by Fr. Bob Kus.
On Tuesday, November 7, 2023, Clínica Santa María (CSM), located in Reitoca, F.M., Honduras, celebrated the dedication and blessing of new laboratory equipment that was made possible by a Rotary International Grant (RIG).
Rotary International Grants are highly competitive grants given to make the world a better place. At least two Rotary clubs must apply for the grant. In the case of American clubs, one of the clubs is an American one, and the other must be a Rotary club in the country where the project occurs. In the case of the grant given to SaludHondu for Clínica Santa María, the two sponsoring clubs were the Wilmington Rotary Club (WRC) and Club Rotario Tegucigalpa Sur (CRTS). The WRC took responsibility of doing all the paperwork and other preparations for the grant, and CRTS is responsible for overseeing the implementation. The grant is for approximately $42,500 USD to buy updated laboratory equipment. Rotary International Grants are not for salaries.
The equipment has arrived, and it is truly a blessing! Dr. Margarite, the microbiologist of CSM, says that common tests that took her 1 hour to perform before the new equipment, now takes 2 minutes! That is truly a game-changer!
In this photo we see Dr. Margarite showing one of the new laboratory equipment to Dr. Jim Boston, a physician member of the WRC; Dr. Adán, member of CRTS and physician from Tegucigalpa who fills in for Dr. Marco when Marco is not able to be in the clinic; and Dr. Elia, pharmacist who works mainly in the parish’s pharmacy in the pueblo of Curarén.
Fr. Bob is a full-time missionary priest of the Diocese of Raleigh who works in the Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa and lives in Reitoca, working in a far-flung rural mountain parish of San Francisco de Asís. He is a member of District 7730 Passport Rotary Club.