Grammar Gazette- Issue 1, 1995

Commulility inwolvement

I

Our Friendship Bridge is Working

been in my mind and hurl me for years. During the last vacation, I was a full-time volunteer at the Vientiane Times Weekly, as most everyone there /.don't get paid and 'til now I still work part-time for it, because I study in the mornings. This began when Ms Bette R Bareham recommended me to see the editor. By a coincidence, the editor's leaving for abroad trips and my vacation fell at the same time. Actually, it was that I was thrown into the deepen. I only started to learn English from A.B.C.... five years ago and began to team to write in English with Ms Bette R Bareham two years ago and still my English is not adequate. However it is pari of my striving to learn English more and a very good way to team. To myself it is invaluable experience. Your interests in learning about Laos please me very much -I hope the Vientiane Times would give you some information about Laos. Its policy is to present Laos to the world. Almost everything in it is about Laos. So I have collected a complete set to send to you along with some books and posters which Mr Saykham and myself tried to find as many as possible and available for now. The Australian Embassy in Vientiane kindly offered helps for mailing on its behalf. so it is more speedy, reliable. By the time you receive this letter, the materials may have reached you. And we will certainly try to find more and send you later and any available videos on Laos. of organ donors in the developed world. In 1993, 224 people became organ donors which equates to a rate of 12.9 per million of popula tion per year. In 1992, GreatBritain had 15 per million, Canada 17 per million and the USA 20 per mil lion. All of these countries have a similar "opt in" policy to Australia. Ll Australia has an "opt in" policy of organ donation . This means that the individual must give consent to donate their organs upon death. Consent will never be presumed. Ll As many as eight people can ben efit from the organ donations of one person. Cl Recent public awareness research indicates 61% ofAustralians, when asked, would be prepared to be come an organ donor after their

I have also given your address to many interested students and my classmates. I am very interested in learning more about Australia, parlicularly your school and would be very glad to have penpals. With the materials about Laos, we also send you a cut·out of an article from the Vientiane Times issue No.27 about Pedagogical University of Vientiane (or Dong Dok Teachers' Training College) which I wrote October). It may give you some information about our college. Before ending this letter, . may I express a typical Lao traditional wei/wishing which Lao . people have used for wishing for centuries in many occasions: 'Be as strong as the antlers of a stag, as the jaws of a wild bear or as the tasks of an elephant! 'May your life last a thousand years, may your riches be abandant in every kind and weallh, Should you suffer with illness, may it disappear/ May you be all-powerful the world over/ · May everything yield before you/ 'May you have long life, heallh, happiness and strength/' for it to commemorate the National Teachers' Day (7

Max Emery In the previous issue of the Gram mar Gazette, the efforts ofGrammar's Interact (Junior Rotary) Club to estab lish a "friendshir· bridge" with the stu dents of Dong Dok Teachers ' College in Vientiane. Laos wns reported. The traffic on our bridge has grown and is continuing to grow.Inter act has again assisted students, to the sum of $2.000. making the total sup port $4.000. This money helps to pay examination fees and support the stu dents . The money is administered through the Australian Volunteers Abroad members who work in the College. The Laotian students have sent us, via the Australia Embassy in Vientiane. two boxes of information about their country and this has been handed on to the Resource Teachers who will use it in the development of their cross-cuiricu)ar programs. Two special posters from this gift have been framed and hung in the library. The School has also received a letter from Phanthaly Senchanthixai, from the DongDokTeachers' College. I have received a letter from you (via Bette) and·the money. First of alii would like to say Thank you very much' for your kindness and generosity, even we have not met before, and your interests in Laos and the Vientiane Times. I was very astonished and happy when I received your letter and the money (AUS$300), because it is the largest sum I have ever had so far all my life. It will be a change to my life considerably in a way which it has Ll Over 15,000 Australians have re ceived organ or fissue transplants since 1965. · 0 Organs used in transplantation are kidneys, heart, heart-lung, liver, lungs and pancreas. Tissues include corneas, skin, bone, bone marrow and blood vessels. Ll In 1993, 698peoplereceivedorgan transplants in Australia (N:on-liv ing unrelated dmiors). Ll At the beginning of 1994; 2,961 Australians were on organ or tissue transplant waiting lists. · Ll The patients on the organ waiting lists are gravely ill and on the cur rent statistics up to 20% of those awaiting a heart or liver will die before a transplant becomes avail able. (] Australiahasoneoflhelowestrates LILILI Dear Mr Max Emery and the Girls of Interact Club,

