Our Projects...

BLOUBERG ROTARY HONEY

JANUARY 2021

The Rotary Club of Blouberg is contributing towards repair of the environment by facilitating bee-keeping and honey harvesting in our area. Our member, bee expert Peter, harvests and sells jars of our own Blouberg honey.  If you want to support our club with this wonderful environmental project and treat yourself at the same time, please contact Peter on peter@tibrokers.co.za to see if he has any Blouberg Rotary honey available, R70 per jar.

AFRICAN TAILS ANIMAL STERILISATIONS

NOVEMBER 2020

By applying for a District 9350 District Grant, we were able to finance a two-day sterilisation of cats and dogs from needy communities by the animal welfare organisation African Tails. There are not enough resources or loving homes to cater for a growing population of strays, and our initiative prevented the possible birth of as many as 1 407 000 animals over a 5 year period.

HYBRID MEETING SANDWICH SESSION

9 OCTOBER 2020

We took the opportunity at our second hybrid meeting to make more sandwiches to donate to the Milnerton CAN feeding scheme.

LOCKDOWN SANDWICHES, FRESH FRUIT AND PET FOOD

Our members continue to give selflessly in any way which they can to help those who have been most adversely affected by the effects of the Coronavirus and the Lockdown on the economy.

VALENTINES DANCE FOR THE BLIND, DISABLED & ELDERLY

22 FEBRUARY 2020

Blouberg Rotarians and Rotaractors held a ‘Be My Valentine’ luncheon and dance for our friends, who enjoyed a delicious Italian lunch with refreshments, snacks and a delicious desert – Pat’s magical Brandy Pudding. Blind DJ Gary entertained us with his music and quips, and we had a magical moment when Rotaract friend Lwandle left everyone silent with her beautiful singing.

GLOBAL GRANT: NEW BRONCHOSCOPE FOR TYGERBERG CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

23 JANUARY 2020

After three years of sustained fund-raising, with the help of local and international Rotary Clubs, Districts and generous donors which enabled us to use a Rotary International Global Grant, we purchased a R3 million bronchoscope, the only one in Africa. It will enable surgeons to go down the airway to obtain samples from children’s airways rather than performing invasive open chest surgeries. It will help with the treatment of drug-resistant TB, cystic fibrosis and HIV/Aids related lung diseases in children. The Tygerberg Children’s Hospital treats children from all over South Africa and also neighbouring countries.

CHRISTMAS PARTY FOR CHILDREN

7 DECEMBER 2019

The project we perhaps enjoy the most is our annual Children’s Christmas party, a wonderful day out for 250 disadvantaged children.  They have a wonderful time playing on bouncy castles, having their faces painted, bouncing on cart rides, playing soccer, watching a magician show and enjoying snacks, burgers and ice cream.  This year they also loved the animals at our petting zoo. Then the magical moment – the arrival of Father Christmas. We could not do it without the enthusiastic help of our Rotaract and Interact partners.

FOOD FOR NEEDY PENSIONERS

NOVEMBER and DECEMBER 2019

We ran our annual Christmas Food Collections, in local shopping centres, to collect enough groceries to make up roughly 100 food parcels for pensioners in need over the Festive Season.  We collected an impressive amount of food and our sincerest gratitude to the Pick ‘n Pay Centre, Table View, the Superspar in Parklands and the West Coast Village Shopping Centre – and to the very generous shoppers who made this possible.

ASSISTING AT A SOCIAL FOR THE BLIND

23 NOVEMBER 2019

For many years, Blouberg Rotarians have assisted the Lighthouse Association at the Lukhanyo socials for the blind from less privileged areas.  We are happy to lay out the tables, serve sandwiches,  cool drinks, fruit and doughnuts  and to help with the registration of new members.  These are always very happy occasions.

ROTARY HEALTH DAYS AT WOLWERIVIER

2 & 3 OCTOBER 2019

Rotary International encourages clubs in some parts of Africa to host Health Days in impoverished areas, which offer residents free health checks and healthy lifestyle advice which they could not obtain otherwise. Included at our site at Wolwerivier, the local crèche, were HIV/Aids tests, sight tests and various blood tests. We helped to transport some of the health workers and also distributed fresh fruit.

CHESHIRE HOMES FETE

27 & 28 SEPTEMBER 2019
For many years we have enjoyed frying our delicious burgers and crispy chips at the Cheshire Homes Fete in order to support their biggest annual fundraiser. Visitors can enjoy a wide variety of delicious foods, bric-a-brac, nursery plants and veggies and second-hand goods on sale.  The residents look forward to the opportunity to meet people and enjoy the festive atmosphere.

