Mary Brell OAM

 

Mary Brell, and a locked-down Nepalese colleague, Prakash, shared with the Club the amazing work that they have been doing for more than a decade in a rural and remote area of Nepal. 

Mary is a long time member of the Orange Club and professionally she heads a regional training and education consultancy based in Orange and has been to Nepal 15 times on behalf of Rotary. 

 

Prakash, himself, has an interesting story to tell.  He came to Sydney to attend a conference in March 2020 right before the government stopped all international flights.  His return flight was cancelled and he has been exploring our country in the interim.  As he put it, he knows more local highways and byways than any Club member and he offered up his services as our local tour guide—at mate’s rates, of course.

 

Mary’s work in Nepal was in part funded by Rotary Australia World Community Service Ltd (RAWCS).  RAWCS works in harmony with the Rotary Foundation delivering humanitarian aid through the Australian regional network of Rotarians, Clubs and Districts.  RAWCS was incorporated in 1987 and in the last 12 months RAWCS has processed AUD$ 32M in donations.  RAWCS is not an emergency response organization, but rather looks to engage in sustainable, developmental or relief projects.  Our own Club member, Phill, has worked under the RAWCS umbrella in a number of projects in various South Sea countries.

 

Nepal, geographically is “sandwiched” between India and China which makes geopolitics a bit of a “tightrope” and a balancing act.  Mary was invited by the Club in Wahroonga initially to fly over with them the first time in 2011.  The targeted village was in the Maidi-Dadhing Province,

a six hour journey by Land Rover over unpaved roads from the airport.