Barry Cleveland, Karen Overbosch, String Smith, Hugh Maunder
9 September 2015
Editorial
A Rotary Story about Unexpected Consequences Submitted by Bev Bird
Last year a visiting Rotarian spoke to our club about his experiences whilst working on a project,
somewhere in Africa, aimed at providing access to water for a small rural community which had
been identified by his Rotary club as needing assistance. Details of exactly where and when this
took place are now somewhat hazy, but it doesn’t affect the story. The speaker told us that he,
along with several other members of his club, had volunteered to travel to the particular village to
assess what was needed.
Once there they were surprised to find an extensive and perfectly adequate system of underground
water-‐pipes already laid out around the settlement. The real problem, they discovered, was that
very few householders had yet managed to hook up to this central water system because they were
unable to afford the (relatively modest) connection fee. So most households continued to depend
entirely on the single communal tap situated in the middle of the village
for all their daily water needs.
The Rotarian group concluded that what was actually needed was not
further infrastructure, as they had originally assumed, but simply the
establishment of a special fund which could provide each householder
with a small, interest-free loan sufficient to cover the initial connection costs, to be repaid later over an agreed manageable period. They approached their club to set about creating such a loan scheme straight away.
The speaker also told us it had come to his notice during his stay that the community’s water
problems had had a further unfortunate consequence, in that many of the young village girls
were routinely expected to start their day by first walking a considerable distance from their
homes to the sole, central tap to fill their family’s buckets with water for the day and then
carrying their full buckets back home for the household’s use that day.
He decided to go along with some of them one morning to experience this task for himself.
Whilst helping one small girl lift her full bucket he was amazed to find that it was so heavy he
had trouble picking it up himself, yet here was this little child, gamely heaving it up onto her
head for the long walk home. It made him concerned about the long-‐term physical effects on
these young children of regularly carrying such heavy weights over such long distances.
‘What will it be like when you have water coming straight to your house?’, he asked one small
girl as they walked along together. ‘It will be very good’, she said. ‘I won’t have to miss so many
lessons at school each morning. I will be able to learn more.’
It was not at all the answer he had been expecting.
‘And what about you?’, he asked another
young girl. ‘Is it the same for you?’
‘No, it is not like that for me’, she said. ‘Every morning I
make sure I wake up very early so I can fetch the water in time for school and not miss any of my
classes. I am doing well at school’, she told him. ‘Last year I came first in my class.’
And then,
after a short pause, ’… But now I will have some time just to play.’
Small, unexpected blessings arising directly from a Rotary project.
Duty Roster
October SEPTEMBER
10
17
24
1
Sergeant
Todd
Barnard
Wynpress Editorial
Jackson
Minutes for Wynpress
Cleveland
Door Duty
Lidgely
Grace
Bredenkamp
Loyal Toast
Overbosch
International Toast
Murphy
Speaker Introduction
Gowdy
Speaker Thanks
Vivian Barnard, Jackson, Maunder, Van Niekerk, Vivian
Find Speakers
Quiz Evening
Lidgely Heritage Day
Smith Murphy
No Meeting
Dankwerts
Tangos
Schrieber
R100
Ovebosch N/A N/A Bird, Dessignton, Lidgley, Schrieber, Smith
Minutes
Compiled by; String Smith
3 September 2015
Attendance, Apologies 64% & Make-‐ups
N/A
Visitors Fellowship Announcements
Mike and Lindsay were due to have a wedding anniversary on 6th and Barry and Val on 9th. Stephen and Keela had bought their first house, Keela also got a promotion Biffy’s mother appears to be doing better. Ann sends her regards from Croatia
Slots
Biffy reported on Rotary Family Health Days (7-9 Oct.) and asked members to attempt to recruit registered nurses and other health related professions to assist; also to obtain donations and samples such as toothpaste, face cloths and the like. Are reported on various Norwegian visits; Odd Henning and 5 teachers from different schools arrive on 11 September and hopefully will attend the quiz evening. Justin to arrange a table. 2 teachers and 4 students from Haugaland College arrive on 30 October and will visit the club on 5 November. Volunteers are required for accommodation and driving. From the President Stephen reported that Rotary Family Health Day was a national event which gave us much publicity and hence should receive strong support. There will be no social on 29 October but possibly one on 6th. He urged all members to become involved with the Haugaland visit and to attend the presentation ceremony where 500 children would receive bursaries. Business matters Minutes will be circulated separately to members. Quiz night; Reminder to book your table for the Quiz Night (20 September) by emailing [email protected] (R100 per person including R60 meal voucher – Tangos). N/A – Business Meeting
Guest Speaker Swindle President’s quote Next Meeting
Lina failed to draw the winning card. The winner of the consolation prize requested that his name be withheld lest this would alert creditors. No Quote
NEXT MEETING AT WYNBERG GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL: TAKE YOUR BOOZE THERE AND YOUR EMPTIES HOME
Going forward
Dates to Diarise
Sat Sep 12
Social / weekend visit to Renosterveld: (Alan)
Thur Sep 17:
Quiz Evening @ Tangos! (Justin) – SOLD OUT
Sat Oct
3:
Heaven’s Nest project with Rotaract
Wed – Fri 7-‐9 Oct: Rotary Family Health Days
Thur Oct 8:
Social -‐ No meeting due to RFHD commitments
Sat Oct 24:
District Mini-‐conference – Worcester
30 Oct -‐ 7 Nov:
Visit to Cape Town by Haugaland College
Thur 5 Nov:
Visit to Club by Haugaland College
Thur Nov 26:
Election of Office Bearers
Thur Dec 3:
Uncle Pauls : SOS Childrens Home
See the WRC calendar (http://wynbergrotary.org.za/calendar/ ) for full details. Like us on Facebook or Twitter (@wynbergrotary) and visit the to keep up to date.