an in house meeting and a PHF
Posted by Ian Cameron
on Jun 18, 2015
Jo Karaolis (left) describes to members the progress at the "women's project" at Kopanang near Johannesburg.
The project provides a 3 year management training program for the women members of the Kopanang Community Trust, Geluksdal, South Africa, to enable them to become sustainably self-managed.
The project provides a 3 year management training program for the women members of the Kopanang Community Trust, Geluksdal, South Africa, to enable them to become sustainably self-managed.
Dr Anne Prescott (right) was awarded a Paul Harris Sapphire Pin
International Chair Richard Jackson read the citation "Read More" below
Dr Anne Prescott is senior lecturer in Mathematics Education and coordinator of the secondary teaching programs at the University of Technology Sydney.
Since 2011 Anne has been a core member of a small community based group undertaking education development activities benefiting 15 Government schools in the remote Himalayan foothills in the east of Gorkha District, Nepal.
Anne’s focus has been to apply her vocational expertise to the training of local Nepali teachers through her participation in or leadership of four volunteer teams which visited Nepal from 2011 to 2015. Plus Anne has committed to a fifth visit in January 2016.
Typically the teachers at schools the remote hill districts of Nepal have not had any formal teacher training. So the skills and techniques provided by Anne’s teams are eagerly sought by the local teachers and significantly improve the standard of their teaching. Anne’s commitment to regular visits has ensured reinforcement of that training, deepening its effectiveness. Approximately 4,000 Nepali students have benefited.
In January 2014 Anne returned to Nepal for her third trip, leading a team of 9 of her past students at UTS. On their return to Australia the team, under Anne’s superb leadership, raised over $35,000 through a Quiz night and raffle. Anne personally raised several thousand dollars in raffle ticket sales alone.
As a consequence Wahroonga Rotary is developing a Rotary International Global Grant to construct toilet blocks at six schools in Gorkha – with a budget of some $50,000 of which $15,000 will be contributed by Anne’s team. The intent is to enable more girls to attend school. The remaining $20,000 will fund the reconstruction of 10 classrooms at Gandaki Higher Secondary School destroyed by the recent earthquake.
Anne’s response to the earthquake has been superb, as she organised, at very short notice, a second Trivia night which has raised over $10,000.
Anne’s long-term involvement in the project ( including four visits to Nepal ) and her commitment of time and effort to fund raising has been exemplary and thoroughly warrants the awarding of a Sapphire Pin.