ONE TO ONE IN CAPE TOWN

18 AUGUST 2019

It is an honour and a pleasure to participate in the Annual One to One along with many other Rotary, Rotaract, Interact, Lions, Round Table, religious and social organisations in order to create a day of happiness for approx. 3 400 mentally disadvantaged  children and adults. Each organisation runs a stall with a simple game and prizes. Our stall is a board on which you roll balls to go into differently coloured depressions.  We were very proud to serve alongside Blouberg Rotaract and the Blouberg International, Curro and Table View High School Interact Clubs.

PAINTING PARTY AT JELLY BEANZ

1 – 2 JUNE 2019

Jelly Beanz is an organisation that helping children who have experienced abuse & neglect and also assist the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit of the Milnerton Police service. The area they use at the Milnerton police station was badly in need of refurbishment, so some of us spent 2 days painting a room & some doors.

TOYS FOR TYGERBERG CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

20 APRIL 2019
We have an ongoing relationship with the Tygerberg Children’s Hospital , having donated many pieces of specialist medical equipment and continuing to donate towards a soup kitchen for visiting families in need. Sometimes we are able to donate toys to the children and we last did this in December. Here we see a family and their child with a new toy.

EASTER PARTY AT CRECHE

16 APRIL 2019

A small but heart-warming project is our Easter Party for the youngsters at Teddy Den Creche, which is in a deprived area. Our members personally contribute sweet treats and Easter eggs.  This year, the staff took advantage of the good weather to hold the party in the playground, which our club has improved in years past.

LOCAL CHARITY NETWORKING

8 MARCH 2019

Blouberg Rotarian Alice was inspired, ten years ago, to bring together many local charities, community organisations and NPOs so that they could network, trade information and resources and strengthen each other.  The last decade has seen them benefit in innumerable ways as they face the joint challenges of caring for those in need in difficult economic times.  Here we see Blouberg Rotarians with community workers.

LITERACY AT VAATJIE PRIMARY

8 FEBRUARY 2019

South Africa faces many challenges in overcoming literacy shortfalls, and in response we have launched a literacy project at the Vaatjie Primary School. Together with some of our Interact Clubs, we have collected 800 reading books.  On the 8^th, we handed over about 500 to the school. We plan, together with the Interactors, to visit the school once a month to read to the learners to show them the joy of reading.  There is now a weekly reading period to reinforce this.  At our District 9350 Conference in May, Blouberg International School Interact was awarded BEST YOUTH SERVICES PROJECT for this initiative.

CAPE TOWN SOCIETY FOR THE BLIND

31 JANUARY 2019

We visited the Cape Town Society for the Blind to see what they do for the visually challenged in Cape Town, and also to see the new equipment which has been purchased through a Global Grant, which involved the Fredericksburg Morning Rotary Club, Districts 5840 & 5890 (USA), our own District 9350 and Rotary International.  The new equipment includes materials for loom & weaving training, a sewing machine, computers & chairs, a brailler, equipment for their coffee shop, which is staffed by their own baristas, and a map app for the blind on their phones.

HARLEY BLANKET RUN

13 MAY 2018

We were overjoyed to revive our relationship with the Harley Owners Group by holding a joint Blanket Run in order to give blankets to needy children and to raise funds for our charity fund.  The third partner was Table Bay Mall, who hosted the end of the ride, organised much of the publicity and donated prizes.  We thank all the Harley and other bike riders who participated. We were able to donate 400 blankets to needy children at TLC and Wolwerivier.

TREE PLANTING AT CURRO HIGH SCHOOL

21 MARCH 2018

Rotary International President Ian Riseley 2017 / 2018 encouraged Rotarians to plant 1 million 200 000 trees in his year – one for each Rotarian worldwide.  We were proud to participate and duly planted 36 trees at Curro High School.  Curro High Interact was our partner and the Interactors will ensure that the trees are well cared for.  Bearing in mind the unprecedented drought we experienced, the trees are extremely hardy, water-wise Spekboom trees.

ZUSAKHE CRÈCHE RENOVATION

15 FEBRUARY 2018

After some delays due to planning permission glitches, we were very proud to open the newly renovated Zusakhe HIV / Aids Educare Centre in Du Noon informal settlement. The CIPLA Foundation was our partner, and also Rotary clubs and caring individuals in Canada, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the USA. New structures were built, a courtyard roof to regulate temperature and provide shelter was added, and s a new ablution block. Zusakhe is now the only Crèche in Du Noon which has been approved by the Social Development Dept. & Early Childhood Development.