Rotary news english april 2015 by dimakh Sahasrabuddhe

Vol.65, Issue 10 Annual Subscription Rs.420

@NewsRotary

RotaryNews India

April 2015

WASH & Smile

A lot of hope ... a little despair

etween the last and this issue of Rotary News, another International Woman’s Day came and went. While thousands of Whatsapp groups across the country pinged incessantly on March 8 with high sounding words on the greatness, importance, commitment, etc of women, the continuing stream of violent attacks against women made me wonder how much of these were mere tokenisms. The status of women and the girl child in India remains a huge question mark. Even as I write this, a newspaper headline hits me in the face — 55-year-old man rapes 3-year-old girl. The mind goes back to a lovely encounter I had with a bright, vivacious and chirpy girl in a village in Rajasthan’s Sikar district where Rotary is building check dams. Belonging to a farmer’s family, she was seated with her mother and aunt outside their little house, where prosperity had come in, thanks to water now being available in the semi-dessert area. As I photographed them, she kept tugging at her mother’s pallu, now tasking, now teasing her to remove her ghunghat. She was dressed, as numerous girls her age in urban India would do, in a simple green Tee-shirt and churidar. The vivacious child charmed me totally ... spelling out her dreams of going to a University one day and becoming a doctor. I came away with both hope and despair ... hope that Rotary’s WinS (Wash in Schools) programme, where they are building a massive 20,000 toilet blocks (including separate toilets for girls) in schools in the next two years, will ensure she continues her education through puberty as her school will offer her a separate, clean and safe toilet. And despair that somebody might pull her out of school, object to her dressing in these “modern” clothes ... and worse ... get her married before her education is complete. Text and picture by Rasheeda Bhagat

CONTENTS

From the Editor’s Desk

President Speaks

10 26

10 Jumping into unchartered waters 14

Gender equity through separate girls’ toilets

Make farming attractive to the young

Lahori hospitality for RID

District 3131 rocked ... at Goa

The crusade for literacy

Time to end education apartheid

32 More business people should be involved in humanitarian work 35

The Malegaon Magic

From thatched huts ... to shining homes

Tree stories and more ...

Literacy in top gear

44 3ROLR )ODPH ÀUHV Pakistani Rotarians 46

An Abode of Compassion - Karunashraya

A special day for special children

The little theatre and big hearts

A blend of modern and traditional

Cover Photo by Rasheeda Bhagat

18 66

LETTERS Educative, Interesting In the March issue, every page and every article, including photographs so carefully chosen (and shot by the Editor) gives us, the readers, a sense of satisfaction and resolve to do more for the community. RIPE Ravi’s forthright address on the Rotary today and its management in his interview is excellent. The Editorial was superb and a vivid summing up of the SAL Summit, ending with the words “Isn’t that what Rotary does all the time ... and hence succeeds?” — echoed the feeling of all Rotarians. Thanks to RID P T Prabhakar for bringing to light the silent but great work done by Harakhchand Savla; the article, You conquered polio; now conquer literacy, is motivating. The comment of PRIP Saboo in his address

that “whether it was a Rotarian in Chennai spitting into a decorative flower vase in the star hotel where he had taken a Swachh Bharat Pledge barely a few hours earlier (“I know who it was”) ... made us think twice! The lovely pictures under the title Gifting them words, and Of bits and bytes by Jaishree, and all other articles are superb. Thanks for introducing the ‘Mail Box.’ Now we’d like to know ... what next? Rtn Nan Narayenen RC Madurai West-D 3000

from Corporate and Government bodies to enhance Rotary’s Public Image. Keep up the good work. PDG Deepak Shikarpur-D 3131

Since your joining, Rotary News has a different and enhanced look and feel. It has become more readable and has new features. I am sure Rotarians all over India are keeping this as collector’s item. We should now actively consider circulating Rotary News to non-Rotarians especially

The February issue was educative and interesting. The articles Of villages and beauty business, Rotary partners Sankara Nethralaya, Our Funds in Global Outlook and Beware of child abuse, were informative. The statement that 90 per cent of child abusers are family members and close relatives,was shocking. The magazine is unique. Rtn PK Bhatnagar RC Jhansi-D 3110

Vive la Rotary! Congratulations for the excellent March issue. The standard of the magazine is well maintained and further improved with impressive articles and good photographs on interesting subjects. Kudos to RIPE Ravi for his frank and bold views in the interview with the Editor of The Rotarian. In the ‘Letters’ column, a few Rotarians have expressed anguish on the current plight of Rotary and its way of functioning. But the dynamic process of growth in a service organisation is governed by its inherent strength to connect its legacy and heritage of the past, its achievements and its resilience to face the challenges of the future. The Rotary movement, founded by Paul Harris about 110 years ago, with service to people as its prime motive, will continue to flourish forever. When dynamic leaders like RIPE Ravi are getting top leadership positions of Rotary International with a keen desire to make vital improvements in the organisation, a clear vision and determination, all of us will continue to enjoy our membership and Rotary will grow still greater and attract enthusiastic men and women into its fold. Rtn R Srinivasan RC Madurai Midtown-D 3000

4 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

The March issue is brilliant in all aspects with excellent coverage of events, informative and educative articles, inspiring interviews, attractive photographs and above all, the eye-catching cover page. Your editorial has always been my favourite column; rich with innovative ideas and creative thoughts. The interview with RIPE KR Ravindran was thought-provoking. Rtn Subhendu Mohanty RC Nabarangpur-D 3262

Rotary News has been reporting excellently well and giving readers the real aura of major RI events. Although I was not able to attend the literacy seminar at Pune, the report in the last edition gave me the feeling of attending the event. The presentation of Dr Sugata Mitra of the Hole in the Wall fame, though good, could have been covered in more detail. I personally feel such speeches should be made available online. The previous issues and editorials highlighted the apathy of immunisation workers in some countries. I wonder why Rotary has not employed latest technology such as drones for delivery of polio drops. Maximum liability will be loss of the unmanned aircraft and not precious human lives.

LETTERS

Star Rotarian Congratulations! You have captured veteran PRIP Raja Saboo quite young. As someone said ‘Age is just a number; Passion is eternal’. This aptly applies to this star Rotarian. He has to share the secret of his evergreen charm and success as a Rotarian. In spite of his multifarious activities and busy schedule in Rotary, he never looks tired. I think the credit should go to his gracious Ann Ushaji, who always accompanies him. Mumbai’s romance with butterflies by Jaishree is interesting and with an environmental lesson. Your choice of subjects is complimentary. A dutiful, dedicated Team! Rtn Korukonda Butchi Raju RC Anakapalli-D 3020

Once again please accept my heartiest appreciation for the excellent coverage of events and quality content. Rtn S P A Ganesh RC Madurai Next Gen-D 3000 Impressive First Thoughts Hats off to RI President Gary CK Huang for his February message, where he explains about sorting out

problems regarding projects that don’t strictly adhere to RI guidelines. As advised, we should share stories regarding our projects — planning and execution — with friends and seniors to give better service to the community. Going through the March issue, I was impressed with the words of RID P T Prabhakar in First Thoughts, advising us to further serve the community by giving examples of great personalities who have sacrificed their lives for the poor, needy and ill. I salute Harakh Chand Savla for doing great service to mankind. Millions of cancer patients and their relatives have truly found ‘God’ in this man. The speeches of RIPE K R Ravindran and RIDE Manoj Desai at SALS were very interesting and inspiring. This wonderful magazine with improved appearance compels every Rotarian to turn its pages as it contains knowledge and information with relevant and thought-provoking articles. Rtn Raj Kumar Kapoor RC Roopnagar-D 3080 Your observation on South Asia Literacy Summit is a poignant indicator of infrastructure, activity and process of the existing scenario of India’s socio-economic fabric that has left a challenge for the Rotary soldiers who took a pledge along with the leaders to make India 100 per cent literate. The rainbows of hopes and aspirations are visible in the sky and your analysis of the summit is the quintessence of all realities reflected in the opinions of Rotary stalwarts and fellow Rotarians. Rtn Arun Kumar Dash RC Baripada-D 3262

Special Children Read the article on the Rotary Institute for Children in need of Special Care, in the March issue. It is a well written article. Please accept the compliments from an old teacher of journalism. Rtn KP Sukumaran RC Trivandrum-D 3211

Rotary News is getting more and more informative every month, and we are unable to leave even a single article as all are very informative, educative and thought-provoking. In the March 2015 issue, Lighting up the blind … by Jaishree and Girls plan your future by Kiran Zehra both the articles touched my heart. Rtn B Pasupathi RC Dalmiapuram-D 3000 Good Samaritans I salute the noble deeds of Rotary clubs in Vellore for their philanthropic activities in flood marooned Jammu & Kashmir. It is indeed Service Above Self at its best. Besides this, the March issue has assorted articles like — A pan-Asian food odyssey, Smiles after Surgeries and Of Bits and Bytes which were good. Your coverage on SALS is excellent. Rtn Ranjit Kumar Das RC Cuttack-D 3262

