The following link will take you to a recent article in the Telegraph magazine about ShelterBox in Syria. It very clearly shows the continuing relationship between Rotary and ShelterBox and is good publicity for both.
Category Archives: International Projects
Rotary Club of Mill Hill’s Dental Project in India
Read more in the following PDF document about the RC Mill Hill Dental Pain Relief Project
A fire rescue service for Asella, Ethiopia: come along to our International Evening 13th October
A fire engine for Ethiopia
ROTARY CLUB OF TOWER HAMLETS
INTERNATIONAL EVENING – DINNER AND DANCE – 13th OCTOBER
The Rotary Club of Tower Hamlets is committed to provide a fire engine to the people of Asella in Ethiopia and to establish a fire service for the whole community. Recently the local school that was previously attended by one of the Club’s member’s was significantly damaged by fire – there is currently no fire service in Asella and the surrounding area.
To raise the necessary funds to supply the fire engine – and to support two charities with which the Club has a long-standing relationship, the local branch of the Salvation Army and the Breast Cancer Campaign – we will be holding a Dinner Dance on Saturday 13 October 2012 at the “S” Banqueting Centre, Walthamstow, E17 4JE starting at 19.15 and going on until late.
His Excellency the Ethiopian Ambassador will be present and guests will be entertained by a traditional Ethiopian Dance Troupe and witness the Ethiopian Coffee Ceremony.
An eleven item Dinner will be followed by a Disco and raffle. Soft drinks and a fully serviced bar will also be available.
Tickets can be bought online: https://www.eventelephant.com/rotary
Even if you are not able to attend the event, please help us by donating online: https://mydonate.bt.com/events/fireengine/86416
You can learn more about the Rotary Club of Tower Hamlets on our website: http://www.towerhamletsrotary.org/
Big Success at London Mela 2012
On Sunday 19 August 2012 the sun shone brightly on Gunnersbury Park, the location for the West London Mela. Rotary in London was there with a display provided by Shelterbox. So many members of the public, including business people, teachers and social club officers, said that they thought Rotary was really on the ball supporting such a project. Lots of details were taken, lots of leaflets handed out, and lots of kudos won for Rotary. Have a look at the video and support us next year at this major event.
Shelterbox Collections around London in June
We are fortunate to have been awarded 8 different underground stations to collect at during Big ShelterBox Week (June 9th – 16th); one for each day! It’s a great opportunity to collect much needed funds and do some awareness raising. The 8 stations are:
| Tooting Broadway | Sat 9th | Northern |
| Kew Gardens | Sun 10th | District / Overground |
| Leicester Square | Mon 11th | Piccadilly / Northern |
| Monument | Tues 12th | Circle / District |
| South Harrow | Wed 13th | Piccadilly |
| Marble Arch | Thurs 14th | Central |
| Hounslow Central | Fri 15th | Piccadilly |
| Clapham Common | Sat 16th | Northern |
We can collect all day (06.30 – 22.00) but obviously aren’t expecting to have volunteers cover the entire day! The main times will be morning rush hour: 07.00 – 10.00 and evening rush hour: 16.00 – 19.00. But as many hours as we can get covered would be great. We’re looking for volunteers to collect in 2 hour stints and the max number of collectors at one time is 2 (except Leicester Square which can have 4 collectors).
Abi, James and I will act as your point of contact – we won’t be there during the day but will go along to deliver new buckets, will be on the end of the phone to answer any questions and will also collect the money at the end of the day.
If you feel you would like to help with this please respond to this email with dates and times you are able to collect. I will then organise a rota and how to get collection buckets and t-shirts to you and will provide all necessary information as well as TFL guidelines for collections.
Maribeth Lloyds, Corporate Fundraising Manager, ShelterBox
Chance for Knowledge – Westminster Rotaract project in Bulgaria
The Chance for Knowledge is a project developed by Rotaract Club of
Westminster and Rotaract Sofia Vitisha Izgrev Club. It was run under
the supervision of Rotary of London and Rotary Sofia Vitosha.
