Category Archives: Rose News

Education, General interest, Rose News

RoseJet powers up Sri Lanka kids education with K2K

As the 2012 school year enters its final months, it’s time for Rose Charities Sri Lanka to begin implementing its K2K (Kid to Kid) or JET Scholarship Program for the 2013 school year. So far, 16 students from the Natpiddimunai, Annamalai, and Pandirupu areas have been identified as needing special help and support. These 16 students, ages 6-15, come from families which have been severely affected by tsunami, war, or other hardships. All are missing at least one parent, and all face great obstacles to receiving the basic necessity of a proper education.

Rose Charities has worked with community support workers, local public school administrators, and the divisional secretary’s office to identify those children with the greatest need. After background checks and verification was conducted by RCSL, 16 students and their families were brought together for a meeting on August 30th with Rose Charities Sri Lanka CEO Anthony Richard and Rose staff who implement this program. Each of these 16 students will receive continued financial and material support provided by generous overseas donors participating in the K2K program. Initially, this will include a school supply package consisting of pens, pencils, a geometry set, textbooks and exercise books, and a backpack. In addition, an educational savings account has been opened for eight of the older students with an initial deposit.

CEO Anthony Richard talked with the families about the importance of saving for a child’s educational future and of the great empowerment and success that can be attained with a quality education. He also stressed accountability for both students and parents in keeping Rose Charities up-to-date so that it can provide continued support, and in ensuring that the funds donated to the K2K program are making a real and lasting impact on children’s lives.

More information on the K2K program can be found here: http://roseeducation.wordpress.com/k2k/
We wish these students the best of luck as they enter the 2013 school year, and we look forward to many future successes!

Education, General interest, Health Education, Healthcare, Rose News

Cambodia Medical Elective program upgraded..

The PPSC Rose Medical Elective Program is newly established although Rose has had experience in providing a medical elective program in the past. Our star Surgeon, Dr Nous Sarom has moved to become the Head of Surgery at the Preah Mettokelea Surgical Centre (PPSC) at the Military Hospital in Phnom Penh. Dr Sarom has had a long history with Rose and we have adapted our program to follow this wonderful surgeon and teacher. The Program is now being administered by Ms Sophak Chim who has excellent organisational skills and fantastic written English. She is managing our complicated schedule and ensuring that students receive communication from Cambodia upon receiving their email enquiries. Obviously being a new program there will be teething problems but we hope that the program will evolve to be a leading elective program in Cambodia, especially with the assistance of great feedback from the students!  … read more…

General interest, Health Education, Rose News

Sight-saving truck for Cambodia: with love from NZ !

Rose Charities NZ has donated the funds for a truck to Rose Cambodia Eye/Sight Centre for their outreach program.  Collecting for the truck was primarily orchestrated by Mr Mike Webber, Optometrist and Rose Laureate 2009,  of Wanganui  who worked tirelessly to see the project through. In Mach 2012 a fundraser was held  (
http://www.wanganuichronicle.co.nz/news/truck-in-sight-after-eye-fundraiser/1293047/) which hosted over 110 people and, thanks to the Wanganui attendees,  raised over $NZ5000. The remainder was donated with huge generosity by a private NZ Foundation which specifically targets international projects which have outstanding cost effectiveness (as the Eye Centre does) .

The Rose Cambodia Sight Centre / Eye Clinc has now been operating since 1997, some 15 years (at the time of writing). It has treated well over 100,000 Cambodians the majority of who have been extremely poor, giving them free or low cost blindness preventing treatments or restoring sight mainly through cataract operations.
Many of the techniques for low cost eye surgery have historically been thanks to great New Zealanders such as Ray Avery or Fred Hollows so the centre carries on a  a long and distinguished NZ history
Rose Charities New Zealand’s relationship with the Cambodia Sight Centre was initiated by John Veale (Optometrist Christchurch) in the year 2000 who then introduced Mike Webber and Dr David Sabiston (retired). The three have spent over a decade working with Drs Hang (clinic co founder) and Natalia Vra suppling materials, equipment, and most importantly of all, their considerable expertise to help bring the clinic to the leading eye Centre it is today in Cambodia.
In recent years, outreach programs for village level screening and eye care promotion have played an increasingly important role. Some of the roads to the villages become almost impassable in the wet season so a strong vehicle is needed, both for access and to be able to return patients to the clinic.
The truck is a fantastic gift, so needed: it will be pivotal in the continuation and expansion of delivery of high quality eye care to poor Cambodians.   Thank you Wanganui and other generous donors !