Developed by the Rotary Club of Alexandra Headland to get young people ready for work, the WorkLife Program mentors and supports people transitioning to work for the first time, from high school and university students, Rotaractors and job seekers from teens to their late 60's. The WorkLife book is filled with practical examples of real work stories drawn from the club members' experience, with positive, but realistic messages for the new work starter.
Every Thursday morning, I receive an email from the World Health Organization with an update on the status of polio eradication. It contains a wealth of information, country by country: where and how immunization campaigns are being conducted, how many millions of children are being vaccinated, and where environmental surveillance has found evidence of circulating virus. But every week, when that email appears in my inbox, my heart seems to stop for just a moment until I read the first few lines – and learn whether a child was paralysed by wild poliovirus that week.
That, my friends, is where we are today in the work of polio eradication. The question on my mind as I open that message isn't ...
The Rotary Foundation enables Rotarians to invest in people by creating sustainable, measurable and long term economic improvements in their communities and livelihoods by :
Building the capacity of entrepreneurs, community leaders, local organizations, and community networks to support economic development in impoverished communities;
Developing opportunities for productive work;
Reducing poverty in under-served communities;
Supporting studies for career-minded professionals related to economic and community development.
Roger took charge of our meeting and welcomed our Guest Speakers as well as Honorary Member Jan, Kath (hopefully being inducted next Tuesday morning), Michele (RC Five Dock, Sydney) and two of President Bernie's grand-daughters Holly & April.
He then introduced himself and his vocation as an Architect giving some background on his calling and telling us about igloos.
Ahh, School holidays are upon us and for four nights we had the pleasure of the company of two of our Granddaughters from Bundaberg. It has been a couple of months since their last visit and we have noticed such a difference in them in that time.
Holly the eldest has just turned 15 and of course is a typical teenager concerned about what to wear, makeup, her mobile phone and sleeping. Her first question though when she arrived on Saturday was are you going to Rotary on Tuesday morning. May I come with you? I was delighted that she wanted to come to our meeting. Since the tender age of two she has been aware of Rotary and has known and loved all of the exchange students we have hosted. There is even talk of her wanting to be involved in the Rotary Youth Exchange program. Holly was most impressed with the talk given by Stuart on the SPA-TAP program and has asked for more information to be sent to her as the College she attends in Bundaberg raise funds for many projects and she thinks that this would be ideal.
Because of Holly’s enthusiasm in wanting to attend our Rotary meeting 11year old April wanted to come as well. April loved it and thought the breakfast was great. She loves her food. So I was blessed with our two granddaughters attending our meeting and enjoying being in the company of an older generation. They both would like to be involved in community work so I will contact the clubs in Bundaberg and ask them if they have any EarylAct or Interact Programs in the area.
While staying with us the girls were so interactive and caring with their Great-grandmother Maureen and they spent a lot of time asking her about what she did when she was young and telling her about their activities in and out of school.
Rotary not only involves community but also families and I see this as I watch my grandchildren grow and mature in the Spirit of Rotary.
We are again looking for volunteers to help setup and assist in the running of another successful RYDA day preparing our young people for life on the roads.
Separate invitation emails have been emailed on which you may register your attendance or apologise if you cannot help; you may also register direct at the following links:
Born 1946 in Tomar in a post-war depressed Portugal. Father migrated to Mozambique in 1947 looking for work. 1948 my mother and I followed.
1954 moved to Nyasaland, now Malawi. Educated at Portuguese school. 1958 went to St Andrew’s school in Blantyre, aged 12 and not speaking a word of English.
1963 family moved to Northern Rhodesia (Zambia). Joined Cooper Brothers (auditors) as articled clerk. First day of work was in a six seater plane to Lobito Bay, Angola as one of a team of auditors. Work trips to Portugal, England, Congo, Rhodesia, Mozambique & Malawi followed.
Completed accounting qualifications as ACCA and ACMA after working and studies in UK.
1972 left Coopers and joined Malawi Hotels as Group Accountant for Malawi & Zambia
Today, one of our six areas of focus is promoting peace. Every Rotary service project, whether funded with a district grant or a global grant, has an impact on peace. It could be a peace project, a water and sanitation project, a basic education and literacy project, an economic and community development project, or a project in one of our human health-related areas – maternal and child health or disease prevention and treatment. It really doesn't matter. The ultimate outcome makes a positive contribution to our world by improving the quality of life for those affected, and that improvement is an element of peace.
As a polio survivor (age three, left with partial paralysis of one leg which did not grow as much as the other leg), all of my life I have had moments when I turned to see a child trying to imitate my walk. It was always disconcerting, and of late, just a little surprising, as when you realize toilet paper is stuck to your shoe and trailing along behind. When I matured, I could smile …
Often Rotary Clubs are not aware of grass roots international projects that have started from nothing to gain strength through persistence and dedication. Especially RAWCS projects (Rotary Australia World Community Service Projects) which give you the security of knowing that the money you donate goes exactly where it should.
Well Umoja Orphanage Kenya is a project of RAWCS. See where we began and where we are now seven years later, having now been open for two years. As you can see we have continued to move forward, sometimes ever so slowly, but always forward.
Today, one of our six areas of focus is promoting peace. Every Rotary service project, whether funded with a district grant or a global grant, has an impact on peace. It could be a peace project, a water and sanitation project, a basic education and literacy project, an economic and community development project, or a project in one of our human health-related areas – maternal and child health or disease prevention and treatment. It really doesn't matter. The ultimate outcome makes a positive contribution to our world by improving the quality of life for those affected, and that improvement is an element of peace.
