Article by Rotarian Ron Smith

Hosting the new Rotary District Governor Koekie Makunyane-Quashie, was not something, if we are truthful, we were looking forward to. Never mind taking Koekie to two projects which, in essence, are poles apart, and literally have nothing in common except under the banner of Rotary our desire to improve the lot of the less fortunate.

On her arrival at GFH things took on a different slant and we knew we were dealing with a leader who understood the lot of the underprivileged. As she chatted with staff and residents alike and put people at ease you could literally see people open up and much was achieved with her one-on-one approach.

Our club, together with Johannesburg, Rosebank and Springs pulled together and is in the process of supplying and fitting a complete back-up electrical system for the frail care unit at GFH. This is going to make a huge difference in the everyday lives of these magnificent ladies who deserve so much more and are so grateful for the fact that we care.

All being well, the end of October will see the frail care centre lit up like a Xmas tree and a beacon of hope as our country in general faces constant power interruptions and Rotary has made a difference. If at that time you go onto google and screen into GFH when we are loadshedding you might just see this bright glimmer of hope.

Finally, Koekie you are welcome anytime at our club, and you just might be able to teach us old dogs some new tricks regarding upgrading the imbalance we have with membership. (Please note I have not defined which imbalance we are referring to I shall leave that to your imagination). We enjoyed your presence and your input and we can only hope that you too enjoyed our efforts to make a difference