John Tilley Memorial Award 2023

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Jak Kastanos, 2023 JTA Winner.


Congratulations Jak Kastanos for being 2023 John Tilley Memorial Award recipient!

President Alan represented the Rotary Club of Modbury Golden Grove in presenting the Rotary John Tilley Memorial Award to Modbury High School’s Most Outstanding student.

This award is the school’s top award 🥇 and is much sought after by Year 12 students each year. It is the honour of our Rotary members to support this award by donating the substantial cash prize it offers 🏆.

Well done Jak! Well deserved!!

 

KIVA Report

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At last night’s meeting we had club member Kathy present on what is KIVA and how our investment in this project is progressing.

KIVA is a international non-profit organisation who created a platform that uses crowdfunding micro loans and unlocking capital for the under-served, improving the quality and cost of financial services, and addressing the underlying barriers to financial access around the world. Essentially, creating a space where people can have one-to-one impact, and together, expand financial access for all.

More than 1.7 billion people around the world are unbanked and can’t access the financial services they need.

Through Kiva’s work, students can pay for tuition, women can start businesses, farmers are able to invest in equipment and families can afford needed emergency care.

History

Kiva was founded in 2005 in San Francisco by Matt Flannery and Jessica Jackley. The couple’s initial interest in microfinance was inspired by a lecture they attended at Stanford Business School. Jackley began working as a consultant for a non-for-profit which worked to help start small businesses in East Africa. While Flannery was visiting Jackley in Africa, the two spent time interviewing entrepreneurs about the problems they faced in starting ventures and found the lack of access to start-up capital was a common theme. After returning to the US the two began developing their plan for a microfinance project that would grow into Kiva, which means “unity” in Swahili.

Mission 

KIVA believe lending alongside thousands of others is one of the most powerful and sustainable ways to create economic and social good. Lending on Kiva creates a partnership of mutual dignity and makes it easy to touch more lives with the same dollar. Fund a loan, get repaid, fund another.

Kiva is a pioneer in crowdfunding, and is constantly innovating to meet people’s diverse lending needs. Whether it’s reinventing Microfinance with more flexible terms, supporting community-wide projects or lowering costs to borrowers, they are always testing and learning.

Since 2005, Kiva has funded 2.3 million loans, totaling $2 billion U.S., with a repayment rate of 96.3%. Over 2 million lenders worldwide use the Kiva platform and has reached over 5 million people in 94 countries.

How do Kiva loans work?

Kiva works with more than 300 microfinance institutions, social impact businesses, schools and non-profit organisations around the world, called “Field Partners”, that post profiles of qualified local entrepreneurs on the Kiva website. 

Lenders browse borrower profiles on kiva.org website and choose an venture they wish to fund. The lenders transfer their funds to Kiva through a credit card or PayPal, which waives its transaction fee in these cases. Lenders can loan money in increments of $25.

After receiving lenders’ money, Kiva assembles the loan capital from the individual lenders and transfers it to the appropriate Field Partners, which dispenses the loan to the borrower. 

Kiva does not charge interest on the capital sent to Field Partners, but often Field Partners do charge some level of interest to borrowers to cover administration costs. As the entrepreneurs repay their loans with interest, the Field Partners remit funds back to Kiva. As the loan is repaid, the Kiva lenders can withdraw their principal or re-lend it to another venture.

Why we support Women with Agriculture type businesses?

Our club’s main focus when selecting loans are women in agriculture:

More than 50% of all unbanked people worldwide are women — with little to no access to financial services.

Research shows that women are more likely to invest their earnings in ways that have a long-term impact on their families and communities.

In lower-income countries, only 1 in 4 businesses are owned by women.

Because so many women entrepreneurs are excluded from accessing loans or savings accounts, it is difficult to start a business, pursue higher education, or improve one’s livelihood.

KIVA has reached 3.82 million Women and funded $1.5 Billion in loans

Our Account Overview

Our KIVA account was established back in 2012, via Rotary Club of Makin Edge, who bequeathed it to us to continue the mission after they dissolved. Below is a snap shot on how much we have invested ($ are in US) and the impact it has made globally.

Please check out our Public Lender Profile on KIVA.

 

Lifting one, to lift many

When a Kiva loan enables someone to grow a business and create opportunity for themselves, it creates opportunities for others as well. That ripple effect can shape the future for a family or an entire community.

A concept that Rotary treasures.

Peace Pole at Para Primary School

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Peace Pole @ East Para Primary School

 

This morning we joined the students and staff of East Para Primary School to unveil a Peace Pole in their garden. The Pole was donated by the members of the Rotary Club of Modbury Golden Grove as part of a project to mark the Centenary of Rotary in South Australia.

The unveiling today, on this, the International Day of Peace was a statement by the school community on its commitment in joining with Rotary and other Peace Pole Schools, to be a messenger of Peace to all of Australia.

President Alan read a message from the Secretary-General of the United Nations calling on us all that Peace is not only a noble vision for humanity, but a call to action.

For the students of East Para Primary school, preparing the garden and planting their Peace Pole is their first action to see Peace Prevail on Earth.

This is our club’s second donated Peace Pole, we hope to establish more in our community, please contact us if you are interested.

“May Peace Prevail on Earth”

Meeting #1757

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Last tonight’s club meeting we had the privilege of have two special guests: 

Kathryn Button, from Global Connect Christian Schools & Owen Brown, a NYSF applicant.

 

Kathryn Button, Director at Global Connect Christian Schools who spoke to us about her work and her recent trip to Uganda, and the work with a particular school there.


Christian Schools Global Connect
is a relationship-based network, welcoming partner organisations and individuals to further Christian Education, Leadership School Partnership and Service Learning, globally.

 

During Kathryn trip to Uganda she visited SIMEKA Junior Primary School. A self funded primary/ boarding school who eagerly and passionately educates children in their area. Unfortunately, they are very poor with limited resources and with a building falling apart. Kathryn was very touched by this place and made it her personal mission to spread the word about SIMEKA and is trying to find support for this independent school.


We were proud to meet Owen, son of Rotarian Mathew Brown, who our club has selected to support to attend the next National Youth Science Forum. Check out future posts to hear about Owen’s trip.