Participating in a Rotary international project is enlightening and gives you a fantastic perspective on the scope of Rotary and its tremendous impact on the world.

In February I went on my fifth trip to the country of Antigua and Barbuda in the East Caribbean, West Indies. Our project was a joint effort with the Bellevue Breakfast Rotary Club (BBRC), the Rotary Club of Kirkland Downtown (RCKD), The Rotary Club of Antigua (RCA) and Newport High School’s Cisco Networking Academy.

Rotarians John Martinka and Morris Kremen from the BBRC, 14 Newport students and two of their teachers, Jeff Mason and Rod Thompson, Terri Lingenbrink and Connie Thompson helped me with the sewing project and to them I am thankful. I am a Rotarian from RCKD and this was our eighth trip and the fifth one to Antigua. Each year we have focused on the needs that have been expressed by Antigua’s Ministry of Education and the Rotary Club of Antigua.

This year was amazing! Why? Because here’s what we accomplished:

1. We installed more than 250 computers in schools, half in new labs and half upgrading existing labs (we did in prior years). This brings the total number of computers we have put in Antiguan schools to almost 1,500.

2. We installed a video teleconferencing system between the State College in Antigua and the Sir Mc Chesney George School in Barbuda! This system will allow the Ministry of Education to do teacher training and teach special classes to the students on Barbuda. Previously, in order to accomplish these things it would take a three-hour ferry ride each way for all parties.

3. As part of the project, all 1,500 third grade students were given an illustrated dictionary. Rotarians from BBRC, RCKD and ARC personally presented a book to each student. The smiles are worth it when we tell them we came from America to give them their dictionaries. We also tell them about Rotary and that it is because of Rotary that they are getting dictionaries. What a thrill! Imagine their feelings when they are told they can put their names in the book because for most of these kids this is the first book they have owned.

4. We continued Americas Foundation for Chess First Move Program. This program teaches chess to second and third grade students as part of the curriculum. First Move has proven to increase math comprehension, strategy and thinking skills. Amazingly, attendance is up on “Chess day” because the children don’t want to miss school when the chess lessons are being given.

5. We also introduced sewing lessons for ladies in a poverty-stricken area of Antigua. Terri Lingenbrink, Connie Thompson and I taught the classes in a community center. We donated three new sewing machines in addition to five we donated in 2009. When the ladies were able to start using them they were so happy!

Our goal was to teach them how to sew and teach others the basics of sewing. Word spread fast and a total of 28 women came to at least one (of our four) classes. The lessons included understanding the basic parts of a machine, using a pattern, identifying different types of fabric, and knowing how to use measurements.

After just four lessons they were able to make purses, headbands, hair scrunchies and skirts. On the last day we held a recognition ceremony and fashion show. The fashion show gave our very excited students the opportunity to show off what they made. Six women attended all four days and we gave them an award for this because they made a commitment and stuck to it.

As a finale, and to our amazement, the ladies put on a program with singing and dancing and gave us each a gift. We all cried! Because of this project these ladies now have a skill that they can: teach others, make clothes for their families and make clothes to sell and support their families.

The project budget was $80,000 plus travel (all 23 people traveling to Antigua paid their own way). This was made possible by contributions from: BBRC, RCKD, the Ballantine Family Fund, Rotary district 5030, and a matching grant from Rotary International.

Rotary is an amazing organization and changes not only Rotarians’ lives when you go on a project but also another country’s livelihood!

Jan Martinka is a member of Rotary Club of Kirkland Downtown.