AMDA-Canada / Rose Charities Canada report on disaster activities Oct-Nov 2009

In October and November 2009 multiple natural disasters struck in a number of part of the world. These included

1) Typhoon induced floods in the Philippines - extreme
2) Typhoon induced floods in the Hue area, Vietnam - severe
3) Typhoon induced floods in Cambodia - serious
4) Major earthquake in Sumatra
5) Tsunami in Samoa (and Tonga) - extreme

AMDA Canada is a relatively small Chapter of AMDA International.  Its role is to support AMDA HQ efforts in disaster relief and/or seek to help directly where possible with or without the assistance of other organizations.  AMDA Canada is the recipient of the local Vancouver Rose Charities resource raising efforts relating to international humanitarian disasters.

The organizers of AMDA Canada are aware that they are generally , on their own, not able to help with immediate relief to counties where there is no field involvement. However its linkage with other organizations often means that it has direct links to areas where the disaster may have stuck. In this there were connections to the Hue area in Vietnam (though the Rose Charities Sia Blind Center project), to Cambodia, (via AMDA Cambodia links ) and also through New Zealand (though AMDA and Rose Charities New Zealand) to Samoa.   It was thus considered that focus of assistance for AMDA Canada should be in these areas and to the other disasters  (Sumatra, Philippines) by giving support if possible to AMDA HQ efforts.  Emergency funds were duly forwarded and a specific concert fundraiser for Vietnam relief organized in Vancouver where there is a big expatriate Vietnamese community.

Very strong links with NZ (New Zealand), the main aid-activity country for Samoa coupled with considerable post tsunami experience of AMDA Canada gleaned following the 2004 Asia tsunami in Kalmunai, Sri Lanka and Acheh,  made our organization aware that while direct relief is initially needed, very soon after, there is a considerable need for both support materials (medications etc as local supplies tend to run out) and also for traumatic stress counseling.  AMDA Canada, AMDA NZ and Rose Charities both have small networks of counselors experienced in this area and it was ascertained that  Ms Liese Groot Alberts would be able to go.  Contact had been made with a local Samoan grassroots organization (Women for Business Development  - WIBDI) through the Christchurch Branch of Rose Charities NZ and Ms Adi their Director was from that moment on, hugely helpful in providing all information as to what was needed, where it was needed and in forwarding updates.   AMDA HQ provided its usual speedy and substantial response to the request to send medical materials.  Within hours two coordinators had been dispatched from Japan to liaise with AMDA NZ who started immediately looking into obtaining the required medications / drugs for transport to Apia, Samoa. It was noteworthy that AMDA NZ was able to obtain the drugs over the weekend when these events were happening.

The AMDA team consisting of  Ms Lisa Groot-Alberts, Mr Nithian and another AMDA HQ coordinator and many thousands of dollars worth of drugs and medications traveled from Auckland to Apia together.  On arrival they immediately went into action coordinated by Ms Adi of WBD.  Drugs and medications were distributed  and Ms Alberts both carried out  multiple workshops to train local relief workers in post traumatic stress management as well as directly assisting those who had borne significant loss. The team worked tirelessly and were able to achieve a huge amount in a relatively shot time.

The main coordinating relief agencies in Samoa were the NZ Govt Relief Agency and Oxfam NZ. It is notable that almost as soon as the need for post-traumatic counseling had been identified AMDA had flown in a highly experienced international expert (Ms Groot-Alberts) and this was commented on very favorably.  Oxfam NZ has since engaged Ms Groot-Alberts to return to Samoa to continue and expand her work.

Throughout all the disasters of October 2009, AMDA Canada was able to contribute to all in varying degrees either through supply of funds or coordinating other assistance.  This came about almost entirely from maintaining good networking links as well as enjoying (and appreciating) rapid and excellent communication response from AMDA HQ.   The organizers of AMDA Canada believe strongly in the AMDA philosophy of ‘open-door-cooperation’ with any and all groups who are working for the same goals of assistance within the coordinates of a purely humanitarian focus.   Responses to these recent disasters proved yet again that such an open policy of   ‘Sogo Fugo’ spirit  is able to achieve considerably more than that of maintaining closed ‘territorial’  organizational barriers.


