Mauritius
November started off in Mauritius with the Governors Elect Training Seminar (GETS). This was followed up with the “Reach out to Africa” (ROTA) meetings and some strategic considerations by the current and future leadership of Zone 20A regarding strategic ROTA themes for Africa and strategies to increase membership in the region.
RI Director Tom Brannum called the meetings and it was attended by persons such as RI President Kalyan Banerjee, the RI President Nominee, Ron Burton, Past RI President Raja Saboo and the ROTA Vice Chairman Orscelik Balkan.
It was a wonderful experience in the sense that the Zone 20A leadership had another opportunity to meet and build better friendships and also to discuss progress and problems in the different Districts in the Zone.
Swaziland
After returning from Mauritius on Monday evening the 7th, the journey continued and Annetjie and I attended to DG visits in Swaziland from the Tuesday morning the 8th. The Swaziland meetings commenced with AG Harry Nxumalo and the Malkerns Valley, Matsapha and Manzini Clubs in Malkerns Valley.
We went to a Manzini project at the A.R.T. Clinic accompanied by AG Harry Nxumalo and President Petros Dlamini.
Then we were taken to the Malkerns Valley Club’s water project by AG Harry Nxumalo, President Harry van den Burgh and Sibusiso Dlamini.
The next day we joined AG Marjorie Balarin at in Mbabane with the Mbabane and Mbabane Mbuluzi Clubs and met at the Mountain Inn.
We visited several projects including the Ezulwini Catholic Primary School where Mbabane sponsors several pupils’ school fees and where they financed the construction of new “long drop” toilets.
We also visited the Mbabane hospital with President Joseph Waring and his team. This was a real eye opener and we saw how the hospital dealt with children with “club foot” problems.
Joseph took us to the SACRO “drop-in centre”, where children study after school, and also to a very interesting children’s home-centre, where children are “adopted” into different houses with “house parents” looking after them.
We learnt about the Sibebe Survivor annual walk and the support Mbabane Mbuluzi gets from the Rotaractors.
The evenings we were fortunate enough to be with PDG Kobla and Koekie Quashie that looked very well after us.
Maputo
Thursday Annetjie had to return to Middelburg with PDG Kobla Quashie as our daughter, Bernice, was inducted as a prefect at school.
I drove through to Maputo and had an interesting lunch with PDG Maria-Louisa Natividade and some Scout Masters.
Thereafter I met with the Polana, Matola and Maputo Rotary Clubs at the Polana Hotel.
The evening we had a wonderful evening in Maputo which was also attended my one of my “class-mates” D9210 DG Joào Bettencourt and his lovely lady Nella, who was with me in Mauritius earlier the week. This is also the vibrant “young” Polana Club’s President, Henrique’s, dad!
I was hosted by PP Abilio Soeiro from Maputo, a dear friend of President Nelson Mandela.On Friday, before I left for Middelburg, Mpumalanga, Maria-Louisa took me to some of their water projects at a school in a relatively poor area.
Nelspruit training
The Saturday PDGs Beth Thomas, Shirley Downie, Greg Stathacopoulos, Chris Pretorius and Francis Callard presented a Rotary Leadership Institute (RLI) course as well as Foundation, PR and Membership training sessions which was well attended by Rotarians from the Lowveld, Swaziland and Maputo areas. Attendees included PDGs Maria Louisa Natividade, Albie van de Venter and Nick van Zyl. This means eight Past District Governors attended the training which is remarkable. Well done!
Christmas lights project
The same Saturday I helped to sort out some of the electrical issues and name plates of the Christmas lights project in Middelburg.
Vereeniging/Vanderbijl
Tuesday the 15th we visited the Meyerton/Henly-on-Klip, Vereeniging and Three Rivers Clubs.
