2012 Zones 24 &32 winners
Zone 32 winner:
Gale Wayman
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Zone 24 winner:
PDG Ron Ross
Gale Wayman of the Rotary Club of Toms River, NJ in District 7500 was selected as the Zone 32 recipient for her dedication to female education in developing countries and for advancing international understanding, goodwill and peace through her profession and humanitarian service activities. A Rotarian since 1991, Gale has devoted her teaching and business careers to making the quality of life better for everyone.
A graduate of The College of New Jersey, Gale’s life exemplifies the Fourth Object of Rotary. Her accomplishments include:
· Operating and growing three primary care medical clinics after her husband, Rotarian Dr. Ralph Wayman, Jr., became ill in 1984. Following his death in 1989, she sold the clinics and built a thriving medical export trading company that distributed “low tech” medical supplies and equipment manufactured in New Jersey to hospitals and distributors internationally, including Brazil, the Czech Republic, China, Japan and Russia, (e.g. pregnancy and disease test kits, canes and crutches, disposable suture sets, etc.);
· Serving as a consultant to doctor’s practices in NJ and medical products distributors in eastern and western Russia;
· Teaching business practices in several developing countries, including Russia and China in the 1990s:
· Serving as president of the Mercer County Medical Alliance (NJ) for two years and president of the State Medical Society Alliance in 1983-84;
· Serving as International Service Director of District 7500 in the 1990s;
· Participating in U.S. Commerce Dept. Trade Missions to Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Siberia, and speaking at their Rotary clubs during her business travels, trying to build bridges for peace and mutual understanding.
· Setting up an “Educational Internet Project” with the St. Petersburg Rotary Club and other clubs, while operating her medical supply business there.
· Organizing a Rotary Foundation Major Matching Grant to develop internet class exchanges with secondary schools in the school districts of St. Petersburg, Russia and Toms River, New Jersey from 1996 to 2004, sponsored by Rotary clubs in St. Petersburg, Toms River, and Finland.
· Encouraging her club to co-sponsor the Rotary Club of Brno, Czech Republic in 2000 and returning to the Brno club on several occasions;
· The attacks on 9/11 led Gale to pursue a self-funded M.A. in International Politics at the Rotary Peace Center of Bradford University, West Yorkshire, England in 2002-2003, where she wrote her dissertation on “The Importance of Female Education to a Civil Society.” That experience provided the direction for her teaching and lecturing in the last decade.
· Helping to start a Peace Center at Ocean County Community College in New Jersey in 2004;
· Hosting a three-week program in her home town designed to train 13 Russian doctors on how to set up private medical practices in their hometowns, while giving them the opportunity to visit and observe New Jersey medical practices, hospitals and medical society in action in 2006;
· Teaching finance and business English to large classes of mostly female students at Xian International Studies University in Xian, China in 2011. She teaches business to empower the women of China continue their efforts to improve the economic well being of the nation. In September, 2012, Mrs. Wayman returned to the Xian International Studies University to teach for the full academic year. The proud mother of two sons and grandmother of three grandchildren, Mrs. Wayman concluded her Bradford Peace Center dissertation with the words: “Education is a tool toward equality to enable females to contribute to improving the quality of life for all people….Most important, improvement to everyone’s lives will only come with the partnership of men and women. The goal is equality and better, more peaceful lives for all.” These values continue to guide her life and Rotary service.
Ron Ross is a dedicated Rotarian whose work in Honduras has positively impacted the lives of thousands of children and mothers in Tegucigalpa, Santa Barbara and Danli.
His outstanding achievements are glowing examples of international service and good which ultimately will contribute to a more peaceful world?
The award is given to a Canadian whose life, mission, and work demonstrates achievement consistent with the ideals of the Fourth Object of Rotary International, having made an outstanding contribution to this cause through international efforts.
Ron exemplifies these characteristics with the World Community Service program known as: H.E.L.P. Honduras.
Due to his tireless and inspiring leadership and the full support of his wife, Elaine, the program has grown from a small club project in 2001 called "Project Honduras" to a program embracing Canadian clubs throughout District 5080; 5020; 6330; 7010; and, 7820. In 2009, to reflect the growth of this project to a program it was renamed the "Health Education & Literacy Program for Honduras" or HELP Honduras for short. Clubs in 5020 and 6330 have proudly implemented club projects under the HELP Honduras program umbrella because of Ron's leadership.
