International - FAIM

F.A.I.M., named after the fourth part of Rotary's object, provides practical help to our northern neighbours, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, etc. Teams of trade experts from Rotary tackle specific building projects. Club members have joined these twice. In 1984 Past Presidents Peter Perry, Jim Mazlin and Robert Stott went to New Guinea to build a laundry and living quarters for two nurses at the Wassisi Mission in West Sepic. Then in 1989 Jim Mazlin went again, this time with Rotarian David Stanton, to Kar Kar Island, extending and improving Goben Hospital. The jobs tackled included installing a donated operating theatre light, weighing about 100 kg, which proved to be a major undertaking, taking five days to complete!

 

Recently, we have had members visiting Vanuatu and Timor Leste (East Timor), pursuing FAIM interests, and particularly in Timor Leste, instigating an annual RYLA program.

 

 

 

Each year District 9680 makes an award to enable an outstanding young person to pursue further studies overseas for a year. Edward MacDonald, sponsored by our club, received the award in 1989 and spent two years (one at his own expense) in Beijing, studying Mandarin and other Chinese languages. In 1993, Deidre McGee also won the award and studied acupuncture in China.