International Service Committee
At the Rotary Club of West Ottawa, our international service connects compassion with action — reaching across borders to empower communities, strengthen education, and build lasting peace.
Creating Lasting Change Beyond Borders
Our club's International Service Committee (ISC) connects local compassion with global impact. Through partnerships that advance education, health, and peace, we help strengthen communities around the world — turning small contributions into sustainable, life-changing outcomes.
Rotary’s vision of “Service Above Self” is global in scope but deeply human in scale. Every project we support aims to empower individuals, build capacity, and create pathways toward a more just and hopeful world.
Our Mission
The International Service Committee guides and supports all RCWO projects with an international or humanitarian focus. Working in collaboration with Rotary partners, NGOs, and local leaders abroad, we align our efforts with Rotary’s Seven Areas of Focus — from basic education and literacy to clean water, maternal health, and peacebuilding.
Our mission is to identify opportunities where our club’s expertise and compassion can make the greatest difference, and to ensure that every initiative reflects Rotary’s values of integrity, accountability, and sustainability.
Featured Programs & Initiatives
Kenya: Bea Osome Clean Water Project
Founded in 2006 by educator Beatrice Osome, the Bea Osome Clean Water Project brings safe, reliable drinking water to rural communities in Western Kenya. Working in partnership with the Rotary Club of West Ottawa, the project builds and maintains hand-dug wells on school grounds, reducing water-borne disease and freeing children—especially girls—from long daily treks to fetch water. Each well is community-managed and paired with hygiene education, improving both health and learning. Through this partnership, RCWO helps create lasting change by ensuring that clean water flows where it’s needed most. Read more.
Uganda: EmpowerEd Refugee Children
A Canadian-registered charity founded by Rotarian Renee Singirankabo, EmpowerEd provides education, uniforms, meals, and school supplies to refugee children living in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda. With leadership support from Rotarian Hugh Williams and funding from RCWO’s International Service Committee, the program now reaches over 225 children each year, giving them the chance to learn, grow, and dream beyond the barriers of displacement. Read more.
Rotary Foundation Grants & Global Partnerships
The ISC helps identify and coordinate Rotary District and Global Grants, enabling long-term international development and humanitarian aid. From literacy programs to infrastructure support, these partnerships amplify the reach of our club’s service beyond Canada’s borders.
PolioPlus & Global Health
RCWO continues its commitment to Rotary International’s flagship cause — the eradication of polio worldwide. Through annual fundraising and advocacy, we contribute to vaccine access, disease surveillance, and community health resilience in partnership with the World Health Organization and UNICEF.
Disaster Relief & Humanitarian Aid
When crisis strikes — from earthquakes to refugee displacement — RCWO’s International Service Committee mobilizes quickly to provide emergency support through trusted Rotary networks, ensuring help reaches those most in need.
Why It Matters
Rotary’s work doesn’t stop at borders. Each project supported by RCWO’s International Service Committee represents our belief that compassion is universal and service is without boundaries. By investing in education, health, and opportunity around the world, we’re helping to build a more peaceful, equitable, and connected global community — one project at a time