Speaker Evening

Thu, Oct 17th 2019 at 6:45 pm - 8:45 pm

Project Trust Presentation Evening
Talks from:
Amy Rankin regarding her volunteering in India &
Lauren Marnie regarding her volunteering in Thailand.

Raffle -Jim McCulloch
Reception - Stewart Hutchison / Gordon Wood


On Thursday 17th October President Jim McCulloch welcomed visitors from the Rotary Club of Currie Balerno and the Rotary Club of Braids to the Hawes Inn. Members and guests enjoyed  presentations from Laura Marnie and Amy Rankin who spent a gap year with Project Trust teaching English after leaving Queensferry High School. The Rotary Club of South Queensferry contributed towards the costs of this experience. Project Trust, based on the Isle of Coll, sends around 300 young people per year to overseas placements. Lauren taught in various government schools in Thailand. Based in the small town of Phana near Chiang Mai in the north east, she taught three age groups from nursery to senior primary. Teaching in a totally Buddhist culture was challenging, but she was made most welcome and soon formed firm friendships. Project Trust always sends two volunteers  to each location for support and companionship. Lauren, who is now studying environmental science at Edinburgh University, found the experience stimulating and most worthwhile. Back home, she now talks to Primary Schools about global citizenship - a primary aim of Project Trust.

By contrast, Amy Rankin, who dressed in a sari for the occasion, taught in India at a private school in Andhra Pradesh. The local language was Telugu and many pupils boarded in the school hostel which also accommodated Amy, her host family and her Project Trust partner. She taught classes ranging from kindergarten to thirteen-year- olds. The school attracted more affluent families from the area and was therefore multi-religious, celebrating Hindu festivals such as Diwali and Holi and also Christmas. Discipline was strict, but Amy and her partner founded a dance class which was popular with children of all ages, though girls were separated from boys. Amy is now studying psychology at Glasgow University. Both Lauren and Amy thanked the Rotary Club for contributing to their expenses. Stewart Hutchison introduced the speakers. Gordon Wood proposed the vote of thanks.

In other business, Doreen Allerton of the Rotary Club of Braids gave a short report about the development of Rotoract, the Rotary-affiliated organisation for young people and further progress in expanding Rotary.