Rotary Down Under in Parramatta, New South Wales | Charitable organisation

Rotary Down Under

Locality: Parramatta, New South Wales

Phone: +61 2 9633 4888

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25.01.2022 This years changeover for the Rotary Club of Unley, Rotary District 9510, was exciting, with the change from online meetings back to normal dinner meetings. Thirty-seven members and friends made the club one of the first clubs to emerge from the COVID cave. But the changeover was particularly notable as it was also the first time in Australian Rotary history a transgender Rotarian was inducted as club president. Sorl Coward, pictured, was inducted as president on June 21,... in the presence of a club that has embraced membership diversity, not just as a theory, but as a tangible, visible reality. Read the full story in the August edition of Rotary Down Under. http://www.epubs.media/rotarydownund//2020/630/index.html #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #DoingGood

24.01.2022 Across Fiji’s northern regions, Tropical Cyclone Yasa damaged and, in many cases, destroyed vital food crops. While Taveuni fared better than most other islands in building damage, its food and income crops were basically wiped out. Family farms supply much of the fruit and vegetables consumed throughout Fiji. Livelihoods and incomes are linked directly to crop production and sales. Food is short, and families have no cash left to pay for children to go to school.... The Rotary Club of Boronia, Rotary District 9810, has a sister-club relationship with the Taveuni Rotary Club, Rotary District 9920 - Auckland and the Pacific Islands, and supports its projects assisting the community. The School Student Assistance project relieves financial burden on needy families, gets more children to school, and helps the local economy by paying the stores directly for books, supplies and uniforms. On average, it costs AU$150 to send a child to secondary school. Each year, some 160 students are assisted by the project. Applications for assistance opened in early January, and the line stretched down the street and around the corner, Peter Malden, of the Rotary Club of Boronia, said. More families are coming forward each day. We have not seen this many applications for assistance in previous years. A total of AU$45,000 is needed to assist 300 children this year. Pledges are needed now to lock in the number of families the project can support. Tax-deductible donations can be made via RAWCS.org.au, project 129/2010-11 or by direct deposit to the Rotary Club of Boronia: BSB: 633 108 Account No: 131 338 782 Include ‘Fiji’ in the description For further information, contact Peter on 0417 998 082 or [email protected] #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #PeopleOfAction #DoingGood

24.01.2022 THE POWER OF OUR PIN By Barry Rassin President, Rotary International 2018-19 Trustee, The Rotary Foundation... I would like to share a story of hope from Malawi, East Africa, where Esther and I had the opportunity to visit a local school. Rotarians showed us the two toilets and water pump they had put in the school using a global grant. They had matching funds with other countries around the world and it was a classic ‘what we do’ situation. As I’m walking around the school, I see that Esther has disappeared from the group and I go to look for her. I stood there and saw her in this classroom. You can imagine; there’s 4000 children, 38 teachers, so 100-150 students to a teacher, there’s no desks, no chairs, no blackboard, and for us that’s a little depressing. How are these children going to get what they need? But they’re all happy and I’m seeing this vision of Esther with all these kids around her with big smiles on their face. And as I’m standing there, one young man, 10 or 11 years old, comes over to me and he looks at my Rotary pin and says: I know that the people who wear that pin are the ones who brought us the two toilets and the water that we can drink and wash our hands with. I know that people who wear that pin in other countries of the world helped them to do that. I will never have the ability to go to those other countries, so when you see them, when you see those individuals who wear that pin that you’re wearing, please, say thank you for all of us, because you are giving us hope. You are giving us an idea that we can truly live a better life and we want to say thank you. So, on behalf of that little boy, on behalf of all the children of the world and the others we help every day, I bring you thanks. Thank you for all that you do to support our Rotary Foundation, which is changing the world and bringing hope to people that none of us will ever meet. #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #BeTheInspiration #TheRotaryFoundation #DoingGood

24.01.2022 BE SEEN Back by popular demand! Our Rotarian at Work high-vis safety vests are great for extra visibility at barbecues, conferences, and other Rotary events. Features a large Rotary wheel with the text "Rotarian at Work" screen-printed on the back of the vest. 120Gsm 100% Polyester. Click here to purchase: http://rdusupplies.com.au/rotarian-at-work-high-vis-vest/

23.01.2022 When the Papua New Guinea Midwifery Society reached out to the Australian College of Midwives (ACM) to help improve maternal and newborn outcomes in PNG, the Rotary Club of Morialta, Rotary District 9520 saw an opportunity to make a positive difference. With the assistance of a district and international Rotary grant, the club developed a unique three-year project to provide 18 midwives in PNG with a leadership and advocacy buddy program. Each year of the project, six Austr...alian midwives volunteer their time to work with six colleagues in PNG over a 12-month period. The Rotary Club of Port Moresby (https://www.facebook.com/Rotary-Club-of-Port-Moresby-250510488783536/), Rotary District 9600, has joined the Rotary Club of Morialta and is providing on-the-ground support for the visiting midwives from Australia in their training role. Read the full story in the July edition of Rotary Down Under: http://www.epubs.media/rotarydownund//2020/629/index.html #RotaryOpensOpportunites #Rotary #DoingGood #MaternalAndChildHealth #WorldPopulationDay

23.01.2022 Don't get caught out in the cold Buy your Rotary branded jackets & vests now and wear it proud... http://rdusupplies.com.au/

22.01.2022 Launched on July 1, an innovative group from Perth has come up with a fun and far-reaching way to beat COVID-19 and assist in the recovery of Western Australias tourism industry. The Rotary Club of Matilda Bay, Rotaract District 9455 W.A., has funded and designed a pioneer adventure game to be played in Western Australias backyard. Labelled the Pioneer Challenge (https://www.facebook.com/Pioneer-Challenge-102369194850690), it is a fun pioneer heritage hunt with the aim of d...iscovering the pioneers of the state. The game is a hybrid of a clue-finding treasure hunt and car rally that encourages people to explore regional country towns, much like Geo clue-finding games like Pokemon and Geocaching. The development of our state can be attributed to the dedication and hard work of our pioneers, said Christine Stewart, of the Rotary Club of Matilda Bay. We are now calling on these pioneers to help re-build our state economy and tourism industry following the ravages of the COVID-19 virus. The game is a non-profit venture, with all funds raised going towards supporting Rotary projects, particularly the refurbishment of the King Edward Memorial Hospital (https://www.facebook.com/pages/King%20Edward%20Memorial%20Hospital%20for%20Women/102627926457494/) infant remembrance gardens. Read the full story in the August edition of Rotary Down Under. http://www.epubs.media/rotarydownund//2020/630/index.html #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #PeopleOfAction #DoingGood

22.01.2022 In recognition of International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples on August 9, this months edition of Rotary Down Under focuses on how Rotarians are working with our Indigenous communities in Australia, New Zealand and the South West Pacific. In fact, we are doing so much great work that we have had to split it over two editions! Check out Part One of our two-part series celebrating our First Peoples here: www.epubs.media/rotarydownunder/ezine/2020/630 #RotaryOpensOpportunities #ServiceAboveSelf #DoingGood #GoodReads

