Pine Lake History - 1976 - 1989

              ACWW CONVENTION
MARTHA BIELISH
President
Federated Womeri s
Institutes of Canada
" Come, see and you will never forget,"
were the words spoken by Jane Kiano, the
Maendeleo ya Wanawake member from
Kenya at the Perth conference in 1974,
when issuing the invitation for the 15th
triennial conference of the Associated
Country Women of the World . Who could
ignore that challenge and resist that invita-tion'
Delegates came from many countries,
from all parts of the globe . And true to Mrs .
Kiano's promise no one was denied entry!
Looking back, what made this confer-ence
unique and why has it made such a
terrific impact upon those of us fortunate
enough to attend?
Perhaps at the outset there was a combi-nation
of apprehension about going to
Africa in unsettled times, combined with
eager anticipation and the challenge to
" come and see" . It was also the first time
that ACWW met in Africa. and the first
time they met in a developing country
where the majority of people are of a racial
and cultural background different from our
own . There was so much to learn, to see, to
taste. t o hear and to experience .
A session . with a difference, called Dia-lwogeue
was under the direction of ACWW's
committee . Only one member per
society was permitted to attend . Members
from developing countries discussed their
problems and placed their re nests for
assistance directly on the table to e picked
up by those who could assist . It was here
that I met the Lesotho delegate and heard
first hand that the Landrover FWIC had
provided following the Oslo conference
was in the garage waiting for repairs more
often than it was on the road. After a Gnick
poll of the Canadian delegates, FWIC
agreed to provide a new Landroverso that
the homemaker and nutntion education
programs in the more remote areas may
continue.
p
Save the Land Harambee is a program
sponsored by National Council of Women,
( 30 women's organizations in Kenya) to
push back the desert by planting trees,
shelterbelts and windbreaks and to keep
the rivers blue . We were invited to plant a
tree, or have a tree planted . I responded for
FWIC with an order for a long living
protected Mguma tree and for my home
WI branch, I selected a beautiful ( lowering
lacuranda . For $ 3 in United Slates cur-rency
or the Canadian equivalent a tree is
planted and care ensured for five years .
I think this involvement will continue .
[ Nationally, we are committed to pro , cing
the Landrover and I expect the first thing
local branches will ask " How can we help?"
'. Some will want to have a tree Planted, and
others will choose to . contribute toward
wells and water lines to villages . These will
help make the lives of people in developing
countries easier and more tolerable .
Through reports and stones and letters the
links in that chain of friendship that binds
us together will be reinforced and strenglh-ned
as we continue to build bridges of
understanding around the world .
Lightening
the burden
Representatives of rural women's or-ganizations
attended the Associated
Country Women o~ the Warld confer-ence
held in NairoDI Kenya in October.
Leaders of Western Canadian organiza-tions
have been asked to consider the
impact of the conference on themselves
and the effect then expect it will have on
their organizations .
The concept of women around the
world Working to lighten each others
burdens presents a unique Christmas
niP, ce : Cr
BETTE BALLHORN
President
Alberta Women's
Institutes
S
The privilege of attending the 15th trien-nial
conference in Nairobi, Kenya will be
the highlight of my term as president of the
Alberta Women's Institutes.
Working together in the International
Decade for Women 1976- 1985 was to me a
most impressive session as we listened to
first chairman, Dr. Julia Ojiambo MP
followed by a panel giving first hand
information on help they had received
through the ACWW.
The study sessions unfortunately had to
be missed by those of us required to attend
conference meetings . However, I was able
to attend the Dialogue session where there
was an excellent exchange between devel-oped
and developing countries .
At their June 1977 convention, Alberta
Women's Institutes had stated they wished
to help with water for Kenya . Through this
session we were able to meet personally
with the African women who are striving so
desperately to make " water in every home
in Kenya by year 2000" a reality Iong
before that time . Contacts established will
be pursued . For Albertans this was a major
achievement, the start for next years proj-ect
.
It was also my good fortune to contact a
leader from the Gilbert and Ellice Islands
where Alberta members had contributed so
generously to the UNESCO Gift Coupon
569 in 1977 .
Those attending the conference were
hosted and shown the sides of African life
not generally seen by the average tourist,
their schools, churches and missions, train-ing
schools, hospitals and home hospitality .
The government were also most generous
with their hospitality . We were taken out
into the countryside to villages where tree
planting . ceremonies took place . They have
an ongoing project that for every tree cut
down, five seedlings will be planted. We
were also able to purchase a tree in the
name of our organization which will be
planted in a green belt and cared for, for
five years .
The conference to me was very well
organized, excellent speakers on very time-ly
topics . The host country made one feel
really welcome and organizers went out of
their way to provide everything possible for
our enjoyment .
The one disappointment was that Can-ada
was not chosen as the next host country
- but there is always a next time .
Iberta Women's Institutes members were easily picked out in their
Iberia tartan . They pose in the Kenyatta Conference centre . Front row,
aft to right : Martha Bielish, Warspite, Federated Women's Institutes of
Canada, president; Ethel Morrisroe. Red Deer ; back row: Patricia Young,
Compeer; Marion Alexander, Cayley ; Bette Ballhorn, Wetasldwin, AWI
` resident; Margaret Henderson, High River, Mary Mercer, Strathmore;
rarie Plaiyier, Peace River and Elizabeth Lefsrud, Edmonton . Missing
from the picture is Stella Pekse, Calgary.
x ct « ~ ~
'
Rae floe of Australia, left, was elected president of the Associated Country
Women of the World for the next three years ; Ellen Mcl, ean, right, past
president of the Federated Women's Institutes of Canada is Canada's new
area vice- president . Deputy presidents are Mrs. Z . Westebring- Muller of
Holland and Mrs. I . K. Wood of New Zealand.