We have long supported the educational, medical and child welfare charity AOET Uganda. One of our members, Paul Phillips, has spent his retirement building support for AOET in the Saratoga area, through his Presbyterian United Church of Christ in Saratoga Springs, and other means such as this Facebook page. Another of our Rotary club members, Barbara Conner, went on two mission trips to Uganda with Paul and other local supporters.
Our new president, Murray Eitzmann, wrote to members after last week's meeting:
"I want to give you a brief update on the Uganda Health Clinic computer and Starlink project that we discussed at yesterday's meeting.
"Since Thursday we have been moving the project forward. I sent detailed recommendations on equipment specifications and estimated costs to Paul [Phillips] and Brian [Farrell], who are leading this effort. We are now asking for their feedback on those specs and have requested that our partners on the Uganda side obtain current local quotes for both the desktop computer and the Starlink terminal. Once we have that information, we will be in a much better position to finalize a clear fundraising target and bring a specific proposal back to the club.
"This project is important in its own right — it will give the clinic reliable computing power and internet access. At the same time, it is also helping us prepare for larger opportunities. Next year we plan to pursue a Rotary District or Global Grant to expand support for health clinics in Uganda. By managing this contribution carefully and documenting it well, we are already aligning our work with Rotary’s Areas of Focus (especially Disease Prevention and Treatment and Maternal & Child Health) and building the practical experience and partnership record that strengthen a future grant application."
Paul noted in reply that Dr. Manny Cirenza, who recently spoke to our club about his work with AOET, "left for Uganda today and will meet with the President of the local Rotary Club next week, attempting to get them to agree to partner on our Rotary Grant application, which should increase our likelihood of getting funding."
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