SOUNS :

The Rotary Club of Pretoria East started its first Global Grant SOUNS project in 2011 in five schools in Mamelodi, east of Pretoria.

Since then, a second Global Grant has allowed the club to expand the project by:

• placing over 400 sets into 11 primary schools in Gauteng,

• setting up a partnership with the US Peace Corps organisation where over 90 volunteers have utilised SOUNS in their communities,

• partnering with The PEN organisation and 26 of their crèches in and around central Pretoria, and

• introducing the programme into 95 independent crèches in Gauteng.

Based on targeting 35 pupils per classroom, about 14 000 pupils are reached each year. In addition, the option of moving into adult literacy programmes is being researched. The programme may also be expanded with Gauteng Education Department schools in and around Pretoria.

The SOUNS programme is a step by step process utilising simple tools and techniques to teach pupils to become readers.

Step 1 is to identify the sounds in words and identify the letter symbol representing that sound. This is done in small groups with emphasis on playing games with the letters while learning.

Step 2 is to build simple phonic words by “pulling out” the sounds of a word (building and writing words). 

Step 3 the sounding out of phonetically written words through which the pupil discovers that he or she can read.

The next step is to move on to reading the first book and here, the Club uses the books from the RC of White River’s project Books in Homes.

The Rotary Club of Pretoria East remains committed to the further expansion of this project both at primary school level and with pre-school children.

Family Health Day:

Rotarians for Family Health & AIDS Prevention (RFHA) is a global Rotarian Action Group and mobilizing partner of Rotary International. RFHA creates the design, obtains the resources and has overall management responsibility for a Rotary-led disease prevention program, such as Rotary Family Health Days. It is the convener of the program that initiates the partnerships with in-country governments, the U.S. Mission, private sector companies, national media partners and links them to the vast community-based network of Rotary members to implement the program.

Rotary Family Health Days is the Signature Program of Rotarians For Family Health & AIDS Prevention. This program promotes healthy living and disease prevention by implementing an annual massive campaign that provides comprehensive, free health care services to the people in the communities. The services include lifelong immunizations to children, such as polio and measles vaccines, and comprehensive live saving annual screens such as HIV, TB, Diabetes, Hypertension, Malaria, and more. It is Rotary-led, and sponsored by The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation, the South African Department of Health, the CDC, USAID, and the SABC and Caxton as primary media partners.

Winterveldt:

Funding is obviously a requirement for many (most) of our projects. Our members primarily donate their time and effort to our projects, although many do also make contributions in money and goods/materials from time to time.

We therefore rely to a large extent on donations and sponsorships. We also have access to the Rotary Foundation for grant funding (and also contribute to the foundation).

We supplement this with fundraising activities from time to time, either for our general welfare/project funds, or for a specific project or beneficiary.

Meerhof School:

The Meerhof project has been running for over 60 years and Allen Joss has personally been involved since 1967. His father was one of those who was involved from the beginning. To ensure that the project would continue for yet another year, Allen with the assistance of Rotarians, his golfing connections and business partners, arranged a Golf Day at the Zwartkop Golf Club on 7 March.

It was well supported by the public and Pretoria businesses and was a huge success.

Pretoria East appreciates the work involved and the support from the public and it is hoped that the event will be as great a success next year.

Wheelchairs:

During the year, 19 wheelchairs were donated to those in need, including 5 to the Winterveldt HIV/AIDs caregivers and 5 to the Cullinan Care and Rehab Centre. One notable recipient was the Phelopera Health Care train which delivers health care to the remotest parts of South Africa. Over the years this train has provided health care to millions of patients and the wheelchair has added significantly to their ease of handling disabled patients.

Blanket Drive:

The club set aside funds to purchase blankets and we were fortunate to be able to source 375 blankets at a bargain price. Work parties gathered to silk screen the blankets which were then donated to The Winterveldt HIV/AIDs programme, The Viva Village in Mamelodi, SACARES and Danville.

Knitting Project:

In October 2020 the Rotary Club of Pretorria East presented a certificate of recognition signed by DG Annemarie Mostert, arranged by PAG Peter Oudhof and all approved by he Presidents of the Rotary Clubs in Pretoria to recognize the enthusiasm and work of the ladies from the Bronberg Retirement Village.

Cycle Lab:

Cycle Lab A special show of appreciation to a great Rotarian at heart Past President Jan Visagie who through his association and contact with the people at Cycle Lab made a difference in the lives of people less privileged than ourselves. Jan recommended that they donate the 30 blankets that they had collected to the Home for the Needy to commemorate Mandela Day. They liked the idea and here is a collection of pictures that were taken during the hand over! The ladies from Cycle Lab were extremely impressed with the project and are also considering raising funds for food and calling on their clients and staff to collect toys and books for the children who attend the morning crèche.