2012-03-15 11:01

Rotary Reading Corner also dedicated

Fort Worth Sister City’s team of ten, headed by board chair Brad Mahon, traveled to Fort Worth’s sister city of Mbabane, Swaziland in February to dedicate a community health and social center the group helped design and build. “To actually be there for the dedication and to see the finished product was very rewarding,” said Brad Mahon. “There are many people we need to thank for helping make this possible including Freese & Nichols who helped with the initial design, and individuals too numerous to mention,” continued Mahon. The goal of the health center is to improve the health and wellbeing of people in the Nkwalini Zone of Mbabane. The clinic will improve accessibility of health and social services to a community of over 1,500 people providing access to immunization and HIV/AIDS counseling, as well as food and nutrition for orphaned and vulnerable children. The Rotary Reading Corner was also dedicated. The team from Fort Worth brought over 300 books to open the reading corner. Students and teachers going on an exchange in June will take even more books, along with future exchanges, to sustain the library for the children. While there, members of the group researched future Rotary wheelchair projects with local Rotary clubs. Fort Worth Sister Cities was awarded a three-year, $115,000 grant by Sister Cities International funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to construct the community health center in Mbabane, Swaziland as part of the Africa Urban Poverty Alleviation Program. Fort Worth was one of 28 cities to receive funding for the center after a competitive process of all U.S. sister cities organizations with African partners. For more information, please contact Mae Ferguson, President/CEO at 817/632-7104 or mae@fwsistercities.org.