Q: What’s your situation there now?
Stebljanko: I’m now living in Odesa.
It’s the third most populist city on the southwest of Ukraine,
an important port city on the Black Sea coast.
Currently, there’s no military action here yet,
but we live under the constant threat of bombs and missiles.
Often, air raid sirens will wake us up in the middle of the night.
We must get up and hide in a safe place.
You know, in my apartment, the safest place is the bathroom.
We huddle together and spend the rest of the night there.
Occasionally, we experienced a few rocket attacks,
but most of the time, it’s a
safe place.
Most of the military actions now centre around Kyiv,
the capital of Ukraine, and Kharkiv.
More than a dozen smaller cities are also under attack.
The city of Mariupol in the Southeast of Ukraine is under siege.
More than 2,500 civilians have died there and close
to 400,000 people are trapped in the city.
The Russian army stopped anyone from escaping.
Many
are without electricity, water, and heat.
Q: What is happening with Rotary clubs
in Ukraine?
Stebljanko: There are 62 Rotary clubs in Ukraine.
At the moment, only the Rotary Club of Kherson
has temporarily suspended meetings because the city
is now under the control of the Russian military.
I recently spoke with a Rotarian there.
None of them are able to escape and are trapped inside the city.
They no longer meet or do any projects for fear of personal safety.
Our district governor sent a letter of support
to all the Rotarians in Kherson.
Other Rotary clubs continue to operate and are trying
their best to conduct Rotary services.
We have created a special committee to coordinate help.
Each club has a representative on the committee
and we meet online twice a day to discuss issues
that are facing our clubs.
Q: What kind of relief projects are
Ukraine clubs doing?
Stebljanko:
Our Rotary
services fall into the following three areas:
§ To provide help to our hospitals, where a large number
of wounded civilians are being treated.
They are in dire need of medical supplies.
We have set up a special account and have received about
US$100,000 from Rotary clubs and districts from around the world.
We have already purchased and distributed medicine and equipment.
We also have been approved for two disaster response grants.
§ To coordinate humanitarian aid. Rotary clubs and districts
are sending humanitarian aid via trucks, ships, and air carriers.
We are rebuilding Rotary’s humanitarian hubs along the
Ukraine borders with Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania.
They have received all of the supply items and
sent them across the border to our cities.
Then, we have different hubs inside Ukraine near the
border regions where Rotarians distribute this humanitarian help
to the cities that are in dire need of help.
Most of the items are clothes, food,
and medicine.
§ To help families of Rotarians who want to leave the country.
We have received many requests from Rotarians in Europe and America,
who would like to
host our family members and relatives.
Q: Why don’t you leave Ukraine?
Stebljanko: I’m already a refugee.
I lived in Simferopol, the capital of Crimea for 40 years.
But in 2015, I had to leave my native city because of the
Russian annexation of Crimea.
So, my wife, Olga and I moved to Odesa.
We felt our move to Ukraine would keep us safe.
When people asked us why we do not want to leave Odesa
and go outside Ukraine, I always answer:
we were forced to leave our motherland once in 2015.
We don’t want to leave our country again.
We are Ukrainians and
we would like to stay in Ukraine.
Q: What’s your message to the Rotary
clubs around the world?
Stebljanko: On behalf of Rotarians in Ukraine,
I would like to say a big thank you to all our Rotary fellows
who have helped us in Ukraine.
It means a lot to us during this difficult time in our country’s history.
At the same time, I would like to appeal to Rotary people
to lobby their governments and push for peace.
We are
grateful for our friends around the world who are helping us.
Wojciech
Wrzecionkowski is in Olsztyn,
Poland.
·
Governor in action 
governor
in action
My Rotary Club Olsztyn organized a convoy with the help of Ukraine
and
we will take back 100 refugees from Lviv.
Thank you all for your commitment 
Thanks to DG Elect Ric McDonald and John Stockbridge
(for RAWCS) for their assistance in our acquiring this grant.
Club members PDG Ray Hirst and Bill Hollingworth also deserve
much thanks for their efforts in applying for the grant,
setting up the contact with BlazeAid and their volunteers
(who will do the hard work),
and communicating with the Denmark Shire Council
through Lee Sounness (Manager Corporate Services)
to determine the needs of property owners following
the
extensive bush fire damage recently.
