[Rotary] Fw: Days for Girls Project

Sat Oct 3 15:08:26 PDT 2026

Dear Mendocino Rotarians, 
Our $1500 for the Days for Girls project in Fiji arrived just in time to help the Savusavu club transport the materials for the project which were sent from New Zealand from the airport in Nausori to Savusavu via truck and ferry.  Our funds were all donated by club members, who can be sure they are being very well used. I believe Matt is planning to go to Savusavu in February, by which time the project should be well underway and he should be able to share in its implementation.
Just wanted all of you to be aware of the good that we are doing, and the friendships we are forming.
Jeff Stubbs
P.O. Box 1360 Mendocino, CA 95460
Home phone 707-593-1409I phone 707-536-6190

   ----- Forwarded Message ----- From: Frances Robertson <fm.robertson10 at gmail.com>To: judy cakacaka <jcakacaka at hotmail.com>Cc: Delia Rothnie-Jones <delia at dakuresort.com>; Jeffry Stubbs <jeffrystubbs at yahoo.com>; Gary Hopper <jghopper at icloud.com>; Matt O'Halloran <matthewohalloran at mac.com>; Donna Schuler <schuler.donna at gmail.com>; Brandt Stickel <bstickel at mcn.org>; "floresld at mcn.org" <floresld at mcn.org>Sent: Friday, October 2, 2026 at 09:37:20 PM PDTSubject: Re: Days for Girls Project
 Good morning Jeffry.
I would also like to add my thanks for the very generous donation towards supporting the Days For Girls project here in Vanua Levu.
The grant funding is very timely as yesterday we received a large shipment of DFG supplies which were included in a Rotary container shipped from New Zealand to Viti Levu. Mere a member of our local team travelled at very short notice to Nausori to oversee the transportation via truck & ferry over to Savu Savu. Your generous grant will assist us with the costs of this exercise.
You will be aware that Fiji is facing an escalating HIV crisis Delia mentioned this in a previous email. The focus of the DFG program is maintaining consistent education by keeping adolescent girls in school. This aim is now becoming more important here in Fiji as absenteeism & dropping out of school is a major driver in HIV transmission. In the school setting students are in a structured & monitored environment with their own peer group. 0utside of the school setting students are more likely to be mixing with an older age group, have time on their hands & can be easily lured into unsafe practices be it drug taking or risky sexual practices. So your grant will also be playing a very important role in supporting Fiji's battle against the HIV Aids crisis.
Thank you againFranDays For GirlsSavu Savu Team

On Fri, 2 Oct 2026, 10:02 pm judy cakacaka, <jcakacaka at hotmail.com> wrote:

Bula Jeffry,
Thank you so much for the kind donation of FJ $3,308.58 (US $1,500) for the Days for Girls project which has arrived in our club's Main Trust account.Your ongoing support for Rotary projects in Savusavu is greatly appreciated.
Judy 
(Treasurer - Rotary Club of Savusavu)From: Jeffry Stubbs <jeffrystubbs at yahoo.com>
Sent: Thursday, 24 September 2026 1:55 PM
To: Delia Rothnie-Jones <delia at dakuresort.com>
Cc: fran robertson <fm.robertson10 at gmail.com>; Gary Hopper <jghopper at icloud.com>; Matt O'Halloran <matthewohalloran at mac.com>; judy cakacaka <jcakacaka at hotmail.com>; Donna Schuler <schuler.donna at gmail.com>; Brandt Stickel <bstickel at mcn.org>; floresld at mcn.org <floresld at mcn.org>
Subject: Re: Days for Girls Project Hi, Delia, Mabuha. 
We sent US$1.500 today to Savusavu Rotary, for the Days to Girls Project. Looking forward to a marvelous outcome. Please be sure to keep invoices, receipts, timesheets, bank records, all for the district grant reimbursement, and looking forward to working with you.
Cheers,
Jeff Stubbs
P.O. Box 1360 Mendocino, CA 95460
Home phone 707-593-1409I phone 707-536-6190

On Friday, September 18, 2026 at 10:47:05 AM PDT, Jeffry Stubbs <jeffrystubbs at yahoo.com> wrote:

Dear Delia, yes any expenditure made after today is ok and counts toward the project. Thanks for the info on HIV awareness. Warm regards, Jeff
Sent from my iPhone

On Sep 18, 2026, at 10:22 AM, Delia Rothnie-Jones <delia at dakuresort.com> wrote:

Hi Jeff,

That's terrific news - thank you so much.

