Partners

Our partnerships make us even stronger

RNZWCS Limited works with a number of other organisations to improve and extend its work in developing countries.

Our partnerships with , ROMAC, MORDI, VSA and Interplast are good examples of our collaborative approach. In the course of our work, we also partner with Rotary Clubs and other organisations from other countries, governments, both New Zealand and local NGOs, and businesses who support our work.

OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH ROMAC - PROVIDING CHILDREN WITH VITAL MEDICAL TREATMENT

RNZWCS Limited and Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children New Zealand Charitable Trust (ROMAC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. ROMAC provide surgical treatment in Australia and New Zealand for children from Pacific countries which is not available to them in their own country.
ROMAC was established in March 1988 when an Australian Rotarian and a group of surgeons visited Labasa in Fiji. They found the child mortality rate was 25% in some communities and identified a major cause was the lack of medical and surgical skills combined with inadequate facilities. One case was an 18-year-old Fijian girl whose right leg would have been at risk had she not received immediate surgery. Over the next four years, eight children travelled to Australia for major, and for some, lifesaving surgery. ROMAC established five regions representing Rotary clubs throughout Australia.

A New Zealand region was formally established in 2004, the first patient being from Vanuatu who received surgery in New Zealand the following year. ROMAC in New Zealand and Australia engage medical specialists including surgeons, nurses, physiotherapists, along with hospital, pathology and radiology services. Sponsors and supporters include airlines and often Rotary members provide hospitality. ROMAC is currently providing surgical treatment to up to 50 children from Oceania annually.

DONATE TO ROMAC by selecting Partner Projects on our donate page. When using internet banking enter ROMAC in the reference field. You may use any of the other payment options on the page. If you have questions, please contact us. Thank you.

OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH INTERPLAST - REPAIRING BODIES, REBUILDING LIVES

RNZWCS Limited and Interplast Australia and New Zealand have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to help make it easy for Rotary Clubs and Rotarians to support Interplast’s work. Interplast was co-founded by Rotary in 1983. Rotarians, Clubs and Districts across Oceania and Australia have continued to work in partnership with Interplast since then. A number of Interplast’s volunteer clinicians live in New Zealand, making an invaluable contribution to Interplast’s mission.
Interplast sends teams of volunteer plastic and reconstructive surgeons, anaesthetists, nurses and allied health professionals to provide life-changing surgery and care in 17 countries across South East Asia and the Pacific Islands.
Interplast’s volunteers treat conditions such as cleft lips and palates, tumours, traumatic injuries and burn scar contractures, with the intention of restoring function and dignity to patients in desperate need. Interplast is also committed to building capacity in the health systems of its partner countries, and places equal emphasis on training local clinicians, so that patients of the future won’t have to wait for an Interplast team to visit.

In 2023, Interplast celebrates its 40th anniversary. The teams of volunteers are busy resuming their travels after the lifting of pandemic-related travel restrictions. Many patients have had to wait 3 years to receive their desperately needed surgery and care so that they can live their lives without disability and stigma.

Historically, New Zealand supporters of Interplast were not able to receive tax credits for their donations, which has limited Interplast’s ability to fundraise in New Zealand. RNZWCS is keen to further support Interplast programs by facilitating donations from New Zealand donors. The purpose of the MoU establishes a relationship between Interplast and RNZWCS to facilitate tax-deductible donations from New Zealand citizens and residents in support of Interplast’s projects.

Support our work with Interplast by donating to Partner Projects on our home page. If paying via internet banking add Interplast in the reference field or use any of the other payment options on the page. You may also donate on the RNZWCS page on Interplast’s website. Thank you.

OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH MORDI - HELPING TO ALLEVIATE POVERTY IN TONGA

Rotary New Zealand is pleased to have been a partner with MORDI (Mainstreaming of Rural Development Innovation Tonga Trust) since 2014 when Rotary New Zealand became involved in the delivery of emergency livelihoods relief programs after Cyclone Ian. The following year, it aided the WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) response when parts of Tonga were hit by an El Nino event and then in February 2018, it participated in another livelihoods program following Cyclone Gita. All these initiatives were funded by Rotary New Zealand and The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

MORDI is a trust that seeks funding from a range of donors. Its corporate partners are the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the New Zealand Aid programme.

MORDI works towards aiding rural isolated communities in Tonga fight poverty. It’s been empowering communities to realise their full potentials and take ownership by involving them in the community activities rather than isolating them. In the past, development plans were designed and voiced by men. When MORDI identified that women and youth were more vulnerable, they gave them the opportunity to participate in community development activities in an effort to break the age-old traditions. MORDI has now got to a point where it is able to stand aside and watch the community band together for the betterment of the whole community.

MORDI provides projects that help people earn a consistent income and is involved in educating women in nutrition, hygiene and household budgeting. It also works towards securing safe food and water systems for rural communities where shortage of food often comes from the lack of agricultural skills and water is sourced from tap or rain cache.

MORDI believes it is never too late to educate. Where families struggle to pay school fees and students often drop out or are put to work on plantations or in the home, MORDI provides educational opportunities for adults in various forms both in institutions and via practical training courses in sea safety, small engine maintenance and the like.

To read more about MORDI and its work, visit their website.

Our partnership with VSA

On behalf of all New Zealand Rotarians, RNZWCS Limited has entered into a formal Memorandum of Understanding with Volunteer Services Abroad (VSA) that will extend and facilitate opportunities for New Zealand Rotarians to assist developing countries, while extending to service-minded non-Rotarians a direct connection to Rotary.

VSA is an independent charity which over the past 50 years has placed more than 3,000 skilled New Zealanders on assignments in the Asia-Pacific region. It is New Zealand’s largest and most experienced overseas volunteering agency with 85-100 volunteers in the field at any one time.

Its focus on economic and social development, education and health is almost identical to the focus of Rotary New Zealand making the new partnership perfect for both organizations.

For VSA projects, VSA will recruit, deploy and support volunteers as they have always done, but Rotary New Zealand will now advertise VSA projects throughout Rotary networks, extending the opportunities for Rotarians to undertake service where Rotary may not have a project that matches the Rotarian’s skills. VSA will advise Rotary New Zealand if Rotarians are selected and provide details of the assignments.

For new joint projects between Rotary New Zealand and VSA:

Rotary New Zealand will develop the project proposal (leveraging funding where applicable) and participate in the interview process for prospective volunteers.
VSA will assess and recommend volunteers to Rotary New Zealand and provide an induction/briefing process. It will also provide VSA's normal contract entitlements to volunteers including direct route economy airfares, New Zealand internal travel, insurance to cover baggage and personal property, medical and additional expenses, a resettlement grant if appropriate, a living allowance and basic furnished accommodation.

The specific contributions of each partner for each project can be varied on a case-by-case basis. Rotary New Zealand can continue to undertake its own projects without VSA involvement where it is desirable or necessary for a particular project. This new partnership is a very positive move by the two organisations. Among many benefits, it will help make non-Rotarian volunteers aware of opportunities for service within New Zealand (by joining Rotary).

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