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Africa, Education, General interest, Music, Arts and Crafts, Women focused programs

End-Violence-Against-Women Day 25 November (UN) . ‘Tekawo Enjawulo’ .. a song to help make it every day ..

November 25th is the annual United Nations International Day to end violence against Women. To mark this event, Rose Charities and Uganda’s Talent Africa Group are launching the Brighter Smiles Africa music video ‘Tekawo Enjawulo’ (“We can make it better you and I”).

The goal of ‘Tekawo Enjawulo’ is to raise awareness and promote dialogue to help end the silence and indifference that surrounds sexual violence against girls. The song presents the perspective of Ugandan youth on the issues they face. Sexual and gender-related violence against girls is a global epidemic recognized by WHO and UNICEF to require urgent action through innovative solutions. In much of Africa, more than half the women report being victimized in their lifetime, and in Uganda one in three girls currently experience some form of sexual violence.

The words of ‘Tekawo Enjawulo’ highlight the four issues
seen as most pressing by youth in Uganda.
* Early child marriage and teenage pregnancies
* Sexual advances from older men
(transgenerational sex)
* Abuse of power by teachers in schools
(demands for sexual favors for favorable marks)
* Undue pressure from boys for sex

The song featured in the Brighter Smiles Africa music video was recorded by a group of leading female artists and premiered as the theme song at the Brave Girls Festival in Uganda on Oct 11th (The ‘Day of the girl child’). Some of the girls who contributed words for the song were also showcased at the event which was thrilling for them. The video has been produced to combine great entertainment with elements of health promotion and will be widely available through free downloads. This means the words of the song (and the advice it contains) will be heard across Uganda, especially by young people. A promotional campaign on national TV and radio will also use broadcasts with phone in discussion hosted by leading Ugandan women to promote dialogue and raise awareness of the need for change in Ugandan society.

General interest

Vijayadashami at 10, Hospital Lane, Kalmunai

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Vijayadashami, is one of the most important Hindu festivals celebrated in Srilanka. The day marks the victory of Goddess Durga over the demon. The Goddess fought with evils for nine nights and ten days. The name Vijayadashami is also derived from the Sanskrit words “Vijaya-dashami”, literally meaning the victory on the dashami (Dashmi being the tenth lunar day of the Hindu calendar month). The Ayudha Pooja ritual is also on Vijayadashami where the equipments and gears are kept for puja.
The staffs at Rose Charities Srilanka, Rose Lanka Microcredit and Rose Medicare have celebrated the day with joy.

General interest

Vidyarambham at Domino’s Preschool

12106891_10153585765980325_6851403777853372346_n 1546262_10153585766095325_4316343337827744128_n 12118896_10153585766490325_4234640131990001764_n 12109137_10153585769645325_5933797781957129615_n 10441131_10153585767100325_3165986483326853647_nVidyarambham is a Hindu tradition observed on the Vijayadasami day of Navaratri. Children are formally introduced to literacy. The word “Vidyarambam” is derived from the Sanskrit language which means “the beginning of literacy”. The tenth and final day of the Navaratri is is considered auspicious for beginning learning in any field.

The ceremony of Vidyarambham (Vidya means “knowledge”, arambham means “beginning’) for children is held in schools, temples and in houses. It is common practice and today took place at the Domino’s Preschool. Two Kids were initiated into learning by Mr.Ngarajah, a well respected former Principal.

Events, General interest, Healthcare, Rose News

Busy Rose Charities Malaysia… !

Events for 2014
java-map4D/3N Trip to ROSE Shelter in Bandung!

Date: 23rd to 26th Sept 2014
Activity: Visiting ROSE Shelter

ROSE Charities Malaysia will be visiting Bandung Rose Shelter in West Java, Indonesia. Provisions and assistance will be provided….

Members, Volunteers & Friends are invited. For more details, kindly contact: Mr. Lawrence (C/P: 012 4882419)

Cost: Ground arrangement (RM650) including airport transfers, hill resort hotel accommodation, all meals, sightseeing and self-funded shopping spree!

Flight Options:
MAS RM650 (Penang -> KL -> Jakarta & return) or
Air Asia RM950 (Penang -> KL -> Bandung & return)

 

Visiting Orang Asli Camp

Date: Sunday, 12th October 2014
Activity: Health Screening at Orang Asli Camp
ROSE Charities Malaysia partner with Lions Club to carry out regular bi-annually Health Screening event at the camp in Tapah,Perak. Families will also be receiving Provisions and Clothing, besides Food and Beverages provided.

