Areas of Focus: Peacebuilding and conflict prevention, Disease prevention and treatment
Activity Type:
Health: General
Summary: Container of Wheelchairs for Indigent People in Havana, Cuba
Rotarians from D-5790 and around the world, including members of the Rotarian Wine Appreciation Fellowship, will raise funds to purchase a container load of wheelchairs in various sizes from the Wheelchair Foundation of Canada to distribute to needy people in Havana, Cuba. A past Ambassadorial Scholar, who just completed his 5-year medical degree at the U. of Havana, will coordinate the project in Havana with Caritas Cuba and the Cuban Ministry of Health. In addition, to encourage world understanding, a program will be set up for students from Tarrant County College, majoring in Sociology, Spanish and Photography will spend about ten days in Havana on a work/study trip as part of their degree plans. Rotarians will help to distribute the wheelchairs to the specific individuals who will receive and own them. Contributions are needed and welcome! Those who contribute may be invited to travel to Cuba to participate in the wheelchair distribution.
The second $5,000 contribution by the Grapevine RC to this project has been pledged by the Rotarian Wine Appreciation Fellowship, which will give these funds through the Grapevine RC.
7-Jul-16
System Entry
System Entry: Pledge of $500 by Kosjenka Krapac of the Rotary Club of Zagreb Dora, District 1913.
7-Jul-16
by conrad heede
System Entry: Pledge of $5,000 by Conrad C. Heede of the Rotary Club of Grapevine, District 5790.
22-Jul-16
System Entry
System Entry: Pledge of $250 by Debbie Boyce of the Rotary Club of Metroport (Southlake), District 5790.
26-Aug-16
System Entry
System Entry: Pledge of $1,000 by Jeani Secord of the Rotary Club of Wichita Falls (North), District 5790.
2-Sep-16
by Margaret Potter
System Entry: Pledge of $2,000 by Margaret Potter of the Rotary Club of Metroport (Southlake), District 5790.
25-Jul-17
by conrad heede
In November 2017 $19,100 was transferred from the D-5790 Foundation to the Canadian Wheelchair Foundation as advance payment for a small container of wheelchairs to be ordered and manufactured in China for eventual shipment to Havana, Cuba for distribution to needy individuals by Caritas Cuba and the Cuban Ministry of Health.
25-Jul-17
by conrad heede
In March 19-24, 2017, eighteen Rotarians and others traveled to Cuba in support of the Wheelchair Project. They visited one of the hospitals that will help distribute the wheelchairs and met with the two top leaders of Caritas Cuba to discuss the logistics of the project. They also me with the Cuban Ambassador to the US to discuss this project.
25-Jul-17
by conrad heede
Rotarian and administrator/teacher at Tarrant County College, who went to Cuba in March, reported that as a result of her experience in Havana when she met with several school and hospital officials, a group of students and teachers of Sociology, Spanish and Photo Digital Imaging traveled to Cuba for a service/learning program as part of their education.
25-Jul-17
by conrad heede
System Entry: Pledge of $1,500 by Paul Lucas of the Rotary Club of Hurst-Euless-Bedford, District 5790.
25-Jul-17
by conrad heede
System Entry: Pledge of $3,000 by Mark Bauer of the Rotary Club of Colleyville, District 5790.
25-Jul-17
by conrad heede
System Entry: Pledge of $630 by Conrad Heede of the Rotary Club of Grapevine, District 5790.
6-Sep-17
System Entry
System Entry: Pledge of $200 by Geri Mutphy of the Rotary Club of Concord, District 5160.
6-Sep-17
System Entry
System Entry: Pledge of $200 by Geri Mutphy of the Rotary Club of Concord, District 5160.
2-Jul-18
by Sharron Miles
System Entry: Project dropped by Sharron Miles.
Reason for dropping: Project was funded and completed.
16-Jul-18
by conrad heede
In September 2016 about $19,500 had been raised and a decision was made, as a first stage, to ship a small container of wheelchairs($19,100)and to deliver the chairs in March 2017. In January, we learned that the Cuban government now required an import permit and application was made by Caritas Cuba. After not hearing anything on the permit, a decision was made to travel to Cuba and meet with Caritas and the Cuban US Ambassador. A group of Rotarians and spouses traveled to Cuba March 19-24, 2017, at our own expense. We visited Caritas and some of their projects, government area clinics and a public hospital, the Ambassador and several historical sites. We verified that Caritas was a reputable partner and that there was definitely a need for wheelchairs in Havana and surrounding areas.
16-Jul-18
by conrad heede
In the fall of 2017 we learned that the wheelchairs had been manufactured and that we would have to ship them somewhere or start paying storage fees. The Cuban import was still not issued so permission was obtained from all contributors to this project to search for a new destination.
After looking at many possible sites, it was decided to combine this project with another that the Grapevine RC was working on, the purchase of a wheelchair-equipped bus to give to the Parras, Mexico RC so they could transport physically challenged children from the mountain villages around Parras into the city to receive basic education for the first time, DG # P-1838. Arrangements were made to ship the wheelchairs to Laredo, TX where the Parras Rotarians would receive the chairs and bring them to Parras.
19-Jul-18
by conrad heede
On March 23, 2018, a group of Grapevine Rotarians, spouses and representatives from the Grapevine Ambucs and Sister Cities flew to Monterey, Mexico where we were picked up by Parras RC Rotarians and brought to Parras. We visited the oldest winery in the America’s, Casa Madero, toured the city and enjoyed several meals with our hosts. On Saturday, in the town square we formally dedicated a wheelchair-equipped bus (DG # 1838) that will be used to transport physically handicapped children from the surrounding mountain villages into the city to get an education for the first time, to the Parras RC and we distributed about 75 of the wheelchairs to the recipients, all desperately needing wheelchairs to give them mobility.
19-Jul-18
by conrad heede
On July 9, 2018, we heard from our past Ambassadorial Scholar,Dr. Graham Sowa, who recently graduated from the U. of Havana Medical School, that the import permit (second request submitted by Caritas Cuba, our host country partner)for the wheelchairs has been approved. We need to raise about $20,000 for the wheelchairs and port fees and that effort has begun. The Grapevine RC has pledged another $5,000 and the Rotarian Wine Appreciation Fellowship has again agreed to match that amount to be added to the GRC total contribution.
27-Jul-18
System Entry
System Entry: Pledge of $500 by Graham Sowa of the Rotary Club of Grapevine, District 5790.
15-Aug-18
by conrad heede
System Entry: Project is now "Fully Pledged".
2-Dec-18
by Sharron Miles
This project is completed - wheelchairs re-directed to Parras, Mexico, as you know, so it needs to be closed out. However, there is one pledge of $500 from RC of Zagreb Dora, D-1913 in Croatia.
2-Dec-18
by Sharron Miles
System Entry: Project sent for club signatures.
2-Dec-18
by Sharron Miles
System Entry: Project signed by Sharron Miles.
3-Dec-18
by conrad heede
System Entry: Project signed by Conrad Heede.
3-Dec-18
by conrad heede
System Entry: Project Approved.
10-Aug-21
by Sharron Miles
System Entry: Project dropped by Sharron Miles.
Reason for dropping: This grant could not be completed due to fundig.
;)
;)