Nov 2012 - Lions Australia

Lion Solomon now calls Australia home
In 2008 in Nairobi, Kenya Solomon
Wahome went about his
occupation as a credit manager
and his wife Grace worked as a
secondary education administrator.
Their two daughters, Beth and
Charity, attended a local school but like
many parents the world over Solomon
and Grace frequently discussed the
future and what was ahead for their
family.
After much research, the Wahomes
decided to immigrate to a country that
offered what they yearned for. Their
search led to an application to move to
Adelaide, Australia. For some time they
waited for information and eventually
the good news arrived with the
resultant acceptance.
Adelaide was to be their new home.
After some turmoil in planning to
leave their respective families and
workmates, Grace, Beth and Charity
departed in January 2010 and Solomon
followed in February.
They found their new home so
different but the girls were soon
enrolled in a new school and they
located an apartment. Solomon and
Grace then quickly set about looking for
employment.
One of Solomon’s Nairobi friends, a
Lion, suggested they investigate joining
an Australian Lions Club to help them
assimilate and make new friends.
So, shortly after arrival, Solomon
went on the Lions Australia website and
submitted an indication that he would
like to learn more about Lionism.
This interest found its way through
the system and ended up on my desk
20
as a member of the Lions Club of
Marion which had made early contact.
Not long after Solomon attended his
first Lions meeting – and just two
months after his arrival in Adelaide
Solomon Wahome became Lion
Solomon Wahome.
Members of Marion welcomed him
and his family with open arms.
After his induction by PID Bob
Coulthard, also a member of Marion
Lions, Solomon thanked all for their
acceptance and welcome and
announced that just that day he had
obtained a position in the credit centre
of Westpac Bank. Since then Grace has
also obtained a position with the
government in Families SA.
Lion Solomon, now in his second
year as a Lion, is looking forward to
learning more about Lionism. Who
knows what the future holds for him
and Grace, Beth and Charity.
At this time everything looks exciting.
They have just purchased their own
home and are awaiting becoming
naturalised Australian citizens – an
event which is already planned to take
place at a Lions dinner meeting.
Solomon has also accepted a
position as second vice president of
Marion Lions and is interested in
attending the emerging Lions Institute
Course in Sydney in early 2013.
Lions and partners of Marion
certainly welcome the Wahomes and
suggest other MD201 clubs might look
within their communities to see if this
exercise can be repeated.
PDG Bob Korotcoff, Lions Club of
Marion C2
Standard grants boost communities
Millions of people in the world
lack access to basic items and
services that many of us take
for granted.
Thanks to Standard grants given
by Lions Clubs International
Foundation (LCIF), Lions provide
these basic items and services for
their communities, and the impact
is enormous.
Just ask Joseph. Abandoned at
age six, he lived on the streets for
nine years until given a home in
the Lions Street Children Home in
the Philippines.
“Every day, my biggest problem
was how to get my food,” said
Joseph. “Sometimes I would have
to beg or get food from my friends,
who were other kids on the
street.”
Lions in the Philippines
partnered with LCIF and the
Department of Welfare and Social
Development to establish the Lions
Street Children Centre through a
Standard grant. The centre
provides food, clothing and shelter,
as well as counselling and
schooling. Then Lions partnered
with LCIF again to build a
vocational training centre for
children in connection with the
Lions Street Children Centre. This
ensures young people like Joseph
will not have to beg for food.
Instead, they are given the skills to
succeed in their community.
“I feel very grateful to the Lions
not only for myself, but for the
other children as well who have
benefited from this program. Now
we are equipped to go out and
face the world,” said Joseph, who
now mentors young students.
Through Standard grant
projects, communities gain access
to education, technology,
healthcare and many other
improvements. Lions identify what
is needed most for a community
and make it a life-changing reality
through LCIF.
Providing matching funds up to
$75,000, Standard grants are
approved for large-scale Lions
humanitarian projects involving
construction and equipment. The
most common type of grant
awarded by LCIF, they must serve
a large number of people. Typical
projects include mobile health
units, hospices, nursing homes,
major medical equipment,
orphanages for vulnerable
children, centres serving the blind
and disabled, eye clinics and
schools in developing countries.
Because projects are largescale,
individual Lions invest many
hours in fundraising, planning and
volunteering professional skills at
the project site to make the grant
a success. Such support greatly
extends a project’s impact, making
it possible to help more people
than would otherwise be possible.
Through Standard grants, Lions
can make a difference in their
local communities. For information
about applying for LCIF grant
funding, contact LCIF at
lcif@lionsclubs.org. Grant
applications are also available
online at www.lcif.org.
Allie Stryker
Youths learn vocational skills at the Lions
Street Children Centre in the Philippines.
Lion