A Tribute to Jimmy Vonwolleghem

Jimmy Vanwolleghem was introduced to the Rotary Club of Pretoria East by Jos Graindor in 1992. A popular and active member of our Club, he became President in 1995/1996. In 1999 Jimmy was recognised as a Paul Harris Fellow for his contributions to the community through Rotary.

After Jimmy's untimely death in a car accident, his family felt that that they would like to commemorate Jimmy's contribution to Rotary in some way. They created a fund for this purpose and a floating fellowship trophy was procured.

Samantha and Ken Vanwolleghem, Jimmy’s daughter and son introduced the trophy at a club meeting.

Jimmy was of Belgian origin and a prominent businessman, being the owner and Managing Director of Van Opstal Masjienerie, an engineering firm in Waltloo, Pretoria. As a Rotarian, he used his business and business contacts to the advantage of the Club's projects and played a crucial part in the establishment of the Winterveldt School Project by obtaining a donation of two forty-foot containers and transforming them into an office/storeroom and a kitchen at no expense to Rotary.

Besides the containers, all the steel windows and doors, as well as the material needed to electrify both containers were donated. He supplied a truck to transport the containers to Winterveldt, 50 km north of Pretoria, and a crane to lift the containers over the fence of the school site. These containers are still in use and have recently been donated to Winterveldt HIV/AIDS project, which our Club supports.

Another notable contribution by Jimmy was his involvement in the MASCA project in Mamelodi which was the Club's centennial project in 2005. Funds for the construction of covered walkways between the buildings were supplied by the Club, while Jimmy's firm did the construction at a special price. This meanth that there was dry access between these facilities in wet weather.

The Winterveldt HIV/AIDS Cargivers Project

Background

The Winterveldt is an area of about 14 by 14 km with an estimated .750 million inhabitants. There is a very high level of unemployment 70%. An estimated 10% of the population is infected with HIVAIDS and TB.

The Winterveldt HIA/AIDS Project  (WHAP) is a non profit organization comprising 51 staff members that offers basic care to AIDS sufferers in the Winterveldt. The group cares for about 300  sufferers and 1200 AIDS orphans and vulnerable children in various ways:

• Assisting HIV/AIDS sufferers in transport to clinics to obtain medication etc. Typically using wheelchairs provided by The Rotary Club of Pretoria East.

• Ensuring sufferers take their medication.

• Regular visits to each sufferer to provide comfort and ensure they are well fed and are generally not in stress.

• Offering s support system for AIDS orphans.

• Assisting AIDS sufferers and orphans in securing social benefit grants and medical services as provided by the state.

• Assisting with Aids education in schools via  pier groups.

The Rotary Club of Pretoria East has been involved with the WHAP caregivers group for eight years. The outcomes of this involvement have been, (for further details of each of these achievements visit our website www.rotarypretoriaeast.org.za).

• The implementation of a financial record keeping system that has allowed the WHAP group to approach other  funders with sound financial records for grant applications.

• The purchase and distribution of food parcels funded by

• A  family donating R2000 per month supporting 23 HIV infected adults, an ongoing project.

• the Rotary Club of Jindalee and the Rotary Club of Harpenden donating  to support 8 orphans. These funds have recently been depleted. New sponsors are urgently required.

• The purchase of school uniforms for 56 indigent children funded by a donation  from The International School in Amsterdam.

• The provision of blankets in 2011 and 2012.

• The provision and maintenance of wheelchairs

• The construction of a small storage room for the wheelchairs and other items, e.g. 3000 shoes donated by a South Korean Company.

• The construction of a new toilet block with support from The Rotary Club of Chelmsford, Boston USA, a District grant, RCPE funds and The Australian Governments Development Aid Programme.

The development programme

In view of the previously ad hoc development of the WHAP facility, the RCPE and the WHAP group recognized the need to develop a long term project plan. The critical needs were identified as:

• To improve the security of the existing site. Many valuable items have been accumulated over the years, (computers, cooking equipment, fridges, and wheelchairs) and the current perimeter fence is inadequate.

• To erect a permanent administration block, (the current building is made from mud bricks and is frequently damaged by storm water rain.) This building will comprise an office a meeting room and a store room.

• To secure long term funding for the food parcel scheme. It is evident that here are approximately 480 families that can be effectively reached by the caregivers group.

• To rewire the buildings to comply with local safety standards. Cost need to be determined.

• To secure funding to provide school uniforms to children of indigent families. Costs need to be determined.

The person to contact to assist with this programme is:

e-mail: cliveperkins@iburst.co.za

Winterveldt HIV / AIDs caregivers toilet block

The existing toilet at WHAP  HQ consists of a corrugated iron sided “room” with a seat of timber with a hole cut in it over a long drop.  It is inadequate for the needs of the staff, very unsafe, unhygienic for the users and probably contaminates the ground water.

The project aim is to improve the sanitation facility of the WHAP offices in the Winterveldt by constructing a toilet block.

Funds for this project have come from the RCPE, District 9400, RC of Chelmsford, Boston USA and the Australian High Commission direct aid program.

Construction of the block has been completed by late 2011.

Winterveldt HIV/AIDS support group

The Winterveldt team of Clive, Bernard and Mayda chalked up many successes this last year. The major achievements included Food parcels that were given to many HIV/AIDs suffers over a period of many months, funded by the two Lane sisters (friends of Bernard and Mayda), the Jindalee Club in Brisbane Australia and the Harpenden Village Rotary Club, UK.

School uniforms were provided for many children, funded by the British School of Amsterdam, again through Bernard and Mayda’s network of friends.

5 new wheelchairs were provided and others repaired.

A shelter was built to hold the many wheelchairs and other equipment.

Paint was provided to decorate the buildings.

Baby clothes were donated by a friend of Clive’s and a parcel of clothes donated by the Interact Club of St Paulus School.