Betty Fatima came to NZ in January 2020 on a 6-week scholarship to study early childhood education, leaving behind her husband and 2-year-old daughter. 9 months later she was able to return home to Dili, East Timor on a repatriation flight.
Rotary has been working to eradicate polio for more than 30 years. Our goal of ridding the world of this disease is closer than ever.
As a founding partner of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, we've reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent since our first project to vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979.
We've helped immunize more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries. So far, Rotary has contributed more than $1.8 billion toward eradicating the disease worldwide.
Today, polio remains endemic only in Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan. But it’s crucial to continue working to keep other countries polio-free. If all eradication efforts stopped today, within 10 years, polio could paralyze as many as 200,000 children each year.
Winning ticket # 257 was drawn under police supervision last night for the club's annual Trailer Raffle. The winner has been notified. The trailer and goodies therein are valued at $5,000. Proceeds from the raffle go to supporting Kapiti Youth and the Wellington Childrens Hospital. Club members in front of the trailer enjoying an island themed evening on an appropriately beautiful Kapiti evening (ahem!)
Tony Annanadale, (President) and Cliff Daly (Projects Manager) from the MenzShed gave an interesting and inspirational account of the development of the Menz Shed Kapiti (Waikanae Beach) into one of the largest and most successful clubs in New Zealand, with 140 members of which at least 40 regularly turnout on Tuesdays and Thursdays at their property at Waikanae Beach. "A place where men can do what men do.........
The club’s annual golf fixture was held at the Paraparaumu Beach Golf course, raising a record amount. Beneficiaries were the new Wellington Regional Children’s hospital (Trish Lee), $5,000 - towards the fitout of the Rotary whanau rooms (a Rotary D9940 centennial project). A further $1000 was donated to Paraparaumu Beach Golf Club (Murray Armstrong) for Junior golf. The balance of the funds raised will be used for a wide range of local youth projects that the Rotary Club of Kapiti supports. President Shirley Stratton expressed thanks to all of the supporting businesses who contributed funds or prizes, particularly principal sponsor Kapiti Hire (Tim Mikkelson). 
Rosemary and Barry Ward came to share with us the adventures of their intrepid journey from Cape Reinga to Lyall Bay in Wellington. The Te Araroa Trail snakes for 3000km through New Zealand and over their Christmas Break Rosemary and Barry walked the trail down through the North Island.
Superb day for a sausage sizzle at Mitre 10 to raise funds for End Polio Now. In excess of $500 was raised - including donations.