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Port
Vila Club Projects
In the 1970’s and 80’s, the club contributed towards numerous overseas
medical evacuations, community buildings, “Handicamp” P.A.C.E. and R.Y.L.A.
visits overseas, hospital equipment, Polioplus, scholarships and prizes,
wheel-chairs and equipment for the disabled, donations of tools, and
distributed books (many from the Ranfurly Library Service, Sydney),
furniture and supplies for schools and libraries. These activities are
continuing.
An anti-malaria campaign commenced in 1983 as a joint project with the
Kiwanis Club, with the support of the Vanuatu Government and the World
Health Organization. In 1990, this developed into R.A.M. (Rotary Against
Malaria), with substantial funds coming from New Zealand ($NZ 20,000 from
our District, 9910) and Australian clubs ($A8,000 from District 9570 and
Gladstone, and $A5,000 from Brookvale), as well as from Australian, New
Zealand, French and Japanese governments. Early club stalwarts in R.A.M.
were Euan Lindsay-Smith (PHF), P.P. John Smith (PHF), P.P. Jean-Luc Bador
(PHF), Jacques Schepens (PHF), P.P. the late Chris Phelps (PHF) and P.P.
Claude Boudier (PHF). The campaign consisted of providing a
spraying-machine costing $US13,000, bed-nets and insecticide, distributing
2,500 flip-charts and 150,000 leaflets costing $A20,000, producing a T.V.
documentary, and broadcasting radio messages. It continues to this day,
now called R.O.M. (Rotary Operation Mosquito), and supported by grants
from the Rotary Foundation 3H of $US300,000, and $US200,000 from the Bill
and Melinda Gates Foundation. Vital assistance in obtaining these large
grants was provided by District 9910, particularly from P.D.G. Rod Dennis
(Orewa R.C.) and his son John, who conducted exhaustive surveys and
professionally presented the results. Due to illness, Rod has been
replaced by P.D.G. Ken Baird (Warkworth R.C.). Currently, P.P. Claude
Boudier, our “retired” resident member, and director of our RAM Committee
since 1995, devotes himself almost full-time to the project, which employs
4 workers, and will set up 60 aid-posts. In time, responsibility for the
project will be transferred to the villages involved.
From 1995, Port Vila Rotary also became involved in a series of rural
water supply projects, together with the Vanuatu Government and the
Australian Army. This we called “Save Water, Save Lives”. P.P.’s Phil
Rundle (PHF) and John Smith, and Bob Cooper (PHF), followed by P.P. Robert
Bohn (PHF), were leading lights in steering by 1997-8 a total of about 30
projects at a time supplying water to outer island villages. These
involved some $US300,000 in matching grants from Rotary Foundation and
Rotary clubs in Australia (SWSL Australia, Lismore) New Zealand (East
Coast Bays, Warkworth, Mt. Roskill, Kerikeri, Dunedin clubs, New Lynn,
Takapuna, Waipapa) England (Nailsea, Bristol Breakfast) and Japan
(Takamatsu). Due to delays in a government department finalizing matching
grants paperwork, S.W.S.L. projects have now wound down, but could be
re-started on a smaller scale in future, if funds become available.
In 1995, Mark Ward (PHF) started up the supply of packs of materials for
pre-schools, called “Kits for Kidz”. In 2002, a donation of $A45,000 from
the Australian Government enabled Port Vila Rotary to obtain and
distribute 230 “Kits for Kidz” to pre-schools and primary schools
throughout the islands.
Other Clubs’ Projects
Port Vila Rotary also assists in the provision of Donations in Kind, which
have come from Rotary Clubs in Queensland (Stanhope, Sunshine Coast,
Surfer’s Sunrise,Wishart), Victoria (Geelong D.I.K. Centre, Ballarat,
Wendouree, Sale), South Australia (the Scott-Hoys of the Adelaide R.C.)
and New Zealand, including hospital and medical equipment, eye-glasses,
wheel-chairs, film canisters and school furniture. P.P. John Smith, a
customs agent and haulage contractor, has provided invaluable assistance
for this over 20 years. In 1997, about $A200,000 worth of D.I.K. in 5
containers was provided from District 9910 and Australia for the
refurbishment of the Port Vila Dispensary, and the Centre for the
Disabled, and for the Santo Hospital T.B. Ward, which was carried out by
36 F.A.I.M. Rotarians from Australian and New Zealand clubs. In 1998,
Takamatsu R.C. provided 6 portable housing units worth $A180,000,
temporarily used after the Kobe earthquake, which P.P. Geoff Feast had
installed on Epi Island for use as school class-rooms. In 1997-98, the
total value of all Rotary contributions to Vanuatu was about $US1,000,000,
making it one of the top 10 aid donors.
Transport to Vanuatu’s outer islands is difficult and costly, but good
relations have been built up with the U.S. Peace Corps, and visiting
yachts, who have helped in distributing educational and medical supplies,
including for Project M.A.R.C. (Medical Assistance to Remote Communities)
which started in 2001, and is sponsored by the R.C.’s of Park City and
West Jordan, Utah, in conjunction with The Hope Alliance, of the U.S.A.
In 2001, the Upper Hutt R.C. provided the Port Vila Central Hospital with
a defibrillator, and since then, there has been an increasing wave of
Rotary help for Vanuatu’s ageing health system. The Upper Blue Mountains
Sunrise club and Rotary District 9690 started a project in 2001 for the
refurbishment of the Port Vila Central Hospital, to be spread over 3
years, and involve a series of F.A.I.M. teams visiting about every 3
months. Container loads of hospital equipment and supplies, and building
materials, have been imported, and teams have come from Penrith, Beecroft,
Lindfield, Parramatta, Nowra, Charlestown, District 9650, Coffs Harbour
City, Epping, North Balwyn, Holroyd, Cabramatta, Upper Blue Mountains
Sunrise, and West Pennant Hills, and carried out a wide range of repairs,
replacements and maintenance of the hospital buildings and equipment. They
have been welcomed and greatly assisted by Vila residents Chrissie and
Laurie Lockwood – Liles, who have been awarded PHF’s for their unstinting
endeavours. Some workers on the project are branching out, and have gone
down to Tanna island to replace the roof on the hospital there.
Williamstown R.C. are also sending container-loads of equipment to that
hospital.
New Zealand clubs are contributing to the support of the Norsup hospital
on Malekula, where Dr. Derek Allen has been provided with 6-7 containers
of equipment, 4WD vehicles, and a helicopter to make travelling for his
calls less arduous, with some deliveries made by the R.N.Z.A.F.
Christchurch N.Z. and Frankston Vic. clubs have been sending teams up over
several years to repair and extend the Tanaliu Primary School, without any
funding from other sources.
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