rotary africa july 2014-website

rotary africaEstabl ished in 1927 ♦ A member of the Rotary World Magazine Press ♦ July 2014

Gary HuangMeet RI’s new president

www.rotaryafrica.com

It’s a one-stop shop.

It eliminates paper.

It fosters continuity in leadership.

It enables clubs to track their progress.

It creates transparency.

It showcases the important work that Rotary clubs do worldwide.

ROTARY CLUB CENTRALPLAN TOGETHERTRACK PROGRESSACHIEVE GOALS

Get started!Go to www.rotary.org/clubcentral

4 ♦ Rotary Africa ♦ July 2014

From the editor...Editor Sarah van HeerdenAdministration Sharon Robertson

Chairman Gerald SieberhagenDirectors Greg Cryer Peter Dupen Andy Gray David Jenvey Richard Tolken

Publisher Rotary in Africa Reg. No. 71/04840/08 (incorp. association not for gain) PBO No: 18/13/13/3091 Registered at the GPO as a newspaper

Design & Layout Rotary in Africa

Printers Colour Planet, Pinetown

Advertising Sharon Robertson Sarah van Heerden Tariff card on request at www.rotaryafrica.com

Subscriptions Sharon Robertson www.rotaryafrica.com (digital)

Contributions [email protected]

Distribution Rotary Districts 9210, 9211, 9212, 9220, 9350, 9370 and 9400 (Southern and Eastern Africa)

Contact Rotary Africa P.O. Box 563 Westville 3630 South Africa

Telephone 0027 (31) 267 1848Fax 0027 (31) 267 1849Email [email protected] www.rotaryafrica.com

The Rotary Emblem, Rotary International, Rotary, Rotary Club and Rotarian are trademarks of Rotary International and are used under licence. The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of Rotary Africa, Rotary International or The Rotary Foundation.

Meet our team

FaCts Count

Sarah4 ♦ Rotary Africa ♦ June 2013

From the editor...Editor Sarah van HeerdenAdministration Sharon Robertson

Chairman Gerald SieberhagenDirectors Peter Dupen Andy Gray David Jenvey Natty Moodley Richard Tolken

Publisher Rotary in Africa Reg. No. 71/04840/08 (incorp. association not for gain) PBO No: 18/13/13/3091 Registered at the GPO as a newspaper

Design & Layout Rotary in AfricaPrinters Colour Planet, PinetownAdvertising Sharon Robertson Sarah van Heerden Tariff card on request

Subscriptions Sharon Robertson

Contributions [email protected]

Distribution Rotary Districts 9200, 9210, 9220, 9270, 9320, 9350 and 9400 (Southern and Eastern Africa)

Contact Rotary Africa P.O. Box 563 Westville 3630 South Africa

Telephone 0027 (31) 267 1848Fax 0027 (31) 267 1849Email [email protected]

The Rotary Emblem, Rotary International, Rotary, Rotary Club and Rotarian are trademarks of Rotary International and are used under licence. The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of Rotary Africa, Rotary International or The Rotary Foundation.

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Meet our team One simple idea

Sarah

Connect with Rotary and your fellow Rotarians

Get your story published! Send your club and

district news to [email protected]

It never ceases to amaze me what a Rotarian can achieve. A club can take a single idea and turn it into a project which will benefit more people than one can imagine. Look at the SOUNS project, which is teaching very young children literacy skills or the Hiding Hyena, a project currently being run in Malawi, which educates children about HIV/Aids while providing them with a safe environment to talk and learn about the many sensitive issues associated with the spread of this disease.

Over the years, I have been awed by the projects our clubs undertake and just as I think I have found a favourite project, another comes to my attention. While there is no doubt that we are doing wonderful work in our communities, it is easy for some members to forget that they are part of a bigger picture, part of a massive movement of service which is changing lives every day. Some find themselves wondering if they are making an impact as they see the magnitude of problems affecting our communities. They lose motivation and leave our clubs. This is an issue we have often heard about in terms of membership retention and one of the easier ways to address it is to encourage your fellow members to take part in multi-club, district and international events.

June is Fellowships Month and our Rotary fellowships provide us with a wonderful opportunity to share our experiences, promote our interests and create friendships which will span the globe. They allow us to enjoy ourselves and realise that we are part of something special. Life can’t only be about work, we need to take time to recharge. Our fellowships can provide this. So, why not join one?

“Nothing speaks of “first world privilege” more than being able to choose an organic, anti-establishment, free-range and natural lifestyle… Yet we may be faced with the re-emergence of preventable diseases because our vaccination rate is worse than South Sudan.” - northernriversvaccinationsupporters.org.

Over the years, I have received concerned communications from Rotarians refuting the autism/vaccination claim and from those worried that all vaccinations are dangerous. It’s time to end the debate. It’s time to tell people to dump the hype. As respected community members, you can help spread the word – “don’t play Russian roulette with your children’s lives, vaccinate them!”

I remember the start of the great autism/vaccination debate. It began with an article published in a British medical journal in 1998. The article was later partially retracted and more recently, fully retracted and declared fraudulent. The lead researcher has had his medical licence pulled. An investigation by Brian Deer, a British journalist, revealed that the lead researcher had undeclared conflicts of interest, manipulated evidence and broken other ethical codes.

The autism claims snowballed when the media picked up the story. Observers have criticised the mass media for giving the study more credibility than it deserved – a result of “science by press conference.” Actress Jenny McCarthy, who believes her son’s autism was caused by vaccinations, quickly jumped on board. She took to the talk show circuit and, despite having no medical or scientific training or background, convinced thousands that vaccinations triggered autism. Her unsubstantiated claims encouraged a massive anti-vaccination campaign. Research has repeatedly found her claims to be untrue.

Amy Pisani of Every Child by Two, an organisation which advocates childhood immunisation, spoke out against McCarthy’s crusade when she was appointed to co-host a TV show. Pisani said McCarthy’s “unfounded claims that vaccines cause autism have been one of the greatest impediments to public health in recent decades.” Another objection to the appointment came from Katrina van den Heuvel, the editor of The Nation: “Hiring her would seem to credit her as a reliable source... Indeed, there is an enormous cost to society when the truth could save lives.”

The truth can save lives. I place my trust in science and honest research which is not manipulated and is conducted with objectivity. I do not place my trust in a Playboy pin up with no medical or scientific training and who continues to scare parents using ‘facts’ derived from a fraudulent study. I also place my trust in 1.2 million intelligent and community-spirited Rotarians, who each day bring us closer to eradicating a horrific and preventable disease.

So, as we continue along the final stretch to eradicate polio, I wish all our readers a wonderful new Rotary year and I urge you all to go forth and vaccinate.

Have a wonderful month,


reg

ula

rs

Gary CK HuangPresident, Rotary International

Message from the

RI President

on the WebSpeeches and news from RI President Gary CK Huang at www.rotary.org/president

DeaR FelloW RotaRians,

I find many traditional Chinese values reflected in Rotary: values of service and responsibility, of respect for family and for others. Sometimes I call Confucius the world’s first Rotarian, because even though he died 2 500 years before Rotary was founded, his ideas are very much Rotary ideas. And one of the things he said was: 與其抱怨，不如改變.

In English, you say, “It is better to light a single candle than to sit and curse the darkness.”

I think that one line sums up the way we in Rotary approach the problems of the world. There is so much difficulty. There are so many people who need help. Many people look at this and say, “There is nothing I can do.” So they do nothing – and nothing changes.

But this is not the Rotary way. The Rotary way is to light a candle. I light one candle, you light one candle – and so do 1.2 million other Rotarians. Together, we can do so much more than we could ever do alone. Together, we can light up the world.

In 2014/15, I am asking each of you to light your own Rotary candle – and Light Up Rotary together.

There are so many ways to Light Up Rotary. I hope many of you will choose to host a Rotary

Day, to show your community what Rotary is and what we do. I hope you will involve your Rotaract and Interact clubs in your service, to bring the new generation of the Rotary family closer to Rotary membership. And I hope you will keep Rotary strong by inviting new members into Rotary – including your own spouses and family.

Perhaps the most important thing we can do to Light Up Rotary is to finish the job we’ve been working on for more than a quarter of a century: the eradication of polio. We are so close to our goal. But we will get there only if we keep up the fight, keep up the momentum and close the funding gap for the polio endgame plan.

Light Up Rotary is our theme for this year, but it is more than just a theme. It is how we in Rotary see the world and our role in it. We believe that no one should sit alone in the darkness. Instead, we can come together, all 1.2 million of us, to Light Up Rotary. This is our goal – and my challenge to you.


Rotary Members: 1 220 115; Clubs: 34 558Rotaract Members: 158 401; Clubs: 6 887

interact Members: 385 066; Clubs: 16 742RCCs Members: 182 137; Corps: 7 919

Rotary at a Glance

As of 2 April 2014

The Object of Rotary is to encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular, to encourage and foster:

First. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;

Second. High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations; and the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity to serve society;

Third. The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian’s personal, business, and community life;

Fourth. The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.

Of the things we think, say or do:1) Is it the TRUTH?2) Is it FAIR to all concerned?3) Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?4) Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

object of Rotary

the Four-Way test

what you should know

it is an honour and a privilege to serve this Rotary year as chair of our Rotary Foundation. And we should be proud to call it our Foundation, for each day millions of people are touched by the magic of Rotary – made possible only by the service and dedication of Rotarians throughout the world.

Our Foundation is the engine that drives the Rotary machine. It gives us the chance to see and fulfil the opportunities for service both within our community and internationally.

Your Foundation Trustees have set five goals for the year.

