Rotary Club Morimondo Abbey

An international cooperation promoted by the Rotary Club Morimondo Abbazia and theEmbassy of the Order of Malta in Monaco together with Rotary Club of Monaco, San Marino and Bethlehem.

The agreement for an important humanitarian project in support of theHoly Family Hospital in Bethlehem.
The project aims to increase the capacity to assist premature and critical newborns, maintaining beds in neonatal intensive care. It involves the supply of 2 Open Incubators of the latest generation, for a total value of approximately 45,000 euros, which will be delivered and put into operation in the new year.

The idea for this initiative was born in March 2025 and in a very short time it saw the approval of the preliminary investigation phase and the related financing, an extraordinary result in record time which makes it even more important in such a complex and fragile geopolitical context, where it is sometimes extremely difficult to guarantee the arrival of humanitarian aid. Now the operational phase of the project opens, which will see all the partners involved actively collaborating to complete the fundraising, finalize the purchase orders, organize the delivery logistics and plan the training activities for medical staff and new mothers.

The initiative was born thanks to the commitment ofEmbassy of the Order of Malta in Monaco, which has been active for years in promoting health and humanitarian projects in the Middle Eastern region as part of the program Make A Wish Donation. Thanks to its profound knowledge of the local context and direct dialogue with local healthcare facilities, the Embassy has identified the urgency of renewing the neonatal equipment of the Holy Family Hospital, the only hospital in the region capable of offering intensive care to premature newborns.

The Rotary Club Morimondo Abbey (District 2050), as the proposing club and international coordinator of the project promoted an international network to transform this need into a concrete project. They responded with commitment: the Rotary Club of Bethlehem (District 2452), on-site host club and i Rotary Club of Monaco and Rotary Club of San Marino as a partner. It is particularly significant to see how two important "Small States", Monaco and San Marino, have chosen to actively collaborate together on this humanitarian project.

Holy Family Hospital is the only facility in the Bethlehem region capable of offering intensive neonatal care, with over 4,500 births each year. There Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the hospital takes particular care of premature newborns born before the 32nd week and weighing less than 450 grams, extremely fragile children who require advanced and continuous technological support. In a complex context such as the Palestinian one, transferring these young patients to external facilities - for example in Jerusalem - is often impossible or extremely complicated, due to checkpoints, authorizations and long waiting times, incompatible with the urgency of the clinical conditions. For this reason, equipping the hospital with cutting-edge equipment is an absolute priority.

"This project is the demonstration of what we can achieve together when we put people's real needs at the centre. It is a strongly desired initiative in such a complex and delicate area, and it is also the first Global Grant in the history of our club. We want to sincerely thank all the international partners, the Rotary Clubs who responded with great determination and the Embassy of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta in the Principality of Monaco, for their commitment in carrying out projects of this magnitude in an area where, a Sometimes, it seems almost impossible to guarantee humanitarian aid. Sincere thanks also to the Rotary Foundation for the opportunity offered through Global Grants, which allow such important and concrete projects to be carried out."
Davide Carnevali, Head of the International Project
Martina Forti, President RC Morimondo Abbazia

"The situation in the West Bank remains extremely tense and unstable. Daily life is marked by increasingly severe restrictions, military incursions, settler violence and a worsening economic crisis. Travel is severely restricted and many communities face evictions and insecurity. The humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, with limited access to services, especially in areas close to conflict zones. However, despite these difficulties, the spirit of resilience remains strong. The kindness of international partners will not only save lives, but is also a sign of hope and solidarity in a very dark moment."
Maggie Hazou, Co Project Manager on site – RC Bethlehem