SPOTS

Patsy Beckett reported that the car cruise had been a great success and raised $370 for purchase of mosquito nets for PNG. Looking for a further $30 (likely in Graham's pocket) to round up to $400. Feedback from Mitre 10 re Rotary BBQ has been positive.

Heather Kilsby urged as many as possible  to participate in the Coffee Chat this coming Friday..10.30am at Impressa, Unley Shopping Centre.

Jerry Casburn announced that our team for the debate next week with RC Hyde Park will be Graham, Kym and Valerie and the discourse will revolve around comparing the 1980s with today....or something like that. To help Damien with the catering it would be useful if people came a little earlier eg 5.45pm.     For the visit to the Botanic Gardens and dinner thereafter the following week, it would be helpful if members responded to the invitation. The room at the Stag can only accommodate 25...dinner starts at 8.00pm.

Stephen Baker displayed the car cruise trophy and donated $10 for this win and his selection of the Melbourne Cup trifecta.

Rhonda Hoare led the applause for the car cruise organisers, Patsy, Valerie and Graham squared, 

Sorel Coward is to have foot surgery - damage sustained on the steps at Adelaide Oval.

Bob Mullins expressed appreciation for sympathetic messages from members following Genese's accident. Efforts are being made to identify the source of Alex Jonson's internal bleeding using cameras.

Behind the Badge - Greg McLeod

Greg graduated from Adelaide University Law School in 1977 and after initial involvement in criminal cases decided he was better suited to wills, estates and conveyancing....spending 44 years with his Carrington Street legal firm until his recent retirement. He joined Unley Rotary in 1984 (37 years ago), has twice been President, some years as Secretary, plus other engagements. It has been an enjoyable time, with personal satisfaction from contributing. He urged members to put their hands up for higher office. 

Applause followed.......but the camera did not quite extend that far across the room.  

Finale ....   

Club Car Cruise on Sunday 31 October through the Adelaide Hills and Vales

it is with considerable humility that the editor reports he and Beverley once again creamed the star studded Car Cruise field.......4 in a row! Comparisons are now being drawn between us and the Peter Brock team on Mount Panorama. On a perfect day, we travelled through the lush green terrain visiting places long forgotten or never visited....a scenic bonanza.....with numerous kilometres, numerous quiz questions, weight reducing morning tea and lunch at Terminus pub, Strathalbyn. Our thanks to Graham and Patsy Beckett, Valerie Bonython and Graham Ey for another excellent event with great prizes to the winners.

Upcoming Rotary event:

D9510 Rotary Learning Seminar

ROTARY NEWS

Discovering the impact of Rotary grants in Zimbabwe

By Carolyn Schrader, Rotary Club of Denver Mile High, Colorado, USA

 

Posted on October 26, 2021

                       

 

When I first joined Rotary, I was encouraged by another member to join in sponsoring a $14,000 AIDS awareness grant in Harare, Zimbabwe. I helped raise funds and worked with the Harare Rotarians to write the grant completed in 2005. But my connection to Zimbabwe lasted much longer.

As I was writing the grant report, I realized I had no idea what had really happened because the grant activity was in Zimbabwe and I was in Denver. I needed to go see the project. That was perhaps one of the most fateful decisions I ever made.

Along with volunteers for the training organization that had designed the program, I went to Zimbabwe, starting a love affair with Rotary grant projects. I learned more about sustainable projects, and why Rotary is encouraging members to focus on increasing impact.

 

I saw so much need that I started a grant for $330,000 for economic development. We trained over 3,000 women in basic economic skills during a four-year period.

The structure of that particular grant was powerful, sustainable, and well organized. I could see the level of commitment that Rotary had made to enable members to actually implement life-changing grants. I visited the project 21 times over the next nine years and saw how truly transformative the process can be. When we interviewed the women, they said again and again how much the project changed their lives. They said “I never thought that I could save money.”

 

And that was precisely the first thing that we taught in the training: how to save money. The women created groups of 10 or 12 people, and they would commit to saving, for example, a dollar a week. Everybody in the group would come to the weekly meeting and they would bring their money and put it in a common jar or a box. After several weeks, when they had accumulated enough money to make it worthwhile, the group would start to give loans. The women would complete an application and describe what they were going to use the money for.

They could add the loan to their savings and use that money to improve their businesses. They began to make money because they had saved money. They went from being poor, not only economically, but also in spirit, to being empowered.

Cultural learnings

During my visits it became obvious that, even with the training material, there were areas in which the women, on their own, said “No, we’re not going to do it that way. We’re going to do it a different way.”

The first time I encountered this I thought their way was not working. We’re going to have to fix that. That was the first time I really understood that if you want this project to be sustainable, the community has to own this project. It’s their project and they demonstrate that by doing it in a different way consistent with their culture and their experience.

In one instance, they provided money for funeral expenses to a woman who had a family member pass. My first reaction was, well, that money is not going to be repaid. But to them, the woman’s need superseded the group’s collective needs. And that was an insight. If they change it, then they’re owning it — and they’ll keep using it as long as it benefits them. I had to see that what they were doing was owning the project, bit by bit.

Community-driven change

I always say that the most important element in a global grant are the local Rotary members. Rotary requires that a global grant start with the community identifying needs. And that’s where local Rotary members shine. They meet with the community, hear their needs, and begin to create a work plan. Because they’re part of the culture and know local customs, they’re able to hear and understand the community and its needs.

After that, a committed team is formed of Rotary members on the ground, local community members who believe in the project plan, and international members who support the project by fundraising and site visits (even virtually.) Grant funds and money from members and supporting organizations create the perfect end product: a sustainable outcome that belongs to the community and creates lasting positive change.

Rotary Grants are not the same as sending money to pay school fees. Helping a community help themselves is one of the most satisfying things that a person can do. I am so proud to be a part of Rotary and to have seen the impact that Rotary can make.

About the author: Carolyn Schrader is a member of the Cadre of Technical Advisors and lives in Denver, Colorado. She is a retired mathematician, actuary, and a 25-year member of the Rotary Club of Denver Mile High. She was the international sponsor for the Community Empowerment in Zimbabwe project implemented in 2009-2013, followed by two economic development global grants. Schrader has made presentations worldwide in-person and on Zoom about best practices for global grants.

Mitre 10 and Bunnings Barbeques 

The Tale End.....