Australian Dentist brings more smiles to a Down School in Brazil

Today I present a friend and fellow professional: the australian, rotarian and dentist Dr Chris Cole. Dr Cole attends in his surgery in the city of Armidale, Australia. 

               

He organizes annual conferences in different countries of the world, addressing dental specialties. Part of the profits of such conferences is forwarded to one idealized Dental Foundation and created by Dr Cole himself. One objective of this Foundation is the charity in different parts of the world. When asked how long he is a dentist, he answered: " too long in some ways and not long enough in others. There are so many new technologies… that is part of my thought with the conferences. I can, in that way, keep in touch with the profession and the its developments.”

Three conferences have been held in Italy, one in Norway and recently in Chile (Patagonia). The next will be in the region of Brittany, France. " They are run outside any big companies and their influence of trying to sell a product. They are “ by Dentists, for Dentists”. Going back to my first question, Dr Cole said he's a dentist for 39 years. He graduated from the University of Sydney in 1974.

He is a member of the Rotary Club for over 20 years. It was through the Rotary Club of Armidale Central, which is a member, who contacted us. "

International Aid

In recent years their Dental Foundation has collaborated with the International Rotary donating amounts allocated for the purchase of "Shelter Box" to areas of conflict or natural disasters. In general, each kit contains a ShelterBox tent resistant to extreme weather conditions, stove, water purifier, blankets, tools and other utensils needed for a family to survive for six months or more after a natural disaster. Rotarians from places affected by disasters receive these kits take part in the distribution of containers. "I believe it is a positive way to help poor communities. There is a club of Rotary (Endeavour Hills) in Victoria - Australia - that organize and coordinate these donations. 

          

APS Down School

In 2013 Dr Cole collaborated with Rotary International by donating two boxes corresponding to the Philippines for emergency value. 

This year Dr Cole donated just one Shelter Box to Rotary Internacional. The value corresponding to the second box opted to allocate to APS Down School, which made the students, volunteers and the staff honored and delighted with the news.

APS Down School is a nonprofit organization that promotes social inclusion and development of people with Down's syndrome from birth with no age limit. It Is located in Londrina, southern Brazil. 

Armidale Ladies help a Brazilian Creche and a Down School

"Two years ago approx 36 Rotary wives or partners of our 4 Rotary Clubs in Armidale were members of the Inner Wheel Club of Armidale (Inner Wheel signifying the middle of the Rotary wheel). To be a member of this club you needed to have an association via family with a Rotarian. The Charter dinner for our Club was held 28th February 1987 and we operated as the Armidale Inner Wheel Club for 25 years.

  

Sadly, due to ill health of some of our ladies, or ill health in their families, we were unable to continue to be able form a Committee to enable us to operate under the rules of Inner Wheel.

After many meetings and discussions we decided to close the Club and become a friendship group calling ourselves FANS standing for Friends Always Need Support. We continue to get together to support one another through good and not so good times and enjoy friendship, good food and fellowship.

We have been meeting once a month at a Restaurant for an early dinner or at member's homes for lovely afternoon teas and lively chatter. We pay $2 each month we attend, which enable us to buy cards or flowers to offer condolence and friendship to our ladies and their families.

When the end of the year arrives, what we have left in this collection we decide what we might do with it to help our community. In 2012 we helped out with a donation to United Church we each year purchases Christmas presents for a Family Support Group and this year needed to buy 140 children's presents. We were able to donate $130 to help them do this.

As Ian and I had decided we were heading back to Brazil to meet up with Luciana in Londrina (we had hosted her when she had been Rotary exchange student in Australia years ago) As we had visited the Creche on our visit in 2010, I started thinking what I might be able to do to help.  As the Creche had lost everything in the flood (after we returned home form our last visit in 2010) I knew that no matter how small the donation, it would help. I put this thought to the ladies in the group and they were very happy for us to help in whatever way we could. With the help of members I put together a Hamper of food for our Christmas party and held a raffle. With the ticket sale and donations from close friends and the ladies we were able to raise approx A$390. A very generous donation from the Rotary Club of A$500 enable me to have a total US$780.

