A school with no pencils...

A school with no pencils, paper, windows, text books, desks, electricity or water. This is Katalumba School (300 students) built by the community so their small children do not have to walk 1.5 hours to the next nearest school. This year we are fundraising to hopefully supply paper, pencils, and text books.

David (UN) writes .."OK everyone, listen up. Development. It’s really all about education. And kids are where we start! Somewhere out there is the next Einstein, the next Nobel laureate, a future great leader, or simply a great kid hoping for the opportunity of a better education. Not a hand-out. An opportunity! Katalumba is a fee paying school built by the community to give their children that opportunity. We can help make it even better! This community has a population of 3000, though students from other neighborhoods attend this school as well. The employment rate is 3%.

For $1500 they could get text books, pencils and writing books for the kids. An additional $500 they could set up the teachers with some much needed teaching aids, and the children could have some extras like rulers, poster paints... Another $1000 could start a small library collection. If they could get more than that they would get windows with burglar bars, desks and a chair and table for the teachers. Down the road the school dreams of building more classrooms - grades 4 and up. When they can eventually upgrade the school to government standards, the government will then adopt the school! That opens many more doors!"

Malambo Grassroots

D Street Media NY to help S. African kids with Stargazer premiere

D Street  Media NY is planning a fundraiser for Rose USA parter  Education without Borders in conjunction with their USA launching of the late 2011 film 'Stargazer'

D Street Media Group will host a benefit fundraiser along side it’s November 29th 2012 premiere of ‘Stargazer’ (Roepman), which screened at the Vancouver South African Film Festival earlier this year. The beautifully produced movie will be the first ever Afrikaans language movie to be released in North America.

D Street is also giving the young talent of South Africa some international exposure and has asked the Fekeza Secondary School Choir to record a song for the soundtrack of an upcoming feature film. The choir will record the song with one of the top South African recording artist and television personalities.


"It is one of the two or three best South African movies I have ever seen. 
 29 August 2011 | JeffersonCody (South Africa)"


D Street Media Group is a production company and distributor of independent and international film. It values a socially responsible approach to doing business and doing its part to make the world better for everyone. The company believes in the power of storytelling and in our efforts to bring international films to the U.S. we hope to promote understanding and goodwill around the world.

 for more information, please contact John Henry Jordaan on behalf of D Street Media Group: jordaan.jh@dstreetmediagroup.com

Donate to  Rose USA -EWB Project(s)

From Guatemala - Safe Motherhood Project: 20 Feb 2012

SafeMotherhood Project Guatemala

Feb 20, 2012

Saludos de Guatemala:

Both of us began our course today along with our Guatemalan teammates.  We have 15 students of which 10 are practicing birth attendants, 2 are new comadronas, and the rest are staff at the small hospital where we are teaching.

We want to offer our input on the questions you asked.

1.       We developed this project in response to a request from a committee of birth attendants in the department of Solola, Guatemala.  In this rural area which is predominantly Mayan, 70 percent of women birth at home assisted by a birth attendant or “comadrona” as they are called. Local maternal mortality rate was 3 times higher than the reported national rate and the committee was concerned.

2.      In the department of Solola 70 percent of women birth at home under the care of a comadrona.  There are two systems of health care in Guatemala.  A public system provided by the government and a private system driven by physicians.

In the public system health services are free of charge theoretically; however, the facilities have few resources and lack medications and supplies.  Staff  have good knowledge but very little practical experience when they graduate from their health program.  Each department in Guatemala has one funded national hospital.  Each municipality has a public health center or health post.  For most communities, the hospital is several hours away on dangerous mountain roads.  A woman can access birth control free of charge at the public health centres.  We believe that the funding for this program comes from an NGO and not primarily the government.  Contraceptive use is increasing over time, but more education is needed especially for the men.  A pregnant woman can receive prenatal care from the health centre where she can get vaccinated, and also from her comadrona. The number of women seeking prenatal care is also increasing, but there are still several women whose first contact with care is when they go into labor.  The health centre have personnel available 24h per day and women are encouraged to go there for their delivery, but there is no advantage over a home birth because the health centres are so poorly equipped.