 

Festive Celebration! ( Deepavali aka Festival of Lights)

Date: Sunday 19th October 2014
Activity: Children’s Day Out

ROSE Charities Malaysia will be inviting 200 underprivileged children to a Fun-fill gathering to celebrate Deepavali, including games and other activities and goodies!
pg-funicular-rail
Seniors’ Day Out (International Day for the Elderly):

Date: Monday, 3rd Nov 2014
Activity: A day Trip up Penang Hill

In conjunction with International Day for the Elderly, Rose Charities Malaysia will be hosting 500 Seniors on a half day trip to experience a Ride on new Penang Hill Blue Funicular Train (1st generation was the wooden train and 2nd generation was red-and-white train)

Guests of Honor including The Governor of Penang and his consort, The Chief Minister and spouse will be among other State VIPs attending the event.
children_of_the_world
Children’s Day Party ( Universal Children’s Day)

Date: Sunday, 7th Dec 2014
Activity: Grand Party @ Penang Sports Club

ROSE Charities Malaysia will be celebrating Universal Children’s Day together with 1000 children from various Charitable Homes.
Children are the Future of Nation and the Citizens of Tomorrow!

 

Members Yet?

No problem, Volunteers or Friends of Members/Volunteers are all Welcome!

If you are interested in any of the above event, Please do not hesitate to contact any of the following:

rosecharities.malaysia@gmail.com

gimsanlee168@gmail.com

lawrence2419@gmail.com
Continue reading Busy Rose Charities Malaysia… ! →

General interest

Smiles Uganda Fundraiser – For the Children of Uganda ” The more fun you have here, the more Smiles you’ll give there”

 

**Rose Charities Canada would like to invite you to our annual Smiles Uganda fundraiser!**

This year it will be held on Saturday, September 13, 2014, at the False Creek Yacht Club located at 1661 Granville Street, Vancouver BC.

Each year this event is organized to support 53 impoverished children in Kampala, Uganda. Smiles Uganda provides school fees to allow these children access to education they would not have otherwise. Over the last five years, the Smiles Uganda initiative has raised over $50,000 for school fees and we are VERY proud to share that our first graduate, Amos Alwa, has enrolled in Kyambogo University specializing in civil engineering! This would not be possible without your support! He is an amazing example of what we can do to change lives, just by having fun!

Smiles Uganda is run entirely by volunteers, so your donations go directly to benefit these incredibly worthy kids!

This years’ fundraiser promises to be the best one yet! We will be hosting it at the False Creek Yacht Club – beautiful views and sunset so come early and stay late! This year we will feature a live African musician, a top DJ from Republic night club, silent auction items, lots of hors d’oeuvres, and cheap drinks. Tickets are only $50!

If you find it difficult to attend this event, you can still help these kids by donating funds on line and/or contacting us to donate an item or service to our silent auction. We greatly appreciate all donations and auction items and make sure corporate sponsors are recognized for their support. As a registered Canadian Charity we also provide Canadian Charitable Tax Receipts.

You can buy tickets or donate via the website below:

Smiles sponsored students
Smiles sponsored students

Please extend this invitation to your friends, family and colleagues or feel free to bring a group!

****The more fun you have, the more smiles we can provide!****

 

Meeting updates

2010 NZ AGM Highlights

The 2010 Rose Charities NZ was held on 2 October at Pip and Bill’s place on Waiheke Island. The following notes are a summary of the the main points emerging from the meeting.

  • We have a new trustee, nominated by Mike Webber, Heather Richardson. Heather is a specialist theatre nurse  who has worked a lot with Mike at Wanganui Hospital. (The microscope that went to Cambodia in March this year was her “baby”  for 10 years.)  She is also a Rotarian. She lives in Marton.  She has had experience conducting nursing training for ophthalmology in Fiji.  We are lucky to have her join our team.
  • We are applying for accreditation with MFAT / NZ AID for NZ contestable NGO funds.
  • CAMBODIA: Planning for the year ahead:  A very valuable ($100,00 new) Phaco machine has been donated to Rose for the Cambodian clinic from St Georges Southern Cross Hospital in Christchurch. It will be packed and crated by Agility Logistics, as happened with the microscope sent in March this year, and will be sent up to Phnom Penh early next year.  It is proposed to ask Dr Basant Sharma of Nepal, who uses exactly the same instrument at the Lumbini Eye Institute, to go to PP to oversee the installation and training of staff.  Rose will need to pay for this. Trustee John Veale may also be going up to Cambodia with the machine.
  • Note: since the AGM another machine has been donated to use from Wanganui.  Mike is very excited about this, as it can be used for field work and early detection of problems  that lead to blindness.  It too will be packed and shipped up and of course Rose will be paying for this.
  • Mike Webber and John Veale are discussing a future laser machine for the PP clinic, which Rose would have to purchase.
  • Future plans for possible projects in Cambodia would involve outreach work, to reach people in the country. Possibly a new clinic might be established; a van for outreach work, to get doctors and nurses to eye camps, might be considered (about $US 10,000 would have to be raised.)
  • NEPAL:  Trish Gribben is  going to visit Basant Sharma at the Lumbini Eye Institute around November 22, and will report back after that. Basant, who came to New Zealand  for three weeks two years ago, says that outreach work has been on hold while the political situation is very unstable.  He will be taking Trish to a village where an outreach clinic could be a good possibility.  The group I am travelling with is being led by Dr John McKinnon, a retired ophthalmologist who was the first doctor in Ed Hillary’s first hospital in Nepal, 45 years ago.
  • PACIFIC:  Mike Webber reported that eye care in the Pacific is well covered by the Fred Hollows Foundation, so it is not a priority for Rose.
  • Rose sent a grief and trauma counsellor to Samoa after the tsunami, Liese Groot-Alberts. Her work was so well received that she was asked to return six times this year, and OXFAM have supported her to do that. However, a need for PALLIATIVE care in Samoa has been identified and Liese has been asked to conduct training workshops for doctors and nurses to get this started. Rose is very keen to help her do that. We understand that there is a huge burden placed on families when a terminally ill patient is sent to NZ for treatment and dies here. The emotional and financial cost to families can be life changing.
  • In New Zealand we have confirmed donations to two new refugee support groups in Auckland and Christchurch, to help with family reunification; a women’s group within the Tamil community in Auckland; and the Champion Centre which gives early intervention for children with multiple disabilities.
New Zealand