Will Grut MD.  Vice Chairman AMDA Canada
Nov 2009

Rose Charities Malaysia 2009 end year report

Rose Charities Malaysia Annual Report 2009

1)  We carried out another Orang Asli ( natives ) community project involving over 350 families in Simpang Pulai ,Perak   recently . Rose distributed food,beverages etc to the families .Also ,our medical team screened the children for   de-worming and the adults on general health screening . This community based welfare project was jointly   co-ordinated by the lions clubs from perak,the district health office ,the health ministry ,the penang senior citizens    association members and Rose volunteers . It was a very meaningful and significant project in terms of combined   team spirits and efforts by various service groups participating in the event .

2) .Another health expo jointly with the state family planning ,women and development ministry  was carried out at the   Bukit Berapit community centre in Bukit Mertajam district across the mainland from penang . We screened over 1,000   people during the two day event showcasing various health screening tests for the public .

3).Over 1,000 women from all walks of life participated in the National Seniors Line Dance Carnival held at the Han   Chiang school hall , a joint project with the senior citizens and supported by Rose .   This programme is aimed at fostering and encouraging women 's involvment and participation in healthy lifestyle

exercises.

4) 29th Nov.2009 the Governor of Penang and his consort will lead over 600 participants from   all walks of life including the handicapped ,the blind ,the deaf ,people with special abilities and the orphans from  various charitable homes, on the CHARITY WALK WITH TYT ( TYT stands for His Excellency the Governor ) down  memory lane at the lower loop of the Botanic Garden in Penang .    The event, jointly organised  by Rose and the Senior Citizens with the support from the Penang State Government,    is to raise funds for the State Government's very poor programme under the "Partners Against Poverty "    Programme . ( Rose is a partner of the State Council on  Poverty  ) Participant taking part will pay $l0 malaysian towards the cost of pack snack food, a souvenir T shirt, a goodie bag (consisting various sample health and other products ) and morning breakfast cereal from Nestle . On top of that,each participant is entitled to a lucky draw...  comprising of 5 top prizes of complimentary air tickets  to medan,bali,phuket ,subang and acheh plus several other prizes.

On the Coming events for next year ....2010 .. we are going to kick start the new year with a big bang ....the launching  on oour new premises at the State Government's caring society complex in western road next to the Governor's    Residency .

   

On 12 and 13 Dec 2009 ,Rose is organising the biggest health Expo in Penang  at the International sports arena showcasing over 60 health care providers and their products together with free  health screening tests provided by Gribbles and the fedeal and state health departments involved in the two day  event .   The State Consumer minister Abdul Malik will launch the event  involving over 50,000 people during the two day health expo . This is the 3rd year we are involved in  the joint project with the state government and the private sector .

Rose Charities Madagascar - New school

Cheryl-Anne writes "Our school has grown yet again. We now have 199 students, 11 teachers and 3 support staff (not all are full time). Bina and the Mahatsara Parent's Association have built another school building as well as a smaller building (both located on the hill above the first school building)."

Samoa post-tsunami relief - Counseling and Medical Supplies

SAMOA OCTOBER 15 - 21, 2009. INITIAL ASSESSMENT OF THE PSYCHO-SOCIAL IMPACT OF TRAUMA AND GRIEF ON THE AFFECTED POPULATION IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE 29/09 TSUNAMI IN SAMOA.

