A Huge Multi-Club Effort for Taveuni Island
Otumoetai President Nola gave an excellent outline of the club project, and the work of the team that went to Vuna Village onTaveuni Island.The journey started in 2014, when the club had the project, but no funds for it. In2015 options were identified, one of which was for the club to be the lead club, and to try and raise money in Districts 9930 and 9920 from other clubs as project partners.
In April/May 2015 a Project Prospectus was drawn up, and approved by the board. At the 2015 District Conference, Nola set up a stand to promote the project and handed out eighteen copies of the prospectus – which resulted in just one partner.
Personalised messages, and the prospectus, were then sent to thePresident-elects of the two districts, setting out that we needed partners.The end result was that partners were found in the Rotary Clubs of Auckland East, Remuera, St John, and Kihikihi. Two members of the Rotary Club of Cambridge offered to be volunteers. Businesses Plumbing World, Tauranga Hardware and Plumbing, and Kiwispout came on board financially and with volunteers.In addition, our club obtained a District Grant, the volunteers decided to pay their own ways, and one member of the club underwrote the cost of the project. A sum of $26350 was raised in funds.
The Project entered the communication and planning stages, and then Cyclone Winston struck. When the team arrived on site, they found a scene of devastation, with 65-70% of the houses gone, and many people living under canvas.
The team was Greg Gascoigne and Bill Wilson from Cambridge Rotary, volunteers David Geary, Craig and Roberta McCord, and members and partners Nola & Barry, Keith and Christine, and John Butt from our club.Due to the circumstances the work schedule had been disrupted, and when everybody arrived, it was a case of thinking, working outside of the square, and just getting the job done. While the team worked, Christine kept them supported with food, and did a great job as cook. One afternoon some Fijian women turned up with afternoon tea that they had prepared for the team. When Nola asked them why they had done this, the response was, “I love Rotary and Rotarians”. Seven years before, when one of the lady’s son had been ill, Rotary had brought them to New Zealand, to Star Ship Hospital he was treated for five months until he was well.
There was no reticulated water to supply the toilet block. There is now a means to collect the water, and it is pumped into the facility with superb water pressure.
The team worked until the last hour of the last day. The work didn’t quite get completed, and a team of Fijians carried on after they had left. Rotary Taveuni our wonderful host club, provided a local team of workers who finished the mission, and there had been an official opening. The accounts are still being done. There has been offshoots of the project already. Roberta McCord and Zonta have raised more funds, which are going towards soap dispensers and supplies of soap for the toilets. Today the Rotary Club of Cambridge gave $5000 to go to the school.Keith reported on how when they arrived, they saw seven Rotary Shelter Box tents in the village. They were fulfilling a real and genuine need, and it was great to see them deployed in Vuna village.
Farewell at the airport onTaveuini Island – John, Geoffrey Amos, Father Michael McVerry, and Nola