This Week

 

Ulinda Lotz, a community activist in Riverlea will be talking to us about Zama Zamas, the name for people who mine illegally usually in closed mine shafts.

It's a huge problem, not only in Riverlea but here in Ekurhuleni and even in the Kruger National Park.

The main problem is battle between residents and Zama Zamas which often spins over into misogynistic attacks.  

MANY people were killed in the fight between illegal miners at Makause squatter camp in Germiston, Ekurhuleni.

Police have been raiding illegal mining areas, arresting them and confiscating their equipment.

Residents said they were relieved that the police were finally cracking down on the nightmare of zama zamas in squatter camps and are hopeful this will finally bring peace to their kasi.

They said when the illegal miners fight, they are also affected.

A resident, Fanuel Sithole said: "We have a number of people who have died after being caught in crossfire in the squatter camp." 

Another resident, Temogo Metsing said: "The worst was in 2021 when over seven innocent people were killed after being caught in the crossfire." 

During the operation 14 phendukas, seven hammer crushers, four pot crushers, a wheelbarrow, a generator, seven municipal dustbins, five spades and shovels, three cooking pots, a 20-litre bucket full of grinding balls, three 2-litre bottles of vinegar and 58 units of various alcoholic beverages were found in an abandoned shack used by the illegal miners.

Last Week

The whole of our Projects meeting was taken up with Little Eden organised by John Anticevich.  He had invited Xelda Rohrbeck, the CEO of Little Eden, to discuss ways that we could increase our support for the organisation.  The result of the meeting was very encouraging.  Watch this space for what we will consider in the future.  It was decided that we would have a social meeting at the Little Eden Farm near Bapsfontein where we had already helped with the purchase of a new tractor which has meant they have been able to extend their plantation of pecan nut trees.

Club News

Our Club is the biggest Rotary contributor to the eradication of mice from Marion Island.  Bigger than any of the coastal Rotary Clubs!  This is such an important conservation project under the patronage of the current Duke of Edinburgh that we challenge other clubs to match or even exceed our contribution.

In July this year the Rotary Club of Knights Pendragon increased its sponsorship of the Mouse-Free Marion Project by a further 20 hectares to bring its total to 84, following its initial sponsorship of 10 hectares in 2022, increased in stages to 64 ha by May this year.  The Club’s Executive Secretary, Jim Rankin, when sending in Proof of Payment for R20 000 writes: “Our Rotary Club, Knights Pendragon, has not been dragging its heels!”

Indeed it has not, as Jim Rankin explains quite how its welcome sponsorships have been raised: “My company (AGFACTS) administers an industry association, the Construction and Mining Equipment Suppliers’ Association (CONMESA).  We had a Golf Day at the end of last year and we managed to twist some arms to donate to the Mouse-Free Marion Project via our Rotary Club”.  He adds: “In our weekly Club meetings we have a brief “feel good” agenda item where anyone with something positive to say has his or her say and donates a sum of money to the Mouse-Free Marion Project.  This brings in about R1 000 a month [equivalent to a one-hectare sponsorship] for the project.  We have got to 84 hectares so far.  My personal goal is that the Club sponsorships will get to 100 hectares by the time the project comes to fruition!”

On behalf of the whole MFM Team, Project Manager Anton Wolfaardt has expressed his pleasure with the continued support, writing back to Jim Rankin: “That’s fantastic news, thanks very much to you and the Rotary Club of Knights Pendragon.  Your continued and generous support of the MFM Project is hugely appreciated.”

International

Rotary members work toward eliminating cervical cancer in Latin America

By Richard Godfrey

Bolivia has the highest rate of cervical cancer in South America, recording 1,985 new cases and 1,054 deaths in 2020. In the city of Santa Cruz alone, 90 women come to a hospital annually only to die of this preventable disease because of late diagnosis. Worldwide, 341,000 people die from cervical cancer each year, one every minute and a half. More often than not, they will be from a lower income country. Many will have left behind children and spouses who depended on them even as the cancer spread. Equally significant is the degree of suffering any terminally ill woman with the disease will experience as the condition advances toward its inevitable conclusion.

That's why we're dedicated to bringing the newest screening and treatment technologies to Bolivia, where doctors and nurses quickly learn how to employ them. Combining those human skills and medical innovations, we can screen upward of 600 patients in a day and treat early cancer in 40 seconds. Our goal is to test 7,500 patients, a project that may take three years to complete. 

