In District Governor Bronwyn Stephen's mind, Rotary allows a person to take an idea to help another person, a community or the whole world and for like-minded people to join them to make it happen.
She speaks with great authority about the power of Rotary to realise your dreams of helping others. Several years ago, she identified a need for urgent support for village people in Cambodia who were dying of diseases such as cholera, typhoid and malaria. Inhabitants also suffered from hunger and malnutrition because they lacked the skills to sustain themselves. Bronwyn was instrumental in establishing the World of Difference project within her club which was specifically aimed at establishing better health practices and providing sustainability solutions for these remote villagers. This was an extremely successful campaign.
Her real message is that, if she can do it, you can do it.
Bronwyn was very complimentary in her praise for our club. She cited a few examples of our projects and activities including:
- The High Tea which enabled us to connect with a school and to promote cultural diversity in our community.
- The Uganda project which not only helped to educate Chris Ochaya in farming techniques but is now helping the local Ugandans to support themselves.
- The Rotary Golf Day which is a major fundraiser and enables the club to contribute in a positive way to the Wyndham community.
- The Barking Dogs are a real point of difference which promotes the club and Rotary.
Some of the projects that she would like us to get involved in are:
- Donating funds towards the restoration of Rotary House which is the accommodation component of the Bone Marrow Donor Institute.
- End Polio - Thirteen cases of polio have been detected this year which is a worrying sign. There was even one case in Papua New Guinea. We must keep going until we have total eradication.
- Clubs involving communities in Rotary projects as much as possible. We shouldn't just continue doing things ourselves. Let's open it up to the community.
- Each club chartering a Rotaract Club. This is where the future of Rotary will come from.