DISTRICT
1260 INTERNATIONAL WORLD COMMUNITY SERVICES
Half-yearly Meeting
Tilsworth
Golf Centre, 31 Oct 2002, 7.30 for 8 p.m.
Report by Guru Guruswamy, Member of the Committee
The meeting was attended by nearly 60 people, including DG Ian Holiday, representatives from Dist Innerwheel Overseas Services, and Rotary Scholar from South Africa. There were two guest speakers, one on Water Aid and the other on Sparrow Ministry of Hope, Johannesburg, A.Africa.
1. INTRODUCTION AND ACHIEVEMENTS
Les Lee welcomed the guest speakers and the attendees. He thanked all the clubs for their excellent work during the Rotary Year 2001-02 and summarised their achievements. The approximate total financial amounts shown by Clubs in District 1260 for projects in the RIBI Library and other club projects is over £81,900. Taking into account those who have not declared an amount and other donations in kind, it is safe to assume the total figure for International Service activities during 2001 / 2002 was in excess of £160,000. [For full details, see the section on How are we doing?]
For 2002-03, no single District project was identified as he felt that Clubs may well be stretched with their targets for Polio Plus, Water Aid and contribution to Foundation.
2. WATER AID
Perdita Chamberlain from Water Aid gave a moving account with colour slides of how Rotary can help them on projects in Tanzania. Clubs in RIBI have already made a difference to the lives of many. Their work covers not only access to safe water but also sanitation and hygiene promotion.
Water Aid is this year's RIBI's preferred project, and every £ contributed by Rotarians will be matched.
Perdita Chamberlain is quite an eloquent speaker and handled the searching questions from the floor - such as which other organisations are supporting WaterAid, what publicity does Rotary get, what support do they receive from the local government, can purification tablets be a viable alternative etc.
To take the project forward:
Perdita will be happy
to address Rotary Clubs. She can be contacted at 020 7793 4550.
Additional information:
One page RIBI project
Library Sheet
Water aid website: www.wateraid.org.uk
3. SPARROW MINISTRY OF HOPE - JOHANNESBURG, S. AFRICA
John Bridges of Berkhamsted Bulbourne outlined how he and his club have become committed to helping Sparrow Village of Hope - a home for children who are destitute, helpless and have a prognosis of HIV or AIDS with little hope of surviving. He gave some mind boggling statistics on the extent of the HIV/AIDS problem in South Africa.
John showed slides of the original house, several children, and the facilities in a new rather ingeniously constructed house with several dome shaped rooms. They are working with a local Rotary Club of Maraisburg Merlin. Not surprisingly, their resources are stretched. Three of Berkhamsted Bulbourne Club members were due leave for S. Africa on 1 Nov 02 to visit the Sparrow Village.
There were a fair amount of questions and comments from the floor. One member praised Berkhamsted Bulbourne's efforts by saying that from her own personal experience, "it is jolly hard work. Working with S. Africans is a night-mare". In nswer to a question on the extent to which S.Africans in the UK are helping HIV/AIDS victims, the Rotary scholar from S. Africa who is currently in our district siad that there are a number of initiatives by organisations such as Starfish.
To take the project forward:
If you want speakers from
Berkahmsted Bulbourne or you wish to help them in any way, please contact:
John Bridges, 01442 833394, john@bridgesj.fslife.co.uk
OR David Brown, 01442 865873, browndw@ntlworld.com
Further information and details which were distributed at the meeting are
available on this site, as Club Case
study.
4. OPEN FORUM:
Colin Kidby announced some changes to the Shoe Box scheme. There is a ban on Food boxes to Romania. However, those that have already been delivered to the Shoe Box organisers will not go to waste but will be diverted via Missionaries.
Guru Guruswamy shared a piece of good news - Great Missenden club had just delivered over 2,300 shoe boxes - a record for the District and probably for the country. More details are featured on this website as Club Case study.
Les Lee concluded the meeting by thanking everyone who attended. Also, he took the opportunity to announce that it was his third and final year in office as Chairman of the International World community services, and thanked all the clubs for their hard work during those years.
5. MISCELLANEOUS:
There was a demonstration of the District International website in the coffee lounge.
The meeting finished by 9:40 pm, and there was a good general buzz the whole evening. It was felt that the meeting was worthwhile.
Report by
Guru Guruswamy
5 Nov 2002