learned about the vario~s· species of wildlife that inhabit Antarc ti ca, such as the Southern Elephant Seal. hump back whales, the Snow Petrel and the Rockhopper penguin. One GECO member summed up the afternoon as, "An experience which has opened my eyes tQ the beauty of Antarctica and given _me valuable information about a place! knew very little about." · In the future, GjlCO plans to further its exploration or:Antarctica by holding another film aftelllJ>On and a seriesoffund-raising venttlresthatmay assist organisations dediCated to pre serving the extraordinary ·Wilderness of Antarctica.

On Tuesday 9 May GECO. Gram· mar Environmental Conservation Or ganisation, held a ftlm and information afternoon for members interested in exploring the va.sr continent ofAntarc tica . Science staffmember, Mrs Lin Fairlie, opened the proceedings with a brief talk of her own personal experi ences in Antarctica. After this in teresting presentation, a documentary by David Attenborough, Life in the Freezer, was shown. This remarkable film is unique in its power to lake the viewer deep into the heart of Antarc tica. From the film, GECO members

JEANEROSITY DAY Friday 9th June Wear your jeans at school.

(translated)

That's about all for now. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Ben was born with Cystic Fibrosis, a serious gene disorder which attacks his lungs and digestive system.

Goodbye and good luck.

Yours sincerely

Phanthaly. Organ donation facts

You can help ensure Ben· and all children with cyslic fibrosis- have the opportunity

to GROWUP and 'fit into their jeans'.

deaths, 22% required more infor.:. rnation and 17% would not consent to organ donation. 0 Themost important step in increas ing the rate of organ donation in Australia is to foster family discus sion on organ donation. 0 In Australia doctors always consult the family of the deceased to estab lish the organ donation wishes of their relative. It is most important therefore that families discuss their organ donation wishes. Ll The majority of the world's reli gions support the practice of trans plantation.

Tickets $1 Badges $2

Jeans for genes

Cystic Fibrosis is a·serious genetic disorder which affects the lungs and digestion. There Is no CUJ;"e, and children born:with the diseaseare dependant on timecon· suming treatment The aimofJeanerosityDay is to raise awareness .of Cystic Fi· brosis in the community. Funds raised go to the Cystic ·Fibrosis Association of Queensland; who provide support for patients and their families. A substantial aminiilt of the money is donated to rese41i'Ch;so'me of which is conducted 'at the Uni versity of Queensland. This develops imprOved treat ment which will hopefully !~ad to the eventual cure for CyStic Fi brosis.

Emma Markwell OnFriday the 9th ofJune,

From the Australian Coordinating Committee on Organ Registries and Donation

Jeanerosity Day is being eel· ebrated throughout Queensland to help raise vital funds for chil dren with Cystic Fibrosis. At Brisbane Girls' Grammar School, students can help by buy ing badges and caps, or paying a dollar to wear their jeans at school. Miss Jenny Corrie and Miss KeUie O'Duyer, (rom the Cystic Fibrosis Assocfation of Queensland, attended assembly on the 17th of May to speak to students about Jeanerosity Day and .explain to the students the effects ofthe disease on the suffer ers and their families.

This person owes her life to an organ donor. She knows how important organ donation is.

Unfortunat~ly, organ donation Is a subject most people don't talk about very much.

Many 'parents have no Idea what their children's wishes are in respect to organ dOnation. Many students don't even know what their parents wishes are!

The fact is that in the event of a tragedy, you or your family may be asked to make a decision about organ donation. II the family have never discussed it, they are lett with a very difficult and confusing decision. It's OK to say YES or NO to organ donation, but please, tell your family. il,)!l '!:lellil l l For information or donor cards, phone 008 606 840 freecall Initiated by ACCORD • The Austraian Coordinaling Commitee on Organ Registri es and Donation

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