I have had the opportunity to be in contact with our Environment director, Judy Charnaud to resolve some operational issues with district which I must say we have resolved.
Judy has been also been working overtime liaising and coordination her local council, her environmental network and your club environment committee of Ross Johnson, Doug Vincent and Lucy Hopgood Brown in preparing the club Eco-Pole project.
Marilyn is organising with Myall Koala & Environment Group for a tree planting for Dudley’s grove of trees….. watch this space.
Haran has a fund raiser on Saturday 3rd February details are as follows:-
The Quarterly Eastern Region General Meeting. The meeting will commence at 9am at Club Macquarie, Argenton. If you are unable to attend in person, a zoom link is listed below. Please be aware that the time for the meeting is 9am (not 8am).
Grab a coffee and peruse the attached documents which will keep you up to speed on the amazing work being done in this Region.
Topic: RAWCS Eastern Region Meeting 4 February 2024
Time: Feb 4, 2024 08:00 AM Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney
We were at $ 290 raised, thank you to those members who have sold or bought tickets as we have reach $520 on our way to our target of $1000. I encourage you to share the online raffle with your networks. The raffle will be drawn on 27th March 2024.
Our 5th Sunday Activity on the 31st March fundraising target is $1250. We need a concerted effort to reach our target. I encourage you all to get involved either in the organisation or supporting these events.
Vacant Club Membership director 2024-2025
I am re-sharing the email sent to all members
URGENT: Membership Director needed for 2024-5
Due to various circumstances, it has become necessary for us to elect a new Membership Coordinator for the Rotary E-Club of Greater Sydney.
Membership is vital for the continued existence of our club.
Just like “spelling “at school, where spelling is not just the responsibility of the English faculty, “Membership” is not the sole responsibility of the Membership Director.
It is a shared responsibility for ALL members.
We need to do 4 things:
“Identify, Invite, Induct, Involve!”
The Membership Director works with the President, Secretary and Treasurer on all aspects, as well as receiving the support of the club Members.
Your club needs YOU to really consider taking this leadership role in our club particularly if you have never been a Board member before.
Please contact current Membership Director Marilyn Mercer if you would like more details,
Our Speaker this week is our newest member Dr Hasan Sarwar
Hasan works as a doctor in the emergency departments at Blue Mountains Hospital and Nepean Hospital NSW. He has been in Australia for last 20 years, since 2004. He lives in Claremont Meadows with his wife and 2 children - Imran aged 20, and Amelia aged 14. Previously, he worked as a plastic surgical CMO at Nepean Hospital for 10 years.He has a background as a paediatric plastic surgeon in Bangladesh. He has a special interest in cleft lip and palate for the underprivileged.
Before coming to Australia, he did about 500 of these operations free of cost. He has been a member of Rotary Club of Nepean for 15 years. In 2007 he established Aussi Bangla Smile with the help of colleagues from Nepean Hospital, Rotary Club of Nepean and RAWCS. His team travelled to Bangladesh to provide cleft lip palate and burn reconstructive surgery free of cost to the underprivileged, majority children, as well as to provide medical education to rural hospitals in Bangladesh. They visited about 10 times with a medical team from Australia and have successfully completed almost 800 operations. During this time, they also established a Women's health project for prolapse and VVF, which is now running under the DAK foundation. You can see his presentation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWxLgufgVEI&t=51s.
He has a special interest in global health, and his philosophy is to help the underprivileged in the world. "We are very fortunate to be living in Australia, so we have the ability to do more good in the world, and RAWCS and Rotary is a great umbrella to work under."
It has been a busy month or so with children home for holidays then going back to school, and preparing and delivering Form 1s to their new school, all the while battling roads that are mud, holes, and more slippery mud. Often having to go the day before and stay overnight to then return before the rains. KINI Mara Academy opened as well with over 80 new enrollments but because of the constant rain and subsequent dangerous and impassable roads we have had to temporarily close the school until children can be safely brought to school. The 3 classrooms are almost finished however we need to build another 3 classrooms to accommodate the 310 students we currently have in the 5 classes.
Two articles which I have read recently and found interesting and useful.
1. Last week a joint statement was delivered by Pope Francis, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the spiritual leader of Orthodox Christians to those attending the COP28 Summit;
"We call on everyone, whatever their belief or world view, to endeavour to listen to the cry of the earth and of people who are poor, examining their behaviour and pledging meaningful sacrifices for the sake of the earth which God has given us."
Rotary is playing its part – with 1.4 million members world wide we can play a large role in “listening to the cry of the Earth.”
From the Rotary website:
Rotary to amplify climate action at COP28 in Dubai
Rotary will help facilitate collaboration on community-led climate action, and discuss the intersection of climate change and mental health
EVANSTON, Ill., USA (21 Sept. 2023) — As nations unite to fight the escalating climate crisis, Rotary is stepping forward to foster dialogue, drive partnerships, and highlight community-led solutions at the 2023 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) in Dubai from 30 Nov. to 12 Dec.
Set against the backdrop of a world grappling with multifaceted environmental challenges, Rotary will emphasize the importance of collaborative community-driven action and will help facilitate discussions between climate experts and key opinion leaders from across the globe. The Rotary delegation, led by Rotary International President Gordon McInally, Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair Barry Rassin, and Rotary International General Secretary and CEO John Hewko, will manage a Pavilion in the UN-managed venue. Across the two weeks, Rotary will host 28 breakout sessions aligned with the COP28 thematic days.