22.01.2022 Incoming Rotary International President Shekhar Mehta has announced the 2021-22 presidential theme Serve to Change Lives. He has urged members to become more involved in service projects, saying that caring for and serving others is the best way to live because it changes not only other people’s lives, but also our own. During his theme address to incoming district governors at the Rotary International Assembly on 1 February, he said that Rotary kindled a spark within him t...o look beyond himself and embrace humanity. Service became a way of life for me and I, like many others, adopted the guiding philosophy that ‘Service is the rent I pay for the space I occupy on this earth, and I want to be a good tenant of this earth’. Shekhar encouraged district governors-elect to lead by example during their term and inspire Rotary and Rotaract members to participate in projects that have measurable and sustainable impacts. He is asking each club to conduct a Rotary Day of Service. At the end of your term as district governor, you should feel that because of your leadership, because of your inspiration to Rotarians and Rotaractors, the world has changed for the better because of the service done by them during the year, he said. For the 2021-22 Rotary year, Shekhar wants members to focus their efforts on empowering girls and ensuring their access to education, resources, services, and opportunities so that future generations of women leaders will have the tools they need to succeed. He asked members to use Rotary’s belief that diversity, equity, and inclusion is critical in all we do as a compass to guide this work. There are many issues that girls face in different parts of the world, and you as leaders will ensure that we try and mitigate the disadvantage of the girl that they may have, he said. He also hopes to continue the push on increasing membership through his Each One, Bring One initiative, challenging incoming district governors to increase membership from 1.2 million to 1.3 million by 1 July 2022. Increasing membership while also continuing our commitment to eradicating polio, fighting COVID-19, and serving our communities is an ambitious goal. And that should excite you, Shekhar said. Rotarians love challenges.

21.01.2022 A roadway to a remote hillside village in Timor-Leste, funded by Rotarians half a world away, has provided a lifeline for the 500 residents of Ai-Maulin. Until recently, access to the small, remote village of Ai-Maulin, nestled on a hilly slope in the limestone high country of Timor-Leste, was only possible by foot or horseback. Then president of the Rotary Club of Dili, Rotary District 9550, Graciana Herculano Boavida, is a young lady and mother who was born and brought up i...n Ai-Maulin, where her family still live. In 2016, Gracianas father, together with his family, financed the clearing of a walking track up the mountainside to an existing rural road. However, the walking track, which was very slippery and muddy during the six-month wet season, was often made impassable by local waterways that crossed the path. Following a Group Study Exchange to the US in 2017, Graciana received a letter from the Rotary Club of North St Paul - Maplewood - Oakdale in Minnesota, with a proposal to assist the villagers of Ai-Maulin build a roadway from the nearest rural road, some 4.6km away, to their village. The US club sent over a financial package of approximately US$22,500, and construction commenced in early 2019. A suitably wide access track was cleared, and waterways were taken care of with the construction of 13 reinforced corrugated iron culvert implants. Before the road was built, primary school children walked for 1.5 hours to school and back each day. The nearest health clinic was 12 hours walk away, and access by government advisers to assist villagers was rare. Thanks to the Rotary Club of North St. Paul Maplewood Oakdale, the villagers economic activity and welfare has now been greatly enhanced. #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #DoingGood www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NO2PJAe2GI

21.01.2022 In a Rotaract-led initiative, Tasmanian Rotary and Rotaract Against Plastic (https://www.facebook.com/Tasmanian-Rotary-and-Rotaract-Against-Plastic-109375647445061/) has set itself the ambitious goal of being 100 per cent single-use plastic free by July 1, 2022. This includes functions, events, fundraisers and meetings of all shapes and sizes from the Southern Hemispheres largest craft fair held annually at Deloraine to grassroots level sausage sizzles. Immediate Past Dist...rict Governor Michael Cooke saw the opportunity to create a project that reduced the use of disposal plastic, while also attracting younger members to Rotary to support a cause that inspired them for the long-term. I am aware that to attract young people to a humanitarian cause is easy, as they are very aware of suffering across the world; the problem is keeping them focused on a project, Michael said. My mind turned to the environment and my one wish, which is to see the planet free of plastic waste. I saw this as a project that young people of all ages would want to be involved with. Read the full story in the July edition of Rotary Down Under: http://www.epubs.media/rotarydownund//2020/629/index.html Rotary Tasmania Rotaract District Tasmania #Rotary #Rotaract #RotaryOpensOpportunities #DoingGood #SupportingTheEnvironment

21.01.2022 You may have never heard of the Environmental Sustainability Rotarian Action Group - ESRAG, but thats about to change! ESRAG is a worldwide organisation which, you guessed it, focuses on environmental sustainability. It aims to build awareness, inspire action, and implement club and district-level projects focused on increasing environmental sustainability and mitigation of climate disruption. They do this through promoting educational resources, dialogue about environmental... sustainability, and supporting best practice to be used for both projects and daily choices. Find out more in the August edition of Rotary Down Under. http://www.epubs.media/rotarydownund//2020/630/index.html #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #DoingGood

21.01.2022 While here in Australia we may view food security as a problem existing elsewhere, up to 31 per cent of remote Indigenous households report experiencing food insecurity, with poor nutrition a significant contributor to disease among Indigenous Australians. Now, newly established not-for-profit organisation Growrs is working to not only improve access to healthy food in remote Indigenous communities, but aims to increase employment and economic conditions in the process. Co-...founded by Patrick Mauder, of the Gold Coast Passport Rotary Club, Rotary District 9640 Growrs (https://growrs.org/) is working with Indigenous communities to build secure food systems, using advanced agricultural technologies to install aquaponic greenhouses in regional and remote locations. The local farms will produce fresh produce and fish, cultivated as part of the aquaponic process, with minimal water usage. The projects will have immediate and long-term benefits for the communities in which the farms are established, with training and jobs available, and fresh produce and fish grown for consumption and sale by locals, bringing health, social and economic benefits to the community. Read the full story in the August edition of Rotary Down Under. http://www.epubs.media/rotarydownund//2020/630/index.html (Photo: WaterFarmers Aquaponics) #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #PeopleOfAction #DoingGood

21.01.2022 In February 2018, a series of devastating earthquakes hit Papua New Guinea, triggering landslides in the Southern Highlands, Hela, Enga and Western Provinces. The once pristine landscape was ravaged and thousands of remote, impoverished villagers were impacted, with many lives lost and homes and food gardens destroyed. The adverse impacts were widespread and compounded by the destruction of a hydro plant that powered the area, located in the mission station of Mougulu. Havi...ng provided support to 30,000 people in the Strickland Bosavi region for 33 consecutive years, the impact of the plant being buried under four metres of rubble from the landslide was significant, said Charles Guesdon from Rotary Caboolture, Rotary District 9600. The local people were devastated; it had made such an important contribution to their lives. With the immediate food aid, materials for temporary housing, water harvesting systems and tools to rebuild their lives provided through international aid organisations and government support, the local community identified the restoration of the hydro generator to be the most beneficial project for a RAWCS - Rotary Australia World Community Service project. A team of experienced volunteers from Australia assisted 25 local villagers in rebuilding the hydro plant, including replacing damaged pipes and rebuilding the old generator room with a more substantial, landslip-resistant concrete bunker. The hydro plant was operational again in March this year. Check out the full story in the September edition of Rotary Down Under. In mailboxes and inboxes now! #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #DoingGood

20.01.2022 For Rotarians, polio survivors and many others all around the world, the passing of Sir Clem Renouf on June 11, 2020 was an extremely sad occasion. To most Australians, and particularly residents of the Sunshine Coast, Sir Clem was a hero a towering yet unassuming man who devoted his life to humanitarian work and the eradication of poliomyelitis. Read our full tribute to the Dynamo from Downunder in the August edition of Rotary Down Under. http://www.epubs.media/rotarydownu...nd//2020/630/index.html End Polio Now #Rotary #ReachOut #PolioPlus #EndPolioNow #ThisClose #HealthHungerAndHumanity #3H

