Growing Local Economies
Nearly 800 million people live on less than $1.90 a day. Rotary members are passionate about providing sustainable solutions to poverty.
​
Our members and our foundation work to strengthen local entrepreneurs and community leaders, particularly women, in impoverished communities.
We provide training and access to well-paying jobs and financial management institutions.
​
The Rotary Club of Mitcham helps local and international communities in may ways. Two examples are highlighted below.​
Nepal Self-Employment Education Program (SEEP)
The Mitcham Rotary Club, along with other Rotary Clubs and together with the Friends of Nepal, have been providing funding for SEEP scholarships for over 3 years.
​
The Child Development Society (CDS), a non-governmental and non-profit organization in Nepal, has been working towards the holistic development of deprived Nepali children since its establishment, 1991. CDS has been involved to raise the decent quality of life of children and sustaining it through health, education, awareness, livelihood support and linkage coordination with the government mechanisms, CDS, working directly with women, children of marginalized families, and child clubs along with public schools, has effectively brought about changes in the lives of these children and their families.
In this context CDS, in support of Friends of Nepal Adelaide Inc. (FoNAI), & Rotary Clubs, has implemented successfully the Self Employment Education Program (SEEP).
​
Objectives of the program:
-
To improve the literacy of women
-
To empower women on alternative and viable livelihood options through nonformal education
-
To motivate women to establish their own small business to incline to self-empowerment
-
To improve economic conditions/livelihood
-
To facilitate increasing income to support their families
-
To make women self-dependent and increase self confidence
-
To improve the health and education of children
-
To reduce child labour
-
To ensure children's rights
SEEP Program Approaches and Process:
This program includes interventions such as providing literacy and business education classes for the first 6 months and the implementation of interested businesses within the next 6 months, which in turn, could support the education and health of children.
Major Achievements:
-
Women's groups have been getting support for soap making training, seed money and materials/equipment from respective local governments.
-
175 participants have learned to read and write in simple Nepali words, English Numeric and Alphabets. And they can also undertake simple addition and subtraction as used in their daily life.
-
Some municipalities have started offering support by providing seed money and vocational training to the participants of the SEEP project.
-
Municipality office, community people, parents and stakeholders are playing supportive role to SEEP to get more fruitful results.
-
Participants of the SEEP project has started their small scale business (in a group and individual level) like grocery items, vegetable farming, poultry/goat framing, vegetable seeds, wash soap making as with the business plan prepared by each group of the SEEP Class.
Supporting Days for Girls
Days for Girls (DfG) Australia is a registered Australian not for profit and is a Country Affiliate with Days for Girls International. Volunteers across Australia mobilize to increase access to menstrual products and vital health information for women and girls around the world.
Teams unite to spread awareness, raise funds, sew DfG washable pads, and elevate the efforts of locally run social enterprises.
​
The Mitcham Rotary Club established its own sewing team in 2014 and since that time, dedicated sewers meet regularly and have produced thousands of liners and bags for the hygiene kits. They have also provided soaps, new briefs and face washers to include in the kits.