We'll let you know as soon as the funds arrive. On an administrative point, when is the project regarded as beginning from the point of view of the District Grant? If the grant has been approved now - Sept 18 - any expenditure after today will be acceptable?

The project has taken on another dimension recently. I don't know if you've seen the news reports (CNN, BBC) in the last week about the surge of HIV cases in Fiji, largely fueled by a very concerning drug problem. The DFG team  incorporate talks on safe sex into their program and this now has a particular relevance and urgency. The program itself isn't different, but it is bringing the team into contact with young people who are at risk from more than period poverty, and they are taking the opportunity to address it as part of their program. Fran is very concerned about the issue, and is talking to the SDMO (Senior District Medical Officer) about how we can help. She'll keep us updated - but it's an illustration of how important the project is more ways than we originally anticipated.

Thank you so much for making it happen,

All the best,

Delia 

On 18/09/2026 9:49 am, Jeffry Stubbs wrote:

Dear Delia, 
I am so pleased to let you know that the district grant for our Days for Girls project has been approved. We will send the money Monday, which should enable it to reach your end by the end of next week. 
With warm regards, and looking forward to a great project.
Jeff Stubbs
P.O. Box 1360 Mendocino, CA 95460
Home phone 707-593-1409I phone 707-536-6190

On Sunday, September 6, 2026 at 01:01:27 AM PDT, Delia Rothnie-Jones <delia at dakuresort.com> wrote: 

Hi Jeff,

Can you update me on this? Sorry, I've gone a bit hazy - but are you waiting for the outcome of the District Grant before sending funds, or were you planning to send funds anyway and then see if the District Grant comes through?

If you're sending them anyhow, I think you have our bank details but in case not, here they are:

Account name: Savusavu Rotary Club

Account Number: 9800505845

Bank: Westpac Banking Corporation 1 Thompson Street Suva, Fiji Islands

PH 330-0666 Telex FJ2133

Branch: # 9011, Savusavu, Vanua Levu, Fiji

SWIFT Direct transfer code: WPACFJFX

It's entirely possible that you've already sent me an update - in which case please indulge me and re-send it!

Many thanks,

Delia
On 16/07/2026 4:23 pm, Jeffry Stubbs wrote:

Dear Delia and Fran,
Thanks for the prompt reply. This is the information I was looking for, should be able to do an update and get the district grant application ready this weekend. 
Jeff Stubbs
P.O. Box 1360 Mendocino, CA 95460
Home phone 707-593-1409I phone 707-536-6190

On Sunday, July 12, 2026 at 07:24:35 AM PDT, Delia Rothnie-Jones <delia at dakuresort.com> wrote: 

Hi Jeff,

That's great news and we're absolutely delighted - and very grateful.

Meanwhile, Fran has got back to me on the questions you posed further down this thread, which answers most of your queries and also gives a bit more background on the challenges we face. Happy to answer more questions as they occur to you.

