“Phoenix” has arisen out of the ashes from the wildfire which destroyed much of Lytton, BC and the nearby Siska First Nation in summer 2021. Phoenix is the name of a new fire fighting trailer now ready for this year’s fire season in BC. It will enable firefighters to respond more quickly to smaller fires before they explode into bigger ones and reach hard to access areas before heavier equipment can reach the site. -- dedication event photos by Kendal Blacker
The Festival of Performing Arts in Powell River was sponsored, managed, and attended by members of Rotary Club of Powell River. Here are many of the other achievements and activities of some of our clubs in Rotary District 5040 in the past 30 days or so.
The President of our Rotary International network of 1.4 million worldwide members, Stephanie Urchik (in photo), the Chair of The Rotary Foundation and General Secretary/CEO of Rotary International confirm to Rotary members and all our communities served, that Rotary keeps its focus on service and values in these turbulent times in this message.
Maasai children in Tanzania often cannot attend school because there are no schools close to where they live. They do not learn English in their home and since secondary school entrance requires literacy in English they are barred from entry. The English Medium Primary School in Engaruka Tanzania, of 300 students and staff, provides education in English so students can gain an education and literacy in English.
Improved irrigation for the adjacent school gardens is helping to not only ensure a reliable food supply for the students it enables extension of the gardens including the planting of fruit trees. The enhanced gardens, resulting from the irrigation, will be a health and economic benefit. The gardens have generated some employment for the local people. The students and staff of the school are benefitting from the improved nutrition provided by the garden and the students are learning valuable agricultural skills.
The 196 students and staff of Mwaasua Primary School and the 122 students and staff of Makaalu Secondary School, in Wamunyu, 112 km east of Nairobi, Kenya, have had to travel long distances daily to fill buckets of water from streams. Not only was that water not clean, leading to illness, the water collection took significant time and energy to collect. Both challenges took students and teachers away from receiving and providing education.
The two schools told the staff of Kenya Connect about the need to collect uncontaminated rainfall in tanks right at the schools. Kenya Connect ensures rural children, from these two schools and 69 others in Kenya, leave education with options, by developing the skills, values and pathways to thrive by partnering with students, teachers and parents at 71 schools in rural Machakos and Kitui counties of Kenya.
The Rotary Club of Tsawwassen, working with Kenya Connect, has contributed $4,692 for the water tanks project, $3,128 from the club and $1,564 from The Rotary Foundation through a grant for Rotary District 5040.
Rotarian Ron Suzuki prepares for the 2024 District 5040 Conference End Polio Now Walk in Terrace, BC with his pal, Rotarian Ron Malmas dressed as one very friendly dinosaur. And while we don't have pictures yet, Ron Suzuki is currently preparing for the 2025 District 5040 Conference End Polio Now Walk.
Join us at the River Rock Casino Resort in Richmond, BC, Friday, April 25th at 4:30 p.m.
Maasai children in Tanzania often cannot attend school because there are no schools close to where they live. They do not learn English in their home and since secondary school entrance requires literacy in English they are barred from entry. The English Medium Primary School in Engaruka Tanzania, of 300 students and staff, provides education in English so students can gain an education and literacy in English.
