Month: June 2019

Download poster here.

This year Zonta turns 100 and that calls for a big celebration – and you can’t get bigger than the Cosmos!

Cosmos Calling – Space the Next Frontier will be a special night at the Sci-Tech Planetarium.  There will be a planetary show followed by presentations and panel discussion from four of Australia’s top women scientists.

And there is more!

Mix in some pre-event canapes and drinks and then stir in a big dose of fun – and you have a recipe for a night to remember!

For those that want to get fully into the spirit of the Centenary occasion, why not dress up as someone from 100 years ago or someone 100 years in the future? (It is not compulsory…!)

Professor Lyn Beazley, neuroscientist and former WA Chief Scientist, will be the MC for the evening and will be joined by:

• Dr Natasha Hurley-Walker who uses precursor SKA radio telescopes to create a map of the sky in radio colour
• Dr Katarina Miljkovic who leads the only Australian plaentary science group working on NASA’s Mars InSight Mission
• Dr Ellie Sansom who is the science team lead for theAustralian Desert Fireball Network

Tickets are $75 from Trybooking.   

All proceeds go to Zonta health and education projects to empower women and girls on planet Earth.

Enquiries to zontaperth@gmail.com.

 

Many members would have met Dr Luc Mulimbalimba and his wife Delice from the Democratic Republic of Congo and collected clothing and stationery items to help them in their work.  In 2005, they established the Mission in Health Care and Development (MHCD) an NGO based in Bukavu and Uvira (on the borders with Rwanda and Burundi) and Lubumbashi (on border with Zambia).

Dr Luc advises that in DR Congo, the rape capital of the world, raped women are left isolated and without support.  As a result MHCD developed community projects to help women recover from rape and regain their dignity.  They provide employment, build capacity and create financial independence. The MHCD uses the Zonta Birthing Kits as part of its mission to train birthing assistants.

Dr Luc has emailed to say that, as a result of  interest generated through their Birthing Kit train-the-trainer program, the first classroom for a midwifery school has been built at Luvungi (between Bukavu and Uvira).  The students currently undergo three weeks of training as birthing assistants and return to their villages to help deliver babies, undertake pre and post natal consultations, conduct immunisations, treat malaria and typhoid and provide family planning services.  The women want to become fully trained midwives (4 years of training) and this first classroom will help them to do this.  Dr Luc is seeking help to build another 5 classrooms to complete the midwifery school.

But that is not all…. they have opened a market building too….!

Katogota is a village near Uvira that suffered a dreadful massacre during one of the Congo wars.  Rebels from neighbouring countries stormed the village and butchered almost everyone.  Many women and girls were raped, houses were burned, belongings stolen and since this time the survivors have lived with the trauma and stress. MHCD has helped the villagers rebuild their lives by distributing pigs and creating fish ponds for microfinancing projects.  The women sell fish, vegetables and charcoal to survive and send their children to school.

Selling products from the roadside is challenging especially when it is extremely hot or there is torrential rain.  To solve this problem, all of the women contributed what they could from their sales, and with donations from Dr Luc and Delice and others, were able to construct a market building. Dr Luc is shown below in front of the market that is called the Market of Martyrs in remembrance of the fallen villagers.

It is always inspiring to see the marvellous work that Dr Luc does!

At the June meeting, guest speaker Anjie Brook, the CEO of the WA Aboriginal Leadership Institute will share with us how WAALI empowers the next generation of leaders.  See the flyer below for details or download the June meeting flyer here.

The AGM was a time of honouring the outgoing Zonta Club of Perth Board and empowering the incoming Board!

L-R: Incoming President, Carole Theobald thanks outgoing President Donella Caspersz for her outstanding service.

Donella Caspersz and her marvellous team have led members through some memorable experiences in the last two years.  We have been inspired by our award winners, awed by our speakers – who have done incredible things – and had lots of fun at some of the fundraising events through the year.  You can read more about the year in our latest Annual Report

L-R: Guest speaker Rishelle Hume is thanked by Kate Ellson

The Guest Speaker at the AGM was the incredible Rishelle Hume AM.  Rishelle is the Manager Aboriginal Employment Strategy at Chevron Australia. She is a proud Noongar Woman and has traditional ties to the Whadjuk, Ballardong and Gnaala Karla Boodja peoples. She has worked tirelessly with Aboriginal communities to create employment opportunities, promote leadership and preserve culture.  She is co-chair of the WA Aboriginal Leadership Institute.  Her achievements were recently recognised when she was inducted into the WA Womens Hall of Fame in March 2019.

L-R: Gabrielle Walker, Emma Stenhouse, Kate Ellson, Tanis Jackson, Ute Schierhorn, Val Gandossini, Carole Theobald and Judy Gorton (ZI Director)

At the AGM Judy Gorton. Zonta International Director, installed the new Board led by the 2019-20 President, Carole Theobald.  The Board is looking to create a memorable year for members as we celebrate the centenary of Zonta International.