 In 2022 we introduced an HPV genetic screening technology that allows women to test themselves at home. The majority of people will test negative and won't have to retest for at least three to five years. The testing is easier on the women because they don't have to travel to a hospital and on the clinicians, who only have to screen the patients in the hospital who do test positive. These quantum leaps in technology allow programs like the one we introduced in Guatemala and the one we've begun in Bolivia to move forward quickly. In September we will bring a similar program to Nepal — and in May, at the Rotary International Convention in Melbourne, Australia, it was announced that United to End Cervical Cancer in Egypt was the recipient of Rotary's third annual Programs of Scale award, which comes with a $2 million grant from The Rotary Foundation.

This Week

It's our monthly Projects Meeting when we look at existing projects.  This month John Anticevich will be talking about the Little Eden Society.  

Little Eden consists of two facilities, The Domitilla and Danny Hyams Home in Edenvale and the Elvira Rota Village in Bapsfontein.  Life-long care is provided for 300 adults and children with profound intellectual disabilities.  The average age of residents is 27 and their average mental age is that of a one year old.  Some function at a new-born level and need to be fed, carried, changed and bathed whereas others are able to feed and dress themselves.  

Many of the residents suffer from severe mental illness, disturbed behaviour and multiple physical disabilities.

As you can imagine the cost of care is very high as 24 hour nursing is necessary and it works out at an average of over R14 000 per month per resident.

We have already assisted in a number of ways and specifically in assisting with a new tractor for the Elvira RotaVillage

Domitilla and Danny Hyams Home

Smaller children and those requiring intensive medical care generally live at our Domitilla and Danny Hyams Home, situated at 79 Wagenaar Road in Edenglen.

Domitilla and Danny Hyams Home from the air, looking south. From left, A: Our Lady of the Angels Chapel; B: Administration block; C: Reception; D: Laundry; E: one of the seven wings where the children live; F: Therapy Centre

Built on one level for wheelchair accessibility, the Home comprises seven wings, where the children live in groups according to age and ability. There is a fully equipped kitchen, laundry, administration office, therapy centre, chapel, games hall and workshop.

Each of the 150 children has his or her own bed or cot; many also have specially adapted wheelchairs to assist them in sitting upright. Their days are spent in bright, airy and colourful rooms, where they are encouraged to participate in various activities and therapies according to their needs and level of development.

Elvira Rota Village

Some of the older and more mobile residents are better suited to life at Elvira Rota Village, our 43ha property in Bapsfontein, where they enjoy the freedom of being able to go for walks in the sunshine, ride horses and bikes and bond with our dogs.

Elvira Rota Village from the air. From left, A:Farmyard; B:Main admin buildings; C:Holy Family Chapel; D:Garden of Remembrance; E:Hall and laundry; F:Residents’ wings; G: Pino’s Place (for dual diagnosis residents);  H: Riding arena; I:Sensory Garden; J:Labyrinth; K:Boma and chimes; L:Settling ponds; M:Wetlands and dam; N:Pecan nut orchard.

Although some of the residents participate in farming activities such as collecting eggs and processing the pecan nut harvest, this is part of the therapy and stimulation programme, rather than a contribution to the Home’s commercial success.

Those who wish to are encouraged to help with the daily chores – rinsing dishes in the kitchen, folding laundry, or just ensuring the village is free of litter. Activities such as these provide a sense of achievement and ‘belonging’ which adds to their wellbeing.

They receive weekly payment for their work in the form of treats, such as a packet of crisps, a chocolate and a cooldrink. They are very proud of their responsibilities and take them seriously.

Apart from the necessary living and therapeutic facilities, Elvira Rota Village has several unique features:

• a full size labyrinth, offering residents, staff and visitors a powerful relaxation, meditation and spiritual tool;
• a set of chimes, built near the wetlands, for music therapy with a difference;
• a sensory garden where residents can touch, smell and taste different plants

Our core Values extend to the environment. The water reclamation system at Elvira Rota Village was designed to create a wetlands area where many birds, fish, frogs and insects have taken up residence. Waste is filtered through a series of ponds, a reed bed and a waterfall before flowing into a dam – at which stage it is safe to drink.

