Rotary Club of Mammoth Lakes

                               High Sierra Rotary Clubs Support Tsunami Relief

One year after a 60-foot tsunami wave claimed hundreds of thousands of lives in Southeast Asia many of its survivors continue to struggle for life. Their homes are destroyed, their relatives are dead, and their businesses are all gone. A full year later they still live in tents, drink dirty water, eat plain rice, and have little medical care.
Since the December 26, 2004 9.1 earthquake and resulting tsunami, members of the Rotary Clubs of Mammoth and Bishop, District 5260, California USA teamed up with Indonesian Rotary Club members and volunteers amassed more than $230,000 in donations:

1. Hand-delivered more than $180,000 (US wholesale value) of medicine and medical supplies contributed by DIRECT RELIEF INTERNATIONAL, and

2. Contributed more than $50,000 cash (US Dollars) to Indonesia this past year.

These funds have gone to:
. Purchased materials for constructing sanitation, water, food, rice, cement and pipe for Lampuuk residents.
. Provided food/student uniforms, water, and fruit for Leupung refugees.
. Supported the Rotary Polio Vaccination program being conducted in September and October.
. Funded Indonesia Rotary's coordinated Aceh educational programs.
. Provided emergency and infant healthcare to refugee – mostly mothers and children.
. Set up the "Aceh Women and Children Center” and provided a new medical transport for patients, volunteers and staff.  (Shown below are pictures of the transport)

“I am proud of the quick response and ongoing support from Eastern Sierra Rotarians for the people of Banda Aceh, Indonesia,” said Wally Hofmann, 2004-05 President of the Rotary Club of Mammoth Lakes. “Our priority has been to create a new medical clinic that will serve the Aceh community for years to come,” said Hofmann.

“This clinic is a first of its kind because it’s owned and operated by a the Acehenese people. It provides free medical care to displaced local women and children. These first five years the clinic will need support from donors from around the world. We are also asking the Indonesian Rotary Clubs and local government to support the clinic longterm.”

Hofmann traveled to Aceh twice in the past year to advise and work with Clinic Director Dr. Mahala Daud. We coordinated onsite construction of the clinic, hired a full-time guard, conducted planning, created a 5-year budget, and developed proposals for donors.

Current Status as of March, 2006

The first phase of setting up the Banda Aceh Women and Children's Center is now accomplished. Thanks to the incredible work of both of the Bishop and Mammoth Rotary Clubs we have been able to provide money, supplies, a clinic and a vehicle that will serve the medical needs of Northern Indonesia Tsunami
Victims.

On site in Banda Aceh, Dr. Mahala Daud has completed the legal handover of the Banda Aceh Women and Children's Center to the newly-charted Rotary Club of Banda Aceh. We could never have done this without her
tireless efforts and medical expertise.

She has prepared many documents in English and their native languages in order to make the transfer completely legal and proper. I will be delivering these documents to Don Sage via US mail shortly.

On behalf of the Rotary Clubs of Bishop and Mammoth Lakes Mahala and I have signed and delivered all of the paperwork that clarifies the nature of this gift (no strings or future obligations attached), and the specifics of the gift (lists of equipment, supplies and medicines).

I have BCC'd this email to about 10 other members who have been involved in this effort since Dec. 26, 2004.

Of course, our business of doing good is never over.  It's my hope that Rotary Clubs around the globe will continue to support this Center. The AWCC will need our continued help to survive. Clearly, the Rotary Club of Banda Aceh can do direct this effort better than we could going forward.

If I may offer any ideas how you could continue to support the AWCC I am happy to do so. I can put you in contact with those in Banda Aceh who can coordinate with you on future support projects.

I will continue to raise funds for them on a personal basis.

I want to again thank Bob Tomko Jr., Joanne Parsons, and Dr. Walt Hofmann for their personal contributions for traveling to Banda Aceh and getting this project off the ground.

As for me, I don't think I can properly put into words how this past 14 months has blessed my life. I am a very fortunate man.

While attending Jan Work's Memorial Service in Bishop yesterday, I was reminded of what our main job is in this life. Love and service. Her's was truly a life of acceptance, passion, love and service.

This concludes my part in this phase of the AWCC project. May God continue to bless the people who are the Rotary Clubs of Bishop, Mammoth and Banda Aceh.

Sincerely,

Wally Hofmann
Deo Gratias

760.937.3929 cell
PO Box 1224
Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546