Itambira Island - Seeds of Hope
At our November Club Zoom Meeting we enjoyed hearing about the international charity that the Club is supporting this year, the Itambira Island Trust.
It is a charity based in a most beautiful area of Uganda. The Charity was set up to empower the local people to help themselves. They run training programmes and education and, to help raise funds, they provide tourist accommodation as the island is close to the habitat of mountain gorillas.
The aim of the Charity is to transform the lives of the local people. Before the Charity started the local people had an exceptionally low standard of living, many were illiterate and suffering from ill health and due to the poor farming methods there was a shortage of food.
The Charity focuses on five key areas:-
1 Increasing income by growing cash crops such a mushrooms, tailoring (school clothes) and making handicrafts
2 Micro finance by community banking
3 Sustainable land management by training people in improved farming practices to increase yields and maintain the land
4 Water management by installing water tanks in the villages
5 Social cohesion by bringing married couples together to address family issues
As a result of the ongoing work of the Charity the people of Itambira are now an empowered community where the vulnerable and disadvantaged are starting to realise their full potential.
Our October Club Meeting was once again held on Zoom, this time with District 6 Chairman Margaret joining us. We were delighted to hear more about her background and she shared some interesting facts about the Club she had found from old Newsletters. It was lovely to hear news from different members and catch up with one another.
Stratford members have been keeping busy despite the lockdown restrictions. Some members having been using their sewing skills to make items for the NHS.
Also a number of charities have missed out with the cancellation of the London and Stratford Marathons and a challenge went out to raise money by doing something whilst in isolation as a fundraiser.
Stratford member Valerie did a 2.6 mile local walk as her exercise on 26th April (doubled when they did the return journey!) to raise money for the Butterfly Tree Charity.
With 'buddy' phone calls, Zoom online meetings and electronic newsletters we are doing our best to stay in touch.
We have had a busy Spring with a number of events going on. We were delighted to welcome over 80 guests to our fundraising Fashion Show at the Doubletree by Hilton Stratford upon Avon with clothes provided by Gemini Woman.
The following weekend we worked hard to support the Rotary Stratford Mrathon, we felt as though we had run several ourselves by the time we had seved all the runners!
Our May speaker was Sue Jordan, a Trustee with the Military Wives Choirs Foundation. It was fascinating to hear about their history and future plans for the choirs.
Stratford members and guests enjoyed their 72nd Fellowship Lunch at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel recently. The speaker, Frances Benton, talked entertainingly about her 'passion for pearls', and bought many examples with her. All proceeds from items sold go to support a school for children with autism in Scotland.