Rotary Bulletin September 2, 2014

Reporter:  Neil Rawnsley

David Sills was on hand to welcome members and guests after the Labour Day holiday weekend. Where was his other greeter? It appears that on what was supposed to be the first day of school many of our members were truant as we had a smaller that normal turnout. Cashier Anne Sims and 50/50 volunteer Wolf Schopper capably handled the finances. More on his exploits later.

Anneliese Sanghara with newest club member, Janette Nation

This is Youth Services month so September will feature Committee Chairs Peter Johannknecht and Sabrina Corraini along with Rotaract and Interact members as Masters of Ceremonies. Peter welcomed everyone to the first meeting of September and offered a special welcome to Rotaractor Anneliese Sanghara who was a member of the Interact Club at Oak Bay High and after returning from University in Toronto has joined the Rotaract Club at the University of Victoria. Peter commented on the progression that the commitment to youth can make to Rotary involvement at every level.

Despite technical and pitch difficulties we completed an a cappella version of O Canada. I long for the days of Tom Lidkea on the piano but it appears we have succumbed to change and a digital world. Wynn Taylor, described later by the Celebrations Master as the “man of many tongues” led us in an international grace. Was it German?

Sabrina Corraini called on David Sills to introduce guests of the club: Anneliese Sanghara, guest of Peter Johannknecht; Lesley Ockermueller, guest of Rod Sim; and Nadia Hyde, guest of the club and our guest speaker. We had no visiting Rotarians today.

Mary Canty reported on the health of Maria Consalvo who will be receiving Paul Harris Fellow recognition for her work in Guatemala at the upcoming Paul Harris Dinner. Batya and David Westler remain in Israel with their ailing son and David Philip hopes to me back with us soon. Lynn Murray thanked the club for the card during her recent hospitalization and she is glad to be back.”

Dallas and Joan enjoying lunch

Celebration Master (as a traditionalist I still prefer Sgt. At Arms), Joan Peggs first reported on the 205 flags installed for the holiday and thanked everyone involved. It appears that the flag project will bring close to $7,000 dollars to the club coffers this year. On to many fines: Lynne Murray leaving early; Joan Firkins for lawn bowling successes; arriving home safely from vacations – Wolf, Dallas, Wendy, Tricia; Lorna for flashy shoes; and Janette Nation gave herself a fine for leaving her induction folder at the meeting (appears to be some money lending involved). Happy and Sad dollars included Rod Sim whining that Brenda prefers Brian Lamb’s flag installation techniques over his;  Vicky Pitt admitting to financial gain at the airport parking machines; John Edgell for the David Sills taxi service; Peter Johannknecht for our Rotaract guest; and Jessica Van Der Veen for the flags on Don OCoffey’s street. With a 1 in 3 chance for success, the purveyor of 50/50 tickets, Wolf Schopper won the draw and picked the white marble. Congratulations Wolf.

Our newest member, Janette Nation, introduced our guest speaker Dr. Naida Hyde. Dr Hyde is a Toronto native graduating in Nursing from the University of Toronto in 1964, then obtaining her Master’s degree in Psychiatric Nursing from Boston College, followed by a PH.D in Clinical Psychology from the University of Windsor in 1975. Moving to Vancouver in 1977 she was a Psychologist with the Richmond Health Department and the Vancouver Health Department before going into private practice in Vancouver, working with women sexual abuse survivors. She has taught at the Justice Institute, giving workshops and publishing in her area of expertise. Prior to moving to Nelson in 1992, she was the Director of Counselling Service at Simon Fraser University. In Nelson, where they lived and worked for 15 years, Dr. Hyde and her life partner, Dr. Helga Jacobson, founded the women’s healing center, RavenSpirit.

Her involvement with Lesotho began almost 10 years ago when she heard a Sheila Rogers CBC interview with a person starting work in Lesotho, who was looking for sponsors to send boys and girls to high school in this impoverished African country. Dr. Hyde and her partner Helga startied sponsoring girls each year; this was their birthday present to each other. Being passionate about the necessity for girls and women to become educated, self-sufficient and empowered in their lives they began their involvement with improving the life of girls in Lesotho. In 2007 Dr. Hyde was invited to go to Lesotho as a Gender Equity Specialist with Help Lesotho, a Canadian NGO. Since then she has gone back as a volunteer four times.

Lesotho, formerly a British protectorate, is a high mountain country in Southern Africa. A constitutional monarchy, it has a population of two million of which 40% of the people are deemed ultra poor by UN standards. It has the third highest HIV/AIDS rate in the world and the highest percentage of Aids Orphans in any sub Saharan country. Everywhere there are orphaned children. These desperately hungry children are taken care of by grandmothers who have never had the opportunity of education, who are destitute and work together to take care of the orphans. Gender inequality is pervasive. Women do all the heavy work and they do not complain. Once a month the grandmothers trek incredible distances from the mountains to the lowlands where they meet as part of NGO’s dedicated to the care of the orphans. Bitter cold, bad hips, knees and foot problems do not deter them from attending these meetings.

There is so much grief and as Dr. Hyde said: “Love is in short supply”. Her work often involved just what she found in the moment when working with individual girls and the circumstances surrounding their lives. She spoke of Tholoana, a girl who was a double orphan whose mother had died when she was 13 and she was left to care for two younger brothers. With no money for food or clothing for her brothers, she sought help within the village but she was shut out at every door. The fear of death associated with Aids was a barrier. Dr. Hyde built a relationship with her, gave her books and clothing. The next year she graduated 9^th in the country and Dr. Hyde was invited to her graduation as her “mother”. This year Tholoana is graduating in nursing. This was an example of “Building Resilience Through Steadfast Companionship”.

Dr. Hyde finished her talk with a reference to the “Mathabo Academy for Young Learners” which is an accelerated learning pre-school, and the need for funding to make the school sustainable.

Jessica Van Der Veen (above) thanked the speaker, and presented her with an Oak Bay Rotary mug.