If you would like to visit our meeting, please contact us by email on rotaryclubcentralmelbourne@gmail.com or phone 0455-858-996 and request log-in details.
The meeting will commence at 7:40am and conclude no later than 8:45.
GUEST SPEAKER:FIONA STILL
TOPIC: "Pathway to eliminating viral hepatitis"
LiverWELL has a partnership with Rotary in Victoria, now in its third year, to raise awareness of viral hepatitis. This partnership brings together the expertise LiverWELL has around viral hepatitis and liver health, raising awareness amongst Rotarians and their networks with the aim to accelerate the elimination of hepatitis B and C across Victoria.
LiverWELL’s vision is a Victorian and Australian community where viral hepatitis is eliminated, and where people with liver disease drive the response to liver disease and can maximise their health and wellbeing. This is achieved by providing clear information to people who may have viral hepatitis about symptoms, risk factors, testing, and treatment options. LiverWELL provides training for the health workforce, to increase knowledge and to break down stigma
ROTARY CENTRAL MELBOURNE – MEETING REPORT 7th June 2022
VP Kevin Love deputising for Elias Lebbos
Kevin acknowledged the traditional owners of the country, and Doug Robertson chaired the meeting and made the toast to Rotary International.
Member Milestones
Member’s Birthdays
Nil
Partner Birthdays
NIL
Wedding Anniversaries
NIL
Date Joined Rotary
Sarah Overton 7th June 2001, 6 years
Cecily Neil 9th June 2015 7 years
Stella Avramopoulos 10th June 2014 8 years
President’s announcements
Please advise President Elias if your membership status will change in the new year so we can get our numbers correct for the calculation of next year’s international & district subscriptions
The 2023 Rotary International Convention in Melbourne is now being advertised; watch the Bulletin for details
Next week is a zoom meeting. Speaker: Fiona Still, Community Development Officer, speaking on hepatitis
Announcements
Neville John: Thank you to all Rotarians who worked on the Bunnings sausage sizzle last Saturday making it a very successful event. It netted $753.00; all sausages were sold
Herb Greenwood: The Club’s Changeover Dinner will include a wine raffle. Please donate any spare wine and Herb will collect
Allan Driver. Please remember to book in for the dinner on Trybooking; small numbers only registered to date
Rob Hines: Paul Harris dinner - by Jeffrey Tan; Neville John won a home dinner by Jeffrey Tan which will be held on Wednesday 20th July. The Club needs to provide volunteers, which may include children who will be paid. Watch for an email from Rob Hines shortly
Topic: South Sudan Health Matters Inc (SSHMI) project: Improving menstrual hygiene in Lou-Ariik Village in South Sudan, Mr. Mawien Ariik, Founder SSHMI
The presentation’s excellent slides are available for members. Please request from Rhys Williams at rhys0908@msn.com
Ariik explained that he had established SSHMI with other South Sudanese emigres to enhance the health capability of one of the world’s poorest countries. This is the organisation’s first project, designed to address a major barrier- access to sustainable menstrual products in a safe and hygienic environment- to girl’s educational achievement, academic performance and general empowerment
SSHMI’s aims are to enhance skills and services in: health promotion, maternal & child health, and to improve the capability of primary health care workers
Ariik described his refugee journey from a child in Africa and Egypt before acceptance into Australia as a teenager
The project will assist 800 girls in his family’s village of Lou-Ariik, which is extremely remote and isolated, especially in the wet season. The project is dedicated to Ariik’s father who died in the civil war when Ariik was very young, and his mother who is a hardworking, entrepreneurial role model
Ariik explained some of the culture of rural South Sudan: an economy based on cows for milk, manure, and marriage; the strong veneration of ancestors; traditional patriarchal values which need addressing through the sensitive empowerment of girls and women
Project aims: to improve school attendance and academic outcomes via improved menstrual hygiene; to reduce infection; to counter traditional male-dominated values regarding the lower importance of education for girls
Project need: Statistics reveal that menstrual hygiene is a significant issue in South Sudan and related to poor overall school retention of girls: 62% of girls take leave from school during menstruation; 83% use inappropriate menstrual products; 75% leave school early for arranged marriage
Project description: 800 village girls will be provided, at their school, with expert training and a Days for Girls reusable menstrual hygiene kit (which should last for 3 years). The project will include robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) to evaluate impact and plan for a sustainable future through role modelling and local manufacture of menstrual products
Project partners: The Chagai Foundation (TCF)- on-the-ground coordination, training, kit distribution, M&E; RCM- funding, project management support, and partner due diligence; Days for Girls (Uganda)- 800 reusable menstrual kits; Modibodi Pty Ltd- donated reusable menstrual underpants
Ariik has already met with girls in his local village to pitch the project and its benefits; resulted in a list of intended beneficiaries
The overall quality and consistency of education is very poor; Ariik learned to write in the sand; kids who could write a bit didn’t get an exercise book
Similar for the quality of medical care; very poor understanding of and use of drugs and medicine
The RCM International Services Committee, led by Neville John and Cecily Neal, will continue to provide assistance for both the project and the development of SSHMI
Questions:
How to maximise sustainability? ultimately by local manufacture of kits which Days for Girls can assist to establish, as it has done elsewhere; this is a pilot and the M&E focus is to drive sustainability
What is the difference between girls' and boys' opportunities? Boys from Chiefdom families generally obtain the best education opportunities, leading to cow ownership. This project is focusing on assisting girls because they are the most disadvantaged
Below is an update email received by President Elias which he wanted to share with Club Members:
Dear Rotary Member,
cc: District Governors (Current, Elect and Nominee)
You are receiving this email as a Rotarian or Rotaractor in Zone 8 – Australia, New Zealand and the many other countries that make up our part of the Rotary world.