It gives the ladies in FANS, our great Rotary Club of Armidale back in Australia, and myself, great pleasure to be able to help in some way your wonderful Creche." 

Helen Garske

Luciana, Helen Garkse and the Creche Principal

Helen Garske at the shop, buying a water filter, a fridge and a microwave oven to the Creche, representing FANS Ladies.

Roberto Ariozo (Luciana's father and the volunteer treasure of APS Down's School) and Ian Garske (Helen's husband) helping to deliver the microwave oven to the Creche.

Fridge, water filter and microwave oven when they had just been delivered.

Some items were also donated to APS Down School, next to the Creche. Several boxes of crayons, materials for Art classes and cards with pictures of typical Australian animals were donated to the Down School.

Arts materials donated to APS Down School

Helen Garske with two arts teachers (standing) and the president of APS Down School.

Down students using their new crayons in Arts class.

Water filter installed.

This Creche is located in Londrina, Southern Brazil - Haydeé Coli Monteiro Nursery. It attends 43 children up to 3 years of age while their mothers are working. Most are poor children and four are Down's. Students, Parents, Teachers and the Staff are very grateful to these ladies and also to Rotary Club of Armidale Central.

Armidale Central Rotary member visits Londrina Sul in Brazil

Rotary Club of Londrina Sul, D 4710, southern Brazil, received a visit from the rotarian Ian Garske and his wife Helen Garske last week. Ian made ​​a short presentation about Australia, about his path in Rotary over the past 26 years and about his club in Armidale. Another topic on the agenda was the new international project that the Australian club is starting in partnership with the Brazilian club.

 

Facts about Australia

1) It is the 6th largest country in the world, occupying an entire continent of some 7.6 million square kilometres. Brazil 8.5m.

2) It has the world's 3rd largest ocean territory, spanning three oceans and covering around 12 million square kilometres.

3) Capt. Cook discovered the east coast of Australia in 1770 and the first British colony was established in 1788. The Dutch had discovered the West coast in 1606.

Our 6 colonies became a federation in 1901.

4) We are a constitutional monarchy but there is  a large minority  that support  becoming  a republic. We have preferential voting at the Federal level but a mixture of systems in the States. Many believe that we are over governed as we have six states and two territory governments and a Federal government. All for 23 million people.  Australia was the second country in the world to give women the right to vote in 1902.

5) Of our 23m people only 10% live in rural areas. More than 80 percent of Australians live within 100 kilometres of the coast.  Sydney 4.6m and Melbourne 4.2m.  Vast majority live on Eastern Seaboard. 2.5% Indigenous. Life expectancy  Male 79.5, Female 84years.      
6) Most of Australia's exotic flora and fauna cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The wattle was adopted as the national floral emblem in 1912. Australia contains an amazing ecosystem with unique flora and fauna including pristine rainforest, ancient rock formations and beautiful beaches.
7) Over 200 different languages and dialects are spoken in Australia. The most common non-English spoken languages are Italian, Greek, Cantonese, Arabic, Vietnamese and Mandarin. Today's Australia is very multicultural with Indigenous peoples and migrants from some 200 countries.
8) The world's highest proportion of migrant settlers in a developed nation with over 25% of Australians born in another country.
9)  The largest cattle station in the world is Anna Creek Station in South Australia at over 24000 km2.

10) Canberra was selected as the capital because Sydney and Melbourne could not stop arguing which city should be the capital of Australia.
11) Despite having a convict colony history, Australia's homicide rate is 1.2 per 100,000 population compared to the 6.3 per 100,000 in the United States.

12) Our average weekly wage is $1500/week Minimum wage $622/week or $16.36/hour for a 38 hour week.

13) Our town, Armidale, is located in a region called New England, 550km from Sydney. It has a population of 23,000 inhabitants and, like Londrina, it is a regional center with university and hospitals. We have 10 flights to Sydney per day.