The first goal is the eradication of the polio virus from the face of the earth. We have much to be proud of in our efforts to rid the world of this dreaded disease, but we must finish the job. We cannot let up in our efforts. We cannot undo all the good work that has been done in the past.

Our second goal is to continue to support Rotary’s own charity, The Rotary Foundation, through our contributions. The good that we do is limited only by what we receive. Let us ensure that clubs which have made no contributions to our Foundation do so this year.

Our third goal is to ensure the progress of our new grants programme by participating in sustainable educational and humanitarian projects.

Our fourth goal is to foster goodwill and peace by promoting and publicising the Rotary Peace Centres programme, whose purpose is to create a cadre of individuals dedicated to peace and conflict resolution.

Our fifth goal is to emphasise that the responsibility for the future of our Foundation is in all our hands so that we can continue doing good in the world as we endeavour to Light Up Rotary.

I look forward to your support.

Goals for a new year Foundation trustee

chair, John Kenny


convention countdown

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Rotarians who travel to the 2015 RI Convention in São Paulo, Brazil, 7-10 June 2015, will find themselves in a country with the fifth-highest number of Rotarians: 56 000, in 2 381 clubs and 38 districts. Women represent 22 percent of the nation’s club membership.

In 2012/13, Brazil was the ninth-largest contributor to The Rotary Foundation, giving US$5 109 889. The Brazilian Association of The Rotary Foundation encourages companies to make contributions to the Foundation by offering tax incentives to corporate donors.

Brazil has 11 300 Rotaractors and 19 800 Interactors. Brazilian Rotarians empower young people by helping with job placements and supporting Rotary Youth Leadership Awards and Rotary Youth Exchange. More than 1 500 Youth Exchange students each year are either hosted by local clubs or travel to other countries to experience another culture.

The Foundation of Rotarians of São Paulo is the largest educational complex in the Rotary world. It educates over 6 000 students at all levels, from preschool to postgraduate, offers professional development and extension courses and engages in community service projects.

Three RI presidents have hailed from Brazil: Armando de Arruda Pereira in 1940/41; Ernesto Imbassahy de Mello in 1975/76 and Paulo Viriato Corrêa da Costa in 1990/91. São Paulo hosted the convention once before, in 1981, and Rio de Janeiro was the site of Brazil’s first RI Convention, in 1948.

Register for the 2015 RI Convention in São Paulo at www.riconvention.org.


rotary’s challengeby Regional Rotary Co-ordinator - Zone 20A South, PDG Natty Moodley

www.rcnatty.blogspot.comNatty’s Natter

It was a wonderful privilege to have attended the district conferences of District 9210 in May and D9400 in June. The conferences gave us an opportunity to celebrate Rotary and the success of the respective districts over the past year. A district conference is an opportunity to celebrate, evaluate and motivate. I had the privilege to talk on Rotary’s challenge for the future, as the future of Rotary is in your hands.

Rotary has offered me more than I could have had in a single career path in the typical workplace. It has given me connections and friendships that I never could have dreamt of. It gave me the world and more than 1.2 million new friends. Rotary gave me the opportunity to develop personally and to help develop my fellow members, as each one of us shares our different vocational skills. It gave me the opportunity to make a difference in my community and it gave me the opportunity to serve and feel good about it.

Now, for a minute, I want you to imagine Rotary to be your business. A business you

started two decades ago. When you started, your subscriber base was approximately 1.2 million. You were making good progress but each successive year the operating costs increased and your subscriber base remained the same. Now imagine that in order to grow your turnover you needed to diversify, so you added in new products like satellite clubs and associate clubs. You allowed your subscribers some flexibility to operate, offered some incentives, perhaps some awards. Still your subscriber base did not increase. You developed a new strategic plan to include a new and exciting market, the up and coming middle class and still nothing happened. You have got to agree that before long you would be in a crisis.

Worldwide, membership shows a downward trend. In July last year, we dipped below that magical 1.2 million membership mark to 1 185 million members. In the southern hemisphere there is growth but we have some problems in the northern hemisphere. Africa, in particular, is growing with great gains in central and west

Being a Rotarian gives you the world and more than 1.2 million friends. This month we look at the challenges we face in terms of finding and retaining members.


Africa.On the African continent we have 54 countries.

Of these, Rotary is present in 52 countries and economic indicators show a net GDP growth of five percent across Africa. This provides a great opportunity for the creation of a new middle class of individuals - individuals who are making money from IT activities and entrepreneurial talent. Unless we engage with this new generation of members, we run the risk of losing them to other non-profit and community-based organisations. Organisations which do not require an attendance commitment, do not charge annual fees, which are specific area focused and which receive government funding for their operations. If we do not ask this new emerging middle class to join Rotary, these organisations will secure their membership.

The second membership issue is retention. When we invite someone to join our clubs and they join, do we take care of them? Are they assigned a mentor? Are they kept informed about the workings of the club and district? Are they engaged in service activities?

Most people join Rotary to serve their communities, for friendship and fellowship. Rotarians who feel they are a valuable part of the organisation, contribute to projects and feel appreciated do not leave. One can argue that recruitment and retention in a volunteer organisation is different than in a business, but the goals are very similar – both want the most qualified individuals to advance their organisation and both need to do what they can to keep these individuals satisfied.

One of the biggest challenges for South African clubs is the concept of corporate social investment (CSI). Large corporations, via

their staff pool, are investing heavily in social upliftment programmes. Any staff member can identify a worthwhile project in their community, submit a plan of action to the CSI committee and, if approved, the project is undertaken with corporate funding, personnel and time. Now, why would one want to join Rotary when one is employed by a corporate that provides the time, money and opportunity of doing good in one’s community?

That’s where our public image skills come into play. We need to clarify what Rotary stands for, how it is different and why people should care. It is our responsibility to inspire, motivate and engage prospective members and strategic partners.

The second challenge in South Africa is the attraction of the black members of the community into our organisation. While critics may continue to castigate us for not trying enough, the actual problem lies in the very concept and philosophy of Rotary. Why must I pay fees to belong to an organisation that requires me to give of my time to uplift others while I myself may need help? Until we can change this mindset, this will remain a problem. But all is not lost. With 20 years of democracy behind us, we believe that the younger generation will embrace Rotary’s values and principles.

So, dear friends in Rotary, what is the future?When I look back, I find infinite power. The

power is in the knowledge that we have a great organisation and have done great work without which our world would be that much poorer.

Before me, I see endless possibilities. The possibility for each one of us to make a determined effort to share the joy of membership and to invite individuals to share in the joy and magic of Rotary.

Around me I see boundless opportunities for us to work together in growing our organisation. So, I encourage each one of you to share the gift you were once given, to reach out to that friend, colleague, business associate or young generation’s member and to ask the question once posed to you…would you be my guest tonight at my Rotary club?

It could be the start of a new friendship and it could change the life of the person you invited and yours as well.

As we look to the new Rotary year, I encourage you to continue to Engage Rotary and to make a difference in your communities by changing lives and creating such an illumination that we Light up Rotary.

“Unless we engage with this new generation of

members, we run the risk of losing them to other non-profit and community-based

organisations.”


our foundation

By PDG Anne Botha - Regional Rotary Foundation Co-ordinator Zone 20A SouthDoing good in the world

For many years, The Rotary Foundation spent millions of dollars without knowing if the funds met the most urgent needs of the benefiting communities. We have lost contact with the thousands of scholars we’ve supported, unsure of what our return on investment in their education has been.

The Rotary Foundation therefore asked for an independent assessment of the old Matching Grant system, to determine if the grants had a long-term and sustainable impact on the beneficiaries. It was found there were opportunities to improve the design of grant projects and to hold ourselves,

and our project partners, accountable for not just delivering goods and services but ensuring that our grants continue to benefit the community years after funding ends.

It is therefore compulsory for Rotarians to include in their project planning and Global Grant applications the appropriate elements to ensure a sustainable outcome for the project beneficiaries.

In Brazil, one of the largest banks in the world placed a two-page advertisement in a well-known magazine that reinforced the value of sustainability. It read: “From now on, we will only conduct business with sustainable companies

sustainabilityA misunderstood concept

Global grant projects must be sustainable and display the above characteristics.Promote your business, club or district

activities in ROTARY AFRICA


because they stimulate and benefit the economy. These funds create better businesses and lead to prosperity in our communities, which in turn generates greater investment and, by extension, a better country and that is what we seek.”

Applied to Rotary, this concept means that sustainable projects invest in building the capacity of communities to meet their own long-term needs. It will help ensure beneficiaries are capable of creating more prosperous communities and a better world, with millions of people enjoying a better quality of life.

We should by now understand the ‘why’ regarding sustainability, but what about the ‘how’? Sustainability means different things to different organisations.

For The Rotary Foundation, sustainability means long-term solutions to needs that the benefiting community can maintain after grant funding ends.

A few months ago, you would have received Global Outlook: A Rotarian’s guide to Sustainability with your copy of Rotary Africa. If you need another copy, the publication is available at www.rotary.org and it contains all the detailed information you will ever need to achieve sustainable projects.

Last month, The Rotary Foundation trustees met and made the following decisions regarding grants.

The trustees expanded the eligibility for district grants. Effective immediately, district grants can now fund youth programmes (including Rotary

Youth Exchange, RYLA, Rotaract, or Interact), construction (including low cost shelters), travel for staff of co-operating organisations, scholar orientation seminars, grant management seminars and activities primarily implemented by an organisation other than Rotary.

They also amended the area of focus definition by updating the wording of the economic and community development area of focus to provide clarity.