20.01.2022 The times they are a-changing! For the first time in Rotarys 115-year history, a woman has been named Rotary International president-nominee. The inspiring Jennifer Jones, a member of the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland, Canada, has been nominated to become RI president for 2022-23, a selection that will make her the first woman to hold this office. A current Rotary Foundation trustee, Jennifer has been a member since 1997 and has served Rotary as vice president, director, t...raining leader, committee chair, moderator, and district governor. We were fortunate enough to have Jennifer as our keynote speaker at the South Pacific Presidents Elect Training Seminar in Auckland, NZ, earlier this year, where she won over every seat in the house with her captivating storytelling, compassion and vivacious energy. Congratulations Jennifer and well done. We cant think of a more fitting leader to carry us into 2022-23. Photos: @rhysmartinphotographer

20.01.2022 Its very difficult to wash your hands regularly with soap and running fresh water if you dont have a tap. Now, a RAWCS - Rotary Australia World Community Service project, Hand Hygiene For Health and SPATAP Portable Tap, is tackling this problem in the Pacific. In 2012, Stuart Mason, a member of the Rotary Club of Noosa Heads, Rotary District 9600, stumbled across an idea when he picked up a bottle of warm water from the boot of his car to wash his hands and half the content...s ended up on the ground. After much trial and error, Stuart developed a system called SPATAP Portable Tap, which enables handwashing and personal hygiene with limited water supplies, and yet is very portable and simple to use. A silicone fitting transforms any bottle or container made of plastic, glass or metal into a flow-controllable tap that can dispense water in three different ways depending on the users needs. The Hand Hygiene for Health handwashing project has already proved its worth in many underdeveloped schools in the South Pacific, but the need is great and there are many more schools that need our help. There are requests from communities across the Pacific to access this simple technology, especially now during the current COVID-19 crisis. Within Australia, the system has huge potential to address diseases like trachoma and diarrhoea in remote communities, where access to taps and water is very limited. Read the full story in the August edition of Rotary Down Under. http://www.epubs.media/rotarydownund//2020/630/index.html #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #DoingGood #InternationalDayOfTheWorldsIndigenousPeoples

20.01.2022 The Rotary Club Of Preston (Melbourne) (https://www.facebook.com/groups/309823362811646/), Rotary District 9790 (https://www.facebook.com/groups/453471311454789/), actively supports the community outreach of Bridge Darebin (@bridgedarebin) and Reservoir Neighbourhood House (https://www.facebook.com/Reservoir-Neighbourhood-House-456169914403744/), situated in Melbournes northern suburbs. Since March, the two community organisations have not been able to safely deliver their u...sual weekly food and social support services under the COVID-19 restrictions. Once COVID-19 took hold, the community need for food support increased overnight. By the beginning of April, with the support of the Rotary Club of Preston, both neighbourhood houses had distributed: 4040 FareShare two-person meals, 3300 grocery bags (1100 deliveries), Two pallets of fruit and veg, Two pallets of dairy products, 400 hygiene packs, and Between 20-80 meals each week for 13 welfare/community organisations. From mid-May, meals were estimated at 1400 per week. A fundraising campaign has been set up by Bridge Darebin and Reservoir Neighbourhood House to support the continuation of food relief in Darebin for as long as is possible. Read the full story in the July edition of Rotary Down Under: http://www.epubs.media/rotarydownund//2020/629/index.html #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #DoingGood

19.01.2022 SPRING INTO ALICE ... VIRTUALLY Rotary Zone 8 Conference: 19-20 September 2020 Click here to register: https://e.mybookingmanager.com/E81217415202145... *Times listed below are AEST

18.01.2022 Do you want to raise some serious funds for your club? Were offering 25% commission to any Rotary Club or District that secures an advertisement for Rotary Down Under magazine. HOW IT WORKS:... 1 x full page advert at a cost of $3520 - commission payable = $880 / An annual booking of a full page advert - commission payable = $7108 1 x 1/2 page advert at a cost of $2090 - commission payable = $522 / An annual booking of a 1/2 page advert - commission payable = $3932 1 x 1/4 page advert at a cost of $1320 - commission payable = $330 / An annual booking of a 1/4 page advert - commission payable = $2420 For more information, contact us at [email protected] or phone + 61 2 9633 4888. Click here for a media kit: https://rotarydownunder.com.au//06/RDU-Media-Kit-2020-v03. *All prices are exclusive of GST

18.01.2022 Free coffee for Melbournes teachers. With NewGen Rotarys street library temporarily closed and another challenging time ahead for those in the small business and education sectors, the Melbourne-based satellite club is filling the void and supporting their friends at Vermonts Rise & Grind 3133 cafe by bringing back its free coffees initiative this time for teachers! Teachers at Rangeview Primary School, Vermont Primary School, Antonio Park Primary School, St James Primar...y School and Vermont Secondary College can come to the cafe and show their VIT card or name badge for a free coffee on the club, until they run out (Ts & Cs apply)! In conjunction with Sam Alcordo, club President Kevin Walker and the R+G team, NewGen Rotary has chipped in to provide 66 free coffees to kick things off. If you would like to donate to the initiative to keep it going even longer, PM the club on the NewGen Rotary Facebook page or visit the cafe and speak to the lovely staff. Every $50 raised will provide another card for 11 coffees to be added the cause. Earlier this year, in the first instalment of their initiative, the club raised $600 and provided 132 free coffees for nurses and health workers. The cafe is at 605 Canterbury Rd, Vermont, and is open from 7am 2pm weekdays and 8am 12 noon on weekends during the Stage 3 restrictions. Please remember your personal health and safety and adhere to the State Governments restrictions and advice for the COVID-19 outbreak. Visit www.vic.gov.au/coronavirus for the latest information. #newgenMelbourne #riseandgrind3133 #freecoffee #ThanksTeachers #RotaryOpensOpportunities #DoingGood

18.01.2022 The Australian Beirut Rebuilding Committee has received a recommended project from the Rotary Beirut Disaster Committee with an assessment and sustainability report for providing medical equipment to the delivery and nursing departments of the neonatal and newborn unit at the Saint George Hospital University Medical Center. This is a significant first project considering one of Beirut’s Rotary club presidents was killed at the hospital from shattering glass during the explos...ion. As an act of kindness, he was visiting a friend in the hospital at the time, but never made it home. From the sadness of his passing comes new life through installing medical equipment at the Obstetrics Unit. For an understanding of what it was like inside the St Georges Hospital at the time of the explosion watch the Sky News YouTube video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JIxuwE_WPXw&feature=youtu.be. Please donate to RAWCS - Rotary Australia World Community Service via www.rawcs.org.au. #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #RebuildBeirut #RAWCS #PeopleOfAction #DoingGood

18.01.2022 An Australian outback nursing legend, Sarah Brown, CEO, founder and inspiration behind The Purple House, and the founder of Operation Hope Australia (https://www.facebook.com/groups/980189132116114/), Erica Henley, are the joint winners of the Rotary International Zone 8 Humanitarian of the Year Award for 2020. The annual award recognises a person who is exemplary in caring and commitment to the welfare of humanity within Rotary International Zone 8 or globally. Check out the... full story in the August edition of Rotary Down Under. http://www.epubs.media/rotarydownund//2020/630/index.html #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #DoingGood

