WAS MOZART DISABLED ?

Who can define 'disability'. All we can compare with is a general 'norm' . But this too is inaccurate. Were Mozart, Einstein or Marie Curie then disabled ? In some way or other we all have aspects away from the norm. We are all thus, in some way or other 'disabled'

Definitions then are of little use. What is important is quality, enjoyment and sense of fulfillment of life. While physical abilities are very much part of this, they are not the only factors. Inability to move in the same way as the majority does not necessarily define happiness. A healthy child for example, starved mentally and emotionally is in a far worse condition than those one loved, educated and cherished albeit with one with dysfunctional limb movement.

The organizers of Rose Charites see assistance for 'disability' as being far more than physical, medical or surgical treatment. Rose Rehabilitation Cambodia has the ultimate goal of assisting disabled children and adults in all areas. These include education, community activities (arts etc), vocational training and income generation.

'Social symbiosis' is a key concept of Rose Charities and Holistic Rehabilitation is a fundamental part of this. Rose Rehabilitation Cambodia is moving forward in this area with an education sponsorship program as well as building the children's rehabilitation playground described elsewhere in this site. Funding is being sought also to directly help challenged individuals directly in improving quality of in their homes and a cooperation with Epic Arts - an organization involving Cambodian communities in the Kampot area in art/drama programs is planned

The star of the Auckland theatre scene, Jennifer Ward-Lealand, welcomed guests to a Rose Charities NZ fundraising night with Silo Theatre during their season of Stephen Sondheim's Assassins. She is pictured with Rose NZ chairperson, Trish Gribben.

The musical black comedy, which received rave reviews, was followed by a soiree where hand-woven silk scarves from Cambodia were sold to raise money for the Rose Eye Clinic in Phnom Penh. By a stroke of lucky timing, Jennifer herself had visited Cambodia with her family, returning only four days before the event. "I couldn't believe the poverty we saw there," she told the 100 people gathered.

Rose Charities NZ's patron, Dame Silvia Cartwright, was also in the news the same week, as a member of the international war crimes tribunal which announced its first verdict on Dutch, the notorious torturer and killer of Tuol Sleng prison.

Around 60 scarves were sold from a table which carried a photograph of patients waiting at the clinic and a sign saying: Buy a scarf and give a stranger in Phnom Penh an eye operation. $40 -- the scarves have been donated; all proceeds go to the clinic.

The event raised nearly $4000 which is sufficient to restore sight to 160 poor blind Cambodians

Images from the Cambodian Ophthalmological Society Clinical Seminar. Fri June 25 2010.
'INNOVATION OF OPHTHALMOLOGY IN CAMBODIA' .
(This was known within Rose as the 'COS-ROS Meeting''. However it was also sponsored by the Fred Hollows Association and several equipment companies)

Location was in the conference rooms of the Naga World Center.

Grateful appreciation to Dr Do Seiha, and Dr Ngy Meng and the Cambodian Ophthalmological Society for organizing such a successful conference.

Interview with Rose Charities USA founder Noot Seear before Haiti Relief Photo-Exhibition Milk Gallery New York

ETAT+ TRAINING IN KENYA
Irimu G, Wamae A, English M.
(On behalf of colleagues in the Ministry of Health1, University of Nairobi2 and KEMRI Wellcome Trust3.)

Abstract
The under-5 mortality rate in most developing countries remains high yet many deaths could be averted if available knowledge was put into practice. For seriously ill children in hospital investigations in low-income countries commonly demonstrate incorrect diagnosis and treatment and frequent prescribing errors. Most of these deaths occur in the first 48hours of admission. Any intervention to reduce the mortality must therefore target the emergency triage assessment and treatment plus the initial admission care (ETAT+). To help improve hospital management of the major causes of inpatient childhood mortality we developed simple clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for use in Kenya, a low-income setting. These guidelines were adapted from existing WHO materials by participatory process. To facilitate dissemination and implementation of the guidelines we developed a 5.5 days training programme. We attempted to base our training on modern theories around adult learning and deliberately attempted to train a ‘critical mass’ of health workers within each institution at low cost. Our experience suggests that with sustained effort it is possible to develop locally owned, appropriate clinical practice guidelines for emergency and initial hospital care for seriously ill children with involvement of pertinent stake holders throughout. To ensure sustainability of such innovation it is fundamental to incorporate the training in the pre-service training and the medical teaching institutions. We hereby describe the progress in pre-service and in-service ETAT+ training in public institutions in Kenya. To our knowledge the process described in Kenya is among a handful of attempts globally to implement inpatient or referral care components of WHO / UNICEF’s Integrated Management of Childhood Illness approach. However, whether guideline dissemination and implementation result in improved quality of care in our environment remains to be seen.