The main objectives of this project were to help in the supply of new
Braille machines for the school which would enable new students to get
the proper tools for education. By providing them with four new
machines Rotary help their educational advancement and social
integration.
http://www.youtube.com/v/
Shelterbox reacts to Turkish Earthquake
ShelterBox has committed an initial 5000 boxes of emergency aid following the massive earthquake that struck southeast Turkey on 23 October. Hundreds of lives have been lost, with many more people injured and many thousands left homeless by the 7.2 magnitude quake. A ShelterBox Response team is currently in Van, a city close to the epicenter of the earthquake, and is liaising with the Turkish Red Crescent Society and local Rotary clubs to ensure that aid gets to the most vulnerable as quickly as possible.
As well as the response to the devastating earthquake, volunteer ShelterBox teams are delivering aid following other humanitarian crises around the world.
Thailand is experiencing terrible flooding following heavy rain and monsoons, the worst the country has experienced in more than fifty years. Over five hundred ShelterBoxes have already been distributed to some of the most vulnerable families. Further aid is being distributed as the country’s capital Bangkok is seeing evacuation as the threat of flooding closes in.
Additional Response Teams are assessing need for aid in Central America where Hurricane Jova and torrential rains have caused landslides and flooding, leaving hundreds of thousands affected.
WATER-SURVIVAL BOX UPDATE – HORN OF AFRICA AND PHILIPPINES
For the past four weeks we have been on standby to send Water-Survival Boxes to help with water-purification in the refugee camps in the Dadaab region of Kenya. However, serious difficulties in arranging a safe and secure route along the 300 mile journey from Nairobi, as well as a controlled environment for distribution to families most in need, meant we have had to wait for confirmation that such arrangements were in place.
In the interim the UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) and major NGOs on site have been working to provide sustainable clean water supplies by drilling a series of boreholes. We are now advised by our partners (Humanity First) that this work has resulted in adequate supplies of clean water for the existing and anticipated numbers of refugees on each of the camps for the foreseeable future. For that reason it has been agreed to cancel the planned consignment. The fact that sustainable alternatives have now been provided is good news for the refugees, and enables us to provide help elsewhere.
In the past ten days we have been alerted to the impact of a typhoon that has left some tens of thousands homeless in the Bicol region of Luzon Province in the Philippines. Working with the Rotary Clubs of Metro Lipa and Metro Legazpi arrangements are being made to send an initial consignment of WSBs for distribution by the Philippines Red Cross in partnership with the local Rotary Clubs.
Our appeal in relation to the Horn of Africa is now closed and donations received will be used to assist in the Philippines and to build stocks for future disasters. The difficulties of communication and extended supply routes have been a major frustration over the past month but it was important that we did not forward our aid until all the conditions were in place to ensure it reached those in need. We are very grateful to those Clubs that responded to the Horn of Africa appeal and trust they will understand and agree with the action we have taken.
Hugo Pike, Chairman – Worldwaterworks Limited.
Shelterbox at the London Mela
We have been allocated a large pitch at the London Mela in Gunnersbury Park on Sunday September 4th. Last year, about 92,000 people attended this event, so it’s a fantastic opportunity to publicise ShelterBox and Rotary in general. We shall have the large trailer/caravan from ShelterBox HQ and a tent on display. Volunteers are needed to help us set up and pack away, as well as to talk to people during the day.
Please contact Shirley Kirk if you would like to be involved in any way at this event or if you are interested in becoming a volunteer speaker for ShelterBox (there is a training event on Saturday August 20th at Gilwell Park, Chelmsford, by invitation).
Horn of Africa Famine
RIBI’s advice is that Clubs wishing to send monies to help the Horn of Africa should send it to the Disaster Emergency Committee www.dec.org.uk. Would clubs that send donations please let me know how much they have sent, so that we as a District can keep a record of what we donated?