Our guest speaker this week was Shefali Mehta talking to us about Interplast. Shefali is one of those people who make you wonder how they do it.
 
She is an active member of Rotary through her club Auckland Harbourside. She hosted us on a club visit a few years ago when she was president and at a district level she is currently Foundation Scholarship Chair and District Interplast Chair as well as serving as Assistant Governor for the past two years. And that is just Rotary. There is more…
 
For the past ten years Shefali has been a member of Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin, GOPIO for short serving the Indian diaspora internationally. At present she is Auckland Central Chapter Chairperson. She supports Bharatiya Samaj, a trust that ensures that senior citizens are valued and treasured. Shefali is also on the committee of the Auckland Indian association. Are you feeling tired yet, there is more…….?
 
Deputy Chairperson for the Mt. Albert electorate for the National Party over the past three elections. And we haven’t even got to why she was speaking to us about yet……!
 
In recognition of her outstanding community service she has been awarded the British Empire Medal by PNG and in 2016 received the Queens Service Medal for services to the Indian Community. She became a JP in 2011. “Service before self.”
 
Interplast
 
Interplast has been part of Rotary in Australia and New Zealand since its inception in 1983. Since then the work of Interplast’s professional volunteers from across these two countries has resulted in over 25,000 life changing plastic and constructive surgeries and the training of countless medical staff across 17 developing countries in the Asia – Pacific region. Rotary is vital to this achievement in both governance and support.
 
Congenital conditions such as cleft lip and palate, burns contractures and trauma injuries are all treated by our volunteer teams.
 
Interplast’s “twin track” approach of delivering surgical services and providing training / mentoring changes futures of our neighbours in these countries.
 
Shefali showed the club a number of before and after photos to demonstrate the incredible, life changing work of Interplast. You can find out more by logging on to www.interplast.org.nz .
 
Gavin presented a cheque for $1,000 from Howick Rotary enough to fund one operation. A great cause.