3.      Our Guatemalan colleague, Cenaida, contacts the nursing director at the public health centre who then contacts all the known comadronas in the community and invites them to our course. Whoever shows up on the first day is accommodated up to a maximum of 35 students per class.  A class size of 20 is better due to the practical nature of our course. 

We have also accepted students who are first aid attendants, community health promoters, and firemen who provide the ambulance service in various communities.

4.      Our course outline is available on our website at www.safemotherhoodproject.org.

We now give a five day course instead of the four day course provided.  The content is the same but with 5 days we have more time for discussion and practice.

The resources we use are described below:

We have a manual to complement the course content designed for students who can’t read.  It is adapted from a manual developed in the ‘70s by UNICEF.  For those who can read it also has script.  We would be happy to share this manual.

We use 3 Simulaid obstetrical pelvic models. They include wearable pregnant bellies with baby and fluid for determining fetal position.

Television and DVD player.  The DVDs we show are The Stages of Labor, and Successful Breastfeeding from InJoy media.

We use 4 resuscibabies from Laerdal for teaching neonatal resuscitation.

We have samples of contraceptive methods

We have knitted breasts for demonstrating a good latch for breastfeeding

We use clinical supplies for examining real prenatal patients like BP cuff, stethoscope, Pinard horn, Doppler, measuring tape. Mattresses and sheets.

We use pitchers and soap and nail clipper and nail brushes.

We also use birthing supplies for demonstration including headlamp, cord ties, scissors, gloves, Q tips and Alcohol, Erythromycin ophthalmic ointment, a camp stove, a pot and 2 forks, a plastic sheet for the bed, and an apron.

We have posters of anatomy, stages of pregnancy, contraception, emergency planning, and obstetrical risks.

We ask the community to provide a room big enough for the class, a bathroom, and a water supply, and electricity.

Hasta pronto,

Annette & Ruth

Letter from a Malambo Grassroots Zambia volunteer

Hi there everyone, Happy New Year !

Thought it about time for a letter - our email has been not working but I am on the farm now on a borrowed computer - luxury! I shall attempt some other email suitable for ROSE publishing - but this is more just to keep touch with you all more personally.

I am at last getting my feet on the ground. Since I arrived the temperature has not gone below 100 – and has been, frequently, a lot higher. I arrived to find John with his rash again- convinced he was being eaten from the inside out by bugs which were laying eggs in him.. I have at last figured out it is not bugs, but what my grandfather used to have – prickly heat – and it can be treated with antihistamines - so I got a prescription from my aunt and he is much better. 5 dips a day in a pool or shower helps too. Siavonga is much hotter than Monze...

It's been good to be here. I'm a bit split between Monze and Siavonga - the reality of trying to get on our financial feet here in Zambia as well as roll on with our projects. The first part has not happened - so far we just spend money. The second part much easier...

Up early every morning, cappuccino near the pool as we watch the birds and hope for the hippo/croc, and then busy for the rest of the day. We have had a lot of guests, so although we have not left to go to Lusaka for supplies, we are not at all isolated. Every one brings us supplies and our fridges and freezer as a result are loaded.

I have started teaching the woman who works for us (Maureen) how to do rung hooking – with the idea of rugs as an income generating group. She is choosing other women to join with her and she is teaching them. I think I will suggest each woman works individually rather than a cooperative as I have found my papier mache group (works individually) more motivated and problem solving than our cooperative group. Makes sense I guess. She is a good teacher as she is fussy and has been in the community a long time. I still need to get to know more people. So far she has some ladies who don't speak English - so it works well that she can help me with translations.

