This WeekIt's a Business Meeting; the last one of the year.
Last Week
Gary Jackson's talk on Healthy & Ethical Food was so entertaining that everyone wanted him to come back and talk more about it. Surprising, because it sounds such an earnest subject! I think it was his unusual upbringing...speaking Japanese before he spoke English....and his life at McDonald's and the affect it had on him that made people think.
At the end of January/beginning of February we will have a dinner at Jackson's Real Food Market. We will sort out the meal between us. I'll keep you informed.
Swedish Friendship Exchange
Jean & I attended the dinner in Boksburg where the Swedes made a presentation on Sweden and it was a most enjoyable evening.
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No, this is not a Political Meeting!
Melodene Stonestreet looks on whilst Lori Bramwell-Jones canvases for votes? No, it's the Scamjam!Lori and Melodene presented to a group at Harveston Methodist Church on the 12th November. The whole purpose of the Scamjam Project is to point out to elderly people the dangers of financial and internet scams and how to recognise them for what they are.
This is proving to be a very valuable and much appreciated project and it was certainly well received at the Methodist Church.
Dinner on the 26th
I have been finding it very difficult to get anything out of the restaurant so far as they seem unable to realise that the amount of food that they want to give us is far too much per head which makes it too expensive. I have decided to postpone the dinner to Wednesday 2nd December.
Champs Golf Day
Lori Bramwell-Jones and Pam Donaldson assisted at Champs Golf Day last Thursday. The Club sponsors prostheses for Brandon, one of the little children. Over to Pam:
On Friday Lori and I assisted Dr. Brooke Puttergill at her annual golf day fundraiser at Wanderers Golf Club. Unfortunately she had 4 Fourballs cancel at the last minute so only had 8 Fourballs playing. With raffles etc she was still hoping to clear R40,000 which would provide a prosthesis for two toddlers. She is the most amazing young woman and incidentally has just written her final exams, with the highest pass in SA, to qualify her as a specialist physician.
She invited SADGA (The SA Disabled Golf Association) to attend and their CEO Eugene Vorster, who has lost an arm, was there as well as their Gauteng coach, Andrew Corthing who is a Pro Golfer and two of his young golf pro assistants. All amazing young men. Brooke had 6 of her "boys" there- three 3 yr olds who have all had a leg amputated (2 born with no muscle in the leg like Oscar and the other with no bone in the leg) including Brandon whose prosthesis we sponsored last year and 3 teenagers who have all lost a leg through train or car accidents.
SADGA do a huge amount of work in rural areas and townships with the disabled to encourage them to play golf. Andrew took the teenagers and put them through various tests to show them the importance of vision, balance etc to play the game whilst the other two young men let the toddlers have a lot of fun playing with little plastic clubs.
Dress Code for the DG's Lunch on the 27th
We all received a circular from the region stating the Dress Code for Lunch with the DG and the eClub.
I have been asked a number of questions about this though I hesitate to discuss the requirements for ladies.
It's important because we only had one male member present last week who conformed to the dress code and would have been allowed into the DG's Lunch. I asked him if this was a dummy run and would he be present but unfortunately he will be away.
Now the questions:
a) Tie: This is an almost extinct article of male apparel consisting of a, sometimes, multi-coloured strip of material, beautifully tailored, that is worn around the neck under a shirt collar which is done up. Its purpose is to hide the collar button. In the past the collar was attached with a back and a front stud so it was a necessity. Young men tend never to wear them and will often wear a suit with an open-necked shirt. If in doubt ask some-one older than yourself especially if you have forgotten how to tie a Windsor or Half Windsor. It is quite acceptable to wear one without a shirt now-a-days.
b) Jacket: I know it's hot but we have been told that we would be given permission, almost immediately, to take them off. The next question was why wear one if we will be given permission to take them off? I don't know.
c) T-Shirts: These are not acceptable because sometimes the slogans can be offensive to some. I saw one the other day that resonated with me... "Rotary is not an Adult Toy". Of course it isn't a toy, it's much too serious for that.
d) Ladies' Apparel: I am not going to attempt to discuss this merely to say that if in doubt think of your school uniform. A skirt or gymslip that allows for growth is acceptable but one that you have outgrown is not.
