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A Rotary collaboration supporting displaced Karen State students
A chance conversation sparked a powerful Rotary partnership bringing dignity, education and opportunity to displaced Karen State communities through locally led, sustainable action.
How UNICEF Australia and Rotary are supporting communities in Kiribati to protect girls from cervical cancer. In Kiribati – a Pacific island nation just north of Samoa – a simple vaccine is helping to protect girls from cervical cancer and safeguard their futures.
Rotary Melbourne member Rob McGuirk, Chair EndTrachoma is a Rotary Districts of Australia Project has provided a write up on this exciting project.
Image credit: Minum Barreng: Indigenous Eye Health Unit, The University of Melbourne, 2016. The photo is of a community mural in Warburton, Western Australia, featuring Clean Faces, Strong Eyes and Milpa the goanna, painted by Adnate in collaboration with community.
Australia is now the 30th country to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem, validated by the World Health Organization. For Rotary Melbourne, this milestone reflects one of our leading projects over the past decade alongside the National Rotary Trachoma initiative EndTrachoma.
Many women who live in poverty are forced to give birth in dirty places without professional medical help. Sometimes well-meaning friends or relatives will cut the umbilical cord with an unclean objects such as a piece of bamboo. Infection during delivery threatens the lives of both mothers and babies. These kits will be distributed to communities in need.
Somewhere far away, there is war and famine. Yet here we are, gathered together at RMIT on Thursday 23 April 26 - and perhaps we can make a small difference. Even a little can mean the world to someone. The next FORaMEAL will be held on Tuesday 29 September 26.
A Small Jab, A Safer Future - Kiribati
UNICEF Australia and Rotary are working with Kiribati's Ministry of Health to deliver HPV vaccinations to girls across the remote Pacific island nation, where cervical cancer rates are significantly higher than in Australia. All 15 health facilities on the main island now deliver the vaccine through schools, community outreach, and fixed health sessions - made possible through Rotary's "Give Every Child a Future" program. unicef
A timely read for World Immunisation Week (24–30 April). Full article here.
Rotary Melbourne ticks over another year with our anniversary of first meeting on 21 April 1921.
On 23 May 2011 David Wittner delivered a moving Presentation on the 90th Anniversary of Rotary in front of Ms Quentin Bryce AC CVO, then Governor General and other distinguished Rotarians and guests.
Today (19 April 26), Tony Battaini, Trevor Nink and Robert Fisher took a lighter than usual Second Bite load at Prahran Market today. Thank goodness because, in the absence of a delivery truck, we had to pile everything into Tony’s car…..!
Anyone interested in joining the Second Bite Sunday team should please contact Robert. Even once a month for a couple of hours would make a big difference!
Rotary Melbourne's Make a House a Home (MAHA) project provides new homewares to Launch Housing’s front line offices around Melbourne. We now need more volunteers to cope with the demands on homless housing.
Sambun Sambath, a Cambodian scholar supported by Rotary Melbourne and Member of Rotaract Club of Siem Reap, has provided a March 26 update where he completed his first foundation-year subject, Cultural Anthropology. He sincerely appreciates you taking the time to read his update and for the continued support of Rotary Melbourne.
For the 9th edition of District 9800 March 26 Networker for 2025-2026, please click on Read More below. In this issue there is an article on A “Love Letter” to the Unite for Good Multi-District Summit
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Rotary Melbourne has been supporting the five Black Rhinos basketball teams in various ways over the past four years. They were founded in 2007 by Afri-Aus Care and have been coached by Ryan Rooney.
On 25 March 26 Rotary Melbourne proudly recognise and celebrated Trevor Nink—an outstanding Rotarian whose dedication, leadership, and enduring commitment to Service Above Self have made a lasting impact on our Club, our community, and the wider Rotary world. It is with great pleasure that we elevate Trevor to Paul Harris Fellow Double Sapphire.
The Multi-District Impact Summit took place over the weekend in the Wimmera Region city of Horsham. It brought together some 400 people from Districts 9800 (ours), 9510 and 9780. Six of those present were associated with Rotary Melbourne. At the opening reception Sana Malik was presented with the District 9800 EnviroClub Award - Gold for continued achievement in enviroment and sustainability, covering the following projects The Melbourne Arboretum, Growing Futures in Timor-Leste, Carbon Social Certification, Sustainability Awards, Environment and Sustainability Lunches, World Environment Day raffle, SecondBite volunteering and 5000 Acts of Kindness indigenous seedling project.
What a terrific few days on the road for our 2026 OTC/Fellowship group, travelling from Melbourne through regional Victoria and finishing in Horsham, enjoying good company, great food and visits to some iconic historic sites along the way.
You may recall the call we made recently for volunteers for a small task at DIK to take lots of children’s shoes out of their packaging before they were sent to schools in Timor as part of the latest consignment of desk and chairs for several new schools being built by Spend it Well. Despite not being rushed with volunteers, a working bee of one (Bob) almost got the task done in the allotted time but there were still many cartons to do before the container was collected.
The 2025-26 Sir John Reid Community Service Award recipient, Fartun Farah, recently updated Rotary Melbourne on an important program funded by the award. On behalf of the East African Women’s Foundation, Fartun writes, “We sincerely thank Rotary Melbourne members for your ongoing support and partnership. Your contribution plays a vital role in enabling us to deliver impactful programs and create safer, stronger and more connected communities.”
No cost No waiting ..all it needs now is publicity by you.
Attempted suicide in Australia equates to a full plane crashing every day, injuring 95% of the passengers, (mainly our healthy young women) and killing 5%. 3-5% call crisis lines, but 70-80% hint or warn friends and family. Most people freeze. MessagesHelp.Org is an Australian pilot launched by the Australian Suicide Prevention Foundation with Rotary in Sri Lanka and RC Melbourne.
The Rotary Foundation Webinar: Legacy in Action with Rotarian Quin Scalzo AM and his daughter Cathy Scalzo is now available for viewing if you missed it on Monday 16 March 26. Please note that while the live video was showing correctly, the recording did not capture one of the panellist's video - apparently a technical glitch in zoom.
Master of Ceremonies: Karen Kim
Reflection Delivered by Ruth Carlos Martinez (See transcript later in this bulletin)
As meeting chair for the day, President Philip then introduced PRIP Jennifer Jones to address the meeting on Building Peace Through Action: Her address challenged us to think boldly about our role in building peace through action.
The East African Women’s Foundation invited Peter Berg, Amanda and Tony Battaini to Harmony Through Eid 2026 on Sunday 22 March, at the North Cyprus Turkish Community Centre in Albion.
On Sunday 22 March 26 we loaded Reg & Sue Smith's cars to the gunnels at Prahran Market! Reg & Sue, along with Tony Battaini volunteered with Victoria, a student from Melbourne Girls College. We’re always after additional help, so anyone willing to give a couple of hours on an occasional Sunday afternoon please contact Robert Fisher by email.
Rotary Melbourne is holding an Evening of rewarding volunteer effort, creating food packs for FORaMEAL together on Thursday 23 April 26, 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm at RMIT Melbourne. MARK YOUR DIARIES NOW!!! ALL ARE WELCOME! Rotary Melbourne has partnered with the Rotary Club of Canterbury to host a relief-meal packing event. RMIT staff, students, and Rotarians will convene for 90 minutes to pack roughly 12,000 meals that are air dropped by the ADF to people living in temporary housing in war zones, disaster zones, and refugee camps.
