peru. I recall the last one being $500 a year or two ago. The club’s situation has changed, and so near term contributions are unlikely. Also, Sister Mary Ann Leininger, the director and long time intermediary of the Orphan Train Project has returned to the States from Peru, after 40 plus years, to be part of the management team of her religious order. 

The Rotary Club of Crystal City-Pentagon in Virginia is involved with an orphan outreach program in Uganda, known as by the acronym E.D.A.P.O. Members of the club have traveled there and spent money on efforts involving the orphans and other projects. Our contact is Rotarian Eric Barr, a retired Army Colonel, who is very dedicated to helping the Ugandan children. I had the opportunity to meet with Eric personally while on a trip to Washington D.C. last fall. Working with Mooseheart, we had planned on having Mooseheart representatives put on a short course in Uganda. However, those plans fell through, as the teachers in Uganda went on strike.  Eric has also successfully worked at getting other groups involved in Uganda. Our efforts at bringing the director of the orphan operation to the States for training at Mooseheart, as part of our Glenn Koepp Scholars program, also fell through in the last couple years

 

 

because the U.S. would not grant a passport. At one point the Rotary Club of Crystal City-Pentagon was considering applying for a Rotary matching grant. I haven’t heard about results yet.

The Rotary Club of Fitchburg-Verona has an annual wine and cheese tasting event, which brings in about $1500 each year. This money goes toward their support of a Peruvian orphanage known as Casa Hogar María Teresa Cámera. This is a very small club with a big heart!

The UW Rotaract Club et al (led by former MWTM Rotarian Rachelle Richardson) has been a long time conductor group. The Mashambanzou orphan outreach program in Zimbabwe, operated by the Little Company of Mary Sisters, received a total donation of $3769.62 in December, 2013. This group has annually raised money for this program by wine sales. In addition to Rotaract and Rachelle, others involved are the Tyson/VanHout group, Rotary of Madison Wine Fellowship, and several donors and wine buyers.  

 

The Rotary Club of Madison West Towne-Middleton was a conductor organization for the Guatemalan Orphanage known as Luis Amigo at Quetzaltenango. It was the opinion of the Orphan Train committee that we should move on to another orphanage because the home appeared to be doing very well. We chose to work with the South African Orphanage known as T.L.C.in South Africa.  We have worked with this orphanage in the past, having linked them to the Rotary Club of Pittsburgh East (PA). However, that club has not been involved for a number of years. Our first donation of $2500 will pay for the schooling of two young high school girls. Their names are Amy and Khensani. HIV/AIDS of parents or children is what brings many of the children to T.L.C.

The Orphan Train Project Art Contest held in 2013 brought in more than 200 pieces of art from 16 orphanages around the world. We held three exhibits and produced a set of cards for sale, using the artwork of the children. We awarded 21 medals and a certificate to those whose work was especially honored. This was a fantastic success in terms of raising awareness. It was well received by the participating orphanages. The idea was the suggestion of Mary Van Hout.

Matching Grant: We were fortunate to get a matching grant, mentioned elsewhere in this report, for solar panels at Santa Maria de Jesus in Guatemala.  This is reportedly saving significant dollars for the orphanage. Life is better for the little girls who call this orphanage home, thanks to the generosity of Rotary and others, who put service above self.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Edward J. Fink

Orphan Train Project-Chairman 

We should be promoting Outbound Youth Exchange.

 

Our club is NOT sending any students out this year.  We need to encourage and increase awareness of our Outbound exchange program.  It is THE BEST high school exchange program in the world.  If you know of any high school student between the ages of 15-18, that might be interested in living abroad for one year, please forward this flyer to them.

 

SUMMARY PRESENTED BY TONI PABON:

 

The Board of Directors met this morning and here are some updates from the meeting:

Have a great week!

 

If you are involved with a service project AND have approve expenses related to the project, please complete a check request form for reimbursement before the end of June.  We want to capture all the costs associated with our projects in this Rotary Year 2013-14.  The fiscal year closes June 30, 2014.