Rose Canada Member Project Workshop: Vancouver 2nd Dec.2010.

The Workshop, held in the Center for Peace on 16th and Burrard. was a great success. Attendance was around 80. Presentations were heard from Rose Charities Canada member projects:

Uganda:   StandTallEducation,  (education),  Brighter Smiles (health),  African Hearts (education / aids orphans),  Hillman Medical Education Fund   (medical/health worker education.),  Volset (aids orphan education)
Kenya : Hillman Medical Education (see Uganda above)
Rwanda:  Asolate (ex child soldier vocational training, income generation)
Zambia:  Malambo Grassroots (education, vocational training, income generation, health)
Madagascar:  Rose Charities Madagascar (education, community support, )

Vietnam: Rose Charities Vietnam (orphanage, eye surgery, blind school)
Cambodia: Rose Charities Cambodia  (rehab and eye surgery, sight restoration, physio and holistic therapy, education)

Sri Lanka  Rose Charities Sri Lanka (education, microcredit, community programs, sports for peace)
Pakistan:  Hillman Medical Education Fund 

In addition, presentations were made by Ms Linda Roberts (Hon Sec Rose Charities Internat), and Will Grut (Sec.Gen, Rose Charities Internat), on proper reporting procedures, child safely policies and CRA requirements for member projects .

Food was provided 'potluck' style (everyone bringing a dish of something).  The organization and logistics were all carried our by students from Kwantlen Polytechic Vancouver, arranged  my Ms Larissa Petrillo. A very big thanks to them, as the success of the occasion was very much created by their hard work

Great leaps for retinal and corneal blindness

Two recent advances have brought the grail of sight restoration for all blind steps close.

The first of these is for patients with damaged corneas.  Traditionally, transplant of the cornea of a donor is one of the only methods, but this can be difficult to organize, expensive and there are rarely enough corneas available.  There can also be political and social difficulties in setting up units.  Now, May Griffith at Linkoping University in Sweden have restored sight in people with damaged corneas by using an implant made of collagen - a material commonly found in many parts of the body  (eg cartilage). The collagen was moulded to the shape of natural corneas and held by temporary sutures. After two years, the artificial corneas in all the recipients had become filled with the patients own cells anchoring them to the eye. Nerves also grew across all of the corneas - important for cell survival and to maintain the blink response.   This method could be a huge advance for cornea generated blindness or low vision . 

The second advance has been the insertion of  a microchip into patients with retinal degeneration. The retina is the sensitive area in the back of the eye which responds to light and converts it to nerve signals. In retinal degeneration, this process slows and then ceases altogether.  Eberthhart Zrenner at the University of Tubingen in Germany developed the microchip. It carries 1500 photosensitive diodes and is slid into the retina where the photreceptors would normally be. They respond to light and stimulate the nearby nerves which pass signals to the brain.  At the moment an outside electrical source is needed but this is supplied by a tiny wire which is passed into the back of the eye.

Both the exciting advances could have huge implications for the blind.

Rose Charities Cambodia's Dr Hang Vra replaces a cataract at the Rose Sight Center, Phnom Penh

Te Whau Lodge, Waiheke Island, Auckland NZ

Liz Eglinton and Gene O'Neill run what must be one of the most gorgeous lodges in the world on Waiheke Island.  The Te Whau Lodge has a limited number of rooms but each with sweeping views over hillside and ocean and the most amazing gastronomic cuisine, hand made by professional Chef Gene himself.  I plug the Te Whau Lodge here but it needs no promotion.  To spend time there would be a total no-brainer.. seriously ! 

Where does Rose Charities fit in ? Liz and Gene had the entire board (and spouses) for early evening drinks and canapes on the night of the Rose Charities NZ 2010 AGM .  Wines were from Waiheke Island and the canapes, made by Gene and included tempura oysters from the local bay.   It was a totally lovely experience to watch the sun set over the Hauraki Gulf and see Auckland City dissolving gradually into night in the distance at the same time sipping Waiheke Whites and Reds.  Thank you Liz and Gene It was wonderful..

