Rotary assists college

THREE Cranbourne Rotary Club members will leave for Tonga next week to help upgrade a run-down agricultural college.
The Cranbourne Rotary Club will also sponsor apprentice plumber Aaron Hay, from Frankston, who will join the Rotarians on the trip when they leave on 2 October to work on the Honga Agricultural College.
Cranbourne Rotarians Harry Ziegerink, Andrew Pinxt and John Dunscombe will form the team. Sunbury Rotary Club member Bob Walters is hoping to join the men soon after they arrive.
Team leader Mr Ziegerink said some of the projects they will undertake will be upgrading an existing boys’ and girls’ dormitory that is currently not in a useable condition, install a verandah, upgrade the existing milking machine plant and replace any timber where needed.
“This plant needs to be upgraded to milk 30 cows as they rely on this as a small income,” Mr Ziegerink said.
A container with about $27,000 worth of goods has already left for Tonga.
Mr Ziegerink said about 80 per cent of students from the mainland attended the EUA Agricultural College in Tonga. He said the purpose of the project was to benefit the students at the college who had little or no choice than to learn about agriculture for their future income.
“Times are hard but Rotary cannot forget their international duty for tangible assistance for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relations among people of the world.
“Due to the economic climate at the present time and not for the lack of trying by Cranbourne Rotary, funds and donations are much harder to get. However, as we are a Rotary International service club we must not give up and neglect our third world neighbours who have very little and can not afford to replace the broken down plant.”
Mr Hay, 21, said he was looking forward to working in Tonga.
“I have not done anything like this before. It should be great.”
The Rotarians estimate the work they want to complete may take about two weeks. The Frankston North Rotary Club started the project that has been assisted by neighbouring clubs.