1Wamae A, Santau M, Mogoa W, Ngwiri T.
2 Irimu G, Wasunna A, Were F, Mbori-Ngacha.
3English M, Ntoburi S.

A Rose Charities article about ETAT+ is at:
http://www.rosecharities.net/kenya-emerg-course.pdf

Some reviews on the HIFA (Healthcare Information For All) website:
http://www.hifa2015.org/knowledge-base/health-care/triage/what-hifa2015-members-say/

There is some ETAT+ info on Mike English's bio site:
http://www.kemri-wellcome.org/people/researchers/mike-english
A BMJ article about it (needs subscription to see more than an extract):
http://adc.bmj.com/content/93/9/799.extract

Dr Pargat Bhurji: Leader 1st Rose Charities Pediatric team. Haiti. Feb 2010

  

 

 

THE SARI SOIREE. ROSE CHARITIES FUND-RAISER FOR HAITI AND SRI LANKA: JAN 27 2010

(click on any images to enlarge)

 

CECI (Centre d'edude et cooperation international )  has been pivotal in the past 2 weeks emergency relief efforts in Haiti by facilitating  AMDA and Rose Charities personnel.  Their organization is efficient, highly functional and has a very strong network of very experienced personnel in Haiti.  CECI, like Rose Charities has a very open policy of working and coordinating with any other group to achieve the same benefits to those in need. It a world where where so many organizations are highly 'territorial' about their names,  CECI  exhibits a very refreshing difference.   CECI has projects worldwide  We strongly recommend supporting this excellent organization for anyone who wishes to support Haiti relief efforts. 

 It is interesting that, while many of the larger organizations  efforts became gridlocked at Haiti International Airport, many other (often the smaller) organizations, poorly reported by the press quickly and efficiently entered in via the Dominican Republic.  CECI was one of these.  AMDA and Rose Charities owe considerable thanks to CECI and hope that contacts may be preserved into the future

The Children's Surgical Center, Cambodia, does some valuable  work for Cambodia.  The facility was  founded by Rose Charities Canada in 1998 as its surgical rehab center,  its use of  many thousand dollars of Rose Charities  Canada's equipment and vehicles commenced in 2002.   The Rose Charities Eye Center carries out around 1500 sight restorations per year from its Kien Khleang Center, and cleft palate, burns (often acid burn) and other rehabilitative surgery from its  Ministry of Health hospital.  Rose Charities continues to run the leading all Cambodian managed eye surgery centers for the Cambodia's poor.   Rose Charities is grateful for donations for its Cambodian surgery projects.  www.RoseCharities.org .  Rose Charities rehabilitation surgery center at the Ministry of Health 'Chea Chumneas'' Hospital on the outskirts of Phnom Penh is a multi-group unit where excellent  international organizations like Smile Train, Operation Rainbow, Impact and individual surgical experts are able to train and implement surgeries in  proper Ministry of Health Premises. By supporting the Ministry of Health, future health sustainability is ensured in Cambodia. It is unfortunate that some organizations neither support the National Eye sub-committee (SCPBL) nor operate out of proper Ministry of Heatlh premises.  Donors who support such organizations are doing considerable long term disservice to Cambodia.

The Rose Charities Sari Soiree, Bollywood dance party fundraiser held in Vancouver on Wed 27th January 2010 was a very great success.  Around 200 persons attended and almost everyone ended up dancing. Sari fittings were a star attraction. 

From Port-au-prince, Haiti, 19-Jan-2010

Hi there folks.  Well I did my stint yesterday for 9 hours or more interpreting for US, Korean and Hungarian doctors at the Haitian community hospital.  What a sight when one arrives  =- bodies everyone - searching for treatment, relatives camped outside on the grass and inside a hive of activity.  They seemed to have received plenty of volunteers but I soon found my niche.

 

One of the doctors said that none of them had seen, in all their lives, the amount of amputations as they have in Haiti - mostly feet and legs - trapped under buildings etc.  So this means that in the future there's going to be a HUGE need for prosthetics and physical handicap support for these people, in a country where the handicapped are way down the list of those being helped already!!

 

I was in the Triage area and the US Docs had got it very organised - with Zones all marked out and one doc per zone with a nurse and a translator (interpreter!). I was in Zone 1 but frankly I ran around from zones 1-4 and anywhere else I was needed. there were a lot of young Haitian guys acting as translators, not sure how good their English was. I was the go to person by all the patients in those whole areas and they called me DOC!! I said no not a Doc but what do you need, and then I'd go off and channel one of the docs to go and see to them. You know how bossy I am!! It was exhausting work as so much of the time I was on my feet, and the old knees don't do too well!!! but I grabbed a seat when ever they were physically treating the patients.

