Armed with a budget of $18,000 to purchase medical supplies and other needs, the Rotary Club completed its 11th trip in February 2018 when 12 Rotary members and friends of Rotary returned from the island of Negros after providing much needed medical and dental support.  

With support from our Filipino Rotary partners from the Metro Bacolod Rotary Club and medical staff we ran seven clinics in various parts of the island. Over 1600 medical consultations, 500 dental patients and many hundreds of school children and others were fed at each of the clinics.

Over the past 11 years the Illawarra Sunrise Club have sent teams over to the Philippines under the leadership of Rotarian Myra Castallino-Hegarty. They have built homes, provided clean drinking water, have installed over 550 computers into schools and set up training pods for out-of-work youth. They have provided buildings for women’s co-operatives to start micro businesses and provided medical and dental treatment for many thousands of indigenous Filipinos who could not afford to attend a doctor or dentist.

Each year the team sees an urgent need, and this year’s need was support for mothers with disabled children. Three strollers were given to mothers who were still carrying young teenage sons and daughters around who could not walk. The need is great for people with disabilities as services are very basic and in remote areas non-existent.

A special thank you must go to our non-Rotarian friend’s dental staff from “Ambience” dental clinic which supported us this year through dentist    Dr Ahmed Bedier, and dental nurses Gabrielle Brennan and Holly Moynihan. It was their first such adventure and very confronting at times but they came through with flying colours. 

The medical team was led by Rotarian Dr Yusufali Khalfan and two medical nurses from Glenhaven Rotary Club, Elizabeth Rupp and Diane Rupp. Not forgetting the other team members who came to support us from the Rotary Clubs of Illawarra Sunrise, Glenhaven Club of West Sydney and friends.

Illawarra Rotary Club wishes to thank the many friends who have supported the project over the years. A special thank you to Seaton Club of UK and their District for the tireless help and assistance.

- Rotarian John Bilboe, Rotary Club of Illawarra Sunrise, Project Manager.

For more information about this project and about Rotary generally, contact Dot Hennessy, 0412 120 314.