A Message From Margaret Gaal

Just a reminder about our Group International Day – All Things New Zealand.                  

It is on Monday April 29^th at the Newstead Community Centre. Ten for a ten thirty start.

Each branch is requested to bring a casserole, salad and slice, enough to feed the number of members and friends attending from their branch plus three extras. We are hoping for an attendance of approximately fifty on the day. [ Castlemaine is asked to bring French sticks only and Newstead to supply fruit salad and cream only. ]

A display of N.Z. items will be decorating the Centre, so please bring along any you may have. There will be a trading table; so please bring lots of items, by way of craft, produce, baking, books and so on. Let your imagination soar!

After a welcome by Newstead at !0.30 a.m.  we will proceed to Branch volunteers talking briefly on New Zealand. To help me coordinate this, could you please let me know who will be speaking and their topic. Thank you

We will include our A.C.W.W.  “Women Walk the World” at noon; so bring your banners on the day to make our walk down the main street of Newstead a splash of colour.  I will make a banner to place outside the Centre for public information and donation tins. Following the walk we shall partake of our shared lunch.

     

We have an excellent guest speaker, Helen Bissland, who will talk to us afterwards She has lived on Stewart Island; which, if you check your N.Z. map, is just off the coast of the South Island near Invercargill. She says, she welcomes questions, so have plenty ‘up your sleeve’, as this is a place in N.Z. that will prove to be both unique and fascinating. Afternoon tea will conclude the day.

       

Last but not least ---- please remember all are welcome; so please bring a friend or family member along with you to share in what will be a most enjoyable day. 

 Kind Regards ,  

 Margaret Gaal

 Group International Officer

Women Walk The World

 Monday April 29, 2013

Join with The Country Women’s Association of Victoria & be part of this worldwide walk – recognizing that girls and women spend hours, everyday, walking to gain the most basic of needs.

for more information visit 

the country women's association here

Water For All

Day in and day out, women and girls walk extensive distances for the basics; in needing to do this they miss out on many opportunities, especially education.

Water is an essential resource for life, our bodies are 65% water so it is the fundamental building block of life, and as such it is the lifeblood of a community. Some 1 billion people do not have reasonable access to 20 litres per person per day from a source within 1 km of the person’s dwelling.

Water is vital in food production – it is women that grow the bulk of food crops in developing countries with water essential to grow this food.

Women and girls are the ‘water haulers’ of the world, spending, in Africa alone, an estimated 40 billion hours annually just carrying water. The weight burden for these women and girls is very significant - 20 litres of water weighs 20kg, plus the container.

As well the source needs to supply safe water. It is estimated that 88% of disease globally is linked to unsafe water supply and lack of sanitation. Sick people do not have the energy for learning or to work so the poverty cycle continues. Many Aid Agencies promote the concept that access to a safe water supply = a healthy life = a productive community and thus hope arises.

The United Nations has declared the period 2005 to 2015 as the ‘Water for Life’ decade. Millenium Goal 7, (target no 10) aims to ‘reduce by ½ the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation’.

So as you are walking on Sunday 28^th or Monday 29^th April think of those women and girls who spend large part of their days carrying water. Perhaps fill 2 containers with 10 litres and see how difficult/exhausting it is to carry 20 litres.

Badges celebrating this day are available for $2-00. The design concept was created by a junior member at the 2011 junior camp. If you wish to raise funds for ACCW that would be most appreciated, however not mandatory. As well as Aussie currency, these funds could also be in the form of foreign currency as we have the facility for conversion through our Coins for Kindness project.

Introducing

Margaret Gaal is a member of our Harcourt Branch of CWA. She is a relatively new member, and has undertaken the task of being International Officer for the whole group.

Every year CWA has a country of study. Two years ago it was Morocco (great fun)/ Last year was Cambodia (sad and depressing). This year is New Zealand.

Margaret gives a short report on different aspects of New Zealand at our monthly meetings ( 1st Thursday of the month at 1.30 at the Harcourt Leisure Centre). 

She’s full of life herself and made the geography incredibly interesting.