 

The patients with open wounds/fractures were treated in the hospital and hundreds of Xrays were being ordered - each time meaning I had to go to the Haitian staff to get a proper form and approval. They always put a price down on the form but as they only had their name and no address, plus they didn't do the usual Haitian thing of asking for money upfront I presume the Aid organisations are going to pay for them! The ones with closed wounds/fractures were being sent, many of them to the DR!! by bus I presume which cannot have been an easy ride. I've heard reports and I don't know if it's true, that people are complaining that the Dominicans are amputating too quickly and their limbs could be saved. I hope it's not true. The docs came in loaded with medical supplies and medicines etc. so they could send people out with pain pills and antibiotics which helped the patients financially!!

 

The Docs and I got on very well and I looked after my various patients and the Docs said it was great to have someone who could think for themselves and not just translate, as I would often woudl say Doc - do you need to give them an antibiotic shot, do you need to do this or that!! Thank GOd for some nursing experience that I had had.

 

In the middle of the day I tell you, we would have killed for a cold Prestige beer!! but only lukewarm water and some crackers available. Frankly didn't feel like eating anyway.

 

I organised different forms of transport systems and also for the XRay system as one guy who said he was organising everything hadn't set up a system for XRays - so I told him to Delegate!!

 

 

didn't go out today as my team of  docs were on nite shift and they won't be back on until tomorrow so took the liberty of catching up with my emails and rest!!

 

We;re still suffering from lack of gas although they're giving more out now, but poor G... is still standing in line in order for me to communicate with you all - I hope you appreciate that!!! Cellphones - Ditgicel is being back to terrible again, mainly due to overloaded circuits!! and Banks and supermarkets have yet to open so people are running out of money.

 

 

The road to Jacmel has seemingly been just about fixed which will help enormously in getting desperate help thru to them.

 

The amazing news is that N...,  is alive!!! Alive, then dead, then alive then dead, now definitely alive!! Amazing - I wonder which she feels more traumatised from - her kidnapping many years ago or this.  Probablyboth on a par!!

They're still not listing my friend A.... on an official list of people dead, but I can't think that her partner  would have said she had died if he didn't have proof, but it would be wonderful if she was still alive.

 

And I think I may have mentioned about another friend - a Frenchwoman who had lost her two daughters? well amazingly it wasn't true and she managed to get the 2 girls and their nanny out from under the rubble. Praise God!!

 

they reckon 4000 houses were destroyed inPauP - it doesn't seem like its enough. I would have thought more, but who knows. 70,000 dead have already been buried and they reckon the final tally will be between 150 and 200,000!!

43 international teams of emergency people have arrive plus millions  of dollars; marines and soldiers etc. to help. 280 emergency centres to open. British Red Cross and others have opened Field hospitals.

 

Dutch and French govts have fasttracked vis for hundreds of adopted children to go their countries, but it seems the US is not being very forthcoming yet!!

 

Airport has started to work properly and they are receiving 100 planes a day with aid and aid workers.

 

DR president came in personally to the surprise of Pres. Preval and his own DR consul!! and sent people to help Digicel (doesn't seem to be working!!) as well as the electricity company and the many police stations.

 

Clinton said came in that he will continue to work with Haiti on:

1) Food water, medicine and housing

2) help to get support to rebuild buildings and economy, schools stc.

3) to help rebuild Haiti for a better future.

 

Rich and poor he said need to put their heads together to rebuild.

 

Min. of Culture said the General hospital where most people would go is without Electricity - they have 1500 aid people working therre and theybe happy to work around thenite but can't cos of lack of electricity. Plus they need food and water to feed these people as well as patients.

 

They've set up a Health Commission to co-ordinate the health problems.

 

The Govt. has asked for all Official vehicles to be brought back to their various offices so they can use them to help.

 

They are going to have meetings with the local mayors to co-ordinate disaster efforts.

 

 

Loads of people are fleeing PauP to go to the provinces even if they haven't got any families there - and they're begging local people to help take them in etc. They said eeveryone has someone in PauP affected, whether friend or family!!

 

Gas selling at 500 gourdes instead of a third of that!! outrageous.

 

A Christian academy behind the caribbean market is still showing life of people inside. Sent that off to a UN friend, hopefully they get to them - others are having the opposite - in that buildings have dead bodies inside and the smell is terrible. Unimaginable.

 

I am fine - still getting enough basic food on the streets -  still got a 5 gallon bottle of water, and hope before it runs out there will be some to be bought.

 

I think that's as much as I can say for now.  Keep us in your prayers and thoughts.

 

Thank you for all your supportive emails - can't reply to many as inundated - have over 500 still waiting for me to read, but most of those are news items. I have heard from so many people who are sending out this newsletter to their friends too - thanks for that.