We welcome your feedback. Write to the Editor: rotarynews@rosaonline.org; rushbhagat@gmail.com APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 5

ADVISORY BOARD

TRUSTEES Chairman DG Ramesh Agrawal, RI Dist. 3052

RID

P.T. Prabhakar

RI Dist. 3230

Secretary DG Vyankatesh S. Metan, RI Dist. 3132

PRIP Rajendra K. Saboo

RI Dist. 3080

Treasurer DG Sanjay Khemka, RI Dist. 3250

PRIP Kalyan Banerjee

RI Dist. 3060

RI Dist. 2980

S.P. Balasubramaniam

PRID Sushil Gupta

RI Dist. 3010

RI Dist.3000

Jagannathan Paramasivam

PRID Ashok Mahajan

RI Dist. 3140

RI Dist.3010

Sanjay Khanna

PRID Yash Pal Das

RI Dist. 3080

RI Dist.3020

Dr. G.V. Mohan Prasad

PRID Shekhar Mehta

RI Dist. 3291

RIDE Dr. Manoj D. Desai

RI Dist. 3060

RI Dist.3030

Dattatraya Shantaram Deshmukh

Ramesh Agrawal

RI Dist.3052

RI Dist.3040

Narendra Kumar Jain

Vyankatesh Metan

RI Dist. 3132

RI Dist. 3051

Jagdish B. Patel

Sanjay Khemka

RI Dist. 3250

RI Dist. 3053

Anil Maheshwari

I.S.A.K. Nazar

RI Dist. 3230

RI Dist. 3060

Ashish Ramesh Ajmera

PDG Rabi Narayan Nanda

RI Dist. 3262

RI Dist. 3070

Gurjeet Singh Sekhon

PDG Radhe Shyam Rathi

RI Dist. 3053

RI Dist. 3080

Dilip Patnaik

PDG Hari Krishna Chitipothu

RI Dist. 3150

RI Dist. 3090

Pardeep Kumar Chehal

RI Dist. 3100

Sanjiv Rastogi

RI Dist. 3110

Ashok Jyoti

RI Dist. 3120

Satpal Gulati

RI Dist. 3131

Vivek Aranha

RI Dist. 3140

Ajay Gupta

RI Dist. 3150

Malladi Vasudev

RI Dist. 3160

G.S. Mansoor

RI Dist. 3170

Ganesh G. Bhat

RI Dist. 3180

Dr. S. Bhaskar

RI Dist. 3190

Manjunath Shetty

RI Dist. 3201

P. Venugopalan Menon

RI Dist. 3202

K. Sridharan Nambiar

RI Dist. 3211

K.S. Sasikumar

RI Dist. 3212

M. Ashok Padmaraj

RI Dist. 3230

I.S.A.K. Nazar

RI Dist. 3240

Swapan Kumar Choudhury

RI Dist. 3261

Shambhu Jagatramka

RI Dist. 3262

Ashok Bihari Mohapatra

RI Dist. 3291

Pinaki Prasad Ghosh

COMMITTEES DG P. Venugopalan Menon - Chair, Finance Committee DG Dr. G.V. Mohan Prasad - Chair, Editorial Committee DG Sanjay Khanna - Chair, Marketing Committee DG G.S. Mansoor - Vice-chair, Marketing Committee

ROTARY NEWS ROTARY SAMACHAR Editor Rasheeda Bhagat Assistant Editors Jaishree Padmanabhan Selvi Kandaswamy

Send all correspondence and subscriptions to ROTARY NEWS TRUST 3rd Floor, Dugar Towers, 34 Marshalls Road, Egmore, Chennai 600 008, India. Phone : 044 42145666 Fax : 044 28528818 e-mail : rotarynews@rosaonline.org Website : www.rotarynewsonline.org

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Let’s give them wings to fly

ne more International Woman’s Day has whizzed past our calendar in March. Surely, on this day, Indian women and their counterparts across the world tallied the balance sheet of factors to celebrate and the multiple issues that pull down or dishearten women in diverse areas — from top-notch positions and white collar workers in the corporate world, to ordinary, back-breaking jobs in the organised and unorganised sectors, and above all the home, which are preventing girls and women from leading dignified lives. No prizes for guessing the score card. Against this background, it was heartening to take stock of another mega project senior Rotary leaders in India are planning, an integral part of which is gender equity. In the last issue we saw how the South Asian Literacy Summit at Pune unfolded a cheeky Rotary dream — of making India, and rest of South Asia, totally literate in the next few years. During the same impressive event, particularly at the ‘Ignite’ session the previous day, details were disclosed about WinS (WASH in Schools), the next project Rotary is rolling out for our schools. Under the chairmanship of TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta, Rotary will work closely with the Government of India’s Swachh Bharat programme to build a whopping 20,000 toilet blocks in Indian schools in the next two years. This means 80,000 toilets; and Rotary will go beyond providing mere brick and mortar structures. It will also ensure water tanks, water filters, well demarcated washing areas where children can wash their hands with soap and water before their meals and after using toilets. And, for a reasonable period of time, it will also maintain these toilets, taking pains to ensure that hygienic conditions prevail in the entire school, including the kitchen where midday meals are served, and the classrooms. Gupta’s catchy tagline is: ‘Swachh Vidyalaya leads to Swachh Bharat.’ Sesame Street’s newest muppet Raya (see cover picture) will be educating millions of children in several countries to wash their hands and feet with soap and water before eating and after toilet use. If done diligently, this can dra-

matically reduce childhood morbidity and mortality through preventable diseases. But where does gender equity come in, you may well ask. It comes into the picture because 40,000 of those toilets will be exclusively for girls. There is sufficient data to show that parents pull out girls from school at puberty as there are insufficient and inadequate toilets in our schools, lacking an assured supply of water and soap so essential for hygiene during menstrual cycles. At Pune, RIDE Manoj Desai said that when Rotary built separate toilets for girls in an Agra school there were only 5 girls; now there are 150! That is the positive gender impact of separate, clean and functioning toilets for girls in our schools. Pictures speak louder than words. The two photographs on the front and back inner wrappers are eloquent enough. The little girl in Rajasthan, teasing her mother to do away with her ghunghat, is bubbly, mischievous and confident enough to challenge a tradition she finds questionable. The beautiful young Kutchi woman in the other picture, even though wearing a feisty and determined expression, indicates a life filled with struggle and hardships. Just think: If we give our girls the gift of education, equal treatment when it comes to nutrition, health care and other benefits often reserved for sons in families with limited means, enough space to explore their talent, and above all wings to fly, and do away with outdated, regressive concepts such as a daughter is paraya dhan (some other family’s property), the kind of boundaries our vibrant, bright and feisty girls/women will push. After all there must be a good reason why Rotary International is striving hard to increase its female membership beyond the existing 20 per cent!

Rasheeda Bhagat

APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 7

*DU\ & . +XDQJ

3UHVLGHQW 6SHDNV Dear Fellow Rotarians, Today, there are so many more ways to communicate than ever before. In the age of video conferences and instant messages, we can work together from almost anywhere, and always be in touch; we can share our Rotary work on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Rotary.org. But there will always be a tremendously important role for the magazine that you are now holding in your hands — or reading on an electronic device. The Rotarian is one of the oldest continuously published magazines in the world, with an unbroken publication history dating back to its first issue, featuring Paul Harris as a contributor, in 1911. Back then, the magazine was printed in black and white, and was only a few pages. The type was small, the pictures were few, and the advertisements were for piano dealers, haberdashers and a hotel fully equipped with hot and cold running water! Now, you can read The Rotarian on your phone or tablet, and regional magazines are published in 24 languages. Seventeen Nobel Prize winners and 19 Pulitzer Prize winners have written for the magazine, including Mahatma Gandhi, Desmond Tutu, George Bernard Shaw and Nicholas Murray Butler. Every month, The Rotarian brings us a snapshot of the best of the Rotary world: It engages, entertains, enlightens and inspires.

“

When you’re done reading this issue, pass it along ...

a co-worker,

“

to a friend,

or a colleague.

In an age of constant communication, with so many ways to find new information, do we still need a Rotary magazine? Absolutely. Because the magazine is now, as it has always been, one of the best ways to spread the word about Rotary. It has allowed me to share the fun and excitement of Rotary Days, it showcases the good work of Rotarians around the world, and it puts a spotlight on important issues affecting us all. The Rotarian isn’t just enjoyable for Rotarians — it’s a great way to boost Rotary’s public image, and show the world the work that Rotarians do. So when you’re done reading this issue, pass it along. Ask yourself who might be particularly interested in this month’s articles. Give the issue to a friend, a co-worker or a colleague. Share it with someone you’ve invited to a Rotary club meeting. Visit www.therotarianmagazine.com to share stories on social media, or send links through email. Use it to Light Up Rotary — just as Rotarians have been doing for more than 100 years.

