banner
Advertisement for ClubRunner Mobile
President's Message
Sergio Bacchetti
Click to send email.
No Events advertised.
 
Hello Daybreakers,
 
At our morning meeting our guest speaker was Jiri Haureljuk who emigrated from Czechoslovakia.
 
 
He married an Aussie girl when they met in Tanzania. He was working at a Wildlife Reserve in Tanzania. Both had interests in the plight of disabled Tanzanian children who are shunned from the community and their own parents.
 
These young children aren’t able to access education and there is no government support.
 
In the remote area of Southern Tanzania, which borders with Zambia, Jiri and his wife met Peter and Defroza, his sister, Tanzanians who were keen to be teachers.
 
They were encouraged by payment of tuition fees by both Keri and his wife. It is quite an admirable achievement but there is still more. They proceeded in setting up a school to enable the disabled and handicapped children to attend. They had a church building initially which was quite dilapidated and a dirt floor with very little light.
 
They then moved to build a school on land acquired. Subsequently they proceeded to build another school to self-fund the project. The initial school built catered for twenty five children which they then managed to supply school uniforms. Food was provided by the local community.
 
The first school was called Child Hope Tanzania. The second school they built was described as Sunshine Nursery which appeared to have been completed in November 2022.
 
It is catering for up to 40 children and appears to be a kindergarten type school and both Peter and Defroza are teachers at this school and the other schools have other teachers who have come on board. It appears that the local community have endorsed and adopted the schools as they are becoming involved. Similarly from  the District Commissioner for the region.
 
What was interesting is that the political regime until more recently did not treat English as a primary language for schools. It was Swahili language. Swahili people are found primarily in Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique. 
 
All these projects have been privately funded by Jiri and his wife with some donations from friends through the Education World Travel Organization. It is a private organization through a mutual friend described as Global Living. Jiri made mention that he has got his own GoFundMe page which will circulate through our member Peter Smid.
 
There is a need for a bus to transport the children due to suspicious deaths of some of these children whilst walking to school. In these remote areas witchcraft is still a problem and organ donations or body parts, whether for witchcraft or otherwise, as organ donation seems to be an industry.
 
In this area children, particularly disabled and handicapped children, disappear. It was quite confronting that parents, where malaria is rampant, allow their children to die so that they are no longer a burden.
 
The subsistence of these various regions typifies the cultural struggles and difficulties that affluent countries don’t experience or be confronted with the horrific and hostile way of life. We are very fortunate that we live in Australia and we were born in this country.
 
Programs Jiri and his wife have launched have been going for three years.
 
There is a need for extra teachers as the demand has increased. There is now forty five children in the Sunshine Nursery School and the cost of a teacher per month is US$140 per month. This means approximately A$210 per month. Food is cheap. There is plenty of water and they have rice paddies which is surprising in South Africa.
 
 You can imagine though that the standard of living is very basic in these regions. As we all agree, education is the way for people to get ahead with their life and escape the ravages of poverty.
 
We have encouraged Jiri to speak to other Rotary Clubs in particularly in our Group 5. As I highlighted in my previous chat, an individual can make a difference. This is a great example.
 
We commend Jiri for his humanitarianism. He would be a great Rotarian and the invitation was put out. Maybe Peter Smid can work on him although he lives and works in Port Campbell. Morning meetings may not suit Jiri. Such a moving presentation.
 
A reminder that the Board meeting is scheduled for 1st of May and has been changed to 8th of May and similarly the Board meeting on 5th June will be held on 12th June as a combined Board meeting.
 
I congratulate Chris and Janey in chauffeuring in Mt Gambier the incoming Rotary International President, Gordon McInally who will be in Victoria – Melbourne for the Rotary International Convention.
 
Some of our members are attending the dinner on 5th June 2023 in Mt Gambier. Chris has assured us that he will provide us with plenty of photos which will be cherished by all. How often does such an opportunity arise for hosting a Rotary International President, not many?
 
There are so many members’ birthdays in the month of April. I wish to congratulate Andrew Suggett for reaching his milestone of turning 80 on 20th April. Another milestone that Andrew and Betty have achieved 57 years wedding anniversary. This is remarkable.
 
 
I would like to thank Peter Cassidy for being the clubs representative for laying our wreath, on behalf of our club, for the dawn service on Anzac Day on Tuesday 25th April 2023. We commemorate, Lest We Forget.
 
And, go the Bombers
 
Until next week… Let’s Imagine Rotary.
 