 

Talk to you soon.

 

J........

 

Letter (edited)from Port-au-Prince, Haiti                                                                   15th January 2010

….I have not been able to go out, as I don't want to drive myself on the streets in this terrible mess, and  my driver's house collapsed and his wife was hurt in it, so I'm sure he's looking after her - quite rightly. But am getting lots of information:

Sadly my best friend,  died in the UN HQ building collapse, as did A…. and D C…, the Head and Deputy Head of the UN here!! They were in a meeting on the 7th floor.

We are still having the aftershocks which are absolutely horrible, cos even tho they only last a nano second, you don't know if it is going to go on for longer. Everyone is sleeping outside - I managed to persuade my household to sleep in my car in my yard last nite - instead of out on a spare piece of ground in front of the house. Thousands and thousands are sleeping outside, scared of another quake. We're up to 41 aftershocks and I hate them - I think I will have ulcers after this as my stomach goes into knots each time. It's worse in the nite as you lie there waiting for the next one. So I usually end up getting up and reading to take my mind off it. I keep thinking we;re having another tremble, and then realise it's my own body's nerves which are trembling. I guess it's a reaction in the aftermath of the quake.

Have been contacted by hundreds and hundreds of people, many from this list, friends and friends of friends and clients. I am fine still - worried about the lack of gas as any moment now my inverter will run out and I won't be able to use my generator and keep in touch with you all.

Still horror stories about so many dead bodies piling up in the streets - no-one to look after them or bury them,which is going to cause epidemics.

Poor J…. in a terrible state - gather the Florita is gone, the good block of Cyvadier Plage has collapsed.
The Cathedral and St. trinity church with the wonderful paintings - all rubble!!! The National Palace has collapsed too -so sad these beautiful buildings.

And it has affected rich and poor alike. Was at dinner with friends from the …  embassy at a beautiful house and now they tell it's finished and they lost of their possessions but not their lives, thank God.

But the people's spirits are high - they're singing in the streets at nite and praying and there's a great feeling of solidarity.

I was listening to a radio broadcast interview with a Haitian seismology expert and he said they had predicted this since the last one 240 years ago!! It was of the same magnitude in 1770 - under the Colonials, but couldn't of course predict the exact date. It lasted nearly a minute and was 7.3 on the Richter scale which is very high.

One of the owners of the Montana is thought to be under the rubble of the hotel - not confirmed yet.
The epi centre was 22 kms outside of PauP on the SW - if you go along the road after Carrefour, going towards Leogane - off to the left, up in the mountains, (eg down from the Kenscoff range) that's where it was and thankl God not in the sea as they were predicting a Tsunami - but it was a rumour however people panicked - this is another problem, it panics people.

Desperately need basic first aid supplies - cos the hospitals don't have anything.

It seems there are still people alive in the Caribbean supermarket bldg which collapsed but I don't know if Minustah are working to get people out - I certainly hope so. Thank God one good friend who works there, was not in it.

People have written that there are too many journalists and not enough doctors coming in and ain't that the truth!!

Walls guesthouse - one of their buildings collapsed and 2 of their workers and 3 guests died in it.
St. Joseph's guesthouse on Delmas 91 is rubble and 2 of the guys were seriously hurt - BN.., the Director of the house was one of them, but I gather they're sending in some plane to evacuate them for medical help in NC - thank God for good friends.
.
If you want to give a donation to St. Jos - to help them and also Wings, the Handicapped kids home you can do it thru Hearts with Haiti - which you can contact thru their website. I'm pointing people who have asked me about donations to them, as I know them and their work and it's impossible to just give a blanket donation to Haiti !! It's so needy. My people are doing it in the name of BN. Makes it more personal but it's to help St. Jos.

Phones are not working at all - I gather one service may be, but haven;t got that one!!

Well will cut this off as I want to get it round to as many people as possible.
Take care and keep praying for Haiti. I was just being so positive about Tourism the other day and now have realised that I was 2 steps ahead and now we're like 16 steps back!!! It will take years and years to recover from this. Give me a hundred hurricanes any day over this!!