Community infrastructure projects continue to be ineligible, unless they result in a significant increase in the ability of community members to produce and distribute goods and services that create personal resources.

Despite a number of successes, packaged grants are to be phased out. An evaluation of grants and partnership models revealed notable changes between the original goals of packaged grants and the actual experience of Rotarians during the course of the pilot period and beyond.

Such variation resulted in significant challenges in packaged grant implementation and scale, as well as barriers to Rotarian participation.

Therefore, the trustees agreed to allow the current agreements for packaged grant options with the Foundation’s strategic partners to expire at the end of their terms.

Packaged grants will no longer exist when all the active grants are closed.

DOn’T GeT CAuGHT nAppInG!Promote your business, club or district

activities in ROTARY AFRICA

Contact Rotary Africa at [email protected] or call 031 267 1848

• Reach out to all our readers in English-speaking Africa

• advertise in ROTARY AFRICA• Distribute leaflets, brochures and

newsletters with ROTARY AFRICA• special rates for Rotary clubs, districts

and Rotarian owned/managed business


Gary Huang played a lot of sports when he was younger, but basketball was his favourite. He was captain and point guard of his high school basketball team. “I’m not tall, but I was quick.” He flashes a grin. “I knew how to move the ball and set my team up to win.”

That was decades ago, but whether in basketball, business or Rotary, moving the ball continues to be Huang’s game. He likes action and progress. He relishes a challenge. When the Rotary Club of Taipei (D3480, Taiwan) told him he was too young to be a member, he persisted, attending every meeting for nine months until he hooked an invitation at age 30. Since then, he has not stopped moving forward. Five years after joining Rotary, Huang became club president. Then he became Taiwan’s youngest district governor, first RI director and first Rotary Foundation trustee. This month, he becomes the first Chinese president of Rotary International.

Huang was born in Fujian, a province in southern China. He is the third child of seven. Like many others, his family fled China during the civil war, unhappy with the communists who were taking over the country. The Huang family settled in Taiwan in 1947, when Gary was one year old.

Huang’s parents pushed him to excel in school, but they also believed that grades were not the only things that were important. “My father used to say to me that getting a BS was OK, but I had to participate in activities and join clubs. He said that would help me in the future,” Huang recalls.

Although Huang’s father was not a Rotarian, he instilled similar ideals of service in his son. Helping others, his father said, would help him learn how to be a leader. As a result, Huang was president of his high school class. Besides playing basketball, he played soccer, ran track and, at the urging of his mother, participated in (and often won) speech competitions. He also

Meet Rotary International’s new president, Gary CK

HuangG A RY H U A N G P L AY E D A L O T O F S P O RT S when he was younger, but

basketball was his favorite. He was captain and point guard of his high school

team. “I’m not tall, but I was quick. ” He flashes a grin. “I knew how to move

the ball and set my team up to win. ” That was decades ago, but whether in

basketball, business, or Rotary, moving the ball continues to be Huang’s game.

He likes action and progress. He relishes a challenge. When the Rotary Club

of Taipei told him he was too young to be a member, he persisted,

attending every meeting for nine months until he hooked an invitation at

age 30. Since then, he has not stopped moving forward. Five years after joining

ZAN! Rotary

International’s new

president,Gary C.K. Huang

!

jul14-32-41-Gary Huang-v8.indd 32 5/15/14 3:57 PM


peo

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Huang and Yao look into the garden of the home where Huang grew up. The house is on YangminMountain, known for its cherry blossom trees, waterfalls, and hot springs.


led the daily morning pep rallies at his school for six years. “My father was happy I did those things,” Huang says. “Every time there was a school celebration, no matter how busy he was, he would always attend.”

After high school and two years of serving in the military, Huang moved to Michigan to attend the University of Eastern Michigan in Ypsilanti. He recalls those years with fondness, remembering how clean and wide-open the Midwest felt to a city boy from Taipei. He lived with an American family, who gave him the name Gary because they liked the actor Gary Cooper. He worked through school at a gas repair company, where he started at $1.25 an hour and ended at $4.75 a few years later. When he graduated with a business degree in 1971, he was so happy, he bought himself a graduation ring. “It was the first, most expensive thing I’d bought with my own money, so I wear it all the time,” he says.

But his education was far from over. Huang’s father was president of an insurance company in

Taiwan and wanted his son to be well prepared for a career in the same field. Huang went on to graduate school at New York University and spent time in England, Switzerland, Germany and Japan, learning about the insurance business and making international connections. Years later, Huang would again be making connections all over the world as RI president.

Huang returned to Taiwan to work for a small insurance firm, which over the next 15 years he built into one of the largest in the industry. He made one agreement with his chairman: that he had to be able to fit Rotary into his busy schedule. “I wanted to continue my work in Rotary no matter what,” he says.

When Huang began to experience success in his profession and in Rotary, his mother kept him grounded, something she still does at the age of 95. “I know she is proud of me,” he says. “But no matter how successful I am, she never praises me.”

The year Huang joined Rotary was also the

Huang and Yao at home in Taipei with their children and grandchildren. Front row: Yao, Huang, anddaughter Linda with her husband, Eddie Lucero Jr, and their sons, Eddie Lucero III (age 4) and Evan (age 1). Back row: Son Billy, with his wife, Vesta, and younger daughter Nancy. Yao, an artist, painted the scrolls on the wall behind the family.


year he met his wife, Corinna Yao, at a church Bible study. “He kept calling me,” Yao says. But Huang remembers it differently. “She’s the one who picked me up!” he claims.

He was outgoing and social. She was an introvert. “I wondered how we would get along,” she says. “But it’s 38 years later, and we are still good.” Together they raised three children – two daughters and a son – and now they have two grandchildren, Eddie and Evan. Evan was born on the same day that Huang found out he was the RI president-nominee. His name is a play on “Evanston.”

Huang and Yao raised their family with Rotary, so it plays a part in their children’s memories. “I always wanted what you had with your Rotary friends. Growing up, they were my aunties and uncles,” eldest daughter Linda tells her father. Nancy, his second daughter, remembers visiting an orphanage with Huang when she was young. “It was the first time I learned about what Rotary does. My dad was so passionate,” she says.

The orphanage was one of the first Rotary projects that inspired Huang more than 30 years ago. When he toured the facilities, he was taken aback, seeing the kids crammed into one room at night, watching them share a pot of rice at mealtime. Many of the orphans were the same age as his young children at the time. The orphanage needed so many things – a new roof, a refrigerator, an air conditioner, nappies and other supplies. The Taipei club provided these things, but Huang wanted to do more. He and another Rotarian decided to sponsor two of the girls. They choose two four-year-olds with the same Chinese zodiac sign as Huang and his friend: the rooster. They took the girls to dinner once every other month. They paid for the girls’ school fees every year and eventually sent them to college. After graduation, they paid for a celebratory trip to Hong Kong and helped them find jobs when they came home. Thirty years later, Huang and his friend still meet them regularly for dinner, now with their own families.

Huang believes that Rotary should be about lifting people up. The theme he chose, Light Up Rotary, is a reflection of his desire to encourage Rotarians to bring light where there is darkness. Huang also hopes that Light Up Rotary inspires Rotarians to lighten up Rotary’s image. He wants Rotary to be fun, not just for fun’s sake, but because having a good time builds genuine bonds of friendship, retains members and helps recruit new ones.

RI President Gary CK Huang wears a traditional Chinese Tangzhuang jacket at the Grand Hotel in Taipei.


Member recruitment is a hallmark of Huang’s Rotary career. When he was club president, his club grew from 102 to 138 members. When he was district governor for Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau, he added 19 new clubs. “If you want to invite people, you need to make things interesting,” he reasons. “Then they will love it and come again.”

Huang’s friend and RI Director Celia Elena Cruz de Giay supports this approach. “Rotary is a serious organisation but not a solemn one. RI President Gary is putting an emphasis on making Rotary fun because he can see the winning combination of Rotarians having fun while they serve,” she explains.

He also champions the idea of opening Rotary’s doors to younger people and recruiting more female members. “Some Rotarians are too conservative. They disagree with having women or younger members,” he says. “With younger people, they are our future. In a few years, they will be bigger, better, maybe richer than us,”

Huang jokes. “It’s good for them, good for Rotary and good for society.”

Even though he jokes, Huang is so serious about membership that he recruited his own family into Rotary. His wife joined first, then his three grown children followed suit, each in a different club. His son, Billy, believes that being in Rotary has made the family closer. “We participate in activities together,” he says. “I understand my dad better.”

Huang is thrilled to bring together the most important parts of his life, giving new meaning to the idea of the family of Rotary. He hopes that others will follow his example. “Why leave your family to do your Rotary work? You can do it together,” he suggests. “Then doing good becomes a family event.”

These days, Huang plays golf instead of basketball, but he’s still in the game of setting up his team – the team of Rotary – to win.

– SuSie Ma

Huang and Yao celebrate the charter of the Rotary Club of Taipei Roundtable, with President Sabrina Liu (centre). Yao is a charter member and International Service Committee chair of the club. The club has 102 members, many of whom are women.

Huang with Grace Chang, a member of a choir made up of Taiwanese polio survivors. Huang helped bring the group, called Kwang Ching, to Philadelphia to perform at the 1988 RI Convention.