All the best,

Delia

ANSWERS FROM FRAN:
1) yes fine
2) Days for Girls NZ is shipping approx 1000 kits to Jonathon Robinson Sea Mercy as the consignee.Days for Girls Maroochydore Queensland Australia are also wanting to ship over kits. In 2025 they donated 500 kits to our team. I have asked them to forward a shipping quote we could assist with shipping costs. We distributed 1500 kits in the last 12 months & have received many requests from schools & villages  to visit so l expect the team will be distributing the same or may be more kits in the next 12 months. The Loloma Foundation has also agreed to bring kits from America when they visit in 2027.
3) Communities are very mobile in Fiji travelling for family & cultural events, weddings, funerals fund raising events & important village meetings so it's difficult to state exact numbers that will be present when we visit. We usually see anything from 15 - 25.
4) It can take a up to 3 hours to travel from Savu Savu to many of the remote interior villages & schools. We also have the opportunity to visit some of the close maritime islands (Taveuni, the Lau group) that will require sea transport.
When we visited Bua Wainunu in May we were away for nearly 4 days & visited 9 villages in the area.As Delia mentioned there is a lot of preparation required before we visit. Seeking permission to enter the village from the Turaga ni Koro & Turaga Mataqali is the first step.  Communication is spasmodic at times in these rural areas. Phones do not always have connectivity, or the person we're trying to reach has no credit or data to respond to our calls.
Vili is not able to commit full time to the project as he has other employment responsibilities to support his household financially. Being able to reimburse Mere & Vili is an excellent incentive.
 l am very willing to volunteer a big chunk of my time to the  DFG project but l also have a number of responsibilities  &  properties here in Fiji that take alot of my time to maintain single handedly.
5) Yes there is a role for the rural health centres. The nurses are very willing to speak with the girls & we have utilised their services a number of times this past year. The Community Health services at the hospital have a yearly schedule to visit the schools in this area  checking students  teeth, hearing etc so if the DFG team is not able to join the outreach visits we supply the kits to the visiting team to be passed over to the nurses at the rural clinics. We have a number of photos showing the local nurses distributing the kits 

On 10/07/2026 12:02 am, matthew ohalloran wrote:

Jeff ,Thank you for the follow up …..it was a productive  rotary meeting today .Mateo 
707 813 77477 am to 7 pm . Maintenance Matters !

On Jul 9, 2026, at 3:57 PM, Jeffry Stubbs <jeffrystubbs at yahoo.com> wrote:

Dear Delia and Fran,
I am pleased to let you know that the Board of Mendocino Rotary today approved a grant of up to US$1,500 to the Rotary Club of Savusavu, funded by donations from individual club members including Matt O'Halloran (US$1,000) and five others (each US$100). We will continue to process the project as a district grant project which should provide our club a reimbursement of up to half the total cost. The amount we discussed in our Board meeting is a little more than was estimated in the last draft of the project we discussed, since it occurred to me that we might want to increase some of the quantities (days in the field for Mere and Vili?) while still being cautious and not committing to do more than is realistically possible and desirable. Let us discuss the project in a week or two, whenever you have the time and we can all get together on WeChat, with the aim of updating the project paper by---would July 16 be ok or perhaps a few days later? Karen and I have family coming for a visit from July 21-25 and I would like to get the project paper done before then if at all possible. 
Many thanks to Matt for making the donations happen. 
Cheers,
Jeff Stubbs
P.O. Box 1360 Mendocino, CA 95460
Home phone 707-593-1409I phone 707-536-6190

On Wednesday, July 8, 2026 at 01:49:47 AM PDT, Delia Rothnie-Jones <delia at dakuresort.com> wrote: 

Hi Jeff,

Project paper looks great and yes, very persuasive. The attached revised doc has three small corrections shown in red (Fran added, New Zealand needed a cap N, $!000 changed to $1000).

Other replies in red below. I'm copying in Fran for some of the answers - she's away for a few days so I'm not sure when she'll be able to reply (Fran: see below in red), but hopefully by the end of the weekend..
All the best,Delia
On 08/07/2026 1:28 am, Jeffry Stubbs wrote:

