International/Humanitarian

       CLUB ASSEMBLY - PLANNING FOR THE YEAR 1JULY 2023 TO 30 JUNE 2024

International Group Team Leader Janet Kerr:

The International Committee will continue to work on its worldwide projects and a huge thanks to all who led or helped with a project last year.

Aquabox

 I propose we continue with our involvement with this project both financially and in our ambassadorial role.  John Kitching, Brian Whitham and I will continue to visit clubs, schools and churches when invited.  We will also help at conference.

Yorkits

The ladies of the club and their friends are very dedicated to this project. We will continue to make sanitary kits for the girls in South Africa. 

Microloans

Our Microloan Loan Project has gone from strength to strength with Roger and Carol Ward carefully investing and reinvesting our money.  I propose to add money into the account and continue to target small businesses in South East Asia

Pendsey Trust

1. This project was started after an inspirational talk by Dr Pendsey.  We were shocked to hear about his devastating death following a short illness and this was followed by sad loss of one of our sponsored children Ridhima Jumnake. The club agreed immediately to request a second child for sponsorship from the Trust.  Our contact Catronia responded that the child most in need was Aradhya Patil aged 10 who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in Jan 2022 and joined the Trust 3 months later.  At school she is in the 5^th standard having scored 97%in the 4^th standard.  Aradhya has received her glucometer, schoolbag and bicycle from the Trust and visits the clinic every 3 months for her medication.  She joins Purvi Nagdive who is now 8 years old having been sponsored already for 3 years by Aireborough Rotary.  Robert will continue to lead this project on behalf of the club.

Now our Global Grant has been completed the International team are looking for a new project.  We could consider sponsoring a student from Mnyakanya High to complete University studies.  Perhaps it could be the prize winner from the Heather Read Award or a student who has used our computer room,  Bill Hudson, continues to keep us up to date with the Bambisanani Project.  Maybe it could be a project with the Nepal Trust, Raj Mani is keeping an eye on their website. We are still waiting for info from the Zimbabwe Education trust. Watch this space.

N/B Raj has also agreed to host a Rotary peace fellow and we look forward to meeting Bilal Alsalehi from Sudan.                              

                                               MARY'S ROOM KEEPS ON HELPING TO DELIVER

Students jumped for joy on receiving the best ever Matriculation exam results at Mnyakanya in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Aireborough Rotary has been a long term suipporter of the Bambisanani Parnership founded in 2006 between St. Mary's, Menston and the Mnyakanya School.

Last year 72% of students passed the Matriculation exam, which was the best to date. This year a remarkable 86% of students gained a pass.

The national Matric exam is based on Grade 12 students having to gain passes across a wide range of individual subjects. Of 97 students, 40 obtained a 'Bachelor Pass' which is the entry required for university, 28 students achieved a 'Diploma Pass, which is the entry requirement for Technical Colleges and 13 students gained the 'Higher Certificate' which can provide access to Vocational Colleges.

Mnyakanya is situated in one of the country's most challenging rural regions with high levels of deprivation, unemployment and health issues. Life is tough at the best of times but the last two years has been particularly difficult with all that Covid has brought. Teachers have provided many extra lessons after school, evenings and at weekends to help students prepare for the exams. This is even more remarkable when considering that many of the students walk two hours to and from school each day. The Yorkits group at Aireborough Rotary continues to provide hygiene kits to girls at the school ensuring they can still attend school during their periods. 200 kits have been sent to date and following a break of 2 years because of Covid a further 80 will be delivered to Mnyakanya this year when pupils and staff of St. Mary's return. 

Mrs P K Zondi, Bambisanani Partnership co-ordinator at Mnyakanya School reported 'great excitement' at the school when the results were announced with community members rushing to the school to join the celebrations with singing and dancing. Many officials from the Municipality and Department of Education have subsequently visited the school to pass on their congratulations.

ASSEMBLY MEETING 21 JUNE 2022 - PLANNING FOR THE YEAR AHEAD

Aquabox We will continue to support Aquabox both financially and as an ambassadorial Rotary Club. Brian Whitham, John Kitching, and i will speak at Clubs and schools to promote giving to this wonderful charity We will also be represented at the Scarborough Conference with our explanatory stall.

YorkitsThe ladies of the Club and our friends will continue making hygiene kits for the girls at Mnyakanya High School in South Africa. Our current total has exceeded 250, aiming to take the total to 300. Lead Rotarian on this project is Janet Kerr (technical sewing help from Bagshur).

Microloans Our Microloan project has gone from strength to strength with Roger and Carol Ward carefully investing and reinvesting Club money. So far we have helped 20 entrepreneurs worldwide all beginning with an initial loan of $75. Some loans take longer to repay than others but 'That's life!' We have not lost any money yet. We intend adding money into the account.continuing to target small businesses in South East Asia.

Pendsey Trust This project was started by an inspirational Zoom talk with Dr Pendsey. We will continue our involvement with our 2 insulin dependent girls Purvi and Ridhima in Central India. Robert Mirfield is the lead Rotarian on this project.

