Rose Australia 'trivia-night' fundraiser, big success...

Edwina Bower

Some  80 people came to enjoy Rose Charities Australia's 'trivia-night'  planned and organized by Edwina Bower, and Penny Kendall and assisted by family members Will and Philip, on Friday 7th October 2011.  Held at the Willoughby East Bowling Club in North Sydney, participants enjoyed a lavish barbecue, and home made cakes and treats prepared by Edwina and her family.   Edwina visisted Cambodia last year and with brother, Will helped Joanna Thomson's Rose Rehab project at Chea Chumneas hospital assisting with much valued administration.

Penny rolling comp in background

Apart from the meal, drinks and trivia quiz (around 50 questions), other competitive events were included, such as paper aeroplane distance flying, and penny rolling.   The evening was hugely enjoyable and raised several thousand dollars for Rose Rehab Cambodia

Penny Kendall

Paper aeroplane competition

Instruments needed for Zambian kids

27th September 2011.  Malambo Grassroots is collecting musical instruments for their kids music project in Zambia.  They will be shipped within the next month by container to Zambia

Malambo runs education, school(s), health, community income generation and other community projects in the Monze area.  Two thirds of Zambians live on under $1 per day.

If you have any musical instruments you could donate, please email:  contact@rosecharities.ca

New member for Rose Cambodia Rehabilitation Centre...

Introducing Leang Khy! Our new trainee physiotherapist, now working part-time with us and soaking up the skills and experience of Sokny. This is a new program we are implementing in an effort to further bridge the gap between NGO and Government health service provision and education. Leang Khy is a Cambodian trained physiotherapist (Diploma of Physiotherapy from the Technical School for Medical Care) employed by Chey Chumneas Referral Hospital, but like so many physiotherapists in this country, she was not actually working as one. Instead, she works in the pharmaceutical department distributing medicines. There has previously been no government physiotherapy service functioning in this hospital.

With the Hospital Director's support and permission, we are now supplementing Leang Khy's (small) monthly government salary, and providing her with training to work as a physiotherapist within the hospital. She is motivated, enthusiastic, and showing great promise. Her limited, but very much improving, English is adding to the speedy progression of the Khmer language skills of foreign staff!

Leang Khy has been a wonderful, vibrant addition to the work place since commencing with us in August.

Here she and Sokny are pictured working with a stoke patient, utilising our new blood pressure monitor, purchased with funds from CIDA.



Sokny is doing an amazing job taking Leang Khy under his wing, patiently teaching, listening, demonstrating and working collaboratively with her to improve rehabilitation services for patients at Chey Chumneas Referral Hospital.

At this stage, Leang Khy is part time and not working in the community with us, she is based in solely in the hospital. As the internship program evolves and our capacity develops, this may change.

Non infectious disease now the biggest problem ....

In the past, infectious diseases have been widespread in developing countries and chronic diseases were found primarily in high income countries. However, the global pattern of disease burden is shifting. While infectious disease still remains a major problem in many countries, chronic diseases, including such noncommunicable conditions as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes and respiratory disease, are now the major cause of death and disability, not only in developed countries, but also worldwide.

The greatest total numbers of chronic disease deaths and illnesses now occur in developing countries.


Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as cancer, heart disease, lung disease, and diabetes, are now the major cause of death and disability worldwide. By 2020, NCDs are expected to account for 7 of every 10 deaths in the world, as they already do in some 'developed' countries. These projections suggest that NCDs and the death, illness, and disability they cause will soon dominate health care costs and are causing public health officials, governments and multinational institutions to rethink how we approach this growing global challenge.

According to statistics from the World Health Organization, non-communicable diseases are responsible for 63% of deaths worldwide, double the number of deaths from infectious diseases (including HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria), maternal and perinatal conditions, and nutritional deficiencies combined. The principal known causes of premature death from NCDs are tobacco use, poor diet, physical inactivity, and harmful alcohol consumption.

Although NCDs make up a greater proportion of deaths and illnesses in developed countries, overall the greatest numbers of non-communicable disease deaths and illnesses occur in the developing world. Eighty percent of NCD-related deaths worldwide occur in low- and middle-income countries.

Apart from the tremendous adverse effects on the quality of life of individuals involved, these conditions place enormous strains on family and community budgets. The overall economy suffers from both the labor units lost due to death and illness as well as the high direct medical costs. This phenomenon, during which health infrastructures already weakened by continuing battles with infectious disease are increasingly being taxed by rapidly growing NCDs, is often referred to as the double disease burden.

Keep Zambian kids in school ! .. Jocelyn writes

LET'S KEEP THEM IN SCHOOL...   from Jocelyn (Malambograssroots)

In Praise of Education - we are drumming up funds to add to our scholarship program and I found this comment in the Zambian Economist which directly illustrates the positive impact of keeping kids in school.