Dear Delia,
Attached is a very rough draft of a project paper, following the formatting  requirements of our district which are shown in bold. Sorry, I had to convert your English English to American, lots of substitutions of zs for ss.
The paper is too long, there are number or words limits for each section, so in a final draft I will put some of the background in an attachment. It is all good, very persuasive I believe.
A few points for discussion: 
(1) Lets have an agreement between us that the menstrual pads kits produced in New Zealand and Australia are produced through a continuing project benefitting all the Oceanea countries--Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomons I suppose, etc--and the project merely taps into this ongoing production line. That way we do not have to include their cost in the project (you did not include it, I am just thinking of the questions a reviewer might raise) and we do not have to begin production of these when the project begins because they will already be on hand, in their source countries.Fine.
(2) We should know how many menstrual pad kits will be donated--I guessed 500, but suspect it may be more like 750...you did 1500 in the first year, we probably would like to know if there is a new target for the coming year.We tend to avoid targets because there are so many variables but:Fran: would you have a figure?
(3) Did I get the materials on the number of girls/young mothers we might reach to out to about right? Please give this some thought and improve it if you can.Fran: any views? 
(4) Maybe a little more about how time would be spent on visits to villages would be good...5 visits for F$100 by Mere and Vili seems on the low side to me, wouldn't you want them to spend more time out, once they get underway?Each village takes about an hour or more, and then there's the driving in between, so its a very full day.  And/or as they are travelling to a distant village where they would stay, would they ba able to visit other adjoining villages or ask persons from those villages to come to them? They do that; they try to plan out a schedule that embraces nearby villages. However, they need to have the participation / approval of the turaga ni koro (head man) - they can't just walk in. As for other villages coming to them - that doesn't work because the village won't have their own transport and the buses only run a couple of times a day and cost money they don't always have.
(4) Any role for the 12 rural health centers or the 168 community health workers involved in our rural health project?Fran liaises with the SDMO (Senior District Medical Officer) at Savusavu Hospital - don't know about the rural health centres. Fran: what's the position on this?
Sorry for all the dumb questions, but as a person I negotiated with once said, the objective is to do the best job we can so I hope the questions are not too many and lets both keep in mind that this draft, cleaned up a bit, is and will be a very good basis for the project. That's fine - and its looking good.
Best regards, 
Jeff Stubbs
P.O. Box 1360 Mendocino, CA 95460
Home phone 707-593-1409I phone 707-536-6190

On Tuesday, July 7, 2026 at 10:57:04 AM PDT, Delia Rothnie-Jones <delia at dakuresort.com> wrote: 

On 07/07/2026 6:48 pm, Jeffry Stubbs wrote:

Thank you, got the waste management funding proposal, which would be beyond our resources I believe, though it looks like a very good proposal that we might like to join with other clubs to fund--perhaps? Some time in the future? You may be right, I could probably do an edit and paste if I had PDF software but I do not. Have been thinking of getting it, but not yet. For right now, I will get to work on the days for girls project and that should do very nicely. I don't think you need software - I can just do it from the document. You have to do it in smallish chunks and then re-format, but it works pretty well.
With warm and fuzzy regards, 🙂🙂
Jeff Stubbs
P.O. Box 1360 Mendocino, CA 95460
Home phone 707-593-1409I phone 707-536-6190

On Tuesday, July 7, 2026 at 10:19:10 AM PDT, Delia Rothnie-Jones <delia at dakuresort.com> wrote: 

And here's the waste management funding proposal - its a pdf but I can probably get hold of a word version (although I find I can copy and paste from a pdf perfectly easily).
On 07/07/2026 3:21 pm, Jeffry Stubbs wrote:

Yes, talk soon.
Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 6, 2026, at 11:27 PM, Delia Rothnie-Jones <delia at dakuresort.com> wrote:

Which is your whatsapp number - 707-536-6190?
On 06/07/2026 7:51 pm, Jeffry Stubbs wrote:

6:00 UK time it is.
Jeff Stubbs
P.O. Box 1360 Mendocino, CA 95460
Home phone 707-593-1409I phone 707-536-6190

On Monday, July 6, 2026 at 10:29:19 AM PDT, Delia Rothnie-Jones <delia at dakuresort.com> wrote: 

Doesn't matter - the whatsapp is on the Fiji number but reaches me wherever I am. Ping me a hallo and I'll reply.

Shall we aim for about 6.00pm UK time?
On 06/07/2026 5:50 pm, Jeffry Stubbs wrote:

Hello, I have entered you as a new contact in Whats App, but your phone number is a Fiji number of course. Will you be in Fiji or the UK tomorrow? 
Jeff Stubbs
P.O. Box 1360 Mendocino, CA 95460
Home phone 707-593-1409I phone 707-536-6190

On Sunday, July 5, 2026 at 06:59:09 PM PDT, Jeffry Stubbs <jeffrystubbs at yahoo.com> wrote: 

Let’s do Tuesday!! What’s App good.
Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 5, 2026, at 12:11 PM, Delia Rothnie-Jones <delia at dakuresort.com> wrote:

Hi Jeffry,

Yes missed again - sorry, I had family all day. I'm out tomorrow but Tuesday is OK. If its easier we could talk on whatsapp - my whatsapp number is +679 834 5704.