“We aim to bring to the fore how community-driven organizations like Rotary can catalyse positive change and effectively tackle both the causes and impacts of climate change,” said McInally. "Our legacy is not just in the projects we initiate, but in the global collaborations we foster for a healthier planet.”
McInally will share his vision of Rotary's role in addressing global mental health challenges during a Rotary-hosted panel that will explore solutions related to the intersection of climate change and mental health. As a testament to Rotary’s global community presence and commitment to climate action, the Association of Rotary Clubs in UAE will showcase local environmental initiatives in the venue managed by the COP28 UAE Presidency.
Across the globe, Rotary members have pioneered a multitude of community-driven solutions that address environmental challenges, from Madagascar's reforestation projects to organic farming practices in Taiwan and the preservation of mangrove forests worldwide. The Rotary Foundation, Rotary’s charitable arm that helps clubs work together to perform meaningful and impactful service, has committed more than US$23.7 million toward sustainable, community-based environmental projects and scholarships for professionals interested in pursuing careers related to the environment.
On 23rd January will be Mahir Momand, the new leader of RAWCS, will be a guest of the Rotary E_Club Serving Humanity. Our members might like to hear from him about his journey and his plans. As both of our clubs have a number of RAWCS projects, the talk will not be about RAWCS – except how it may change. We have invited Mahir to talk about himself, how he came to migrate here and his work as founding CEO of IIFC Group, founding CEO of Thrive Microfinance, Founder and CEO of Regional Opportunities Australia (ROA), Founder and Executive Director of HADIA Foundation, and most recently COO of IBA which is a digital neo-bank, the World Bank, United Nations and as a financial adviser to government.
Mahir Momand is a Microfinance expert who has lived 2/3 of his life as a refugee . He is the CEO of Thrive Refugee Enterprise, an organization established to provide microfinance and business support to refugees and asylum seekers in Australia to start new businesses and grow existing ones . Previously, Mahir served as CEO of the National Association of Credit Unions in Afghanistan, worked for the World Bank and UNHCR . The Microfinance programs run by Mahir have helped establish a total of 165,000 small and medium business enterprises in Afghanistan that provided a livelihood for nearly 1 million people.
If you are interested in attending this meeting, at 7:30 pm on Monday, 23rd January, please click on the following Zoom link.
If there is one thing we have all learnt from the The Voice referendum it is that pretty well all Australians want to see improvements in the disadvantages that a large number of Aboriginal people are subjected to. We in District 9685 have seen a number of successful programs that are moving towards "closing the gap," albeit over the longer term.
You are cordially invited to join Pam Pritchard of Turramurra Rotary in her presentation on the successful implementation of "Books in Homes" at Moree East Public School. We know that literacy is one of the keys to a child's future prospects.
"Books in Homes" illustrates how bringing together several Clubs to work on the same project can bring about important positive change.
Here is the link:
Tuesday 23rd January; meeting starts at 7.15 pm and the speaker is usually on after 7.35 pm.
Escabags National aWEARness Day Friday 16th February
From Marie Copp, Community Engagement Manager for Escabags. As valued supporters, you are invited to join us on Friday 16th February for our annual National aWEARness Day!
This is a great opportunity to celebrate the Freedom and Empowerment of Survivors of Domestic and Family Abuse across Australia as well as starting a conversation around domestic and family abuse in the workplace, our communities and social circles.
With 75 women being killed by a male perpetrator in 2023, it is now more important than ever to come together as a community to actively have an impact in the fight against domestic and family abuse in Australia.
ISTANBUL SUADIYE ROTARY CLUB invites you to “Istanbul Suadiye Rotary Club – IFSAK 4th International Photo Contest”.
Dear Rotarians,
Hello, I am writing to you as the President of the Istanbul Suadiye Rotary Club to provide information about one of our activities and to request your participation.
Welcome to our 4th International Photography Competition. Our theme is inspired by the immortal words of the founder of our Republic, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, "Everything we see on the face of the Earth is the work of women".
This year, we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of our Republic with enthusiasm and pride. On this meaningful anniversary, based on the words of Mustafa Kemal ATATURK, addressing worldwide woman and emphasizing their importance, we look forward to receive your unique photographs reflecting the women’s creativity and strength at their social role.
Competition Details:Theme: Women’s Creation - "Everything we see on the face of the Earth is the work of women"
Sections:
Color Open
Monochrome Open
Nature
Theme: Women’s Creation
As the Istanbul Suadiye Rotary Club, we are actively involved in preparing our youth, especially our girls, for the future through education and health assistance. We provide educational scholarships to young individuals and conduct RYLA training sessions with them.
Additionally, we aim to protect our young girls from cancer in their future lives by providing them with the HPV vaccine.
By sharing this invitation message with your members and encouraging them to participate; you can help more young girls to be vaccinated.
The participation donation for our competition is only 20 USD or 20 EUR. We sincerely hope for your club's wholehearted participation in our project.
With best regards, Alev Mehmet OZGUL 2023-2024 President
Editors Note: The closing date for entries into this competition is the end of January, so if you are interested and have some suitable photos in your collection, get them in quickly.