Kerikeri Rotary Club makes a difference at Viseisei Sai Health Centre

Thanks to the efforts of seven Rotary clubs and the Rotary Foundation, a $NZ24,000 solar power system will now generate electricity for the Viseisei Sai Health Centre Trust in Viseisei Village, Lautoka, Fiji. The Medical Centre is located at a Rotahome village between Nadi and Lautoka. It is a registered charitable trust and aims to give free health care to the 15000 people in the surrounding area.

The project commenced when the Rotary Club of Kerikeri chose Viseisei Medical Centre to assist with medical supplies. “By the time we got our act together they had received funding from another source and the idea of the solar power electricity was proposed” said current President Vicki Douglas. This proposal then evolved into a matching grant project involving seven clubs and taking three years to complete.

Led by the Kerikeri club, contributions were made by the Rotary Clubs of Norfolk Island, Bay of Islands, Kaikohe, Kaitaia, Waipapa and Lautoka, with a matching grant from the Rotary Foundation.

All the work was carried out at a local level, using Clay Engineering Ltd in Suva as the contractor. The system is a 4.2KW Grid Connect System The installation of the solar panels was completed in November 2012. “We were concerned when the cyclone went through Fiji, but thankfully a few fallen trees was the only damage to the immediate area and the building and solar units were unharmed. However, commissioning of the project was delayed because the Fiji Electricity Board was busy restoring power to the 30% of people who were affected by the cyclone” said Vicki.

Kerikeri Rotarian Mahmood Khan visited Fiji throughout the project’s development. Other key members were Past President John Toms and Past Assistant Governor Keith Day. “Without their tenacity, and that of our club Treasurer Jenny James, this project would have fallen flat” said Vicki.

Vicki concluded “Despite a number of funding hiccups we have learnt a great deal from this project and look forward to being involved in other international projects. That is what I love about Rotary – the ability to make a difference not only in the local community but further afield.”

Source:  RNZWCS Ltd Newsletter, April 2013.