On October 8th I received an email from Dr. William Grut, director of AMDA Canada and RoseCharities New Zealand and Canada with the initial question whether I would be available to respond to a request from the Samoan government for counselors to come to Samoa to assist in the aftermath of the tsunami. William had been corresponding with Ms. Adimaimalaga Tufuna'i, Executive Director of Women in Business Development Inc. (WIBDI) based in Apia, Samoa. From there on communication started with AMDA Headquarters Tokyo and Dr. Rasalingam from AMDA New Zealand.

On Thursday October 15th I met Mr. Nithian Veeravagu from AMDA headquarters and Reverend Kyosuke Hirano at the Airport in Auckland NZ. They were delivering a huge amount of medical supplies to Samoa. Air New Zealand at the check in counter generously waived all fees for excess baggage. Two women from WIBDI picked us up from the airport in Apia. From thereon the team of WIBDI has gone out of their way to accommodate me and their commitment to their work is incredible.

On Thursday 15th October Nithian, Hirano and myself were taken to the disaster zone by Tina from WIBDI. The devastation is huge and has left enormous scars in the landscape. The people of the villages affected by the tsunami have all moved to higher ground along the Plantation Roads where we witnessed firsthand the impact of the tsunami on the families in their temporary shelters.

The emergency relief agencies have been working very hard providing shelter, food and sanitation etc. I was struck by the expression on some of the faces, several times I witnessed the expression-less flat affect associated with shock and trauma.

The next 3 days- Friday, Saturday and Sunday, were filled with one on one counseling sessions at the request of Women in Business Development Inc. WIBDI. Most of the people who equested session time were staff of WIBDI and staff of Faataua le Ola(FLO) the lifeline counseling service in Samoa.

Since the tsunami the staff of these organisations have been working overtime in the disaster area assisting survivors and providing support to families. It became very clear that these professional carers have been affected both personally in their own families as well as are being vicariously traumatised by working constantly with, witnessing and hearing the suffering of families and individuals in deep shock and grief.

I conducted the sessions where-ever people felt comfortable or as safe as possible and we worked together in a home or office setting or in the special counseling room at the FLO office.

From these three days of hearing the stories of these people working in the fieldwork it has become quite clear to me that there is a strong need for ongoing follow up debriefing, support and training of professional staff in order for them to function well and be able to continue their field work effectively.

I was asked to conduct a workshop on the Monday for staff of the NGO,s mentioned above. FLO generously provided the workshop space. The topics were training in basic counseling skills and recognising the effects of trauma, grief and loss. The participants were all working professionally in the field in one form or another, eg. social work, counseling, pastoral care, fieldwork and management of NGO's. We covered topics like listening skills, gaining trust, recognizing signs of stress, what blocks trust and open communication etc.

Halfway through the workshop there was another earthquake. I witnessed firsthand the trauma reaction in the group. After every-one had checked whether family was ok and heard there was no tsunami warning, this amazing group of people came back together in the workshop and the rest of the time was spent in a talking circle where they shared some of their traumatic experiences.

I want to express my heartfelt thank you to this group for trusting me with their stories of loss and grief as well as showing their incredible resilience and courage.

From sitting with some of the Samoan people and hearing their trauma and grief, I would strongly recommend regular ongoing training workshops, debriefing and support. Not only for the families affected, but also particularly for the health-care professionals. The impact of this disaster will continue to be experienced over a long time, years rather then weeks or months.

Finally I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to William Grut from RoseCharities New Zealand, Nithian Veeravagu Dr. Rasalingam and Reverend Kyosuke Hirano from AMDA, Ms. Adimaimalaga Tufuna'I and her wonderful staff from WIBDI for generously giving me this opportunity to work in Samoa. Your care and attention has been wonderful.

Liese Groot-Alberts
Grief-Therapist MNZAC
Cairnhill Medical Centre
95 Mountain Road
Epsom, Auckland 1023
New Zealand.

Rose Charities Microcredit: October 2009

Rose Micro-Credit has been in operation for three years and has successfully grown to include 1000 members in 10 communities around the township of Kalmunai, on the east coast of Sri Lanka.

