Rotary Clubs for Development was founded in 1979 by the districts D1620, D1630 and D2170 of Rotary International.
In 1981 it was recognised as an NGO by the Directorate-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD).
In our early days, we fully participated in the Polio Plus campaign in Congo and Rwanda, a vaccination program of ROTARY INTERNATIONAL. For example, we supported the installation of the entire cold chain in 66 health centres in both the city and the province of Kinshasa. A few years ago, the program was taken over by the Provincial Ministry of Health of Kinshasa.
In collaboration with Rotary International and the Belgian government, we have invested more than EUR 8,000,000 in vaccination programmes since our inception.
In 2007, Rotary Clubs for Development was officially recognized as an NGO. In financial terms, this means that we are 80% financed by the Directorate-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid. Since then, we have broadened our scope of action and are organising high-quality and accessible health care to combat poverty. Our motto : Promoting Health, Growing Welfare.
For every donation of 40 EUR or more, you are entitled to a tax certificate. In the case of shipments of goods for the benefit of vulnerable populations in developing countries, a VAT exemption can be obtained.
In our area of operation with more than 450,000 inhabitants, we therefore do not limit ourselves to ad hoc humanitarian actions, but carry out our development cooperation activities and projects with a sustainable long-term vision.
As a result, our efforts will continue to yield results in many years' time and will really help the population to move forward.
Since 2016, we have been an accredited Civil Society Organization.
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In 2024, in order to strengthen our impact and optimize our resources to better serve the populations with whom we work, we have decided to join forces with Louvain Cooperation.