Earthquake in Christchurch

What a contrast between the chaos and destruction caused by the Haiti earthquake (7.0) and that of the shallower and stronger Christchurch quake (7.1). Haiti: over 200,000 dead. Christchurch: no deaths. Haiti: 300,000 seriously injured, Christchurch: two seriously injured. There are other such contrasting statistics relating to the numbers of homes and buildings destroyed, people displaced and children orphaned. A major contributing factor to the differences must be that the quake in Haiti occurred at 21:53 while people were still out and about and the Christchurch quake occurred at 04:35 so most people were in their homes. However, these startling contrasts must stand testament to the stringent building codes and practices enforced in Christchurch. Haiti continues to receive much needed international aid including aid from Rose Charities but perhaps aid is also need to improve and maintain their building standards and practices.

General interest

Haiti to get Container of Medical Supplies

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In addition to sending medics to Haiti, Rose Charities Canada and Rose USA have, today, dispatched a large 40 ft container full of medical equipment and supplies all of which are to help resestablish the School of Nursing and the pediatric ward of the general hospital in Port-au-Prince.  Most of this equipment was donated by Medwish International Ohio and the remainder bought with funds raised by Rose Charities Canada and Rose USA. Some examples of supplies are: beds, cots, neo-natal monitoring equipment, syringes.

General interest

Haiti Relief Emergency Response

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While in Vancouver I observed a lot of work going on to continue efforts to help Haiti. In this case the focus was the School of Nursing which was completely destroyed during the earthquake killing 74 young nursing students. Rose Charities Canada and Rose USA  combined their efforts  initially to send medical staff – nurses and pediatricians. These medics on the spot were able to identify  specific needs for equipment and training all of which were desperately needed.

General interest

Rose meeting in garden in Vancouver

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Rose Canada Meeting in gardenThis is a photo taken by Pip Neville- Barton, a Rose Charities NZ Trustee. She was at a meeting of Rose Canada volunteers who were discussing the project in Sri Lanka. Last year Rose Charities Sri Lanka received a generous grant from a Swiss foundation. This is helping develop education projects at all levels – ranging from pre-school to university – in Kalmunai which was devastated in the tsunami. The great thing about the project is that it is run by the community itself.

In the photo – (viewers right to left), Josephine de Freitas,  (back to camera), William Grut, Linda Roberts, Yoga Yogendran, Bill Johnston, and Gail Belcher.

New Zealand

Auckland theatre Star Jennifer Ward-Lealand boosts Rose Charities fundraiser

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The star of the Auckland theatre scene, Jennifer Ward-Lealand, welcomed guests to a Rose Charities NZ fundraising night with Silo Theatre during their season of Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins. She is pictured with Rose NZ chairperson, Trish Gribben.

The musical black comedy, which received rave reviews, was followed by a soiree where hand-woven silk scarves from Cambodia were sold to raise money for the Rose Eye Clinic in Phnom Penh. By a stroke of lucky timing, Jennifer herself had visited Cambodia with her family, returning only four days before the event. “I couldn’t believe the poverty we saw there,” she told the 100 people gathered.

Rose Charities NZ’s patron, Dame Silvia Cartwright, was also in the news the same week, as a member of the international war crimes tribunal which announced its first verdict on Dutch, the notorious torturer and killer of Tuol Sleng prison.

Around 60 scarves were sold from a table which carried a photograph of patients waiting at the clinic and a sign saying: Buy a scarf and give a stranger in Phnom Penh an eye operation. $40 — the scarves have been donated; all proceeds go to the clinic.

The event raised nearly $4000 which is sufficient to restore sight to 160 poor blind Cambodians