Next Week

Ulinda Lotz will be talking on Zamazamas and the issues regarding them in Riverlea where she lives.  

This Week

 In a week's time it is International Retina Day when the World Health Organisation emphasises the world-wide problem of retinitis pigmentosa.  It is a genetic disease that people are born with.  The retina cells slowly break down causing a slow loss of eyesight.

Our club has a long history of involvement with the Retina SA Cycle Day where we have acted as marshals and donated the money earned, back to the organisation.

This week Mike de Beer is organising a programme to show how we can increase our assistance to Retina SA over and above the annual Cycle Ride.

Sunday's Braai/Brunch at Fish Eagle Dam, Modderfontein Reserve

Organised by Bill Brunjes the Spring Brunch/Braai is always an enjoyable event.  Rather than show pictures of meat on the braai or snoozing Rotarians and guests, rather watch what has become an annual event, a Boule Tournament.  

Our unofficial Official Photographer, Lauwrence Vosloo, arrived early and caught the early birds honing their skills to take on the rest of the club.

Last Week

We were virtually visited by DG Riana Pretorius.  She had her own agenda for the Board Meeting but slotted in with our usual monthly Business Meeting that followed.  She was most complimentary about our club, it's activities, forward planning and the projects we are involved with.  She would like to visit Bethany House and Gerald Fitzpatrick Home in the future.  Out Treasurer, Richard Eley and Executive Secretary Jim Rankin were praised for their expertise in the administration of the Club and having everything ready for the DG well in advance.

At the Business Meeting she mentioned two possible projects that were dear to her heart, the elimination of pit toilets in schools and plastic recycling.  The government has been somewhat tardy in it's plan to eliminate pit toilets but there are still thousands still in existence.  Children's safety and health should be of paramount importance.

International

By Dave King

In a graveyard in Lviv, a mother tends the grave of her son. He was just 22 when he was killed last September.

In this patch of ground next to the main cemetery, there are rows upon rows of gravestones as far as the eye can see, with two freshly dug graves awaiting today’s funerals.

Each gravestone carries a picture of the fallen soldier, some shockingly young, their dates of birth marked by this century.

The earth is decorated with ornaments, plus the familiar yellow and blue flag of Ukraine, and the red and black flag of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army – red Ukrainian blood spilled on the black Ukrainian soil.

Nearby, at one of the Orthodox churches, a photographic exhibition features the innocent faces of children whose lives have been scarred by the war with the death of their fathers.

One seven-year-old wrote: “I hate the war. I want my daddy back. I want to feel his warm embrace again.”

This is Ukraine, June 2023. It is heartbreaking, with the dark clouds of war never far away. I spent a week in Ukraine, a visit which coincided with a counter-offensive on the country’s eastern front, and the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Kherson.

Lviv is the main city in western Ukraine, 330 miles from the capital Kyiv, and around 500 miles from the Russian front line.

It is also a focal point for Rotary.

Air raid sirens sound nightly, as Russian rockets arc across Ukraine reaching as far as Lviv where civilians have been killed.

But by day, this historic city with its cobbled streets, stylish Austrian- Hungarian architecture and a rich culture of art, music and theatre, is buzzing with activity. At times, it is hard to believe there is a war going on.

The focal point for my visit was Ukraine’s District Conference at 15th century Dubno Castle, a two-and-half hour drive from Lviv. There, I met Rotarians from across the country.

Svitlana Trushina is from Dnipro on the front line where there is shelling every day. She said: “At home, everything is bad for me. My husband has been at war for 14 months. I live alone, I am constantly scared, and I cry every day.”

However, there was an atmosphere of amazing positivity and purpose among the Ukrainians; so determined, so selfless, so brave. District Governor Vitalii Lesko opened the conference by saying: “We are Rotarians, we are united, this is a power. Rotary is the power to change the world.

Many Rotarians sought me out to tell their stories.

I visited an autism school in Rivne run by a Rotarian and chatted to a soldier who had both his legs blown off in a mortar attack. He’s going to be a father in August. I spent time with incoming District Governor, Myron Uhryn, a leading dentist in Lviv, who has organised mobile dentist surgeries on the front line.  He is a truly inspiring man who has also built a multi-faith church near Dave King (right) and Rotary International Secretary     Donetsk as a sort of waiting room.

