Posted by Sam McCurdy
 (Photo courtesy of Rotarian Maureen Scott.) |
On Saturday, 9th January, a group of volunteers from the Rotary Club of Berwick got together at Alameda Homestead Nursery in Devon Meadows, for the final packing of 53 Kits for the ‘End Trachoma’ project. This is one of the Rotary Districts of Australia projects - Building Healthier Communities.
This project was driven by Rotarian Jane Moore and there has been plenty of work put in to make it happen.
The 53 kits of hygiene products were packed up by the busy band of volunteers and are now ready to be shipped to Papunya (Northern Territory) some 240 km north-west of Alice Springs. They will be given to school children under 10.
The kits are designed to supply everything needed including an instructional card. Improving the day-to-day hygiene of the children should help to prevent them from contracting Trachoma during their lifetime.
Australia is the only first-world country left that has not controlled Trachoma. It is a serious but preventable disease that can lead to permanent blindness. Prevention is the best method of control and that is why this project is so important. Knowing basic hygiene and having the right equipment to carry it out is the key.
The packs contain toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, combs, hairbands, face washers and hand towels as well as shampoo and conditioner. A letter for each bag from a local primary school was included.
This is Rotary in Action. It takes a lot of work by members such as Jane to get projects such as this one up and running. It gives all the members at the Rotary Club of Berwick great satisfaction that their Club is making a difference.