Gary C K Huang President, Rotary International 8 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

)LUVW 7KRXJKWV Nature and nature’s laws lay / hid in night / God said, let Newton be / and all was light. – Alexander Pope. Dear Partners in Service, April is important for two reasons — Paul Harris’ birthday (19th), and it’s the Magazine Month. Paul Harris wrote in the first issue of The National Rotarian — “Rotary is entirely without precedent in the history of clubdom. We have had no rules except those created by the imaginative people who have been responsible for our destinies.” As mariners successfully navigated perilous and unknown seas by guidance of stars before the invention of the compass, so did Rotary’s forefathers. They guided their craft in perilous, unknown and trying circumstances. “May we never in time to come, depart from the safe course of rational toleration and humane consideration of the conviction of others.” Harris’ message will always hold good. When Secretary Perry wanted to pass on Rotary clubs news, The National Rotarian was born. We now have The Rotarian, the official Rotary magazine, and Rotary News, our regional magazine. Let us devise a strategy and use our magazines to support and strengthen clubs, focus on increasing humanitarian services, and enhance our public image. PR is important for Rotary. A global survey conducted by our PR consultants Sigel & Gale shows that out of 10, 4 have never heard of Rotary, 4 know us by name only and only 2 have some familiarity. Considering the great work done by Rotary, particularly our success in PolioPlus programme, this is bad news for us and we have to improve our PR. PR is your image based on what you do, say and more important, what others say about you. If we improve our brand, it will lead to Membership, which will trigger more Giving, resulting in more projects impacting the community. Result: Improved brand strength . The core of PR is the art of storytelling, which our magazines do efficiently, building our brand. So we have to tell our story consistently with a humanitarian touch. An example of our successful PR is Bill Gates saying: “The extraordinary dedication of Rotary members has played a critical role in bringing polio to the brink of eradication.” Mrs Rajashree Birla has donated US $9 million to our PolioPlus programme, that’s another example. Brand tells us who we are, what we do and why it matters. When you ask somebody what is Kingfisher, he will say that it is a beer, but we know Kingfisher is a bird. This

is the power of the brand built by the owners of the Kingfisher Beer! In a lighter vein, I share “A child’s letter to God.” P T Prabhakar Once, in an orphanage, Director, Rotary International the children were going hungry for days. One child decided to take this matter to God. She picked up a postcard, addressed it to God and wrote: “Dear God, All of us in this orphanage have been hungry for days. Can you please help us by sending Rs 10,000 for food?” The postman saw this card, wondered what to do with it. He saw it was an appeal for help and thought it fit to deliver it to the nearest Rotary club, as it always did service projects. The President took the appeal to the board of directors of his club, who decided to donate Rs 5,000, as they needed money for their other projects too. The President delivered Rs 5,000 to the orphanage and went home satisfied that he had done a good deed for the day. The children were happy when they received food. The child wrote another letter to thank God. “Dear God, Thank you for sending us the money. We are very happy and grateful for your immediate response! But, next time please do not route the money through the local Rotary club since they take a 50 per cent as commission!” This may sound like a joke but actually illustrates the need for PR and branding, which our magazines are doing very efficiently. Let us support our service projects by generous donations to improve our PR and branding. So fellow Rotarians give and give now. If someone asks why, quote Robert Frost : Never ask of money spent / Where the spender thinks it went / Nobody was ever meant / To remember or invent / What he did with every cent.

Yours in Rotary

P T Prabhakar Director Rotary International (2013–15)

APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 9

Jumping into unchartered waters by Rasheeda Bhagat

Giving schools clean toilets and encouraging hygienic behaviour is to create young agents of change.

hile a large army of Rotarians in clubs across India, down to the smallest and remotest Rotary club, will be involved in the mega project Rotary India has taken on — to build a whopping 20,000 toilets blocks, the conductor of this orchestra is TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta. In all, Rotary will be building about 80,000 toilets, separate ones for girls and boys, in Indian schools. Water activism is dear to his heart and his footprints — in dreaming big, planning, delegating and final execution — are amply evident in the 55 check dams the Rotary India Water Conservation Trust has already built in Rajasthan, greening a semi-dessert region. (See Rotary News, December 2014). Now, with a core group of senior Rotarians — PRIP Rajendra K Saboo as patron, PRIP Kalyan Banerjee as advisor and RID P T Prabhakar and RIDE Manoj Desai as ex-officio members, Gupta is chairing the WinS (WASH in Schools) project,

TRF Trustee and WinS Chair Sushil Gupta

L to R: TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta, PRIP Rajendra K Saboo, PDG Vinay Kulkarni and RID P T Prabhakar releasing the WinS brochure.

which will partner the Government of India in building these 80,000 toilets in two years. This is of course an integral part of the Swachh Bharat initiative that fits in beautifully with the Rotary objective of helping or improving the community in which Rotarians live. “We are doing much more than just building toilets. Where the toilets are missing, we will build them of course, but where they exist, we will get involved with the maintenance and ensure that the entire school, including the kitchen of course, functions in a hygienic environment,” says Gupta.

Genesis of WinS Refusing to take credit for Rotary’s close involvement in the Swachh Bharat initiative — which had none less than Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeting about it after Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu signed the Swachh Bharat declaration with Rotary at the Chennai Institute in December 2014 — Gupta says the credit for it goes to

“

I love jumping into unchartered waters. My life has been like that.

RID Prabhakar for contacting Naidu and both Prabhakar and PRIP Saboo, who together first met the Minister. “But when we started preparing the Chennai declaration, the question came up as to how can Rotary help. When the dialogue started on what we could or could not do, I strongly encouraged/supported the idea that let’s think big ... I love jumping into unchartered waters. My life has been like that.”

Unchartered waters And then comes an interesting anecdote on how he learnt to swim. “I must have been just 10 years or so and one day my family members — my father, uncles and cousins — who were all very good swimmers, asked me to jump into a canal and I did so. Now jumping into a canal that is 10 ft deep is not easy, but I did it! From that time I can jump into any unchartered waters!” Similarly even on this initiative, without any details, “I supported the idea that whatever we do should be on a big scale and we decided to do toilets.” He estimates the number of missing toilets in Indian schools to be between 3.5 lakh to 4 lakh. “But whatever be the actual number,” the whole programme has now taken a very interesting, positive twist. That we will not only build toilets but assist with maintenance, assure availability of water and soap and ensure total hygiene. By doing so what we hope to bring around is behavioural change.”

Agents of change What excites Gupta the most about this initiative is not finding the money, (“there is never shortage of money APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 11

“

The Government understands that when Rotary says something ... promises something, they will deliver.

“

for any Rotary project,” he says firmly) or the actual construction and even maintenance. “We are confident that by ensuring Swachh Vidyalayas we will be ushering in behavioural change in young boys and girls. These students will demand and ensure toilets at home. And this is happening, in many areas where parents are already under pressure from their children and have started building toilets in homes. Next the neighbours will do so.” Emphasising the underlying composite role of Rotary, which goes beyond building toilets, Gupta says “we will also ensure that hygienic behaviour is taught to the children in schools, and ultimately the Swachh Vidyalaya will become a passport to Swachh Bharat.” On the funds required for building 20,000 toilet blocks, each with separate toilets for girls and boys, he adds that a Swachh Bharat Kosh has already been set up and PSUs are putting in Rs 1,000 crore into it. “And the cess proposed in the new Budget for Swachh Bharat will also bring in money. So funds are there; if money is not there Rotary will put in the money.” Recently in Pune, industrialist Rahul Bajaj, in a discussion with Rotarians said he is contemplating giving Rs 3 crore to Rotary, and he wants some of this money to be spent in Sikar district in Rajasthan where he was born. Asked if it was Rotary’s integrity and thoroughness in doing a project, that made the GoI so keen to partner with Rotary, Gupta said the GoI’s experience of working with Rotary “for polio eradication was a milestone. The Government understands that when Rotary says something ... promises something, they will deliver.” Gupta says a few days earlier, Sanjay Singh, a former Rotary group exchange beneficiary, who now works as a senior executive with the Tata Group in Delhi, had said he looked upon Rotary “as a social organisation but with the power of a Government!” 12 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

Gupta is passionate about water conservation and his experience in water activism goes back two decades when he was the vice chairman of the Himalayan Environmental Trust and chairman of the Gangotri Conservation Project. “My personal experience with water when we came to Delhi from Amritsar soon after the Partition, was that something which was available 24 hours and would come automatically up to the third or fourth floor without any electrical pump pressure, has become such a scarce commodity today. And Delhi is on the bank of the Yamuna which is a perennial water source.” Deeply pained that in the last 60 years “severe degradation has taken place in both, quality and quantity of water,” he says this has happened because we’ve not managed our water resources well. People need to be educated on this aspect of water management and Rotary is doing just that through this and other projects. He agrees that some schools might face a challenge in ensuring water supply in the toilets that are built, but

“

Any NGO like Rotary is not going to be there for all time to come. So you have to create capacity and move on.

