Brian Fischer working to raise a village

Missions of mercy: Residents

helping Ecuador’s poor.
By: Purvi Desai
   A group of area Rotary Club members has labored to help residents of a tiny village in Ecuador and is making arrangements — and collecting donations — to return this summer.
   The Rotary Homes of Hope project volunteers, organized by New Jersey’s Rotary District 7510, are working on projects for the residents of the village San Pablo, a small village south of the nation’s capital, Quito.
   "It’s really a great project," Hillsborough resident Brian Fischer, the project manager for the program, said Wednesday. "Having been involved with it for four years, you really get to see the progress being made."
   He said he gets to see firsthand not only the physical progress, such as houses and amenities being built, but the change in people from being thin and having lots of diseases, to being well fed, consistently being sent to school, being less prone to sickness and having cleaner water.
   "It’s nice to see people having progressed significantly," Mr. Fischer said. "These are people who basically don’t get a lot of attention from their government or the wealthier people, and it gives them a sense that somebody out there cares."
   The project began in 2001 when Branchburg Rotary Club member Doug Merritt traveled to Ecuador to build houses for the inhabitants of Guayaquil, the nation’s largest city, who were displaced after the El Niño storms ofthe late 1990s, according to a press release.
   Mr. Merritt was so moved by what he experienced in Guayaquil that he made a personal commitment to help the villagers attain a better life, and recruited other Rotarians — like Mr. Fischer — to help.
   To date, project volunteers and villagers have built 44 houses, a community center, and a day-care center. The project’s volunteers have been working in partnership with a number of organizations in Ecuador such as the Rotary Club of Rio Guayas and Hogar de Cristo.
   In addition to the construction projects, health-care services are also provided during the annual mission.
   Bridgewater physician Glenn Friedman helped organize health and medical treatment for more than 1,000 men, women, and children from the village and surrounding communities during the last 10-day visit in 2006.
   The Rotary Homes of Hope volunteers will return to the village in June and concentrate their efforts on providing the village with clean water. Currently, there is no running water — residents fill large garbage pails for their home’s weekly water supply.
   Additionally, the volunteers will build a fence around the village so that inhabitants can keep wild animals from destroying their crops.
   "We’re going to get them full running water from a reliable source," Mr. Fischer said.
   He added the Rotary Clubs explored the idea of drilling wells and water purification systems before settling on an idea to hook into a water line a mile away, and install a pipe to pull water into the village.
   "The government is encouraging it because it will be benefiting the people and we are footing the majority of the cost," he said. "We are fundraisers in general, and we have money that has contributed over the years."
   Another major project called Sponsor Me provides children with a breakfast each day. Prior to instituting Sponsor Me in 2006, a typical morning meal consisted of brown sugar and water for most children. The Sponsor Me program helps ensure that every one of the 85 children in the village gets a healthy breakfast during the school year.
   The program also will provide clothes and shoes for school, school supplies, two doctor visits, two dental visits, and paid tuition to the local school.
   But for the Rotary Homes of Hope project to be successful, financial contributions are needed, Mr. Fischer notes.
   "Anything that someone wants to send in will be appreciated," Mr. Fischer said. "It’s not just throwing money at the problem, and it’s not a hand-out but a hand up."
   A contribution of $420 provides meals for one child in the Sponsor Me program. Donations of $500, $1,000, and $3,000 will provide fencing materials, housing, and supplies needed to furnish the village with clean, running water. Donations may also support future projects, including construction of a new elementary school. All money raised for the project goes directly toward benefiting the village. Volunteers cover their own travel and personal expenses.
   Medical professionals are welcomed to participate and can learn more about volunteering for the mission by calling Mr. Merritt at 722-3380. To make a donation toward the Sponsor Me program or a general donation, send contributions to Branchburg Rotary Club, PO Box 5135, North Branch, NJ 08876. Make checks out to Branchburg Rotary Foundation (a 501[c][3] nonprofit organization) and indicate that your donation is for the Rotary Homes of Hope project.