Meeting 3248 was opened by PE Kyle;
Apologies were received from Stan Roulston, Kim Potger, Nathan Pengelley, Mark Forgie, John Lyons
Julie Ann Tekell Rebecca Pratt, Leanne Clinch
Kathy welcomed guests and made a special mention of the members of Rotary Club of Murray Bridge
Guests and visiting Rotarians Erfan Abidi – Guest speaker,
Christine Vine, Jenny Alexander-Walters, Lyn Sickerdick, Roxanne Rowland, Sally Richardson, Simon Sickerdick, Susanne (Sue) Foster, Grace Barilla, Sandy Dalton, Brian Burt, Carol Stewart.
Notes from members and directors:
Almoner PP Mike Williams,
- Mike shared the sad news of Tony Fotheringham’s passing for those who hadn’t heard. He then paid tribute to Tony saying how he had been a very valuable member who lived with the Rotary Spirit and always put his hand up to help. When Tony ceased being a member he became an honorary member and was present at most changeover and Christmas functions. Besides Rotary Tony was heavily involved with the CFS, Apex and the Gawler Show Society.
The family invited the club to have a representative speak at his funeral on Friday. Members were invited to pass their anecdotes of Tony to Kathy who will collate them for Anthony. The club has also been asked to be a part of the Guard of Honour and to please wear your Paul Harris Fellow medals.
Everyone enjoyed some fellowship over dinner before PE Kyle asked RC Murray Bridge President, Jenny Alexander-Walters to share some information about their club.
- They have 38 members including 4 new members inducted last week.
- They have many ongoing projects including
- Music for Dementia- for people in our community who are affected by the onset of dementia. Recipients receive the specially designed headsets with an inbuilt selection of music
- Bags for Blokes- toiletries and clothes for men, there are many organisations who support homeless women but very few specifically for men.
- Assisting at Monarto Safari Park-this has been a long-term project
- Providing a $1000.00 music bursary for a student in year 11 or 12
- Rotary Youth Programs- One and All -usually have 1 or 2 students on each voyage.
- Supporting the small primary schools camp
- The Rotary Art show with Mobilong RC
- Recycling- another project with Mobilong to promote better recycling in the area.
- Annual Swap Meet held in Feb each year.
- An annual calendar. This calendar has a theme each year and this year was pubs in the area. Each calendar sold comes with the opportunity to win a prize each week. The prizes are supplied by the sponsors and this attracts sales.
- . PE Kyle thanked Jenny for the impromptu presentation and said it gave us lots of ideas. He then welcomed PP Barry for his sergeant’s session.
Wheel winners this week were Deb W (who graciously donated the $25 to the fines session- Thank You), Pres Anthony and PP Mark S
PP Barry highlighted Kyles piece in the Bunyip promoting tonight. Barry loved having all the extra guests and appreciated the extra laughs he got from the Facebook funnies!
Kyle thanked Barry and introduced tonights guest speak Erfanullah Abidi
Erfan delivered another deeply moving and educational presentation, this time focusing on the tragic journey from progress to oppression for women in Afghanistan.
Erfan began by describing the progressive era of the 1970s, when Afghan women were treated as equals. Remarkably, during that time, gender distinctions such as "he" or "she" were seldom used. However, the tides began to turn in 1979, and by the 1980s, the erosion of gender equality had begun in earnest. The outbreak of civil war in 1992 marked a devastating turning point, with more lives lost than during the Soviet invasion.
For the next two decades, education was largely limited to boys over the age of 12, and even then, it was steeped in extremist ideology. Erfan shared a telling contrast: while children at home might learn “H is for Humanity,” schools taught “H is for Holy War.”
Between 2001 and 2021, Afghans continued to persevere through both peace and conflict. But in August 2021, with the withdrawal of Western forces and the Taliban's return to power, Kabul fell once again. The consequences were immediate and severe—millions tried to flee, and women were forced back into hiding, now subject to more than 50 oppressive restrictions, including mandatory black, full-body coverings.
Having fled to Adelaide with his family, Erfan could not forget those left behind. Determined to make a difference, he helped establish underground education programs for young women—now known through the hashtag #LetAfghanGirlsLearn. These secret "centres" began with just 10 students, with Erfan himself writing the curriculum. Due to the high risk, no identifying details are shared, and all media discussions focus solely on what the centres do—not where they are.
If a centre’s location is compromised, it is immediately shut down. Despite the challenges, professionals such as doctors and lawyers volunteer their time to teach. Today, thanks to support from UNICEF, there are now over 15,000 of these learning centres in operation.
Erfan concluded his presentation with an emotional music video that left a lasting impression. Though the meeting ran overtime, the room remained silent and attentive throughout. It was a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit—and the importance of education in the face of adversity.
After a Q& A from the floor, PE Kyle thanked Erfan for once again speaking to the club and presented him with a certificate of appreciation before asking Pres Anthony to close the meeting
He also expressed his thanks to Erfan and then thanked the gusts for coming and invited then to return, Nixon’s staff and Barry for their efforts tonight then closed the meeting with the four way test.