Please note: Due to more heavy rain, the Big Walk is postponed to next Friday 12 March. Please keep donating. Thank You

Thank you for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page.

On the 20th of February, our peaceful Portuguese island of Madeira was struck by a devastating storm which resulted in deadly flooding and landslides, destroying lives, possessions and livelihoods. All in a few hours.

Who needs help?  

There are thousands of people who have lost everything they own.  Of these, many have no means to replace their losses as they were not insured for this kind of risk at all.  Ask yourself; How would my life be affected if I lost everything and had no insurance?  These are the people we seek to help. 

The island of Madeira is a marvellous blend of contrasts. On one hand we have a remarkably modern road, medical, educational and informational infrastructure.  On the other hand, a large proportion of the population that lives in rural Madeira, outside of the capital, Funchal, are aged subsistence farmers with very limited economic means.  For many of them, the devastation has been total.  They need our help. 

How can you help?  

The children of the International School of Madeira will be collaborating with the Rotary Club of Funchal and the Rotary Club of Woodbridge (UK)  in a Solidarity Walk, to be entitled the International School Big Walk, Children & Co. helping Children Unlimited.  It will take place in Funchal on Friday 5 March. 

The participants in the solidarity walk will be the pupils of the International School of Madeira (aged from 4 months to 11 years), their parents, grandparents, friends of the school, and the extended Rotary family of the Club of Funchal.  In previous years, the Big Walk has been a purely fun event. This year's Big Walk is not only fun, but also has a very serious purpose.

Your sponsorhsip of the walkers, through donation on this page, is what we ask of you.

The participants:

The International School of Madeira, or Escola Internacional da Madeira as it is called in Portuguese, was founded on 3 March, 1997.  The school aims to provide, within a disciplined and caring framework, the educational and social foundations necessary to allow and encourage children to develop their potential. The children are guided to develop an appreciation of individual differences and gain a broad perspective on the world as they learn to live in an international society. As a completely bilingual school (English and Portuguese) the pupils are also always encouraged to foster a keen awareness of, and participate in, their local community.

The Rotary Club of Funchal, founded in 1933, is the third oldest Rotary club in Portugal and has a rich history of service to the Madeiran community. The events of 20 February surely present the biggest challenge to service in the history of the club.  The challenge is greater than the club and for this reason we appeal to you. There are several institutions in Madeira with the relevant experience and resources to administer medical help, food and clothing to the people who have been affected.  In the short to medium term, these people will also need assistance in the rebuilding and repair of damages to their homes and businesses, especially where they were not insured against this type of risk. The Rotary Club of Funchal proposes to collect money from donations, and, in a strictly controlled fashion and via the appropriate institutions, to channel this to those who need it most.

The Rotary Club of Woodbridge in England, has strong links with Madeira through its members and is providing the technical and logistical assistance and support to enable the existence of this page, and the collection of funds via it. Both the International School of Madeira and the Rotary Club of Funchal are very grateful for the club's help.

Rotary International is the world's first service club organisation, with more than 1.2 million members in 33,000 clubs worldwide. Rotary club members are volunteers who work locally, regionally, and internationally to combat hunger, improve health and sanitation, provide education and job training, promote peace, and eradicate polio under the motto Service Above Self.

Final Notes and Further Help

Thank you for your (anticipated) donation.  We would ask that you help us further by passing on this message via your email address books, telephone numbers, Facebook and Twitter accounts etc. to all your personal, familial and professional connections. Their donations would also be gladly and gratefully received!

If you have any doubts as to the extent of the damage of this sudden disaster (52 litres per square metre of rain fell on already saturated ground between 10h00 and 11h00 on Saturday 20/02) then have a look at this amateur video.  To see pictures of the disaster look at the SOS Madeira group on Facebook.

For any further questions or more information, please call Robin Stickells, International Service Officer, Rotary Club of Funchal, on +351 961 867 819, or Thelma Armstrong Teixeira, Principal of the International School of Madeira on +351 965 074 322, or Keith Richmond, Rotary Club of Woodbridge on +44 (0)777 068 8400.

The small print:

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So please dig deep and donate now.

Thank you for your time.