Saturday, February 7, 2009

HIGH SCHOOL INTERACT CLUB NEWSLETTER-FEBRUARY 2009

Around World…

Global health community commits over $630 million in aggressive push for polio eradication

Rotary International, Gates Foundation, United Kingdom, and Germany pledge critically needed funds and urge donor and endemic country governments to help end crippling childhood disease

San Diego, Calif., U.S.A (Jan. 21, 2009) -- Rotary International, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the British and German governments today committed more than $630 million in new funds to fight polio, a crippling and sometimes fatal disease that still paralyzes children in parts of Africa and Asia and threatens children everywhere.  In addition to pledging needed funds, leaders urged additional donors and leaders of countries where polio still exists to join them in aggressive push for eradication.

The Gates Foundation is awarding a $255 million challenge grant to Rotary, which Rotary will match with $100 million raised by its members over the next three years.  At the same time, the United Kingdom is giving an additional $150 million (£100 million) and Germany is giving an additional $130 million (€ 100 million), both to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). Contributions from the U.K. and Germany over the next five years will not count toward Rotary’s match of the Gates Foundation challenge grant.

As a spearheading partner in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), Rotary’s chief role is fundraising, advocacy and mobilizing volunteers. The announcements came during the Rotary International Assembly, the humanitarian service organization’s annual leadership conference.

“Rotarians, government leaders and health professionals have made a phenomenal commitment so polio afflicts only a small number of the world’s children,” said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Gates Foundation. “However, complete elimination of the polio virus is difficult and will continue to be difficult for a number of years. Rotary in particular has inspired my own personal commitment to get deeply involved in achieving eradication.”

In accepting the Gates challenge, Rotary Foundation Chair Jonathan Majiyagbe said the funding partnership will inspire other polio eradication allies, both current and new, to ramp up their support.

“With the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we are on the brink of eradicating one of the most feared diseases in the world,” Majiyagbe said. “This shared commitment of Rotary and the Gates Foundation should encourage governments and nongovernmental organizations to ensure that resources and the will of the world are available to end polio once and for all.”

UK International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said,” This £100 million pledge by the UK Government, combined with the money from our other partners, is a massive boost in the battle to rid the world of the scourge of polio. We have already significantly increased the number of vaccinations for those people most at risk, and there has been real progress in reducing the number of new infections. Now is the time to make the final push to eradicate polio. This investment will ensure future generations in the developing world will no longer have their lives blighted by this crippling disease.”

New funding and government support still required

The polio eradication initiative faces an ongoing funding shortfall that must be closed if eradication is to be achieved. With these new investments, along with contributions received from Canada, Russia, the United States and other donors, the shortfall for 2009-10 is $340 million. Once finalized, the new funding from Germany will further reduce the gap.

“G-8 countries pledged repeatedly to take all necessary steps to eradicate polio,” said Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development. “Germany has contributed significantly to living up to this commitment. We urge other countries to join us in closing the funding gap and ensuring that health workers have the support they need to protect the world’s children from polio.”

Polio has been completely eliminated in the Americas, the Western Pacific and Europe, but the wild polio virus persists in Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan, and imported cases from these countries threaten other developing nations. It is in these four countries that the most serious challenges exist, including vaccine effectiveness (India), low vaccination coverage rates (Nigeria), and access problems due to conflict (Afghanistan and Pakistan). Much depends on the countries themselves.  Recent progress in key areas has shown that these challenges can be overcome with sufficient national and sub-national commitment. 

Launched in 1988, the GPEI -- spearheaded by Rotary, the World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and UNICEF -- has reduced the number of polio cases by 99 percent over the past two decades, from more than 350,000 cases in 1988 to an estimated 1,600 in 2008.

The GPEI partners will use the new polio eradication funds to support a range of activities, including:

National Immunization Days, when countries aim to immunize every child under five years old with oral polio vaccine

Supplemental immunization activities focused on providing extra vaccinations to children in high-risk areas

Research into new vaccines and ways to ensure they are available to vulnerable children

Surveillance activities to detect cases of polio so that progress can be measured and outbreaks contained

WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan said:  "Together with enhanced commitment by the last four endemic countries at all levels, the new funding commitments are precisely what is needed to help the governments in these countries overcome the remaining barriers to reaching every child with polio vaccine.”

