Welcome to the Global Kalinga e-Rotary Club for the week of Sunday, December 13 through Saturday December 19, 2015. We are an Internet based Rotary Club based in Quezon City, Philippines with core groups of members in Southern California and elsewhere. We serve our local and nearby communities as well as projects in the Philippines.
Inspiration
"You don't choose your family. They are God's gift to you, as you are to them." ~ Desmond Tutu
The children discussed below did not choose their parents. Perhaps, however, Rotary can do something about their circumstances. No children, nor their parents, should not be subjected to senseless poisoning.
Rotary 4-Way Test
Of the things we think, say or do: 1. Is it the TRUTH? 2. Is it FAIR to all concerned? 3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? 4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?”
By building your team's self-esteem and encouraging them, the entire team becomes stronger.
Sing-Along Song - You're My Home by Angeline Quinto
As a reminder, this is Rotary's Family Month. Take your time and sing-along (wherever you may be) as you listen to Angeline Quinto, a Filipina singer, actress, and winner of Star Power: Sharon's Search For The Next Female Pop Superstar in 2011
Fine Master
Traditionally, Rotary clubs have Fine Masters who are responsibile for collecting fines/happy dollars. The clipart to your left is our e-club Fine Master. Do you have happy dollars, a birthday, an anniversary, a promotion, opening a new business, new car, new child, new grandchild, etc. Please feel free (and perhaps obligated) to click on our Rotary FineMaster.
The minimum fine is $3.00 to ensure a sufficient amount to take care of the PayPal fee. The purpose of the fines can be viewed by clicking on [View Fines/Happy Dollars] from the [Weekly Meetings] main menu
Program
There are many issues of gold mining in the Philippines.
"Many of Philippines' 5.5 million child workers are risking their lives digging for 'Dirty Gold' in unbelievable conditions. Desperate men and children scour under- water mineshafts in this terrifying report. Breathing through nothing more than a thin pipe connected to an air compressor, going 30 foot deep underwater for hours in search of gold is all in a day’s work for 16-year-old Gerald. 'I'm afraid, if the earth collapses, I will get buried underneath' says the teenager. Surrounded by rock walls in the pitch black darkness of the water, the men chip away at walls for 3 hours. They find no gold. For many like Gerald school is a distant memory, and illegally diving for gold the only alternative to starvation.
Hundreds of deaths by electrocution, drowning and even the possibility of Mercury poisoning have had little impact on compressor mining activities, which continue unpoliced and unregulated. There appears little hope of change on the horizon. 'If I could only give job opportunities - I will take them away from compressor mining. It is just that I have no alternative at this point' says Ricarte Padilla, Mayor of Jose Panganiban - Philippines' so-called 'Gold Coast'. As it is, the children and family men unearthing 60-80kg of gold per month see the lions share of wealth disappear into the Chinese black market." ~ Source: The Children Risking Their Lives In Underwater Gold Mines
Certainly, child labor, comparable to hard labor in some prisons, should be a major concern to all of us, even though it is understandable. The father of our member, Frank S. Adamo worked in the hot, sweaty brick buildings in tropical Tampa making cigars from the time he was nine years old for the same reasons; his parents, who imigrated from Sicily, were poor.
Yet, of all the issues related to gold mining, Frank who was educated as an analytical chemist, fully understands mercury poisoning. He had to--very carefully--work with mercury in college. Frank was extremely careful in handling mercury and ensuring NOT to spill the liquid metal.
Mercury toxicity which occurs as the vaporized form in gold mining can cause: mood swings, nervousness, irritability, and other emotional changes, insomnia, headache, abnormal sensations, muscle twitching, tremors, weakness, muscle atrophy, and decreased cognitive functions. High exposures of elemental mercury can cause kidney malfunction, respiratory failure, and death.
For Frank, mercury poisoning of the children and the entire family mmbers in the Philippines--and elsewhere--is unthinkable; especially because there is a simple solution, as shown in this video, Gold extraction with BORAX for small-scale miners - Rather Rich & Healthy than Poor & Poisoned.
Borax is a plentiful and safe product. And the workers can retrieve more gold by using borax instead of using the toxic liquid metal.
So, the question is how can our club, and perhaps Rotary in the Philippines and elsewhere educate these families of gold miners? If Rotary can nearly eradicate polio--which began in the Philippines, surely we can eliminate mercury poisoning from gold mining.
Club Business
MOST IMPORTANT: Dues for Jan through Jun, 2016 must be turned in by December 30. Please bring a check or your charge card to the Monthly/Christmas meeting for those in Southern California; otherwise, you may online.
Talking about our Monthly/Christmas potluck meeting at the Delfin's Hacienda, the scheduled has been changed to Sunday, December 20 from 3:00 to 6:00.
There is a possibility to hold the e-waste fundraiser in Los Alamitos. The Youth Club owns/uses an empty lot where they sell Christmas Trees. To enhance the effort, we could possibly consider working with the Los Alamitos Rotary Club. We also may have a location in Cerritos, though that would entail getting permission from the owner of the owners of the shopping area to use their parking lot.