Meeting 14 Nov 2017
Lou Buzai introduced our guest speakers and attached to it was a story. Lou and Val had recently been on a Scenic tour to Kenya and as part of that tour a number of community and educational style excursions were included. One that was of great interest and moved them was a visit to an Orphanage at Nakuru.
This had been a project of true dedication by the Budulica family from Lismore who sold up all in Australia and invested in a community orphanage and school in a Kenyan village.
The Mission in Action orphanage now has 110 children aged from new born babies up to primary school age. Relying on donations the orphanage also relies heavily on volunteers and Kathy and Janelle were two such volunteers who had spent time there helping in daily operations and care for the children. Janelle and Kathy are both employees at Scenic Travel in Newcastle and locals thru and thru.
They were supported in their involvement at the orphanage by Scenic and it was a presentation that moved the meeting and demonstrated a real service beyond self in the true Rotary manner. They related the story of the Mission in Action project and its founder Ivan Budulica. Ivan and his wife bought the land there in 2004 and over 8 years they have built the orphanage and added a school.
Caring initially just for abandoned children the project has grown to now include a school for up to primary level with plans to add a high school. With his skills as a plumber he also is involved in water resource and supply projects and community health programmes in the local villages. These include the construction of a maternity hospital, pregnancy and family planning services.
His Mission in Action is clearly true to its name. Janelle and Kathy through a series of photos walked us through the facilities and most impressively some of the children living there. At the orphanage often through parental cruelty and ignorance brought upon by social and religious pressures these children they explained have been given a second chance at a quality life as a result of this facility.
Ivan they demonstrated has a living belief that by breaking the cycle of nothingness and lack of hope communities can improved the quality of life for each other build a hope for peace for the future generations. They found considerable pleasure participating as volunteers, staying in accommodation they paid for on site and have intentions of returning. Kathy already has a foster child that she supports at the school and when asked how people can support the work that Mission in Action does, replied without hesitation, that by fostering a child all the children and services at the school and orphanage benefit.
Phil Band thanked our speakers adding a personal touch from his knowledge gained by past visits to the area and congratulated them on their dedication to what is genuine mission in action.
More information on their web site http://missioninaction.com.au/
This had been a project of true dedication by the Budulica family from Lismore who sold up all in Australia and invested in a community orphanage and school in a Kenyan village.
The Mission in Action orphanage now has 110 children aged from new born babies up to primary school age. Relying on donations the orphanage also relies heavily on volunteers and Kathy and Janelle were two such volunteers who had spent time there helping in daily operations and care for the children. Janelle and Kathy are both employees at Scenic Travel in Newcastle and locals thru and thru.
They were supported in their involvement at the orphanage by Scenic and it was a presentation that moved the meeting and demonstrated a real service beyond self in the true Rotary manner. They related the story of the Mission in Action project and its founder Ivan Budulica. Ivan and his wife bought the land there in 2004 and over 8 years they have built the orphanage and added a school.
Caring initially just for abandoned children the project has grown to now include a school for up to primary level with plans to add a high school. With his skills as a plumber he also is involved in water resource and supply projects and community health programmes in the local villages. These include the construction of a maternity hospital, pregnancy and family planning services.
His Mission in Action is clearly true to its name. Janelle and Kathy through a series of photos walked us through the facilities and most impressively some of the children living there. At the orphanage often through parental cruelty and ignorance brought upon by social and religious pressures these children they explained have been given a second chance at a quality life as a result of this facility.
Ivan they demonstrated has a living belief that by breaking the cycle of nothingness and lack of hope communities can improved the quality of life for each other build a hope for peace for the future generations. They found considerable pleasure participating as volunteers, staying in accommodation they paid for on site and have intentions of returning. Kathy already has a foster child that she supports at the school and when asked how people can support the work that Mission in Action does, replied without hesitation, that by fostering a child all the children and services at the school and orphanage benefit.
Phil Band thanked our speakers adding a personal touch from his knowledge gained by past visits to the area and congratulated them on their dedication to what is genuine mission in action.
More information on their web site http://missioninaction.com.au/
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