Linda Baldwin OHern, a Downtown Madison Rotarian, is working with a team of Rotary Clubs and the UW-Madison’s Global Health Institute to change the lives of women and the economy in Ghana.
Linda spoke to Waunakee Rotarians at the June 21 meeting about the initiative to provide health education and women’s hygiene kits to students there in an effort to keep girls in school and allow them to control their futures.
Linda began working on the club’s international committee in 2006, when she led a Group Study Exchange to Nigeria. She’s been involved in international efforts since.
She and fellow Downtown Rotarians wanted to find a multi-year mission that would be sustainable. They issued a request for proposals and received 30, choosing to work with the UW’s Global Health Institute.
The group selected a two-year project, Change HERStory.
They worked with Rotary Clubs in Ghana, along with other area Rotary Clubs to raise funds and successfully applied for two-year Rotary International grant.
Working with a 4-H club in Ghana with contacts with the schools, they were able to deliver thousands of hygiene kits in the two years.  
In year three, they hope to deliver more, bringing a total of 15,000 kits to students.
In addition to the kits, the initiative provides health education to boys to help them understand the challenges they, along with their female classmates, are going through.
Seed money is provided to local girls who can learn to create and sell the kits, as well. They learn marketing, sales and record keeping.
According to the United Nations International Affairs, investing in women’s education increases a country’s GDP by 3 percent, Linda said. A similar project done in Kenya found that absence rates among girls decreased from 36 percent to 8 percent when they had similar kits.
According to UNICEF, one year of extra school increases a woman’s future earnings by 15 percent.
The plan is to create a portable model to take to other areas of the world working with their cultural norms and products available. For instance, Linda said, in Ghana, textiles are plentiful, but in India, linens are manufactured.
Another grant application to RI is in the works for a third year and Linda said they would welcome a donation from the Waunakee Rotary.

 

Other news:
–President Jim Kattner thanked the Rotarians who helped serve beer at Relay for Life.
–Phil Willems delivered a check for $96 for Kettle Corn sales at Schumacher Farm Park’s Bluegrass Festival.
–Rotary International’s Night at the Duck Pond is Aug. 11. To purchase tickets, visit MallardsBaseball.com and enter the promo code RI HAT, RI SODA or RI BEER.
–Allison Feldbruegge has emailed Rotarians the Club Runner sign-up for the July 11 Senior Citizens Picnic and sent posters to put up in storefronts. If you see the sign-up slots are filled, but you still want to help out, stop at the park that day. Allison said she has already received RSVPs.
–The Steak Fry and changing of the proverbial guard is June 27 at Drumlin Ridge. Club President Jim Kattner will hand over the reins to Mark McFarland as the new board of directors prepares to take office in July. Jim’s last meeting as president will be June 28.

 

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Guests: None.

 

Visiting Rotarians: Linda Baldwin O’hern.

 

Birthdays: June 28, Sara Whitley;

 

July 3, Jonny Buroker; July 4, Sean Wayne; July 4, Todd Schmidt.

 

Anniversaries: June 30, Fritz and Sheri Durst

 

Greeters: June 28, Drew Lawrence and Kim Langfeld; July 5, Robert Lenz and David May; July 12, Mark McFarland and Gordon Meicher; July 19, Nicholas Mischler and Shelley Moffatt.