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The Club welcomed Jennie Vowles from Karori Lions to its last meeting to speak on the Lions recycling of spectacles programme to the Pacific. This is an International Lions project with three clubs in New Zealand, including Karori Lions and Ferrymead in Christchurch playing a leading part. Jennie gave an excellent presentation on a project which has been her passion for many years. She receives cooperation from wide sections of the community to send appropriate recycled spectacles to Fiji for use by locals in need.
Jennie has travelled to Fiji to see the dispensing of glasses and the great joy on the faces of young and old to receive this gift from New Zealand. She gave a full account of the checking and processing conducted here in Wellington, with thousands of pairs of spectacles on hand at any one time. Quite a large number have to be disposed of as being unsuitable to send to Fiji, but the percentage of acceptance is still high and very rewarding for this on- going project. Support for transportation to the Islands has come from shipping friends in Auckland and Tauranga to ensure they arrive at their destination and clear customs requirements. Jennie said she would welcome the support of Rotary in forwarding surplus spectacles through to the Lions Club to process for use in Fiji.