CELEBRITIES, HEALTH OFFICIALS COME TOGETHER TO HAIL PROGRESS TOWARD POLIO’S END
After an historic year during which transmission of the wild poliovirus vanished from Nigeria and the continent of Africa, the crippling disease is closer than ever to being eradicated worldwide, said top health experts at Rotary’s third annual World Polio Day event on 23 October in New York City.
More than 150 people attended the special Livestream program co-sponsored by UNICEF, and thousands more around the world watched online. Jeffrey Kluger, Time magazine’s editor at large, moderated the event.
Anthony Lake, executive director of UNICEF, lauded the Global Polio Eradication Initiative’s efforts. After nearly 30 years, the GPEI, which includes Rotary, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is on the cusp of ending polio. It would be only the second human disease ever to be eradicated.
Lake urged the partners not to lose their momentum: “At a time when the world is torn by conflicts, when the bonds among people seem weaker and more frayed than ever before, ending polio will be not only one of humanity’s greatest achievements, but a singular and striking example of what can be achieved when diverse partners are driven by a common goal -- when we act as one,” he said.
The event highlighted recent milestones in polio eradication: In July, Nigeria marked one year without a case, and in August, the entire African continent celebrated one year without an outbreak. That leaves just two countries where the virus is regularly spreading: Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In a question-and-answer session with Kluger, Dr. John Vertefeuille, polio incident manager for the CDC, discussed the reasons for Nigeria’s success, including strong political commitment at all levels and the support and engagement of religious and community leaders.
“The foundation to Nigeria’s success has been the incredible dedication of tens of thousands of health workers who have worked, often in difficult circumstances, to ensure that all children are reached with the polio vaccine,” said Vertefeuille.
Innovative changes, including strategies for reaching children who were often missed in the past, better mechanisms for ensuring the accountability of health workers, and the engagement of doctors, journalists, and polio survivors, also aided Nigeria in reaching its goal.
Polio eradication is progressing in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In Afghanistan, cases dropped from 28 in 2014 to 13 so far this year. In Pakistan, transmission of the disease dropped dramatically, from 306 cases to 38.
Kluger and Vertefeuille agreed that eradicating polio is a wise financial investment. Vertefeuille said financial savings of $50 billion are projected over the next 20 years.
Failure to eradicate polio, he noted, could result in a global resurgence of the disease, with 200,000 new cases every single year within 10 years.
CELEBRITIES ADD THEIR VOICES
Archie Panjabi, Emmy Award-winning actress and Rotary celebrity ambassador for polio eradication, praised Rotary’s success in banishing polio from India in 2012. “I’ve immunized children, feeling pure joy when I placed just two drops of vaccine into a child’s mouth, which are like two drops of life,” she said.
The audience also heard from musician, activist, and Grammy award-winner Angélique Kidjo, who performed a song from her latest album, “Eve.”
Dr. Jennifer Berman, co-host of the Emmy Award-winning television show “The Doctors” called Rotary’s role in eradicating polio “one of those transformative initiatives that uses the insights of science to improve the human condition.”
The program also featured video messages from Bill Gates; Mia Farrow, actress and polio survivor; Heidi Klum, model and celebrity businessperson; and two new Rotary polio ambassadors, WWE star John Cena and actress Kristen Bell.
“How do we stop polio forever? How do we ensure that no child has to suffer this disease ever again? It’s easy to help. Spread the word, donate, or simply take this opportunity to learn more,” said Bell.
ROTARY BOOSTS FUNDING
Rotary General Secretary John Hewko announced an additional $40.4 million Rotary will direct to the fight against polio. More than $26 million will go to African countries to prevent the disease from returning. Rotary has also earmarked $5.3 million for India, $6.7 million for Pakistan, and $400,000 for Iraq. Nearly $1 million will support immunization activities and surveillance. Since 1979, Rotary has contributed more than $1.5 billion to polio eradication.
“Our program this evening will show how far we have come -- and what we still have to do -- to slam the door on polio for good,” said Hewko. “Once we do, not only will we end the suffering of children from this entirely preventable disease -- we will also create a blueprint for the next major global health initiative and leave in place resources to protect the world’s health in the future.”
Event sponsors included Global Benefits Group, Spencer Trask & Company, Sanofi Pasteur, and Grant Thornton.Devex was the event’s media partner.
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