Posted by David Thompson on Jun 18, 2018
Our Club Has Done Good Things Overseas
Well, it has.  It has been really active in the past 12 months helping needy people in the Pacific.
 
  • The Taveuni Eye Project
Fijians do not enjoy the social welfare safety net that we take for granted in New Zealand. Few things can be more debilitating than blindness. The well-established Taveuni Eye Project helps those who cannot help themselves. Each year, people from all over Fiji are transported to Taveuni Island and cared for while their sight is restored. “It takes a lot of courage for people to leave their village (sometimes for the 1st time), travel in a boat (mostly blind). Put their trust in strangers – and their quality of life in the hands of foreign strangers. It is an honour to be able to help them – it dignifies our work”. Our club has committed US$1,000- to this work.
 
"Hello President Richard,
Roger Harvey kindly copied me in on your email exchange re your very welcome contribution to our Taveuni Eye Project. This will be the 13th year we have provided totally free Cataract and Pterygium Surgery to the people of Fiji with a special focus on the young and those from rural and remote communities. We pay all costs, transport, meals, medication, Surgery and sometimes assist with clothing and footwear.
To date, we have done over 3,200 successful surgeries and covered patients from 3 yrs to 92 yrs.
This is the largest free ophthalmic program in the South Pacific and is run totally by volunteers, 22 are local and 11 from overseas, ( NZ, Aust., USA, Argentina, Holland). We get additional support from the Taveuni Hospital medical staff and include them in our training program.
Please pass on our sincere thanks to your members from our Club and the patients who will benefit from your kindness.
Sincerely,
Geoffrey Amos
Rotary Club of Taveuni Island"
 
  • Primary Health Programme in Port Vila, Vanuatu
This programme, originally developed in conjunction with NZ Aid, involves basic education on hygiene and health, healthy food choices, self-esteem, avoiding pregnancy in the early teens, and includes blood pressure and diabetes checks by technicians from the local hospital.
Our club continued to support the programme this year with a further contribution of $1,000.
 
  • Blankets for Fiji
There was (yet another) devastating storm in Fiji and there were once again rural poor lacking the most basic needs. This year it was blankets we were asked to fund at short notice and through the generosity of individual members, we amply succeeded.
 
  • Rotahome
Construction of a new home in rural Fiji has commenced. It will be really really basic but storm proof and a huge improvement. Thanks to the generosity of everyone who supported fundraising efforts during the year, we funded the whole project; at least one family knows that other people care.