African Nights Vancouver - great success, great fun, great attendance

The African Nights evening on September 21st (Tuesday) 2010 was a great success. Around 350 people attended and enjoyed food, African dancing, and music and an excellent silent auction containing items of all types and values (including a Roberto Luongo (Canucks and Olympic Gold Medal winner 2010) goalie stick).

More images can be seen on  the Rose Charities facebook page

Huge congratulations to all involved in putting the evening together, espeically Niclole Schouoela of Stand Tall Education and Josephine de Freitas of Rose Charities Canada / USA and the International Committee.  Other participating Rose Charities Canada member projects included,  Malambo Grassroots,  Asolate Rwanda, The Hillman Fund, Rose Madagascar, and 'Brighter Smiles' (a project dealing with dental hygiene between UBC and Makarere University)

Sewing Machines for Be Tho - Rose Charities Vietnam and Oliver Bonas

Recently a number of modern sewing machines were purchased for Be Tho so that the older girls can learn a skill which will sustain them when they leave the orphanage (please see previous blogs). Many people have particpated in the process, all have been crucial to its success. We would like to thank Oliver Bonas, Albetta (Marco and Annabel), Rose Charities UK, Hanh Thuc Nguyen, the Canadian ladies in HCMC and the Consular Club of HCMC. Here is a report from Helen Taylor, Canadian representative to the Consular Club HCMC, and a message from Sister Vinh.

(from Helen) Some of our Canadian ladies have spent 7 days over the past few weeks working with some of the orphans and nuns on the improvement of their quilting skills and developing new marketable projects for the orphanage. This has involved donations of many hundreds of dollars from us as well for fabric, thread and scissors. We hope to use some of the Rose UK funds for a collapsible table, quilting rulers and quilting blocks. By November we hope to have many new Christmas projects for sale on the Canadian table at the Consular Club Charity bazaar, with payment going to Be Tho orphanage.

and from Sister Vinh : We are the board of managers of the ophans and disabled children BeTho, we are very happy to send this letter to you. We received 3 sewing machines and 1 enter lining machine. We use these machines to teachthe disabled children a trade and do outwork, make the products to earn money for nourishing the orphans and disabled children. On behalf of 130 orphans and disabled children, we express our gratitude to Rose Vietnam Organization, Oliver Bonas Organization. We wish you are healthy and happy.

ROSE VIETNAM - letter from be Tho

The following letter was received from Sister Vinh, who founded and runs Be Tho orphanage in Vietnam. With generous donations from Oliver Bonas in the UK, Rose Vietnam purchased 'professional' sewing machines for the training programme for older girls at the orphanage.

We are the managers of the orphans and disabled children BeTho, we are very happy to send this letter to you. We have received 3 sewing machines and enter lining machine, those are worth 32 million VND and 5 million and 15 thousand VND for sewing tools. Total 37 million and 15 thousand VND.

We use these machines to teach the disabled children a trade and do outwork, make the products to earn money for nourishing the orphans and disabled children. On behalf of 130 orphans and disabled children, we express our gratitude to Rose Vietnam Organization, Oliver Bonas Organization.

We wish you are health and happiness.

Rose Charities USA, July 2010 NY Dinner raises nearly $500

The end of July 2010 saw a Rose Charities USA fundraising dinner in NY City. Nearly $500 was raised for Rose Rehabilitation Cambodia, the Rose Charities Australia supported physio and rehab therapies program at Chea Chumneas Hospital in Cambodia.

The dinner was organized by Rachael Green, Hon Secretary of Rose Charities USA. To date in 2010, Rose Charities USA has raised and distrubuted funds to Rose Charities projects in Haiti (emergency medical relief and nursing training), Cambodia (Rose Charities Cambodia Eye Clinic, Operation First Rehab Surgery and Rose Rehabilitation Physical Therapy) as well as to their own 'First Voices' Idaho indigenous youth project.

A second dinner is planned for later this year