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers and concern for me and for Haiti. …. 'J'

(picture at top right by Tallulah)

Images from Haiti

(copied with kind permission of Tallulah Photo )

2009 Christmas Message from Will Grut (Sec.General Rose Charities)

I write to send  everyone closely or loosely linked with Rose Charities, or partner organizations the warmest possible festive wishes.  While here in Vancouver late December Christmas now has the highest profile of the festivities, almost every other religion has  its own celebration around this time, so the wishes of Annie and I are for all happiness which they bring everybody. The joy of so many of these occasions around this time  makes us realize how united we really all  on our planet and how we must actively strive to overcome dogmas and preconceptions which divide us and cause strife.  With the  problem of global warming on most of our minds not to mention continuing wars, abuse of human rights and freedoms the needs are ever more critical

The  ‘Rose tree’ in 2009 has continued to grow. This  growth has  been in the best possible way by the adding in  of small, energetic cooperative programs or parts of programs rather than simply expanding   bureaucracy.  Of particular note in this area has been on the African continent where Rose Charities supported projects are now in Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Madagascar.  The Hillman Fund has been foremost in many of these programs, but the projects of Asolate Rwanda and Stand Tall Uganda must also be commended.   In S.E. Asia   Rose Charities Malaysia became formally registered in Penang and made a flying start with several  health screening projects and health promotions and the establishment of a wonderful high energy membership.

In early March 2009  a the 2nd Rose Charities International Meeting, hosted by Rose Charities Vietnam, in Ho Chi Minh City, the Rose Charities International Charter and Board, carefully crafted over the previous 2years  by Linda Roberts formally came into being.  The Executive board was honored then to accept the appointments for 2 year terms,  established by vote of  Mr Lawrence Cheah (Malaysia)  as Hon. Chair,  Dr Basant Raj Sharma (Nepal)  Hon Vice Chair, Ms Linda Roberts (Canada) as Hon. Secretary.  I  (Canada, NZ, UK) was kindly voted to Secretary General.

Rose Charities Sri Lanka, one of Rose Charities most effective  programs had a huge boost mid 2009 by the award of a large three-year sponsorship from a Europe based charitable foundation for a program expanding early childhood care and development/education and women and girls education in its its programs.  This will augment is hugely successful micro-credit, counseling, sports and previous education programs.  Rose Sri Lanka has also founded   a small eyesight clinic/assessment center.

The last 3rd of 2009 sadly brought almost simultaneous natural disaster of earthquake (Sumatra), typhoon (Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia) and tsunami (Samoa, Tonga).  Rose Charities was able to provide assistance both by working with AMDA Canada (which links with AMDA International relief efforts) and assisting on its own. In the latter case, Rose Charities Vietnam director Mr Nguyen organized relief supplies to the mainly affected area.  Rose Charities NZ, linked with The WBDI organization and AMDA NZ in an effort which sent both medical supplies (AMDA) and a trauma counselor Mrs Liese Groot-Alberts. (Rose NZ). Liese’s work was considered so effective that Oxfam NZ and WBDI have now generously taken over and funded a continuing program managed by Liese.

In Cambodia Eye and Rehabilitation surgery programs run well. The former is considerably supported by Rose NZ who continue to provide training and equipment. Rose Charities Australia is now focusing on assisting with poly rehab services - physiotherapy, speech therapy etc to provide support to the rehab surgical services.

Simply describing projects however does not do written justice to the huge goodwill, dedication and commitment of so many wonderful people in the extended Rose Charities network.  You all form the most fantastic and critically essential foundation which keep the entire organization operational. Eric Vanderluit (Canada), Jane Midgley (New Zealand) and Barbara Reade (UK) all donate their professional accounting services and it is hard to find words to thank them enough.  In other areas, you donate expertise in fields ranging from  medicine, surgery and optometry through web design, to public relations, fund raising and media promotion. To everyone who donates these or other things -  time, enthusiasm, creativity  energy  etc Rose Charities must give its  most sincere thanks.

The Charity Rose Award for 2008 was given to Mrs Jan Johnston, one of the founders of Rose Charities Vietnam.  Having worked tirelessly to help those in need both in Ho Chi Minh City and other areas, Jan epitomizes the spirit of charity to which Rose strives to emulate.  Jan was the 4th winner of the award.  Although she and her family have now left Vietnam, she nevertheless continues her commitment to Rose Charities Vietnam, especially in helping orphanages there.

June 2010 will in late  June, see the third Rose Charities International meeting, this time hosted by Rose Charities Cambodia and Operation First in Phnom Penh.  I very much hope to see everyone there in that wonderful country and the one where Rose Charities all started.  Information is available from Linda at the meeting secretariat email address  Rose2010@live.com

Warm and festive wishes then to everyone.  May you enjoy what is with you now but be able to look forward to success and continued happiness in the year to come.  May harmony and charity be with you wherever you go.


