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Ugandan Hearing Health Clinic - The Uganda Hearing Health Care Project began when Dr Irwin Stewart (Rotary Club of New Westminster) first visited Uganda in 2000. He recruited Dr. Brian Westerberg and Margaret MacKenzie (Rotary Club Vancouver Quadra), as well as a number of Rotarians from other clubs in the District to the first team trip to Uganda in 2001 to determine the prevalence and causes of hearing loss. Subsequent trips by Dr Westerberg to Uganda primarily involved treatment of those people who were deaf or hard of hearing by both medical and surgical means. The project has always included more than just ear surgery, including water and sanitation projects in Arua under the guidance of Mr. Michael Crean (Rotary Club of New Westminster). The goal has always been to train the trainers; by educating local Otolaryngologists and supplying them with donated equipment needed for ear surgery, the program strove to create a sustainable benefit for the people of Uganda. The project has expanded considerably to include a broader range of health and educational services with the addition of experienced personnel in nursing, Biomedical Engineering and Anesthesiology. This year saw the expansion of services provided through donation of service by Dr. Murray Morrison, and Rupinder Khotar, Colleen Newland, Gina Chapman and Deb Protz (Rotary Club Vancouver Quadra). Dr. Morrison contributed expertise in treatment of head and neck disorders, in particular disorders of the larynx; Rupinder, Colleen, and Deb brought operating room nursing experience and Gina contributed her extensive intensive care nursing experience. Our club has secured a US$29,600 matching grant to provide laryngology equipment for Mulago Hospital in Kampala with help from the District and clubs in Kampala and New Westminster. The program continues to expand in the services provided. In particular, local efforts have been augmented by a group of volunteers from the University of Ottawa, with expertise in Pediatric Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, and Global Health Initiatives.
The Eastside Foot Clinic is a partnered community service project to distribute new socks and reconditioned running shoes to the homeless and to promote foot health in this community. The Salvation Army - Harbour Light, the Rotary Club of Vancouver Quadra, the BC Association of Podiatrists, Ecstatic Designs, Van City Moving and the Running Room, Rackets and Runners and Forerunners retail sports outlets have joined together to provide this vital service to the street community
Multicultural First Language Book Project POINTS OF CONNECTION: LINKING LITERACY, LANGUAGE, & A LOVE OF LEARNING. With money that is generated out of our Bid For Books Funds, the Rotary Club of Vancouver Quadra donates first language books to children and their families in inner city agencies. Since 2006, recipient agencies have received hundreds of books in over 20 languages; the agencies choose languages that are spoken by the children and families in their programs. Beautifully illustrated books are specially written in English with first language translations underneath. Languages include: Vietnamese, Punjabi, Spanish, French, Farsi, Chinese, Somali, Swahili, and Arabic. The books vary in content from classic cultural folktales, to dictionaries, novels, and ones that relay health and life skills through children’s fiction. Rotary’s donations of dual language books have improved reading skills for immigrant and refugee children and their families. Literacy challenges for immigrants and refugees are numerous; all too often illiteracy leads to poverty and negative lifestyles. Many of these families can’t afford books and have few or none in their home; the complexities of modern libraries can also be intimidating. Often, refugee parents will not read to their children due to lack of their own English language skills and a belief that their responsibility is to provide food and shelter –the basics. The Multicultural Book Project widens the horizons not just of the children, but of the entire family. Further, these books supplement and encourage connection to books, a love of learning, increase organizational and life skills in sharing, caring for and disseminating the books, and enhance general school readiness and performance. The books also enhance a sense of pride in original languages and cultures. Agencies that have received first language books are Frontier College, Pacific Immigrant Resources Society (PIRS), Kate Booth House, Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House, MOSAIC. For more information and to learn how Rotary helped these agencies and individuals, please click here.
Frontier College Summer Writing Workshop - For over two years the Rotary Club of Vancouver Quadra has been helping to support and sustain Frontier College’s “Kids Write Now!” Summer Writing Workshops. These workshops take place in local communities and are designed to help immigrant and refugees, and inner city school children/youth get the literacy help they need during the summer months. The Frontier College Writing Workshops have reached hundreds of learners in the African and Afghan communities, as well as inner city and First Nations communities. Workshops are designed and facilitated by two youth leaders who choose curriculum specific to the demographics and ages of the youth (ages range from 10-14 years of age). Each workshop is based on a theme (example: “Olympics” or “Summer”) and incorporate sensory learning experiences: creative writing, art, movement, listening, as well as engage children and youth in healthy social interaction. Kids also enjoy healthy snacks and prizes. Each workshop has a unique design that involves slightly different activities. For instance, some children work on group story-telling where the students came up with the beginning and middle of a story together, and then write the ending themselves. Others involve personal identity-writing activities such as “If I could be,” where youth are given a category such as ‘a type of instrument’ or ‘a kind of fruit’ and then must choose something in that category and write about what characteristics that thing has that relates to their own personal characteristics. Other activities include 15 minute continuous free writes, where students are given three words from another student and must write for 15 minutes and incorporate those words. At the end of each workshop, children receive a small gift for participation: a notepad and a fancy pencil. Click here or more info and testamonials. |
