Rotary Meeting Notes - Sept 19

There were 24 members and one guest, Mary Camp, to hear Peta Hall present an update on her work in Ghana.

Peta has volunteered in Ghana for 15 years in a small remote village where she created and built a textile training school which now has 500 students. (Including learning how to mix cement and lay building blocks). Our club helped in the past by funding metal school desks for some classrooms. Growing out of the school training is a women’s textile cooperative where the members have their own businesses. The Ghana department of education has now assumed responsibility for running the school so Peta has moved on to promote higher education for the students graduating from the textile training school; moving from their physical training to their future. Because the town’s previous fishing livelihood was decimated by large international trawlers working off shore, the people had to find alternative sources of income.

To start with, Peta canvassed PEC donors for used cellphones that she had cleaned and gave to the women in the cooperative with training in online marketing so they could sell their textile creations.

Peta gave three examples of successful graduates:

Elicia was part of the original building crew who took a three-year electrical course and learned how to install solar panels. The textile school building now has electricity to run new sewing machines and he is in great demand to install panels for other locations.

Jefferson was also from the school building crew and showed great skill at designing textiles. He is taking a “sandwich” degree wherein he studies on days between his textile work. He is the first-born in his family which means he has a great responsibility to support his extended family.

Birac who used to sell lottery tickets (Ghanaians are great gamblers) but Peta felt he was a natural leader and he has shown this when he graduated from the textile school, then university and is now on the staff’s computer department.

Peta solicits funds for these higher education loans/grants and with two others are on a committee who consider candidates for the financial assistance necessary to attend 3 years of higher education. It costs $600-$680 a term but the candidates agree to repay a portion of this money. Peta is presenting to us today to ask if our club wants to fund these grads.

Club Business

Lois Brown was inducted as our newest member.

Howard said the hats ordered were having the names inscribed on them and should be available next week.

Pumpkinfest on Saturday, October 14 needed volunteers and Howard recruited them.

Margo has volunteered to lead the decorating crew for our float in the Pumkinfest parade.

Bill Pennell announced that our dinner/dance/auction raised almost $15,000 for the hospital. He received favourable comments on the food caterer.

Lyn distributed the annual theme pins that the District Governor left last week.

Bill Mitchell made an appeal for empty boxes for the foodbank as their usual LCBO source has stopped supplying them.

Ken Robertson will be filling in for Yvonne as Treasurer for a couple of weeks while she is on a sabbatical.

Pierre’s number was drawn for the 50:50, but he did not draw the ace of spades.

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