17.01.2022 Imperfection is better than inaction! As zero-waste chef Anne-Marie Bonneau once stated, We dont need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly. Pick one thing to do with sustainability in mind and do that. That is enough. Its just one plastic knife, said 1.2 million Rotarians thats 1.2 million fewer plastic knives; over three tonnes of plastic saved from landfill!... Check out the full story by the Environmental Sustainability Rotarian Action Group - ESRAG in the September edition of Rotary Down Under. In mailboxes and inboxes now! #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #ZeroWaste #DoingGood

17.01.2022 The Royal Australian Mint has launched the world’s first Donation Dollar a one-dollar coin designed to be donated that advocates believe has the potential to deliver millions of dollars in additional funding to the charities sector each year. Australians can now find one of these coins in their change, with a first run of three million coins released into circulation ahead of International Day of Charity on September 5. The Mint intends to distribute 25 million of these $...1 coins, which are legal tender, over the coming years one for every Australian. What does the Donation Dollar mean for Rotary and fundraising? How can we harness the potential of this coin with a cause? Check out the full story in the October edition of Rotary Down Under. In mailboxes and inboxes now! (A number of fundraising and promotional materials for charities to use in collaboration with Donation Dollar are available at donationdollar.com.au). #Rotary #RotayOpensOpportunities #PeopleOfAction #DoingGood

17.01.2022 As you approach the village of Sitio Kawayan, in a mountainous area north of Manila, the first thing you see is a 1.5-metre-high Rotary marker. The second thing you see is a toilet! This toilet is one of 15 twin toilets built in the village using global grant funding. Two years in the making, two remote Philippine villages now have access to these toilets, thanks to the combined efforts of several Australian clubs and districts and the Rotary Club of Intramuros, Manila. Bronw...yn Geppert and Vere Gray from international sponsor club, the Rotary Club of Batemans Bay (https://www.facebook.com/Rotary-Batemans-Bay-183975942126522/), NSW, were there to witness the official handover of the toilets to beneficiary families on February 25. Read the full story in the July edition of Rotary Down Under: http://www.epubs.media/rotarydownund//2020/629/index.html #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #DoingGood

17.01.2022 The Supurunda Water Supply Project in PNG has been a benchmark project for Rotary. In 2018, eight villages covering five culturally diverse groups agreed to put aside past enmities to ensure they could enjoy the mutual benefits of a safe, clean water supply. The resultant water system is now a common and enduring thread that, no matter what else happens, will unite them and will be protected by them for everyone to enjoy into the future. The water system supplies clean water ...to 3000 villagers in eight villages for the first time ever. It is spring-fed and delivered via a gravity-feed system that has minimal moving parts, making ongoing maintenance easy and cost-effective. Construction materials were purchased locally in PNG and construction was completed by the villagers within a six-week timeframe. Over seven kilometres of poly pipe were trenched as part of the project, poly tanks were installed for water storage in the system, and 52 communal taps provide free-flowing water to clusters of houses, school buildings, churches and health clinics. The Rotary Club of Goroka, PNG, was responsible for the management of the project and then club secretary Osivo Ombuano was the project manager. Ian Cameron from Mitchelton Rotary Club and Wes Nichols from the Rotary Club of Toowong, Qld, provided mentoring for the project delivery team as project directors. The Supurunda Water Supply Project and its predecessor, the Dudumia Project, are now being used as templates for five more projects now in progress in PNG. Check out the full story in the November edition of Rotary Down Under.

15.01.2022 After months of #isolife, Rotaract Australia Rotaract Australia is getting on the front foot, actively seeking to engage with Rotaractors and Rotarians across the country through its new podcast. CHATS by Rotaract Australia aims to fill in the gap left by dozens of cancelled in-person networking opportunities caused by COVID-19 and connect Rotaractors, Rotarians and clubs doing exciting things. The podcast is the brainchild of Rotaract Australia’s Communications Director Laur...a Telford and Vice President Holly Corbett and, as former journalists, both bring their own flair and passion for storytelling and sharing. Social distancing and not getting to have those organic interactions with people at conferences and events is hard, and we want the podcast to be an avenue where we start those conversations again albeit in a slightly different way, Laura said. The podcast is about highlighting awesome people and projects in bitesized pieces, which leaves people wanting more. The podcast launched in September coinciding with Rotaract Australia’s 10th birthday year and Laura said the best is yet to come. We want the podcast to be something that connects the Rotary family across Australia and would love for people who want to share their story or an interesting project to reach out to us, she said. We hope that by empowering and highlighting the voice of Rotaractors the partnerships between Rotary and Rotarians will continue to strengthen. Rotary and Rotarians have always played a key role in the development of Rotaractors, and we hope that everyone in the Rotary family will enjoy listening to our stories. To find out more about the podcast check out Rotaract Australia on Facebook and Instagram or head to www.rotaract.org.au. #Rotaract #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #PeopleOfAction #DoingGood

14.01.2022 Rotary ‘Downunder’ isn’t the only one celebrating 100 years of doing good in 2021 Rotary in India will also commemorate its centenary, and the Rotary Club of Morley, WA, and the Rotary Club of Bangalore, India, have teamed up to mark the special occasion. The legacy international project 100 Heart Surgeries will see the @Rajarajeswari.Medical.College.Hospital.Bangalore (RRMCH) in Karnataka, India, perform 100 heart surgeries for the needy over a period of approximately 12 mo...nths. There are thousands of people in Bangalore and surrounding villages who suffer cardiac related problems and cannot afford the cost of surgery and aftercare. The US$75,000 budget will cover the cost of consultations, surgery, tests, medicines, aftercare and hospital stay. RRMCH has agreed to dramatically reduce the cost of surgeries from upwards of US$2500 to US$750 per surgery. Patients will be selected on their medical need and urgency of surgery and their economic situation. Treating their heart conditions will give these patients and their families a new lease on life, and we are very proud to be involved and in partnership with the Rotary Club of Bangalore, said International Service Director of the Rotary Club of Morley, Ahmed Siddique. The Rotary Club of Morley is seeking support towards a final $5000 for the project to which it is indebted to District 9455. If you would like to assist, please contact Ahmed via [email protected] or 0434 123 794. Check out the full story in the October edition of Rotary Down Under. In mailboxes and inboxes now! #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #PeopleOfAction #R100 #DoingGood

14.01.2022 Want to multiply the impact of the good we do? It’s easy invest in our Foundation the great impact multiplier. Give more. Get more back. Do more good. Find out how in our special Rotary Foundation edition of Rotary Down Under. In inboxes and in transit now.

