A Rotary collaboration supporting displaced Karen State students
A chance conversation sparked a powerful Rotary partnership bringing dignity, education and opportunity to displaced Karen State communities through locally led, sustainable action.
SOMETIMES the most meaningful Rotary projects begin not with a plan, but with a conversation.
In October 2023, a visit to Yangon, Myanmar, opened the door to what would become a deeply moving collaboration supporting displaced Karen students living along the Thailand–Myanmar border. The challenges facing these communities were significant. Education had been disrupted. Resources were scarce. Many students were studying without electricity.
“Yet everywhere we went, we encountered resilience, dignity and hope,” said Jessica and Aviv Palti, of the Rotary Passport Club of Melbourne, Vic.
“Rather than arriving with answers, we arrived with curiosity. We asked how we could work together in ways that would strengthen local leadership and create lasting impact.”
That question led to a partnership with the Karen Women’s Organisation, whose dedicated educators serve displaced families with extraordinary commitment. Together, they identified two areas where they could contribute meaningfully. Menstrual health education for girls and solar study lights for students learning after dark.
FROM TRUST TO ACTION With the support of Rotary clubs in Victoria and a Rotary Foundation district grant, this shared vision began to take shape.
Educational material from Days for Girls International was translated into the Karen language so it could be delivered respectfully and locally. Karen educators completed online certification, ensuring that the knowledge would remain within the community long after the Palti’s visit.
At the same time, practical support was mobilised, including 3,700 reusable menstrual health kits and 2,200 solar study lights, with Northern Thailand established as the staging point for distribution.
“What made this project truly special was not the number of kits or lights. It was the people behind them,” said Jessica and Aviv.
YOUNG PEOPLE LIFTING EACH OTHER UP Ten Cambodian student educators from the Rotaract Club of Siem Reap joined the mission. These young leaders, who themselves have risen from rural poverty through education, travelled
to rural Thailand to mentor and support Karen educators through a train the trainer approach.
own workshops. In turn, they delivered education sessions to more than 800 displaced students and community members.”
For students living without electricity, a solar study light is more than a device. It is extra hours of learning. It is opportunity. It is possibility.
For young girls, access to accurate health education and reusable menstrual kits means staying in school with confidence and self-respect. It means removing a barrier that has too often limited their education.
MOMENTS THAT STAY WITH YOU Jessica and Aviv emphasised that the most powerful memories are not of distribution days. They are of conversations.
“Together, we journeyed by pick-up trucks, long tail boats and on foot to reach remote schools and teacher training colleges,” said Jessica and Aviv. “Over several days, more than 20 Karen trainees were supported to confidently lead their “We spoke about education as a pathway to leadership. We spoke about staying in school, even when life is difficult.” Cambodian Rotaractors shared their own journeys and encouraged Karen students to imagine themselves as future community leaders.
“When you meet the Karen people, living with so little yet giving so much, you realise how much we take for granted. Gratitude grows where humility lives,” said one Rotaractor.
“There was laughter in the classrooms. There were tears of gratitude. There were quiet moments of connection that transcended language.”
“In those villages, often accessible only by river, we were reminded that Rotary’s greatest strength is not simply funding. It is fellowship. It is partnership.
It is shared humanity,” said Jessica and Aviv.
A PARTNERSHIP BUILT ON DIGNITY This initiative brought together Rotary clubs, Rotaractors, local educators and international partners in the spirit of trust and collaboration. By empowering Karen educators to continue delivering programs themselves, the impact will extend well beyond one visit.
At its heart, this project was about dignity.
Dignity for girls who can now manage their health with confidence. Dignity for students who can continue studying after sunset. And dignity for educators strengthened to lead their own communities.
“When Rotary connects across borders, we do more than implement projects. We build friendships. We share hope. We remind one another that even in the most challenging circumstances, light can be found,” said Jessica and Aviv.
And sometimes, that light begins with a simple question. How can we work together?
Jessica Palti and Aviv Palti are Charter Members of the Rotary Passport Club of Melbourne.
Jess serves as Public Image Director and Aviv as Foundation Director.
A Rotary partnership that endures: From humble beginnings in a corrugated iron shack to a thriving school of 320 students, Tender Foot Self Help School stands as a powerful testament to sustained Rotary partnerships transforming lives through education, dignity and opportunity.
IN 1996, Tender Foot Self Help School began with eight street children in a corrugated iron shack and one determined teacher, Esther Wamai, who refused to look away.
Founded in Kangemi, Kenya, the school was established to provide safety, education and hope to children living in extreme hardship. It also offers counselling in family planning, health and hygiene, strengthening families as well as students.
Today, Tender Foot educates 320 students, many from highly vulnerable backgrounds. Around 110 require sponsorship assistance to remain in school.
Rotary’s involvement was instigated by the Rotary Club of Emerald and District, Vic, which recognised the potential for long-term impact. In 2003, the Student Sponsorship Program was accepted as a Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS) project (1/2003-04). More than two decades later, it remains RAWCS’ longest continuously running sponsorship project, reflecting sustained Rotary commitment and international collaboration.
Rotarians from Emerald and District, Diamond Creek, Vic, and clubs in Canada and Kenya have worked together to expand the school’s facilities and strengthen its future.
Through the support of Rotary clubs, private donations, District Designated Funds, Rotary Foundation matching grants and a global grant, Rotarians have helped provide:
Transport quickly became a critical issue. Many students faced unsafe walks to school, affecting attendance and safety. Rotary support enabled the purchase of a school bus to provide reliable daily transport. As enrolments grew, additional buses were secured, improving attendance and strengthening parental and guardian confidence.
Sustainability has also been a focus. Inspired by a presentation at a Rotary District Conference, sewing machines were purchased and local community members trained to manufacture school uniforms. The initiative now supplies uniforms to other schools in the area, building skills and generating income locally.
When inadequate sanitation facilities were identified as a barrier to girls’ attendance, Rotary supported the construction of a new ablution block, opened in 2021 by Past Rotary International President Wilf Wilkinson. The project restored dignity and improved retention, particularly for older girls.
Tender Foot reflects Rotary at its best: long-term partnership, community-led solutions and service beyond borders.
“Rotary didn’t just fund a project – it walked alongside a community for more than 20 years,” said Program Administrator Greg Adams, of the Rotary Club of Emerald and District.
For $295 per year, Australian Rotarians and supporters can sponsor a child through the RAWCS-registered program. Donations are tax deductible and directly support education, meals and opportunity.
From eight children in a shack to 320 students in structured classrooms, this is what sustained Rotary commitment can achieve.
Source: RDU May/June 26
