Speaker Abbey Walker (centre) with her Sausage Sizzle Team.

L-R:  Bryce Lillecrapp, Peter Thomas, Sandie Simons, Peter Perkins, Bill Simons and Sue Graetz.

 

 

Last night Rotarians heard an impressive presentation by 16-year-old Nuriootpa High School student, Abbey Walker, on her trip to Cambodia (8-19 July 2019) with RAW Impact.

 

Abbey started by giving us a few facts about Cambodia.  The capital, Phnom Penh, population 2 million, is the fastest growing economy in the world due to Chinese investment.  The total population for Cambodia is 16.5 million and 22.9% of its population lives on $1 a day with 60% of the population not having toilets or water clean enough to drink.

 

After arriving in Cambodia during the rainy season, the team spent the first few days looking around before heading to the EPM Block (Every Piece Matters Block).  They visited a museum which showcased the genocide of the Khmer Rouge where 1.7 million or 20% of the population had been slaughtered, mostly educated people.  The museum had once been a school but during Pol Pot's reign had been used as a torture chamber.  Abbey said it was like walking through a horror movie. 

 

Day 5 saw the team from the Barossa being put to work on the EPM Block in the village of Ta Skor.  They were tasked with four projects:  finish a house which had been started by the previous team, plant bamboo saplings, build a shelter for the local police and finally, construct a toilet block.  Abbey was on the all-female team tasked to build the toilet block and commented she was pleased about that as girls are the tidiest bricklayers!  She added that in Australia tradies are only allowed to carry 20 kg of cement at a time whereas in Cambodia the workers regularly carried 50 kgs, a WHS nightmare!

 

Once the house was finished it was handed over somewhat emotionally to a grateful family who had previously been living in a swamp.  The team was then treated to dinner, fireworks and bonfires, all in 30 degree heat!  Abbey said she loved the happiness and simplicity.

 

Day 9 had the team travelling to Ko Ki Village to work on the bamboo plantation.  The students planted 200 bamboo saplings destined to be used to build houses on the EPM Block.

 

Then it was time for the team to become tourists for a few days and they headed off to Kratie to ride boats on the Mekong River and see the floating houses.  They visited Siem Reap's Pub Street which, despite its name is a food hawkers paradise, and the Ankor Wat Temple.

 

Abbey finished with a video she had made, profuse thanks for our club and the Sausage Sizzlers and a comment:- "I was helping Cambodia but in many ways Cambodia helped me."  A mature and profound comment from a remarkable young lady.

 

 

 

                               Letters to the Editor 

 

Peter Thomas has sent this letter, sent to Gavin Sidhu, to share with Rotarians.

 

 

"Dear Gavin

 

Greetings from Uganda. I hope all is well with you.

Please find attached our activity and financial reports together with the receipts for the recent activities we carried out.

On behalf of the team members of this project, the hospital here and the community I extend our sincere thanks for the partnership and relationship that has made this project possible. We live to cherish it and look forward to being able to do great things for our people in improving their oral health.

 

Please say thank you to your Rotary club and everyone who has become our friend and supporter in this project.

 

Best regards,

 

Joseph."

 

And, on the subject of hard rubbish from last week's meeting:

 

 

"Hi Roxy,

 

Some years ago I asked Brian Hurn the then mayor regarding hard rubbish removal as many of the councils in metro areas have done this for years. His answer to me No we are not going to do that.

 

When I lived in the metro area, I recall councils supplying large SKIPS positioned in certain streets and once filled removing them and providing another SKIP to another area perhaps a few streets away. Also, I know that the Brighton Council have a yearly pickup from the verge. It is interesting to see what goes out, and who picks up some of the unwanted stuff, such as metal etc as people can then make a few bob on the side by taking it to an appropriate depot. You also see some picking up stuff for repair and then selling at a garage sale.

 

However, I can’t see why our Council can’t put a large Skip or two in every town at least once a year!!

 

Cheers

 

Robert."         

 

Please feel free to contribute, Rotarians

 

Your editor,

Roxane Canning (roxanecanning@hotmail.com)

 

 

Quiz Night for the Uganda Dental Project
 

 

 

 

 

The Trivia Night raised $3,168 which, in Gavin's words, helps 3,168 Ugandans.  The night was enjoyed by all, a fun way to raise money for a worthy cause.  Thank you Gavin for all your hard work and those who helped in setting up and preparing for the event.