It's goal is to raise $CDN1m by 2010 and put this effectively to use in needy communities around Sri Lanka, all affected by the tsunami and civil war, and then to other parts of Asia where Rose Charities already has a presence.

Our experience & research has shown us that communities with 1000 active micro-credit members are able to operate its project at a sustainable level, while communities of 10,000 active micro-credit members are able to create enough surpluses that they are able to support other community needs such as education, skills training, health & welfare initiatives, so much so that they may no longer require outside support.

Rose Micro-Credit's aim is to create self sufficient communities able to operate their own community bank or credit union and Kalmunai is on course to reach this by 2014.

Rose Micro-Credit was founded by Rose Charities Canada which is based in Vancouver, BC. RCC initiated relief and community projects in Kalmunai immediately following the tsunami in 2004, offering emergency relief to refugee camps and establishing a specialised children's ward at Kalmauni Hospital. Services were added to provide trauma counselling and counselling training, education and 'sports for peace' for children, university scholarships, skills training and English programs over the last three years and most continue today. Rose Micro-Credit is one of them.

As a result Rose Charities is well entrenched & respected in this community as it provides support at many levels to families: health, education and economic development.

Rose Charities Canada supports community-based projects in eight other developing countries.

Rose Charities has received funding and support from such organizations as the Government of Canada (through its CIDA projects), Global Agents for Change, Shaughnessy Heights United Church, The Ron Burkle Foundation & Drew Katz's Infinite Possibilities Foundation in the USA, Vancouver's Gordon Keep. Very recently it has become a partner of a major Swiss philanthropic organization for its child development, education and its womens education and empowerment programs.

Rose Charities Canada is part of a larger international network of over 16 countries that is based on providing mostly medical & emergency relief support. www.RoseCharities.org

For future financial and news updates please go to our website at www.rosemicrocredit.org

Growth rates should continue with funding from the Vancouver Board of Trade bringing membership numbers to a sustainable 1000 by year end.

Substantial funding to other related Rose Charity projects in Kalmunai means that some expenses can be shared, creating greater disbursement for loans.

Rose Charities New Zealand Aug 2009 Newsletter

New Zealand:

September/October:

Thanks to a generous anonymous donor, Rose Charities NZ sponsored the Nepali eye surgeon Dr Basant Sharma, a consultant ophthalmologist and Chief of the eye plastic surgery unit at the Lumbini Eye Institute, Nepal, to spend three weeks in New Zealand. Basant stayed with chairperson Trish Gribben in Auckland and observed surgical techniques with doctors at the Eye Institute, Auckland, every day. Basant, who trained in Kathmandu and did post doctoral fellowship work in Vancouver where he met Dr William Grut, the international secretary of Rose Charities, and at the Rose Eye Clinic at Phnom Penh, was recently awarded the prestigious Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Distinguished Service Award.

An evening with the award-winning cookbook writer Alexa Johnson, who taught Basant to make Nepali momos in Trish Gribben’s kitchen, sent Basant home with $US600 to fund cataract eye operations for Nepali villagers, mostly women, who are unable to afford the operation. By August, about 20 operations had been performed.

October:

A night-to-remember with an exuberant farewell to our Trustee, Dr David Sabiston, was held in the Hawkes Bay Club, Napier. About 100 friends gathered, many of whom have been very generous supporters of David’s work for Rose Charities NZ at the Rose eye clinic in Phnom Penh.

A continuous slide show and brief talks by Dr William Grut, secretary of Rose International, Trustee Mike Webber, “Sabo” himself and our visitor from Nepal, Dr Basant Sharma, led many people to say they had gained a much better understanding of the Rose Charities work that helps literally thousands of people gain better sight.

“Without vision the people perish” is the slogan writ large on the walls of the Napier airport. This is literally true for so many people, both young and old, in Cambodia and Nepal and our evening at the Hawkes Bay club left us all in no doubt about the value of our Rose contribution.

