Events

Regular Meeting

New Change Maker, Bella Robertson will be speaking for five minutes on her life and work.

Directors and Project reports will be presented.

Guests welcome, contact the secretary@rotarychangemakers.org.au for the Zoom link.

Our Mission

Vaka Health lifts health outcomes for urban, rural and remote African communities by using fit for purpose education and training using scalable mobile technology.

Our Story

Vaka started in Zimbabwe in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic. The goal was to increase nurses access to continuing education, training and clinical decision support tools like clinical guidelines. Growth of platform accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic due to travel restrictions and online learning was embraced. With 25000 nurses enrolled MyCpdZw has delivered Over 1.5 million units of CPD over 4 years. The vision was broadened to cater for micro-credentialing, advanced nurse training, and economic empowerment led to the current day scope of work and partnership with the East Central Southern Africa College of Nurses and Midwives ECSACONM (16 member countries).

Our Name

VAKA means ‘build,’ ‘develop,’ or ‘to be awake, watch or guard’ reflecting our values and ethos to build better healthcare in Africa.

The Annual General Meeting will be held at this meeting.

Guests welcome

My name is Abelardo “Sonny” Gomez, and I am a proud member of the Southern Mitchell Rotary Club. After retiring from Nestlé Australia following 41 years of service, I have become increasingly concerned about the growing number of cybersecurity scams affecting our community, particularly our senior citizens. In December 2025, I completed a Postgraduate Degree in Cybersecurity (pathway to a master’s degree) at RMIT University. Presently, I am pursuing a Master of Artificial Intelligence at La Trobe University. Through my studies in Governance and Management of Cybersecurity and AI, I developed a community-focused presentation aimed at raising awareness and encouraging safer online behaviour. My mission is not to alarm people with technical threats, but rather to promote practical, easy-to-understand cybersecurity & Artificial Intelligence risk that help protect individuals, especially seniors from scams and digital fraud. I would be honoured to deliver this presentation to your club or community group. The session runs for approximately one hour, but I have condensed it down to around 20 minutes for this presentation. It is designed to be informative, engaging, and accessible for all audiences.

ABOUT THE ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY
The St Vincent de Paul Society and its wide network of members and volunteers provide practical frontline support, advocacy and friendship for the most vulnerable members of our community. Key services include home visitation; Vinnies Shops; youth programs; soup vans; assistance for asylum seekers and refugees; education and tutoring; and professional accommodation and health services through VincentCare. The St Vincent de Paul Society in Victoria has more than 10,000+ members and volunteers, and more than 60,000 across Australia. Internationally, the Society operates in 149 countries and more than 950,000 members. To find out more visit: St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria | Vinnies

Brendan Podbury has been elected the new State President for St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria for a four-year term.

Brendan brings more than two decades of experience as both a member and as an employee to the leadership role after joining St Vincent de Paul Society Victoria as an employee in 1998 and becoming a member in 2002. He has served across conferences and councils holding many leadership and governance roles, as well as director and committee roles at both state and national levels.

Reflecting on his journey as a Vincentian, Brendan said, “These experiences have given me a broad understanding of the Society at every level, from individual conference members to statewide leadership, and a deep appreciation for the spirit, dedication and faith of Vincentians.”

OUR MISSION

To raise the living standards and reduce mortality rates for communities in East Africa through the provision of safe, clean and sustainable drinking water, and sanitation facilities.

HOW IT WORKS

Our Target Countries: • Kenya • Uganda • Rwanda • Tanzania • Ethiopia • South Sudan • Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Type Of Organisations We Work With: • Schools • Medical clinics • Remote communities • Community self help group.

Introducing Pete & Sharon Crean

Pete was abandoned by his birth parents and then adopted into a blended family in New Zealand. He struggled at school due to having dyslexia then embarked on a journey of practical jobs such as farming and sales. In adulthood, he returned to study at a tertiary level. In 1987, Pete married Sharon and they were youth workers for the next 16 years. In 2002 they moved to Sydney, Australia. Eventually he started his own business that involved landscaping, redecorating houses and upkeep of apartments. He and Sharon co-founded BeyondWater, a charity that provides clean drinking water and sanitation facilities across East Africa. Starting in 2007 they have improved the lives of over 100,000 people. Within BeyondWater Pete oversees the community development program as well as financial excellence. He makes sure the money is spent where it should, in a timely manner, on a project of good quality. His role involves working in schools and organisations educating them about water harvesting, irrigation and the scarcity of water across East Africa.

Sharon was raised in the same town as Pete but did not get to know him until she was 16. Raised in a turbulent family she moved out of home early and started a working career. While her primary role was to raise their two girls, Sharon was an equal in with Pete in their youth work. Sharon became a conference speaker, specialising in talking to parents of special needs children. In 2009 Sharon completed her MBA, while working in the education sector and starting BeyondWater. In 2013, the Creans received a Rotary Humanitarian Award for their work in Africa. Sharon is the CEO of BeyondWater and is the primary driving force behind the organisation. Her role is to build an international team, oversee projects and ensure that the necessary funds are raised. Photography, especially wildlife, is Sharon’s other passion. Sharon and Pete have a vision to expand the work into other East African countries and to raise volunteers who can be effective in their own country. Since 2012 Pete & Sharon have been based in Nairobi, Kenya. Pete & Sharon have spoken across many nations including New Zealand, Australia, Kenya, Rwanda, Ghana, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda and the United States of America

Regular meeting

Guests welcome