The 09/10 year has gotten off to a flying start for our International Committee who have begun their first project; supporting an exciting Rotary dental mission taking place throughout communities in the Philippines. 

Several Rotary Clubs with the help of the Cataract Foundation have been carrying out eye and ear missions in the Philippines for a number of years and noticed a need for dental issues of the local people to be addressed. This year a dental aspect will be added to the mission.

A team of volunteers, including one of our own Rotaractors Sharni Bartlett, will be working alongside local dentists, the majority of which are members of the participating local Rotary Clubs. The primary concern of the dental mission will be oral health education for the local school children as well as carrying out emergency dental treatment wherever possible.

To support this worthy project, the International Committee with the help of all the South Brisbane Rotaract club members, are collecting toothbrushes to send over to the Phillipines with Sharni, all of which will be used throughout the dental mission.  We are aiming to collect 2,00 toothbrushes, so we have quite a challenge ahead of us, but one we are confident we can achieve.

Please donate any toothbrushes you might collect from hotels, planes etc or alternatively you could pop into your local supermarket and buy a toothbrush (or two!). We would also love donations of floss and toothpaste if you can spare some. (Please note we only want new and unused items!)

Donations must be received by the 1^st of October 2009, and donations can be made to any of our club members.

For more info, feel free to send us an email.

You can also download and distribute our flyer Toothbrush Drive Flyer to help encourage donations.

Project Uplift has been a major success with hundreds (possibly thousands) of bras collected

Our latest International project to come to an end, was collecting Bras of all sizes for Project Uplift. Disadvantaged women in the third world often live without a bra. Second hand bras are sometimes available cheaply, but are rare in larger sizes. A new bra, if available, can cost about 10 hours wages, beyond reach for most.

Rashes, fungal infections and abscesses (intertrigo) occur between the breast and the chest wall. Bras will help. Since 2005, Uplift, through Rotary Austalia World Community Service, has sent bras through secure channels, making sure they get to the women who need them without compromising their dignity.

Sports bras (for farm work,) and Nursing bras were desperately needed but all second-hand bras were welcome, and worn out bras can be used for spare parts and strap extenders. New bras may also be taken into some countries. The biggest sizes were the most needed and the hardest to get. Every bra donated will become the only bra a particular woman owns.

Even though we have officially finished collecting bras, we have put a couple of boxes into the local councillors offices and will continue to unofficially collect bras for the next 6 months or so, and then hopefully we will push another drive at a later date (since this has been such a popular project with all).

For More Information look up: www.upliftbras.org or send us an email at rotaractsouthbrisbane@yahoo.com.au and we will give you further information

For other information see our flyer:  http://www.rotaractsouthbrisbane.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/project-uplift-flier-colour.pdf

Rotaractors Get Down & Dirty Painting Nells House!

Well, can we paint or can we paint!

Nells house is now officially completed and we are just waiting to hear if a family was settled in before Christmas. Over 3 weekends a large number of our club members have worked tirelessly with the Rotary Club of South Brisbane to get Nells house painted and renovated for a new family. Our last task, on the last weekend, was something a little fun. We set up a Christmas tree, complete with lights, tinsel, and baubles, in the living room of the house. This way the new family to move in will feel the spirit of Christmas the moment they step over the threshold.

Nells house is an old train masters house which has been cleaned up in order to provide crisis accomodation for needy families. Thanks heaps to South Brisbane Rotary for the awesome opportunity to help needy families in our area!! We look forward to future projects we do in collaboration with both Nells house and the Rotary Club of South Brisbane.

On Saturday November 1st 2008, Kylie, Sian, Bella, and Alex attended the first District 9630 event – a BBQ at the Manly Foreshores. We had a fantastic time (though we did almost get blown away), and got to catch up with other Rotaractors in the district. It was a great turnout from all the clubs, with 5 members from Toowoomba, 4 from South West Brisbane, and 1 from both Redlands and Logan (as well as John and Sue), and a few prospective members.

We had a great afternoon eating, throwing the vortex, climbing the triangular ropes structure and just networking with our fellow Rotaractors and friends.

We look forward to the next event when we can all catch up again!!

Click below to see more photos from last years events