14.01.2022 Canteen Creek (Owairtilla) is one of the most remote communities in the Northern Territory, located approximately eight hours drive northeast of Alice Springs and approximately three hours drive southeast of Tennant Creek. Recently, the @BoxHillCentralRotary, @rotaryd9810, was approached by the @canteencreekcommunity CEO requesting financial assistance to modify a food trailer/mobile kitchen. For some years, the community has been running a successful School Nutrition Progr...am that delivers healthy lunches to school students. The SNP group needed to vacate the kitchen it was using, so the communitys Board of Directors decided to buy a food trailer. This mobile kitchen will not only be used to re-house the School Nutrition Program, but will also be used to provide a new meals on wheels service for old or ill members of the community, and as a mobile catering outlet at local events such as footy carnivals. The Rotary Club of Box Hill Central has assisted with modifications to the trailers fittings by funding the purchase of a new oven. Read the full story in the August edition of Rotary Down Under. http://www.epubs.media/rotarydownund//2020/630/index.html (Photo: Media Mob (@MediaMob) Barkly Arts (@barkly.arts) #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #PeopleOfAction #DoingGood

14.01.2022 Te Whakaora Tangata is an innovator of parent-focussed whnau (family) restoration programs in South Auckland and, now, thanks to the generous support of The Rotary Club of Onehunga One Tree Hill Charitable Trust, across New Zealands Far North. The trust works to restore families desperately in need of a better future addressing the deep-rooted issues of trauma that cause family dysfunction through counselling, crisis intervention, and programs tailored to address the chal...lenges faced by the local community, including depression, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, suicide, sexual abuse, and family breakdown. Through its Family Restoration Courses, whanau coaching, one-on-one counselling and group mentoring, advocacy and other initiatives, the lives of thousands of vulnerable families have been dramatically changed. Read the full story in the August edition of Rotary Down Under: http://www.epubs.media/rotarydownund//2020/630/index.html #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #DoingGood #InternationalDayOfTheWorldsIndigenousPeoples

13.01.2022 As an initiative of the Rotary Club of Canterbury, Australia, Rotary District 9800, the For a MEAL project was initially designed to help those across the Asia Pacific region, an area prone to many natural disasters annually. The idea was to create simple meal packs that could be stored on location and distributed immediately after a disaster has occurred. The packs are formulated to contain a mixture of rice, oats, lentils, vitamins and minerals, and can feed between five an...d six people. Sponsorship of materials from suppliers has enabled the club to prepare a large stockpile of packs ready for distribution, with more than 150,000 meals provided free of charge to vulnerable individuals and families across the Asia Pacific region each year. This year, the Rotary Club of Canterbury decided to redirect part of its FORaMEAL effort to help the most vulnerable during Stage 4 COVID-19 restrictions in Melbourne. The global pandemic has had a massive effect on those who have lost part- or full-time jobs and have been unable to access essential support. Refugee and community organisations in Victoria have been actively helping their constituents by delivering food packs and basic commodities. The Rotary Club of Canterbury has assisted by arranging the distribution of packs across the district. Working with fellow Rotary clubs and other community organisations, the Rotary Club of Canterbury has delivered more than 140,000 meals to various organisations across the state. Read the full story in the October edition of Rotary Down Under. In mailboxes and inboxes now!

13.01.2022 Northbridge Rotary Club, Rotary District 9685, is organising a community collection and distribution of non-perishable food items on Saturday 26 September. Those who wish to contribute can deliver their food items to St. Marks Church Hall at 1A Malacoota Road, Northbridge, NSW, between 9am and 5pm on 26 September. Northbridge Rotary is working with several charities, including OzHarvest and local charities StreetWork and Taldumunde Northside, who will distribute the food to... the needy and homeless, especially those affected by the COVID-19 lockdown. Non-perishable food items include tinned and bottled products (e.g. vegetables, soup, beans, Vegemite, water) and unopened packaged foods (e.g. pasta, noodles, rice, biscuits). All items must have unexpired dates. This is a FOOD ONLY collection so items such as clothing and bedding etc. will not be accepted. #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #DoingGood

13.01.2022 Queensland Rail was a sea of red on Friday 23 October, when 100 Rotary clubs across three Rotary districts in South East Queensland @District9600, Rotary District 9630 Inc and Rotary District 9640 collaborated for the Train Ride to End Polio Now campaign. Kicking off in Gympie at 5:56am, hundreds of Rotarians and Rotaractors jumped on and off at various stations as the train made its way into Brisbane, down to the Gold Coast and out to Ipswich, finishing up in Rosewood at 9:56pm. Giant cheques were passed through briefly opened doors, raising funds and awareness for Rotary’s End Polio Now campaign. We are ‘this close’ to eradicating the disease for good ‘this close’ to becoming the second human disease eradicated in history. #EndPolioNow (Photos: Rhys Martin Photographer)

13.01.2022 Things got a bit on the nose last month for four members of Hills Rotaract Club, Inc, Rotary District 9685, who took part in The Sudsy Challenge from September 10-12. The challenge? To wear the same clothes for three consecutive days to raise awareness of homelessness and funds for Orange Sky Australia, a charity organisation providing free mobile laundry and shower services to people experiencing homelessness. Back for its second year in 2020, participants don the bright ora...nge Sudsy Challenge t-shirt, with the aim of sparking conversations and raising awareness to help support the one in 200 Australians experiencing homelessness. Funds raised through the challenge help ensure everyone has access to free laundry services, warm showers, and genuine conversation. Over the course of the three days and in the build-up to participating in The Sudsy Challenge, I learned how powerful the feeling of inclusion really is, Hills Rotaract Club Sudsy Challenge leader Erin Faulkner said. It was tough wearing the same clothes for three days; we are so used to our daily routines and access to limitless amenities. But it was well worth the minor discomfort to trigger people’s curiosity and explain what the cause is all about. Oh and who is Sudsy? ‘Sudsy’ was the first-ever laundry van built by Orange Sky co-founders, Nic and Lucas, at the age of 20. It took them three days (and three sets of broken washing machines and dryers) to get the van working! The Hills Rotaract Club has raised a total of $869 to date, with the goal of reaching $1200. Visit www.thesudsychallenge.com/fun/hillsrotaractclubincorporated. Check out the full story in the October edition of Rotary Down Under. In mailboxes and inboxes now! #Rotaract #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #PeopleOfAction #TheSudsyChallenge #OrangSkyAustralia #DoingGood

13.01.2022 During COVID-19 lockdown, members of Rotary Burleigh Heads, Rotary District 9640, together with the Currumbin Community Special School, installed four pieces of state-of-the-art playground equipment in the Gold Coast schools grounds. The Explorer Net Mount Gingera, Whirly Go-round (for wheelchair users), Revolving Sand Table and Bed of Beads equipment have been specifically designed for children with special needs to improve their life skills. In addition to this equipment..., club members installed new rubber matting and turf, with assistance from the neighbouring Rotary Club of Currumbin Coolangatta Tweed Inc. Read the full story in the July edition of Rotary Down Under: http://www.epubs.media/rotarydownund//2020/629/index.html #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #DoingGood

13.01.2022 The Yiyili Aboriginal Community School is a low socio-economic school between Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek in the Kimberley Region in the north of Western Australia. @rotaryglenferrie, Vic, was delighted to complete its first Indigenous project in this very remote part of Australia. The Yiyili community is based on the Louisa Downs Station. They have 60 students from Kindergarten to Year 10, and six teaching staff, including one Indigenous language teacher. They have an i...nnovative Vocational Service program, BikeRescue, where the students are taught to dismantle and re-assemble bicycles. BikeRescue is an award-winning accredited program that uses bike mechanics as a vehicle for outreach, engagement and mentoring. The company that presents the project, @dismantle.nfp, recently won the WA Youth Awards Youth Organisation of the Year in recognition of the achievements of their BikeRescue program. The tasks undertaken and the dynamic workshop environment provide unique experiences that assist teachers and students to overcome behavioural and emotional challenges that can be presented by at-risk youth. As with most vocational training programs, the skills acquired and the improved attitude to work will be of great benefit to these students. They will also use the skills gained to start a small business enterprise in the repair of broken bicycles in their community. Read the full story in the August edition of Rotary Down Under. http://www.epubs.media/rotarydownund//2020/630/index.html #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #PeopleOfAction #DoingGood

12.01.2022 What do cows, chickens, coral, coffee and cluster crews have in common? Well, apart from the obvious, they are all helping communities create sustainable, community-led solutions to social disparities and linking residents to opportunities that positively impact the broader community. Community it’s just what we do. And surprisingly also starts with ‘c’! Check out how Rotary in Australia, NZ and the Pacific has been helping communities in need in the October edition of Rotary Down Under. In inboxes and in transit now!

