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Finemaster: Rob fined those that have not purchased gift cards recently and those that could not answer questions related to the Olympics; including, Canada has competed in every winter Olympics; 1952 Waterloo Mercuries represented Canada; over the years the 2 countries that have the largest medal haul are Norway and USSR (no longer a country); Russia did not host Olympic Games before Sochi; 3 tropical countries with teams in the winter Olympics - Thailand, Phillipines, Timor Estes.
Guest Speaker: Duane introduced Darryll White who applies most of his volunteer efforts with the Rotary Club of Edmonton West to International Service. Darryll just visited Cambodia where our Rotary Club has projects to improve the quality fo life for children and their families. Darryll also represented some other volunteer entities as well. Through the Rotary Club of Pursat we participate in projects to improve schools, literacy and community engagement. Pursat Province is the fourth largest in Cambodia and is far west of the Mekong River and Vietnam. It is a very poor area and is very arid. They manage to raise only one crop of rice per year instead of the 4 that areas enjoying more rain produce. Kos Brateal, Kandieng District has no ground water. During the rainy season, dugouts fill with water but there is no off season replenishment.
In year 1 of our involvement, our club supplied books, scholarships, school supplies, uniforms and teacher support books and supplies. We also dug a water well near the school and provided other community development support. We worked through Sustainable Cambodia as well as Rotary Club of Pursat. Darryll mentioned some information on animal donations where the recipients must pass on livestock offspring to other families, there is minimal healthcare available and children ride on water buffalo. Families have clay pots under their houses to store water out of the sun. The people cook with methane captured from cow manure through pipes under the house flooring. Darryll got involved through association with Kilong Ung of Golden Leaf Education Foundation. They constructed a new school, turned the old one into a barn, provided a water collection system on the roof and the children and teachers get purified water through biosand filters developed in Calgary.
Year 2, 2013, the water well was plugged with sand and had to be moved, ground warte was found 2,200 feet down. We provided a dugout to collect water for 30 families (no water purificationn system). To help with literacy, since the practice in Cambodia is that teachers coming out of university do not get paid for their first year, we pay the salaries for new teahcers plus the cost of their their supplies. Darryll arranged through other fund raising efforts to deliver 70 bikes to the students. The students living far from school have no way to get to school without bicycles. High school students are learning to grow new crops to try to diversify the economy.
In future, our volunteer efforts will be through Building Bridges for Cambodia since Sustainable Cambodia was basically the Rotary Club of Pursat. We hope to help build safe, healthy communities and help with a sustainable food supply. Children need an education to get a future.
The dugout that we provided was constructed on land provided by donation by one of the residents . His house is in very poor shape. Thus Darryll is working on obtaining donations, in addition to the projects that Rotary Club of Edmonton West has committed to, to build him a new home and to buy more bicycles for more poor students. If you wish to donate visit www.goldenleafeducationfoundation.org or contact Darryll. He will get your donations forwarded.
Darryll was thanked by David Gibbens.
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