I am starting with fabric donated from set dec – so the start up expense is mostly time and designs, not money luckily as we don't have much. They are proud as punch with what they are doing – nice to see - though they are all rather dubious regarding if things will sell. And although they enjoy doing it - the process - the idea of a hobby of any kind is not around. While the people in the village are intrigued - they also think it a waist of time - so we shall see. This is a very different community from the farm which is used to these ideas. (excuse the rotten spelling) In Monze we have been doing this for a while so women are used to the idea of selling things they make - in Siavonga where there is high unemployment, when I ask what people are doing, I often get the response 'just sitting'

There is a market day this coming Saturday and I will take up the pieces the women have made and do some market research and then we shall be able to evaluate. I am also experimenting with a paper pulp idea (very low monetary input). As we have this base in Siavonga which is tourist oriented (but no craft industry), and because unemployment is huge, I thought being self employed making and selling things might work well. We have spoken to council regarding a plot suitable for a common craft market - but this is really a far hope. But there are enough hotels around for people to flog their wears. (Please excuse appauling spelling - I am on a dutch computer which corrects my spelling and between that and my atrocious spelling - it all just gets worse.

A kind contact has lent us some large earth moving equipment for 2 weeks with 3 drivers to level the ground and pick up rocks, sand and cement. This has motivated John to expand his project list. It has also resulted in us hiring a lot of people – we have about 16 guys now, and each morning we have a huge crowd at the gate asking for work. It’s hard to say no – I feel bad for them. Such a huge need for jobs. And the people we have now work very hard, come early and leave late. John figured out what he thought minimium should be so people can cover living expenses and education costs for kids and so we pay accordingly. The minimum rate here is not livable - as you probably know.

We are also repairing the walls surrounding the land that got a huge pounding in June July this year. The wind storms were so huge that waves were going right over our neighbor's house, and their parents, who live further back from the lake, had waves pounding through their house and hitting the back wall of their living room. No one remembers storms this big before. So really our first priority is strengthening the walls around the land. We lost meters and meters to the lake.

We have Heidi coming out mid month next month. So I prepare for that. John and I working on getting all the customs papers for the container she has sent full of musical instruments for the music school - I never want to do this again. A very slow process and painful process.

I have touched base with our 4 income generating groups. Our chicken ladies need to expand – they sell out regularly and the villagers complain that there are not enough eggs. So we have strategized how to do this. We have to wait until August when the next group of chicks will be ready.

The papier mache goes very well as well – total sell out every time – so that too is expanding and we discussed how to do a skills test for an interview. They are also asking for input on designs as a British woman has asked for an order of 45 bowls with butterflies. So I go down later today to work this out with them. A second international order has just come in as well.


The original textile group has had a bit of a rocky time as leadership has been up and down with the effects of AIDs – but they are on treatment now so things improve I hope - though they have a big burden trying to do this while ill, and all of life's other difficulties. We have quite a few orders for them so things get busy.

We are also reaching our 20th anniversary on the 2 Feb and so will be celebrating with a cooking competition – we discussed the menu yesterday – all traditional dishes and the judges will be 3 Tonga women from outside the community. One who runs a restaurant and is huge fun, one who runs a cultural center and radio station ( I will ask if she can film it as well), and I am hoping my friend from Choma who runs a craft store and works with anthropologists. She has done a number of workshops with these groups so they know her well. We also invite the Dutch ambassador and I will do an exhibition of crafts and photos so they can see the fruit of their donation all these years later– they generously funded our center to be built and cut the ribbon when we opened.

We are also going to train 2 more young women in pattern making and tailoring with a view to broaden and improve the product line for this group. Of the original group, about 14 old ladies remain (many died or retired) and then we have a large number of women in their early 20's. I wish we had funds for a VSO volunteer who could help us, or a volunteer in design and marketing. I applied last year and they were keen to give us a volunteer but as the global economy has tightened, they now want the indigenous organization to pay the wages which is beyond us. However the work load is large and I still have this ticking over in my mind.

