IHPC: Making an Impact Around the World in 2024-2025

| November 22, 2025 | Grants, Member News, Service Projects

Working with global partners, the Ann Arbor Rotary Club International Humanitarian Projects Committee (IHPC) made a meaningful, measurable impact throughout the 2024-2025 Rotary year, accomplishing our mission of service, sustainability, and international goodwill. IHPC invested in health access, women’s and children’s services, education, and essential infrastructure. These efforts provided direct benefit to vulnerable populations across Africa, Central America, and South Asia and demonstrates our club’s commitment to lifting communities through thoughtfully vetted, high-integrity partnerships.

The following list highlights the projects we funded during the 2024–25 Rotary year. The funds came from a variety of sources, including club grants, district grant matches, and partner engagement.

Club Grants

COLOMBIA – Platos Sin Fronteras (Plates without Borders)
Club Funding: $2,000

People gathered for a meal.
Grateful moms of Medellin, Colombia, sharing a healthy community meal prepared using new nutritional and food handling techniques. Photo: Platos Sin Fronteras.

Platos Sin Fronteras is a Medellín-based nonprofit that empowers vulnerable families by teaching them about nutrition and sustainable cooking practices. They focus on women and youth, teaching healthy habits, reducing food waste, and building culinary skills. Their work strengthens community wellbeing and creates pathways for economic opportunity.

NIGER – Solar Panels Au Niger (SPAN)
Club Funding: $5,000

Five African menn posing.
S{AN project manager Moustapha Harou (center) with medical staff of the Dan Jah, Rural Health Clinic.

This project will replace failed lead-acid batteries with longer-lasting lithium batteries in eight solar-powered rural health clinics in Maradi, Niger. The upgrade builds on prior successful installations and will restore reliable electricity for medical care, vaccine storage, and community health services. The funding provided directly by RCAA was augmented by other contributions to meet the total price, and the project was implemented.

GUATEMALA – Water Filters
Club Funding: $2,400

People in a remote village in Guatemala.
Locally-made water filters, using plastic buckets and ceramic filters, will provide clean, safe water to 70 rural Guatemalan families. Photo: Wendy Zielen.

This project will provide locally-made water filters to 70 rural Guatemalan families who lack access to clean water and electricity. Working alongside Mayan midwives and local partners, the effort is intended to reduce child illness and stunting, improve maternal and child health, and support long-term gains in education and economic opportunity.

District Grants

HONDURAS – Buen Samaritán Health Clinic
Club Funding: $5,000, District Match: $2,500

Kids playing soccer.
The Buen Samaritano community, located in the foothills of the Tegucigalpa garbage dump, received a grant from IHPC to help construct a playground where children can safely play and take advantage of the many physical, mental, and emotional health benefits. Photo: Buen Samaritano.

IHPC supported the development of a Global Grant to establish a community health clinic in the Tegucigalpa dump community, where families often lack access to even basic medical care. This project addresses maternal and child health, diagnostics, and preventative medicine, with long-term sustainability ensured through municipal staffing once construction is complete. The grant is being developed in partnership with local Rotary leadership and community health stakeholders, laying the groundwork for a high-impact, multi-year humanitarian investment.

UGANDA – Tsiyon Family Hospital
Club Funding: $5,000, District Match: $2,500

Families sitting in chairs.
Families at event celebrating the Maternal/Child Clinic at Tsiyon Hospital, Uganda. Photo: Tsiyon Family Hospital.

IHPC continued its support for a second year to the Tsiyon Family Hospital, a growing medical facility that offers maternal, pediatric, dental, and surgical services in the Kampala region. The funding supports critical equipment needs, improves clinical capacity, and enhances safe-surgery readiness.

KENYA – Nairobi Surgical & Health Camp
Club Funding: $5,000, District Match: $2,500

In partnership with the Rotary Club of Nairobi, this initiative strengthens the capacity of a surgical and outpatient medical camp that provides lifesaving care to low-income patients. Funds support surgical supplies, screening equipment, and essential consumables for high-volume volunteer clinicians operating in underserved neighborhoods.

SUMMARY

During the 2024–2025 Rotary year, IHPC awarded grants for international humanitarian projects spanning health, education, community infrastructure, and women’s empowerment. Our club provided $24,400 for these projects, while district matching grants totalled $7,500.

Building on this year’s achievements, IHPC seeks to further its reach through potential global projects in Nepal and Honduras, and continuing and new relationships in Sierra Leone, Mexico, Liberia, Ghana, India, and Uganda. IHPC also looks forward to supporting RCAA Rotaract students on an international project trip.