Newspaper Article 1961 – Good response by children to Rice Bowl Appeal

Good response by children to Rice Bowl Appeal

The response of schoolchildren to the Rice Bowl appeal was discussed at the October meeting of the committee of the Northern Hawke’s Bay branch of the Save the Children Fund.

“The Headmasters’ Association makes the Rice Bowl the schools’ official appeal for the year,” said the president, Mrs D. A. Ballantyne, “Head teachers gladly showed films provided by the SCF.”

In the task of film distribution the committee was helped by Mrs J. D. Copas, who covered all the Napier schools, and Mrs Pat Sylvester, who took the films to convent schools and kindergarten meetings in the Hastings area.

Mrs W. A. Whitlock, who was in charge of school coverage, reported many requests for individual collection boxes from families and groups who wish to save a penny a meal for the SCF. Five hundred tins have been donated by New Zealand Foods Ltd for this project, and Mrs Pat Sylvester a new committee member, agreed to organise it.

Reports of the fund’s work, which has been approved for special grants from Freedom from Hunger funds, came from many countries – India, West Indies, Uganda, Tanganyika, Congo, Korea, Greece and Crete.

Of special interest to the committee was a project concerning vocational training for children of lepers in a home run by the SCF in Pusan Korea. These children can never rejoin their parents, so it is of the greatest importance for them to be trained to become independent. This information came in at letter from Mr Ray Dawson the administrator, who is anxious to have a vocational centre this training. It is estimated that the course would last two years. Since agriculture is of the first importance in Korea, both boys and girls would receive training in various aspects of this. In addition, the boys would learn mechanics, and the girls both hand and machine sewing. The initial cost of this hostel would be £7547. The committee was asked to inform Dominion Headquarters that Hawke’s Bay would support this plan.

Mr Dawson also wrote: “Severe storms, floods, and landslides in the central area of Korea have rendered many SCF families homeless. The plight of the families who were living under bridges is pitiful. The waters rose so rapidly that they were unable to salvage anything, and they barely escaped with their lives. Seventeen of these families are at present housed in school buildings. SCF has provided immediate aid, but much more is needed.”

Newsletters about the work of the Save the Children Fund In Hongkong, Uganda, Somaliland and Agadir were read at the July meeting of the Central Hawke‘s Bay branch, presided over by Mrs W. S. Kittow.

The meeting decided to advance £50 to New Zealand headquarters for the milk powder scheme.

Advice was received that £1000 had been sent from London to Korea where many were homeless after a typhoon, and £5000 to Pakistan for relief of flood victims.

A second patchwork quilt stuffed with old nylons was on display.

The following report, indicating the extent of the work of the fund in Korea, was read:

“Have you heard of marasmus before? Few New Zealanders have. It means starvation and malnutrition and often it closes the case histories of refugee children who die in Korea.

“The activities of the SCF are concentrated in the Pusan-Masan area, where the greatest need exists. A New Zealander, Sister E. Laloli [Leipst], took up work in Pusan last October.

“In Pusan the fund maintains sick and infant welfare clinics and conducts infant feeding classes and health visiting programmes. The clinics also assist patients’ families and issues food and clothing.

“The Kaljong nursery school, in dreary, poverty- ridden, surroundings, conducts morning and afternoon sessions for 150 four to five-year-old children, who receive clothing and a meal.

“Altogether the fund helps 650 beggar boys, keeps 280 children at nursery school, gives 400 kiddies a nourishing daily meal and provides food and clothing for 141 families on the Tb food list and 91 families on the ordinary list.

“Where possible the fund’s administrators spend New Zealand contributions within the country on food and milk powder.

“New Zealand also helps maintain an 85-bed hospital in Masan, makes possible cash grants to over 100 families and provides comforts for children in leprosariums and orphan homes.