International Service
Part of being in Rotaract is developing international understanding, promoting peace and unity and trying to make the world a better place to live for everyone. We try to enhance our knowledge and understanding of worldwide needs and problems, and learn about different cultures.
We also help with international aid programs, correspond with Rotaractors (mostly via email) in many different parts of the world, and are happy to host any Rotaractors from abroad who find themselves in Perth for any length of time.
International Service Projects
The International Service Committee is primarily responsible for organising at least one major international service project every year. We also organise a myriad of smaller international projects throughout the year too.
Most of the major international projects we undertake are of a humanitarian aid nature, providing basic necessities to people in dire poverty. Some of the major international projects we have completed in recent years include:
- Sponsoring a medical tour in rural Panama to provide medical services to 800 people in one weekend
- Helping our sister club in Panama build 5 self-sustainable farms in poor communities
- Providing musical equipment for Tanzania's only music school;
- Contributing $2250 to Rotary International's Polio Eradication Eradication Programme, PolioPlus, to help rid the world of this crippling disease;
- Purchasing a drinking water fountain for a hospital in India;
- Helping equip a school built by Rotary in rural China.
We have also conducted smaller international projects with Rotaract clubs in Italy, Jordan, Grenada, Morocco, the Philippines, Russia, Argentina, and so on!
International Understanding
One of the highlights of our year is our annual International Dinner, where we try foods from other countries that we may not have eaten before!
On occasion we have exchanged "culture boxes" with clubs in India, Kenya, Panamá and México. The purpose of the culture boxes is to send souvenirs, photos, and information, to not only get to know the other club, but to also learn more about their culture, traditions, and any other facet of their city or country they would like to share. We even conducted a quiz devised by the club in Kenya to see how much our members had learnt, and the Kenyan club likewise quized their club members on how much they had learnt about Australia!
Smokey Mountain
When past South Perth Rotaractor Amber Collins was 9 years old, she visited "Smokey Mountain", a rubbish dump in the Philippines which continually smokes due to spontaneous combustion of the rubbish. At that time, Smokey Mountain was home to a myriad of poor people who scavanged what they could from the rubbish. Fortunately, thanks to Rotary, those people have now been relocated to proper housing, and get an income from recycling the rubbish, but there are still far too many people in this world who still live in a similar manner.
Amber has allowed us to share a poem about this experience with you, so that you can get a glimpse into what life is like for these people.
International Friendship
We regularly correspond with a number of Rotaract clubs around the world, mostly via email and through RotaractNET. In some cases we have taken this communication a step further, and have formed partnerships with some of these clubs, and participated in projects with them.
Sister Clubs
In 2000/2001 we had a three way sister club agreement with two Indian Rotaract Clubs - Thane Hills in District 3140 and Poona West in 3130. We did a couple of small friendship / understanding projects with Thane Hills during that time.
We have had a sister club relationship with the Rotaract Club of Panamá since 2004/05. As well as exchanging gifts and communicating with them a lot, we have undertaken a matching grant with them to help them build self-sustainable farms in rural villages of Panamá and sponsored their 2008 Medical Tour.
We are currently exploring sister club relationships with Rotaract Clubs in Bali and East Timor too.
Visiting Rotaractors
We welcome any visiting Rotaractors to our club, as well as Ambassadorial Scholars and Youth Exchange Students. Some of the Rotaractors we have had the pleasure of meeting and inviting to join in our activities since the year 2000 include:
- A Rotaractor from Kenya;
- Sajita Nair from Malaysia;
- Mattia Gamberoni and Sara Pieruzzini from Italy, though Sara ended up staying in Perth and becoming a member of our club!;
- Rotaractor and Ambassadorial Scholar Matt Mueller from the USA (another one who never went home!);
- Nina Bentley, Fiona Gogerty and Clare Stowell from England;
- Jochen Kemp and Harald Schlueter from Germay;
- Natalia Vaccaro from Argentina (whom Simone had the pleasure of seeing again when she visited Argentina 3 months later);
- Melya Koh from Indonesia;
- Mika Kodama and Chie Tanoue from Japan;
- Rogerio Ferreira Lima and Fabio Sousa from Brazil;
- Amy Sio from Macau;
- Rafael Liechti from Switzerland; and most recently
- Lekhraz Ramtohul from Mauritius!
We have also hosted a Brazilian "Exchange Student", Rodrigo the chicken, the mascot of the Rotaract Club of Ribeirão Preto Irajá.
We are always happy to hear from any other Rotaractors and Ambassadorial Scholars travelling to Perth.
Postcard Exchanges
We initiated postcard exchanges in 2001 and 2002, and continue to exchange postcards with Rotaract Clubs all around the world, primarily through RotaractNET. Some of the countries we have received postcards from in return include Egypt, South Africa, India, Nepal, and Russia.
Last updated on Monday 30th of June 2008 by Ian Ball © copyright 2000 - 2009 Rotaract Club of South Perth
Rotaract is a non-profit, non-political, non-religious international professional development and volunteer service organisation of students and young professionals aged between 18 and 30. The Rotaract Club of South Perth, District 9470, Western Australia, is sponsored by the Rotary Club of South Perth-Burswood. ~~ May Peace Prevail on Earth! ~~
