District 1260
International Service 2001 /
2002
Newsletter / Report to District Executives and Team /
Report to District Council
September 2001
from Les Lee
Well a
quarter of the year has passed and no doubt you have already set your plans for
the year ahead. A few clubs have sent me details of their plans and they
certainly look interesting and cover a wide range of projects. Those of you
have not sent me their plans please do so, as it does keep the district
committee in touch with what’s happening.
Some of
you may recall the objective to increase the districts support for World
Community type projects as RIBI has allegedly not been a supporter of this type
of project. This is possibly because we didn’t really understand World
Community Service or we asked the wrong questions. However as a result of the reports that clubs have sent in for
last year we have identified that some 21 WCS type projects are being carried
out in this district alone. If you want
to know more about WCS please let us know.
Welcome to Inner Wheel Overseas Service on our Website
We all welcome Inner Wheel Overseas Service to our District
International Service website. This is hopefully a start to closer
relationships and support for both organisations. District Overseas Service
Chairman Sandra Maizels provides the information and our own International
Service IT man Guru puts into the site.
Please tell your Inner Wheel partners to visit the site.
Once into our websites home
page, it’s just a matter of clicking on the Inner Wheel Logo. www.rotary1260.org/users/intnational.
Rapid Disaster Response – have you nominated a contact person for
your club?
Some clubs
have continued with the support of Aquabox, Emergency Box and Shelter Box and
have budgeted an amount for disaster relief, should it be necessary. However we still do not have a “Disaster
Relief Contact for each club”. Either
it has slipped your mind or the message has not got through. If you have not
done so please let Alan Cox 01582
712372 or rita@adcox.freeserve.co.uk
know the name and details of the contact.
Please
consider International Rescue Corps for support as it is now in the Rotary
Project Library and they do assist at most disasters throughout the world
including in the UK.
RIBI Rapid Disaster Response
As a
specialist member of the RIBI International Service Committee Les Lee is taking
on the role as Co-ordinator for Rapid Disaster Relief. He will be investigating
the RIBI involvement and proposals to improve communications of information
about disasters and give more effective support to the agencies that exist to
provide rapid response, which also includes our own box organisations. See
attached report on actions within the district.
Disaster Notices
There have
been several Disasters that have resulted in RI issuing Official Disaster
Notices. None of these disasters appear to have required a co-ordinated
approach from District or RIBI. However information was passed to Clubs, as
some may have wished to make direct contribution. Whilst we have every sympathy for those persons involved in
disasters in all counties it does appear that many developed countries are now
seeking assistance for natural disasters.
Any
thoughts you have in this respect would be helpful.
Notices
have been received for - Flooding in France, Earthquake in Peru, Drought in
Mexico, Flooding in Virgina USA, Texas. USA. Taiwan. This last disaster is in
the country that is subject to the GSE team visit this year. Contributions via
District.
Gujarat Update
I think we all appreciate the work done on behalf of Rotary
by Leslie Robertson and the Luton North Rotary Club. Not only in making the contacts in Gujarat but for being the
first to do something positive for those in need.
To date the funds raised by RIBI are £284,218.53 out of this
£167,000 has been sent to Gujarat to be used to develop schools and hospitals.
This included support for Jaipur Limb and Mukti Limb organisations. The remainder has been set aside for the
development of villages which is currently being managed on behalf of RIBI by
Leslie Robertson with the Rotary Clubs in BACHTINAGAR, India.
All uptodate reports are available in the District
International Service website http://www.rotary1260.org/users/intnational
Tristan
Da Cunha
As mentioned at District Council the Hurricane that struck
Tristan Da Cunha in May of this year destroyed homes, hospital and businesses
in this remote British Territory.
Amazingly no one was injured but the inhabitants have suffered loss of
personal possessions and much of their livestock. A fund has been set up to
help this community and cheques made payable to Crown Agents Financial Services
Limited (CAFSL) can be sent to “Mrs Linda Harris” Crown Agents Financial Services Ltd. St Nicholas House, St
Nicholas Road, Sutton, Surrey. Please
mention the Tristan Disaster Fund
Millennium Project Update
We have now
received the matching grant money for the two Hope and Homes projects in the
Ukraine and are still awaiting approval for the grant for the Mother and Baby
Unit in Sarajevo. Arrangements are
being made for Past DG Paul Denton to hand over the money.