William Grut MD.  Secretary General. Rose Charities International

Impact of Disasters on Children by Dr Yaya de Andrade (Trauma Counselor)

(Click on article to enlarge)

Rose Charities Madagascar 2010 calendar now printed. Please see www.RoseCharitiesEvents.blogspot.com for more details

Under One Umbrella 2010: A Service Fair for People who are Homeless in East Vancouver (the picture shows the 2009 poster)

The Under One Umbrella Society, formerly called The Grandview Woodlands Drug and Alcohol Coalition [http://gwdac.org/], is a group of community residents and service providers who live and/or work in the Grandview Woodlands area of Vancouver. We have been working together for more than four years to address drug and alcohol issues in our neighbourhood. Our goal is to bring people together to create solutions that work for everyone in our community, including community members who have personal experience with drug use, addiction, street involvement and homelessness.

Over the past three years, the Coalition has completed a number of major community projects, including a series of ten community education dinners, a two year community needs and assets assessment which surveyed approximately 3000 residents and business owners in Grandview Woodlands, and the completion of a broad community consultation process that lead to the development of the “Under One Umbrella” event. For more information about the Coalition, please visit our website at www.gwdac.org .

Under One Umbrella is a one-day Service Fair being held in January 16, 2010 for people who are homeless or at risk of being homeless. The purpose of the event is to bring together a range of services, information and activities for people who are homeless or street involved in East Vancouver neighbourhoods. Some examples of the services that will be present at the event include: VCH Addiction Services, showers, foot care, complimentary therapies such as massage and energy healing, housing information, etc. The event will also include food and local entertainment, as well as a venue for recording people’s personal stories in the hope of combating some of the stigma and misinformation surrounding homelessness.

A goal of the “Under One Umbrella” event is to encourage people to become involved in promoting change through volunteerism. Not only will the event create opportunities for residents of East Vancouver to volunteer for the day, but grassroots community groups and agencies that offer low-barrier opportunities to volunteer in the community will be featured at the event.

This event is based on the enormous popularity of our two previous Under One Umbrella Service Fairs (2007, 2009). People who are homeless and groups working with the homeless (Peer2Peer, etc.) are part of the planning process

Rose Charities linking with ASOLATE Rwanda
www.asolate.org

Rwanda is still affected by the impact of 100 days of genocide – between April 6 and July 16, 1994 – when over 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were brutally murdered. UNICEF estimates that 810,000 children in Rwanda have been orphaned, and more than 100,000 live in child-headed households. Children make up more than half of Rwanda's population - they are the country's future.

A group of young technicians founded ASOLATE in 2004 in response to the problems facing youth after the genocide. The war interrupted education and resulted in hundreds of thousands of orphans, many of whom were left to raise younger siblings. The training center was set up to get youth off the streets by training them in employable skills such as soldering, electrical work, paint, candle and soap-making, sewing and project management. With these skills, youth are able to support themselves and their siblings.

The Rose Charities Sri Lanka microcrredit program supports over 700 small businesses. Each business provides livelihood for a family or cooperative group, and/or provides employment for local employees.

Denis Dronjics third blog entry from his epic journey..(click..)

Our Voices 1st Workshop from Our Voices Project on Vimeo.

This is a quick look at the first Our Voices Project which took place the week of May 18th-24th, 2009. Photographer Hunter Barnes and artist Jason Rosenstock took cameras, printers, scanners and computers to the town of Lapwai, Idaho on the Nez Perce reservation and conducted a ten day workshop with teens there. Black and white 35mm photography, scanning, printing were taught as well as digital video shooting and editing. The students were asked to tell stories of their daily lives on the reservation through these mediums. All the equipment was left for the students to use and they have produced amazing work, which will be posted soon!

Dame Silvia Cartwright

Dame Silvia Cartwright. Patron of Rose Charities New Zealand, visits the Rose Charities Cambodia Eye Clinic. Please click to read the article from Stratford Press

Left to right: Mike Webber IRose Charities NZ), Dr Hang Vra (Rose Charities Cambodia) Dame Silvia, Mrs Natalia Hang, Mr Bun (Rose Charities Cambodia)

Rose Charities NZ Trustee, Mike Webber, hosted a visit by Dame Silvia Cartwright to Rose Charities Eye Clinic in Cambodia.

The New Zealand judge and former Governor-General Dame Silvia is one of five trial judges for the Cambodia War Crimes Tribunal and has been based in Phnom Penh since last July. She is also a Patron of Rose Charities NZ along with Lady June Hillary.

Mike said that Dame Silvia spent 40 minutes at the clinic on Anzac Day aftershe had attended Anzac day events at the Australian Embassy.

“She was most impressed with what we are doing for the people of Cambodia. Dame Silvia is a charming and friendly person, who put all at ease very quickly, and was able to ask the staff all manner of questions regarding their work. As a non-medical person she was fascinated by the pre-op preparations for cataract surgery that took place whilst she was there. She was given a tour of the tour complex, with explanation of what was done in each area,” he said.