12.01.2022 Eight members of the Rotaract Club of Burleigh Heads, Rotary District 9640, are hungry, hungry heroes this week! They have signed themselves up to the Act for Peace Ration Challenge seven days eating the same food rations as a Syrian refugee. To-date, they have raised $1,842.96, which will go towards providing emergency food, hygiene kits and support to people hit hardest by the COVID-19 crisis. More than 80,000 people have signed up to the challenge since its launch and ra...ised over $15 million to support conflict and disaster affected communities. If you would like to sponsor the club in their pursuit of peace, visit https://actforpeace.rationchallenge.org.au/t/rotaractclubof. $50 provides two medical visits $78 provides food for three months $160 provided an income for a mother $312 provides food for a year Jump onboard and support our Rotaractors supporting those in need! #Rotary #Rotaract #RotaryOpensOpportunites #ActForPeace #RationChallenge #DoingGood

12.01.2022 One Day. One Focus: Ending Polio Is your club celebrating World Polio Day on October 24, 2020? Click this link to purchase official End Polio Now merch: http://rdusupplies.com.au/end-polio-now/ ... #endpolionow #rotary #officialmerchandise

11.01.2022 COVID-19 has struck hard for the many women in Uganda, who survive by market trading fruit, vegetables and fish. The markets have been closed to combat the pandemic, and the small incomes that sustained families have been lost. Ugandan Rotary Peace Fellow Emily Nabakooza is working hard to help provide a small replacement income and basic staple dry food to help these women and their children and grandchildren survive extreme poverty. Emily has established the Assisi Centre f...or Social Justice and Peace (https://www.facebook.com/Assisi-Centre-for-Social-Justice-and-Peace-104658911087326) in Kampala, Uganda, and is working in this crisis with some of Uganda’s most impoverished families. Barely a year after its launch, the centre has registered a number of achievements through its different programs, mainly in emergence response, with the support of Rotary District 9705 and the Rotary Club of Canberra. These include a reduction in the prevalence of COVID-19 driven hunger and malnutrition among highly vulnerable communities that has seen more than 1250 beneficiaries by providing women food vendors the opportunity to revitalise their businesses through the ‘AKABBO KA BAKYALA’ (Women’s Basket) project. Check out the full story in the October edition of Rotary Down Under. In mailboxes and inboxes now. Rotary Peace Centers Rotary Peace Centre at The University of Queensland Rotary Peace Fellowship Alumni Association #Rotary #RotaryPeaceFellows #RotayOpensOpportunities #PeopleOfAction #DoingGood

10.01.2022 The times they are a-changing friends! And in all kinds of feel good ways. We have our first female RI President-Nominee (well, not officially until 1 October, but whos counting?), we have the worlds very first Rotaract Pride Club in support of the LGBTIQ+ community, and, after decades of work across 47 countries on the continent, the World Health Organisation has declared the African region wild poliovirus-free! In a time when the new normal is the catchphrase on everyones lips, we are loving the look of this new normal! Check it all out in the September edition of Rotary Down Under.

10.01.2022 Honouring a Hero: Part of being a Rotarian is aspiring to make the world a better place. One Rotarian who truly delivered on this promise was Sir Clem Renouf, who passed away on 11 June. Clem hailed from Nambour, Qld, and was president of Rotary International in 1978-79. However, he will perhaps be longest remembered for the pivotal role he played in helping rid the world of polio. If you would like to honour the life of this amazing man, Past RI Presidents Ian Riseley from ...Australia and Bill Boyd from New Zealand suggest you consider supporting the cause Sir Clem was so passionate about End Polio Now. Along with Past RI Director Noel Trevaskis and RI Director-elect Jessie Harman, Ian and Bill have established The Sir Clem Renouf Polio Appeal. For details, please visit https://www.dropbox.com/s/pt03tzanf89/TSCRPA_Flyer_EP.docx

10.01.2022 Past Rotary International President Bill Boyd honours a Rotary hero and urges all Rotarians to get behind The Sir Clem Renouf Polio Appeal. Part of being a Rotarian is aspiring to make the world a better place. One Rotarian who truly delivered on this promise was Sir Clem Renouf, who passed away on 11 June. Clem hailed from Nambour, Qld, and was president of Rotary International in 1978-79. However, he will perhaps be longest remembered for the pivotal role he played in hel...ping rid the world of polio. If you would like to honour the life of this amazing man, Bill and fellow RI Past President Ian Riseley urge you to consider supporting the cause Sir Clem was so passionate about End Polio Now. Along with Past RI Director Noel Trevaskis and RI Director-elect Jessie Harman, Bill and Ian have established The Sir Clem Renouf Polio Appeal. For details, please visit https://www.dropbox.com/s/pt03tzanf89/TSCRPA_Flyer_EP.docx

10.01.2022 The Rotary Club of Brisbane, Rotary District 9600, has been supporting food and nutrition security in Papua New Guinea since 2018 through its partnership with the Kyeema Foundation, a Brisbane-based not-for-profit organisation implementing coral reef conservation and indigenous chicken keeping as alternative food and livelihood activities. So, why indigenous chickens? A major obstacle to the sustainability of conservation projects is compliance among coastal communities, espe...cially if it means short-term reductions in fish catches. The foundation is addressing this problem by introducing village (indigenous) chickens as an alternative protein source to fish, which will run in parallel with community-led coastal conservation and livelihood initiatives. These local chickens are an extremely valuable resource as they carry ancient genetics from the wild chickens brought to PNG by the original people who migrated from Asia thousands of years ago. They are more resilient in the local environment and reproduce well on a local diet, so conservation and development of these chickens is a necessary priority. Read the full story in the October edition of Rotary Down Under. In mailboxes and inboxes now. #Rotary #RotayOpensOpportunities #PeopleOfAction #DoingGood

09.01.2022 Rotary member Dr Tunji Funsho, Chair of Rotary’s Nigeria National PolioPlus Committee has been named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the world for his work to eradicate wild polio in Africa. "This achievement would not have been possible without the countless Rotarians in Africa and around the world who have worked tirelessly to eradicate polio, one country at a time," General Secretary of Rotary International John Hewko said. This is a true example of People o...f Action affecting positive change in the world and receiving international recognition for their efforts. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=386297402394953 #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #EndPolioNow #PolioPlus #DoingGoodInTheWorld

09.01.2022 Peace. What exactly is it and how do we obtain it? Often regarded as an intangible, utopian concept eliciting vague images of beautiful, flower-bearing, mandala-wearing youth, what does peace actually look like and how do we know if and when we have it? Find out in the February edition of Rotary Down Under. In inboxes and on its way to mailboxes now! Rotary: Giving peace a chance.... #Rotary #PeopleOfAction #TogetherWePromotePeace #PositivePeace #RotaryOpensOpportunities #DoingGood

08.01.2022 RI Director-elect Jessie Harman honours a Rotary hero and urges all Rotarians to get behind The Sir Clem Renouf Polio Appeal. Part of being a Rotarian is aspiring to make the world a better place. One Rotarian who truly delivered on this promise was Sir Clem Renouf, who passed away on 11 June. Clem hailed from Nambour, Qld, and was president of Rotary International in 1978-79. However, he will perhaps be longest remembered for the pivotal role he played in helping rid the w...orld of polio. If you would like to honour the life of this amazing man, Jessie, along with Rotary International Past Presidents Bill Boyd from New Zealand and Ian Riseley from Australia, as well as Past RI Director Noel Trevaskis, urge you to consider supporting the cause Sir Clem was so passionate about End Polio Now. These four Rotary leaders have established The Sir Clem Renouf Polio Appeal to help Sir Clem’s dream become a reality. For details, please visit https://www.dropbox.com/s/pt03tzanf89/TSCRPA_Flyer_EP.docx