With most of your plans already made I am sure you don’t
want any more ideas thrown at you. However there may be some clubs with
interests in some countries or in some particular types of projects. I
therefore mention a few that have come to my attention since the beginning of
the year.
Kilamanjaro
This is a
project being undertaken at Nottingham University to equip the Kilimanjiro
Christian Medical College a teaching hospital in Tanzania. The University is
sending a container to the hospital in October / November and require medical,
teaching and administrative equipment and materials. In fact everything we take
for granted in running this medical teaching facility. Details of contacts and a list of
requirements are available from Les Lee.
Ambulance for Belarus
Two years
ago an Organisation in Chesham / Amersham “The Chernobyl Connection” took aid
to the Town of Hoiniki close to the restricted Zone in Belarus that received
the highest level of contamination from the Chernobyl Disaster.
Support
was given by the Chesham and Aylesbury Hundreds Clubs in obtaining the goods
for Schools, Hospitals and orphanages.
As a result of hearing about the state of the local Ambulance, Aylesbury
Hundreds Club said they would obtain a second hand ambulance. The vehicle has now been obtained, and paid
for by The Chernobyl Connection”.
Aylesbury Hundreds Club and the Chernobyl Connection are now working
together to equip the ambulance with suitable medical contents and organise
delivery. If anyone has contacts for
suitable first aid materials for the ambulance please contact Terry Taylor
International Chairman of Aylesbury Hundreds 01442 386444 terry.taylor@calibre.org.uk or Les Lee 01494 785076 leslielee@compuserve.com
Indian Projects from RI Convention (WCS
Projects) – More ideas for you.
As a result of attending the RI Convention in San Antonio
District Governor Mike Gardner brought back details of a number of projects in
India, specifically Districts 3150 and District 3200. These are all WCS Type projects, many of which are contained in
the WCS Lists and could attract Matching Grants. If anyone is interested in a
project with this part of India please contact Les Lee DISC1260.
If you are interested in WCS projects in other Areas of the
world these can be obtained from the RI Website.
Schoolaid
to Zimbabwe
As reported earlier in the year support is still being given
with School and Educational materials for village schools in Zimbabwe through
the organisation SCHOOLAID. An update on the project and a letter from a
recipient school is included on the International Service Website.
Tell us what’s going on in your club?
We have
some very brief information about International Service projects that you are
dealing with in your clubs, but regrettably little information that does
justice to your efforts with some of the larger and more interesting projects.
Yes we can contact you individually but this means our committee members
contacting five or six clubs with all that entails in communication. It would be far simpler for each club to
make contact with your district International Service Contact or even myself to
keep us uptodate. We are here to monitor International Service in the District,
provide you with information about developments in the International Service
Sector and give assistance when needed.
Please make our job worthwhile by letting us know “what’s going on”
Your Feedback on the Project Library or any other matters are
wanted.
The
Project Library this year has been issued to clubs in CD ROM format, on the
RIBI and the District International Website’s this has brought some criticism
from clubs without Computer access and the practice reviewed for next year.
I do have
to represent the District at a meeting in October and would welcome any
comments you have regarding the projects in the Project Library. Or of course
any other matters relating to RI or RIBI International Service.
Fun and Fellowship
Is your Club
interested in Finding a “Contact Club” or a “District Friendship Exchange.”? If
so please let me know.
Details of other projects received
Tools for
Self Reliance
British
Executive Service Overseas
Mines
Advisor Group (Removal of Land Mines
Hope and Homes
Freeplay
Foundation Radios to assist education in Zambia.
Water Aid.
