Rotary Club of Beijing

The Rotary Clean Water Project in Hubei Province, PR China, strives to provide access to reliable, safe, clean and potable water to three village schools in Qingyan, Longbao and Shanni. The Project is located in Enshi Prefecture, a mountainous area in the southwestern part of Hubei Province in central China, where people are widely living below the poverty baseline. More than half of the 4 million population in Enshi Prefecture belong to ethnic minorities.

The Project is sponsored by the Rotary Clubs of Washington D.C (initiators), Hongkong (host club), Arlington (within Seattle area), and Beijing. The World Bank Beijing office (Sari Soderstrom) assists within the implementation of the Project. The total budget available from Rotary to support the Project will be USD 58,500. The funds allocated shall be used for establishing a reliable and safe water supply system for the benefit of school children of elementary schools in the three villages of Enshi Prefecture. An important feature of the water system to be implemented will be its low maintenance requirements and costs which means that the system can be operated on a sustainable economic basis.

The Project scope includes research and testing for identification of reliable local fresh water sources, design and layout of a safe water supply system from the water sources to the schools as well as the construction and operation of the water supply system by end of 2008. The school children will widely benefit from the Project espicially by:

- saving time which is today spent for carrying water from the available water sources which are in far distance from the schools,
- reducing health care risks from water-related diseases,
- significantly reducing the number of sick days absence from school.

On August 25 and 26, 2008 the Project Leader of Rotary Club Washington D.C., Rotarian Rose Chen, travelled to the Project area. She had the opportunity to schedule visits both in Qingyan and Longbao which are an integral part of the Project. Rotarian Rose’ visit was hosted by the local Education and Water Bureaus which are the responsible local Project executing agencies. During her site visits Rotarian Rose held intensive discussions with Project leaders and beneficiaries on the further implementation of the Project.

Rotary Club Beijing / Rtn. Arne Gooss
4 September 2008

Our Club had received a request from Argentina for assistance, as follows:

Bernardo García is a young member of the Wushu Kung Fu team of our country who was invited to China to train with the Chinese team for the Olympic Games taking place in your country.
Unfortunately, Wushu is not a popular sport in Argentina, and he did not receive financial support from the government; he was given official recognition but not money.
Bernardo is a Rotaractian, and he has been working with us making community services for some time, and considering his dedication and effort, we decided to help him with part of the budget. The problem is that the estimate for his participation in China is US$ 7000 and he could raise US$ 5000.
In spite of this fact, he decided to travel, because it is a great opportunity for his sporting career since China is the birthplace of Wushu.
We are not asking you for money, but if it were possible to provide him with some kind of accommodation, transport or whatever you are able to do to help him.
Thank you for your concern and we hope we could find a solution for this young sportsman who really need it.
Yours in Rotary,
Nidia Acuña, President (2008-09) - Rotary Club of La Rioja - 4815 District - Argentina

We were able to book a real cheap but decent hotel, close to Subway Line 10 that goes straight to their Wushu Venue in the Olympic Green. They were earlier in Xian for training, stay in Beijing for the International Wushu Tournament and later head for Harbin.
On 20 August in the evening I took our two Argentine friends for a pizza in “The Tree” (the Belgian Café with the best pizza in Beijing!). It was a good exercise for my Spanish and I discovered two bright young Wushu enthusiasts, very much interested in China.
Turns out both also have an amazing family background:
Bernardo José Garcia, 24 years, Member of the Argentina Wushu Team, La Rioja, and Member of Shaolin Tao Federation. Their website: www.shaolintao.com.ar
His father, Guillermo Hugo Gárcia, is a professional photographer and I received a CD with some of his impressive pictures.
David Carrasco, 24 years, from Mendoza, is the technical assistant of the Argentina Wushu Team, Shaolin Tao.
His father, Prof. Omar Carrasco is President of a Agricultural Cooperative - Whole Sale; he is also a writer, director of the International Shaolin Tao School and has many other positions in sports, such as for Shaolin Tao Kung Fu, Tao Kung Fu Wushu, Tao Chi Kung Fu Wushu, etc.
He is the author of the book “Enseñanzas Básicas para el Verdadeiro Artísta Marcial” - I received a copy with pleasure!

See here the pics of our evening and two samples of the photos of Bernardo’s father (one being a self portrait).
We had a fascinating exchange, a good example of the international networking of Rotary!
[Submitted by Rtn. Gilberto]

On Sunday 17 August Beijing Rotarians and their family members visited the Sun Children’s Village in Shunyi, Beijing, to join the children for an “Olympic’ party. Also visiting was the former Ukrainian athletics world champion Sergey Bubka and youthful volunteers from companies operating in China.
The Sun Children’s Village is currently home to 130 children of all ages whose parents have been imprisoned or executed for serious crimes including murder. Support for the Children’s Village has been one of Rotary Beijing’s signature projects. Our contributions over the years have ranged from funding the construction of a residential building for 12 children to providing the salaries of staff and heating coal for the winter. Former prison officer Mrs. Zhang Shuqin founded this NGO 13 years ago when she created the first such centre in Shaanxi Province and soon after that established the Sun Village in Beijing. She has since gone on to set up similar centers in Henan, Jiangxi and Qinghai Provinces. Her organization has helped around 1,600 children from all across China.

Featured in the pics:
Ukrainian former world pole vault champion and Olympic committee member Sergey Bubka joining a birthday party for children.
Beijing Rotarians Andreas Feege (and his daughter), Lu-Chin Mischke, Peter Humphrey, Charles Lagrange, and their family members, with Mrs. Zhang Shuqin, Director and founder of the Sun Children’s Village, and her family members
Rotary Club of Beijing Vice President Peter Humphrey talks to Mrs. Zhang Shuqin, Director and founder of the Sun Children’s Village.
Submitted by Rtn. Peter Humphrey - edited by Rtn. Gilbert