President Veronica opened the meeting with Christmas themes and songs from the past - 'Rocking Around The Christmas Tree' (Brenda Lee 1958) outstripping Maria Carey's 'All I Want for Christmas Is You' and Wham's 'Last Christmas' by miles - (or is that kilometers?)
Guest speaker highlights -Tetyana Smith (Izyumenko)
Tetyana spoke on her home country Ukraine and the grim realities of life there since the Russian invasion. She was born in Ukraine, where she finished school and graduated from Medical College. 21 years ago she moved to WA with her son, changing to Business & Law (majoring in Accounting).
Following the full-scale invasion on the 24 of February 2022, Tetyana became actively involved in helping Ukrainians in Ukraine and displaced Ukrainians, who came to Australia seeking shelter. She is now a full-time volunteer coordinating the sourcing of medical equipment and supplies from local donors and sponsors and shipping them to Ukraine. With no prior experience in collecting and shipping medical goods to Ukraine and facing various constraints in WA, via friends, acquaintances and business partners, Tetyana found some storage, established the networks and connections with medical facilities, a local Rotary club, volunteers, local transportation, a freight forwarder and sponsors.
Doing a lot of work on her own, such as collecting, counting, recording, packing, moving etc she established a supply chain from WA to Ukraine. The goods were shipped by air and also by sea, with the latest shipment of a 40-foot container having already been delivered to Ukraine.
Tetyana has also become one of the active leaders of the Ukrainian community raising awareness of the war, advocating for Ukrainians, seeking humanitarian pathways for Ukrainians to Australia and support for them here in WA and in Ukraine. Meetings have been organised with politicians, media, Red Cross, Rotary Clubs. She has also helped with organising rallies, fundraising, picnics, various social, cultural, religious and other types of events in support of Ukraine. Tetyana has also been helping Ukrainians on an individual level, sending humanitarian aid, protective equipment and finances to families, friends, volunteers, defenders, charitable organisations, people with disabilities and in need in Ukraine.
Her hometown of Nikopol in Dnipropetrovsk region is only a few kilometres away across the Dnipro River from the biggest nuclear power plant in Europe at Enerhodar in the Zaporizhzhia region, which was occupied by Russians in March 2022. Nikopol has been under daily artillery shelling causing death, casualties, infrastructure damage and destruction.
Her elderly parents were fortunate to be able to escape the war in March 2022 and make their way to Perth. The Australian government were very proactive in providing appropriate visas and humanitarian support. However, the majority of Tetyana’s family, as well as schoolmates and neighbours, are still in Nikopol and some in Zaporizhzhia, Kyiv and occupied the Kherson region.
They decided to stay in Ukraine and help defend the country in every possible way they could, whether via volunteering, helping civilians, displaced people, Ukrainian defenders, or being part of the Ukrainian army. Unfortunately, the war in Ukraine is not over and Ukrainians need ongoing global assistance.
Special Event
President Veronica announced the 'twinning' of Mill Point RC and Ivano-Frankivsk RC (Ukraine) by presenting visiting Rotarian Taras Bondarenko with a Certificate of Recognition. The clubs have much in common and will work on joint projects of similar interest.
Director Reports
Fines
- Graham Rennie - Hunk of the Week centrefold in the South Perth Peninsula magazine (minus staple in his belly button)
- Smart watch wearers - NOT hands free!
- Fossil fuel workers past and present!
- Ian K and Gorby - for their crumby text messages to the President.
Wine of the Week
Another John Hardwick win!
Attendance: 56 Members including Taras and Nataliya Bondarenko, Ivano-Frankivsk RC, Ukraine; Carlos Garcia, Rockingham RC; Bill and Pam Boekman, Wongan Hills RC; Diana Goh (soon to be member); Kaya and Kelly Coskum; Geoff Trowbridge; and Gabrielle.
