ROTARY AUSTRALIA WORLD COMMUNITY SERVICE (RAWCS)
The Australian flavour of World Community Service
Contact information-
Chairman : PP Terry Lobban [Lyn] Bellerive [H] 6244 5605 [M] 0419 100 945
Rotary Australia World Community Service Ltd
(RAWCS), a comp
any established by Rotary in Australia to
support the delivery of international projects by
Australian Rotarians. District 9830 is in the Southern region, as shown on the map..
Southern Region Districts are:
| District 9780 - 61 Clubs |
District 9790 - 60 Clubs |
District 9800 - |
| District 9810 - 52 Clubs |
District 9820 - 51 Clubs |
District 9830 Tasmania - 48 Clubs |
RAWCS four major activities are
Project Volunteers- supporting volunteers working in Australia and overseas
Safe Water, Save Lives - fostering projects providing water supplies
Donations in Kind - providing donated goods to developing countries
Rotarians against Malaria- helping to control malaria in South-East Asia
PROJECT VOLUNTEERS
Fiji Rotahomes Project
District 9830 has been involved with the Project Volunteers, Rotahomes project near Lautoka, Fiji for a number of years. This is an on-going
project following the establishment of the first town Koroipita 1 (K1) of 85 homes. Koroipita 2 [K2] will involve
the construction of 150 simple, timber framed and steel clad 
homes each with a kitchen/shower and toilet block for displaced
families.
In July 2009 NZAID announced support for the K2 phase which will help setup the infastructure prior to the development of the next stage of the village development.
Photo shows construction in April 2008.
Update February 2010
NZAID funding for the first stage, and additional funding from the Fiji Government together with the 3H funds which were lodged in the bank by R.I. in 2007 has enabled the engineer John Yalden to obtain all the necessary approvals to allow work to begin on the infrastructure for the next 161 homes (K2) and associated community buildings.
Tasmanian Rotarians have played a huge part in the past with this project. Pro-rata they have provided a large proportion of the 
volunteers in the past and it's great to see that teams are preparing to go again in 2010 to help with the start up of village K2.
Pictured is engineer John Yalden (left) and PDG Lew Pretorius checking the area for the road to the K2 village.
Update August 2010
Two RAWCS Volunteer teams, from Salamanca and Deloraine clubs, have returned from the Koroipita Village project in Lautoka Fiji where they worked on house construction in K2.
>Rotary has been given one, possibly two, elaborate play assemblies for a children’s playground. This has been offered and accepted for the proposed playground in the Rotahome village in Fiji.
The supply and installation of the equipment has been registered as a RAWCS project with the Rotary Club of Bellerive as the Australian Club and the Rotary Club of Lautoka as the ‘local’ club. Several Rotary Volunteers have offered their services for the reassembly -installation in Fiji.
Find out more about the Fiji RotaHomes Project, including a February 2010 update and a manual for Volunteers.
District Coordinator:
PP Julie Pinel Devonport [H] 6424 2793 [M] 0408 242 793
Donations in Kind (DIK)
Books new Lease of Life -July 2010
Rotary has developed a partnership with Tasmanian Public Libra
ries so that thousands of unwanted books are not pulped but sent to RAWCS Donations in Kind Projects. Rotary's Terry Lobban said 25 cubic metres of books are likely to be sent to projects in the South Pacific.
Pictured is State Library's Susan Witek and Terry Lobban, RAWCS Chairman with books bound for Fiji.
Under the agreement Rotary will take the items left over at the conclusion of the current process for unwanted books after suitable items have been repatriated to other libraries, offered to the public through book sales or identified as suitable for reuse in library programs.
A Container to Fiji
Equipment donated during 2008 - 2009 for use overseas was from the Rotary Club of Bellerive. They collected school furniture, computers, books, shelving and storage units and filled a 40 foot shipping container which was sent to their Lautoka schools project in Fiji.
In addition, the container also carried bras for the “Project Uplift ” and X-ray equipment to go to the CWM Hospital in Suva. The X-ray equipment was organized by Peter Koens from the Rotary Club of Nunawading (Vic).
Boxes of babies and children’s clothing were donated by the Margate Second Hand Shop for the Cat’s Home and these were gratefully received at the baby clinic connected to the hospital. Also in the container were forty eight sewing machines donated by Stewart’s Sewing Centre in Devonport.
During 2010 the Rotary Club of Kingston is packing a 40’ container to go to Lautoka containing school items for the Lautoka Schools project. Two Fiji school staff has visited Tasmania as part of a study tour of Tasmanian schools.
Rotarians Against Malaria (RAM)
Malaria Bed Nets
In the Western Solomons (population approx 85,000) the rate of malaria has progressively and steadily declined
from around 20-30% in late 2001 to around 5% and in some areas t
o as low as 2%.
