2003-2004 report by Leo Morrissy

To step outside the local area in Rotary and into the avenue of International Service gives us a new dimension and widens our views on what can be done.

The Vanuatu Eye Care and Prevention of Blindness is a project of which Sale Central Rotarians gain the satisfaction of both "hands on " work and of working in partnerships outside our country.

The partnership with Don and Meg Macraild', and the Uniting church is working well, with teamwork in spectacle collection and testing, and again this year of Rotarians joining the team travelling to Vanuatu.

The collection of spectacles is ongoing, relying on our website, other Rotary clubs, various optometrists, and the general public to donate. Subsequent sorting, cleaning, testing, labelling and packaging has been done both by Don and Meg, and at work evenings each month.

Thanks to all the Rotarians and the ladies who contributed so much.

A team of nine travelled to Vanuatu in September 2003 including optometrists, medical, and technical support staff to work as two teams.

Accompanied by local eye care nurses, the teams, one led by Hugo Huygens, and the other by Don Macraild visited and worked in 24 different locations through several islands.

The itineraries were mapped out using input from locals John Seetu and Richard Tatwin.

During the 3 weeks, the teams tested more than 1250 people, dispensed over 1000 pairs of donated second hand glasses, and arranged surgery for Approximately 200.

Rotarian Leo Morrissy and nurse Shirley Morrissy joined Hugo's team for their first visit to the area. It is to be hoped more Rotarians will take part in future visits.

Visual handicaps are a huge problem in the third world, and the vast majority are easily corrected at a very low cost.

Medical supplies out of date were donated by Gippsland Health Service, and given to the Vanuatu Health clinics to use as they saw fit.

The eye care project is now part of the Health Dept. of Vanuatu's Prevention of Blindness Program.

Thanks to the Rotarians and partners who contributed their efforts during the year.

Plan International The club sponsored child in Vietnam is Hoang Van Trung, a 5th grade boy living with his family in Duong Duc.
Conditions have been steadily improved with help from Plan; the school now has a library, and other projects have provided latrines, kitchens, and wells. Help with animal and crop husbandry has improved living conditions for the family.
Thanks to all who contributed to our fund raising curry night to raise funds for Plan.
Our incoming International Exchange student is Henna Virtanen, a 16 YO Finnish girl who will be arriving on July 22nd 2004
A very accomplished student, Henna will begin school mid year in year 11 at STAGGS, where her abilities in languages and love of the accordion will keep her busy.

We do not have an outgoing student to exchange this year, but the club expects to conduct interviews for the outgoing student next year, 2005 to leave in Jan 2006.

2002-2003 report by Hugo Huygens

For this Rotary Year International Service has been focused on the Vanuatu Eye Care Program. The Club has now been involved in the program for 5 years and the program will continue to roll out for the foreseeable future.

At the commencement of this Rotary Year the annual Eye Care tour was underway in Vanuatu. The tour was of 4 weeks duration, visiting 6 islands, holding 22 clinics to see 750 eye patients. 630 spectacles were prescribed, as well as 400 sunglasses.

329 people had blood pressure and blood glucose level checks. Of these 75 were referred on because of abnormally high readings.

Two optometrists spent 3 weeks training Nivan nurses in Eye Care so that eventually the whole program can be run by the Vanuatu Eye Care itself.

This year the program trip will be in September and our group will be split into two. Hopefully we will be able to see more people in the same time. This is now possible because we are using Nivan nurses trained in eye care to accompany us.

Richard Tatum, an organiser with the Eye Care program from Vanuatu, visited Australia for a 6 month period. He was busy in a number of endeavours mainly associated with the program.

The Club also gave Richard Tatum a lap top computer to help him in his work, both the Eye Care program as well as his other responsibilities in the health field.

We have spent nearly all our years program with this worthwhile program. Looking to the future the committee for 2003-2004 may wish to be involved in other services. Although I feel we should still keep a "handle" on the Vanuatu Eye Care program, for which the Club has received well earned recognition.