News Focus: Community gets on board

A passion for the cause and a work ethic to match has been the formula that has elevated Seif Sakate and Catherine Ryan into the role of leaders in their communities.

Those communities just happen to be villages worlds apart – from seaside Port Fairy to Mto wa Mbu in the heart of Tanzania.

The vision to use the resources of Port Fairy to improve the lives of those in Mto wa Mbu is one the Port Fairy Rotary Club shares. 

The club’s first involvement was when it worked with Mr Sakate to collect shoes from children in Port Fairy to send to their counterparts in Mto wa Mbu.

Rotary president Adrian Crosier said the project had immediate appeal to the club’s members.

“Early on in the project, we were actually the auspice group for the project,” Mr Crosier said.

“From there, we have continued to help in any way we can.

“As the incoming president, I have nominated the project as a priority for our fundraising efforts over the next 12 months.”

The club has already raised a large amount of money for the project through activities such as an open garden day and applying for and receiving a Rotary foundation grant.

Outgoing club secretary Geoff Coxall has been a key player in the club’s involvement in the project.

Mr Coxall was part of the 2015 and 2016 teams that journeyed to Tanzania.

As a retired teacher, Mr Coxall was the ideal man to lead the charge.

“Geoff has been the real driver of this project from our club’s point of view,” Mr Crosier said.

“He has done a lot of work – both preparation stuff here in Port Fairy and then obviously hands-on over in Tanzania.”

Another Rotary member who played a major part in the project is the late Jim Robinson.

A retired farmer, Mr Robinson put his vast array of skills to great use when he was part of the very first Tanzanian expedition in 2015.

So telling was his contribution, the road leading to the Mto wa Mbu kindergarten was named James Robinson Road in his honour.

Another community partner in the project is the Port Fairy Folk Festival.

In 2014, the festival allocated $6000 to the project from its community grants program.

The festival also provided soccer balls to every family in the village.

Festival treasurer and chairman of the grants committee, Bernie Waixel, said support for the project was justified.

“It is terrific to be a part of this. To be able to provide education to people who normally wouldn’t have that opportunity is very rewarding,” Mr Waixel said.