The Rotary Club of Lake Oswego supports international humanitarian projects across the globe, helping local communities to educate women, build their local economies, and improve health outcomes. Our members evaluate new projects where the Club will take the lead in finding funding and responds to outreach from other clubs in our district network whose international projects are in need of added financial support. Either way, the extensive funding support of the Rotary International organization amplifies the donations of our Club and Community. If you are interested in making a global difference in people’s lives, join us in helping advance projects like these:

Cookstoves in Guatemala

Partnering with other Rotary clubs in the Pacific Northwest and Guatemala, Lake Oswego helped support Stove Teams International’s deployment of Justa Cookstoves to 70 Families in Nuevo Palmar. The Justa cookstove reduces smoke inside the home to nearly zero, uses half as much wood as an open fire, and saves up to 12 tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere over its lifespan, equal to the total yearly output of the average. Each family is directly involved in building their stove, leading to greater community adoption and project sustainability. To learn more, click here: www.stoveteam.org

Creating Farming Income for Women and Mentoring Girls in Kenya

Lake Oswego Rotary has funded support for a women’s farming cooperative which was launched by the Women’s Empowerment Coalition, WECO. The farm is now fully funded and about 3/4 built (land prepped, fencing complete, and piping / irrigation sorted.) The local Kenyan team has brought in a permaculturist to teach the community (students included) more about sustainable agriculture, launched a mentorship program for 25 junior secondary school students, and created an educational support pipeline for 14 older girls in 2025, who will be moving on to secondary school. The local lead is making good progress with the girls and is hopeful that with some additional tutoring, they can qualify for more scholarships. For more information, click here: www.wecoalition.org/project/kenya/

Empowering Indigenous Women and Girls in Guatemala

In Guatemala, where 65.9% of Indigenous women and girls live in poverty, the MAIA Impact School is making a difference in the rural highlands. Lake Oswego Rotary has supported MAIA’s educational programs tailored for  indigenous girls to help them avoid early pregnancies, succeed in high school, and find employment success. The result? For every $1 invested in them, MAIA students return $2.80 to the economy by their efforts. MAIA succeeds by extending support for girls beyond the classroom with mentoring, employment coaching, and internship placement. Lake Oswego Rotary is also proud to be helping MAIA with strategic planning for their ambitious goals for the future. To learn more, click here: www.maiaimpact.org/