John Lightfoot, from our club, will be volunteering
to work as part of BlazeAid.
And we invite any able-bodied Rotarians who can spend
some time here to contact
BlazeAid directly to volunteer their service.
Thank you
This is the RAWCS press release:
Albany Port Grant
Rotary replaces up to 70
kilometres of burnt farm fencing.
The Rotary Club of Albany Port successfully applied for $100,000 from the
RAWCS Rotary Australia Relief
Fund (RARF)®
After recent Bushfires in Denmark, Blazeaid advised that some 54 properties
have been affected and materials are required to replace between
50 and 70 kilometres of fencing at a
cost of $10000 / $15000 per kilometre.
Substantial work has already been done by The Rotary Club of Albany Port
to properly determine the
cost of fencing materials.
The dispersal of materials will be coordinated with the Shire of Denmark
and The Department of Communities to ensure eligibility,
and Rotary will work closely with BlazeAid
to oversee the project
and to ensure completion.
RAWCS - Rotary Australia
World Community Service
Rotary Powers the Bush During Fire Emergencies
RAWCS in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Katanning has approved a grant
of $96,000 to provide a 500KVA generator for the township.
This grant comes from funds collected through
RAWCS Rotary Australia
Relief Fund (RARF)®.
An all agency debrief from a bush fire that impacted
the town site of Katanning Feb 2020
highlighted the issue of not having an independent power supply in an emergency
to the Katanning Leisure Centre, which
is the primary welfare centre for the town.
The generator will power all facilities at the Katanning Leisure Centre
including the 2 ovals and sheds
. The sheds are included in our “Animals In Emergency Welfare Plan”
and will be utilised during
an emergency to house family pets and livestock.
The Local Emergency Management Committee risk register highlights
the loss of power to the area for an extended length of time as an “Extreme Risk”.
The Risk Register was completed 2 years ago to identify risks in the community
and rate the risks in priority.
The Local Emergency Management Committee work
through the risk register
and implement strategies
that will reduce the risk.
A 500KVA generator connected to the Katanning Leisure Centre
will increase the efficiency of the centre, giving community members
a safe place to reside during an emergency.
This could be an impact from a bush fire, flood or storm as Bush fire
and flood have both impacted our community in the past 5 years.
The Centre will also be available to be used in a heatwave event if power was to be lost
to the town or air conditioning was not available for residents.
Having the ability to support local families including the elderly
and very young assists with reduce stress levels.
For 70 years the Rotary Club of Manjimup has been contributing to the community
and it has been an enjoyable and eventful period for the members
who have participated over this period.
History The club was granted charter on February 23, 1952,
only 23 days after the formation meeting was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Bunbury.
Charter night was held on April 26 with 188 Rotarians
from around the State in attendance,
and the first general meeting was held on May 5, 1952.
The club’s first president was Dr Bill Williams and the Manjimup club was
the 13th Rotary club in District 34 (now 9465),
which at the time covered all of Western Australia.
Over the years, the club has been involved in many major and
diverse community events and projects.
Just two years after formation, the club adopted the establishment
of the Warren Youth Centre in honour
of Rotary International’s golden anniversary in 1954.
The centre, built on the old Manjimup Primary School site,
was a major project and began a fundraising campaign
that lasted into the 1960s.
The centre was demolished, along with the school, in 2010.
The Rotary Club of Manjimup was approached by the Apex Club of Bunbury
to help form an Apex Club in Manjimup,
which happened when the Apex Club of Manjimup received its charter
on November 19, 1955.
In 2008 the club sponsored the formation of the Probus Club of Manjimup
as a social club for retirees in the district.
The development of Moonya Lodge was initiated
as a major community project in 1967.
Management of Moonya was later taken over by Baptist care.
The Rotary Club of Manjimup held district conferences
in 1964, 1988 and 2010.
All of the conferences were well attended,
with more than 400 people at each,
and were used as a tool to promote the region and its produce.
In 1987 club members helped set up St John Ambulance at the
Manjimup Airport Terminal and also donated $3000.
Other donations included $4000 towards the sealing of a 200m airstrip extension
to enable the Royal Flying Doctor Service to land at night.
