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meals for vulnerable students. It is a simple but powerful model that connects community
goodwill with real, everyday impact for children who need it most.

As this initiative has been designed to bring together Rotary Clubs across the Sunshine Coast
with a shared purpose: delivering tangible, positive outcomes for children in local schools.
Given Rotary's long-standing commitment to community service, I am very confident in the
impact this project can achieve.

Thank you again to all of your members for your generosity and for being part of a solution
that will help children not just get through the school day but really thrive.

Kind regards,

Birgit Sowden
Unit Manager - Urban Angels

Education and Literacy Project in Kenya

By Temrah Okonski, Rotary Club of Ellicott City, Maryland, USA

I have never been to Kenya. Yet over the past two years, as updates, photos, and reports from
a Rotary-supported basic education and literacy (BEL) grant arrived in my inbox, I watched
a project I helped shape on paper turn into something real.
From the first draft to final approval, the grant took nearly two years. At times, the process
felt slow and challenging. But as the proposal moved through revisions and conversations
between my club in District 7620, the host and international sponsor Rotary Club of
Machakos, Kenya, in District 9212, and our partner, Kenya Connect, the questions we were
asked forced us to sharpen our goals, strengthen our plan, and think carefully about
sustainability.

Looking back now, as I see the results, I am glad that I persevered. The support I received
from Carolyn Johnson, a member of The Rotary Foundation Cadre of Technical Advisers,
past District Governor Barton Goldenberg, and Regional Grants Officer Nora Beamish-
Lannon was invaluable to the project's success.

When I first began working with the Rotary Club of Machakos, located in the Mwala sub-
county, we knew we needed to focus on literacy in rural Kenya. I was drawn to our
partnering organization, Kenya Connect, and its belief that children and families who have
access to books learn to love reading, and are therefore more likely to become strong readers.

In the Mwala sub-county, many students grow up without electricity, internet, or print
materials at home. English, the language used for Kenya's national exams, is often their third
language, making success in school even more challenging. Kenya Connect was already
known as a reputable organization helping this community strengthen educational outcomes.

Our BEL grant expanded upon Kenya Connect's already successful, community-wide
approach to reading. Rather than focusing on a single intervention, the project helped Kenya
Connect increase access to their mobile library program, Saturday Storytimes, and reading
clubs for students and parents. The grant also supported teacher trainings developed with
local educators. Books were delivered directly to schools and to Kenya Connect's library,
ensuring consistent access for learners.