Rotary Mount Eliza Welcomes Rotary Berdychiv, Ukraine
In August, Rotary Mount Eliza met online with Rotary Berdychiv, a newly chartered club in Ukraine. Despite the challenges of war, Rotary Berdychiv is already making an impact through clean water initiatives, environmental projects, and support for children in need.
The meeting highlighted shared values, potential collaboration opportunities, and the beginning of a lasting international friendship.
Building International Connections – Rotary Mount Eliza Meets Rotary Berdychiv, Ukraine
Recently, Rotary Mount Eliza had the privilege of hosting an online meeting with Rotary Berdychiv, a newly chartered club in Ukraine. The meeting brought together members from both clubs to share stories, learn about each other’s projects, and explore opportunities for collaboration.
Introducing Rotary Berdychiv
Chartered in May this year, Rotary Berdychiv is based in a city of 19,000 people, located approximately 178 kilometres from Kyiv. They are the only Rotary club in their region, with a median member age of 40 and members drawn from a wide range of professions, including dentistry, education, childcare, manufacturing, and other industries.
Despite the ongoing challenges of war, Rotary Berdychiv has already launched several impactful projects:
Improving access to clean drinking water
Supporting a special needs school for orphaned children
Organising river clean-ups
Planting trees to enhance the local environment
Their main priority is addressing the urgent need for clean water in their community, a challenge made worse by damage to infrastructure.
Sharing the Mount Eliza Story
During the meeting, members of Rotary Mount Eliza highlighted a range of our own service activities:
International: Supporting a Cambodian school with uniforms, funding playgrounds for underprivileged children in South Africa
Youth: Sponsoring participants for the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards and the National Youth Science Forum, and engaging with local schools
Environment: Tree planting, weed removal, recycling programs, and koala conservation efforts
Vocational: Partnering with the local Chamber of Commerce and supporting business development
Community: Providing Christmas hampers, supporting homelessness and mental health programs, assisting an over-55s club, and commemorating significant national days
Looking Ahead
One potential area for collaboration discussed during the meeting was the SkyHydrant water filtration system, which could help provide clean drinking water in Berdychiv. Rotary Berdychiv will consider this and other possible areas where we may be able to assist.
Both clubs expressed a strong desire to maintain communication and build a lasting relationship. The meeting closed with mutual thanks and a shared commitment to working together in the future.
Rotary is a global family – and now Rotary Berdychiv is part of ours.