Our last group also thrives. Last year a woman I work with on our Barbie shoots funded a young 19 year old in a year long training in tailoring. She has now completed, and has returned to this group – and their works improves by leaps and bounds - tho she still needs more training. So from this we have decided to send a couple more young women who can perhaps help the original group improve too. This also helps balance that there are few girls being further educated as the schools expel them when they get pregnant. So the drop out rate for girls is high (include the fact that parents support boys more fully than girls for further education)

The scholarship program takes a lot of work. I get the more enjoyable part of it as participants just want to chat to me and let me know how they are doing. It’s fabulous seeing how well they do. Later I will be going tho the book keeping and trying to do a bit of a breakdown on what our graduates from past years are doing now. As I am between Siavonga and Monze I can't help much this year as I loose all the threads on the applications.

John also takes on projects. He is busy trying to figure out how to get a pump donated and transported here to take water up from the lake to the large village next to us who have very little access to water (I'd think about 3000 plus people). He also is working on a second container to come over in a year, with hospital equipment for Monze hospital, the paraplegic center in Monze and a handicapped center in Mazabuka which my sister and a friend have started building. However his Vancouver rotary contact seems to be backing out after being very enthusiastic to start.

I am getting to know a Zambian Open Community School - just near by in Siavonga. Hopefully we will start supporting what they do too. Plus the child headed house holds school in Monze...So we are busy! All round. Trying to balance how to live here as well as all the projects. Makes things interesting.

Hope you are all well...

J


Malambo Grassroots website

African Nights 2011 'The Movie !'

Teaching in Haiti Dec 2011: Doug Campbell writes...

 Haiti for me was an emotional rollercoaster. A land of despair, poverty, mayhem but also a land of hope, optimism and pride. These last 3 sentiments are what stick with me as I reflect on my experience. After all, it is the people that leave an impact on you.

When I was planning the trip I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I had never travelled to a 3rd world country before, let alone one that has been

devastated by a massive earthquake and is still struggling to recover.  The airport was a typical chaotic scene for a small carribean country, but as I travelled into the Heart of Port-au-Prince I was struck by the massive tent cities, line ups at watering stations, chaos of the driving, etc. Yet throughout this atmosphere was the continued activity of daily life. The boys and girls coming home from school neatly dressed with colorful clothing, the merchants on the street selling fruit, etc. Haiti was continuing on despite much of the damage from the earthquake still obvious almost 2 years after the fact.

The teaching our team carried out, filled us with hope and optimism for the future. Nurses and physicians travelled from across the country every day to participate in our teaching sessions on how to become instructors in newborn resuscitation, followed by them teaching the sessions themselves. The students were not shy about jumping in and taking control of a situation. Their passion was evident in how they imparted knowledge to their colleagues. The pride on their faces was clear.

The most touching moment for me was at the end of the teaching one day when the students (now teachers themselves) sang us a song. Then a senior nurse came over to us and said:   "Thank you. Thank you for not just giving us some fish, but for teaching us HOW TO FISH."  That's when I knew that our team had made a difference, perhaps small but real nonetheless.

Rose Charities Malaysia's help for Thai flood victims

"Regarding the Thai Flood Aid Appeal, we have managed to send 20 cartons of quaker OATS ( each weighing 25 kgs), buscuits , etc to Bangkok via St.John Ambulance Co-ordinating Centre in :Penang . They will send by road to Hatyai where the Thai

military trucks will take delivery of the goods to Bangkok for distribution to the flood victims....

 

Another big shipment of buscuits and other food products will be sent next week to Helpage International in Bangkook .....will advise further in due course...."

 

Generous donation buys suction machine for Haitian Neonatal team

One of most critical actions to ensure the survival of a newborn baby is to make sure her airway is clear.  This is carried out  with specialized suction apparatus.   Statistics show that there is no action more important for a baby who has had a difficult birth to live;  it is the 'A' (for airway) that is first in the 'ABC' of emergency assessment that every health profesional has as the very base of their knowledge

It thus came as a wonderful surprise that  recent generaous donation was recieved by Rose Charities Canada for its Haiti Neonatal Resucitation Teaching team to take with them to Haiti in early November.  There is no question that this will save lives when HBB ('Helping babies breathe') professionals that they will over the next months get to work !