Your President,
Sergio Bacchetti
 
 
Rotary Celebrations
 
Birthdays
Kerry Nelson – April 4
Cheryl Bellman -­ April 12
Sergio Bacchetti - April 14
Jan Read - April 16
Andrew Suggett - April 20
Dianne Brown - April 26
Drew Giblin - April 28
 
Anniversaries
Andrew & Betty Suggett- April 9, 1966 - 57 years
Chris & Janey Preston - April 8, 2006 - 17 years
 
Rotary Anniversaries
Gerard Lourey - April 6th - 18 years
Jennie Miller, April 29th - 3 years
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
Check out the daybreak Facebook page for the stories. 
 
 
 
LAUGHTER, THE BEST MEDICINE
 
How’s the diet going?
 
Not good.
I had eggs for breakfast.
 
Scrambled?
 
No, Cadbury.
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
I’ve always wondered why lemonade is made from artificial flavours
but furniture polish is made from real lemons.
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
While flying from Denver to Kansas City, Kansas, my mother was sitting across the aisle
from a woman and her eight-year-old son. Mom couldn't help laughing as they neared
their destination and she heard the mother say to the boy, "Now remember, run to
Daddy first, then the dog."
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
On duty as a customer-service rep for a car-rental company, I took a call from a driver
who needed a tow. He was stranded on a busy highway, but he didn't know the make
of the car he was driving. I asked again for a more detailed description beyond a
"blue, four-door sedan."
 
"It's the one on fire," he replied.
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
I was disappointed to find out that a defibrillator doesn't stop my
children from telling fibs, even after multiple tries.
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Last night I got so drunk that when I got to the bottom of the stairs, I took off my shoes,
coat, top, trousers and underwear. Then I crept upstairs very quietly, so as not to wake
the kids or my wife.
 
It was only when I got to the very top I realised I was still on the bus home.
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
My friend Iain has one eye bigger than the other!
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Did you know Glen Campbell only weighed 57.16kg ?
He was a ninestone cowboy.
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
A friend and I went up to the Bonza check-in desk this morning.
The girl asked: "Do you have reservations?"
I said: "Yes, but we're flying with you anyway."
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
“I” before “E” except after “C” has been disproven by science
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
When my wife says "We need to talk" why is it never about football or westerns?
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
A blind man was describing his favorite sport, parachuting. When asked how this was
accomplished, he said that things were all done for him: "I am placed in the door and
told when to jump. My hand is placed on my release ring for me, and out I go."
 
"But how do you know when you are going to land?" he was asked.
 
"I have a very keen sense of smell and I can smell the trees and grass when I am
300 feet from the ground" he answered.
 
"But how do you know when to lift your legs for the final arrival on the ground?"
he was again asked.
 
The man quickly answered. "Oh, the dog's leash goes slack."
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
•        Why were the Indians here first?  They had reservations.
 
•       I didn't like my beard at first.  Then it grew on me.
 
•       When you get a bladder infection, urine trouble.
 
•       Broken pencils are pointless.
 
•       What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary?  A thesaurus.
 
•       I dropped out of communism class because of lousy Marx.
 
•       All the toilets in New York's police stations have been stolen.
        The police have nothing to go on.
 
•       I got a job at a bakery because I kneaded dough.
 
•       Velcro - what a rip off!
 
•       Don’t worry about old age; it doesn’t last.
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
A weeping woman bursts into her hypnotherapist's office and declares, "Doctor, I have
been faithful to my husband for 15 years, but yesterday I broke that trust and had
an affair! The guilt is killing me. I just want to forget that it ever happened!"
 
The hypnotherapist shakes his head and says. "Not again..."
 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
A few days ago I received a friend request on Face Book from a young attractive girl about
28 years old... I was curious. I wanted to know why someone that young wanted to be my
FB friend.
 
So I accepted it. Then she started sending me private messages. She was very kind.
Even called me beautiful. She asked my age. I'm not a liar so I told her and reminded her
I'm quite a bit her senior. I let her talk a bit cos (truth be told) flattery ain't all that bad.
 
We keep talking for a while and within a short time, she asked if we could talk about
'adult things'. I said ok. Then she replied with a big smiley face.
 
She said 'thank you babe, you start."
So I did!
 
I told her adult things like my knees and hips were hurting. My back acts up when it is
cold outside. I explained that I have crazy insomnia, I toss and turn the entire night
and that I often have leg cramps, especially when I try to sleep.
 
I mentioned the scars from multiple surgeries and the limp I have from an old injury.
And of course I had to throw in the need for daily fibre supplements to prevent
passing gas. Can't forget that one!
 
I was waiting for her to answer me...
She blocked me ! She wanted to talk about adult things and then couldn't take the heat!
 
I think I'm just a bit too much man for her to handle