In Gear | Rotary in Southern New Zealand Issue 1 | Page 33

Each year, the Rotary
Foundation gifts millions upon
millions of dollars to worthy
causes and projects globally.
The Foundation’s significant
impact today, and over the
decades, is made possible by the
generous donations of Rotarians
the world over, together with
those from friends of our
organisation.

T

FOUNDATION IN ACTION

The gift of words

hrough what is a unique project, even by
global standards, every new entrant starting
school in Southland receives something
rather special – a starter kit to accelerate their
introduction to literacy and foster a love of books.

The kit is the brainchild of Helen Campbell-O’Brien, a
Southland-based resource teacher of literacy, who, every
day, saw children with low communicative and language
skills, and heard the concerns of their teachers.

The Southland Literacy Start Kit project was initially
developed, sponsored and funded through the Rotary Club of
Invercargill East, in partnership with the Rotary Foundation,
when it was introduced in 2009. Each kit, developed by
Helen, contained a combination of carefully-selected reading
and writing materials, designed for youngsters to use
at home with their families. A user-friendly booklet and
informational DVD for caregivers is also included.

These grants are typically made
without fanfare, so many of the
Foundation’s gifts to humanity
fly quietly under the radar.
Often these donations are
a “hand up”, rather than
a “hand out” … a financial
The cost? Around $50,000 each year, and countless
launch pad to set worthy
hours donated by Rotarians, who collate the 1550 kits
projects going, with a view
distributed each year. The outcomes? A meaningful
to the community and
connection between home and school learning, a great
Fraser Purdue
other sponsors coming on
boost to literacy exposure and accolades from both the
board in time.
Ministry of Education and Rotary International.
In this, the year we mark the
Rotary Foundation’s centennial,
at District 9980, we want to
shine a big, bright light on the
grants made to our area, and
the great things that are being
achieved.
This time, we’re looking at the
Southland Literacy Starter
Kit – an inspiring, awardwinning initiativ e that wouldn’t
have been possible without
the Rotary Foundation, in
partnership with a band of our
southernmost Rotarians and a
devoted specialist teacher.

As well as receiving a commendation from the Ministry of
Education as an “inspirational collaborative project” in 2009,
the Literacy Starter Kit project was this year awarded A
Significant Project Award by Rotary International.

Since the Rotary Club of Invercargill East successfully launched
the project seven years ago, the funding model has changed
over time, including schools providing donations, and other
community groups coming on board with financial backing.
For two years, the Rotary Club of Invercargill, became a
project partner, which ended last year when corporate
sponsor McIntyre Dick & Partners came on board.
More than 300,000 well-spent dollars later, and the reports
back from teachers, parents and children continue to be
positive. And, rather than considering their educational kit as
homework or a chore, the youngsters see it as a special treat.

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