Palliative care and grief therapy:
Once again, Rose Charities has helped Liese Groot-Alberts, the psychotherapist who has an international reputation as a palliative care educator and grief therapist, to give workshops in Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Poonga:
The Tamil Community Education Group, which supports students from pre-school to high school in Auckland, has received $1200 to buy a laptop to co-ordinate their activities. The group meets in different halls and caters to a wide range of families. As chairperson of Rose Charities NZ, Trish Gribben wrote to Auckland City Council supporting the Poonga Group’s search for a permanent place to meet.

Ak Refugee Community Coalition:
Rose Charities NZ has been approached by the chairman of this coalition, for help with setting up a Trust to aid family reunification. The Auckland Trust would be modeled on a very successful Wellington Trust which, over the last seven years, has raised $500,000 and helped more than 135 families to reunite. The Trust particularly needs the skills of financial management and legal governance. Anyone interested in being involved should contact Trish Gribben, at: trishgribben@xtra.co.nz
Or the Chairman of the Auckland Refugee Community Coaliition, Kafeba Mundele at : P. O. Box 27 157, Mt Roskill, Auckland, 1440; aucklandrefugeecoalition@hotmail.com. Or kafeba96@hotmail.com


Nepal:
Training of volunteer female health workers

After discussions with Basant, Rose Charities NZ decided to support an educational training project as an outreach from the Lumbini Eye Institute in Nepal. Female volunteer health workers are to be trained in basic eye-care education, preventive work and early detection of eye problems. As well, they will help identify candidates for eye surgery or glasses before surgical outreach camps arrive in their villages. Eye problems occur with distressing frequency, even in the very young, in Nepali populations.

Generosity: The budget prepared at the Lumbini Eye Institute, where Dr Basant Sharma is a medical director, came to $9,000.
As a result of Basant’s stories and impressive professional status, a very generous Rose benefactor couple gave $2500 for the project in Nepal.

The rest of the money was raised quickly, thanks to the PIF Foundation who contributed $5000 and three Auckland donors who each gave $500.

Reports have been received from Basant, naming all the women who have received surgery or training. This makes the Rose philosophy of “People helping people” seem very real. There have been delays due to political problems, curfews and monsoon flood but by August more than 360 women had been enlisted and given basic training.

Basant says: “Politically Nepal is still in a state of conflict. It’s been nearly two years since we became a Republic but we neither have a new constitution nor a parliament yet. The country is being run by a caretaker government formed from a Constituent Assembly so there is constant civil unrest.

“This makes outreach work difficult but we are hoping to finish by the end of this year. At least the fighting has stopped and we can hope for a better future.

“Thank you all for your kindness and generosity. We look forward to future co-operation with Rose Charities.

Cambodia:

Our Trustee Mike Webber visited the Cambodian clinic in April and was able to host our patron Dame Silvia Cartwright for a visit to the clinic on Anzac Day.

Dame Silvia wrote: “I want to say how much I admire your commitment and want to thank you for the invaluable work you are doing to support the clinic.
“We both know that Cambodia is one of the most deprived countries in the world and anything we westerners who are so privileged can do will be of assistance. So many of us however, do little to make a difference. You and others in Rose Charities are the ones who do."



The Medical Director of the clinic, Dr Hang Vra, was been furthering his training, thanks to generous support from the PIF Foundation. It is paying his fees of $US900 a year for three years. It also paid for $NZ3500 worth of instruments for the clinic.

Mike Webber also visited the National Refraction Training Centre in Phonm Penh, which he was instrumental in having set up. The delivery of refraction training (the making of glasses) is considered to be one of the best ways of helping poor people with eye defects in Cambodia.





International:

Rose Charities originated in Canada and now has branches working with a wide variety of projects in the U.S. , U.K., Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Malaysia and Australia, as well as the Cambodian and Nepali programmes that are the focus of Rose Charities NZ.

