September 4 meeting - Speaker John Jordan

Reporter: Corey Burger. Photos by John Edgell.

First, our guests. Sadly there were no visiting Rotarians, but we did have Heather Aked’s son Alexander with us, and Rotaractor Maria Morrison (guest of Joan Firkins). Our many other guests included Michael Corrigan, guest of Peter Sou, Marco Fernandes, and Donna Chow, both guests of Barry Mutter, as well as Emmanuel Ortega, guest of Pablo Diemecke, and Michell Le Sage, guest of Lori McLoed.

Mary Canty reported that there we no health problems.  Joan Firkins (left with president Joan) announced that over many glasses of wine, the Tuscany organizing committee is going to have another kick at the can this coming April 27, 2013. We made $21,000 last year. There is a need for good auction items.

Perry invited Lori McLeod to the PR meeting, and, as an aside, invited the rest of the club and the members of the committee as well. Joan Peggs invited the club to go past the window that Perry and Jim have been working on diligently.

The money then flew thick and fast as Ron Cooley fined many people for not having a guest, not wearing a pin, failing to ride on a ferry, failing to sign in, and arriving late. The club largely failed to correctly identify a 4,000-year-old Egyptian grain, which was sorghum. Ron also reported that this day marked one year of membership for the Westlers, Batya and David. 

David Phillip (seen left with Dallas Chapple - both looking great!) was very happy Michael Corrigan was here, just as he was many years ago when he saved David’s life and let him continue to be the bane of his wife’s life. John Edgell was very happy he escaped on vacation again. He pre-emptively fined himself for this misdemeanour. Also in the not-yet-fined-for-travelling category included Jessica van der Veen, who returned from the south of France. Lorna Curtis found time in her retired life to clean her garage and found many Rotary items. Apparently the Oak Bay Club won a prize in 2009-10 for donations.  Lastly, Alexander (below, with Mom Heather and Leslie) was happy to have seen tennis in New York. No further mention was made of trips to the French Open. Lori drew the black marble.  

George Pritchard introduced our speaker, John Jordan, who provided an interesting report on the Rwanda project the Club has supported in the past and this year as well.  It was Rwanda’s determination to rise from the ashes of a horrible war to successfully create the most peaceful society in Sub-Saharan Africa that drew him there.  John read portions of Rotary President Tanaka’s letter to members that spoke of his country’s similar path and the power for good that he sees arising from Rotary’s dedication to “peace through Service.” John related that even among the poorest in Rwanda, our beneficiaries find capacity for service and giving back.

Overview of the project listed 150 widows’ houses rehabilitated, 44 students supported in boarding school, 30 beekeeping families built new hives and had their first harvest. The Rotary stove project distributed a phenomenal 3,000 stoves and 2 self-sustaining production centers, employing 12 people full time.  Our students worked about 2,000 hrs producing 300 stoves, planting 900 trees, and doing hundreds of services for widows.  Interact students from Oak Bay and Port Townsend matched their work with about $2,000 allowing them to buy 40 pigs to raise for school and family needs.

John spoke of how Rwandans work hard to compound the investment we make in them, preserving some of the resources even in the face of so many basic needs.  Putting the labor involved in delivering 3,000 stoves in context, John said it involved hauling 22kg of mud at least a kilometer up from the river for each stove and then, after drying it for 2 weeks, carrying it 2 to 4 km into the hills to install: that’s 726 tons carried an average of 3km, earning $2 – 2.50/day.  A job is valued for the opportunity created by regular income and the pride in delivering a stove that will change a family’s life.

The overarching value of the project is seen in the increased status of widows and orphan students and their capacity to sustain themselves, the example of community service integrated with successful business, and the deepening experience of our team in complex project management.

Good questions brought out further interesting facts:

Other government and NGO stove projects with budgets 10 times higher delivered less than half the stoves because they came as the educated elite in SUV’s not wanting to walk dusty roads.

Following questions, John explained that of the 9.5 million Rwandans, 1-2% are Muslim.  350,000 reside in John’s “home” District. Only 2% of Rwandans complete University. The stove costs $5 and brings about the same health and economic benefit as quitting a 2 pack a day smoking habit. The stove technology comes from the Aprovecho Research Center in Oregon where our Club has sponsored John to attend a workshop the last 2 summers.

Mary Canty (above) thanked John on behalf of all attendees and herself as a grandmother.