This is a project that keeps on giving as we had presenter Sally Dell from the Rotary Club of Warragul present to our first physical meeting. Sally's presentation was full of information about Trachoma and also the cultural sensitivities involved to try to eradicate it in Australia. Sally talked about things I had not even considered for this project and left me feeling we could be doing more. The audience was attentive and asked some very good questions.
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We have been matched with Papunya School which require 104 hygiene kits to match the number of children at the school. We have committed to 45 kits, one for each member of the Club. The Rotary Club of Warragul is partnering with us to make up the difference for this school. Let's face it, when we have a target (number of kits) a destination (Papunya School) and a preventable life altering disease we have a story to tell to others that could help. The story is not about Rotary, it is about the cause. End Trachoma in Australia.
53% of our members are on board with this project. Each kit costs $50 (which includes the cost of getting it to the school). You are able to shop or donate to make it happen. Use this link if you want to donate $50 per kit https://www.jotform.com/djbutton/end-trachoma-hygiene-kits-a-project or contact Jane Moore on jane@cinet.com.au if you can shop for the items to fill a kit.
It is pretty exciting when a Rotary Club picks up a worthy cause and runs with it. This doesn't happen by magic, all it takes is one person who will champion the cause and then work the Rotary machine to deliver an outcome. Ending Polio is a perfect example of how Rotary changed the world. This project will change the world too!
Our End Trachoma Champion is Jane Moore. Jane will be asking us all to get some supplies to assemble into 45 hygiene kits for Aboriginal children in the Northern Territory.
UPDATE: Jane has received support from 24 Club members and 4 friends of Rotary so far. Please contact Jane on Jane@cinet.com.au if you can add to it. Kits cost $50 or you can shop for the items yourself.
The World Health Organisation has a global goal to eliminate trachoma by 2020. Trachoma is an infectious eye disease that can be prevented with good hygiene practices. But it is still present in remote Aboriginal communities and can lead to permanent blindness.
The work of the Australian Government, the Fred Hollows Foundation and Indigenous Eye Health to treat trachoma infections has seen rates in affected communities reduced substantially. But now, we need to ensure that hygiene practices and the community environments are improved to completely eliminate the disease.
Please have a look at the video and also visit the End Trachoma website to learn more about how a simple hygiene kit will end Trachoma in Australia: https://www.endtrachoma2020.org.au/