Looking ahead:

Next year Rose NZ plans to develop local projects that support our refugee communities.

Some Rose Charities NZ Trustees will be visiting Cambodia in June next year and Nepal in late November. If anyone is interested in joining a group, please let Trish Gribben know. (All travel will be at personal expense.)

Rose Charities 2nd International Meeting. Feb 27 -March 1st 2009 . Ho Ch Minh City

Presentations, Discussions, Notes and Images from Rose Charities International Meeting, Ho Chi Minh City, February-March 2009

Sat 28th Feb 2009

History and Overview.

The history of Rose Charities is hard to define as so many of those involved have brought in their own particular streams. All these histories may be likened to the roots of a large tree, each coming into the main feeder root at different times, but each being essential and vital to the saga of the whole organization. The amazing histories that everyone brings and which feed or ‘Rose tree’ are all equally relevant: none have any more significance than

any other and each makes up the whole

One can however take the history line which carries the name Rose and at least look at that. Rose Charities came out of projects in Cambodia founded in the early and mid 1990’s . Establishing a project in Cambodia in 1992, with the organization AMDA in an outlying district to provide health services for the refugees returning from the Cambodian-Thai border area, it was clear that there were huge needs in almost every sector. One of these was sight restoration and in 1995 we were able to found an organization we called IRIS (International Resouces for the Improvement of Sight) to help address this issue with simple low cost inra-ocular surgery. Drawing on contacts with AMDA Nepal, experts were brought from that country to set up a very successful rural ‘eye camp’ program. As the program developed a plan was formulated to extend the simple operation, surgical rehabilitation (ie eye operation) concept to other needed areas. One of these was land mine injury, the incidence of which was enormous. Several excellent prosthetic groups were in the country, but the medical system was inadequate to provide the large number of stump preparations (one cannot put an artificial limb on a non-prepared, often ragged and uneven stump). Other surgical rehabilitation areas included cleft lip and palate surgery, burns injuries, old improperly treated traumatic injury, slow growing tumours, and burns. (often deliberately inflicted by acid throwing). To separate this new division of IRIS from its originally intra-ocular brief, the name ROSE was used, standing originally for ( Rehabilitaion Oriented Surgical Enablement), and operations began in 1997.

In 1998, the IRIS directors decided to split off ROSE from IRIS and an organization was registered in Vancouver Canada in order to run the newly independent ROSE project. This was the birth of Rose Charities Canada. Over subsequent years, other Rose Charities organizations were registered including New Zealand, the UK. Resources steadily increased through donations and grants from the Canadian, Australian and British Embassies support wings and the Kadoorie Charitable Foundation in Hong Kong. In 2002 however the entire project was nearly destroyed when it was subject to a major theft , looting, vandalization and linked identity theft by a locally resident disenfranchised expatriate.

Shocking as these events were both for the poor of Cambodia and Rose Charities donor base, the wave of international support enabled most of the equipment to be replaced in the subsequent years. This fulfilled the pledge of Rose Charities to the original donors such as the Kadoorie Charitable Foundation ( KCF ), Australian and British Government / Embassy Funds, Canada Fund, and private donors that their generous support would not be in vain. In overcoming this event a lesson was learned and a foundation forged which has stood the test of more than a decade and helped the organization to grow and mature. Now, in Cambodia the two projects (eye and rehabilitation surgery) teach, train and operate at multiple levels and act as foci for international experts and groups with specialized expertise to come to assist and bring their skills for the aid of the Cambodian poor, while training personnel from Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, New Zealand etc come to teach and train.

