From the Pen of the President....
Dear fellow Rotarians and friends,
As RI President Jennifer Jones leads Rotary's official delegation to COP27 in Egypt, Rotarians are expanding their work and leading their communities in responsible stewardship of our planet, on which we all depend. There are so many resources available through Rotary, joining the ESRAG action group for example is a great start. I get the feeling that if we do nothing else, we should concentrate on the environment – there are lists of 100’s of ways each person can make a small difference in their own homes.
We have had so much beautiful rain – I hesitate to say ‘enough for now”. Take a walk in a green park, get stuck into your garden or pot plants and ENJOY the green, the sun and our lovely fresh air!!
Till next week.
Ann Hope-Bailie
Last Friday...
...our Club was privileged to welcome self published poet and author Ellen Tsitsi Lugube-Maponga to the meeting, where she had the opportunity to introduce her two books Dear Self - Feelings and Faith as well as Generations - For the Young, by the Old.
Ellen is originally from Zimbabwe and is married with two children.
The subject matter of her talk dealt with regret. However, her take on regret is that it is not necessarily negative as it can be viewed as good mistakes that teach us lessons; they allow us to make better decisions based on our reflections. Looking back allows us to see what we value.
A few people can say they have no regrets. This does not mean they have none, at times it is because they are at peace with the decisions. Let us embrace the things we regret because they make us progress.
Life really is worth living amid all the good and not so good. When we establish the things we value we must now spend more time with intention to cherish them. Ellen understands the beauty and importance of living having experienced terrible abuse that led her to attempt to end her life.
It is the little things around us prove to us that there is so much to be grateful for outside of ourselves.
And further afield last weekend....
....Team Rotary, consisting of Costa Qually, Jean Bernardo, Sybille Essmann and Shirley Eustace accompanied Marilyn Bassin of Boikanyo and Vocational Services Awardee Ruth Stubbs of the Paige Foundation into rural Kwa Zulu Natal to fit 28 severely handicapped cerebral palsy children with much needed specialized wheel chairs. Two dedicated young comm serv Occupational Therapists from the Eshowe District Hospital and Nkandla Hospital, Savannah and Daniella, who singlehandedly run the OT departments, had hand-picked the children who they thought would benefit the most from this gift of mobility. Not only would it change the lives of these children, but also that of their mothers or "gogos" who care for them with great love and patience. Most children arrived on their mom's backs or in their arms, but left with huge smiles and a custom fitted set of wheels.
Every mother was also issued with 20kg of e-pap and a blanket. Shirley Eustace gave them instructions about the nutritional value of this wonder foodstuff and how to prepare it.
This Friday....
....Please join us either in person or via Zoom for the last Business meeting of the year.
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