Changing Lives Around the World
As we begin Rotary Foundation month our International Service Committee is please to present 3 stories of how our donations have been multiplied with matching funds from the Rotary International Foundation. We will hear from Tom Borgen who will share successes in the development and implementation of clean water projects in Guatemala. Dennis Buschman, MD has spent much time in Africa working with children in farm schools to provide access to learning options and improving their opportunity to break the cycle of poverty through education. Pennye Nixon, from the Etta Foundation will bring examples about the work they do to bring healthcare to Bolivians as well as some of their clean water and sanitation efforts
Tom Borgen is a 10 year member and Past President of the Gig Harbor Morning Rotary Club and currently a Rotary Assistant Governor for Area11. Tom initiated a “Tiny House” program supported by Rotary to provide students in the Peninsula Schools District skilled trades program with hand on experience and is involved through Rotary with the Mary Bridge Courage bike event each year. He has served on their International Committee and is passionate about clean water and sanitation.
Tom was born in Ketchikan, Alaska, graduated from Oregon State University with a BS in Business and received an MBA from Portland State University. Tom owned Orca Sales and Marketing, a manufacturer’s representative agency, contracting with domestic and international manufacturers of building products to market their products in the Northwest and Alaska for 30 years and founded a homebuilding company with his son in West Seattle. Tom is now retired living in Gig Harbor.
Dennis Buschman, MD grew up in the Belgian Congo including one year of high school. He attended Tabor College from 1960-64 followed by studies at U of Kansas Medical School form 1964-68. He completed his Residency in Radiology at U of Utah from 1972-75
Dennis also served in the US Air Force from 1967-72 He was with Group Health/Kaiser Permanente for 28 years. He is a 5 year member of the Tacoma Sunrise Rotary Club.
Pennye Nixon founded Etta Projects, a non-profit organization working in Bolivia with rural villages providing access to clean water, sanitation and healthcare.
She holds a M.A. in Psychology from PLU and a B.A. in Human Services from the University of Tennessee. Nixon was awarded the RESULTS Kitsap Peninsula Global Humanitarian Award for her work with global poverty and the International Woman of the Year Award by the city of Montero, Bolivia. She was recently named as The Greater Tacoma Nobel Peace Prize Laureate for 2017 and was honored to participate in the Nobel Ceremonies in Oslo Norway in December.