Mike spent seven days in Cambodia. In the past the trips have been up to two weeks long, but he said the visits are now shorter because they are fine tuning the operation at Rose Clinic and spending more time planning for the future.
Whilst there he took the opportunity to visit the school where the second intake
of refractionist nurses is in training. Cambodian National Refraction Training
Project has been established by the ICEE and Mike was one of the people instrumental in having this set-up.

“This group I saw in training was at Ang Doung Hospital in Phnom Penh. ICEE have had a huge input into this project, and have set up new offices in Phnom Penh where examinations and optometrical services will be carried out. There is input also from the Fred Hollows Foundation, and their person on the ground, Horm Piseth, is the Cambodian Overseer of selection and training for this course. Main input form ICEE Sydney comes from Gerd Schlenther,
Research and Programs Manager, Asia-Pacific, and Dr May Ho, Project Manager, South East Asia who supervises the design and implementation of the training programme.

“There are seven nurses in the intake and they come from all over Cambodia. Once trained they return to their provinces and undertake the work they are trained for and refer people to the clinic when necessary.”

The 2007 Durban Declaration on Refractive Error and Service Development recognises that the greatest contribution to a severe worldwide shortage of refractive error services is the limited number of trained personnel, a need that is most pronounced in poor and marginalized communities in Cambodia.

The establishment of a National Refraction Training Centre in Phnom Penh and the delivery of refraction training by local personnel have been identified as the most effective means to address the shortage of refraction personnel in Cambodia.

The ophthalmic community in Cambodia is new and emerging. For example, in 2007, optometric services were provided by only 19 refractionists with no national refraction training available in the country.

RANZCO has also been successful in setting up a training course for Cambodian Ophthalmology, which requires four years of internship, and there are currently nine interns on this course. Visiting lecturers are supplied by RANZCO, and some other occasional lecturers brought in from Europe, Thailand, and the U.S.A per courtesy of PBL and the Health Ministry.

In December last year Rose Charities celebrated its 10th year in existence.

International Secretary for Rose Charities said the organization is about people helping people.

^{“10 years has seen a huge amount happening. Wonderfully it has happened in ways which really follow the Rose principals of ground level, person to person, 'human scale' initiatives. Everyone - organiser, donor, and recipient all benefit. Rose Charities is coming of age, but not, I am pleased to say, by adding layers of bureaucracy and rigid administration. Rose Charities remains what it always has been, and must always be; simply people helping people,” he said.}

^{Mike said the eye clinic in Phnom Penh is well on its way to be self-sustaining but he’ll continue to visit from time to time to help fine-tune its activities. Over the past five years other kiwis have been involved in supporting this project. David Sabiston, now retired as a Trustee,
has made four visits. Christchurch optometrist and Rose Charities Trustee John
Veale has made three visits, and Ken and Penny Adams visited last year.}

Walking to Santiago for Rose Charities...
www.justgiving.com/denis-dronjic
The never ending road! By: Denis Dronjic

I’m not speaking of the Road to Santiago I am so anxiously waiting to begin on May 13th, I am speaking of the road we choose for ourselves; the road that brings us to our destination, only to realize, once we arrive at our destination, that the destination has always been within us during the journey.

Here I am, once again, counting down the hours before the start to the new expedition. I must say, it’s a mighty coincidence that I am starting on my Santiago expedition on the same day I set off on my ‘Pedal for the Medal’ expedition I did two years before, in ‘07. It was on May 13th, 2007 I set off from Nanaimo, British Columbia, to cycle my road bike 3,000 km to San Diego, California, to help raise money for Rose Charities. It was during this expedition when I was first introduced to my never ending road.

So here it goes…. On May 13th, 2009, I’ll be starting my walk on the Road to Santiago. I had originally learned of this 860 km road through Northern Spain , from one of Paulo Coelho’s books. Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian author whom is recognized throughout the world for some of the most amazing mystical stories written. He completed this road himself and praised it a number of times in his books; that is how I came to learn of this Christian walk.

The 30+ days it took me to cycle the west coast is nowhere near the 45 - 60+ days I am predicting will take me to complete the walk to Santiago . I know, I know! I should be able to walk more the 30 km per day and get this done in less than a month. If you are rushing to get things done, sure, a person could complete it faster, if that’s what they desire. But even if I wanted to rush - which I don’t - I can’t!! I am starting the walk on my one year anniversary from the day I almost lost my legs and my life.

On May 13th, 2008, I was crushed by a car! I was riding my motorcycle when I lost control of my rear tire – due to rain and inexperience-- and since I was not able to regain balance I had to dislodge my motorcycle, only to hit the pavement and slide underneath an approaching vehicle.