KR RavindranColombo, Sri Lanka

Ravi is founder and CEO of a publicly listed company with a worldwide clientele in the tea packaging industry. He also serves on the board of several other companies and charitable trusts. He is the founding president of the Sri Lanka Anti-Narcotics

Association. As his country’s PolioPlus committee chair, Ravi headed a task force, consisting of the government, UNICEF and Rotary, and worked closely with UNICEF to successfully negotiate a cease-fire with northern militants during National Immunisation Days. A Rotarian since 1974, Ravi has served RI as treasurer, director, Rotary Foundation trustee, committee member, vice chair and chair, task force member, training leader and district governor. He also chaired the Schools Reawakening project, sponsored by Rotary clubs and districts in Sri Lanka, to rebuild 25 tsunami-devastated schools to benefit 15 000 children.

safak alpayistanbul-sisli, turkey

Safak is a shareholder and chair of the executive committee of Interpromedya AS, an information and communications technology media company and is an executive board member and shareholder of Interpro

Holding, which serves the ICT sector in Turkey. A Rotarian since 1974, Safak is the founder of the Rotary Club of Ankara-Kizilay. He has served RI as president’s representative, committee member and chair, PolioPlus national advocacy adviser, regional Rotary membership co-ordinator, International Assembly discussion leader and training leader, and district governor. Safak is a Paul Harris Fellow and Benefactor of The Rotary Foundation. He is a recipient of RI’s Service Above Self Award and the Foundation’s Citation

for Meritorious Service and the Regional Service Award for a Polio-Free World.

Robert l Hall Dunwoody, USA

Robert owns an executive and professional recruiting firm, HRHRecruiting, which specialises in non-profit organisation searches.

He is on the board of Communities in Schools of Georgia, helping at-risk kids stay in school and

graduate. A Rotarian since 1971, Robert is an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Atlanta. He has served RI as Council on Legislation representative, committee member and chair, and district governor. He currently serves as chair of the Host Organisation Committee for the 2017 RI Convention in Atlanta. Robert and his wife, Charlene, are Major Donors and Bequest Society members. Robert has received RI’s Service Above Self Award, The Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service Award and the Regional and International Service Awards for a Polio-Free World.

Per HøyenAarup, Denmark

Per retired in 2001 from Nordgraf A/S, where he had been production manager since 1999. Educated and trained in printing and graphics, he held technical and production management positions at several companies throughout his

career. A Rotarian since 1999, Per has served RI as president’s representative, committee member and chair and district governor. He also has served as Council on Legislation representative, district Rotary Foundation committee chair and district polio co-ordinator. He was on the board of directors and chaired the committee for the digital

New RI DirectorsThe RI Board of Directors has 19 members: the RI president, the president-elect and 17 club-nominated directors, who were elected at the RI Convention. The board manages Rotary International affairs and funds in accordance with the RI Constitution and Bylaws. Eight new directors and President-Elect KR Ravindran take office on 1 July.


development of Rotary Norden, Denmark’s official Rotary regional magazine. Per is a multiple Paul Harris Fellow and Benefactor. He has received The Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service and its Regional Service Award for a Polio-Free World.

Julia PhelpsMalden, usa

Julia, who began her career in education in 1976, is associate commissioner for the Centre for Curriculum and Instruction for the State of

Massachusetts. She served on the board of the Amesbury Educational Foundation Inc and the John Ashford Link House Inc. A Rotarian since 1997, Julia has served RI as Rotary Foundation alumni co-ordinator and district governor. She is a Major Donor, Benefactor, multiple Paul Harris Fellow and Bequest Society member. Julia is a recipient of The Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service.

Greg e Poddevergreen, usa

Greg is a certified public accountant and personal financial specialist and has operated his private practice since 1979. A Rotarian since 1982, Greg has served RI

as president’s representative, Major Gifts adviser, committee member, regional RI membership zone co-ordinator, Council on Legislation representative, training leader, assistant sergeant-at-arms, Group Study Exchange team leader and district governor. Greg is a recipient of RI’s Service Above Self Award and The Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service. He and his wife, Pam, are members of the Arch C Klumph Society and are Rotary Foundation Sustaining Members. All members of their family are Paul Harris Fellows.

takanori sugitaniTamana, Japan

Takanori is president of Ariake Nursing Home and the social welfare organisation Tenkeikai. He has been president and vice president of the Party

of Kumamoto Nursing Home and is director of the Kyushu University of Nursing and Social Welfare. He is past president of the Tamana Junior Chamber and past chair of the Japan Junior Chamber of Kumamoto. Takanori has been a Rotarian since 1973 and has served RI as regional RI membership co-ordinator, training leader, committee member and district governor. He is a Benefactor, Major Donor, multiple Paul Harris Fellow and Bequest Society member.

Guiller E TumanganMakati West, Philippines

Guiller is executive vice president of Solid Mills Inc. He has been director of the Textile Millers Association of the Philippines and served as vice president of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Guiller has been a Rotarian since 1988 and has served RI as president’s representative, committee member, training leader, zone co-ordinator and district governor. He is a Major Donor, Benefactor and member of the Paul Harris Society. He also is a recipient of RI’s Service Above Self Award, the Presidential Citation, The Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service Award.

Giuseppe VialeGenoa, italy

Giuseppe is a professor emeritus of neurosurgery and chair of the neurosurgery department at the Universities of Sassari and Genoa.

In these positions, he has co-ordinated international research programmes in

cooperation with universities in Germany, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Poland and the United States.

A Rotarian since 1988, Giuseppe has served RI as Council on Legislation representative and district governor. He is a Paul Harris Fellow, Benefactor and Major Donor to The Rotary Foundation. He is the author of A Glance at a Forgotten Rotary and the editor of a series of historical studies (Collana Storica Rotariana) written in Italian and English, consisting of 11 volumes as of 2013.


Maya Ajmera founded the Global Fund for Children in 1993 to provide seed money to community-based organisations that help at-risk children around the world.

Since then, GFC has awarded more than US$32 million in grants to over 600 groups in 80 countries, improving the lives of millions of children by supporting education for AIDS orphans in Uganda, “curb-side classrooms” for waste pickers in Cambodia and other efforts.

“Education is the key to getting human beings out of poverty,” says Ajmera, whose studies at St. Xavier’s College in Mumbai, India, were sponsored by the Rotary Club of China Lake (D5240, USA). “Community-based organisations are probably the most creative in being able to find the most marginalised children and provide education that is meaningful and makes sense in their lives.”

Alumni making a difference

In recognition of her work, The Rotary Foundation Trustees chose Ajmera to receive the 2013/14 Rotary Foundation Global Alumni Service to Humanity Award. She received the honour at the RI Convention in Sydney on 3 June. Ajmera credits the success of GFC to extraordinary leadership at the grassroots level, combined with the ability and willingness to work in partnerships.

“Trust is important,” she says. “You also need ways of measuring outcomes: how many kids got educated, how many were kept off the streets, how many got psychosocial counselling.” Nowhere was the need for leadership and trust more evident than in Afghanistan in the 1990s. GFC awarded US$5 000 to the Afghan Institute for Learning to fund the secret education of 600 girls. Even after the September 11 attacks, GFC continued its support, including a $25 000 sustainability grant to establish a reserve fund.

Today, the institute reaches more than 400 000 women and children annually with education and health care. GFC also has released over 30 children’s books, including Children From Australia to Zimbabwe, co-authored by Ajmera; a portion of the proceeds from sales support the organisation’s grant making.

GFC has invested in documentary films such as War Child, which tells the story of hip-hop artist Emmanuel Jal, a former child soldier in Sudan’s brutal civil war. Jal spoke at the Rotary World Peace Symposium in Bangkok in 2012.

Ajmera stepped down as GFC president in 2011. She is now a visiting scholar and professional lecturer at the Paul H Nitze School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington and social entrepreneur in residence and visiting professor of the practice of public policy at Duke University.

“Rotary was an incredible inspiration,” says Ajmera, adding that without the scholarship, GFC wouldn’t exist. “The scholarship fed my soul.”

In recognition of its humanitarian work, the alumni association of District 3020 in India was selected to receive the 2013/14 Rotary Foundation Alumni Association of the Year Award. The honour was presented to K Soma Sundera Sai, founder and long-time president of the group, and other members at the Rotary Alumni Celebration in Sydney on 31 May. The association can take pride in knowing that it helped make history.

On 27 March, the World Health Organisation certified that Southeast Asia, which includes India, had eradicated polio. The association’s members “actively participated in National Immunisation Days and contributed liberally to The Rotary Foundation and polio eradication,” says SR Yogananda, a regional Rotary Foundation co-ordinator. Many members are Rotarians who have been involved in grant-funded service projects, such as establishing an orphanage in India and creating a sustainable health care programme for schoolchildren in Thailand. Sai says the association is focused on maintaining connections – among members, with their communities, and with Rotary. “Once I realised the value and potential of the alumni to Rotary and its Foundation, it became a part of my life,” Sai says. – DAN NIXON


Twenty-six years ago, a mother and her 18-month-old son, Sibonelo, visited our domestic worker. The mother left the child with our employee and never returned.

We were a young couple bringing up three children and realised that taking Sibonelo in would require a number of additional commitments - education being the greatest. I did not want Sibonelo to lose his culture, but he needed a secure home and people who would give him the love he deserved.

I approached child welfare and asked for help. Baby Sibonelo was placed with a gogo (grandmother) in Lamontville. This would be his home unless our financial position changed.

Each month, the gogo called in at our home to collect the provisions she required for the baby. Eventually, it was time for Sibonelo to begin primary school.

While Sibonelo was at primary school, we hosted an exchange student, Helen Silfven, from Oregon, USA. Helen returned home and told her parents,

another rotary success storyBy Sandy Smith,The Rotary Club of Durban Berea (D9370)

who were Rotarians, about Sibonelo. Just before Christmas, we received an e-mail from Helen’s parents, Roy and Ellen, who said they would like to send money to contribute to Sibonelo’s education and continued to do so twice a year.