President Dai Schultze of the Vereeniging Club took us to visit the Sibonile School for the blind which is an amazing and very worthy project. Unfortunately the school were subjected to the theft of the computers from the offices and the computer centre which had been installed recently. They need help. The Anns made beautiful curtains for the dormitories. Another project that makes one realise why we are in Rotary!
At the subsequent meeting we learned from the Meyerton/Henley-on-Klip Club that the Anns can be integrated into the Rotary Club and their Anns form a “Charity and Social Welfare” sub-committee of the Club. The Anns are welcome at all Club meetings and are treated as Honorary Rotarians. Ans that prefer to be Rotarians can join Rotary and be normal active Rotarians and such ladies are also welcome to remain Anns as well. I think this is great!
The Vereeniging lunch was held at Ver-bolt where we were spoiled but PDG Trevor Nienaber and Zurika!
After being hosted by President Pierre Lucouw we met with the Vanderbijl and Riverside Clubs at “Stonehaven on Vaal”. The Riverside Club convinced us to attend a Art Competition prize hand-out on the Monday evening.
We had extremely inspirational meetings with both clubs and were impressed with the exciting projects they do which include taking elderly people to the Rotary Resort at Badplaas once a year, the C4C Art competition, the River Festival, Cycle tour, and at least a further forty projects!
One of the most important lessons to learn from these five clubs on the Vaal is that they know how to work together! Another would be that their projects receive immense recognition within the community by being publicised properly.
PDG Kurt Boström – Sweden D2390
Thursday I was fortunate to meet Kurt in Pretoria at the home of Grant Adams in Silver Lakes.
I understand Kurt and his District have supported many projects in South Africa, Mozambique and Africa in general. He conveyed to me that him and his wife has found that in many countries in Africa ladies sexual organs are mutilated so men can have full control over these ladies. This is considered a Human Rights issue and his District is putting a proposal forward to the Council of Legislation at RI in 2013 that basically comes down to the following: “that the Board of Directors of Rotary International supports activity at every level of the organisation and in cooperation with other international organizations, wherever feasible, to prevent mutilation of sexual organs.”
Kurt asked that I put this forward to our District Exec to support this motion. We discussed this at the PDG Advisory Council meeting on the 26th. The meeting agreed the mutilation of the sexual organs are inhumane and agreed that our representative at the Council of Legislation, PDG Greg Stathacopoulos, may support the proposal at the COL after considering all the facts presented there.
Westonaria/Carletonville/Soweto
That afternoon AG Mgezi Mazibuko and I met with the Carletonville and Westonaria Clubs at the Libanon Recreation Club in Westonaria.
President Raelene du Piesane and Christa Schoeman represented Carletonville and for a relatively small club of mainly ladies, they had an amazing list of projects and an impressive business Information Guide which is one of their main fundraising projects.
President Dinah Coetzer and her Exec Team met with Mgezi and I afterwards. Their projects was clearly based on fellowship and fun and it appeared to work as they had made a significant contribution to the Foundation.
The combined evening function included representatives from the Soweto Club and we had a wonderful evening.
After the evening function Mgezi and I went to visit my son and his family in Randfontein where after we went to Diepkloof in Soweto where we stayed over for the night at the classy “5-star” Mama Lolo’s B&B.
This is where my Soweto experience started. I have been looking forward to this meeting for a long time.
President Lebogang Maletsoe-Ntoane and her Exec Team including Tshidi Leleka and Mapontsho Mopeli did not let us down. The meeting was held at the Soweto Hospice which is a relatively large and very professional Cancer Clinic.
It was an honour to be at the Club and to learn what they have been involved in. The Soweto Club is a club of strategic importance to the District and in fact to Rotary International and it is imperative that all of us are there for them.
The projects they are involved in are immense and a wonderful example to many of us. The main projects we visited included the Hospice where we met, an entrepreneur development centre and the Soweto old age home.
Saturday I was back in Middelburg and my son Merlin, Interact President this year, was involved in a Christmas Party with Rotaract and Solidarity for over 300 children from various children homes in Middelburg, including homes for disabled children. They organised “bikers” to give the children a ride and had wheelchair races for disabled, jumping castles and many more activities.
