The Camberwell Rotarian 11th August 2021 (Aug 11, 2021)

Presidents Patrick's Musing 11th August 2021

Rotary friends and friends of Rotary

The recent news concerning the lockdown extension was something which no one would have welcomed but everyone knew was likely to occur which means we will be on Zoom next week for the club forum, an important date in or club calendar and a meeting not to be missed.

It was very pleasing to have 46 attended our Zoom meeting last week, the community & support for each other @ RC Camberwell evident once again.

If you’re suddenly realising you’ve got a lot more time on your hands, maybe it’s time to finally catch up on all those books you’ve been meaning to read? Whilst at home over the weekend, the Docherty family discovered the extensive digital library services @Boorondora library has to offer: eBooks, audio books, worth checking out www.boroondara.vic.gov.au/libraries/collections/ebooks-and-audio-books

Talking of books wasn’t it a well informed presentation last week from Lili-Ann, her experience, knowledge & passion was evident, Lil-Ann’s shared her website below if you’d like to peruse www.kriegler-education.com

Save the Date: District are hoping that the End Polio Walk around Lake Wendouree in Ballarat will take place on World Polio Day which is Sunday 24^th October. As you will remember last year Team Camberwell successfully raised almost $10,000

The opening of the R100 multi club play ground has been rescheduled to 12^th September, hopefully we will be in a more covid safe environment, so stay tuned for more details

For A Meal Food packaging fellowship night is scheduled for the 22^nd September @ Conchie Hall, RC Canterbury have a plan B (bigger venue) so assuming we are out of lock down number 7 or 8, please make sure you save this date, the last time the club participated in this program we packed over 18,000 meals and the plan is to pack a similar amount to be distributed this time locally within Victoria

Great work David Baker & the membership Committee, even in these challenging times during lock down, the committee have been working hard and will be proposing Club membership to Dr. Michelle Critchley

The upcoming fellowship nights have been rescheduled AGAIN -PP partners night and the proposed Indian cultural extravaganza aren’t looking good and probably won’t work in the current environment, after communicating with Basscare it’s unlikely venue restrictions will be eased anytime soon, so stay tuned for more details

Gary Goldsmith will be acting Community services Chair, whilst Ian Mc Millan is on medical leave of absence.

Thank you to more than a dozen members who recently supported the Asylum seeker resource centre , Steve Clarke plans to deliver the loot after lock down so It’s no too late to reach out Steve with non perishables to donate

August is Membership Month

2020 Timor Rotary Consortium - Update 3rd August. 2021

Greetings Consortium Members and Supporters,

Since our last updates in April this year I am pleased to advise as follows:-

Fundraising

A welcome contribution of $2,000 by the RC of Pascoe Vale (D9800) into our RAWCS account has brought our total funds raised to $99,828 and we take this opportunity to again thank all of you who have contributed to this very substantial amount. The Consortium now comprises ten (10) Rotary Clubs as well as other associations and individuals.

Stage 1

This stage which got under way in March this year with the purchase of ten (10) 5,500 Ltr galvanised Water Tanks from the East Timor Roofing and Training Unipessoal Lda in Baucau has now been completed following the delivery of these Tanks to remote villages in the Baguia and Viqueque regions of eastern Timor Leste where they were installed on stone and cement Tank Stands constructed by local villagers.

Some photographs of these Water Tanks are attached and I was particularly impressed by the one installed beneath a blue metal roof using split bamboo as guttering and downpipe to help fill the tank.

Stage 2

With the first stage well under way a second list of schools and village communities where Water Tanks are required was supplied by Ms Leopoldina Guterres who is our in-country coordinator and member of the Melbourne Passport Rotary Club.

Ten (10) more Water Tanks have now been ordered and paid for and will hopefully be manufactured and delivered later this month.

Brother Tomas who manages the Dom Bosco owned East Timor Roofing and Training Unipessoal Lda advises that the shipment of goods from Australia to Timor Leste has been very badly affected as a consequence of Covid 19 restrictions. All their steel materials are supplied by BlueScope Steel in Australia and he is optimistic that the order he placed with them nearly 3 months ago will arrive soon.

Stage 3

Quotations for the construction of three (3) School Toilets have been obtained by Ms Leo Gurerres for the villages of Loiulu Kindergarten and Sorocama community in Baguia Sub-district, and Irabin Defawase in Vikeke Sub-district.

These are being evaluated and these 3 cubicle Toilets will be constructed by locals using the same skills and materials that were used by local villagers when constructing 3 similar School Toilets in the primary schools of Aelita, Gulari and Waiboro, as part of the 2017 Consortium project.

These Toilets will be constructed using locally made cement blocks and we will pay for these and the sand, cement and gravel required as well as other materials used plus one week's wages for a skilled and semi-skilled local villager.

All being well, construction of these 3 School Toilets will be completed during the current dry season.

Stage 4

This Stage will take place following a visit by Rotary Volunteers to inspect the completed works and to scope new locations.

To use up the Consortium's remaining funds this Stage will comprise the installation and construction of more Water Tanks and/or School Toilets as well as the provision by a local doctor of Water And Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Training for school students and their parents.

Expenditure

The purchase of two lots of ten Water Tanks (20 in Total) has fully utilised the extremely generous AUD $40,000 "In Kind Donation" given to us for goods purchased from East Timor Roofing and Training Unipessoal Lda by the original Rotary owned holding company of the East Timor Roofing Co.

We contributed $ 366.28 toward the latest purchase of Water Tanks and have also transferred $13,500 via the Rotary Office in Dili to provide Ms Lepoldina Guterres with US $9,920.54 US dollars to pay for the estimated costs of delivery of the 20 Water Tanks form Baucau to their remote locations and the purchase of sand, cement and other materials including Roof Guttering & Downpipes and Poly pipe to deliver water into the Tanks.

Total expenditure to date therefore amounts to $13,866.28 plus the $40,000 "In Kind Donation" leaving us with $45,961.72 in remaining funds.

Please note that this figure will vary depending upon the actual costs incurred by Ms Leopoldina.

Conclusion:

Given the issues caused by Covid and its effect on transport and travel, the Project is proceeding as well as can be expected.

With your continued financial support, this project could become "Ongoing" and we ask Rotary Club recipients to pass on this Update to their new Club Presidents and International Committee Chairs for their further consideration during the coming new Rotary year.

We hope that you find the above information of interest and will be pleased to answer any queries you may have.

With Kind Regards

John Walmsley

RC Camberwell

Project Manager

0412 516 445

Vijay Susarla

RC Camberwell

Deputy Project Manager

O410 619 323