“

Water activism

WinS Executive Committee

PRID Sushil Gupta

PRIP Rajendra K Saboo

PRIP Kalyan Banerjee

RID P T Prabhakar

Chairman

Patron

Advisor

Ex-Officio Member

RIDE Manoj Desai

PDG Ramesh Aggarwal

DG Sanjay Khemka

PDG Vinay Kulkarni

Ex-Officio Member

Member Secretary & Zonal Coordinator (North)

Zonal Coordinator (East)

Zonal Coordainator (West)

PDG Ravi Vadlamani

DG I S A K Nazar

PDG Vinod Bansal

Rtn Sunil Vakil

Zonal Coordinator (South)

Zonal Coordinator (Tamil Nadu & Kerala)

Technical Advisor

that would be a small percentage, and these “are not insurmountable problems.”

Capacity-building important On the lessons he has learnt from his 20 years in water activism, the WinS Chair says, “One major lesson I learnt from my stints in the Himalayan and Gangotri projects was that capacity-building is very important. Any NGO — Rotary or otherwise — is not going to be there for all time to come. So you have to create a capacity. That is where we failed to some extent in those experiments.” In WinS too, Rotary was not going to be involved in toilet building or school maintenance for all time to come. “You need to create capacity and capability so other people can take over and you can move on. Rotary can’t work in the same school after 10 years. So you have to create

sustainable models that the society or community can carry on without you. That’s a very important lesson I’ve learnt. Meanwhile, this water activist’s thirst for helping or mentoring water projects remains unquenched. Even before we begin the WinS interview, he tells me about his latest involvement ... with water of course! In Vidharba and Marathwada regions where water scarcity has caused farmer suicides, “some Rotarians are talking about helping/reviving a river system ... it is a very small river, not like the Ganga ... which has been adversely affected because of forest degradation. This had happened with the check dams too in Rajasthan that you visited. We will work on this project too ... let us see what can be done,” he smiles. Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat Designed by Krishnapratheesh APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 13

Gender equity through separate girls’ toilets by Rasheeda Bhagat

To build separate toilets for girls in schools is to usher in gender equity.

“In

Chennai recently we signed d the Swachh Bharat declaration with (Union Minister) Venkaiah Naidu, who tweeted about it. While thee party was on, somebody tapped me on the shoulder and said aid the PM’s office wants to talk to you ... pleasantly surprised prised I took the call. They said you have uploaded only thee third page. Where are the other pages; we want to read those. e. And after reading all of it, Modi tweeted: ‘Welcome this gesture esture by Rotarian community. Such efforts add a lot to Swachh wachh Bharat initiative. My best wishes. #MyCleanIndia’ ” Rotary had committed to building in one year 10,000 0,000 ,000 toilet blocks — each containing two separate toilets ets for male and female students, plus urinals for boys. And d each block normally costs around Rs 1 lakh or more, depending nding on the construction. (Later, the number doubled to 20,000 0,000 toilet blocks to be built in two years!) Looking towards the RILM Chair Shekhar Mehta, ta, and RI Director P T Prabhakar, who were present in the room, Desai said, “As I talk PTP is watching very closely, because he has signed the Chennai declaration ... and if we don’t deliver, do you know

properly, more doctors will come in as RI Directors as children’s health will improve, so there won’t be much of their practice left!

14 ROT ROTARY A NEWS APRIL 2015

“

If you implement WinS

RIDE Manoj Desai.

when we put up separate toilet for girls, there were

“

In an Agra school

only 5 girls, now there are 150.

what will hhappen? PTP, Manoj and Shekhar will be in Tihar jail chakki peesing and peesing (referring to the famous scene scen sc enee fi ffilmed lme on Dharmendra in the Bollywood blockbuster Sholay.) It It’s a pledge and promise we have made, and we have to ful fulfil it.” Thus, in his trademark manner of sprinkling his presentations w with spicy and humorous quotes, Desai got the assembled DGs, PDGs, DGEs and other Rotarians to raise the bar in ppledging the number of toilet blocks they’d build in their reg region. This was at the ‘Ignite’ orientation session that preceded the three-day grand South Asia Literacy prece Summit. mmit Tied uup and integrated in Swachh Bharat, he reminded them, were Swachh Vidyalayas, of which the most crucial element is WinS (WASH in Schools), an initiative Rotary had under undertaken under the chairmanship of TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta. G In this, Rotary is working very closely with th the Government of India to ensure our schools have cclean toilets, water and washing facilities and the children childr are adequately trained and sensitised to wash their hands with soap and water after defaecation and befo before their meals. The three essential features of Wi WinS are Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.

Pride, commitment to schools P In our country, said Desai, everything was in place, beginning with the Constitution, Article 21(a) of be which guaranteed as a fundamental right free and w compulsory education to all children in the 6–14 age co group. And we had schemes such as Sarva Siksha gr Abhyan, A in plenty “but still things are not happening. in Why? Because partnerships are needed, and that’s tha where our value comes in. I don’t have to tell you about the benefits of WinS; it is about pride and commitment comm to our schools … our society.” T idea was to catch them young to inculcate The hygie behaviour; “if the next generation starts doing hygienic all the these, their health will improve and diseases reduce.

And of course, you will have more doctors coming as RI Directors because there won’t be much of their practice left! That will be the impact of Swachh Bharat.” But, on a serious note, he added, WinS was not only a huge investment in health and the well being of our future generations, but would also promote gender equity. Separate toilets for girls would ensure privacy and dignity to girls, specially the adolescent ones during their menstrual cycle. There was enough evidence to show that attendance and retention of female students improved once clean and separate toilets with water were provided for girls. “Sharat (Chandra, DGE D 3110) took me to inaugurate a toilet block in Agra. At that time there were only five girls there, now there are 150. Such is the impact of toilets for girls. And these also result in increased retention of female teachers,” Desai added. Better attendance leads to better performance of students. “With two drops of the polio vaccine we did mass immunity. Here we are talking about mass hygiene.”

Rotary magic Desai said according to one estimate over 1.01 lakh toilets for girls and over 1.52 lakh toilets for boys were missing in our schools. The real figure might be more, but whatever it was, Rotary will be building a chunk of the missing toilets. “No wonder Venkaiah Naidu and Smriti Irani appreciate Rotary,” Desai said, amidst thunderous applause. But, he cautioned them, this was only a promise they had made; they were yet to deliver. He then took commitments from participants from various Districts and clubs on how many toilets blocks they would deliver, and urged them to go the extra mile

Rotary ho ke aata hu The incoming Rotary International Director Manoj Desai, known for his interesting presentations/ lectures, didn’t let down the Rotarians gathered in Pune to learn more about the Rotary WinS project. Underlining the importance of branding, Desai said that he was recently in Nasik “where we are building 213 toilets ... boys and girls were standing and chatting and suddenly a boy said: ‘Rotary ho ke aata hu!” Similarly in Jamnagar in Gujarat, Rotary had given 1,500 water filters in schools, where some of the children even brought empty bottles to take home clean drinking water. “There they say: Rotary pee ke aata hu!”

APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 15

WinS Coordinators Dist.

Name of District Coordinator

Mobile No

E-Mail Id

Zone

Zonal Coordinator

3240

Arijit Endow

9435012244

arijit3240@gmail.com

East

Sanjay Khemka

3250

Anil Kumar Singh

9431128188

bsbk_ltd@dataone.in

East

Sanjay Khemka

3262

Ashok Mohapatra

9437052286

dilip3260@gmail.com

East

Sanjay Khemka

3291

Ravi Sehgal

9903251051

ravisehgal5@gmail.com

East

Sanjay Khemka

3292

Tirtha Man Sakya

9851038917

rmsakya@gmail.com

East

Sanjay Khemka

3261

Dr. Ashok Singh

9861010130

ashoksingh3260@gmail.com

East

Sanjay Khemka

3120

Satpal Gulati

9648700000

satpalgulati3120@gmail.com

North

Ramesh Aggarwal

3011

Ramesh Chander

9810364133

rameshchander@chetna.co.in

North

Ramesh Aggarwal

3012

Sharat Jain

9810018618

sharat.jain@rechargeitnow.com

North

Ramesh Aggarwal

3040

Nitin Dafria

9827030455

ndafria@yahoo.com

North

Ramesh Aggarwal

3052

Ratnesh Kashyap

9829053300

ratnesh.3050@gmail.com

North

Ramesh Aggarwal

3053

Kranti Mehta

9414019462 9829097728

mehta_company@hotmail.com

North

Ramesh Aggarwal

3070

Upkar Singh Sethi

9814051501

upkarsinghsethi@gmail.com

North

Ramesh Aggarwal

3080

Manmohan Singh

9876700454

msdg1213rid3080@gmail.com

North

Ramesh Aggarwal

3090

Dinesh Gupta

9876187942

dg_pfw2006@yahoo.co.in

North

Ramesh Aggarwal

3100

Rakesh Singhal

9412244288

rtnrakeshsinghal3100@gmail.com

North

Ramesh Aggarwal

3110

Ravi Prakash Agarwal

9837050024

ravi_prakash_2002@yahoo.com

North

Ramesh Aggarwal

3150

Jashti Ranga Rao

9866333896

ranga3150@gmail.com

South

Ravi Vadlamani

3160

K. Ramlinga Reddy Kalluri

9848091692

kalluriramalingareddy@gmail.com

South

Ravi Vadlamani

3180

S.K. Nagendran

9448068035

sknrotary@gmail.com

South

Ravi Vadlamani

3190

Rajendra Rai

9845489604

hrajendrarai@gmail.com

South

Ravi Vadlamani

3020

P. Surya Rao

9246642621

csrao57@yahoo.com

South

Ravi Vadlamani

2981

N. Govindraj

7708784411

dassfashion@yahoo.com

South (T& K)