Sibonelo began high school in Lamontville. After not receiving progress reports from the school, I phoned the principal but could not reach him. We decided Sibonelo needed to move to a school that was closer to home and where we could monitor his progress.

A few months earlier our club had sponsored an Interact club at Brettonwood High School. Through the Interact club I met the school’s principal and after plucking up the necessary courage, I approached him and asked if he would take Sibonelo in as a non-paying learner.

A week later, Sibonelo was interviewed at Brettonwood High School and, provided he agreed to repeat Grade 10 as his command of the English language was very poor, he was accepted as a learner.

During his first year at Brettenwood, Sibonelo was selected for the first cricket team and received academic colours. In Grade 12, he was made a school prefect. He matriculated with three distinctions and a B aggregate pass. Many years had passed since we had hosted Helen Silfven and her family had continued to regularly contribute to Sibonelo’s education.

It was not long before Sibonelo had finished high school and had qualified to enter university, but how would we pay for it?

I heard that the Rotary Club of Durban Thekweni (D9370) had an educational trust for higher education and I sent all his school records to the club in hope that he could obtain a bursary to fund his university education.

Once again, Rotary was Sibonelo’s saving grace and he received a full bursary for the duration of a Bachelor of Commerce degree. His honours year was funded by our daughters, their husbands and ourselves.

Sibonelo was also actively involved in community service. While attending high school, he was a member of the Interact club and, after matriculating, he became a charter member of the Rotaract Club of Durban Berea.

In June, Sibonelo left Durban for Johannesburg to begin his working life with an international company.

As a family, we are so proud of what he has achieved and are sad to see him leave home to start a new life – a life which may not have been possible without the help of Rotary.


She has become known as the Warrior Princess and she is just that! Armed with dreams and aspirations, young Princess sithole has big plans for her future and being born without arms, is not going to stop her.

As a little girl, Princess often used to ask “mommy when are you going to buy me arms?” While other children her age use their hands for everything, the dexterous girl learned to use her feet instead. Her loving mother, Nonkululeko Sithole, a second year law student, always encouraged Princess to reach for the stars and to not let her disability stop her. The caring and accepting home environment which Nonkululeko provided for Princess ensured the young girl has a positive attitude that knows no boundaries.

However, since starting high school the volume of work has started to create some logistical issues for Princess. When she was at junior school she would sit on the desk in order to

write with her feet, but, as a high school learner, a more suitable seating arrangement was needed.

Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Empangeni (D9370), Eric Bernon and Vince Read, sought advice from an occupational therapist and developed a mobile desk for Princess. The angle of the desk allows Princess to sit comfortably and write. It has wheels and car seat that can be adjusted as Princess grows. Fellow learners help Princess by pulling the desk between classrooms.

To assist with the increasing volume of written work, a local company, Onsite Computers, donated a laptop that fits comfortably and securely on the desk. It is voice activated and this will allow Princess the versatility of faster computer operation.

The Rotary Club of Empangeni cannot give Princess arms, but hopes to assist with the small things she needs to develop her wings and soar to success.

She was born without arms, but that’s not stopping 13-year-old Princess Sithole from...

Soaring to great heights… and the Rotary Club of Empangeni plans to help her get there! By Rose Cyrus

Princess and her mother, Nonkululeko Sithole, at the presentation of the desk and laptop.


After unseasonal flooding tore through the Tokwe-Murkozi basin in Zimbabwe, DG Stella Dongo, PDG Chris Molam and the Rotarians of the Rotary Club of Masvingo (D9210), asked ShelterBox SA for help. A team was deployed to investigate the extent of the flood damage.

On commencement of the construction of the Tokwe-Murkozi Dam, approximately 72 kilometres south of Masvingo, the gradual withdrawal and resettlement of the people living in the flood basin had been planned but not completed. Unfortunately, the normally arid area suddenly fell victim to non-stop rain at the beginning of the year – the resulting rainfall was twice the recorded seasonal average.

Such was the volume of rain that many of the locals were stranded and forced from their homes by the rising flood waters. The uncompleted dam wall was also under threat. A breach would place an additional 60 000 people at risk.

The emergency removal of victims was undertaken. Villagers gathered their belongings and tried to salvage whatever they could of their homes, immature crops and livestock, before being evacuated to a holding camp at Chingwisi.

The camp, situated in an area of fallow agricultural land with no services, housing, water

or sanitation, was now home to some 20 000 souls.

It was to this camp that ShelterBox deployed a team to meet and collaborate with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), an organisation with which ShelterBox has enjoyed a successful working relationship with a number of other worldwide disasters.

IOM has a permanent office in Harare and was delegated the task of managing the camp at Chingwisi. It also distributed tarpaulins and poles with which the victims could build their own shelters. The Zimbabwe Red Cross was also on the ground providing basic medical and health services.

The ShelterBox team, consisting of ShelterBox Response Team member Philip Wheeler (UK) and PP Dave Moss (SBSA), was tasked to assess the needs of specific vulnerable groups and spent five days in the area, visiting the flood basin, transition camps and the main holding camp at Chingwisi.

Prior to withdrawal, the ShelterBox team submitted its report and recommendations to ShelterBox HQ in England. Within days, 878 tents and a team to oversee the distribution had been dispatched.

ShelterBox aids flood victimsResponse Team member Philip Wheeler receives the tents sent for the displaced Zimbabweans.


pro

jec

ts

During four days of intense engagement, Rotarians from District 9210 braved chilly weather to take stock of their service projects and capacities when they met for their annual district conference in Zimbabwe.

The venue for this year’s discon, chosen by the organising team assembled by outgoing District Governor Stella Dongo, was the scenic resort of Nyanga, nearly 300 kilometres outside the Zimbabwean capital, Harare.

Themed Moving Mountains To Change Lives, this was one of District 9210’s most highly subscribed events. Roll call put the tally at just 25 delegates shy of 400 and Troutbeck Resort, the main venue for the conference, was filled to capacity. Hotels, lodges and camping sites absorbed the rest of the delegates, which included spouses and a large contingent of energetic Rotaractors.

The suave Marwan Fattal, the Rotary International President’s Personal Representative, travelled from Cote d’Ivoire (D9101) to deliver RI President Ron Burton’s special message. Topping the bill of speakers was renowned Zimbabwean-American motivational speaker, scholar and humanitarian Dr Tererai Trent, whom Oprah Winfrey once referred to as her “favourite guest of all time”. Other speakers included nutritionist Dr Basil Kransdorff, conservationist Clive Stockil and Nyanga South’s youthful Member of Parliament, Supa Mandiwanzira, who is also the Zimbabwe

By Ray Mawerera, District Public Image Chair (2013/14), D9210

D9210 Rotarians go up the hill to Light Up Rotary

moving mountains

RIPPR Marwan Fattal and PDG Stella Dongo with DG Ken Chibesakunda soon after his inauguration as district governor.

Dr Tererai Trent chatting with Rotarians after her presentation.

Exchange students Juliaano Zimmerman and Vinicius Oliveira at the conference.


government’s deputy minister of information, media and broadcasting services. The deputy minister commended Rotary for its work and suggested possible synergies and partnerships with the community in Nyanga.

Breakaway sessions included Rotary’s Membership Challenge, led by RRC Natty Moodley; grant management and sustainability, led by DRFC Sherry Coleman and DGSC D5450 Carolyn Schrader; Global Grants “Glorious Gold” led by RRFC Anne Botha and Public Image led by RPIC Shirley Downie. Other sessions included district leadership and information communication technology seminars. These were conducted by the district’s own in-house members.

Rotaractors had their own breakaway sessions and a separate programme that included District Rotaract Representative’s induction.

Zimbabwe has returned to the Youth Exchange programme and the delegates were interested to hear of the experiences of two young Brazilian exchange students, Juliaano Zimmerman and Vinicius Oliveira.

But it was not all work. The delegates found

time to visit places of interest in the scenic Nyanga area and play a round of golf before wrapping it all up with the district governor’s banquet, where the Rotarians danced the chill away…or at least tried to!

DG Stella duly handed over the chain of office to her successor, Zambia’s seasoned Rotarian Ken Chibesakunda. It was an emotional farewell for Zimbabwe’s DG Stella, the district’s first female DG, who confessed to have been humbled by the scale and extent of Rotary’s reach, saying she only really appreciated it when she had to travel district-wide.

She paid tribute to husband Emmanuel for his moral support and Rotarians throughout the district for making her tenure an enriching one. Rotarians agreed that this was one of the best conferences they had ever attended, both in terms of programme quality and the level of organisation.

On the final day, as the Rotarians bade each other farewell, the sun finally came out, as if to endorse the new Rotary year’s theme: Light Up Rotary!

DPIC Ray Mawerera, Dr Tererai Trent, Simangalison Newman and Angela Machonesa during one of the breaks. Dr Trent is a Zimbabwean-American woman who never relinquished her dream of an education. Her amazing life story was featured in the book Half a sky. The story was picked up by the Oprah Show and in May 2011, Oprah Winfrey revealed that Dr Trent was her all-time favourite guest and donated $1.5 million so that Dr Trent could build her own school in her old village in Zimbabwe.

July 2014 ♦ Rotary Africa ♦ 25Proceeds to the benefit of the Sedibeng Safe Haven.

6th ANNUAL MUSIC IN THE PARK

ROTARY CLUB OF VEREENIGING

Sponsored by:

Date: Sunday, 24th August 2014

Time: 11:00 - 16:00

Venue: Kariba Ranch, Donald Rd, Glen Donald

Cost: R80 Adults / R60 for Pensioners

Children under 12 free Buy at the gate or Contact

[email protected] or 076 890 6726

Join us for a day of Family Fun with Music, Children’s Play facilities, food stalls, beer & wine bar!!


