Disaster Aid Regional Collaborative

Focus on Central America

Disaster Aid Canada will focus on supporting stakeholders rebuilding communities and building capacity in Central America in 2021/2022. This focus is based on our experience with projects in Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico and online meetings with Rotary Clubs and Districts who were impacted by multiple Disasters in 2020.

To enable us to focus our attention in the regions we have partnered with Disaster Aid USA to form a Disaster Aid Regional Collaborative "DARC". For more information see the story below. If you are in a Rotary Club in Central American Districts 4250 or 4240 or if you are a Canadian or US Rotary Club or District that is interested in participating or sponsoring projects in Central America please contact us at gbeltgens@disasteraid.ca.

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Disaster Aid Regional Collaborative

Sponsor Organization: Disaster Aid Canada. Partner Organization: Disaster Aid USA
Membership is for: 
Rotary Clubs and Districts from Canada to Panama.
Non profit organizations and funders working in North and Central America.
Educational institutions interested in best practices and creating a knowledge base.

Purpose:
To convene events and workshops that build relationships and create partnerships.
To share experience, knowledge and skills. 
To provide a platform to showcase existing projects and create, fund and implement new ones. 
To build a knowledge base of projects, participants, leadership, outcomes and best practices. 
To work together to find common ways of measuring project success and problems.
To combine the strengths of the participants to create meaningful and sustainable change.

To learn more about our commitment to Central America Read More Here

 
Goals:
Utilize the existing experience, networks, skills and resources to establish Disaster Aid partners in Central American Countries.
Build partnerships with Rotary Clubs and Districts to respond to emergencies in their own regions and to work together with Disaster Aid to rebuild communities.
Partner with non-profit and educational organizations to support the building of community capacity through education and training programs.
 
 
Annual Membership cost:
Starting July 1, 2021
Individuals: $15 US, $20 Cdn  
Rotary Clubs: $100.00 US $130 Cdn
Organizations larger than 100 members or employees: $200 US or $260 Cdn
 
To register as a member please send your information to admin@disasteraid.ca
 
 
Project La Libertad

Creating Opportunities for Returning Migrant Youth in Comayagua, Honduras
Shadia Garcia Hilsaca, Rotary Club of Tegucigalpa Sur.

What is the problem the project will address?
Social, psychological, and economic reintegration of returned migrant youth in the Municipality of La Libertad in the Department of Comayagua, Honduras.
More details soon
View the Presentation
Rotary Fellowship for International Development 
The fellowship will encourage Rotarians to support the cause of international development through learning and networking opportunities. 
It will organize a series of seminars and events on international development, and promote selected seminars and events on this topic organized by Rotary clubs or districts. 
It will curate knowledge on international development on its website, including in the areas of focus of the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International, but also more broadly. 
It will maintain a quarterly newsletter with news on key events and reports released by UN and other international organizations, and a series of knowledge notes written by some of its members that have undergone peer review. 
To become a member, please fill a small form at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/H2L67RT
Sign Up
DA USA Disaster Relief Trailers
Disaster Aid USA's Disaster Relief trailers are positioned throughout the U.S. The Trailers provide disaster relief aid more effectively. Each of the 11 U.S. Rotary zones will have a minimum of one trailer. Each Rotary zone will support one another as needed. A team of trained disaster response volunteers will accompany the trailer.
The trailer will also serve as a mobile base of operations. Each zone trailer will contain items tailored to that zone depending on the disasters that normally occur in that zone. 
 
Disaster Relief Trailers would benefit Rotary Zones in Central America.  Each trailer is customized to suit the region it will be used.
 
Following is a possible list of the tools and equipment in each trailer
2 chain saws, 1 Pole saw, 1 Small sledge hammer, 1 Large sledge hammer, 1 Large wedge, 1 Log jack, 2 Rakes, 1 Axe, 1 Bush Axe, 1 HD Wheelbarrow, 2 Sets Safety Gear, Chaps, Hard hat/face shield, 1 Large & 2 small first aid kits, 2.5-gallon gas cans & 5-gallon gas cans, 20 Family water filters, 1 Large building water filter, 150-gal. HD duty food bladder, 30-gal. food grade bladders, 10 Tarps, 12 Pairs of work gloves, 4 Foldable army cots, 2500 to 5000 watt Generators, Fans Folding canopy, 6-foot Plastic folding table, 48-quart Ice chest, 100 quart Ice chest, computer printer, 50-foot Extension cords, Surge protected power strips, 2-burner multi fuel stove, 5 -Day food supply for 4-men
 
For More information email
Project: La Mata Water System Rebuild

Rebuilding the La Mata Water System 

“Solving problems as a team just gets more work done.” That is the inspiration behind the Disaster Aid Regional Collaborative. 
 
Our first project as a collaborative in Honduras is now reaching completion. Organized by Disaster Aid Canada but managed by the Rotary Club of Comayagua in Honduras and the Rotary Club of Comox in Canada, the project was spec'd and funded in record time. Fernando Martinez of Comayagua and Brian Mather of Comox had worked together on the original water Project for the Village of La Mata 12 years ago. La Mata has a population of 500 and access to clean water was now out of a creek 7 kilometers from town.
Read more
Project: Manos a la Obra

Building Community Capacity through training Programs

Improve the quality of personal and family life for each
participant, generating paid jobs and motivating them
to start their businesses to help fight poverty with
sustainable solutions.
Short Term Goal
At the end of 2019 it was working in 17 municipalities servicing approximately 2,450
students. The goal is to serve 100 municipalities by the end of 2022 (? Covid-19)
Long Term
Activate the project in all 340 municipalities throughout the whole country.
View the Presentation
Project Applications
If you are interested in sending us a project funding application please click on the appropriate links: 
 
Email the application to:
DARC Meeting Videos

December 15 and January 26 meeting Video links are now available:

December 15, 2020 Meeting:

https://youtu.be/Ybc1iRc2clY

January 26. 2021 Meeting: 

https://youtu.be/U5ILYTrbzn8

View January Video

Project: Clothes and Threads

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Sustainable Project with Artisan Women in Samac, Alta Verapaz:  

Setesik is a social impact enterprise from Guatemala, that promotes a sustainable method, by empowering artisan indigenous women through a well-done work philosophy, improving their economy and dignifying the quality of life of their families through fair trade. 
Samac is one of the communities where Setesik has been working.  Samac is in a valley in Alta Verapaz and has a population of around 300 families.
This is a project of the Rotary Club of Vista Hermosa in Guatemala.
 
Rotary Action Group on Refugees and Forced Displacement

As is the case for other RAGs, the RAG will support clubs and districts for the implementation of projects in its area of focus. 
The number of refugees and internally displaced people is rising fast (80 million in 2019), and expected to continue to increase due to conflicts, economic crises, and climate change. 
The idea for the RAG emerged from a high level event organized with the Organization of American States for world refugee day in June. The RAG will however be global, and not focused specifically on Latin America. 
If you are interested in potentially joining the RAG, please fill the small form at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CVXKFXL
Sign Up