ROTARY CLUB NEWS: Mission to Southeast Asia continues

by Gary Kennedy

Well we all know it’s been a very difficult past two years. People have been sick and dying; the world has conflict everywhere. The political theatre has been very trying. Travel has been a very difficult situation with Covid and world strife. Through it all you have service to mankind organizations continuing to carry on and trying to serve the less fortunate of the world by supplying hope through education and medical well being.

As most of you know my group of humanitarians service Southeast Asia, by supplying basic medical and educational support. This past year we were not able to do much because of all the obvious reasons. This year we have all our shots and a booster to help keep us and those we support safe.

Missions take a little longer as most places we go require a quarantine period of up to two weeks in some remote hotel; at our expense, of course. Volunteers don’t get paid and need to pay their own expenses. So as you can see you need to love helping humanity to give this much of yourself.

Groups such as Partner’s for World Health out of Portland operate the same way. If you volunteer for Alliance for Smiles you also do it as an act of love. However, you can see the deep friendships and ties that grow around this kind of selfless giving. Our group limits ourselves to mostly medical and literacy projects but often times we will be approached by another project that we become sensitive too. We will take it on if we feel we can handle it.

A couple of years ago we became involved with a couple of orphanages. It required some children’s clothing and food as well as school supplies. It’s always great to see the children. They know us now and throw their love our way whenever we arrive. It’s very heartwarming to have this in our lives. I told you a couple of years ago about my relationship with the organization known as the “Knights of Rizal”. Jose Rizal was/is a Philippine Islands Martyr, well loved by the people. I actually joined in 2003; so I have been with them for some time now. This organization has spread all over the world and is still growing. They are humanitarians at heart and operate similar as to Rotary, Kawanis, Masons and others. Equality, freedom, equal opportunity and love, respect of country and each other sets the foundation.

My group is located in the hamlet of Silang Cavite. We do many projects for children and indigent populations. When I am home I gather all that I can and ship it to the Islands where I will fly to meet and distribute what we have. We have been able to generate a very caring presence which has given those people a wonderful sense of American values. That’s what the world needs at this time, some God driven values with foundations in love, faith and charity. We are always looking for partners to share with these families. Not everyone will go with us but projects to aid the less fortunate can certainly be done. We always need such things as children’s clothing; school books, grades “Kinder through 12”. Also, this year we are looking for “50 Bibles” to supply a beautiful small church that was donated by South Korean missionaries located in the Cagayan Mountains of Luzon. What a wonderful gift for Christmas; you could even sign it. The pain that has been bestowed upon us as of late could be lessoned by continuing doing that which continues healing the wounds of the world. Americans are a blessed people with giving hearts. Let’s all keep our eyes on the prize, the gift of everlasting life by sharing our love with those less fortunate in the world.

Last but certainly not least I would like to thank “Charles Kennedy” who represents the Rotary Club, of Windham, because of their charitable giving to these great humanitarian projects in Southeast Asia. Their fund raising which has amounted to thousands of dollars over the years has seen children with no hope of education to achieve great things through the years. There are several orphanages involved which feel blessed that their children are guided by the loving hands of volunteers and organizations who realize that real world peace has no boundaries. Also, I would like to thank the “Sebago Lake Golf Course and Country Club” for their supporting the golf tournaments which finance a lot of what we do. They have partnered for a number of years now, not only with Rotary but with our veteran organizations. This is how we show the world who we really are and what we are about.

God bless all of good heart. We can be reached at 207-458-2832.