Global grants Wewill continue our involvement with both Romac and Mnyakanya High School in Kwa Zulu, Natal, South Africa. Following the pandemic we hope to hear that Romac will begin again to fly children from the South Sea Islands to New Zealand for critical care in hospital in the near future. Mnyakanya students' use of the computer suite has helped them attain their highest results ever to their major credit. The project begun with the help of a Global Grant from Rotary relies on members of the local Eshowe Rotary Club regularly visiting the Club and checking on the maintenance of the computers. Catherine Chattoe, our Bambisanani contact at St. Mary's School, Menston will be visiting the school soon and will update us on any ongoing issues.

Chenna Patna We hope to develop our contact and work further with our sister Club in India. They have he;ped us support the Nepal Truston their Little Doctors programme following the massive success of the oxygen concentrators fundraising effort. There is much more we can do in this direction and Raj Mani has volunteered to be our link between the two Clubs..

Bambisanani Our longstanding involvement with the students, teachers and trustees of this project will continue to flourish. A trophy will be provided in memory of Past President Heather Read for Catherine Chattoe's next visit to the Mnyakanya School. Bill Hudson remains our link Rotarian.

Nepal Trust This charity came back on our radar afteranother inspirational presentation from one of their Rotary trustees. As a result we applied for a District Grant for the Little Doctors programme mentioned earlier. I feel we can do more to help them and am looking for a Rotarian to take on responsibility for following their work and seeing how we can best support them.

Emergencies In the past 18 months to two years we have provided funds to help with emergencies around the world. I have a feeing we will be called on to help again in this coming year!

Janet Kerr

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING REPORT 19 APRIL2022

Many thanks to the members of the International Committee who have managed to keep our international projects 'alive and kicking another difficult COVID year.

Aquabox As many of you will know our Aquabox innovator and expert Geoffrey is moving on to a slower more deserved retirement in the South of England. The three new Aquabox ambassadors have stepped up to the mark and we are out and about giving presentations whereever they are needed. We have already had notable success at Rawdon St. Peters Schol and both Bradford West and Headingley Rotary Clubs.We  are also helping other Clubs who nedd to borrow the equipment for their own events and presentations. The team will be helping to man the Aquabox stand at this year's Scarborough Conference.

Yorkits (formerly Days for Girls) This project has roared back to life with the easing of restrictios.11 members of Heather's original sewing group have made at least 75 kits ready for distribution in South Africa. Some of the group managed to go to York Minster for the International Women's Day celebration whilst others had to cancel due to Covid. A successful curry evening was held in April to provide knickers to go in the bags.

Mnyakanya High School  Our global grant to help the students by providing a media room/computer suite goes fromstrength to strength with the students achieving their best ever set of Matrix results despite their having problems attending school due to the lack of water, staff shortages and COVID. The IT suite has been in daily use since the end of June 2021. Feedback to the Eshowe Rotary Club describes the use of the IT suite as having a very positive impact on the education of the children. At December 2020 the balance of funds in the Global Grant was just over £10,500 and this will be used on maintenance upgrades and continued staff training. Unfortunately Catherine and the St. Mary's School group of pupils have once again had to cancell their planned summer trip to Kwa Zulu Natal.

Bambisanani 2021 brought the 15th Anniversary of the 'working together and learning together' Bambisanani partnership between St. Mary's School and Mnyakanya High School in Kwa Zulu, Natal, South Africa. Aireborough Rotary has been involved in the project from the outset. On 30th November 2021 representatives of our Club attended an event at Leeds University addressed by, amongst others John Rolfe, M.B.E. of the British Council and Tyrone Gunnie, First Secretary of the Soyth african High Commission. The achievements of the partnership were set out and applauded. Since that event we have been informed that last year Mnyakanya acieved its best ever exam results, the International Athletics Challenge involving the school was given a prestigious award and the collaboration in training P.E. teachers and sports coaches featured in a top international education journal.

ROMAC Sadly ROMAC has not been able to transfer any patients in the year because of COVID induced border closures. The borders are re-opening this month and hopes are high that young patients and their carers can once again go to Auckland's Starship Children's Hospital. It is also hoped to re-start nurse training programmes on the islands. There is no update on this project as it has been impossible to fly children into New Zealand for surgery. The report to Rotary International was accepted.

Microloans Funds deposited over 2 years £500 ($645)

Amount loaned $1300

Number of loans 19 in 6 countries

Loans paid back in full 5 with another 5 paying on schedule

9 loans are behind on repayments

Our latest loan is to a female in Indonesia to help with her welding business

Current funds available $5.18

The Pendsey Trust The Club continues to support Purvi Nagdive and Ridhima Jumnake in India. Both girls were born with type 1 diabetes and receive enough medication for 4 insulin injections per day from the Pendsey Trust. We sent birthday gifts of tops, leggings, notebooks and pens alongside hair slides and poppers. They have also received school bags, glucometers and bicycles from the Trust. Catriona in Wetherby keeps us informed when the gifts arrive ready to be picked up by the girls on their 3 monthly visits.

Madras Chennapatna Rotary Club Using our sister Club contacts in India, Aireborough Rotary was able to lead the Distict in providing 20 oxygenators and PPE for local hospitals during the pandemic crisis. Total raised £18,045.57 with Chenna Patna donating £5,000

Other donations were made to the Nepal Trust and the Ukraine Crisis.

Janet Kerr - Chair