"South Korea calculated that the economy grew by 6% for every year added
... to education. This means that if we (Zambia) educate every child through grade 12
instead of grade 7 we should add 30% to GDP. Some drastic improvement
in the quality of education would help as well, also in its diversity
(not every child is academically able some have more practical talents)

There would be an immediate increase in employment of teachers and builders and a later increase in colleges required.

Educated
people are more likely to challenge or question the nonsense that we
hear every day but not necessarily in a meaningful or productive way.
(Note how many people will complain about the ZESCO increase after the
next bill as opposed to the 46 who bothered to complain before the
increase when it could still have an effect!)

Another thing that
could be done in Zambia to boost the economy is to pay the retirees. We
have a very low retirement age (55) and if people get their benefits the
invest in business or agriculture or something productive. They are
often successful as they have years of experience behind them. The whole
economy would grow as a result. If all retirees had to be paid before
any MP I think it would get done."

BC Children's goodwill cards delivered to Shizukawa School, N.E. Japan:

Shizukawa Elemetary School Principle Mr Kai-ichi Kato and James Buttenheim - AMDA giving cards written by children of a school in B.C, Canada

 I hope this message finds you in good spirits and with weather much less humid than here in Japan. My name is James Buttenheim, and I am an American college student working as an intern for AMDA this summer. I had the honor and privilege to personally deliver the letters from Roy Stibbs elementary school to the principal of Shizukawa elementary school.

I want to thank you for this kind, simple gesture to the Minamisanriku community. Since the school has just recently begun operating normally again and is now trying to make up for lost time, the principal, staff, and students find themselves extremely busy each day. Therefore, we were not able to see the cards distributed to the students. However, the principal was pleased to accept them, and I know these letters will brighten the students’ day when they receive them.

Additionally, the sentiment will show the families of this community that the larger world community cares about and is with Japan during this trying time.

As you may or may not know, one of our upcoming events in August will be a week of soccer matches. Middle school soccer clubs from various towns in Tohoku will get the chance to meet their peers in Okayama and build new friendships. During this past week, among other things, we met with some of the middle school soccer clubs that will be joining us in Okayama.

After meeting Principal Kato, we traveled to Shizukawa middle school, and on Thursday we met the Otsuchi team. However, most of the week was dedicated to visiting various shelters and field hospitals and distributing medicine and new supplies.

On Tuesday, while we were in Minamisanriku, Ms. Tae Namba, Ms. Tomoko Ohmasa and I met with doctors at the Shizukawa hospital. On Wednesday, our team traveled to Daitokuin Temple and Otsuchi High School which are now doubling as shelters. At Otsuchi High School, we also met with a newly formed branch, AMDA’s Otsuchi club. High school students from this club will visit Okayama this month to meet AMDA’s Okayama club.

On Thursday morning, Ms. Ohmasa and I visited a nursing home in Otsuchi and several other shelters to deliver the remaining supplies.

Rose Charities Penang, Malaysia, upcoming events, programs and plans..

George Town, Penang, from Penang Hill

Grand Charity Concert:   On 12 sept.2011 , Rose will organise a grand charity concert under the theme " Mid Autumn Festival " celebrations at the State Auditorium. An organising committee chaired by Mr Lawrence Cheah (Hon Chair of Rose Charities Malaysia)  has been set up to plan and organise the big musical event. The Governor of Penang and his consort, the Chief minister of Penang and state VIPS will be among a capacity crowd of 1,200 invited guests at the 2 hour variety musical performance. The concert will feature cultural dances from various groups in penang, musical singing groups,ballet dances,a 120 strong chinese orchestra, etc...Proceeds from the concert will be donated to various needy organisations and the proposed setting up of an eye clinic under ROSE. The festival is organised by ROSE with the endorsement from the Penang state government , the penang arts council , and various cultural bodies in penang .

Rose Charities International Meeting: March 2012:   For the  2012 ROSE Conference here , an organising committee is being set up to plan and organise the 4-day international confeerence .from 15 to 18 March 2012 at the Paradise Sandy Resort Hotel . Proposed 4 day programme still on planning stage and will be submitted to the board for consideration and approval. .

Upcoming activities:  Among the up coming activities and projects will be..

•  3 day Bukit Mertajam Health EXPO from 22 to 24 July '; 
• one-day trip to Pulau Aman for ROSE members on 9th july' 
• 3 day trip to Orang Asli settlement in Cameron Highlands from 9 to 11 oct.2011...Participating groups from the lions clubs,health ministry ,family planning association, Senior citizens grouops and ROSE will  assist in organizing