A Helping Hand - A Rotary Club of Mill Point Perth WA Project

Community Learning Centre There has been a need identified in rural areas by the local communities to provide Community Learning Centres. Cost $20,000 The Centres are large 2 roomed brick and tile spaces, with an inside and outside toilets for the staff and children. The inside spaces are tiled and one room acts as the District Library whilst the other is for all the activities that are carried out at the Centres. They are used every day for classes and early learning activities for pre-school children and also antenatal programmes run by visiting nurses during the day. Then after-school there are a wide-range of programmes including cooking, weaving, and English classes. These Centres are staffed by library staff who supervise the library, run the after school activities and provide out-reach to a large number of primary schools in the District paid for by CLI. The Centres are built in the largest town in each District near the high school (which is the only high school in the district) and students are encouraged to volunteer as mentors to the younger children.

Safe Water and Save Lives We are seeking to provide clean water and sanitation facilities for the students and teachers (and families of teachers) who live (during the term) at the schools in rural northern Laos. Please consider helping us to provide this basic necessity for these schools, we have been able to work at two large District High School completing wells, showers and toilets. Poor sanitiation is a problem in many areas of Laos and the provision of wells for clean drinking water; and toilets and showers to encourage students to attend school.

Activity Programmes There are the programmes that we are currently funding and we are fortunate to have funding for 2012 for these incredibly valuable programmes. 1) Hospital Activity Programme $500 There are up to 50 patients who are waiting for treatment at the National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) and COPE in Vientiane. These patients needs extensive rehabilitation due to injuries which include loss of limbs due to bombs and come from the areas outside of the capital and stay while they seek treatment. In the other times when they are not receiving treatment they and their relatives have nothing to do to occupy their time. The funds will provide a social worker and activities for 6 months. The funds will purchase mats, books, art supplies, stationery, tools and puppets and will also provide some funds for the very poorest patients. The funds equate to $1 per patient per month and will help some of the most destitute and needy people.

Light up someones life A Helping Hand supports numerous literacy programmes including book bags on the library boats which traverse down the Mekong River, providing Laos books to supply existing school libraries and building new libraries in primary and secondary schools. One of the problems with providing books to isolated communities is that once the light fades the children are no longer able read. As these communities often have no sources of electricity. To counter this problem we are hoping to supply a bank of these solar panels and lights on the CLI library boats. When the library boat reaches a village then the librarian can lend books and the lights to the students over night and the children will have light. We are currently costing these lights/panels, we are hoping to supply a bank of them to the library boats. Here you can see the orange light and solar panel next to a tea light.

Dinner in Melbourne

We are so lucky we have fantastic supporters in Mebourne who have organised A Helping Hand Dinner on Sunday 26th August 2012. If you are in Melbourne and you would like to come and have a fantastic evening of fun with live music, prizes and entertainment and raise money for our Loas projects then.

Please give us a helping hand.

Date: Sunday, 26 August 2012

Place: Narai Thai Restaurant, 597 Gimshaw St, Bundoora

Cost: $55 per person (Thai banquet, soft drinks & entertainment)

RSVP: By Saturday, 21 July 2012

Booking: Sandy Tran 0403 314 207 / This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Tien Loh 0413 008 923

We thank Sandy Tran and her team for an amazing job

Download the flyer here

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A Helping Hand in Laos Video

About A Helping Hand

A Helping Hand is a NOT FOR PROFIT organisation affiliated with the Rotary Club of Mill Point in Western Australia and Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS). A Helping Hand raises funds to assist children and other disadvantaged people in our zone. Being affiliated with Rotary International, it is non-religious, non-political and ALL monies raised go directly to the needy recipients - without deductions for any staff, offices or amenities. A Helping Hand is an association (Friends of A Helping Hand Association) where all the board members are dedicated volunteers.

Our Philosophy

We seek to find projects that are small and have a community contribution, and the maximum impact into the community. We partner with schools and villages and normally provide the funding component of the project. We feel that it is important for communities and individuals have ownership and so we seek to empower the Laos people to take responsibility for the projects. We build some projects with CLI, Community Learning International who employ of full compliment of Laos employees. CLI also encourages schools to apply for projects and uses in-kind support from the local community and school districts. We work with Madam Xuyen Dangers who was the only social worker in Laos until she introduced a social working programme into the Laos National University. She also works with us to ensure all the projects have the maximum amount of tangible and intangible outcomes for communities, schools and also individuals and there is always aspects of the project that seek to empower individuals. With her social working students she overseas all the aspects of the project under her care. A Helping Hand need your help to ensure a better life for a generation of peace loving and beautiful people in this magnificent country on our doorstep. To make a donation or find out how you, your club or organisation can help - click HERE

We are seeking to sponsor University Scholarships for 2012/2013. We need sponsorships for 4 students from Sister Catherine's Orphanage and 5 other volunteers from the Development Centers that we work with

Melbourne Dinner

Dinner in Melbourne

A Helping Hand in Laos Video

About A Helping Hand