AusAid and The Global Fund have provided sufficient funds to pay for all the bed nets required to cover every person in the Solomon Islands. >RAM has been required to allocate its funds towards the purchase of tools and equipment to encourage the village people to remove the pig-holes and moats around their huts to reduce the breeding ground for mosquitoes.
RAWCS has built 18 warehouses in the Solomons together with several accommodation units
Pictured are women in the Solomons sewing bed nets.
Update on Adopt a Village project July 2010 (From RAWCS website)
Donations eligable for Taxation Deductability
Recently the Government has made some modifications to the way tax deductible donations can be used. To benefit from these exciting opportunities, the Board of RAWCS has acted to upgrade the Rotary Australia Overseas Aid Fund (OAF) to full charity status. More details from the RAWCS National website.
Looking for an Overseas Project?
Clubs in Tasmania are supporting a number of RAWCS projects.
One is the Nepal Gift of Sight project (Number 5 - 2008-09 ) “Gift of Sight” which is being considered by 4 Clubs. This requires funding to cover the cost of cataract surgery being performed by Nepalese surgeons.
A note from Janice Reid Rotary Club of Kogarah. "Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world and unemployment is 74% - believe me there is nothing there apart from some wonderful scenery and wonderful people. They are without electricity from 11 to 16 hours a day (depending on the time of year) and the roads are like dirt tracks.
The lenses are supplied by Tilganga Eye Hospital (Fred Hollows Foundation). Rotary International funded the setting up on the intra ocular lens laboratory with $100,000 which enabled the lenses to be produced in Nepal. Dr. Sandkur Ruit came to Sydney and lived with Fred in Randwick for 18 months studying his technique. It is now the most modern lens laboratory in the world. Another Rotarian who accompanied me to Hetauda February says she's never seen a finer example of Service above Self. I call them the unsung heroes of Rotary. They have two camps a year and for the past four years I have been funding one of them each year.
PDG Kevin Shadbolt has more information.
You can choose a project , examine the list of projects available on the RAWCS National website. Some projects listed may qualify for a Rotary Foundation Matching Grant.
Browse a list of projects at 3 August 2010. Download a pdf file
Browse a list of projects just seeking funding as at 20 August 2010
Team selection criteria . Skills vary according to the program, however general good health, team participation capacities and cultural sensitivity is required
Some important current issues to
note;
All team members must pass a medical and a national
police check. Insurance issues are a current cause for concern. While
teams are fully covered for normal occurrences, our insurance may
not cover a range of pre-existing injuries/ailments. If team
members do have pre-existing conditions, insurance applications
must be submitted through the District Insurance Officer for
submission to our insurers. If cover is rejected, the team members
will have to arrange suitable insurance privately. If unable to do
so, they cannot be accepted for teams.
Clubs may nominate an approximate time for travel (month and year) and let the project co-ordinator allocate a project. If teams prefer a particular project or country, you may need to be flexible in terms of when you can be sent there.
Teams are usually 5 to 8 persons. Non Rotarians are welcome. Not all projects are suitable for ladies, project details should indicate this. At least one building trade person or close to it is needed in each team. There is usually on the ground supervisors, but some skills are necessary.
Up to date application forms should be downloaded here
Once your interest has been narrowed down, you will deal with the RAWCS District 9830 Chair: PP Terry Lobban [Lyn] Bellerive [H] 6244 5605 [M] 0419 100 945
or the Southern Region Project Volunteers Co-ordinator PDG Lew Pretorius
Further Information
National RAWCS website http://rawcs.com.au/
National RAWCS Newsletter August 2009 {250 kB pdf download}
Donations in Kind Southern Region Annual Report
Rotarians against Malaria website here ....
RAWCS SOUTHERN REGION ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
HOSTED BY DISTRICT 9830 HOBART - TASMANIA
23rd 24th OCTOBER 2010
On the eastern shore of Hobart –
Accommodation: CityView Motel 30 Tasman Highway, Montague Bay, Phone 03 6243 8388 (Lindisfarne Motor Inn booked out!)
Rate: $110 per room - $55 twin share - (extra person $50). When making booking mention Rotary for above special rate. Book early! Has plenty of rooms available as at 19 July
Saturday 23rd - evening of fellowship – Clarence Uniting Church Hall – opposite the Yacht Club.
Curry Night - $25 per person - proceeds to be allocated to a RAWCS Project in Fiji
Contact Terry: tlobban@gmail.com 0419100945 for booking ... max 100.
Sunday 24th AGM Meeting 8.30 – 9.00am start 1.00pm finish
Bellerive Yacht Club, 64 Cambridge Road, Bellerive
BBQ Lunch hosted by District 9830
Contact Terry: tlobban@gmail.com 0419100945 if you require transport from the airport.