2011-12 Officers:

• President - Amrita Grewal
• Vice-President - Carl Gregory
• Secretary - Eileen Schafer
• Treasurer - Leandro Porciuncula
• Membership - Carl Gregory
• Service Projects - Dave Kirkner
• Public Relations - Josh Maxwell
• Rotary Foundation - Elva Galindo
• Fundraising - Nancy Frame
• New Generations - Cynthia Lyman

• International Service - Dee Karras
• Community Service - Elva Wright
• Vocational Service - Joe McCahon
• Club Service - Carl Gregory

Currently there are 42 children in the orphanage; 12 girls, 30 boys, 15 with special needs and 10 HIV positive children. The special needs affecting the children are mental retardation, cerebral palsy, blindness, physical handicapped and HIV. Other issues are aging children; boys and girls. There are teenaged girls no one wants. Where do they go when they “age out”? What can they do?

The children receive education in many forms; Hope Christian Academy, government public schools and the David Rose Special Needs School. They have use of computers, a library (with books supplied by various Rotary Clubs) and music. They enjoy everything from their local music to Beethoven and utilize recorders as well as drums (buckets). The children enjoy listening to music and dancing.

The children also have after school activities; nature walks, playing games, swimming (Rebecca takes them to a pool at one of the hotels). They also get treated to (by Rebecca when she visits) a Boys day out and the girls to a Girls day out. At these events they go shopping ($10 US dollars each) and a meal; different than what they eat at the orphanage.

The children have chores and responsibilities. They need to do their chores to get some computer time. The children happily take care of each other; they’re happy to carry around one severely retarded three-year old as well as an eight year old in a wheel chair.
The orphanage has had much Rotary support both here in the US and a local Rotary Club in Guyana (recently stepped up to help) however there is still much assistance needed. Rebecca will continue to let us know what we can do to help. The van purchased (to which we contributed) cost $3,800,000 GYD or $19,000 US dollars. Next project (among many) will be upgrading their beds (and mattresses).