Rotary Club awarded for helping people during pandemic

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Goh (third left) and her team during a food aid distribution exercise.

KOTA KINABALU: The selfless efforts of the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu Pearl (RCKK Pearl) in carrying out community service projects amid the life-threatening Covid-19 pandemic have paid off deservedly.

At the recent virtual Rotary International District 3310 30th District Conference, the all-ladies club led by Kapitan Eliza Goh garnered three coveted awards for its significant projects – Hope in Sight and Covid-19 Food Aid Campaign – which have truly benefited members of the local community.

Undeterred by the pandemic, the Club president and her team had caringly gone out of their way to identify and bring food relief to 1,600 families in dire need of help in both the urban and rural areas.

RCKK Pearl is one of the Rotary Clubs in District 3310 comprising clubs from Brunei, Malacca, Johor, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore. The Rotary District Awards and Recognition was the highlight of the conference hosted by the Rotary Club of Pandan Valley in Singapore.

“We are deeply honoured to have been accorded recognition in the form of three Rotary District Awards. Our Club was presented the Gold Award for Best Public Image Project and Bronze Award for Best Community Service Project.

“Both these awards are for the Club’s ‘Hope in Sight’ Project where seven women from the B40 income category received free cataract surgery at the EyeMedics Specialist Eye Centre in Kota Kinabalu.

“Surgery in a total of 10 eyes was performed successfully on the patients whose vision was impaired due to cataract,” Goh said in an interview, Monday.

According to her, the surgeries commenced in October 2020 in conjunction with World Sight Day.
RCKK Pearl also bagged the Merit Award for Best Public Image Project for its Covid-19 Food Aid Campaign.

On top of it, Club treasurer Datin Phyllis Lo was among the Rotarians in District 3310, who earned mention honours in the Rotary Foundation District Service Award.

Goh said the Food Aid Campaign was initiated as the Club’s mercy mission to distribute food essentials such as rice, cooking oil, sugar, eggs and bread, apart from face masks to the hardcore poor living in villages on the outskirts of Kota Kinabalu.

“Despite the odds, my hard-working team and I found time to prepare and hand out food packs to those adversely affected by the prolonged pandemic which had resulted in the loss of jobs and household income,” she added.

The incumbent president, whose term ends on June 30 this year, attributed the Club’s achievement to the spirit of service embraced by members and good teamwork.

“As Rotary creates ample opportunities for members to improve the quality of our lives, we, Rotarians, feel impelled to also compassionately touch the lives of less privileged communities out there through service projects. Alleviation of their plight is our ‘reward’. We don’t expect any material remuneration in return for our humble services,” she asserted.

Goh commended Charter President Datuk Adeline Leong and all past presidents (Datuk Noni Said, Datuk Suzannah Liaw, Datuk Dr Tarsiah Taman and Datuk Dr Sharifah Habsah) for their moral support.

“Credit also goes to the Community Service Director Tulip Noorazyze, Public Image Chair Norma Apines, Rotarian Celestina Chin, the current Board of Directors and all members for their sacrifices and contributions towards accomplishing the Club’s people-centric mission for Rotary Year 2020-2021,” she said.

Congratulatory messages have poured in from Rotary International District 3310 Governor, Rajamohan Munisamy who is based in Singapore and other Rotary leaders.

He said: “My heartiest congratulations to President Eliza Goh and the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu Pearl on receiving the District Awards which they truly deserve. The Club has been an exemplary Rotary Club in our District under the leadership of Eliza doing good for the community.

“I am so happy to have you in my team. Your leadership with the heart makes a difference as it also resonates with my style. You deserve all the accolades. Well done.”

Offering his congratulations, District 3310 Past District Governor Andre Suharto from the Rotary Club of Kuching Central, Sarawak, remarked:

“Kudos to the Rotary Club of Kota Kinabalu Pearl. I hope such recognition would bring more inspiration and a deep sense of satisfaction for the activities that have been so well-executed.”