Drug and alcohol abuse, rape, crime, domestic violence, poverty and unemployment. This is the harsh reality the residents of Vrygrond, near Cape Town, wake up to each day. Shack fires are common, as is HIV/Aids.

More than half of the people of Vrygrond and its surrounds have been victims of crime. They have experienced robbery, hijacking, deliberate damage to property, sexual assault and rape. Not only are the streets unsafe, but violence and crime are a common occurrence in many of the homes. Just over 15 percent of children, youths and adults are confronted with violence at home, 43.9 percent are exposed to alcohol abuse, while 29.9 percent abuse drugs.

A survey, based on 100 interviews in Vrygrond and surrounding communities, revealed that three key factors leading to crime and violence within the families were the high unemployment rate, parental substance abuse and financial difficulties. These factors mainly arise from lack of education, information and support.

In 2008, Mymoena Scholtz, a trained social counsellor, established Where Rainbows Meet. Working from an old car, called Titanic, she ventured into the poverty-stricken settlement and began providing counselling and other services to help vanquish the horror and hopelessness from

the residents’ lives.Through hard work, persistence and

perseverance, and with the help of volunteers, donors and service organisations, Mymoena developed her service into a recognised and registered development and training foundation.

Where Rainbows Meet aims to create a better future for every resident of Vrygrond and its surrounding communities. It believes this goal is only achievable when all of the disadvantaged groups in the community work together in a mutually supportive environment, to achieve social and economic success.

To achieve this, the foundation equips people with the skills and knowledge they need to improve their future. This is done through the development and implementation of programmes and courses to enable social and economic development of the community.

The Rotary Club of Kromboom (D9350) is one of the organisations which supports Where Rainbows Meet. John Connah, the chairman of the International Committee of the Rotary Club of Chester (D1180, UK) and an honorary member of the Rotary Club of Kromboom, recently gave Where Rainbows Meet a gift of R10 000. This will be used to buy fertilizer for the foundation’s vegetable garden.

Healing a communityJohn Connah presents a cheque for R10 000 to Mymoena Scholtz, the chairperson and director of Where Rainbows Meet.


Every Thursday morning during the school term, a group of Rotarians and their friends meet at Pinetown Junior Primary School.

This group has become affectionately known as the Rotary Club of Pinetown’s (D9370) Reading Gogos.

The gogos read to groups of ten Grade 2 or 3 children for an hour and listen to them read. They use flash cards to make up sentences and assist with word comprehension and take them outside to play educational games and just to have fun. Of course there is a more serious side – learning to read. The club believes the more children read, the more they learn.

Recently the gogos found that some of the reading books the children brought with them were worn and outdated. Thanks to funds from the Rotary Club of Pinetown, 10 new sets of readers were purchased for the project.

The Pinetown Junior Primary reading project is part of the Pinetown Rotary Schools Forum, which includes two high schools, two primary schools, the Rotaract Club of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, as well as Rotarians and their friends. By sharing skills and resources, the forum plans to strengthen education in Pinetown.

love to

learn

Rotarians Margaret Keogh and Cheryl Marx, with friends of Rotary Helga Lapke, Yvonne Westoby, Pam Kilian and a Grade 2 reading class from Pinetown Junior Primary School. Photo: Highway Mail

More than R2 million has been raised by the Rotary Club of Noon Gun (D9350) for its school project at Stormont Madubela Primary School.

The lion’s share of the funding came from Ein Herz Fuer Kinder, a German organisation supported by Bild, the biggest German tabloid newspaper. The organisation was approached in 2013 and initially rejected the request for help. This did not deter the club and it continued to apply for funding.

In 2014, the club received good news. Ein Herz Fuer Kinder has decided to provide €135 000 to help fund the project.

The project will see Noon Gun provide the school with new toilet facilities and a computer and communication room. It will also help secure the school premises and extend the size of the classrooms to ensure they comply with legislation.

Donations were also received from other individuals and the Rotary Club of Hagen (D1900, Germany) donated R100 000 to the project.

School upgrade from Noon Gun


Forty-five Zimbabwean children have been given the gift of a beautiful smile thanks to a partnership between the Rotary Club of Avondale (D9210, Zimbabwe) and the Rotary Club of Portland Pearl (D5100, USA).

The two clubs helped fund an Operation of Hope surgical mission to Zimbabwe. The team of volunteer surgeons, led by Jennifer Trubenbach, was based at Harare Central Hospital and performed free operations on people with cleft lip and palate conditions.

Cleft lips and palates are caused by abnormal facial development during gestation and occur in approximately one in 850 people in Zimbabwe. Those affected do not have the confidence or ability to smile - a powerful expression of affection and happiness which is all too often taken for granted.

More than 200 surgery candidates attended a screening day on 6 April and District Governor Stella Dongo visited the event as well.

After the surgeries had been completed, Avondale president, Loveness Sibanda, described the mission as a resounding success.

“The operations brought joy and happiness to 45 lucky children who underwent surgery successfully. It is always a pleasure to assist in life changing initiatives. It’s mission accomplished!”

Operation of Hope surgical teams have been regular visitors to Zimbabwe since 2006. To date, approximately 800 Zimbabweans have successfully undergone reconstructive surgery.

“Projects such as this are what we Rotarians cherish. There is great joy and satisfaction in doing something for one’s community, especially for needy children who could never dream of being able to afford the more than US$30 000 needed for a single procedure in the United States,” said Valerie Takundwa, the club’s projects director.

One of the surgeons, Dr Travis Tollefson, of the University of California’s Davis Medical Centre was impressed by the co-operation and facilitation of the local partners, led by Valerie Takundwa, and the enthusiasm of the surgical team itself which worked long hours.

“I look forward to coming back to Zimbabwe and to visit and enjoy other places, such as Great Zimbabwe Ruins in Masvingo,” he said.

The Rotary Club of Avondale Harare, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Portland Pearl, USA, helped make real the dreams of over 45 children in Zimbabwe: the dream of a smile. The two clubs helped fund, with Rotary Foundation, a volunteer surgical mission to Zimbabwe by Operation of Hope team which was at Harare Central Hospital, a large state owned hospital in the capital city. The team of volunteer surgeons, mainly from the USA led by Jennifer Trubenbach, carried out operations on people with cleft lip and cleft palate conditions for free. Cleft lip and cleft palate is caused by abnormal facial development during gestation and occurs in about 1 in 850 people in Zimbabwe. Those affected do not have the confidence or ability to smile, a powerful expression of affection and happiness too often taken for granted. Over 200 surgery candidates attended screening day on Sunday 6 April 2014, an event graced by Mrs Stella Dongo, the District Governor for 9210.

President Loveness Sibanda of the Rotary Club of Avondale described this mission as a resounding success, and expressed gratitude towards the Operation of Hope Team.“The operations brought joy and happiness to the 45 lucky children who underwent surgery

successfully, thanks to the dedication of the team from Operation of Hope. It is always a

pleasure to assist in life changing initiatives, and we of the Rotary Club of Avondale Harare,

and other local well wishers share in the fulfillment of a job well done. Its mission

accomplished”

Rotarian Loveness Sibanda, Rotary Club of Avondale Harare. President 2013 – 2014.

The team of Operation of Hope has been coming to Zimbabwe since 2006 to carry out surgical operations on children with the conditions. So far, about 800 Zimbabweans have been successfully operated on.“Projects such as this are what we Rotarians cherish. There is great joy and satisfaction in doing

something for one's community, especially for needy children, who would never dream of affording the

over $30,000 needed for a single procedure in the United States”

Rotarian Valerie Takundwa, Rotary Club of Avondale Harare. Projects Director 2013 - 2014.

One of the surgeons, Dr Travis T. Tollefson, of the University of California, Davis Medical Center, who left Harare on Tuesday, expressed satisfaction with the cooperation and facilitation of the local partners, ably led by Valerie Takundwa, the Projects Director of Rotary Club of Avondale, and the enthusiasm of the surgical team itself, which worked long hours “ I look forward to coming back to Zimbabwe, and to visit and enjoy other places, such as Great Zimbabwe Ruins in Masvingo” he said, on his way to the airport. Clearly, he was a man dedicated to his calling, who rightly felt he had accomplished something worthwhile on this mission.

Rotary brings happy smiles to children

The Rotary Club of Avondale Harare, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Portland Pearl, USA, helped make real the dreams of over 45 children in Zimbabwe: the dream of a smile. The two clubs helped fund, with Rotary Foundation, a volunteer surgical mission to Zimbabwe by Operation of Hope team which was at Harare Central Hospital, a large state owned hospital in the capital city. The team of volunteer surgeons, mainly from the USA led by Jennifer Trubenbach, carried out operations on people with cleft lip and cleft palate conditions for free. Cleft lip and cleft palate is caused by abnormal facial development during gestation and occurs in about 1 in 850 people in Zimbabwe. Those affected do not have the confidence or ability to smile, a powerful expression of affection and happiness too often taken for granted. Over 200 surgery candidates attended screening day on Sunday 6 April 2014, an event graced by Mrs Stella Dongo, the District Governor for 9210.

President Loveness Sibanda of the Rotary Club of Avondale described this mission as a resounding success, and expressed gratitude towards the Operation of Hope Team.“The operations brought joy and happiness to the 45 lucky children who underwent surgery

successfully, thanks to the dedication of the team from Operation of Hope. It is always a

pleasure to assist in life changing initiatives, and we of the Rotary Club of Avondale Harare,

and other local well wishers share in the fulfillment of a job well done. Its mission

accomplished”

Rotarian Loveness Sibanda, Rotary Club of Avondale Harare. President 2013 – 2014.