“Successfully eradicating polio is crucially important, not just to ensure that no child will ever again be paralyzed by this devastating disease, but also to show that today -- in the 21st Century -- we can deliver life-saving health interventions to every single child, no matter where they live, and even in the most difficult and challenging environments,” said Dr. Chan, who in 2008 made polio eradication WHO’s top operational priority.

This is the second challenge grant for polio eradication the Gates Foundation has given Rotary. The first came in November 2007, when Rotary agreed to match a $100 million grant dollar-for-dollar.

Rotary clubs worldwide already are hard at work raising the matching funds for what the organization has named Rotary’s $200 Million Challenge. Since the first Gates Foundation challenge grant was announced, Rotary clubs have raised $62 million in contributions and $11 million in commitments toward the goal. Their enthusiastic commitment was a major reason the second challenge was made and accepted. Rotary also invites the general public to participate by visiting rotary.org/endpolio to learn about polio eradication and contribute to Rotary’s $200 Million Challenge.

Around Klang…

§  Celebrating teacher’s birthday

As usual, interactors will be celebrating teacher’s birthday. We gave birthday cards as appreciation to our teacher.

·        Cleaning The School Compounds

We clean the school compounds to ensure cleanliness of our school is maintained. Interactors sweep the school compounds, clearing the rubbish bins, picking up rubbish and so on.

Upcoming Projects

·        Dedication for valentine’s day

-We will be doing dedication around valentine’s day. This is also a fund raising project.

·        Celebrating teacher’s birthday

-As usual every month, we will be celebrating teacher’s birthday.

 

Editor’s Note

-         Badges of our club will be done soon. It will be done around February or March. Anyone who are interested in buying the badges, you may contact one of BOD to buy it.

-         Upcoming meetings will be announced through notice board and assembly.

-         Any extra project will be informed during meeting and notice boards.

-         Recruitment of new members have been done. We welcome them and introduced our BOD to them. They were given a briefing information about our interact projects and our mission.

Edited by,

Eric Lee





HIGH SCHOOL INTERACT CLUB NEWSLETTER-JANUARY 2009


Around World…

 Rotary to provide lifesaving cardiac surgery for eight children with congenital heart defects

(Delhi, INDIA - 8 December 2008) – Through Rotary’s Gift of Life program, the National Heart Institute and Escorts Heart Institute & Research Centre in Delhi will perform free, life saving open-heart surgeries on eight children this month. 

Four of the children are from Arunachal Pradesh, India, including ten-year-old Tamos Sinkum and two-year-old Gejom Bagra, who will both undergo surgery on 09 December. Ten-month-old Tadar and nine-year-old Biku are scheduled for surgery the following week.   Kabuuka Emmauel, a sixteen-year-old boy from Uganda, is also scheduled for open heart surgery and valve replacement this month.

Yasodhi Annuthara of Sri Lanka, born on 21 May 08 with a congenital disease, and eleven-year-old Anisha Thapa of Kathmandu, Nepal are  expected to reach Delhi next week for open heart surgery.. Two-year-old Sania from Jammu Kashmir, will undergo surgery at Escorts Hospital tomorrow.

According to health authorities, an estimated seven out of 1,000 children in India suffer from congenital heart diseases, yet few can afford the high cost of surgery required for them to live normal and healthy lives.

“The families of these children suffering from chronic heart illness have no monetary resources and would never be in a position to raise enough money for the surgery,” said A. C. Peter, a member of Rotary Club of Delhi East End and the national coordinator of Gift of Life. “Rotary came forward to reach out to the children and their family.”

Launched by Rotary clubs in India in 2002, the Gift of Life project helps hundreds of children born with heart ailments by providing free cardiac surgery, medicine, food, accommodation, hospitality, boarding and lodging. The Rotary Club of Delhi East End, which established its Gift of Life program three years ago, has provided lifesaving surgeries for 300 children over the past three years.

Many children from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh have also come to India and undergone successful heart surgery under the Gift of Life. Peter emphasizes, “This project is a classic example how Rotary can promote peace and understanding between nations through international humanitarian service.” 

Rotary clubs in India plan to arrange free surgeries for 100 more needy children. They will continue to work closely with the Delhi, National Heart Institute, Escorts Heart Institute and Research Centre, and the Indian medical community to achieve this goal.