The 2004 Asian tsunami saw Rose teams working with AMDA Canada to provide assistance both in Sri Lanka as well as Aceh Province in Indonesia, emergency relief initiatives which were carried on in later years to Pakistan (Earthquake), USA (Hurricane Katrina), Indonesia (Earthquake), Nepal (floods). Rose Charities and AMDA Canada have always worked very closely in this area where AMDA are emergency relief specialists. The Sri Lanka team which brought child medical assistance to Kalmnunai, exists too this day as Rose Charities Sri Lanka with its numerous multi-sectorial projects and at the time of writing is currently engaged in emergency humanitarian aid activities assisting the tens of thousands of displaced persons escaping from the conflict areas of the north east. In the past three years Rose Charities Sri Lanka has been funded by The Canadian International Development Agency ( ‘ CIDA ‘)

Rose Charities supported AMDA International in their assistance to both Myanmar / Burma in the terrible cyclone of 2008 and the Sichuan Earthquake. AMDA was one of the very few international organizations which was able to send teams to both locations.

From 2004 Rose Charities has continued to expand organically both in Asia, and, more recently in Africa. Rose Charities Australia, and Vietnam (both 2006), Rose Charities Madagascar (evolving from the UCCAN group in 2007), and the linkage of the Hillman Medical Education Fund (2007) which now runs through Rose Charities. This wonderful fund supports medical education in Africa and Pakistan for those who are not able to afford it as well as conducting mother and child teaching workshops and promoting all related aspects of health and education. Based on the incredible lifetime work of Professors Don and Liz Hillman (both O.C. .. Orders of Canada awardees) the fund continues to expand its field of operation.

.The Rose Charities microcredit group, run by Rose Charities Canada and Sri Lanka is one of the most successful sub-groups and it is planned in future to extend this arm to other countries where it could be implemented. Scores of small scale businesses have been assisted in gaining viability which in turn assists families, communities and the country in terms of poverty reduction.

Rose Charities in Cambodia, Vietnam, and, one of the newest members of the network. Malaysia have all been very impressive in the recent years in the expansion of their scope of activities, initiative and involvement. The Rose Charities Cambodia Eye clinic now is statistically the second most productive (numerically) in Cambodian and the Operation FIRST/Rose Charities cooperation project is now one of the main foci for specialized as well as routine rehab surgery operations running properly in Cambodian Ministry of Health facilities. Every year it is also visited by many medical students for elective purposes. Rose Charities Malaysia has, along with the kind hosts of this wonderful conference, Rose Charities Vietnam, made considerable strides forward. Activities are too numerous to list in this report but Rose Charities Malaysia has conducted health missions for the indigenous people of Malaysia, assisted with help for the elderly, supported ‘Health Expo’s and many other charitable efforts. Rose Charities Vietnam on the other hand has continued its blind assistance and poverty reduction programs, assisted with fundraising (overseas) for Vietnamese orphanages, moved to try to assist with a new corneal transplant project and, (between the end of the conference and the time of writing this report) sponsored its first operative eye camp.

At this meeting we welcome three directors from Rose Charities USA. Registered in New York, Rose Charities USA has been concentrating on fundraising, and also its own intra-USA project of working with Nez Perce Native American Youth in digital art training and production. Rose Charities New Zealand and Canada also assist with projects within their own countries.

Rose Charities interest and support groups have emerged in Hong Kong, Europe (Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, France), and Singapore, and others continue to emerge organically. All trustees, directors and members of Rose Charities groups hold the same values of maximum cooperation with other groups, contacts, and joint problem-solving for the benefit of those in need. This policy brings many wonderful friendships and confirms the simple fact that assistance is always a two way process.

This meeting will see the launch of the Rose Charities International Charter which has now been worked on for a year from its initiation at the first Rose Charities (10 year Anniversary) Meeting in Penang, Feb 2008. A very great vote of thanks is due to Linda Roberts both for this and for assisting with the organization of the current meeting today. The Charter will finally create a proper ‘hub’ for the Rose Charities network, allow the creation of a Rose Charities International Board and establish proper working practices and guidelines for all official Rose Charities Groups. While there is little desire within the members of the organization to add excess bureaucracy, there is both the wish and need to have linkage, overseeing and intra-Rose Charities discussion mechanisms both for ensuring standards as well as planning out future directions and policies which affect all groups.