Friendship and New Generations exchanges October and November were indeed exciting months where District 9400 experienced several friendship exchanges and a New Generations Exchange.
Henry Joughin reported as follows:
• AUSTRALIA - October. This group had an amazing time even though our committee was only involved on the perimeter. It was led by PP Charles Godfrey, ex Bedfordview now in Oz, RC Mooloolaba. This group were hosted by Bedfordview and Pretoria West and they continued onto the Kruger Park, KZN, Newcastle & Dundee, and Cape Town.
• DENMARK - 11 members end October into November. Hosted by Kyalami, Rustenburg, Gaborone and Brits - This group visited a vast array of attractions including Hector Petersen Museum, Rotary projects, Oppenheimer gardens, Mines, walked with the elephants - they were overwhelmed by the hospitality, diverse itinerary, differences of city, town and country and the positive energy from all involved. Rotarians drove the team from Club to Club which made the excursion more personal.
The Swiss “New Generations Exchange” was a first for our District and had several challenges. Here Louis Greeff and Dick Meisel played an important role in facilitating the event.
Louis Greeff reported as follows:
• The team of 11 arrived from Switzerland on Sunday 13th November and was met by myself and two members from the Johannesburg Clubs. They were then transported to Sandton on the Gautrain after they had an opportunity to exchange money and organise local Cell phone connections. In Sandton they were met by a small Bus and transported to a central meeting place where the host families met them and after a briefing session eventually took them home.
• Special thanks need to go to Dick Meisel who arranged for their visits in and around Johannesburg. During the three day stay they visited Soweto, Gold Reef City, the Jhb Stock Exchange, the Refilwe School and several other Rotary Projects where there has been a Swiss connection in the past. The team were also given the opportunity to deliver a presentation to two of the Rotary Clubs that hosted them.
• On Thursday 17th November the team assembled in Bryanston and left in two Combi’s for the Kruger Park. The first evening was spent at the Swadini Rest camp near Hoedspruit where they were allowed to relax after all of the travelling. The next morning after a leisurely breakfast the team departed for the KNP via the Phalaborwa Gate. Two days were spent at the Mopani Camp where the team experienced true African heat. Fortunately there was plenty of game viewing and huge herds of buffalo and elephants were seen. On Sunday the team left for Skukuza and on the way saw the balance of the Big 5. The Leopard sighting was a rare occasion as it was lying in a tree right next to the road. On Monday 21st there was a mad dash to get from Skukuza to the Airport for their onward flight to Port Elizabeth.
• The team are visiting two other Districts in SA as well and it is really hoped that we could put together a combined team for a return visit early next year. They were disappointed that this had not already been organised, but we only found out about it at the very last minute and have not had time yet to put anything together. A return visit would be ideal for any young adults under 25 years old to experience Switzerland and their hospitality.
A big thank you goes to everyone that helped to make the exchanges a success.
Conclusion
During the month we were fortunate to have PDG Charlie Clemmons and Barb here from Texas. A big thank you goes to PDG Shirley Downie and all those that helped to take them to the various book and water projects they were interested in visiting. They also represented the Second Wind Foundation that is behind many book projects in Southern Africa and we will see them again at the District Conference at Champagne Sports Resort in June 2012.
November closed off with interesting and well attended District Finance and Advisory Council meetings on Saturday the 26th and the year-end function at the Rotary Resort on the Sunday.
In the meantime PDG Shirley Downie is also working on other projects such as the Malaria program and RI President Kalyan Banerjee’s visit to our District which is a very special auspicious occasion that will take place in Johannesburg from 11 to 14 December 2011.
Thank you Shirley, we really appreciate this.
And finally, Annetjie and I wish you all a wonderful Christmas period and an inspiring new 2012.
Anton Meerkotter
