GUEST SPEAKER - KARINA CREED

After a 6-month leave of absence, and ongoing, due to carer duties for John Beks' lovely bride of 55+ years, John felt that he almost had to re-introduce himself. A week of respite care had made it possible for him to be at the meeting on Tuesday.

Some six months ago John had the privilege to meet Karina Creed in her physiotherapy duties at St John of God Hospital. At the time she was about to leave for India and has recently returned. Prior to that, she also fulfilled a missionary role in Bangladesh and Tanzania. Karina was a Terang Rotary exchange student to Finland back in 1989.

John introduced Karina who spent 5 months in India during 2014. Karina volunteered at Pandita Ramabai Mukti Mission in Kedgaon, Maharashtra. Mukti is a Christian mission which offers safe refuge to disadvantaged women and girls. The mission was established in 1989 by a pioneering Indian woman named Pandita Ramabai and has a very proud and strong Christina heritage. This heritage is evident in every aspect of life within the mission.

Karina worked as a physiotherapist at the mission hospital which provides care to the mission residents and also to the poor in the local community. She was able to help with many of the elderly residents at Mukti and also with many of the special needs girls. She spent evenings with the 'Rose' family; a family of 21 girls aged 6-13 and supervised their homework and assisted with study. It was the formation of relationships and close friendships that was especially wonderful.

Karina found the experience of volunteering at Mukti extremely challenging but incredibly rewarding. The women and girls are so resilient in the face of such suffering and immense hardship.

If you would like to know more about Mukti, please refer to the Mukti Australia website on www.mukti.org.au.