Future Dates – Half Year meeting on Thursday 15th
November 2001
Please
make sure that Thursday the 15th November 7.45pm is in your diary
for the Half Year Meeting of International Service at Tilsworth. This meeting
over the past two years has proved popular and interesting. This year will be
no different and we hope to have some new projects with more details about what
clubs in the district are doing.
RIBI International Service Newsletter
I have
recently received the RIBI Newsletter and add some items that you may find of
interest.
CD-ROM - THIS IS ROTARY
A
CD-ROM is being produced which contains information about all aspects of Rotary
in these islands. Sections on all RIBI
District and Club projects are available, as is the Project Library. The International section has several
articles and much information.
The CD-ROM will be sent to all clubs and it is hoped that it
will be used by clubs as a resource for information, for new members and
prospective members and also for informing longer standing members. Each club should receive a few copies in
the next few weeks. Please encourage
Club International Chairmen (and others) to look at it and make use of it. Comments about the CD-ROM are invited. It is hoped to update it annually. It has great potential as an information
tool.
ROTARY SHOEBOX SCHEME
Some
Clubs are sending the filled boxes directly abroad. This is causing some problems with the Trustees. This can be done but clubs should seek
agreement from Shoebox Scheme before doing so.
DEPARTMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
At
the RIBI Cardiff Conference a booklet entitled “Partnership against Poverty” was issued to delegates and
subsequently to clubs suggesting ways in which DFID might be able to support
efforts working abroad. It is worth
reminding you that an approach to DFID might be able to give some assistance in
International Projects.
There
is also a quarterly magazine that is free called “Developments” which is worth receiving. Write to Developments, PO Box 190,
Sevenoaks, Kent TN14 5SP.
Other
information regarding DFID is available on the web at www.dfid.gov.uk
or write to DFID, Abercrombie House, Eaglesham Road, East Kilbride, Glasgow G75
8EA for more information. Tel 0845 300
4100
Tools for Self Reliance
I have had
a newsletter regarding TFSR. The
warehouse is nearly completed now.
There are requests for help with the following:
1. Automatic Drill sharpening Machine Cost
£964
2. Compressor to clean old tools Cost
£584.95
3. Dust extraction equipment for the new
workshop where the tools are refurbished
Cost £1000+
ROTARY CLUB
KYIV CENTRE
The Kyiv
Centre Club has been approached by the Charity Foundation of Women who are
Mothers of Hemophiliacs, of Kyiv Ukraine, with a plea for help.
As their
name suggests, they are trying to make the life of the hemophiliacs in their care
a little less painful and a bit more comfortable. There are 14 hemophiliacs in
their care. The patients are mostly in their teens although there are also
children, the youngest of which are 5 and 6, and a few adults at 25 and 39
years of age. They are type A hemophiliacs,
except for
three who are type B. Their work is frustrated by a minimal supply of
medicines/serums and a basic lack of
funding.
Due to a
lack of the latest manufacturing technologies for the production of medication
necessary for alleviating the pain and suffering of hemophiliacs, the medicines
have to be imported from abroad. The local pharmaceutical companies produce
only 5% of the doses required, and the product is often contaminated due to the
ancient manufacturing equipment and poorly controlled donor blood supply.
Rather than helping the patients condition, the patient often starts to develop
antibodies to the medicine, or worse, he runs the risk of being infected with
hepatitis, syphilis or HIV. The only thing that is done for these patients is
the introduction of narcotic based painkillers, and hormonal medicines. This is
unacceptable in a civilized society. There is a need to purchase medication at
a cost of $14,625. The Rotary Club also wish to apply for a 3H grant so that
they can produce their own medicines for this problem. Any club that wishes to help please contact
Les Lee who has the details.
Wheelchair
Foundation
The Wheelchair Foundation is
prepared to match donations made by Clubs or Districts who wish to purchase
wheelchairs to help the physically disadvantaged in other countries. The wheelchairs cost US$150 each so the Club
or District only has to raise US$75 for each chair, the other US$75 will be
donated by the Wheelchair Foundation whose address is;
The
Wheelchair Foundation,
PO Box
2973,
DANVILLE,
CA 94526-7973,
USA.
End of Newsletter