Jane Lagaay, a Mosque, Business and Polio Plus

Last Week

Jane Lagaay told us about herself, from growing up on a farm outside Adelaide in he Eastern Cape to heading up the SG Mobility Division of Super Group, a logistics, supply chain management and transportation company that has about 7 000 employees.  They took over a logistics company that she started with a group of friends.  It was a really interesting talk and we are privileged to have someone of her stature in our club.

Visit to the Nizamiye Turkish Mosque Complex in Midrand

This really was a fascinating outing, partly because our guide was so entertaining.  The mosque and school are part of the international Gulenist Movement that follows the moderate Islamist teachings of Fethullah Gulen and is noted for its schools and the importance it places on inter-faith dialogue and cooperation.  It is not popular with many other interpretations of Islam but is praised by many for its progressive approach. The movement has schools and universities in 180 countries.  The Nizamiye Mosque was financed by Ali Katircioglu who added a clinic to the complex at the request of former President Nelson Mandela.   

The complex is enormous.  The school is bottom right.

Here we are preparing to enter the mosque with some strangers bottom right.

Once inside identities changed completely.

And some people even fell asleep after taking their photographs as the carpet was so comfortable.

Afterwards it was lunch in the Turkish Restaurant...and I think many of us will be happy to return for the food.  Afterwards a few of us bought baklava at the bakery . 

Many thanks to Lori Bramwell-Jones for organising such an enjoyable outing.  Also thanks to Lyn Collocott for the photographs other than the two sleepers who were captured by Jean Barnardo.

This Week is a Business Meeting so if you are one of our non members who wants to see what the club gets up to....other than have speakers and outings......then this is the meeting to attend. You will hear all about the projects we are involved with and how we try to make our community a better place for everyone.
Rotary's motto is Service above Self.  This meeting will show you how, as the Rotary Club of Rosebank (Johannesburg)we try to live up to it.

Rotary Family Health Project in South Africa

MEET OUR POLIO PARTNERS

Eradicating polio is a complex job. Since 1988, we’ve collaborated with the World Health Organization, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and UNICEF to tackle the disease through our Global Polio Eradication Initiative. Here’s how our roles break down.

THE STRATEGIST: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) coordinates the management and administration of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and provides technical and operational support to ministries of health in countries around the world. WHO is responsible for monitoring our progress and strategic planning.

THE VIRUS HUNTER: CDC

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) deploys epidemiologists, public health experts, and scientists to investigate outbreaks of polio, identify the strain of poliovirus involved, and pinpoint its geographic origin.

THE IMMUNIZER: UNICEF

UNICEF buys polio vaccine and manages its distribution. The agency spreads the word about the benefits of vaccination to gain community acceptance – a process known as social mobilization. On the ground, field workers immunize children with the help of local health workers and volunteers such as Rotarians.

THE ADVOCATE: ROTARY

Rotary uses its members’ business acumen and passion for volunteerism to build awareness, fundraise, and encourage national governments to donate to and otherwise support the polio eradication effort. More than one million Rotary members have volunteered their time and personal resources to help end polio.

OUR OTHER PARTNERS

WHO, CDC, UNICEF, and Rotary spearheaded the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, but many other partners help us work toward our vision of a polio-free world.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation: The Gates Foundation is a core partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. It is the largest private funding source of the GPEI, contributing over $1.9 billion to the fight against polio. The Gates Foundation will match all donations to Rotary for polio two to one, up to $35 million per year, through 2018.

National governments: Governments are the largest donors to the polio eradication effort. Without the financial support of governments worldwide, and especially political support in polio-endemic and at-risk countries, we could not administer the polio vaccine.

Local health workers: Local health workers often risk their lives to vaccinate children. For example, women in Pakistan receive training to go door to door, speaking to mothers about the benefits of the vaccine. They address fears and help bring the vaccine into remote communities.

Gavi: Gavi is an international vaccine alliance that brings vaccines to some of the world’s poorest countries. It is working with the GPEI to introduce at least one dose of the injectable inactivated polio vaccine into the routine immunization schedule.