ROTARY AUSTRALIA WORLD COMMUNITY SERVICE P/L

Northern Region
DONATIONS IN KIND

Donations in Kind -
‘Distributing Hope’

AN INTRODUCTION

In February 1998 Donations in Kind Northern Region celebrated the dispatch of the 100th shipping
container full of health and educational material to Papua New Guinea and the South Pacific Islands
since first sending containers in 1992. We were proud of what we were achieving in those days.

In December 2002 DIK dispatched container number 300 and were too busy to make a fuss, but in
October 2004 with 400 containers behind us it was time to stand up and shout about the biggest ‘hands
on’ project our Districts have carried out. Then in October 2006 we celebrated 500 containers, what
more can we say.

In June 2007 the time has come when we must leave the premises we have enjoyed at The Park for
the past seven years, again making way for redevelopment. This introduction has been brought up to
date prior to our moving to new premises where the project operation will take the same pattern.

In summary, shipping costs by Northern Region Rotary Clubs over the past 16 years has been in
excess of $1million and the value of goods dispatched is in excess of $33 million, we see that as a
good investment while ‘Distributing Hope’ to the people of our neighbouring developing countries.

SO HOW DID IT START?

The impressive service of Donations in Kind had its beginnings some time ago. Over the years
many clubs in Districts of what is now RAWCS Northern Region (Rotary Australia World
Community Service) made their own arrangements to ship overseas much needed health and
education goods. These goods were sent, whether by casual free passage in commercial
shipping space, with help from the RAAF and the RAN or as accompanied baggage. For
special supplies clubs sent goods by the occasional container.

However, 1990 saw the start of a phenomenal growth from this initial ad-hoc activity to the
current situation, when subject to adequate funds being received to cover transport, more than
fifty containers are sent from Brisbane annually to Papua New Guinea, and the South
Pacific Islands.
MEDICAL SUPPLIES to ‘coordinate and despatch’ to expand this
World Community Service activity.
Each Thursday morning a team of more than
twenty people, Rotarians, partners and friends of
Rotary gather to unpack cartons of
pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, sort into
acceptable date and categories then repack and
label for despatch. Medical supplies would
include ward disposables, dressings,
instruments, sutures and sterilisation equipment.
On a normal Thursday at least four pharmacists
are involved.

THE LOADED CONTAINER

The project is not finished when the container is
loaded, It must be recognised that once the
container reaches it’s destination the work
begins for the receiving Rotary Club to unload,
store and distribute to selected hospitals, clinics,
schools and missions which can be remote from
the point of delivery.
Manpower at the receiving end is often limited
drawing from one club as opposed to the
manpower available when the container was
loaded. Rotarians in the Papua New Guinea
and Pacific Island Clubs carry out a tremendous
amount of work when receiving a container and
our thanks go to them all, the project would not
run smoothly without these Rotarians.
BOOKS AND TEACHING AIDS
The book section also joins the team of
volunteers on Thursday mornings and most
Saturdays, stressing the importance of literacy
and general education needs and involving
many voluntary ‘hands on’ hours. There is an
endless demand for text and library books,
paper, pencils, etc. by schools and libraries in
Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands.
Tools donated through a Matching Grant
MEDICAL SUPPLIES
It was initially necessary to check the legalities
of what Rotarians were doing with donated
medical supplies and to verify with Government
Health Departments at both sending and
receiving areas. Rotarian pharmacists
organised visits to the warehouse by both local
and PNG Government Health representatives
who gave their support to the acceptability and
legality of the operation.
RAWCS (Northern Region) is currently licensed
to store pharmaceuticals. Medical supplies for
dispatch are selected by qualified pharmacists (a
part of the Thursday team) to ensure they are
suitable to send to medically trained people at
the receiving end.

AID TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA AND

THE SOLOMON ISLANDS
District 9600 interest in DIK is strongly
influenced by the fact that the District has twelve
Clubs in Papua New Guinea and two in the Wheelchairs and walking frames
Solomon Islands which puts the District on the
receiving end as well as on the dispatch end of
the project.

This was recognised in the early days of DIK, so

much so that following a visit to PNG DG Ian
Wilson’s Governor’s Newsletter of January 1989
contained an article on ‘Aid to PNG and
Solomon Islands’ asking for volunteers in the
overseas clubs to act as coordinators for the
‘receipt and distribution of donated goods’. He
also called for Rotarians amongst Brisbane clubs
THE BENEFITS

From the time the DIK project started

sending donated goods in shipping
containers an update to 30 June 2007
shows 562 containers have been
dispatched. Some idea of the goods
dispatched in this time is as follows.

5,000 hospital beds,

2,200 wheel chairs,
60,500 boxes of medical supplies
63,250 boxes of books,
12,500 school desks,
13 motor-vehicles (fire engines,
and ambulances)

Add to this, 4 kit homes, numerous

sewing machines, typewriters,
computers, hospital equipment, dentists’
chairs, and so many other items of goods
and materials which are surplus to our
needs in this country and are in great
demand overseas.

It is not possible to put a value on the

goods despatched but when pressed to
make an estimate a figure in excess of $33
million dollars for the 6,000 tonnes of goods
in the 562 containers is not far from reality.

This brief history of the Donations in Kind project was

updated June 2007 by Bill Waterfield, D 9600,
Tel: 61 7 3201 0741 Fax: 61 7 3201 0741
E : billnann@bigpond.net.au