For the past three years, a group of Rotarians and Rotaractors have been working on a pilot project to consider how we can enhance Rotary and Rotaract and ensure we remain relevant for the future while also addressing some of the challenges we have been facing for a while.
In February 2022, the Rotary International (RI) Board gave its approval in principle to proceed with the pilot, subject to approval by clubs. A second green light was the Council on Legislation approval for changes of governance in April 2022. We are now one of just two regional pilots in the Rotary world looking to explore, develop and test new ways of operating.
What are we seeking to achieve through regionalisation? We want to ensure the best support possible to Rotary clubs and Rotaract clubs. Through a less layered and more devolved contemporary approach members can continue to do what they do best – projects and connections/fellowship. We aim to reduce duplication and streamline processes, encourage even broader and more collaboration in areas such as public image, marketing Rotary, partnering with business, government and service partners, and make leadership roles more attractive and doable.
To do this, we envisage a Regional Council for Zone 8 and Rotary Australia and Rotary New Zealand (Oceania) bodies to be formed. An Interim Regional Council with limited roles will likely start on 1 July 2023, with a final model in place by 1 July 2026. Monitoring and evaluating how the changes are delivering benefits are an important part of the project. We don’t know yet exactly what the final model will look like and you will have your chance to have a say.
It is important that you, our fellow Rotarians, are consulted throughout this process. In fact, the project cannot proceed without the support of members and clubs.
The third green light needed to proceed is support of Rotary clubs and Rotaract clubs, a condition of the RI Board’s approval. Support of clubs will be shown through a vote, which will happen in September 2022, with a vote first of clubs and then of districts.
From mid-June right through to August, every club and member will have the chance to hear about what is proposed, to have their say, and to ask questions. Each district has a District Regionalisation Representative who is coordinating the briefing of clubs.
Being a pilot gives us the chance to shape our own Rotary and Rotaract futures.
If you would like to find out more there is information available on the dedicated website, creatingtomorrowrotary.org along with the opportunity to “Have your say” and “Subscribe” to updates. There will also be opportunities to volunteer and get involved in workgroups.
International education is Victoria's largest services export industry, with students playing a vital role in our economy and community. Ensuring visiting students are supported and empowered in assimilating into the social and business fabric of our community, allows them to succeed while studying in Victoria. Rotary has an opportunity to help international students build a home away from home.
In a recent survey, Rotarians voted that the number one activity they would like to get involved in, is mentoring. Rotary Districts of Victoria listened and has acted to form a partnership that will enable all Rotarians to engage in mentoring in a structured, safe and confident format.
Presented in partnership with Rotary Districts of Victoria and Study Melbourne; Guests were be joined (via live-streaming) by keynote speaker and special guest Zondwa Mandela, Chairman of the Mandela Legacy Foundation and an innovator in solving global youth unemployment.
Zwonda Mandela - live from South Africa
DG Dale Hoy and MentorMatch CEO, Gerard Holland atteh podium in dialogue with Zwonda Mandela
The event celebrated the launch of the Rotary mentoring initiative, MentorMatch, a platform that builds social connectedness for students utilising skills and experience of Rotarians everywhere.
You are cordially invited to ‘A Taste of Africa’, a lively evening of African food, music and cultural immersion! This is an International Services fund-raiser for the South Sudan Health Matters (SSHM) Project: South Sudan Girls Sanitation and Education Project! RCM is supporting this project initiated by Mawien Ariik, RCM member and SSHM founder. Ariik will present on the project at our meeting on 7 June at the RACV Club.
Date: Saturday 11 June 2022
Place: Cecily Neil’s home - Unit 1801, 1 Freshwater Place, Southbank
Time: From 6 pm
Cost: $50 per person
Inclusions: A variety of African food (South Sudanese and other; meat and vegetarian) provided by Kuei and Mawien Ariik; drinks (wine, beer soft drinks); auction items; African items for sale
Bookings (via TryBooking: https://www.trybooking.com/BZTJO) close on 10 June 2022. There will be a limit of 50 attendees so get in early!
You can also find out more about The Lighthouse project. In South Sudan’s remote Lou Ariik Village, it is a common experience for girls to miss school during menstruation and, because of poor sanitation and hygiene, infection rates are higher than they should be. Most schools are also ‘under the trees’ schools.
This project will distribute 800 re-usable menstrual hygiene kits with a carefully designed education program. The principal intended outcome is to improve girls’ school retention and educational performance. In broader terms, the project is designed to empower girls, address traditional cultural mores sensitively, and reduce infection rates. Your contribution is going to a great cause!
After a two-year COVID imposed break we are resuming where we left off with the New Generations Service Exchange program. You might remember Lotta Rink, the talented young Bassoonist who had to go home early thanks to the pandemic.
Nevertheless, in July this year two young Australian opera singers, Louise Keast and Michael Dimovski, will be heading off to Bavaria where they will be hosted by German Rotary families for around 6 weeks. They will be participating in the Bayreuth Young Artist’s Festival, attending master classes, and in Michael’s case, performing at the D1950 District Conf.