Around Klang…

§  Visited PAWS

On the 8th of December, MGS held a trip to animal shelter (PAWS) which is located around Subang Jaya. Interactors of MGS invited us in their projects. Around 10 interactors of MGS and 4 interactors of SMK TINGGI KLANG participated in this projects. Interactors rent a bus and it cost RM 15 a person for the bus fare. We arrived at PAWS around 10a.m. We saw many animals such as cats, dogs, and even monkey which is a naughty one. We help them to feed the young with milk, clean their cage, and give medicine to those mammals who are sick. We enjoy playing with the dogs and the mischievious monkey. We also clean the dogs matt, serve them food, and took pictures of it. We also help the owner to lay in some newspaper on the cage. Our activity ends around 12 in the noon. We also donated some money for the needs of the dog. We took a photo group as rememberance.

Picture of interactors cleaning the matt

§  Visit to orphanage home

On the 27th of December, interactors of High School Klang visited an orphanage home. The name of the orphanage home is TKU Caring Home which is located at Klang Utama. We arrived there around 1.30p.m. The orphan house was having their events on that day. The opening ceremony starts t 2p.m. as we arrived. The opening ceremony started with speech. After the opening ceremony, they are performances by the kids. They dance gracefully. We play with the kids during the games event. We play musical chair, and some games with them. Foods were served during the events too. The event ends at 6p.m. in the evening. We were given souvenirs as an appreciation.

§  Mural Painting

From the 7th of December 2008 till 2nd of January 2009, we had our mural painting in our school. We painted the wall near our school canteen. This project took so much time due to dissatisfaction of our school teacher. We painted the wall with other clubs which is the English Language Society Club and the Seni Club. Our I.U Director, Elaine Teh came out with a design  that amuse all of us. It was simple and nice. Interactors was having fun too during the projects. Our school teacher bought us pizza and KFC to encourage us.

§  Attended Party Anthony’s Christmas

On the 28th of December, a Christmas party was held in Sir Anthony’s house to celebrate Christmas. Interactors was enjoying themselves with Christmas mood and was having lots of fun. Foods were served during the party and we enjoyed it.

Upcoming Projects

·        Celebrating teacher’s birthday

- As usual, every month we will be celebrating teacher’s birthday.by giving cards

·        Cleaning The School Compounds

-We will be cleaning our school compounds to make sure our school looks clean and tidy. We will be sweeping, wiping and etc.

·        BOD will be having their own books.

-All BOD will be having their own book and will be writing their projects and jobs for our year. This book will be pass on to the next generation. 

HIGH SCHOOL INTERACT CLUB NEWSLETTER-DECEMBER 2008


Around World…..

Rotary Centers create e-learning platform

(EVANSTON, Illinois, USA) - In an effort to maximize interaction and collaboration, Rotary’s innovative peace studies program will develop an e-learning platform to provide greater access and enhanced learning opportunities to Rotary World Peace Fellows and other students around the world.

The announcement was made following a meeting of senior Rotary leaders and senior officials of partnering universities held at the Rotary headquarters in Evanston last week.  The two-day meeting was an opportunity to discuss ways to enhance cross-university exchanges and promote the six Rotary Centers for International Studies, which teach peace-making and conflict resolution skills to young professionals at leading universities in five countries.

“The Rotary Centers program has created an innovative network of peace and conflict resolution experts, and we agreed to further strengthen it by leveraging the Centers’ differing strengths and varying areas of specialization,” explains Rotary Foundation Chair Bob Scott, adding that a $20,000 gift from the Rotary Foundation will support the initiative.  “This Web-based learning platform will expose all Rotary peace fellows and other students to the program’s comparative advantages and variety of course offerings.”

Tom Woodhouse, director of the Centre for Conflict Resolution at the University of Bradford says the e-learning initiative marks a major move forward in the direction of harnessing internet based learning technologies for the purposes of conflict resolution and peace education.

“Specifically, the creation of a common course between the Rotary Centers will create a global space for learning and disseminating best practice in techniques of peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding,” adds Woodhouse, also the academic director of the University of Bradford Rotary Center for International Studies in peace and conflict resolution.

Launched in 2002, the Rotary Centers program supports master’s degree studies in fields related to conflict resolution, negotiation and the root causes of conflicts.  The program is equipping the next generation of global and community leaders with skills needed to reduce the threat of war

 

and violence. Up to 60 Rotary World Peace Fellows are selected every year in a globally competitive process that begins when they apply through their local Rotary clubs.

