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Archived Copies
July
2000
August 2000
September 2000
October 2000
November
2000
THIS MONTH...........
NEW GENERATIONS IN ACTION
CLUB SERVICE IN ACTION
VOCATIONAL SERVICE IN ACTION
COMMUNITY SERVICE IN ACTION
ROTARY FOUNDATION IN ACTION
INTERNATIONAL SERVICE IN ACTION
Naturally upon return from our recent Project Volunteer
Program (FAIM) trip to Bali and Central Java, Indonesia mid November,
I shared the stories with all who care to listen plus our family.
Stories of heat and traffic and people and unexpected friendliness and of the activities of the Rotary Club of Semarang Central who became our constant companions. Of a village of 4600 people without a water supply in the village, of refuges, rehabilitation centers and of 70 East Timorese orphaned children being cared for in an orphanage in Indonesia by a Rotary Club. Of how they sleep side by side on 2 platforms along each side of the room. Of how we paid a months school fees for 130 children which cost each of the 8 team members AUS$25.
The stories continued including attending the famous "Rotary Community Eye Care Institute" Denpasar, Bali, where we saw volunteer Rotarian Dr Malcolm Tester of our RC of Summerland Sunrise carry out another cataract operation. The response to my description stopped me.
It was suggested by our family that as Christmas is upon us with all its expressions of togetherness, goodwill, family and giving that they would like to give sight to someone so that this is their last Christmas in the dark. The kids suggested that we all like to play Santa and that this is a special way we can do this and help someone at the same time. They each offered to donated AUS$50 to give sight to someone.
Can you imagine the despair of any person... living with or being united with family and friends and sharing in the delight of again being in the company of loved ones including the Grandchildren. But we can only hear and cuddle them but cannot see them as they are cataract blind.. 20 million people are needlessly blind in our world today. There are 3 million people on the Island of Bali, 40,000 are cataract blind.
Australian Rotarians have been able to carry out 14,000 operations in the past 10 years. The program is well established and very efficient and directly linked to Rotarians in Western Australia. It includes the home of the famous Bali Mobile Eye Clinic bus. Would your family like to be Santa to someone who is probably about your age, has the same emotions as you and I and who for the sake of a AUS$50 operation by a Rotary volunteer or trained doctor can again share in the thrill of seeing their family and being more productive?
For tax deductibility your cheque should be made out to "The Australian Rotary Foundation Trust" and sent to me for processing.
Your Rotary Friend
Heather.
Service Above Self.
Dr. Malcolm Tester Officer of The Order of Fiji for voluntary service over 16 years to the people of Fiji.
ROMAC Community Action
15 year old Anna Paula de Costa was airlifted by RAAF Hercules from East Timor ro Darwin then Ansett to Brisbane for urgent treatment for a bone tumor of her upper leg. "I visited Anna to-day and spoke to her just as she was about to have an MRI scan. She was a nervous and brave young girl as MRIs are very scary for someone who probably never even heard the word before. One of the Carnosa Nuns was with her doing all the translation. It is so nice that there are so many people who are willing to go the extra mile even if they have never met someone before." Carer Ray.
Community Heroes
Community Hero Recognition
Dr. Mark Lee at the RC of Surfers Paradise Central. Proposer Ted Fong. Presenter Ken Bannister.
Anna De Costa arrives in Brisbane
Western Pacific
is Polio free Declared on 29 October 2000 by the Regional CertificationCommission
for Poliomyelitis Eradication during a summit meeting hosted by RI, the Japanese
Government and WHO.
It is the second WHO Region to achieve this status. Home to 1/3 of the world's
population the Western Pacific Region comprises 37 nations and geographic
areas from China to New Zealand. The last case was a 2 year old girl in Cambodia
in 1997. More than 100 million children in the western Pacific Region were
immunised between 1994 and 1998. Rotary's non-political status as a non-profit
organisation helped particularly in China, North Korea, Myanmar, Cambodia
and Vietnam. To date, Rotary has contributed US$37.5 million to the Western
Pacific Region and some US$378 m to the Global Polio Eradication initiative.
By 2005 Rotary will have committed approximately US$500m We can continue our
support through the HungerPlus, PolioPlus Partners "donate a meal" project
which many Clubs have now conducted. Your Club donations can be sent to DG
Heather for processing.
Grafton joint Club Community Hero recognition evening awarded 17 most deserving hero's