08.01.2022 Support the people of Beirut through the Rotary Beirut Explosion Disaster Fund. On 4 August 2020, a catastrophic blast took out the commercial port of Beirut, causing 191 deaths, 6,500 injuries, US$10-15 billion in property damage, and leaving an estimated 300,000 people homeless. Prior to the explosion, the people of Lebanon were already facing an economic and humanitarian crisis, as well as dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. ... The destruction from the explosion has been widespread, with about 40 per cent of Beirut severely damaged. According to WHO reports, impacts on health infrastructure include three hospitals rendered non-functional, three substantially damaged, 500 hospital bed equivalents lost, and many primary care facilities damaged. Essential food and medical supplies were also affected, along with countless schools, and commercial and residential buildings. There are critical short- and long-term problems to overcome. The Lebanese people are known for their welcoming and friendly nature and have been arrivals to our country for over 140 years, bringing a richness of cultural diversity with them. They have supported Australia through wars and natural disasters and, as their families have melded into the fabric of our society, we feel for the people of Beirut. The Rotary Beirut Explosion Disaster Fund is an Australia-wide Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS) appeal providing funds for humanitarian programs to assist the people of Beirut recover from this disaster. Funds will be allocated to projects that assist in rebuilding and equipping the public facilities so their public services can perform the tasks required look after the communitys needs. Please donate via www.rawcs.org.au

08.01.2022 Rotary clubs in Australia and New Zealand have contributed to the largest-ever Rotary Foundation Grant to fund vital healthcare equipment on the world’s largest purpose-built NGO hospital ship, operated by Mercy Ships. The ‘Global Mercy’ launches in 2021 and will double the NGO’s healthcare impact throughout West Africa by providing six surgical specialities, as well as training for local healthcare workers. Money donated by Craig Brodey, of Lane Cove Rotary, Rotary District ...9685, together with contributions from New Zealand’s Rotary Club of Morrinsville - District 9930 Inc, Rotary District 9930 Central North Island New Zealand, forms part of the 2020 Rotary Foundation global grant of US$1.125 million, helping outfit six operating theatres, three infection isolation rooms, six wards, and an intensive care unit on board the Global Mercy. Worldwide, two out of three people could not access surgery when they need it pre-COVID-19. More than 18 million people were dying unnecessarily from conditions that could have been treated by surgery because they could not afford it, could not access it, or it was simply not available in their country at any time. In 2020 this need has escalated. During the 50-year lifespan of the ‘Global Mercy’, it is estimated more than 150,000 people will be transformed through free essential surgery. The addition of the new hospital ship will enable Mercy Ships to reach more people in need and train more local healthcare professionals, while leaving a sustainable, lasting healthcare legacy. Read the full story in the November edition of Rotary Down Under. In mailboxes and inboxes now! Mercy Ships NZ Mercy Ships Australia Rotary International #RotaryOpensOpportunities #TheRotaryFoundation #DoingGood

07.01.2022 August 9 marks International Day of the Worlds Indigenous Peoples. Remote Indigenous people in Central Australia are up to 30 times more likely to suffer from kidney disease than other Australians. Patients are forced to leave their country and travel to Alice Springs or Darwin, NT, for treatment indefinitely. Communities are left without elder leadership, families are broken, and culture is weakened. The Purple House is an Aboriginal community-controlled organisation based ...in Alice Springs, NT, striving to address this community health challenge. Founded in 2003 by Pintup people of the Western Desert, with the help of CEO Sarah Brown, Rotary has supported the work of Purple House since the Rotary Club of Woden Valley, ACT, converted an abandoned building in Kintore into a dialysis centre and nurses accommodation more than a decade ago. Check out the August edition of Rotary Down Under to see how Rotary has continued supporting this great community organisation since then. http://www.epubs.media/rotarydownund//2020/630/index.html #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #DoingGood #InternationalDayOfTheWorldsIndigenousPeoples

06.01.2022 The work of Disaster Aid Australia, a project of Rotary Greater Dandenong and Endeavour Hills, Rotary District 9820, has continued throughout the pandemic. In March, with the full implications of the pandemic becoming apparent, the organisation swiftly pivoted to enable the continuation of its international aid program. From training and SkyHydrant installation support to fundraising and Virtual Vocational Visits, in conjunction with trusted partner grants and the support of ...partners Balay Mindanaw Group and the Safe Water for Every Child - Myanmar program, DAA has continued to assist those most in need. #Rotary #PeopleOfAction #RotaryOpensOpportunities #DoingGood

06.01.2022 Sexual Health Education by Pictures (SHEP) is a short, adaptable teaching program with a huge impact. Its unique feature is the clear, creative pictures that even those who cant read understand. The program aims to address the challenges of rapid and continued population growth, with the UNs World Population Prospects stating that the current world population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030, 9.7 billion in 2050, and 10.9 billion in 2100. ... The SHEP program is now being taught in schools and via community organisations across the globe, including Tanzania, Nigeria, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea. Previously run by Moruya Rotary, the RAWCS - Rotary Australia World Community Service project is now run by the Rotary Club of Caloundra Pacific, Rotary District 9600. Read the full story in the July edition of Rotary Down Under: http://www.epubs.media/rotarydownund//2020/629/index.html #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #WorldPopulation #DoingGood

05.01.2022 @rotarydistrict9640 changeover luncheon. L to R: Outgoing District Governor Harry Bolton, Incoming District Governor Ana Rajapakse, @rotarydownunder Editor Meagan Martin, Rotary Down Under designer Rhys Martin.

05.01.2022 The opportunities to work with and assist communities within the scope of Rotary’s seven Areas of Focus are endless. Projects can be big or small, span a few days or several years, involve a handful or a horde of people, be local or international. But for every project’s differences, there are some elements that remain the same good planning and ensuring the project delivers the outcomes intended. Progressing an idea into a project plan and then getting approval for funding... usually needs input from several people who have different knowledge and skill sets. You will make better progress towards a successful project if you seek advice and help early in the project planning phase. Within the wider Rotary organisation and districts, there are a number of expert groups willing to give their time and knowledge to help Rotarians with project planning and preparation of applications. Find out more in the November edition of Rotary Down Under. In mailboxes and inboxes now!

