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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT Christmas came early for the pupils and teachers at Ruigtevlei school. See story below. It was a FAMSA counsellor who also happened to be a Rotarian who started the ball rolling a few years ago to give some hope to the people of this impoverished community tucked away in the forest not more than a couple of km from the N2. Remember those less fortunate than ourselves when you tackle the turkey and pop the bubbly corks. Season's Greetings and a big thank you to my fellow Rotarians and others who have contributed to all the projects we have completed and are still active with. Peter Klews |
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RUIGTEVLEI LIBRARY AND CLASSROOM November saw the donation of a library and classroom to Ruigtevlei Primary School. The successful completion of this project, driven by the Knysna Rotarians, was the result of the combined efforts of many people from the Knysna community, Bill and Cath Pickles from Ilkley England and the Ilkley Rotary Club. The Knysna Rotarians donated R94'000 toward the cost of erecting the wooden classroom building. Bill Pickles had the honour of cutting the ribbon to declare the Pickles Library open, and Knysna Rotary President, Peter Klews, officially opened the Rotary Classroom. |
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ENT WEEK A recent collaboration of generosity meant that a backlog of disadvantaged patients underwent surgery related to ear, nose and throat ailments. Specialised medical equipment to the value of R1.5 million was donated by Karl Storz, through Rotary, to the Knysna Provincial Hospital; a group of doctors, headed by local ENT surgeon Dr Martin Young, performed the surgery without charge; Rotarians accommodated the doctors; local restaurants provided the doctors with& evening meals and the Anns provided the team with lunches. The medical instrument companies loaned numerous new but vital instruments for the week. This even enabled the team to do one procedure that was a first at any Provincial Hospital in the country! |
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The worst floods since 1981 affected one of the Breede River Rotary members. With the support of the Breede River WinelandsRotary Club, Rotarian Solinus Jolliffe runs a plant nursery that supplies seedlings to over 150 allotments, mainly situated in the previously disadvantaged residentialareas. This encourages people of low incomes (and those unemployed) to grow fresh vegetables for themselves and their families and inmany cases, surplus with which they can earn a small income. He also sells fresh vegetables to the public and this finances a crèche that cares for up to 80 children under school-going age. On the night of 12th November the torrential force of the swollen KingnaRiver washed his two main nursery areas away. The Rotary Club of Knysna has given R5000.00 to Marianne Richter, President of the Breede Winelands Club for their flood relief fund.
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 Marianne Richter and Peter Klews |
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 Lesley Satchel receiving the PR Award |
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Knysna Rotary is in the process of distributing 927 books to 21 pre-schools in the local townships. These books were bought with money received from a matching grant from the Rotary Club of Knoxville. |
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 Montagu Mini Conference |
 Georgie Goullee and Mariechen Basson |
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The Knysna Rotarians who attended the Mini Conference held in Montagu thoroughly enjoyed themselves and first-timers to the Conference reported that said their eyes had been opened to the bigger picture of Rotary’s work in South Africa. At the conference it was announced that our club has been awarded the Rotary International Public Relations Award for our efforts in retaining the Rotary name and emblem in our Cycle Tour branding. |
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Two Knysna Interactors have departed on their Short Term Exchange Programme adventures.Georgie Goullee from Oakhill went toTurkey and Mariechen Basson from Knysna High went to Austria. They left on 27 November 2008 and will be away for 8 weeks. More than 8,000 young people (aged between 15 – 25) participate in Rotary Youth Exchange each year. LOCAL HEROS Our Club has beenpresented with a cheque for R10 000 from Nedbank for nominating the Safe Cycling Programme at the Knysna Sports School for a Local Hero Award. The Safe Cycling project at township schools has been running for several months, financed by Knysna Rotary and a member of the Rotary Club of Knoxville, USA. The cheque to Rotary was handed over at the Knysna Sports School on 15 December and the money will be handed to the Knysna Sports School Development Trust when it arrives. IT'S CHRISTMAS TIME The end of 2008 and the Christmas season were celebrated by the members and their families at the Club's Christmas party which was held at the Round Table Clubhouse at Loerie Park. A good time was had by all! |
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Contact details:
THE ROTARY CLUB OF KNYSNA - knysna@rotary9350.co.za
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