I.S.A.K. Nazar

2982

N. Asoka

9443364932

nasoka@rediffmail.com

South (T& K)

I.S.A.K. Nazar

3000

Y. Kumanan

9894753013

ykumanan@gmail.com

South (T& K)

I.S.A.K. Nazar

3201

V. Rajkumar

9843022886

rcf_rajkumar@yahoo.com

South (T& K)

I.S.A.K. Nazar

3202

Dr. Senthil

9944841011 7598389035

senthilnathansiva@gmail.com

South (T& K)

I.S.A.K. Nazar

3211

R. Reghunath

9846025255

rrnrotary@hotmail.com

South (T& K)

I.S.A.K. Nazar

3212

H. Shahjahan

9842136003

rtnshajahan@yahoo.com

South (T& K)

I.S.A.K. Nazar

3230

R. Benjamin Cherian

9841032330

benjamin@rajholdings.com

South (T& K)

I.S.A.K. Nazar

3170

Pratap Puranik

9422581400

pratappuranik@gmail.com

West

Vinay Kulkarni

3030

Dr. Satish Sule

9822369445

drsule@rediffmail.com

West

Vinay Kulkarni

3051

Dr. Gyaneshwar Rao

9825225405

dgrao1314@gmail.com

West

Vinay Kulkarni

3060

Ashish Ajmera

9423193000

ashishajmera27@hotmail.com

West

Vinay Kulkarni

3131

Abhay Gadgil

abhaygadgil3131@gmail.com

West

Vinay Kulkarni

3132

Ravindra Salunke

9422069871

rgsanar@yahoo.co.in

West

Vinay Kulkarni

3140

Shrirang Prabhu

9920424740

shrirang_prabhu@hotmail.com

West

Vinay Kulkarni

RIDE Manoj Desai addressing the Ignite session in the presence of PRIP Kalyan Banerjee and RIPE K R Ravindran on the dais.

Maintenance crucial But the Rotary expertise and commitment would really need to kick in after the toilet blocks were built, when operational maintenance would become crucial. Good washing spaces in schools were critical too; according to Government data based on a survey in 352 schools, “49 per cent schools do not have any designated washing space. What it really means is that they don’t even have a simple wash basin. And 49 per cent have only water; and only 32 per cent have soap and detergent, so kafi dhanda karne ka baki hei. (A lot of work needs to be done). And that includes maintenance.” He said that Vinay (Kulkarni, PDG) had roped in an agency to train 500 women to clean and maintain the toilets in Pune and that model would have to be replicated across India. Desai added that the preferred ratio and prescribed norms were one toilet plus three urinals for 40 students but “we have decided on two toilets plus other facilities.

“

With two drops of the polio vaccine we did mass immunity. Here we are talking about mass hygiene.

“

to create Happy Schools as well. (Details of coordinators, Zonal chiefs and National Executive members of WinS in the graphic). This would mean, apart from clean toilets and washing facilities, boundary walls, desks, playgrounds, etc. The model of a pre-fabricated toilet would be displayed to them at the summit venue in Pune. Normally each block costs Rs 1 lakh, but thanks to the volume they were delivering, the cost had been bargained down to Rs 60,000, and it includes a water tank too! Also, the pre-fabricated blocks could be put together in just four hours. “The good news is that you do not have to raise this money; the GoI PSUs — will give it to us.

For girls in the puberty age group there are no instructions. But obviously they require soap for menstrual hygiene, and we will do it for them.”

Happy meeting place While Mehta’s group was working on total literacy and under Sushil Gupta’s leadership, WinS would go ahead full blast, “where do the two meet? In schools. If you do only WinS, it doesn’t become a Happy School. But if you do a Happy School, WinS is automatically taken care of.” Desai expressed the confidence that the existing DGs, DGEs and PDGs, with help of their clubs, would implement this project in a befitting manner. Urging the Rotary leaders present in the room to go beyond just building toilet blocks and also provide water tanks, water filters, sufficient hand washing facilities, and taps with a supply of soap, Desai wrapped up his speech with a wry: “There is no money, so don’t expect any travel or hotel expenses. But it is a job we have to do, so let’s do it.” APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 17

AT THE CORE

Make farming attractive to the young by M S Swaminathan When 45 per cent of farmers want to quit farming, how are we going to persuade farm graduates and other educated youth to stay in villages and adopt agriculture as a profession?

he National Commission of Farmers (NCF) had proposed the following steps to strengthen the economic viability of farming. First, credit must be available at an interest rate of four percent both to men and women farmers. At the moment, women farmers do not get credit including Kisan Credit Cards largely because they do not have title to the land. This sad situation prevails even in the farmer suicide-prone areas of Vidarbha. Second, we should improve the post-harvest infrastructure for crop plants as has been done in the case of the dairy sector. Post-harvest storage and value-addition have not received the attention they deserve.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

The profitability

of agriculture can

be improved only if farmer families have opportunities

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

to earn both farm and non-farm income. 18 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

Third, we should promote an Indian Single Market, thereby helping to remove all inter-state barriers in the movement of grains and other farm products. Finally, assured and remunerative marketing is the key to stimulating and sustaining higher production. For this purpose, NCF had recommended that the minimum support price should be C2 (i.e. total cost of production) fty per cent. Unless, prices are plus fifty ive, the younger generation attractive, ot remain in farming. NCF will not mended an attractive price recommended ecause most of our farmers only because mall holdings and have have small very limited mited marketable surplus.

Provide de income orientation The National ational Policy for Farmers recommended mended by the NCF and placed aced in Parliament in November vember 2007, has proposed sed an income orientation ation to farming not only through h remunerative pricing, ng, but also o

through value addition to every part of the plant and animal biomass. For example, we are setting up a Rice Bio Park at Nay Pyi Taw (the new capital of Myanmar) which will help to produce and market value-added products from the rice straw, bran, husk and grain. The profitability of agriculture can be improved only if farmer families have opportunities to earn both farm and non-farm income. This is where biomass utilisation becomes important. The NCF has also made detailed recommendations on methods of attracting and retaining youth in farming. Essentially, unless farming becomes economically attractive and intellectually stimulating, the younger educated persons in the farmer family will not prefer agriculture as their profession. We have to take steps to technologically upgrade farm operations through agricultural mechanisation, biotechnology and information technology. Modern information technology provides fantastic opportunities for communicating to farmers, vital information on weather and market conditions at the right time and place. The National Policy for Farmers, placed in Parliament in November 2007, includes the following

“

Unless farming

becomes economically attractive

and intellectually stimulating, the young and educated in

“

farmer families From Right: PRIP Kalyan Banerjee, TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta and PDG Ashok Gupta at the inauguration of a check dam built by Rotary in a Rajasthan village.

goal — “to introduce measures which can help to attract and retain youth in farming and processing of farm products for higher value addition, by making farming economically attractive.”

Little demographic dividend At present, we are deriving very little demographic dividend in agriculture. On the other hand, the pressure of population on land is increasing and the average size of a farm holding is going down to below one hectare. Farmers are getting indebted and the temptation to sell prime farmland for non-farm purposes is growing. Over 45 per cent of farmers interviewed by the National Sample Survey Organisation wanted to quit farming. Under these conditions, how are we going to persuade educated youth, including farm graduates, to stay in villages and take to agriculture as a profession? How can youth earn a decent living in villages and help shape the future of our agriculture?

This will require a threepronged strategy. Improve the productivity and profitability of small holdings through appropriate land use policies, technologies and market linkages; develop for this purpose

a ‘4C approach’ — that is, Conservation, Cultivation, Consumption and Commerce. Enlarge the scope for the growth of agro-processing, agro-industries and agri-business and establish a ‘Farm to Home’ chain in production, processing and marketing. Promote opportunities for the services sector to expand in a manner that will trigger the technological and economic upgradation of farm operations.

Water and market security Water security and market security are two essential needs for farmer families. In the coming decades, lack of adequate water for irrigation is going to be a major production constraint. In this connection, the contribution of Rotary in building check dams in the arid areas of Rajasthan such as the Alwar and Sikar districts is an initiative worthy of replication. In my view, we should make rainwater harvesting mandatory both in rural and urban areas. The experience of Chennai in mandatory urban rainwater harvesting is a good model. Our Prime Minister has also been emphasising the need for greater attention to improving water use efficiency through a More Crop per

will not opt for this profession.