The team of Operation of Hope has been coming to Zimbabwe since 2006 to carry out surgical operations on children with the conditions. So far, about 800 Zimbabweans have been successfully operated on.“Projects such as this are what we Rotarians cherish. There is great joy and satisfaction in doing

something for one's community, especially for needy children, who would never dream of affording the

over $30,000 needed for a single procedure in the United States”

Rotarian Valerie Takundwa, Rotary Club of Avondale Harare. Projects Director 2013 - 2014.

One of the surgeons, Dr Travis T. Tollefson, of the University of California, Davis Medical Center, who left Harare on Tuesday, expressed satisfaction with the cooperation and facilitation of the local partners, ably led by Valerie Takundwa, the Projects Director of Rotary Club of Avondale, and the enthusiasm of the surgical team itself, which worked long hours “ I look forward to coming back to Zimbabwe, and to visit and enjoy other places, such as Great Zimbabwe Ruins in Masvingo” he said, on his way to the airport. Clearly, he was a man dedicated to his calling, who rightly felt he had accomplished something worthwhile on this mission.

Rotary brings happy smiles to children

The team which ensured the success of the most recent Operation of Hope surgical mission to Zimbabwe. The missions provide free cleft lip and palate restoration surgeries. Right: A young patient shows her ‘before’ picture.

Mission accomplished


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the ever popular aloe Breakfast Club or, as it is fondly known, The BC, at Aloe High School is growing from strength to strength. It was launched nine years ago by the school’s educators when they realised many of the learners only had one meal a day or went for as long as three days without a hot meal.

Principal Keith Damon says, “since launching The BC, we have seen a remarkable decrease in absenteeism at the school. We believe that the hearty meal that is served to kick start each day has definitely had a positive impact in getting learners to come to school and on their performance during the day.”

Using Rotary International grants, the Rotary Clubs of Newlands and Kirstenbosch (D9350), in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Swindon Old Town (D1100, England), raised sufficient funding

to renovate The BC, and provide a fully decked out eating area for the learners.

“Initially, only approximately 180 learners could be accommodated in The BC on a daily basis. This was just over 20 percent of the school’s learner population of 750. We can now accommodate up to 250 learners,” says Mike Walwyn from the Rotary Club of Newlands.

“This collaboration between the Rotary clubs has benefited us tremendously and I want to thank all involved for making this dream possible,” concludes Damon.

Useful linkswww.newlands.orgwww.kirstenboschrotary.co.zawww.facebook.com/newlandsrotary

Breakfast at aloeA breakfast club, run at a Mitchells Plain high school, has resulted in improved attendance and performance from the learners.


in May, District Governor Greg Cryer visited the Rotary Club of Melmoth Ulundi (D9370). During the visit, special reports and project updates were presented. DG Greg provided positive and constructive feedback with regard to the items that were discussed.

The programme was opened by President Cyprian Mncwango who expressed a warm welcome to his fellow Rotarians and all the visitors.

Feedback on all the club’s projects was presented, with KGN-OVC being the highlight. This particular project is based in Ulundi, at eNkonjeni area and supports orphaned and

vulnerable children. Donations such as food, clothes and uniforms are given to the children by the Rotarians. Other club projects include community gardens.

Not only do the Rotarians empower their communities, but they also work to stimulate the growth of their club. Recently, they chartered an EarlyAct club at Ntuthuko Primary. The young members have already completed some projects which included providing food to homeless people in Durban.

DG Greg praised the club’s work and provided useful suggestions such as social networking, to help make the club grow.

The members of the Rotary Club of Ulundi/Melmoth were visited by DG Greg Cryer in May.

praise and support

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Recognising the role of our frequently unacknowledged elders, who over their lifetime have contributed in one way or another to the development of Namibia, is an important annual community service project of the Rotary Club of Windhoek (D9350).

Each year, the club hosts an outing to Okapuka Ranch, a game park located north of the capital city, for residents of one of the local old age homes. Thirty-nine senior citizens from Susanne Grauheim enjoyed the outing which included a game drive and a luncheon afterwards.

For the 2014 senior citizens’ outing, the club partnered with Julius Gaweseb, who is the founder and chief executive of Vulkan Ruine Tours and Transfers. The firm provided two buses to transport the old people to Okapuka Ranch.

Okapuka Ranch also contributed towards the cost of staging this year’s outing. The premier hospitality and tourism facility provided the game drive and buffet luncheon at a highly discounted rate.

Every year, the Rotary Club of Windhoek treats the city’s senior citizens to a special day out. This year, the residents of Susanne Grauheim visited Okapuka Ranch.

The guests enjoyed exciting game drives through the ranch.

Day at the ranch


the Rotary satellite Club of st Francis (D9370) teamed up with retail giant Makro in Port elizabeth to host the Rotary Makro Golf Festival competition. It was played at both the st Francis Bay Golf Club and the st Francis Links in March.

The Betterball competition attracted golfers from as far afield as Canada, Norway, Ireland, England, Switzerland and Germany, as well as visitors from Plettenberg Bay, East London and Johannesburg. Protea cricketers, all-rounder Vernon Philander and bowler Garnet Kruger, also attended the event.

Title sponsor, Makro Port Elizabeth, was delighted with the response from golfers and sponsors alike. “We will definitely be back in St Francis next year to help sponsor another similar event,” said Makro Port Elizabeth General Manager Dees Gopaul. “We’d really like to thank the celebrity cricketers for taking time out of their busy schedules to support our day.”

Ann Knight, the St Francis satellite club chairperson, thanked Makro Port Elizabeth team saying it “entered into the spirit of this festival with such enthusiasm and we are delighted that they intend to partner with us to make this an annual event.

“The festival was more than just a fundraiser

for St Francis club projects,” continued Knight. “We hoped it would also provide a welcome boost to the economy of St Francis and we believe that over time the festival will become a big attraction on the St Francis calendar.

“Compliments have been pouring in for both the St Francis Bay Golf Club and St Francis Links for their professional management of the two-day event.”

The event’s overall winners were Janine van der Merwe and Derek Knight. The development team of four youngsters from Sea Vista, who are being mentored by St Francis Links and whose entry in the festival was sponsored by Kouga Wind Farms, also excelled. Two of them finished the event in second place. Charles Laird was the lucky winner of the fabulous two-night stay at the award winning Dune Ridge Country House in St Francis.

Makro suppliers and local businesses sponsored a range of fantastic prizes for the competition and offered discounted rates for accommodation.

The two-day event culminated in a luncheon at The Links on Saturday where the lucky winners were awarded their prizes and the guests were entertained by the master showman himself, Links CEO Jeff Clause.

Chairman of Rotary Satellite Club of St Francis, Ann Knight, welcomes visiting Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Mar Dyke (D1240, UK) and exchanges banners with club secretary, Graham Dockrill. Above right: Gilly Schwitter gets close to Protea all-rounder Vernon Philander.

top notch festivalBy Lyn Aitken


the Rotary Club of Queensburgh (D9370) hosted a Mother’s Day High Tea fundraiser. The tea party, held at West Park school in Queensburgh, was attended by more than 100 people who were spoilt with delicious cakes and treats. Lucky draws, hair styling demonstrations, a piñata game, bingo and inspirational speeches provided entertainment for the guests. Queensburgh President-elect Brenda McDermott said that the event was just one of many exciting projects the club has planned for its community in the new Rotary year. “It’s great to be part of a community upliftment programme. It is rewarding to see the joy it brings to our women in the community.”

Clockwise from top: Enjoying the high tea are Nirvana Rambally, Shireen Soobrathi, President-Elect Brenda McDermott, Vani Inderjeet and Kimona Kanniah. When it comes to bingo there is no such thing as too much concentration or seriousness. Ready to pound that piñata. The winner of the best table setting, Ursula Muller.

Terrific tea for moms


In April, Interactors from a number of Knysna schools, including Percy Mdala, Knysna High, Knysna secondary, oakhill and Knynsa Montesorri, took part in a magnificent project.

They were asked to photograph the elders in their communities as well as the surrounding natural environment. The Interactors were encouraged to take photographs containing as many bright colours as possible, as well as photos containing black, white and brown colours. Canon SA, in particular Rotarian Zane Pretorius, lent cameras to the Interactors to use in the project.

The aim was to take all these pictures and make a collage forming Nelson Mandela’s face, with the South African flag behind him. The entire picture would in fact be composed of tiny little photographs - a picture of pictures.

The final result was absolutely breathtaking. Nearly 2000 photos filled up over 9000 unit blocks on the piece. Michaela Millar from Oakhill

School, who is an Interact member and head of the Oakhill Audio Visual Society, was in charge of arranging the photographs on a grid to form the face of Mandela.

The piece serves as a tribute to Nelson Mandela and represents what we as a country are working towards daily. It holds our very essence, our people, our respected elders, our scenery, our faces and our hearts.

It also represents the power of the youth and the arts. Together, we as young people worked to create something that spoke to the hearts of all. Art has the ability to turn our creativity into something that speaks, that touches and that moves and changes.

Money raised by the piece will be filtered back into Interact to be used in community service and outreach projects and to stimulate and encourage young artists and photographers. Michaela Millar was also awarded a camera for her much appreciated contribution.

Faces of the nationby Kristin Groenewald, President, Interact Club of the Oakhill School (D9350)

Interactor Michaela Miller with the completed collage.


