International Service Projects

The Rotary Club of Irvine directly supports projects in Mexico, Honduras, Bolivia, Romania, Haiti and India as well as indirectly supports activities in other countries. We support Dental Care for Children’s efforts in Ensenada. This effort is in cooperation with the Ensenada Calafia Rotary to bring dental care to underserved children in the outlying schools in Ensenada. Rotary also supports the clinics at the church, Iglesia Bautista and Reino de los Ninos in Maneadero.

Ensenada Dental Clinics

Now in its seventh year, the Irvine Rotary Club, working with the Club Rotario Ensenada Calafia, the Ensenada school district and Dental Care for Children, travels to Ensenada twice a year to hold a one-day dental clinic for all of the children in a selected school. In one day, the dental team treats 50-100 children, providing from $25,000 to $60,000 worth of free services.

In addition to underwriting these directly sponsored clinics, the Irvine Rotary supports Dental Care for Children’s seven other clinics in Ensenada (3), Montebello, CA (1) and Les Cayes, Haiti (3).

Guatemala Stove Project

In the developing world, alarming numbers of children show up at hospitals with severe burns, eye infections and upper respiratory problems, all a result of open-fire cooking inside small, unventilated homes. Carbon monoxide testing shows exposure levels in these homes to be twice the level that is considered dangerous.

The Rotary Club of Irvine organized a Rotary International Matching Grant to purchase 1,500 fuel-efficient “Ecocina” stoves in Guatemala. Designed by StoveTeam International, these stoves replace the traditional three-stone open cook fires. Use of these stoves reduce deforestation, prevent burns and produce almost no smoke. They are inexpensive, portable and are made from local materials. Locally owned factories also provide employment in a country where the unemployment rate can be as high as 50%.

Bolivia Prosthetic Clinic

Our Rotary club teamed up with the Rotary Club of San Pedro, La Paz, Bolivia to provide the start up funds for a new prostheses clinic. Our initial funding provided the necessary equipment and materials to set up the workshop to manufacture the M1 Knee and the clinic to provide the amputees with the care they deserved.

Mexican Red Cross Ambulance

The Rotary Club of Irvine joined with several other clubs to fund the purchase of an ambulance for Cruz Roja (Red Cross) of Ensenada. Cruz Roja is the first responder for accidents and medical emergencies in most cities of Mexico. They provide paramedics, ambulances and other emergency medical services.

Romania Schools & Education

Working with several other Rotary Clubs in our district, The Rotary Club of Irvine has helped fund two projects in rural Romania. The first project was to provide computer labs for several rural schools. This involved hardware and software to teach students skills that will enable them to move forward with education and jobs.

Additionally, our club helped purchase a van that will be a book mobile for outlying communities that have no access to libraries. In its spare time, the van will be used to transport medical and dental equipment and supplies for teams of volunteer medical professionals.

Emergency Equipment for Chile

Working with the Rotary Club of Laguna Beach, our club helped fund two projects in Chile for vehicles and equipment used by fire departments and emergency response teams.

Kolkata, India – Avoidable Blindness

Irvine Rotary, working with Rotary Club Cal Metropolitan in India, funded an avoidable blindness project to provide 1,531 free eye surgeries in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Formerly the Irvine Spectrum Rotary Club