Drop approach. I really believe Indian Rotarians can play a significant role in this respect. It is commendable that even the Rain Centre in Chennai, which provides information on all aspects of rainwater harvesting and management, has been set up by a Rotarian. Indian agriculture is at the crossroads. On the one hand, we have uncommon opportunities to improve the productivity, profitability and sustainability of small scale farming through synergy between technology and public policy. On the other hand, our farmers face many difficulties arising from the cost, risk and return structure of farming. Market behaviour and import policies further compound their problems. If agriculture goes wrong, nothing else will have an opportunity to go right in our country. The year 2014 marked the transition from a ship-to-mouth existence to a right to food from home-grown food commitment. If our farmers and farming continue to experience neglect, we may have to revert to PL480 days. The writer is a renowned agriculture scientist and Founder Chairman of M S Swaminathan Research Foundation. Designed by L Gunasekaran APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 19

Lahori hospitality for RID by Rasheeda Bhagat

RID P T Prabhakar and Nalini with DGN Mir Arif Ali and Mahru, and other Pakistani Rotarians at Wagah Border.

hen RI Director P T Prabhakar can’t stop raving about the hospitality of the Pakistani Rotarians during his recent visit to Lahore, I quiz him on how a strict vegetarian like him survived in a meat-loving nation like Pakistan! My several visits to Pakistan are filled with memories of numerous meat delicacies served in extra-large portions! “You won’t believe it. The gala meal at the inter-city club event was totally vegetarian. I felt sad that they had to eat only vegetarian food because of me and told them just one vegetarian dish would have been enough for us. (Spouse Nalini had accompanied him). But I know they did this from respect and love,” he said. “The hospitality of the Lahore Rotarians was unbelievable,” he added. Of course he was given an indication by the Rotarians in Amritsar that “you would never have seen anything like this, and will understand what Pakistani hospitality is, only once you go there.” (Rtn Saleem Ahmad Khan elaborated: “The all-veg meal, with 12 dishes including veg Chow Mein/Noodles and other delicacies, was prepared under the guidance of Mahru Arif Ali!”) Due to security concerns, the visits of RI officers to Pakistan are limited. But when Mir Arif Ali, DG Nominee, D 3272, found out at the South Asia

Literacy Summit in Pune in February that the RID would be in Amritsar on Feb 25, he grabbed the opportunity to invite him to Lahore. “The Wagah border is 15–20 km from where I was going, and Mir’s house is a similar distance from the border,” recalls Prabhakar. The Rotary network was put in place and visa acquired; there wasn’t even time to get the passport delivered to Prabhakar, who finally got it in the aircraft when his flight Chennai to Amritsar halted in Delhi! “I was invited by RC Lahore Model Town and more than 25 Rotarians from the Club came to Wagah to receive me.” The local Rotarians left nothing to chance and he was given security by four armed security personnel during his 24-hour stay in the Pakistani city. At the inter-city meeting he complimented the Pakistani Rotarians for carrying on polio immunisation work amidst the toughest of challenges which saw shooting of polio workers. “The meeting was attended by about 400 people and widely covered by the print and electronic media. I commended their work being done in

the midst of such grave challenges and told them ‘you are doing a great job and it’s far tougher job you are doing here in eradicating polio than what we did in India.’ They were working so hard and were bound to meet with success and one day soon polio will be eradicated from Pakistan, which is among the only three countries in the world still facing this challenge,” he said. RC Model Town President Asif Mazari said, “It was a great honour for us to honour Mrs and Mr Prabhakar. During their short stay we organised an inner city tour of Lahore. At the meeting he shared his vast experience in Rotary with us and we found his talk very interesting.” Prabhakar returned from his first visit to the neighbouring country with two takeaways: “The incredible beauty of Lahore and the incredible love, warmth and hospitality of the local Rotarians.” APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 21

District 3131 rocked … at Goa by Jaishree Promoting Mary Kom and Juhi Chawla as Rotary India Literacy Mission’s brand ambassadors; getting a peek into the RI’s much-talked about WinS programme and much more ... at D-3131 conference at Goa.

t was ‘Go, Go Goa’ for the Rotarians of D-3131 as they converged at this vibrant Konkan State for the District Conference (February 5–7), with the theme ‘Fun, Friendship and Fellowship.’ PDG Rajkumar, District 3201, was the RI President’s Representative. Conference Chair Gurdeep Singh Arora and team brought out a winning combo of programmes to make the event memorable and lively for the 2,500 participants. This Rotary Year, the going has been remarkably good for the District. DG Vivek Aranha said in his inaugural address that the Districts had added over 1,000 new members, opened 24 new Rotary clubs, 4 eClubs, 2 allwomen clubs and of course, the unique

22 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

RIDE Manoj Desai announces Mary Kom as Brand Ambassador for RILM in the presence of DG Vivek Aranha, PDGs Vinay Kulkarni, Deepak Purohit, Deepak Shikarpur and Mahesh Kotbagi.

PDG Mukund Abhyankar being felicitated by RIDE Manoj Desai (left) and DG Vivek Aranha (right).

‘club on wheels’ (RC Pune Deccan Queen). The clubs’ total contribution to TRF was a generous $540,000. “You have enough reason to be proud of and rejoice in this show of solidarity and passion for humanitarian service and Rotary,” he said. Aranha also commended the Rotarians’ role in establishing dialysis centres at various hospitals across the District and the mammography units which would immensely benefit underprivileged patients, and their diverse literacy initiatives. RIDE Manoj Desai conferred the prestigious awards on the significant achievers in membership development and service projects. PDG Mukund Abhyankar was honoured with RI’s Vocational Excellence Award and PDG Deepak Shikarpur with RI’s Citation

Rtn Abhay Gadgil being honoured by RIPR Rajkumar and DG Vivek Aranha.

for Meritorious Service. Rotarians Abhay Gadgil, Krishnakumar Jindal and M Radhakrishnan were recognised for their generous contributions of $250,000 each to TRF, thus becoming eligible for the elite Arch Klumph Society membership. Addressing the Rotarians, Desai outlined RI’s strategies for the coming years and discussed various plans proposed by RIPE K R Ravindran for the next Rotary year. He stressed on the significance of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Schools (WASH in Schools) and its relevance to attract more children to schools regularly. He urged Rotary clubs to adopt poorlymaintained schools particularly in the rural and semi-urban belts and improve the infrastructure, to make ‘Total Literacy’ a reality. He said Rotary had

Dipti Aranha felicitates Juhi Chawla.

commitment to the Union Government to build 10,000 toilet blocks each year, for two years. Amidst cheers from the audience, world Boxing champion Mary Kom and actress Juhi Chawla accepted Desai’s invitation to become brand ambassadors to endorse Rotary’s literacy mission. When the ace boxer announced her endeavour to establish a boxing academy at Manipur to train young girls, several Rotarians were quick to promise financial support for the cause. The various cultural programmes provided a visual treat for the guests, the notable one being the dance performances by the 15 Rotary Youth Exchange students from Europe, US and other Asian countries. Their integration with Indian culture evoked a sense of awe among the gathering. Not to be outdone were the District’s women Rotarians. The fashion show, Rotary style, concentrated on how much aware the Rotarians were on Rotary and the confidence they exuded; Rtn Shalala Ghaisas of RC Poona University bagged the winner’s award. The Bambolim Beach Resort provided the ideal setting to unwind at the end of each day, giving the Rotarians from various Rotary clubs an opportunity to network, share ideas and success stories and generally bask in the sea of Rotary fellowship, gearing up for the rest of the Rotary year and many more to follow. Designed by N Krishnamurthy APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 23

The crusade for

literacy by Rasheeda Bhagat

“W

hat this event has lined up for you is nothing short of amazing. We have (K R) Ravindran, incoming RI President, from the first fully literate country in South Asia, who has himself volunteered to come, inspire and urge us on. Trustee Chair from Chicago John Kenny is here. Raja (Saboo), our own patron, whose engagement with functional literacy goes back to 1992, is here. RILM Chair Shekhar (Mehta) and TRF Trustee and WinS (WASH in Schools) National Chair Sushil (Gupta) are all present. But above all, we have all of you, the movers, the shakers, the doers, who

will take it all home, far and wide, into each club, community, village, each nukkad, through your teams and drive on and on and on till we reach our destination.” With these words the architect of the literacy programme in India, and rest of South Asia, PRIP Kalyan Banerjee, spurred the gathering of 1,250 delegates from all over South Asia to go ahead and realise the dream of making India, and rest of South Asia, totally literate by 2017. Later he clarified that he had chosen 2017 as the landmark “because it is the 100th year of TRF.” Rotary clubs in the region had been engaged in literacy for decades;

Can India be a pioneer? The power-packed presentation by Prof Sugata Mitra from Newcastle University expressing his frustration that he had tried in vain with various governments to usher in a system where the Internet was allowed into the exam hall, but failed miserably, triggered an idea in the mind of PRIP Kalyan Banerjee. “I know how interested in literacy and how tech-savvy our Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) is. I was telling Shekhar (Mehta) that let us talk to the PM himself; let us take Prof Sugata Mitra with us and let India become the first country in the world to use the Internet for literacy and education as no other country has done before,” said Banerjee to a thunderous applause. But before that, a think tank has to be in place — with both Rotarians and non-Rotarians. “They can be brought to events like this to share their experience, give their inputs.” Congratulating Mehta for the mega event, he added, “If we can make India literate ... my god, just think about what we would have done! And the Government is ready for it. When, in this country, have you seen a government as ready to join hands with Rotary in literacy or building toilets? What a tremendous opportunity we have and it is up to us to make the best of this opportunity.”