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A decade ago, the Rotary Club of Empangeni (D9370) chartered the first EarlyAct club in the then District 9270. After reading in Rotary Africa about the establishment of the first two EarlyAct clubs in Africa, the Empangeni club agreed to sponsor the St Catherine’s EarlyAct Club. With the approval of the district governor at the time, Siva Naidoo, the club was chartered.

To celebrate the anniversary, the Empangeni Rotarians were invited to attend a celebratory meeting, held by the EarlyAct Club of St Catherine’s School. With 15 Rotarians and all the class representatives present, the young committee conducted a formal meeting with the most amazing confidence. It was interesting to see the confidence the young children showed while running their own club and reporting on their own affairs, all under the gentle and dedicated guidance of their mentor, Rotarian and teacher Denise Brooks.

It was Denise who, more than 10 years ago, realised the benefit of an EarlyAct club to the school, the youth and the Rotary club. She was instrumental in promoting and developing this initiative and has been at the helm of this EarlyAct club since its inception. Denise is currently on the board of the Rotary Club of Empangeni. Her portfolio is Youth Service and she is actively encouraging and offering mentorship to other schools so that more children can benefit from learning leadership skills and can become active in community service.

All learners between the ages of five and thirteen are members of the club which is run by a committee elected from Grades 6 and 7. Each Rotary year, the club is required to complete a minimum of three projects – at least one school project, one community project and one international project. This year, St Catherine’s International project was to host its third Swimarathon and it raised R20 000 for the End Polio Now campaign. Every October, the EarlyActors celebrate Global Handwashing Day by organising an activity to promote hygiene.

The EarlyActors have continued to support their community by assisting with the collection of food and clothes for the needy. The learners were encouraged to fill their ‘blessing bottles’ with small change and the change collected was used to give some special help at Christmas time. Last Christmas, the club gave R4 010 to the Hope Project’s Christmas Bliss campaign for underprivileged and poor people in Empangeni. The EarlyActors also support Bandana Day and Casual Day, as well as the 67 Minutes for Madiba campaign every year. The club has been challenged to design and create a poster to promote the bottle tops and bread tags campaign which it supports.

Every year the EarlyAct club gives the school something or donates funds towards an item which will be used by all the learners. It was agreed that this year a donation would be made towards goal posts for the school’s new multisport astroturf.

celebrating a decadeThe EarlyActors’ international project is the Global Swimarathon. The funds raised at the event are donated to End Polio Now.


Kudzai Sibanda, an Interactor from Concordia High school in Knysna, and deputy principal, Reneé Verhaelst, jetted to london in May to compete in the prestigious English Speaking Union Speech Contest. As a national winner of the Anglo American Young Communicators Speech Contest, Kudzai and his mentor were invited to participate in the international contest. Before departing for London, Kudzai addressed the D9350 District Conference.

With sponsorship from organisations and individual donors, they were able to finance their journey to London. He competed against speakers from 52 countries in the Commonwealth. The topic expounded by contestants was ‘imagination

is more important than knowledge’. All contestants had to deliberate on their speeches, and field questions from the audience. Of the 53 entrants, 18 contestants went to the semi-finals. In this round, they had to prepare a three minute impromptu speech without any assistance from mentors. Kudzai triumphed once again and made the final six.

At the finals, three winners were announced, namely, the judges’ choice winner and runner-up and the audience choice winner. Kudzai captured the hearts of the international audience and was selected as the audience choice winner. The many hours spent by him and his mentor, Reneé, had finally paid off.

Reneé Verhaelst (mentor) and Kudzai Sibanda (learner), of Concordia High School. Kudzai won the audience choice award at the English Speaking Union Speech Contest.

Kudzai’s big win

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The Rotary Club of Grahamstown (D9370) chartered the Rotaract Club of Grahamstown. The club was formed in mid-2013 and chartered on 6 May 2014. Since its inception the club has been involved in a number of activities that not only produced funds to sponsor projects but also created awareness about Rotaract. These projects have included the High Heel Walk for Cancer and the sponsoring of chain saws and mattresses for Salem Crossroads. The club has also provided rugby shirts for a local team and donated blankets to the SPCA.

The Rotary Club of Isipingo-Morningside (D9370) held its annual New Generations Conference in May. The conference was attended by more than 200 learners from various schools in the district. The club has hosted this event for more than 15 years.


The Rotary Club of Helderberg Sunrise (D9350) donated a cheque for R175 000 to the Cape Town Opera. At the handover are PDG Graham Money, CEO of Cape Town Opera, Michael Williams, and Helderberg Sunrise President Carl-Heinz Duisberg.

Rotarians flocked to Carnival City Casino in May to battle it out to win R25 000 for the charity of their choice. The main aim of the competition was to have fun for a good cause. Members from the Rotary Clubs of Boksburg Lake, Boksburg, Benoni, Germiston and Nigel (D9400), gathered at the casino in high spirits. To make the competition even more exciting, Carnival City roped in their Most Valued Guests (MVGs) to play a few games on the Rotarians’ behalf. This is the second time that Carnival City hosted and sponsored this fundraiser and it intends to make it an annual event. Even though all the teams hoped to win the grand prize, every Rotary club which participated received money to donate towards their charity of choice. The Rotary Club of Benoni won the grand prize of R25 000, Boksburg Lake won R10 000, Germiston won R7 500, Boksburg won R5 000 and Nigel won R2 500.


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A spirited and enjoyable educators’ workshop was hosted by the Rotary Club of Kenton on Sea (D9370). The workshop was attended by 41 Grade 1 to 3 educators and ‘creating with waste materials’ was its theme. Club president, Stella Swanson, and youth services chairman, Charlotte Wormold, welcomed the educators and opened the proceedings. An introductory activity, titled ‘What’s in the Bag’, got creative juices flowing as participants used a variety of waste materials to create useful apparatus for their classrooms. A colourful shop, made of cardboard boxes and toilet roll inners, caused great excitement. After demonstrating how to create a similar shop and the many ways it can be used as a valuable teaching aid, each teacher was given a starter pack to create a shop of their own.

James Kibet lost his left hand after he was robbed last year. Thanks to the Rotary Club of Nairobi Utumishi’s (D9212, Kenya) LN-4 Prosthetic Hand project, the father of five received a new hand. Rose Mbaika Mutheni (52) also received a LN-4 prosthetic hand from the Nairobi Utumishi club. Rose lost her left hand after she was born with a birth defect. She is a self-employed vegetable seller.


The Rotary Club of Kenton on Sea (D9370) held two successful fundraisers. The first, the annual Seafood Extreme, saw 170 people gather to enjoy a five-course seafood feast. The South Sea Island themed evening also featured a full service bar and a charity auction. The second event, the Kenton on Sea Primary School EarlyAct Car Wash, was held to raise funds for the EarlyActors charity drive. More than R1 400 was raised and 23 cars were cleaned. The EarlyActors were supported by the Rotarians who sold scrumptious bacon and egg rolls to the car wash customers.

Sacred Heart Girls’ High School near Esigodini, opened this year with 40 learners. Prior to the school’s opening, young girls did not have access to a high school education. This led to the community appealing for help. A previous Matching Grant with District 6170 and the Rotary Club of Bulawayo South (D9210) provided a borehole and reservoir to enable the building of the classrooms, toilet blocks, teachers’ cottages and a hostel. This year, the Rotary Club of Alresford (D1110, UK) provided US$3 800 for classroom furniture. Rotarian Steve Walker visited Zimbabwe to officiate at the handover ceremony.

Josie Norfolk, Wendy Davies, Eileen de Wet, Glen Davies, Denise de Villiers, Linda Knox, Nico de Villiers, Teresa Thomson and President Andrew Thomson of the Rotary Club of Melkbos (D9350) participated in the District Potjiekos competition which was organised by the Rotary Club of Pinelands.


Just before the winter chill set in, a joint project saw grandmothers in Dundee receive a much-needed gift of blankets. The Rotary Club of Dundee (D9370), Chan’s/Harry’s Transport and the Dundee Rama Krishna Temple, as well as Robbie Fitzpatrick from the Dundee Adult Centre sponsored the blankets.

Members of the Rotary E-Club of Southern Africa 9400 (D9400) joined Sešego Cares in launching its annual winter drive. The project gave hand-knitted garments to needy people from vulnerable communities. The Wool Project, as it has become known, entails the donation of wool by the readers and supporters of Northcliff Melville Times. Retired women from East Town, Roosevelt Park’s Rose Village and Sophia Town use the wool to make garments. These are distributed among organisations which care for the needy.

The Rotary Club of Knysna (D9350) presented 2 000 books to Chris Nissen School and Concordia Primary School. The books were donated by Pearson Publishers through the Rotary Club of Chicago Lakes (D5960, USA). The club asked Knysna to assist with the handover. Principal Numvula Bam accepted the books from Knysna President Alan Warne.


welcomed and honoured

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Sophia Warner was recognised as a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Club of Somerset West (D9350).

John Homewood is a new member of the Rotary Club of Kenton on Sea (D9370).

Rotary Anns Wendy Scorgie, Andrena Foster, Ann President Ingrid Edelson, Jehanne Blades and Gill Collinge, of the Rotary Club of Kloof (D9370), were recognised for their dedication to community service. Jehanne Blades received the Edelson Floating Trophy for Ann of the year.

Eileen de Wet is a new member of the Rotary Club of Melkbos (D9350).

Wendy Davies is a new member of the Rotary Club of Melkbos (D9350).

Glen Davies is a new member of the Rotary Club of Melkbos (D9350).

Gcobani Nomana is a new member of the Rotary Club of Pietermaritzburg (D9370).


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