14) The region of Armidale is one of the leading producers of Angus cattle in Australia and it is also a leading producer of wool in the country.

Facts about our Rotary Club

Rotary Club of Armidale Central, D.9650. We meet for lunch. Established 1984. We have 35 members. As with many Rotary Clubs in Australia  we have trouble attracting younger members. Our club puts most of our effort  into Youth programs. When we had a younger membership we sent work teams  to PNG, Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Tanzania We have funded through matching grants, projects in Tanzania, South Africa, India and Brazil. We are big supporters of the Rotary Foundation and Shelter Box. We maintain a garden round-about in our city. Our main fundraiser is an Annual Book Fair.

Helen and I, in our younger life, spent 15 years in PNG. Our three children were born there.

My role was to supervise farmers’  co-operatives in the villages. These co-operatives provided retail facilities and marketed the farmers’ produce. Ian has been a Rotarian for the last 26 years.

At the moment the club is building a shelter for the books in a government’s land (the club pays a small rent for the land).

Rotary Club of Armidale Central's member visits APS Down School

This week APS Down School received the distinguished visit of the rotarian Ian Garske, member of Rotary Club of Armidale Central, D9650 Australia, his wife Helen Garske and members of a local Rotary Club, Londrina Sul. The visit was very pleasant and were found improvements that have happened at the school in recent years. Students prepared cheese bread on cooking class while other students were in the computer class. Students reciprocated the kind visit offering a painting as a gift.

Due to Brazil, Down's Syndrome's Day, on March 21st, will be celebrated by all 193 UN countries

The International Down's Syndrome's Day will be celebrated on March 21st by the member countries of the United Nations. The date joined in the UN's calendar by Brazilian initiative.

The purpose of this day is to give value to people with Down's syndrome and raise awareness about the importance of promoting human rights inherent to people born with Down's syndrome to enjoy a full and dignified life, as participating members in their communities and in society.

The date is symbolic because it refers to the three chromosomes 21 that characterizes who has trisomy of chromosome 21 (21/3).

In Brazil and around the world, various events are being planned to celebrate the date.

II Conference at the UN

Following the example of last year, the Brazilian Mission to the United Nations is to co-sponsor the conference at the United Nations in New York, which will have the theme "Right to Work" (http://www.worlddownsyndromeday.org/wdsd-conference-2013 ).

Breno Viola

Brazil will be represented by Breno Viola, from Rio de Janeiro, who is a Movement Down's defenser, a black belt in judo and also actor of the film "Colleagues", with the presentation "Work and accessibility." 

Also, the trailer for the film "Colleagues" http://blogcolegasofilme.com/ displayed during the event and will be released the English version of the song's Brazilian campaign "Be Different is Normal" - a hymn to diversity. (www.serdiferente.org.br)

In Brazil

The Brazilian Federation for Down's Syndrome chose "Education and Work, Right for All" as the celebration's theme. The country is leading the number of events organized since the international day was created in 2006.

About the International Day for Down Syndrome

The International Day was created by International Down Syndrome and is celebrated since 2006. The date chosen was 21 March (21/3) to represent the uniqueness of the triplication (trisomy) of chromosome 21 that causes this genetic occurrence. The purpose of the day is to disseminate information about Down syndrome and promote the inclusion of people with Down syndrome in society, ensuring all their rights and duties.

Brazilian leadership

A resolution to designate 21/3 as "International Day of Down's Syndrome" was adopted by consensus by United Nations General Assembly in December 2011. The resolution was proposed and promoted by Brazil and co-sponsored by 78 UN member states.

About Down's Syndrome

Down's syndrome is a chromosomal natural and universal occurrence, which is present in all genders, races and social classes and has always been part of humanity (see Down Syndrome in history).

It affects 1 in every 700 live births on average. Down's syndrome usually causes varying degrees of physical and intellectual disabilities and some associated medical problems.

Source: www.inclusive.org.br