24 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

they have collected thousands and thousands of books and built libraries, built, repaired, renovated and furnished classrooms, “whether 5,000 ft high up in the Himalayas or in the brick kilns of Munger in Bihar or deep in the tribal forests of Odisha. You have worked with the children of prisoners in the slums in Mumbai. You Rotarians run engineering and management colleges in thousands and thousands; you honour teachers, hold special classes for women and adults in after-hours. You survey, you fill in the gaps; you find solutions.” This was the time to take stock, join their hands firmly with the government to achieve a 90-plus literacy goal in the time frame — 2017 — “and not stop until it is done.” Apart from lining up impressive brand ambassadors for literacy — from Amitabh Bachchan and Mary Kom to Juhi Chawla, signing an MoU with the GoI on Swachh Bharat and finalising ambitious plans with the Central Government on WinS, to setting up e-learning centres in Maharashtra, Rotarians were doing it all. “And when we’re done, this will be the first computer-literate State in India.” But coming to “brass tacks, or nuts and bolts of one of my favourite subjects,” Banerjee said that a major shortfall in schools, particularly government ones, was the lack of good,

qualified and interested teachers. He recalled seeing in one primary school with 137 students in Gujarat just one solitary woman teacher. “Managing all the students in all the classes she was thoroughly exhausted, exasperated, perated, dispirited and was seeking a transfer to a school nearer her homee somewhere in South Gujarat, about out 600 miles away.” d found In Uttarakhand, they had ade salaqualified teachers with high grade mployed ries subletting their jobs to unemployed and unqualified persons at a fraction of their salaries “obviously making a terrible mess of the whole thing ren’s and jeopardising the children’s cher future too. The original teacher was either doing some other job ke or giving private tuition to make more money.” ers Of course not all teachers were so callous; there were, in equal measure, dedicated and committed men and women fully engaged in teaching. Teacher training

Banerjee appealed to alll State governments — education is a State’s subject — to adopt a flexible approach pproach and allow the services of part-timers, -timers, housewives, retired personnel nel and student volunteers, perhaps only on Saturdays, to take classes on a regular basis, for a small stipend.

They could be given a 4–6 week refresher course before starting. “In my experience, the biggest roadblock in our education endeavours today is not books, not classrooms, not toilets or computers, it is something more

basic. It is the non-availability of competent, interested teachers. And that is something we need to address.” Banerjee added that sometimes he heard murmurs that we’ve taken on too much in Rotary, and isn’t education the government’s job? What difference will governm we make finally? Chances are that we’ll mess it aall up. “Well, if that’s what they had said when Rotary had first taken up eradication too, could India have polio era become ppolio-free? Of course we’re not done yet, but perhaps in the next one year Pakistan would be polio-free and even Pak the job would have been done.” then th So was true of literacy in India. S “Surely we will get it done sooner “Sur than later,” he said, adding that Abraham Lincoln had once said if Abr you have three hours to cut down a ttree, use the first one to sharpen yyour axe. “That is what we did iin PolioPlus, which sharpened uus and has given us the confiddence, experience and the faith to stick to a tough job … to try harder and never, never loosen the hard grip till the job is done. Together we can do it it.…” With these words, Banerjee urged the asse assembled Rotarians to “return home, in involve our ladies in the Inner Wheel, our youth, our Rotaractors, Interact Interactors and guide them in this crusade for literacy.” Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 25

Time to end education apartheid Sending all children to school is ridden with conflicts and hidden agendas, but it can be done by alliance and sans confrontation.

by Rasheeda Bhagat

L to R: PDG Mahesh Kotbagi, PRIP Kalyan Banerjee, PDG Sudhir Rashingkar, PDG Somasekharan and PRID Shekhar Mehta.

amon Magsasay Award winner and founder of M V Foundation, an NGO that has put one million children in school, Shantha Sinha, stole the hearts and minds of the 1,250-odd delegates at the South Asia Literacy Summit in Pune when she told the gathering that her organisation has already put one million children in school. “I had decided to retire saying enough is enough. But in the last one hour I feel so much energy. I came empty-handed but picked up so much energy, and I’ve decided to send back 20,000 more children to schools. You’ve given me that courage.”

26 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

She had the audience cheering her when she said that to make India — and the rest of South Asia — totally literate by 2017 or 2018 was a “crazy dream ... such things require a quirk, a passion ... but we have to trust people ... the youth of this country and their capacity.” Shantha admitted that if there has to be a difference in the country and a great leap forward, it could happen only with education and literacy. But, she warned the assembled Rotarians listening to her in rapt attention, sending children back to schools was neither an “easy nor a soft programme. It is ridden with conflicts and hidden agendas.” To put one million children back into schools, they had to virtually resolve a million conflicts — stop 20,000 child marriages, pull 15,000 children out of

“

Putting children into schools is not a “soft” or easy programme; it is ridden with conflicts and has hidden agenda.

“

bonded labour and rescue thousands of trafficked children, without the associated stigma. But the trick to succeed in such an endeavour, where “hidden power structures operate in keeping children out of schools, is to believe that there cannot be any enemies in this programme.” Shantha said that the mistake several people working in children’s education make is to adopt an “adversarial position against the employers, school teachers, parents, government ... and think all of them are no good. But our programme starts with the assumption that everyone is an ally, a partner.” She gave an example of a young woman who was running an evening motivation centre. The man who employed those children came to attack her with an axe because she was trying to take away his bonded labour. The children protected her. But the next day, when she found him on the same bus as hers, she asked him: “What did I do so wrong that you wanted to kill me?” But later, she felt she had erred in challenging him thus in a public place, so went and apologised to him and said if he released the children from bondage, she would honour him. He did that and she honoured him at a public function where he did a vidya daan ceremony, presenting Magsaysay awardee Shantha Sinha, Founder, M V Foundation.

“

We are all mad; mad about children and their education. That is why we are here ... without madness, such a movement will be lost like a bubble.

books, schoolbags, etc to the children, saying: “Go ahead and study well!”

Rotary and alliances Such conflicts had to be resolved, and alliances made. This was exactly what Rotary had been doing all the time, expanding its base and building alliances. “This is just like your polio drive where you would have planned every polio drop for every child ... otherwise you couldn’t have won the polio battle. This too is as important as every polio drop ... that you touch every child to get the child back into school.” Promising her support in the resolve to make India totally literate, Shantha said building such a social movement or mood requires “a madness ... we are all mad; mad APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 27

“

Picture: Hemant Banswal

RI Director P T Prabhakar and Nalini with State Skill Development Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy.

about children and their education. Th That is why we are here ... without madness, such a movement will be lo lost like a bubble.” RIDE Manoj Desai with DLCC Ravee Dhotre.

Deepening democracy But in this journey Rotarians would have to strengthen village panchayats, school mana management committees and teachers. The Literacy Summit w was commendable because here the attempt was to give the cchild her dignity. “When she is educated, you will also be bbreaking the cycle of poverty, bringing both gende gender and social equity by bridging the inequaliti inequalities of society, thus deepening democracy, whi which is much more than just the voting right.” Denial of ed education was like being apartheid, and once o this difference between the haves and have-nots was removed, Ind India would become a great na nation, she added.

Skilling India S Addressing the summit, MinA is of State for Skill Develister opment, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, op said an urgent need of India today was imparting aadequate skills to its young, untrained populat population. And for this, the first major step would bbe training a massive number of trainers to car carry out this skilling gap, and then certifying th them so they could both train and certify those they trained. Reeling off statistics, s he said that while Germany has a 74 per cent skilled population, 2288 ROT ROTARY R OT TA AR ARY RYY N R NE NEWS EWS WS APRIL APPR APR A PPRIL RIL IL 2015 20 20 201 011155

Pakistani Rotarians gear up for literacy

Pakistan National Literacy Chair Faiz Kidwai.

Mei aisi kaum se hu jiske woh bacchon se darta hei. Bada dushman bana phirta hei jo bachhon se ladta hei. (I belong to a community whose children terrify him / What kind of enemy is he that he has waged a war on children?) As the Pakistan National Literacy Chair Faiz Kidwai projected this video clip on the mammoth screen at the South Asia Literacy Summit, there was a hushed silence in the hall. Sung by a 10-year-old Pakistani child, it summed up the trauma of the children of a nation targeted by the Taliban. The song was dedicated to the children of the Army Public School who were so brutally murdered on Dec 16, 2014 in Peshawar. “This will be one of the black days of this world. Since then I myself have been having nightmares; the children who were murdered, come into my dreams and ask what was our fault? There is no answer for that question,” said Kidwai. Kidwai said Rotarians in Pakistan faced many challenges today, including a huge one to make their country polio-free. “All those involved in social development work of any kind in Pakistan are facing risks — terrorism, economic and social instability; 1,000 schools have been destroyed and 6 lakh children affected. But yet all those committed to bettering the lives of our people continue their work.”

