Happy New Year to all Rotarians & Friends. Another year is upon us with the first half of our Rotary year behind us. How quickly the time is passing.
Heather and I have travelled far and wide throughout the District undertaking our DG Club visitations. Once again, it never ceases to amaze us the work that our Clubs have achieved and are achieving. Special mention to our Bordertown Club who were recognised at their local Council’s Australia Day celebrations, and awarded the Active Citizens Award. Congratulations. I also congratulate all the Rotarians who were recognised in the Australia Day Awards. I request any Clubs that received an Award to please advise District Secretary Leslie Shedden of any members.
Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS) will be working with Rotary New Zealand World Community Service (RNZWCS) and Rotary Club of Nuku'alofa (Tonga) in providing aid and assistance to the affected communities' and restoring their livelihoods.
No further fatalities reported. The official fatality number remains at three.
Digicel has restored limited international voice and text connectivity with Tonga, via a satellite connection. This became available at about 10:00 PM last night. The link is operating at full capacity, i.e. there are more calls and texts than the connection can sustain.
The tsunami is estimated to have impacted around 1800+ households’ food supplies across Tonga (approximately 5,000 individuals). Basic food items are needed – flour, tin fish, milk powder, etc…
Most of us would be aware of the importance of vegetation alongside our rivers, creeks, lakes and estuaries. Trees, shrubs and smaller plants help prevent erosion, provide shade on the water, and are habitat for many kinds of mammals, birds, insects, amphibians, reptiles and a myriad of other life forms.
Defying the Drift was staged for the 11th time in 2021, after a recess in 2020. We were very fortunate to find a very small window of opportunity to run the Defying the Drift youth program, be it with some very stringent rules and regulations.
The program consisted of a residential component at Longerenong Ag College Horsham, from Monday December 13th to Wednesday December 15th.
Rotarian Ken Hutt from Berry, NSW plans to scale the world's highest mountain in May (weather permitting) before launching himself from near it’s icy peak.
The 62-year-old, who is passionate about eradicating polio, made the decision after successfully conquering a glide from Cho Oyu in Tibet six years ago.
Rotary District 9780 and in particular the District Youth Committee have partnered with the Glenelg and Southern Grampians Local Learning and Employment Network (GSGLLEN) on a project named “Enhance Work Placement Experience for Everyone” (AKA Enhance Work Experience or EWE). The project is funded by the National Careers Institute.
World Vision released a report last year on the impact of COVID-19, providing the following statistics:
13.6 million more children will suffer from wasting or acute malnutrition by 2022 due to COVID-19 impacts.
Children suffering from wasting are 11 times more likely to die from preventable diseases than those that are well-nourished.
The impacts of childhood malnutrition can last a lifetime, harming their ability to learn, earn and reach their full potential as adults, which also has significant economic implications, nationally and globally.
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