Everyone was riveted by her talk. If we are not careful initiatives like hers will be consigned to the dustbin of history and not remembered in years to come.
We also had another banner added to our collection from Ambassadorial Scholar Lina Saintus of the Rotary Club of Deerwood. It is always great to have her with us and I had to receive the banner in the absence of President Jankees and Immediate Past President Graham......that was a pleasure. As you can see, I look up to her!
Malaria Project
Here is the Rotary Group who attended the launch of Yvonne Chaka Chaka's "African Journey". It really was an amazing hour long film of her experiences as a UNICEF Ambassador for Malaria & HIV/AIDS. Yvonne has the ability to stand back and act as a facilitator so that she was not the star of the show; it was the woman in Zambia who travels around local villages on her son's bicycle educating local people, the nurse in Sierra Leone, the young HIV Positive girl at school near Rustenburg....these are the stars of the film.Ithemba Rape & Trauma Support Centre
Debbie Smith has kindly arranged Rose Maja, the Community Awareness Officer of the Ithemba Rape & Trauma Centre to talk to us this week as the Business Meeting will only be next week owing to our President discussing Desert Chickens with wealthy Sheiks!
The iThemba Rape & Trauma Support Centre was originally established in 2004. As a registered Non-Profit Organisation (NPO number: 049-275), based in Gauteng, South Africa, we provide Counselling and Therapy for victims of rape and trauma.
VISION: To empower, support and assist survivors of violence and sexual trauma through the process of healing and reconciliation in our community.
MISSION: To offer support to people affected by trauma. To enable a process of advocacy for these people. To educate and raise awareness about trauma in our community.
Four Days Of Hell At iThemba Rape And Trauma Support Centre (In Benoni, East Rand)
As we move towards the World Trauma Day on the 17th October, one becomes acutely aware of the need to continue fighting for the rights of victims and to raise an awareness of the effect of trauma. Regardless of how much effort we put into preventing crime, sexual violence will always be with us.
This past weekend was a weekend of hell at the iThemba rape and trauma support centre;between Friday and Monday our centre assisted with 12 cases. Friday evening started with a 61 year old lady who had been raped and stabbed and needed to be admitted to hospital, the first of four rape cases who were so brutally raped they all needed to be referred to a hospital for further medical treatment.
One of the four referred could barely walk she had been so badly violated, a mother of three children who now need someone else to look after them. Our youngest victim being a four year old rape victim also needed to go to hospital for reconstructive surgery whilst our oldest victim was a 70 year old lady who was gang-raped in her own home. The list could go on: a 13 year mentally challenged child, an 11 year old raped, a 12 year old raped by a family member, there was even a male rape who had also been severely assaulted and stabbed. The only good news our staff had from police was that there were three arrests made this weekend.
Philip Stoneman, director of iThemba stated: ” We may not stop rape, but we can ensure that effective systems are implemented to respond timously and effectively to victims of sexual violence, offering rape victims physical and emotional support so that they feel safe enough to come forward and report the rape to the police or at various rape crisis centres.We also need to make certain that the forensic examination of these rape victims is of a such a high standard, that when the police do arrest the perpetrator, we are certain of putting them away for a long time!”
Rotary Youth Exchange
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As a Rotary Youth Exchange student, you’ll spend up to a year living with host families and attending school in a different country.
Whether you participate in Rotary’s long-term or short-term Youth Exchange programs, you’ll learn a new way of living, a great deal about yourself, and maybe even a new language. You’ll also be an ambassador, teaching people you meet about your country, culture, and ideas. You can help bring the world closer – and make some good friends in the process.
For over 75 years, students and host families have broadened their horizons through Rotary Youth Exchange. More than 80 countries and over 8,000 students each year participate in the program, which is administered at the regional level by Rotary districts and at the local level by Rotary clubs.Globally minded
Rotary clubs are made up of volunteers who are involved in community service, emphasize high ethical standards, and work toward peace and understanding in the world. Over 1.2 million Rotarians in more than 32,000 clubs create the extensive network that provides support for Youth Exchange.
A commitment to youth
Rotary maintains a strong connection to youth and young adults. Besides Youth Exchange, Rotary clubs sponsor youth service clubs such as Interact , Rotaract , and RYLA and offer career development and mentoring programs.
Rotary is committed to creating and maintaining the safest possible environment for all participants in its programs, including Youth Exchange.
Low costs
Rotary club volunteers administer the program at the local level, which helps keep costs low for students and their families. These volunteers often offer years of experience with students, host families, and fellow Rotarians who are involved in the program.
“What a wonderful opportunity I was given, from both the Rotary club and my family, to spread my wings, taste the culture, and live the life.”
– U.S. exchange student to Australia
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