It’s that time of the Rotary year when things happen. Some Presidents are eternally thankful that it has arrived whilst others, myself included, are somewhat bemused that it has come upon us so soon. I can honestly say that I was initially reluctant to step in but now I am so pleased to have done so. I have moved from knowing we are doing “things” overseas, to proud knowledge of the extent to which our projects are not only doing good but are literally vital and fully deserving of our support and promotion.
I hope that the changes I introduced achieved the desired results, I know more members are involved in the meetings. I hope that the “Any port in a storm” event didn’t develop too many alcohol-dependent people and that the Rotary information that I entrusted to Marilyn has shone a light on aspects of Rotary of which some of us were unaware.
It goes without saying that any success I achieved is directly due to the unswerving help of Secretary David Dean, without whose knowledge and guiding hand I would have floundered, so David, my sincere thanks. My thanks too to Kian, Ross, Alacoque, Tola and of course, Marilyn whose tight rein kept my actions within acceptable boundaries.
Many thanks to you all for a great year, please keep up your support to Val who has already put in a great effort to prepare herself for the task ahead.
Since you last heard from us, there has unfortunately been a surge in COVID cases in Uganda and sadly, another country-wide lock down has been instated by the Government.
As of June 7, schools were required to shut down for 42 days so we are now focusing our attention back to weekly home learning packs and deploying staff to re-engage in small group learning.
It is a challenging and scary time with a steeply rising daily death toll, overwhelmed hospitals and vaccines running out all across Uganda. Whilst we are coming out of COVID in the developed world the unfortunate reality is that developing countries will continue to feel the impact of the pandemic for many years to come.
Before the Government mandated school closure, our students and teachers enjoyed a busy May with many activities including:
Dental health checks for all students across our three campuses. We partnered with Muduuma Health Centre who conducted educational workshops on dental health and hygiene, as well as preventive and urgent dental care services.
On May 14th, the team from Stanbic Bank's Mityana Branch visited Mbazzi High School and carried out career guidance sessions for our Senior 1 and Senior 3 students interested in employment in the finance and ICT industries. On the same visit, the Mityana Branch also donated a 3,000L water tank to the school!
Our Primary 7 students who completed their SAWA World Training had the opportunity to showcase the knowledge and skills they had learnt during the training when their parents were invited to the school on May 18th. Students learned how to bake cakes, make reusable sanitary pads, make shoes and edible treats to make a business out of selling the goods at markets.
Goal setting workshops were conducted towards the end of May for Primary 5, Senior 1 and Senior 2 students led by Elizabeth from Mpigi Health Centre. The workshops focused on guiding and directing student behaviour, improving self-confidence and increasing student motivation.
The last few weeks have also been busy here in Australia.
Last Wednesday night, we held our virtual event where we connected our Australian supporters with our inspiring student Steven and our team in Uganda. We are so grateful for those who joined us for the intimate conversation
On the night we announced that a very generous couple will match every donation to ourBuy A Brick appeal up to $80,000 before 30 June!
If you haven't donated already, we would love your help to raise the outstanding $68,019 we need to complete the construction of our boys' boarding house. We are so close! If you can chip in just $28 to buy a brick, your donation will be doubled AND will help us build a brighter future for our aspiring young men.
A $42,000 Donation Towards Multiple Sclerosis Research
The Rotary Passport Club of Sylvania Waters presented a cheque for $42,000 at the Australian Rotary Health office recently. This money was raised at a gala dinner and auction and will partially fund a Funding Partner PhD Scholarship project in Multiple Sclerosis!
We are incredibly grateful for the support.
Congratulations to the graduates and recipients of the SA Health Aboriginal Health Scholarship Program, which is co-sponsored by Australian Rotary Health.
Graduates and recipients were awarded at a celebration during National Reconciliation Week.
Are you a keen knitter looking for a new project? If you would like more information, call: 0499 021 886.
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Celebrate Australian Rotary Health's 40th Birthday
In 1996, The Late PDG Bruce McKenzie OAM was elected as the 5th Chairman of the Australian Rotary Health Board of Directors.
That same year in May, we held our 6th symposium focussed on Health and Family in Canberra. $1,423,500 in grants were allocated to 44 projects within that area.
This year is 40 years of ARH! Celebrate with us by donating to our birthday fundraiser page today.
Find out How https://australianrotaryhealth.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=72f147cc544a797b69e87713d&id=03ba04e98f&e=9ff60bcce3
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NEW FINDINGS: Cultural Connection May Reduce Suicide Rates in First Nations Youth
A new research study funded by Australian Rotary Health suggests that increasing cultural connectedness at the community level may help to reduce suicide rates in First Nations youth.
To read the report in fu'll https://portal.clubrunner.ca/8540/Documents/en-us/7129f271-a1f6-4e5d-84b7-81a58a37a6d4/1/
Greetings to all the members and friends of ESRAG!
On June 24th, 2021, ESRAG will hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) to celebrate what we have accomplished this Rotary year and launch the new Rotary year of ‘protecting the environment.’ Together we have made so much progress! Protecting the Environment is now an official Area of Focus of The Rotary Foundation, and this along with ESRAG's accomplishments have spurred excitement in the Rotary world. ESRAG members have held numerous conferences and webinars and we have doubled our membership. It truly is a memorable year, even without factoring in the changes due to COVID 19.
Join us by Zoom on Thursday 24 June, 7 am US CDT/ noon UTC (Use Time Buddy to check your time zone.) as we inspire, connect and educate our members in preparation for the new Rotary year. Chair Chris Puttock will summarize the year and you will hear from each of the Division Chairs. Chair Elect Rick Randolph will send us into the new year. Members will be able to interact throughout the meeting. After the formal meeting, you will also be able to ‘meet and mingle’ with the ESRAG leadership, including our new Board members, in the ESRAG immersive 3D environment while you learn more about various ESRAG programs. Spots at the AGM are limited, so register now. Come join us!
1918-19 John Poole (banking) Rotary Club of Washington. D.C. USA.
Rotary vision: Rotarians as builders of the postwar world, through their influence and their vocations.
"Quick and complete employment is both a sword and a shield. That's why every possible line of industrial and agricultural activity should ring with new life. This is Rotary's opportunity." President's Annual Message. The Rotarian. August, 1919
