What happens when your international project falls through because the government won't accept your assistance? You don't give up, you pivot! Read about this huge success story built on perseverance!
Rotary and Interact Clubs of the surrounding La Crosse area began planning a clean water project in Nicaragua in late 2023 and raised just over $41,000.
In late 2024, the Nicaraguan government revoked the legal status of many nonprofit organizations, including the Rotary Club of Matagalpa, the project’s partner club.
The La Crosse area clubs pivoted and partnered with the Rotary Club of Milwaukee to support ongoing and planned water projects in Guatemala.
Reallocated funds, along with District Designated Funds and World Fund matching, totaled $123,000.
Water systems supplied 720 homes and 5,000 people in rural Guatemala with clean water.
A group of La Crosse Area Rotary Clubs started planning a clean water project for Nicaragua in late 2023. The Rotary Clubs of La Crosse, La Crosse East, La Crosse After Hours, Holmen, La Crescent and Caledonia raised just over $41,000. As the group was preparing to submit their Global Grant application in late 2024, the Nicaraguan government revoked the legal status of 1,650 nonprofit organizations. The closures included the Rotary Club of Matagalpa, the partner and host club for the proposed project.
The group of La Crosse area clubs pivoted and connected with the Rotary Club of Milwaukee, which had ongoing and upcoming water projects in Guatemala. The reallocation of cash, plus the associated District Designated Fund and World Fund matching, ended up being $123,000. That sum covered the last ⅓ of the funding needed for three projects that were in the planning stages. The contributions allowed water systems to move forward in Llano Grande, Cruz Chich/Chumisa, and San Antonio Ixoc, serving a total of 720 homes and 5,000 people in rural Guatemala with clean water.
District 6250 and 6270 Rotarians recently went on a one-week trip to evaluate these three projects that are now ongoing. The visits documented progress and confirmed the success resulting from cooperation with project partners Vista Hermosa Rotary Club in Guatemala, Engineers without Borders - Guatemala, Marquette Engineers Without Borders, Milwaukee School of Engineering Humanitarian Club, and several municipalities in Guatemala. This consortium has several additional projects under consideration for the upcoming year. They continue to have 2 to 3 trips per year as opportunities for supporting Rotary Clubs to send representatives and see results.
If you would like to learn more about how your club's contributions could be combined and leveraged to fund future clean water projects in Guatemala, please contact Dean McHugh, Holmen Area Rotary, deanmchugh26@gmail.com