AMDA HQ medical team leaves for Turkish earthquake relief

An AMDA medical team has left Japan to assist with the earthquake in eastern Turkey.  Taking provisions and experienced medical personnel the team will travel directly to the affected area.The Osaka-Turkish Association is also assisting\

AMDA's history of sending of assisting disasters with  international emergency medical  relief teams is considerable.  Earlier this year, and continuing to this day it was one of the main organizations assisting with the Japan, Tohoku earthquake and tsunami disaster

Eye clinic cooperation; Rose Charities Penang, Malaysia, and St. Nicholas Home Penang

Rose Charities Malaysia and St Nicholas Home are shortly to open joint eye clinic services in Penang. St Nicholas Home is a distinguished charity establishment with a long history of aid to the poor of the area.  Rose Charities has several eye programs, internationally through its organizations in Cambodia, New Zealand, Vietnam and Canada.  In Cambodia, Rose Charities has treated over 100,000 patients with eye problems in its Phnom Penh Sight Centre

Help to the elderly caught in the Thai flood disaster

Thai floods update:   Rose Charities Malaysia, joining with Rose Charities Singapore, HelpAge, Thailand and the Thai Elderly Association to plan further joint flood relief specifically for the elderly victims of the flood areas.  Mr Lawrence Cheah of Rose Charities Malaysia, and also Rose Charities International Council Chair, has initiated this joint initiative through his networking contacts.

Students signed on for Haiti Neonatal Resuscitation (NRP) and HBB (Helping Babies Breathe) Program

The first nurses and doctors have signed on for the Rose Charities Haiti Neonatal Resuscitation (NRP) and  HBB (Helping Babies Breathe)  training Program. Supplies for the hosptials in Port au Prince and Jeremie are being collected ready for transportation. The teaching team will depart in three weeks time

Rose Charities New Zealand Spring Fundraiser for Nepal EyeClinic

Rose Charities New Zealand Fundraiser great success !

Rose NZ buys 'Keller' portable slip lamp for Rose Charities Cambodia

Rose Charities New Zealand had purchased a new 'Keller' portable slit lamp for Rose Charities Sight Centre, Cambodia.  Mr Mike Webber (Wanganui, NZ)  who has provided huge support of the Sight Centre over the years, both with his optometry expertise as well as material input and networking was instrumental in making the donation. The slit lamp will upgrade the Sight Centres outreach services.

In December of this year (2012), Mike will  be travelling together with fellow optometrist and supporter of the Sight Centre, Mr John Veale (Christchurch NZ) to provice Rose Charities assistance  with an large rural optometry screening program organised by the 'Village Health Development Organization'

Get the teenagers talking !

LETS GET THE TEENAGERS TALKING:  Impact Through Peers   

'More than 85% of adolescents in Mbarara municipality (Uganda) get their health related information from peers'. (MUST pediatrician, D. Nansera (BMJ 2007 )
A community based organization, HEADA Uganda, has been voluntarily giving health talks  to  adolescents in four secondary schools in Mbarara Municipality.  The enthusiastic response from students and teachers to these talks, coupled with recent events in Mbarara resulting from bullying, lead to design of the Impact Through Peers project. 


 This project will work with 6 secondary schools and train 6 Peer Group Trainers to work with the students. The students will be supported as they work with their peers and discuss different topics every month.  Topics will include: Life Skills I & II, Reproductive health I,II & III, Sexuality, Career Planning I & II, Gender, Leadership skills, Environmental Issues and Stigma/Bullying

At the end of  the twelve sessions, an exhibition will be organized with presentations from students to spread information on peer groups and engage the  whole school population. 

The Hillman Medical Education Fund of Rose Charities has provided the funding  funding for  "IMPACT THROUGH PEERS "  Project in Uganda 

Sopheaps new leg !