John Hewko (left) visiting a hospital in Ukraine.

The gruesome pictures of men, women and children, their bloodied, twisted faces ripped by shrapnel and requiring maxillofacial surgery by Myron and his team will never leave me.

During the week, I learned a lot about this amazing country; what it is like to live under the shadow of war, the unbelievable work of Rotarians who are relentlessly and selflessly providing humanitarian aid, and came to admire the fortitude and resilience of the Ukrainian people.

I spoke at the climax to the District conference in Dubno, and finished with the words of Captain Sir Tom Moore: “You must always consider that the future is going to be better. That is today if not a good day, then tomorrow is going to be better.

“Never ever worry yourself about how terrible things are because soon, and it will happen, things will get better. They always will.”

This Week - District Governor's Visit

 Owing to circumstances beyond our control the DG's Visit has suddenly been moved to this week.  Fortunately everything that is required for the visit has all be sent to District well in advance thanks to Jim Rankin and Richard Eley so all this really means is that the Business Meeting is cancelled but please make sure that everyone is present on line for the District Governor.

Archers, please ensure that you attend as this is a once a year event and you need to give a good impression to District.

The Board Meeting will go ahead as usual with the District Governor prior to the normal meeting though there will be adjustments to the agenda.

Don't forget the Spring Brunch/Braai on the 9th September!

Last Week

Michael Fridjhon addressed the club on whether we are spoiled for choice and value when it comes to the wines that are available to us.  Th answer is obviously "Yes" when we compare overseas wine prices and what was particularly interesting was the statistic he gave of wine in the United Kingdom that the value of wine in a 5 pound bottle was only SA70c!

The most important aspect of his talk was that we shouldn't denigrate wines that are looked down upon by self promoted wine aficionados such as Wolftrap or Chateau Libertas or even the cheaper Nederburg wines and wines from the Bergkelder such as Fleur du Cap as so many of them are not only excellent value for money but also out perform many wines that are far more expensive.

I can remember taking part in a vertical tasting of Chateau Libertas over a period of 15 vintages. The blend is adjusted in terms of the quality of grapes available.  It was an eye opener when it came to quality and the ability of the wine to age.

Cresset House AGM 

Several of us attended the AGM of Cresset House last Saturday including President Ron Smith and Andy Stevenson though they had left before the photograph was taken, so there were only four members left, Andrew Connold, Peter James-Smith, Jim Rankin and Lauwrence Vosloo who took the photo.

As an outsider it was interesting to hear how the organisation is run and the financial requirements.  It is an impressive NGO and forward planning is obviously paramount in view of the aging "villagers".

International

Rotary DCaf: A fun social space for dementia sufferers

Rotary DCaf was first launched as a pilot study in November 2018. It was the brainchild of a group of Rotarians on Sydney’s North Shore, who wished to provide a fun and safe social space for dementia sufferers. The team came up with the catchy name and a plan of how it would come together, in conjunction with Ku-ring-gai Neighbourhood Centre (KNC). The idea of Dementia Cafes was not a new one, but was certainly an exciting new project for Rotary. There are now 11 Rotary DCafs all around District 9685, with several more planned in the near future.

Dementia Cafes are not actual cafes, but social groups for people living with dementia and their family carers. This group of people are extremely vulnerable to social isolation due to both the stigma around dementia and the lack of social activities that meet their needs.

There are currently more than 400,000 people living with dementia in Australia, with more than two-thirds living in their local communities, rather than in care homes, identifying an obvious need for a project such as Rotary DCaf.

Rotarians and community volunteers organise the group gatherings, where those with dementia and their families come along and spend a couple of hours socialising and participating in a variety of fun activities. Each DCaf has its own feel based on the interests of their groups. One size does not necessarily fit all, however, guests at the DCafs may have the opportunity to join in a gentle exercise activity, art and crafts, quizzes and word games, singing and dancing, often accompanied by wonderful volunteer musicians.

Occasionally, guest speakers are invited to come along and talk about local dementia services or provide other relevant information. Whatever activities happen, the most important part of the DCaf is when guests have the opportunity to sit around chatting with others who share their personal experience with dementia, people who understand their challenges and do not judge. It is a chance for them to leave the stigma behind, relax and have fun.