Caroline Millman and Geoff Newsome
“I must give thanks to the very generous people of Ringwood,” said Caroline Millman of the Rotary Club of Ringwood, “For despite all the other calls and charity appeals this time of the year they donated not far short of £500 to our Emergency Appeal towards setting up an Ebola isolation unit in Bo, Sierra Leone.”
But that is only half the story.
Earlier this year Caroline, a training consultant and Alistair Stokes a retired pharmaceuticals executive, both of Ringwood Rotary, travelled to Sierra Leone. They were there to promote a Microcredit Scheme in conjunction with Tools For Self Reliance and Craftshare and involving the local Rotary Club in Sierra Leone. The idea is by using some of the refurbished tools given by local people in Ringwood to encourage the set up of local skills in Bo, together with useful training by Craftshare and a revolving credit arrangement to help them set up their own businesses.
However, since Caroline and Alistair made their visit, disaster struck: the Ebola virus became rife in the area, so Ringwood Rotary and several others in the district including Bournemouth East Cliff went into emergency mode to raise additional monies to build an isolation unit at the Children’s Hospital in Bo.
“One of the reassuring things about any collections made through Rotary International is the fact that no one is paid for their fundraising services and every pound goes direct to the cause,” says Caroline. “The local Rotary Club abroad administers the funds without incurring overheads, avoiding also the corruption temptations. A truly efficient way of helping others.”
If anyone wishes to know more about this scheme, please contact Caroline 07760 160906 or if you wish to make a contribution transfer money into the Rotary Club of Ringwood Charity Fund, call for account details.
