Byesville Rotary

Meeting time: Friday 7:00 am--8:30 am.

Location: Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville .

Club officers 2023--2024

President--Chuck Fair

President Elect/Vice President--Shana Fair

Treasurer--Tanya Hitchens

Secretary--Jordi Harding

Membership Chairs--Jordi Harding, Lisa Groh

Board members:
Shana Fair--term ends June 2025
Jim Bacos--term ends June 2024
-Jan Wilson-term ends June 2026


Friday, July 27, 2018

Guatemala Literacy Project recognizes Byesville Rotary for contributions


Pictured: Shana and Chuck Fair, recipients of the Guatemala Literacy Fellows award.


In February, Byesville Rotarians Chuck and Shana Fair traveled to the highlands of Guatemala to participate in a literacy project supported by Rotary International. The Guatemala Literacy Project (GLP) is a 20-year partnership between Rotary and the nonprofit Cooperative for Education.

Illiteracy is a serious problem in Guatemala. Forty per cent of indigenous adults cannot read or write. They can only sign agreements with an “X.” Ninety-five per cent of poor, rural students never graduate from high school. As a result, 70% of people in rural Guatemala live in poverty. For Guatemalans, learning how to read and write and getting a high school degree is the way out of poverty.

Funds from Rotary and the Cooperative for Education purchase textbooks and computer equipment for schools in Guatemala. The program is self-sustaining. Programs that can be sustained by the local community are a hallmark of many Rotary supported programs. Rotarians want to teach people how to fish rather than just give them a fish.

Parents of students are asked to contribute a small amount—such as a $1.00 each year for 5 years—to use the textbooks or computers. At the end of that time, the school will have enough funds to purchase new textbooks on their own.

During their visit to Guatemala, the Fairs visited 3 schools and help distribute books and computers. They met interacted with students from grade school through high school. They visited the home of one student and saw the obstacles children face in order to get an education. The home consisted of 1 room measuring 10’ by 10’ with a dirt floor and 1 electric light. This room housed a family of four. Running water was available from a sink outside but it was not safe to drink.

Byesville Rotary joined over 500 Rotary Clubs in providing funding for this project. Recently, Byesville Rotary received a letter from the Guatemala Literacy Project recognizing the club for its contribution of $1000 and entitling the club to name 1 or more of the club members as “Guatemala Literary Fellows” for their efforts to “…bring the gift of literacy to children in Guatemala.” The club chose Shana and Chuck as the award recipients for their efforts to raise money for the literacy project. The Fairs donated $500 to the GLP and challenged their club and other Rotary clubs to match their gift. Byesville Rotary and 3 other Rotary clubs in District 6690 accepted the challenge.

Connect with #ByesvilleRotary at: www.Byesvillerotary.blogspot.com , Twitter Byesville_Club, or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Byesville-Rotary/256548047818283. The club meets 7:30 am, Tuesday at the Stop Nine Senior Center at 60313 (GPS use 60299) Southgate Road, Byesville. Walk-ins are welcome at the club’s meeting. #6690


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