Sopheap is a 44 year old grandmother living in a very basic house with just one room, and two outside walls. The other two walls are tarps. The wind and rain belted down for about 20 minutes while we were visiting, which was an experience in itself. Such limited shelter in those conditions. She has diabetes, a common condition in Cambodia, and as a result had her leg amputated last year. By the time Sopheap was referred to us, she was very weak and did not have enough strength to move around, or stand on one leg. She was not suitable to be fitted with a prosthesis until she had enough strength.

Sokny worked with Sopheap and she practiced her exercises regularly at home, developing her strength. This month, we took her to Veteran’s International (VI) who assessed her and cast her for a prosthesis. Last week she was fitted with it. We followed her up at home yesterday to assess her progress and work on gait re-training. She has only had one fitting, and will need some adaptions made at her next VI appointment, but she is already doing extremely well!! She is very happy, saying she is now able to move around the village and visit her friends. She is looking forward to learning how to walk without the crutches. Great work Sopheap!!                              Joanna Thomson. Rose Cambodia Rehab Centre.

Haiti team gears up for new teaching initiative

Prof Karen Schafer teaching

The third Rose Charities Haiti  course in neonatal care is now on track to depart November 7th 2011.  Nursing Professor Karen Schafer from Vancouver and Dr's Campbell (Toronto) and Piuze (Quebec) have invited nurses and doctors from s hospitals in Port au Prince to attend .

Scenes from the August 2011 Rose Charities New Zealand / Nellie Tier Auckland Fundraiser

Chairperson Trish Gribben introduces Rose Charities NZ Trustees (left to right) Mike Webber, Pip Neville-Barton, Jane Midgley and John Veale

Sparkling rose wine and a picture of patients waiting at Lumbini Eye Institute, Nepal, set the scene for the fundraiser held in Auckland on August 14.

Rose Charities NZ chairperson Trish Gribben with Patron Lady June Hillary and volunteer Rosemary Hassan at the fund-raising screening  of the documentary, "Out of the Darkness" , about a remote surgical eye camp in Nepal

Strategic planning workshop to upgrade Rose Charities Canada board.

Facilitated by Consultant Gordon Therriault, a two day strategic planning workshop was held the members of the Rose Charities main board in the offices of Vanderluit and Co (Accountants).  The costs and premises for the workshop were generously donated by Vanderluit (Eric Vanderluit - Hon Treasurer of Rose Charities) so no funds were used from Rose Charities projects funds.  The initiative had been formulated by Maggie Francis (Chair) and Eric.

The workshop covered such aspects as task distribution, organization promotion, setting goals, structuring implementation, fund-raising,  etc.   All directors were in agreement that it was a highly productive and should help Rose Charities Canada be more structured, effective and efficient in the future.

Vanderluit and Associates meeting room workshop venue.  Left to Right.  Tim Maguire, Gordon Thierrault, Eric Vanderluit. .     (Top picutre.  L to R, Josephien de Freitas, Tim Magire, Gordon Thierrault, Will Grut, Maggie Francis.

Rose Sri Lanka Microcredit joins hands with Kalmunai Commercial Bank to expand program

Rose Micro Credit members of various villages in Ampara district have the opportunity to apply for loans of more than SLRs. 200,000.00 from the Micro Financing of Commercial Bank in Kalmunai.
In order to;
• Promotes small time businesses
• Assists with daily financing
in the area Commercial Bank in Kalmunai joint hands with Rose Micro Credit to assist members of Rose Micro Credit. The Commercial Bank selects members with limited capital who require an infusion of funds daily or every other day. They define these members as Small time Businessmen and women. The Commercial Bank in Kalmunai assists such persons with micro-financing at very low rates of interest.
By a cautious process, qualified Rose Micro Credit members have been selected and recommended for their loans from the Bank. As of to date 54 members (10 males and 44 females) have been qualified and have received their loans.
A sum of SLRs. 10,025,000.00 has been dispersed to Rose Micro Credit Members by The Commercial Bank in Kalmunai.