In 1988, the club’s project was the construction of Manjimup’s southern entry arch
. The club was contracted to rebuild Manjimup’s northern entry arch
when it was badly damaged in 1998,
and 1999’s major project was the installation of lighting to highlight the arch.
Projects In its 70 years, the Rotary Club of Manjimup has taken
on many projects to cater for a range of demographics.
For youth, the club has been involved in training programs through
the Rotary Youth Program of Enrichment and the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards.
For many years the club has been involved in the Rotary Exchange Student program.
The club’s involvement began in 1971 with Gail Dunns
(nee Sherman) as the first student from the region to travel overseas,
spending a year in Oklahoma in the US as a Rotary and Australian ambassador.
Other youth-focused programs the club supports include
sponsoring students to attend the National Youth Science Forum in Canberra
and sponsoring students to attend Santos Science programs
at their nominated university.
Other areas of support include Blackwood Youth Action.
Support has been significantly increased to meet the increased costs
of the program’s expansion into Manjimup
and a scholarship and book awards program as the club continues
to offer scholarships to students at Kearnan College
and Manjimup Senior High School and book awards to the schools
in Manjimup and Pemberton
. Wine show In 2005, the Rotary Club of Manjimup celebrated
Rotary International’s centenary by establishing the
Timber Towns Regional Wine Show,
now the RSM Southern Forests & Valleys Wine Show
. Its aim was to promote wines and producers from the Manjimup,
Pemberton and
Blackwood Valley
In 2021 the show invited producers from the Frankland region
to become part of the event and judging.
The wines are judged by a panel of accredited judges
from within the State and interstate.
An awards presentation dinner is held featuring the producers’ wines
and the region’s quality produce.
This year the 18th event will be held on September 16.
The committee, comprising club members, producers
and the naming sponsor, is looking forward to another successful event.
The event has generated more than $80,000, with the funds
used for the club’s projects, both locally and internationally.
Calendar The Rotary Club of Manjimup’s community services calendar
was introduced in 1979 and has since been named the
Manjimup Community Calendar
. In its 43 years, this project has raised more than $200,000
for the club’s range of projects.
The calendar continues to receive strong support from the business community,
with 2000 copies printed and distributed to the public through
several of these businesses.
Local projects The Manjimup Rotary Club, with the support of the Shire,
has installed several well-used bench seats in the town centre
and other locations for the convenience and use of the public.
The club was involved in the development of the aged accommodation
at Dunreath Cottages and continues to support the cottages,
most recently donating funding for CCTV cameras for the cottages.
A “thank you” seat in Coronation Park was a project taken on by the club
to celebrate Manjimup’s centenary in 2009.
The seat has plaques that list the many ethnic groups that have been
an integral part of the development and growth of the Manjimup region,
and still to thrive there today.
In conjunction with the Shire of Manjimup, the club started
the Anne McKay Address,
where successful women and guest speakers talk about their lives,
careers, and leaderships.
Speakers have included Julie Shuttleworth, Professor Lyn Beazley,
former Police Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan,
and former leader of the WA Liberal Party Liza Harvey.
A wheelchair was donated to the Aqua Centre for people
to be able to access the therapy pool there.
The club also supports the Manjimup Shire language program,
which offers resources to help in the delivery of an
English language program to recent immigrants to the region.
The Manjimup Family Centre shade sails project saw club donations
contribute to the replacement of the shade sails.
State, national and international projects
Over many years the club has undertaken fundraising activities
to support the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Cancer Council WA.
The End Polio Now program is a Rotary International project
which continues to be supported by the club as it recognises
the importance of the program and its humanitarian benefits.
The club is among many supporters, including the Bill Gates Foundation.
In conjunction with the Rotary Club of Kwinana,
the club is supporting projects to deliver clean, potable water
to vulnerable communities and villages in Timor Leste.
The Rotary International & Rotary Relief sees annual donations
from the club go towards relief projects both within Australia and overseas
that are identified by Rotary International as regions requiring their support.
The Shelter Box initiative has also been a beneficiary of the club for many years.
This worthy project helps people and regions that are affected
by natural disasters and conflicts.
New members Recently, the club welcomed three new members,
Lynn Daubney, Lynette Alvins and Kevin Wintergreene,
bringing the membership to 23.
Bolghinup Hut One of the local, long-term projects
a passionate group of club members is undertaking
is the preservation of the Bolghinup Hut.
