24/10/2012
PDG ROGER HAYWARD FROM CANADA LIKES THE ROTARY CLUB OF NANSIO TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF UKEREWE
Dear Deus, I am not surprised by your email but lets try to move forward. I really appreciate the sacrifice that you personally are making to keep the Nansio club and the few other members in your club. We fully understand the lack of funds for people to be in Rotary. We also thank you all for wanting to improve your community. We are sorry you may not be getting sufficient support.
Having said that we Canadian Rotarians have had a similar situation in the Kilema area in 2010 but some how the current members have found a way to pay their dues know from their own funds.Many people came and went from the club in the early days . I think people in Kilema have the same problems with their incomes .It is also very poor and the overall population is about 300,000 people . There could be several reason for this but one for sure is that we have worked in the community for 7 years now .All the projects from 2010 onwards have been the Kilema Rotary club's projects . They have thought of the projects that will help their community to be better ( they have perhaps evened dreamed were they need to be in 10 years. ). They managed the projects themselves and provided much of the labour free from within the community and had the benefit of the final result.
Everything since 2010 is sustainable which means it is not international aid and not just a gift that you din;t ask for . So many straight gifts to the developing world have just been a waist of money because it was us western guys who thought you should have these projects. The projects are thought of by the Rotarians in Kilema and all the money has come form the Canadian Rotarians and the Rotary Foundation. The money that has been spent is over $150,000 USF in the last 2 years . The free labour on the construction projects would be of value of over $50,000 USF. The value of the hospital equipment projects would if new be over $1,000,000 USF.
I am not going to go on about these issues except to say that I think there are probably at least 10 to 15 people on the Island that could afford to Rotarians . When we met with you last January I would have said that there were close to that many people at that special meeting that could have formed this core of people . Rotarians leave their political and religious views at home when they are doing Rotary work. Everybody has a an equal say and only one vote. Deus I like you leadership and openness. I think you can bring this Rotary together.
All for now
Roger