04.01.2022 Rotary presence in the Pacific region was recently bolstered by the return of Rotary to the small island nation of Kiribati. The newly chartered Rotary Club of Tarawa, Rotary District 9920 - Auckland and the Pacific Islands, has hit the ground running by partnering with Richfield Rotary Club, Utah Rotary District 5420, and the Rotary Club of Otahuhu, Rotary District 9920 - Auckland and the Pacific Islands, to score a whopping $100,000 global grant for the Kiribati Sanitation ...Project. The project will provide three Betio communities with access to high-standard sanitation buildings, each comprising of five toilets and two shower facilities for the shared use of all families. More than 110 households and 500 individuals will directly benefit from the sanitation project to provide facilities and WASH training for happier and healthier solutions for the people in these three communities. Read the full story in the November edition of Rotary Down Under. In mailboxes and inboxes now! #RotaryOpensOpportunities #TheRotaryFoundation #DoingGood

03.01.2022 Rotary International has announced that the RI Convention, scheduled for 12-16 June 2021, in Taipei, Taiwan, will now be a virtual event in response to the ongoing threat of COVID-19. By now we have sadly grown accustomed to hearing of the need to shift major public events to being held virtually rather than face to face, said Rotary International President Holger Knaack. Unfortunately, the Rotary Board of Directors was compelled to again make the difficult decision to ce...lebrate this year’s International Convention as a virtual event. While this may not be an unexpected decision, it is still a deeply disappointing one for us and for our friends in Taiwan who have been planning an exceptional event. I want to thank the Host Committee for the admirable job they did building support for what surely would have been one of Rotary’s finest events, Holger said. We had hoped that a combination of vaccine uptake and public health measures would have brought the COVID-19 pandemic under control. We all know that in many parts of the world the pandemic is still raging, and we must maintain our vigilance and patience before resuming major public gatherings. Taiwan has done an admirable job managing the pandemic and local Rotarians were still eager to host and celebrate with us. Under the guidance of the World Health Organisation and the local public health organisation in Taiwan, it became clear that an event of this scale would be impossible to host safely. While we are disappointed that we could not have a traditional convention, we are excited about the virtual event being planned for all Rotarians worldwide. Last year’s convention attracted significant viewership during its weeklong program. This year, we will channel all we have learned about staging the very best in virtual events into a program that promises to open new opportunities for you to be entertained, enlightened and energised, Holger said. I want to thank all Rotarians and Rotaractors around the world for your understanding and your continued willingness to learn and adapt. We are becoming a stronger, more nimble organisation because of this, and our Virtual Convention will be a reflection of this new Rotary. More details about the 2021 Virtual Convention will be available soon. In the meantime, visit https://on.rotary.org/3r5uYYB

03.01.2022 Our key international project to celebrate the 2021 centenary of Rotary in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, Rotary Give Every Child A Future is now underway. Working in partnership with UNICEF, it is introducing three vaccines into nine Pacific Island countries. Raising funds to complete this project is a priority. Diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhoea remain leading killers of children under five years of age and high rates of life-threatening cervical cancer conti...nue to devastate Pacific Island families. These life-saving vaccines will: Vaccinate girls against the common forms of cervical cancer caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Protect children against rotavirus, which causes life-threatening diarrhoea in children under five. Prevent pneumococcal disease, which causes The project is now underway, with vaccines ordered and the essential refrigeration equipment needed to store them being procured. The COVID-19 pandemic is causing some delays due to travel and other restrictions, but a lot can still be done remotely, and UNICEF is planning for the first children to receive the vaccines in early 2021. Rotary Give Every Child A Future is a three- to four-year, US$3.9 million project. With the support of nine global grants from The Rotary Foundation, Rotary International one for each country for the first year of the project, funds raised through clubs, individual Rotarians and most Rotary districts in Australia and New Zealand are funding the US$1.3 million needed for year one. Check out the full story in the November edition of Rotary Down Under. In mailboxes and inboxes now! (Photos: UNICEF) #RotaryOpensOpportunities #TheRotaryFoundation #DoingGood

02.01.2022 Its official! The WHO region of Africa has been declared polio free! The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that transmission of the wild poliovirus has officially been stopped in all 47 countries of its African region. With this historic milestone, five of the six WHO regions representing over 90 per cent of the worlds population are now free of the wild poliovirus, moving us closer to End Polio Now across the globe. After decades of hard won gains in the r...egion, Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) WHO, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC, UNICEF, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance are proclaiming the milestone an achievement in public health. They offer it as proof that strong commitment, coordination, and perseverance can rid the world of polio. In 1996, the great African leader Nelson Mandela launched the Kick Polio Out of Africa campaign with the support of Rotary International, setting out a vision for a polio-free Africa. At the time, wild polio paralysed 75,000 children each year. To protect communities from this crippling disease, African leaders, health workers, volunteers, parents, global donors and organisations united to reach every child with polio vaccines. Since then, 9 billion doses of oral polio vaccine have been provided, averting an estimated 1.8 million cases of wild poliovirus on the continent. On 25 August 2020, after four years without a single case of wild polio, the African region was certified free of wild poliovirus. By raising funds for polio eradication, advocating with world governments and national and local leaders, and raising awareness, Rotarians have contributed nearly US$890 million to conquer polio in Africa.

01.01.2022 At the height of COVID-19 lockdown measures in New Zealand, necessity and ingenuity bred a solution to a crucial health challenge many countries were experiencing. A low-cost pandemic ventilator was developed by three neighbours an engineer and two doctors and is now in demand to help ease the burden of the pandemic on other countries. Developed and manufactured by ES Plastics Ltd. in Hamilton, NZ, the project is supported by Rototuna Rotary, Rotary District 9930 Central ...North Island New Zealand. Club President Tony Richardson says what the ES Plastics team achieved in a short few weeks is remarkable. Standard ventilators cost $100,000 and require highly trained operators, a hospital environment and a global supply chain for parts. The VC Pandemic Ventilator costs a tenth of that, can be run off a power drill battery and can be deployed in third-world countries without mains power and with rapidly trained operatives, Tony said. Read the full story in the July edition of Rotary Down Under: http://www.epubs.media/rotarydownund//2020/629/index.html #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #DoingGood

01.01.2022 Service has long been recognised as a fundamental feature of Rotary membership. But neither Rotary nor any of the other major service organisations have been able to gain a meaningful handle on the actual scale or economic value of the volunteer effort they mobilise. Now, an international report has powerfully demonstrated the significant renewable resource of volunteering that service organisations like Rotary are generating. The recent worldwide study on the The Scope and ...Scale of Rotary Volunteering, conducted by the John Hopkins Centre for Civil Society Studies found that: Rotarys 1.2 million members volunteered a total of nearly 5.8 million hours in the four-week reference period. Taking out the hours of volunteering associated with World Polio Day, which fell in the survey reference period, Rotary members accounted for close to 5.1 million hours of volunteering. Rotary annually mobilises volunteer effort equivalent to nearly 27,000 full-time paid workers. Rotary volunteers save communities an estimated US$850 million in service costs per year. Our members are responsible for 47 million hours of volunteering per year. Average volunteer hours per month varied by region, with the average hours in Australia and New Zealand being six. These statistics do not include the more than one million friends and relatives of members who frequently help out at Rotary-organised volunteering events. Nor do they include the volunteering contributed by more than 700,000 members of Rotarys Rotaract, Interact or Community Corp affiliates. The study concludes that: Rotary is annually generating a scale of social and economic problem-solving effort that is worth nearly nine times more than it costs the organisation to produce. Here is a powerful demonstration of the enormous leveraging possibilities available from mobilising the unique renewable resource represented by volunteer work. Check out the full story in the September edition of Rotary Down Under. In mailboxes and inboxes now! #Rotary #RotaryOpensOpportunities #DoingGood

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01.01.2022 Not just a great new edition, but a great new Rotary year! Meet new Rotary International President Holger Knaack along with our new district governors and new Rotaract executives. We also take a look at the urgency and importance of addressing population issues for World Population Day, 11 July, and sample some tasty tipples from a host of Aussie and Kiwi legends using their craft for a cause. So bottoms up and dive in to the July edition of Rotary Down Under here: www.epubs.media/rotarydownunder/ezine/2020/629/ #RotaryOpensOpportunities #ServiceAboveSelf #GoodReads