The club was approached by community members to offer support
and assistance to ensure this part of our farming history was preserved.
Thus, the Friends of the Bolghinup Hut group was formed
and now has 100 members who all have an interest in preserving
this historical hut and telling the story of the farmers of the region
who drove their cattle to coastal areas to access summer feed for their animals.
“In all these activities and programs, the club members
have received overwhelming support from their partners and the community,’’
Manjimup Rotary Club president Neil Halden said.
“Without this support, many of the club’s projects
could not have been able to be achieved.
Welcome to Moora Rotary Club
Rotarian Nicky Pratt
Welcome our newest member Rtn Chris Dobel.
|
Celebrating our partnership with ShelterBox |
|
This year, Rotary and ShelterBox are celebrating the 10th anniversary of our official partnership — and more than 20 years of working together to support families whose lives have been devastated by disaster and conflict. We’ve combined our resources and provided emergency temporary housing and other vital equipment to help families immediately after a disaster — and to put them on a path to long-term recovery. To learn more about how your club or district can get involved or to request assistance, |
upcoming Foundation Raffle -
tickets will be on sale from this Saturday 26th
(conference) onwards.
Michelle Piotrowski
District Projects Officer
Wirambi Landcare Busy-bee
Blue Gum Lake Reserve
Australian Rotary Health is one of the largest independent funders
of mental health research in Australia.
Support our mission in
funding mental health research for 0-12 year olds
On the 16th March Rotarians showed Rotary sympathy for Ukraine Rotarians.
Marilyn, Maxine and Julien held up Ukrainian flags.
Aphasia - what is that?
Bruce Simcock presented on Stroke Recovery - the Puncture and the Repair
- and the speech problems left behind.
Believe in Yourself he said. A fantastic presentation
Bruce - thank
you!
The Rotary Club of Byford & Districts are proud to present $1000 to the
Club to assist in purchasing new jump mats!
These funds are the first of our Byford Bingo profits allocation,
and if you know of a community group in need of financial assistance,
get in touch with us and we can present
it to our board members.
This is a direct result of hard work put in by all our members last year
to organise the Bingo events,
and a big thank you to our local community for
supporting it!
Peter Durrant, President of Karrinyup Rotary,
sharing his experience and contacts in Zambia with Perth Rotarian, Joseph Mwansa.
Joseph will be heading off to Zambia with a mission to improve the water quality
for his family and friends back home.
#waterdoesmatter
After a couple of weeks meeting on ZOOM
, it’s great to be back at the
MAAC Marmion Angling & Aquatic Club
to hear from Western Australian winner of the
Senior Australian of the Year Awards,
Jan Standen, about her fabulous work with
Grandparents Rearing Grandchildren WA Inc.
(and the food’s not bad either)…
Rotary in Action! Assisting Churchlands Year 5 Sustainability Group
with their gardening.
Youthcare’s Alison Purcell visited our club to inform us about
the work chaplains do in schools.
Such a worthwhile service
they provide for the youth.
Did you know we sponsor the Interact Club at
The high school students volunteer and raise money for community events
. Contact us if you know a student who
wants to join Interact.
One of our ongoing projects here at Rotary Club of West Perth is spectacle recycling
. In partnership with Acacia Prison, our members sort donated glasses
which are then sent off to the prison for to be graded
and then distributed overseas to those in need.
Here are some snaps from our most recent sorting day where members
sorted over 10,000 pairs of glasses! Great work team!
Rotary Club of
Bridgetown
April 10 1954
[68]
Rotary Club of Hillarys
April 11, 1986 [36]
Rotary Club of Mandurah
Districts
April 11 1986 [34]
Rotary Club of Attadale
April 12, 1982 [40]
Rotary Club of Palm
Beach
April 12 1982
[40]
Rotary Club of Perth
April 15 1927
[95]
Rotary Club of Collie
April 15, 1954 [68]
Rotary Club of Mount
Barker
April 15, 1955 [67]
Rotary Club of
Carnarvon
April 15 1963
[59]
Rotary Club of North
Perth
April 17, 1972 [50]
Rotary Club of Northbridge
April 17 1984
[38]
Rotary Club of Kwinana
April 22 1971
[[51]
Rotary Club of Dalkeith
April 24 1984 [38]
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