To do a Rotary Service Project or not to do a Rotary Service Project, that is the question.

I can still remember the days I spent drafting and writing up my application for the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship… it consisted of at least 3 essays, several letters of rec, transcripts, background history, and most significantly for me, a write up on what sort of community-based service project we would conduct if we were lucky enough to receive the exact scholarship I was seeking. At the time (over 2 ½ years ago!!), I wrote a long-winded write up about a multi-faceted project of building a community center for Aboriginals in rural Australia, donated nail by nail and paint can by paint can like Habitat for Humanity style, as well as holding a clothing drive for women and children battling HIV/AIDS in Capetown, South Africa, and also establishing an after-school program in inner-city London to keep youth off the streets. I’m afraid I learned about one month into my time here in Brisbane that such large, lofty project ideas are not realistically attainable when the Matching Grants deadline has already passed so you have no budget, only have 9 months time, and are attempting to complete an accelerated master’s program and live alone in a foreign country all at once. I decided to adapt my plans, and not build up a project from scratch during my tenure as an Ambassadorial scholar, but join forces with an already affiliated Rotary project.

I next had my overly optimistic heart set on going to Papua New Guinea after I attended the Rotary District 9600 Conference in Caloundra in March. There, I heard a presentation about the Wapunamenda Health Clinic in the Southern Highlands of PNG that was seeking support from Rotary. I had a post-lunchtime meeting with Mary, the local who, lo and behold, had received her MPH as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar from PNG to Australia. She was convinced that I could help her transform this one-room clinic that was a rented out third floor apartment, into something impressive. She explained she would seek personal invitation for me to live in her local village for 2-3 weeks from the local chief, and that she would take great care of me while I worked on plans for transforming the Wapunamenda clinic. Disregarding the fact I didn’t know the slightest about building up a health clinic, I was so PSYCHED… which only turned into being CRUSHED after attending a meeting with the head of the UQ School of Population Health who told me that in no way could I go to PNG, much less the Southern Highlands, where there are still frequent tribal conflicts, raids, rapes, and kidnappings. Apparently word was getting around that I was interested in going to PNG for Rotary, as this meeting was then followed up by several frantic phone calls from the Rotarian at the District level who is in charge of all of us scholars and the then-District Governor, to make it clear that although PNG is a part of our district, in no way could I go live and stay alone (or even with Mary) in a local Southern Highlands village. Yet again, I got quite a big reality check on what is truly feasible to carry out as a 23 year old American female Ambassadorial Scholar. I admit, I like to jump ahead to big fancy ideas, without always doing my background research. However… at least I do accept no for an answer when it's needed :)

I was beginning to realize that the Ambassadorial Scholarship application process of "design the service project you would conduct if you were selected" was perhaps meant to only be a theoretical exercise to help in the selection process, and was not really expected nor required to be fulfilled. Luckily, just as I was getting weary with it all, Rotarians at the Brisbane Planetarium Club insisted that I meet up with Trevor Taylor, as he was building a health clinic in the Solomon Islands—both a health and development project for me. Yes! Unfortunately, when I did talk to him… news was not so good. The health clinic had JUST been completed and although they were going to go back to follow up on it a little, the trip to start their new education-focused projects were scheduled for the end of October—exactly when I had all my final assignments and presentations for my master’s degree due. I was a bit torn over what to do—completing an international service project in the name of Rotary was what I had set out to do from the moment I even considered applying to be an Ambassadorial Scholar, not only because I felt as though it was one of the few ways I could even begin to give back to Rotary and show my appreciation for everything they had given me, but also for my own life and future career experience. Nothing teaches you more than hands-on service learning! At about the moment my Type A, queen of all the nerdiest nerds in school self was about to take over and say I couldn’t be on Trevor’s Solomons team based on the timing for uni, I received a very clutch e-mail from Trevor. After giving me some more details about the project and the Solomons, in regards to my worries about the timing, Trevor simply stated the line: “I would say, just do it!!!!!!”  (Note: number of exclamation marks have not been exaggerated!)

I am so grateful for those 6 simple, enthusiastic words; so lucky to have had such generous sponsor AND host Rotary clubs to contribute to funding my trip; so appreciative of every single UQ School of Population Health faculty member and student who contributed to the 400+ books acquired in the book drive I held, which were personally delivered by boat amongst 5 different schools the Solomons; and most of all, just so, so happy that, despite my qualms, in the wise words of Trevor.... I just did it!!!!!!

Since I have been rambling on so much now just about the events leading up to this Rotary trip , I’m afraid I will have to leave you all hanging and will have to follow up with an actual update on the trip itself at a later date. Currently, the number of photos I have set aside to post on here totals to 96... I'm going to have to get some self-control and organize my thoughts between now and then. 

But for now, I will leave you with my favorite photo from my week in the Western Province of the Solomons:

At the Ngari Primary School on Gizo Island, Solomon Islands. I definitely enjoyed myself and believe I helped out some marginalized communities a bit, too :)