In addition to Bradford, the Rotary Centers for International Studies are located on the campuses of International Christian University, Japan; Universidad del Salvador, Argentina; the University of Queensland, Australia, the University of California-Berkeley, Calif.; and - in a shared arrangement - Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C.

Also present at the meeting were representatives of the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand, which hosts Rotary’s three-month Peace and Conflict Studies Program for mid- to upper-level professionals in governments, nongovernmental organizations, and private corporations.

Rotary is the world's largest privately-funded source of international scholarships and has more than 30,000 Rotary clubs in over 200 countries and geographic regions. 

 

 

Around Klang….

§  Cleaning The School Chemistry Laboratory

On the 18th of November 2008,it was during the school holiday. We clean the school chemistry lab from 8 a.m. to 10a.m. We had plan to clean this laboratory because previously we had clean the physics and biology lab. Interactors clean the lab’s apparatus which are not wash for a few months. Some interactors sweep the floor. Some of them wiping the windows, table, chairs , and also the ceiling fan. We also helped the teachers to arrange the apparatus and other equipments. We found lots of rubbish under the table. Many students dumped their rubbish in the drain under the table. Luckily we found out earlier and clean the drain to prevent mosquito from breeding in the drain. After cleaning the lab, we dismiss. 




§  Attended 40th District Interact Conference

On 21st till 23th of November, The 40th District Interact Conference was held. It was located at Kompleks Rakan Muda. Many interactors from all over district in Malaysia attended the conference. It was estimated around 500 participants who participate in this event. It was an outstanding event. Interactors got to know each other and share their experiences being an interactor. We also enjoyed ourselves with the rotaracters. Rotaracter Bernard play with us a game so called “Moo Moo Game”. Everyone were trying to figure out what was the correct answer. Besides, we learn lots of moral value from the conference. We also learned a little knowledge about business strategy. During the presentation, they were very courageous and full of confidence. There were also debate competition among the interactors. They were debating with full of passion to win for their team. In addition, the food served there was mouth-watering. There were lots of games too and it was enjoying. At the end of the camp, interactors took photo among themselves and exchange contact. We hope to attend the conference again.

Editor’s Note

ü We will be not making our interact club tie because it was too expensive. The manufacturer charges us RM10++ for a tie. We will continue the project if we found a cheaper manufacturer.

ü We will be starting making t-shirt, name tag, and badges once we install form 3 members. 

Edited By,

Eric Lee Kang Sheng

HIGH SCHOOL INTERACT CLUB NEWSLETTER-NOVEMBER 2008

Around Klang…

·        Kindergarten Sports Day

On  Sunday, 26 October 2008 , a kindergarten sports day is held. It was held by the Merry Child kindergarten school for all the kids. The event took place at Eng Ann court. Interactor arrived there earlier to help the teachers to prepare and set-up equipment for the sports day. Among the teachers of the kindergarten are Mrs. Gumeet and Miss Wong. The event started at 9 a.m. By that time, around 100 kids are present that day including their parents. The events are telematch among the kids. Children were enjoying themselves and some of them even play with us. After the telematch, trophies and prizes were given to the kids. The events end at 12 p.m. Interactors were given phone casing as a appreciation for the interactors.

 

·        Attended Festive Cheers

On  October 18, Saturday, Festive Cheers was held at Dewan MPK Teluk Pulai , Klang , Selangor. The event started from 2.30p.m. to 6.30p.m. It was held at ICC level to help those who need help and to celebrate Deepavali Celebration. Performances, singing and games are performed by interactors from different schools. Our vice secretary, Fung Jia Jun played guitar while singing a song “Hey There Delilah”. We also distributed the cards which was made by the kindergarten kids last month to the disabled kids. At the end of the event, hampers and some money were given to disabled people.


 

·        Celebrating teacher’s birthday

As usual, we will celebrate our teachers birthday every month with cards and presents.

Introduction to Poetry

Billy Collins

I ask them to take a poem
and hold it up to the light
like a color slide

or press an ear against its hive.

I say drop a mouse into a poem
and watch him probe his way out,

or walk inside the poem's room
and feel the walls for a light switch.

I want them to waterski
across the surface of a poem
waving at the author's name on the shore.

But all they want to do
is tie the poem to a chair with rope
and torture a confession out of it.

They begin beating it with a hose
to find out what it really means.


Edited By,                                                                      

                                                       

 

Eric Lee Kang Sheng,                                                        

Editor ,                                                                                              

Interact Club Of High School Klang