Projects

Projects

Making a Difference!

starfishAfter a massive storm thousands of starfish were stranded on a beach and a little girl, seeing them stranded, began to throw them back into the water one by one. As she did so an old man walked by.
"Little girl, little girl, can't you see there are thousands of starfish stranded. You'll never make a difference," he said.
"I can for this one," she replied, throwing another starfish back into the water.

This is the philosophy Ku-ring-gai Rotary. The challenges locally and globally are huge, but by rolling up our sleeves and using the Rotary network which ensures every dollar goes where it's supposed to we can make a whole host of small differences and those small differences add up. For example, we assisted in the first East Timor Rotary Youth Leadership Program. One of our members helped oversee the first course in Dili. We also sent two young Australian volunteers to Uganda where, with the support of the local Rotary Club of M'kono they helped the local people build a much needed school.

"We can for this one."

Select a project category below to view description of each project

Ophthalmic Project

Philippines/Griffith Ophthalmic Project

Philippines

  • In 2016, Turramurra Rotarians agreed to support Professor Geoffrey Painter’s voluntary ophthalmic work in the Philippines.
  • The team was led by Associate Professor Painter and Ms Kerrie Legge and was undertaken in Santiago, 350 km north of Manilla. About 5% of residents in this area are visually impaired, double the national average.
  • By receiving a Rotary Foundation Global Grant, and partnering with the Rotary Club of Midtown Santiago and the Adventist Hospital Santiago, it was possible to acquire diagnostic equipment, train screeners and provide transport for the team. The project budget was AU$100,000.
  • In 2019, 1,022 people received essential eye surgery.
  • Covid caused the Philippines project to be placed on hold.

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Griffith

  • It was decided to investigate the possibility of running a similar project in NSW with an indigenous community.
  • With the help of MP Alister Henskins, NSW Health and the Murrumbidgee Local Health District, the ophthalmic project was launched in the Griffith area in 2021 with the challenge to reduce the waiting times for the indigenous communities who were facing a two year wait for screening.
  • Stakeholders in the project are the Griffith Aboriginal Medical Service (GAMS), the local Health District, local Rotary Clubs, Griffith Base Hospital, St Vincent’s Clinic and local councils.
  • Training of screeners took place over one year at GAMS.

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Achievements

  • Twenty Cert 4 officers have been trained to screen for eye disease.
  • A regular monthly service is provided by three practitioners.
  • Patients do not have to travel to Wagga for treatment.
  • Waiting list for public patients reduced from approximately 18 months to four weeks.
  • The GAMS Clinic in Lake Cargelligo can now undertake eye checks.
  • GAMS arranges transport for Aboriginal patients.
  • Surgical facilities have been established at the St Vincent’s Eye Clinic.
  • Ophthalmic surgery has been reintroduced into Griffith after a 17 year absence.

Future Goals

  • Obtain a portable Retinal Camera - $15,000.
  • Addition of an eye check to the health passport in 2024.
  • Statewide eyesight screening for preschoolers.

 

Birthing Kit Assembly

 
The Birthing Kit Foundation Australia (BKFA) is a humanitarian organisation that provides birthing kits and education in clean birthing practices to women birthing at home in remote regions of the developing world.
 
 
The Foundation makes available items that can be assembled into birthing kits to be sent overseas to developing countries, or those in a state of disaster.  These kits offer hygienic basics to assist in the delivery of a baby.
On February 22 we plan to hold our next Assembly day at Lady Davidson Hospital in Turramurra from 1:30pm - 4:00pm and make up 200 kits. The Club will purchase the materials for the kits from the Foundation. 
Visitors are welcome. Please contact Pam Pritchard pamelapritchard8@gmail.com
 
 
 
 
After we assemble them, a courier will collect them to be shipped overseas to those in need, funded by the Foundation.
 
200 kits will assist in saving the lives of 200 mums and their babies.

Bangladeshi Food Bank

Dr Gulam Khandaker, a club member, is originally from Bangladesh. He worked with the club to set up projects in rural Bangladesh with a group of families that all have children with cerebral palsy. An infrastructure program providing ramps for wheelchair access ran for two years followed by a rehabilitation project for another two years.

The Bangladesh cerebral palsy register established that the children and their families live well below the poverty line. The fathers of those children work as daily wage earners - day labourers, rickshaw pullers, van drivers, weavers - or farmers. When the Covid pandemic hit, suddenly the fathers in this group had no work and families were in dire need of food. Due to the outbreak in Bangladesh, the country locked down with strict restrictions on non-essential movements. Without income sources, the families were struggling to provide meals for family members.

The charity, CSF Global, organised a Food Bank Program for these vulnerable people. Each food pack contained food for a family of five for two weeks at a cost of A$30.Members of the Turramurra Rotary Club donated $1500 raised from a "Cakeless Cake Stall", and donated a further $16,000 to the Food Bank.

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Manus Soap Project

The people of Manus Province in Papua New Guinea have a poor health service, minimal communication with the outside world and a low standard of living. The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic put them in an extremely vulnerable position.

Soap is an essential part of Covid safety precautions but soap is a luxury item for the Manus Province people. Turramurra Rotary Club honorary member, Lynne Shori, initiated a project, in conjunction with Wantaim PNG, to provide four tranches of soap, eight months supply, to every household. As culturally relevant messaging was severely lacking, flyers in local language were delivered across Manus Province with the support of government teams.

Turramurra Rotary provided $6,000 of club funds and achieved a matching District Grant of $6,000, and then the club also donated over $18,000 from club reserves. The project has led to recognition of Wantaim PNG by the World Health Organisation, who are now offering assistance to Wantaim PNG for further health projects in the Manus Province.

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