Giving Power to Girls

Shirley Mabasa is an investment banker who works for First Avenue Investment Management in Sandton and is also passionate about The First Avenue Institute, which aims to stimulate interest in the fields of science, technology, engineering and maths for less privileged schoolgirls.
     Shirley was the speaker at the meeting last week and told us that she was part of a team of 3 professors and 20 young girls who visited Johannesburg for a week under the auspices of the University of Johannesburg and the University of New Hampshire in the USA.

Shirley Mabasa and Linda Vink

     Her manager, Hlelo Giyose, who founded First Avenue, studied in New Hampshire during his parents' exile in the apartheid years. He subsequently worked at HSBC in America, and then at Investec and other financial institutions in South Africa before founding First Avenue.
     The process begins when UJ identifies young girls who have an aptitude for science and maths and compiles a short list from whom the final 20 are chosen.

Carol Stier, Julian Nagy and Helene Bramwell all paying attention to the speaker

     The idea is to try to make the programme as interesting as possible so that the children don't just hear about engineering and the world of science, but experience it first hand with visits to motor manufacturing plants like Ford, companies like Siemens, the Sci-Bono exhibition and and aeroplane factory on the East Rand.
     They also do team building exercises during the week.
     The club agreed that a way should be found to keep track with the girls to help them eventually ease into the business world once they have qualified and a number of members expressed interest in facilitating this.

David Grant visited the club to speak about their upcoming End Polio Now fundraiser 

Dates to Diarise
     The Rotary year has ended and the new team for the year 2019-2020 is waiting in the wings. First up is the board meeting on Friday at 4.30 pm at the Parkview Golf Club. It will be the last board meeting of President Linda Vink's term before the induction of Judy Sligcher as the new president on Saturday, July 20th. As usual everyone is welcome to attend the board meeting.
     The induction is a breath of fresh mountain air with a visit to the Nyoka Vulture Restaurant in the Magaliesberg.

Cape vultures feeding on a carcass

     Plan to arrive at the Vulture Restaurant before the feeding starts after about 9.30 am. There will be tea, coffee and rusks and muffins from 9.00 am.
     After the feeding, outgoing President Linda Vink will give a brief report, followed by a short talk by Rotarian John Wesson, who is chairman of the Northern Areas Region of the Wildlife Society of SA.
     This will lead into Judy's induction and her address to the club. Once the formalities have been dispensed with, the braai fires will be lit.
     The cost is R150 per person (children under 12 are free).
     Please bring your own drinks, chairs, cameras and binoculars.
     Google Maps or Waze will get you there, just enter Nyoka Vulture Restaurant to do the search.
     Planning is well under way, so please reply by Monday, 15th July to indicate that you're attending.
     Please do try to attend and feel free to bring along family and friends.

     On Friday, 19th July there is a fundraising dinner in aid of the Rotary International End Polio Now campaign where clubs can raise funds for the campaign and enjoy a night of entertainment at the Balalaika Hotel in Sandton.
     Helene Bramwell has already booked a corporate table and New Dawn has indicated that we'll also take a table. For every table of 10 sold, the organisers will donate R1000 to the End Polio Now campaign in the name of the club. This is matched by a further donation of R2000 by the Bill and Malinda Gates Foundation.
     Please let Joan Donet know if you're attending, as we have to sell 10 places at the table.
     The details are on the flyer above.
     Please also note that the annual visit by the incoming District Governor, Maurice Stander, will take place on Wednesday, 18th September.
     A Thought for the Week: Just think of the tragedy of teaching children not to doubt. - Clarence Darrow (1857 - 1938)