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Charity
Chase
Rotary
International is a service organisation made up of business men and
women and other people interested in providing community service and
promoting world peace and understanding.
The Rotary Club
of Lusaka recently refurbished the paediatric burns unit at the UTH
and provides on-going support to vulnerable patients. They visit the
hospital every week and donate medical and nutritional supplements
to patients in specific wards who have limited or no financial
resources.
Christmas is
traditionally a time of year when the focus is on family and
fellowship. For patients in the UTH, this can mean fewer visits as
their relations and friends are busy with home visits. Patients
referred from further afield than Lusaka are particularly
susceptible to this. Many patients lack the financial resources to
buy basic medications and nutritional supplements which would speed
up recovery. Rotary would like to make this year different for
these underprivileged members of our society.
They are
proposing a partnership with companies, diplomatic missions, NGO’s
and UN Organisations to mobilize the community to donate towards
the most needy in our society.
The principle
is to place collection boxes in the foyer of each participating
organisation into which staff and visitors can place donations.
These can be cash, clothing, toys, books, foodstuffs (canned or dry
goods), medical and cleaning materials (cotton wool, methylated
spirit). Toys and books for the children in the children’s wards
would provide some much needed stimulation. Organisations can also
pledge materials or financial donations to the hospital.
The Rotary Club
of Lusaka will empty the boxes every two weeks (1 and 15 November)
and consolidate the donations into various categories. The final
collection will be on 29 November and a presentation will be held at
the UTH on 6 December. The Rotary Club will ensure that donations
reach the desired beneficiaries through their weekly visits.
Any
organisations wishing to participate should contact Rotary
International, and for those wishing to donate to this worthy cause,
a list of participating organizations will be published in the
November issue of The Lowdown.
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October
2005