The year since the first Rose meeting in Penang in Feb 2008 and this meeting has been a busy one, full of exciting developments. The overriding factor in all these efforts is the dedication, perseverance, drive and charity of so many of those who make up the Rose Charities networks. This meeting, once again brings many of us together to share thoughts, ideas and friendship. Our gracious hosts this year, Rose Charities Vietnam are foremost in perpetuating these characteristics and I want now to express all our gratitude to them for the wonderful arrangements they have made to make this meeting a successful and enjoyable one. Thank you



International Rose Meeting: Sunday 1st March, Asian Ruby Hotel. Ho Chi Minh City. 9.30 am

Attendees: Linda Roberts (Canada), Joanna Thomson (Rose Charities Australia), Noot Seear- Annie Henley – Jason Rosenstock (Rose Charities USA) , Will Grut (Rose Charities Canada, UK, New Zealand) , Dr Nous Sarom – Ms Dim Vanny (First-Rose Cambodia), Lawence Cheah (Rose Charities Malaysia),
Skype video attendee: Josephine de Freitas (Rose Charities Canada)

Issues were discussed as per the headings below and summarized as follows…


Regional networking – ways forward: Regional networking was considered to be very beneficial for exchange of ideas, plans, resources. Already it has been seen in a expedient and generous donation of sutures for eye surgery from Vietnam to Rose Charities Cambodia when there was an unexpted need and those on order had not turned up. The group was of the opinion that any further contacts an links on a regional basis should be promoted as much as possible. Lawrence Cheah (Malaysia), indicated that he has possible contacts in Indonesia, Singapore, West Malaysia and other areas who might be interested in the Rose Network. It was however noted that regional contacts should not be at the expense of integrated Rose links throughout the whole network. The world today ia one of rapid and easy communications and travel which brings all areas within easy reach of each other.

Development of specific interest areas (eye surgery ,counseling, education, micro-credit etc). The promotion of specific interest areas should be according to the aims and desires of each national group. Rose Charities deliberately has a very wide mandate. ‘Rehabilitation is a term which is applicable to almost any sector. Will Grut (Canada, New Zealand) noted though that groups which had been concentrating on a particular area (such as New Zealand with its focus on eyes) was becoming specifically known in its donor base for its link with this area; and this was often beneficial

Women’s group development. The need for the development of specific women’s groups and / or women’s projects was considered very relevant. Linda Roberts (Canada) had recently been in Nepal , working with Kunti Chapagai to set up a specific womens group to assist with the problems of trafficking.

Emergency relief.. why when how. While emergency relief is important, it needs to be put in context. There are many specialized organizations which deal specifically in these areas which huge amounts of specialized resources and materials available at very short notice. It is important that any relief effort actually assists and does not hinder. Rose Charities should only undertake work in this area if it is clearly of benefit to the recipients and within its logistical capabilities. There has been a very close relationship with AMDA over the years, which is one of the specialist agencies and was one of the very few organizations which had teams both in Sichuan and Myanmar / Burma in 2008 for their respective earthquake and typhoon disasters. Rose Charities contributed to these efforts. Generally however any Rose Charities effort will more likely be undertaken if the disaster is in a country or region where there is a Rose group of project.

The recession and funding. While the recession has certainly reduced levels of donation, the extreme cost effectiveness of the majority of the Rose Charities programs has minimized the impact on the organization. Some small cuts have been necessary in field programs but in almost all cases 100% function has still been preserved by careful planning.

Next International meeting. The next (3rd) Rose Charities International meeting is planned for February 2011. Candidate countries are Malaysia (Penang) again, or Cambodia.

Representatives for international board. These will be decided over the next few weeks and the board be in action by March/April 2008