Consistent with one of Rotary’s focused areas to provide guidance and development of new generations, the Rotary Club of Kuching Central worked with Deputy Resident Encik Desmund Jerukam of Sri Aman  in collaboration with the State Education Department at Sri Aman to identify a primary school where help and assistance can be provided in the following areas:

1. Donation of 20 bicycles for the use of the deserving students
2. Deworming of 130 primary school students and
3. Eyes screening of 130 primary school student

It is therefore a blessing that such help and assistance have come to a reality for the needy young students who are studying at SK Nanga Klassen. SK Nanga Klassen  is located about 20 Km outside Sri Aman towards Engikili. The school has 130 primary students where 80% of them live in the school and the rest live around the nearby villages.

“Rotary’s focus in the young generations is key to nurturing abundance of potential leaders of tomorrow who will take over from the older generations as our nation progresses”, said Rotarian Alan Poh, Chairman of Service Projects Committee.

A symbolic handover of a bicycle was done by Rotarian Alan Poh to Headmaster of the school, Encik Masan @ David Renang in the presence of Rotary Governor Hj Zainie, President Juergen Ertl, Deputy Resident Encik Desmund Jerukam, Past President Chieng Lee Ching, Senior School Assistant Puan Terry Ringgit and Paun Nuo Sarahana.      

Subsequently a letter of intent was also handed over for the deworming and eyes screening of 130 primary school students which are to be done at the school before the end of January 2012.

President Juergen commented, “I am very pleased that the Rotary Club of Kuching Central has been given this wonderful opportunity to do good to the local community. I would like to thank Past President Chieng Lee Ching for his commendable efforts in being able to do the ground works for this project”.

Meanwhile, Rotary Governor Hj Zainie said, “I am very happy to see that Rotary clubs in Kuching in specific and in Sarawak in general, continue to touch the hearts of many people”.

At the same time, the club also held its annual vocational service award ceremony.

One of the uniqueness of Rotary is that its memberships are based on vocational classifications.

A Rotary club is allowed to have 5 members with the same vocational classifications. This limit is to ensure that the club’s membership will comprise a diversity of vocational classifications that represents the community where the club operates. Another reason is to ensure that there are adequate knowledge and skills from the different industries that will play significant contributions in humanitarian services projects undertaken by the Rotary club.

Therefore, consistent with past practices, the Rotary Club of Kuching Central looks out for outstanding individuals in the community who have devoted their vocation for the betterment of the society. This year, the club has identified two outstanding individuals who have consistently participated in the Rotary Avoidable Blindness projects in the form of cataract operations for the under privilege people of Sarawak.

The recipients are:

1. Dr Intan Gudom (Sarawak state consultant ophthalmologist and Head of Ophthalmology Dept., Sarawak General Hospital, Kuching) and
2. Dr Mohd. Aziz Salowi (ophthalmologist with special interest in cataract, Public Health Ophthalmology and Prevention of Blindness).

Both are attached at the Eye Clinic, Sarawak General Hospital, Kuching.

Dr Intan Gudom and Dr Aziz have immensely made significant contributions to the Sarawak society where they spent their valuable time during the weekend to join the Rotary Club of Kuching Central in providing free cataract operations for the people in Betong, Sri Aman, Serian, Lundu, Sematan and Pulau Bruit.

They performed cataract surgeries from 7.30am until 10pm during many weekends without favour and glory only to fulfill their strong desire to lend a hand to the less fortunate members of the society. They helped many people in restoring their eye sights again.

It is therefore reassuring and fulfilling to see the smiles on the faces of these patients when they were discharged after the successful surgeries.

The Rotary Club of Kuching Central has regarded both of them as staunch supporters of the club in specific and Rotary in general.

It is therefore the fervent wish of the club that Dr Intan and Dr Aziz will continue to work with Rotary and the Rotary Club of Kuching Central in specific to provide cataract operations and other related avoidable blindness problems.

The vocational awards were presented by Rotary International District 3310 Governor Hj Zainie Abdul Aucasa to the recipients witnessed by President Juergen Ertl and Rotarian Alan Poh, the Chairman for Service Projects. “May such noble act and contributions inspire other ophthalmologists and specialists to do good for the community”, said Governor Hj Zainie.