While the Public School System in Honduras is free, if students do not have uniforms, shoes, books, book bags, and school supplies they cannot attend school. Many children of the working poor, often working in the local market or eking out an existence by living at the local dump, simply cannot afford these basic school supplies; so, their children are unable to attend school. The HELP HONDURAS Program not only supplies these basic articles but recognizes these young girls and boys are further challenged due to parents who are illiterate and receive poor nutrition. Therefore, the program also provides after school counseling and tutoring for students in the program.
The students are also provided regular check-ups from a community nurse to ensure they are healthy. Regular monitoring of the students ensure they are achieving their academic goals.
HELP Honduras recognizes the importance of supporting the local community and purchases program related commodities locally. School desks are needed in nearly all of the schools; so, the program identified a local supplier who builds them with local labour. The program recognized that the students in the program were achieving higher grades than the other children attending the same schools. The program is currently researching the possibility of extending its services into the schools to include tutoring for other needy students.
The HELP Honduras program recognizes that to be successful it must be sustainable.
To be sustainable it must reflect the priority needs identified by the community(ies) and by working with them help the community meet these needs. The parents of the working poor in Honduras knew their children needed an education. The HELP Honduras program is making sure their children have this opportunity.
The basic components of the HELP Honduras program are:
1. Tegucigalpa Market Children - a program to supply school uniforms, shoes, books, book bags and school supplies to enable the children of the working poor to attend school.
2. Tegucigalpa Dump Children - a program similar to the Tegucigalpa Market Children except that the parents of the children primarily scavenge in the municipal dump.
3. Danli Market Children - a program to supply school uniforms, shoes, books, book bags and school supplies to enable the children of the working poor to attend school in Danli, a small city two hours south of Tegucigalpa.
4. Santa Barbara School Project - a program to supply school uniforms, shoes, books, book bags and school supplies to enable the children of the working poor to attend school in Santa Barbara and also to construct a Vocational School
5. Mobile Library - a program to supply books for the Mobile Libraries previous supplied by the HELP Honduras Program, plus the supply of books to new and existing libraries in Tegucigalpa Schools
6. School Desks - a program to supply locally built school desks to schools identifying this as a priority need.
7. Rotary NGO Alternativas Y Opportuniades [AYO] Support - The not for profit organization that:
a. Implements the Tegucigalpa Market Children Program, including:
i. Student tutoring;
ii. Student counseling;
iii. Parent support;
iv. Vocational training;
v. Medical check-ups by local doctors & nurses;
vi. Provision of medical supplies to health professionals;
vii. Consultation with Canadian Rotarians regarding ongoing program
improvement & expansion to meet community needs.
The Educators employed by AYO monitor, counsel and arrange tutoring for the students. They also put on preventive health programs, covering subjects such as hygiene, dental care, proper diet, anti-substance abuse, AIDS and STD awareness.
Parents attend parenting classes. AYO provides primary health care, utilizing a daily clinic at the office of AYO where a doctor and nurse are available 5 days a week, every morning. The clinic will look offer immunizations and other functions that are not easily available to the children and parents.
The scope of the HELP Honduras program is continually expanding under the leadership of PDG Ron Ross adjusting to changing needs of the community(ies) to ensure the sustainability of the program. While the enrollment and continuation of children in the Honduras education system is still the overarching and primary theme of the program, new initiatives are being regularly discussed and implemented if the community agrees they become a priority. In 2011 the HELP Honduras program with AYO implemented 10 new related programs including a parenting program, mothers’ business program, advanced business program, sewing program, graduates job search program, youth leadership clubs, medical clinic program, counseling program, computer classes and adult literacy classes.
The 2010-2013 goals of the program are:
./ 98% pass rate for students involved with the program
./ 70% of students in primary school advancing to secondary school
./ 80% of secondary students graduating
./ Equitable gender balance
./ 20% of students graduating from secondary school advancing to public university
This program continues to expand and impact the communities with the continued support, direction, management, commitment and passion of Ron Ross. One rarely comes across a more dedicated Rotarian and humanitarian. Ron is truly changing the lives of the families in Honduras. Ron also recognizes the challenges associated with fundraising and managing this program. HELP Honduras was recently approved as a British Columbia Not for Profit Society that was granted charitable status by the Canadian Revenue Agency on April 24, 2012. Ron has also surrounded himself with other hardworking and dedicated Rotarians who provide valuable support and assistance. Therefore, Ron has not only ensured the program is sustainable in Honduras but also in Canada.