The collision with the vehicle was so severe that I was thought to be dead by all the bystanders since they literally had to lift the car off my body with their bare hands. After I was revived back to life, I was rushed to hospital in critical condition. A dislocated hip like I was dancing salsa on a deserted island hanging of the coast of Spain; broken right femur; broken right head of tibia, connecting into my right knee; broken right and left fibula; broken left tibia (open fracture with more the 3 cm of bone missing); broken left ankle; broken scapula; and last but not least, like all of this wasn’t enough-- internal bleeding and swelling in the frontal lobe of my brain. Besides the road rash, I think that is the complete list of the injuries I sustained in this horrific accident.

Now don’t be shocked, it sounds worse than it really is. If you were to see me today, you wouldn’t even know I went through this. Besides a few hidden scars and limping when I walk, I function like this was nothing more than a bad dream. I mean, physically I am not what I use to be, and I might never be again, but this hasn’t stopped me from chasing my dreams on this never ending road. And that’s what this walk is: a journey, a journey to the destination called Santiago. A journey for all the children and families that don't have a chance to dream like you and I do. A journey for this world to wake up and take care of its people. A journey for all the wonderful work that ROSE CHARITIES has done and is continuing to do. A journey for you!!

Please donate, even if a dollar is all you can afford, trust me it will make a big difference. It is people like you that make the difference in this beutiful yet unfair world. I will be doing something that doctors DO NOT think is possible, and I hope you will do something I know is possible.

Thank you for taking the time to read my fundraising page. If you are interested in following my journey I am taking with my father, you may add me to facebook. Search for Denis Dronjic. I’ll be posting pictures and stories periodically when I arrive at a village that has internet. It is said that a person walking the Road to Santiago has a spiritual awakening during his/her journey, so I am sure my blogs will be an interesting read :-)

Thank you and may God bless you
Denis
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Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Rose Rehabilitation Trust gets your money faster and, if you’re a taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

So please sponsor me now!

CAMBODIA: The high price of jealous. Acid violence in Cambodia

Photo: William Grut/Rose Charities

Many children also suffer when some of the acid thrown towards an adult accidently drops on them

PHNOM PENH, 26 March 2009 (IRIN) - Sreygao is house-bound, her life destroyed after a jealous wife doused her face and neck with acid. It burned into her skin and blinded her.

“Everything has been taken from me because someone was very jealous,” she told IRIN.

Before the attack, Sreygao worked as a hostess at a karaoke parlor. Every night over beer, she flirted with and sometimes solicited sex to wealthy men, prompting an angry wife to take revenge on the 19-year-old.

“I have no face, no job, and I will suffer forever,” she said.

Deeper than scars

Acid throwing is a common form of retribution in Cambodia, usually perpetrated by jealous lovers, said William Grut, a physician at Rose Charities which provides free treatment.

“Whether male or female, jealousy is jealousy,” he told IRIN. “It's not a question so much for gender discussions but rather why it's so prevalent and how it can be reduced.”

Cambodia's pattern of gender blindness marks it out from Pakistan, India, and Malaysia, where it is usually the men who use acid on women for punishment or reasons of honour.

Between 1999 and 2002, the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO) documented 44 cases in local newspapers – the most thorough research to date, as no government body or NGO compiles data on acid attacks.

An attack occurs every 25 days, the group said in its report. But Jason Barber, a human rights consultant for LICADHO, told a radio station that the real number of attacks remained unknown since many went unreported.

Grut said the numbers available correlated with more populated areas, such as the capital, Phnom Penh, and smaller cities in Kandal and Kampong Cham.

Manifestation

I have no face, no job, and I will suffer forever.

The widespread availability of acid to replenish old batteries, weak law enforcement mechanisms, and what Grut calls “tertiary conflict injury”, have all popularised acid-throwing.

Tertiary conflict injury is a mindset in war-torn countries that problems can only be solved with violence, with beatings and acid attacks commonplace.

For decades, Cambodia has experienced coups, civil wars and a genocide in 1975-1979 that killed two million people.

“Cambodian history has regularly been very stressful for the [ordinary] person,” he told IRIN.

“This is not the same as PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder], though arguably it may be a sort of long-term manifestation of it,” he said.

Repairing the damage

Corrective surgery is out of reach for most Cambodians, with 35 percent of the population living on less than US$1 a day, according to government statistics, so most sufferers must rely on emergency services from NGOs.

“Clearly in Cambodia, facilities are far more limited than in western countries, where one would have a long series of repetitive operations gradually working things back, reconstructing, and grafting,” Grut explained. “It would all be accompanied by very close counselling and peer assistance.”

But first, more attention needs to be paid to acid attacks as they are usually not a priority for local NGOs and government agencies, he added.

“There's not enough recognition at the NGO level, but at the street level there is,” he said. “People tend to know about acid attacks as the word goes around.”

Geoffrey Cain