Elaine Prattley was awarded the Rotary World Peace Scholarship and she along with another female ‘Kiwi’ recipient (Mary Stanley) from New Plymouth, will travel together to Bangkok, Thailand to start a three/four work programme promoting social justice towards conflict resolution, raising money and finding ways to spend it on youth programmes. Her objective is to share hope in this world, promoting peace.
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| Elaine with partner last weekend |
Elaine describes herself as a kind of dreamer. She had previously come across the Rotary international scholarship when she saw it advertised two or three years ago. At that time Elaine did not think she was quite qualified to apply for the programme. Last year she came across the idea again and decided to apply. This hope eventuated in her Award!
Elaine plans eventually to go to China to continue her work with her husband, who was responsible for setting up the Early Childhood Centre in Tory St, Wellington, to assist young mothers in need. Elaine believes we have two things in life that we own – time and relationships – one lifetime to make it in.
Elaine and her husband plan to travel and live in China to start a business of sharing their dream. They see hope in transforming communities towards a better more fulfilling life in the longrun. This goal involves bringing people together across cultures, and the scholarship she has just won will go a long way towards setting up, and following this dream through.
In her own right, Elaine is a successful law professional. She has worked as a Crown Prosecuter in Tauranga and works for MFAT as a contract legal adviser in IDG on New Zealand aid projects. Elaine competed against 18 other participants from around the world to win the Rotary International Scholarship.
No other Rotary district has been anywhere near successful as this New Zealand District who have provided five successful peace scholarship recipients. A commendable achievement for the Rotarians who have been involved in the Award processes.
(From the Club Reporter - Port Nicholson)
Elaine will be speaking at District Conference this weekend.