Your suggestion of halving the amount sounds sensible, especially if you're not worried about the final amounts varying from the estimates.

All the best,

Delia 
On 05/07/2026 7:11 pm, Jeffry Stubbs wrote:

Uh-oh looks like a miss. I just turned the meeting off. 
Jeff Stubbs
P.O. Box 1360 Mendocino, CA 95460
Home phone 707-593-1409I phone 707-536-6190

On Sunday, July 5, 2026 at 09:40:35 AM PDT, Jeffry Stubbs <jeffrystubbs at yahoo.com> wrote: 

Hi Delia, thanks for the message. I am doing some Rotary work this morning, and have set up a zoom meeting for the two of us for 11:00 am Pacific time, which should be 7:00 pm your time. I hope this works, but if it is not convenient, do not worry, we may  be rushing it. 
You can call me, if that would work better for you, at one of the numbers below. Or send me your number in the UK and I think I can call you, thought I am not sure about the international call protocol on my home phone.
Re our project, I suggest we simply aim at an implementation period of October-March, which will give us time to get approval (mid-September) and submit a final report (end of May), and reduce the size of the project by half: 1 shipping kit at $750, 4 fuel and vehicle hires at $175, 5 grocery purchases at $40 and 5 reimbursements at $100 which should bring the total cost to F$2150 or US$1000. No problem if the final balance differs from the estimate, you should have seen the variation in another project we did here last year!! 
I am planning to produce a draft in our standard district 5130 format in a couple of days, hope we can talk, but if not no problem.
Here is the zoom invite:
Jeffry Stubbs is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Jeffry Stubbs' Zoom MeetingTime: Jul 5, 2026 11:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/2032093680?pwd=n4pK5e4bhykCJ3tTPsRsahKOka3ZrY.1&omn=86236100393
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View meeting insightshttps://us02web.zoom.us/launch/edl?muid=dad2c3b5-9ad4-4c05-9ecd-1012b78d6670
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Cheers,   
Jeff Stubbs
P.O. Box 1360 Mendocino, CA 95460
Home phone 707-593-1409I phone 707-536-6190

On Friday, July 3, 2026 at 10:12:52 PM PDT, Delia Rothnie-Jones <delia at dakuresort.com> wrote: 

Hi Jeff,

Just receive this - sorry, I've been offline for two days.

Did you want to arrange a zoom? I'm currently in the UK so I think that's 8 hours ahead of you.

All the best,

Delia
On 03/07/2026 2:57 am, Jeffry Stubbs wrote:

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87231915978?pwd=5vC6qgU2S0b7t02WWLjf65EH5bkcLD.1 Meeting chat linkhttps://us02web.zoom.us/launch/jc/87231915978 View meeting insights https://us02web.zoom.us/launch/edl?muid=171b02a4-9c1b-4ce7-839f-b37fcc6f36b4 Meeting ID: 872 3191 5978 Passcode: 568546 --- One tap mobile +16694449171,,87231915978#,,,,*568546# US +16699009128,,87231915978#,,,,*568546# US (San Jose) -- Dial by your location • +1 669 444 9171 US • +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) • +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) • +1 719 359 4580 US • +1 253 205 0468 US • +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) • +1 309 205 3325 US • +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) • +1 360 209 5623 US • +1 386 347 5053 US • +1 507 473 4847 US • +1 564 217 2000 US • +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) • +1 646 931 3860 US • +1 689 278 1000 US • +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) • +1 305 224 1968 US Meeting ID: 872 3191 5978 Passcode: 568546 Find your local number:https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcpFSa1n9l --- Join by SIP • 87231915978 at zoomcrc.com

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