La Cronaca - Rotary Club of Box Hill Central

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Is it the truth?Is it fair to all concerned?Will it build goodwill andbetter friendships?Will it be beneficial to allconcerned?Upcoming Speakers16th NovemberMeeting is being held at theWhitehorse Council’sHorticultural Centre, addressdetails to be anounced atWednesday's meeting23rd our medical bursarystudent from 2010/11 tospeak on his yearSERVICE ABOVE SELFROVING REPORTERNovember16 th K. Dobson23 rd O. Jenkin30 th M. Kirk4 Way TestDESK DUTYNovemberForgas, O. Jenkin, B. Mc PhailDecemberB. Canny, K. Ronan, J. HamleyEASTERN EMERGENCY RELIEFNovember 19 thL. Bell, M. Etty-Leal, M. Kirk andRotaractorDecember 17 thA. Forgas, B. Canny, R. Mitchelland RotaractorFARMERS’ MARKETDecember 11 th7:30 to 9:30 C. Hoath, D.Sweeney9:30 to 12:15 R. Wood, G.CooperROVING REPORTERJenny and Roger Coburn, ex Clubmembers and now with RCMASH,joined our own Tony Stokes tobrief us on their recent to trip toNabukera, Fiji. Included on theirtrip were 10 members andpartners from MASH, 5 from RCHampton, and Tony. This locationis a tiny island about 4 hoursboat travel from Nandi.The purpose of the project wasto provide power to the localschool (the destination waschanged at the last minute)through the installation of solarpower. In addition, the plan wasto assess the needs on arrivaland assist where they were able.The power was supplied and willservice half of the school(principally the admin area) at acost of approximately $10,000.Additionally they supplied 8laptops, a printer and variousother sundry items. One of thedecisions made on the spot wasto repaint the library andcatalog the (mostly very old)books. Paint had to be broughtover from the mainland toenable this.Another pressing need, that wasattended to immediately onarrival, was to reconstruct themeeting hut that had beenblown away during a recenthurricane. Whilst the foundationpoles remained, they need to bestabilized first, requiringexcavation to about five feet foreach pole. The reconstructedbuild had a steel roof (instead ofthatched) and was screweddown, rather than being tied ornailed. No guarantee, but amuch better chance of survivingfuture hurricanes.In an effort to provide somemeans of trade, the team alsotook a sewing machine withthem to donate and train theladies how to supplement theirexisting craft work. Food parcelswere also taken from Nandi as agift, along with Kava roots forcooking.Welcomed by the locals with thetraditional Kava ceremony, theteam quickly adjusted theirtaste buds and got a crashcourse on local customs. Thisincluded wearing appropriateattire to move around thevillage, with their legs andshoulders having to be coveredat all times. Living conditionswere extremely basic, includinga long drop toilet for the men.Inside kitchens are also nottypical. The 120 residentscurrently receive only about 2hours of power each eveningpowered by a generator. Nofences exist between thedwellings, leaving children andanimals to wander at their will.Ongoing needs for the villageinclude a medical centre,chicken coops, replacement PVCpiping and environmental workon the beach-line and road. Thescale of the general need wasreinforced on the plane (?) whena resident recognized theirRotary attire and approached theteam for assistance for hismainland village that needs freshwater and bridge access, withtheir living conditions beingmerely subsistence, having totravel hours to access medicalfacilities and having to sendtheir children off to board inorder to attend a PrimarySchool.It is currently intended thatfuture projects will take place toprovide some further help tothese needy people. Pleasecontact Tony or the Coburns forfurther details.[2]
ROTARIANS MAKING A DIFFERENCEMore than 1,000 Rotarians, UN officials, Rotaryyouth program participants, and guestscelebrated the special relationship betweenRotary and the United Nations on 5 November.Rotary-UN Day, held annually at United Nationsheadquarters in New York City, included panels onhealth, water, and literacy, highlighting Rotarianprojects that advance the goals of the UN andimprove lives around the world.Kiyo Akasaka, UN undersecretary-general forcommunications and public information,commended Rotary for its ongoing collaborationwith the United Nations to improve the health ofchildren worldwide, and for its contribution topolio eradication."Our shared vision for a safer and better world iswhat brings us together here today," Akasaka said."It's your model of Service Above Self and yoursterling results in improving health that makesRotary one of the most important partners of theUN."Peace and justiceBoth organizations are striving to create a morepeaceful and just world, noted RI President-electSakuji Tanaka."If you were to seek the one idea, the one goalthat is at the core of Rotary, you would find thesame goal that you find in the charter of the UN:to practice tolerance and live together in peacewith one another as good neighbors," Tanaka said.Timothy E. Wirth, president of the United NationsFoundation and Better World Fund, stressed theimportance of partnerships."Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recognizes thatevery problem the UN faces cannot be [solved] bythe UN alone," he said, adding that Rotary's"understanding and commitment to partnershipswill make so many of these goals we sharepossible."PartnershipsRotary is committed to partnering withorganizations like the UN, said John Hewko, RIgeneral secretary."Rotary is learning by experience that it canaccomplish more in concert with others than itmight on its own. Working together multiplies oursuccess: one plus one equals three," Hewko said."This new formula provides a unique opportunityto enhance humanitarian service, which is whatRotary is all about. It helps build understandingand peace -- the mission of Rotary and the UN."Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, head of the Division of Womenand Child Health at Aga Khan University, discussedthe strategic partnership between the universityand Rotary, and the challenges of promotingmaternal and child health in developing countriesin Africa and parts of Asia.More than 300,000 women die each year fromcomplications related to pregnancy andchildbirth, Bhutta said. "Our biggest challenge isreaching these poor women, families, and infantsto give them adequate health care.""I believe we are at the beginning of the journeywith Rotary International to improve child andmaternal health in the hardest-to-reach places inCentral and South Asia and Africa," he added.Other panelists during Rotary-UN Day includedJacob Kumaresan, executive director of the WorldHealth Organization, New York; Paul Edwards,senior adviser for UNICEF on water, sanitation,and hygiene; Ginny Wolfe, senior director of U.S.communications for the ONE Campaign; PhilippeKridelka, director of UNESCO, New York; and RonDenham, chair of the Water and SanitationRotarian Action Group.Rotary, which has a 66-year history with the UN,holds the highest consultative status offered toany nongovernmental organization by theEconomic and Social Council, which overseesmany UN agencies.Bernie RodgersZone Challenge CoordinatorThis Week’s MeetingOff site atCouncil HorticulturalCentre.Come and listen to how council isensuring a green and sustainablelandscape in WhitehorseCONTACT USTo have a story included in La Cronaca please emailto ross@nesso.com.auIf you would prefer not to receive La Cronaca pleasereply “unsubscribe” to the email sent with your copy.[3]
Page 1: LA CRONACANovember 16th 2011PRESIDE

La Cronaca - Rotary Club of Box Hill Central

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