Along with Pakistan National PolioPlus Chair, Aziz Memon, he believed that a big push for literacy in Pakistan would help in polio eradication. A lot of people in Pakistan had pinned their hopes on Malala Yousufzai, who this year won the Nobel Peace Prize with Kailash Satyarthi of India. She survived an attack on her life and “I believe Malala is going to lead the children of this world for a better world. I also feel this is the last chance for our generation. If we fail, the next generation is going to tell us to sit back and they will lead their own journey. So it is better that we do something before they push us back.” Expressing gratitude to RILM Chair Shekhar Mehta and his team for training Pakistani Rotarians on the practices being followed in India in the drive for literacy, Kidwai disclosed plans to build schools in Pakistan, train supplementary teachers, equip teaching centres etc. By year-end they planned to build 1,000 e-learning centres and train 2,000 teachers. They were also focused on inculcating the reading habit in children. The target was to collect a million books to establish libraries; in two months 3,00,000 had already been collected. Rotarians in Karachi had signed an MoU with the education directorate to adopt 88 schools, “where we’ll improve the quality of education through our teacher training programme.” The added benefit: Rotary can also use these campuses for adult literacy, vocational training, etc. Rotary had also signed an MoU with USAIDS which was building 120 schools in Pakistan; “normally they build schools and hand them over to the government, but instead of doing that they want Rotary to manage these schools. We’ll adopt some of these and take care of their computer and science labs too,” Kidwai added. He concluded with an excerpt from Malala’s Nobel acceptance speech: “Let us become the first generation to decide to be the last. The empty classrooms, the lost childhoods, wasted potential — let these things end with us. Let this be the last time that a boy or a girl spends their childhood in a factory ... a girl gets forced into early child marriage; an innocent child loses his life in war; a classroom that remains empty; a girl is told education is a crime and not a right; a child remains out of school. Let us begin this ending. Let this end with us.” (Watch the song sung by the Pakistani child on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4X5ds_Qq2M) APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 29

“

G D Birla donated wholeheartedly to education because he believed in its power.

“

the United Kingdom has 68 per cent and Australia 60 per cent. Japan is far ahead with 80 per cent and South Korea has a staggeringly high 96 per cent skilled manpower. “India, on the other hand, has only 2 per cent of its population that can be termed as skilled work force.” Quoting a UN report, he said that in the years ahead, India will have the world’s largest chunk of young population in the age group 15–35 years. This massive group will have to be given the right skills and that was a huge challenge. Towards meeting this requirement, the GoI had decided to partner with the Indian armed forces to utilise the skills of those defence personnel who retire at an early age, to create the required group of trainers in various skill development programmes. They had the skills, the commitment and discipline to carry out this task, Rudy added.

Birlas’ contribution to education Recalling the Birlas’ 20-year association with Rotary, Rajashree Birla, Chairperson, Aditya Birla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development, said the family’s engagement with education began 100 years ago, with G D Birla, influenced by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, supporting educational charities in Kolkata and in Mumbai, in partnership with Jamnalal Bajaj. In 1918, the Birla family established a high school in Pilani. “The evolution over the last 50 years, from a tiny

30 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

“

Against 74 per cent in German and 80 per cent in Japan, India has a skilled workforce of only two per cent.

PRID Ashok Mahajan with Rajashree Birla.

pathshala to the marvel that is BITS Pilani, an Institute, offering the best of science and technology education, makes for a splendid story.” BITS has now spread to Goa, Hyderabad and Dubai. Education was very much ingrained in the “Birla family’s DNA,” Rajashree said, adding that G D Birla donated “wholeheartedly to education because he believed in its power.” The Aditya Birla Centre reaches out to thousands of children, and makes an aggressive push for both girls’ education and holistic education, all the time instilling in children a solid foundation of values such as love, compassion, empathy and integrity. PRID Ashok Mahajan rued that we had already lost a lot of time in not giving due importance to education, resulting in, as a 2014 UN report pointed out, India having the “highest population of illiterate adults at 287 million — 37 per cent of the global adult illiterate population.” While enrolment rates are rising steadily, the UN estimates that poor girls/women will be able to get the benefit of literacy programmes only by 2080. Blaming poor infrastructure in schools, lack of qualified teachers especially in rural areas, inaccessibility, lack of toilets and transport facilities for the high dropout rates at secondary and higher education levels, he said while these should be checked, the adult illiterate should be engaged and interested in becoming literate through innovative methods, shedding our “machine-like approach to education.” Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat Designed by Krishnapratheesh

Literacy Focus Strengthening District Institute of PRID Shekhar Mehta Chairman, Rotary India Literacy Mission

Education and Training (DIET)

India Literacy Mission

n March Rotary India Literacy Mission is focusing on strengthening the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET). Institutions under the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) that conduct induction training for fresh recruitment of elementary school teachers and periodic in-service training for others. The purpose of the DIET is to improve the performance of elementary school teachers through better training to enhance the learning outcome of students.

How to participate in strengthening a DIET? •

•

This is best done at the RI District level as there is a DIET in every revenue district and RILM is aiming to improve one DIET in each State. Visit the DIET nearest to your location and contact the Principal. Some DIETs have their own websites which too can be visited to obtain preliminary information. Discuss with the Principal and Teacher-Trainers if the pre-service training and in-service training of primary/ elementary school teachers is taking place as per the policy prescriptions of the Regional Committees of the National Council of Teacher Education. Visit the website http://www.ncte-india.org/index.asp Having discussed the academic and related status of the DIET, ask the Principal and Teacher-Trainers the ways in which the DIET can be assisted in areas such as improving the library with teacher training material

•

(including e-modules for teacher training), computer, crucial laboratory equipment, etc. Use the Form T 6 for DIET Survey to assess the felt needs of the DIET. In accordance with such need assessment, estimate costs, tie-up funds and start the process of strengthening the DIET. Any item involving construction and staff or other items of expenditure of recurring nature may have to be avoided. It is advisable to locate a “Good DIET” in your State or in a neighbouring State and visit the same. This can be done by the National Committee Members for Teacher Support. This will help in understanding what all needs to be done to improve the DIET under consideration. RILM has not prescribed any specific model or funding assistance for this purpose. It is expected that Districts will be able to access TRF grants to finance these activities.

How to understand the efficacy of the DIET strengthening process carried out: •

•

You may ask training staff/teacher educators of the utility of the facilities installed in facilitating their training tasks. You may ask those teachers who have undergone pre-service and in-service training from the DIET, post intervention by the Club, about their training experience. APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 31

More business people

should be involved in

humanitarian work by Rasheeda Bhagat The incoming Chairman of The Rotary Foundation, Ray Klinginsmith, says Rotary is not attracting young Scandinavians and women, though in Germany Rotary membership is considered prestigious. But even while women constitute only 20 per cent membership, “thanks to their hard work, they are likely to rise to 30–40 per cent in Rotary leadership,” he told Rotary News in an interview at the 2015 Assembly in San Diego.

The Rotary Foundation is 98 years old; basically you are asking people for money so you can go out and do good in the world. How easy or difficult is it to ask people for money ... and get it?

Well, the Foundation started slowly and didn’t have much money for a long time. When Paul Harris died we made requests for contributions to honour him and that was in 1947. As a result of that, enough money came in for us to start the scholarship programme in 1948 with 18 scholars. And then it grew to 1,200. In 1965, two new programmes came in; the matching grants and the GSE (Group Study Exchange) and those 32 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

moved on and became comparable with the scholarship programme and became so popular that we couldn’t handle the volume and that was what gave rise to Future Vision. We had the choice to hire more staff or move on to larger projects. Financially it made more sense to move to larger and more sustainable projects because it costs as much to administer a small grant as a large one. But well, as all the NGOs in the world discover ... we’re not the only ones ... not all grants are sustainable. So in 2005 we undertook the quest to improve the system and that resulted in Future Vision, with 100 districts

piloted for three years starting in 2010. Now we are in the third year and probably the most important thing that is going to happen in my year (2015–16) is evaluation of the new grants model. When there is so much demand and claims for the Foundation’s funds from all across the world, how do you decide which project to fund?

The good news is that we put out the information and Rotarians decide what to support. We have a very good fundraising staff and in the field we have endowment and major gifts advisors. Then there are the RRFCs charged with

raising money, there are the District Rotary Foundation Committees and it all works because Rotarians believe the projects are worth giving the money for! Today somebody said ... I think it was John Kenny... that when you send a dollar to the TRF it doesn’t sit in Evanston, it goes out to the Rotarians. So that is the secret of our success and so far it is doing very well despite our competitors, who also are doing wonderful work. On the one hand you have the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and on the other hand you have small contributions from individual Rotarians, and ultimately all of it goes to funding well deserving projects! So are there different models of raising funds in different regions?

Yes. For example, Australia has never been a very strong supporter of TRF because it has its own charities. It has been a tradition that Australians run their own programmes. But now they’ve started a programme where every Australian Rotarian has to give $100 every year to the TRF on a regular basis and the clubs keep track of it. And it is working! While Australians give $100, in the US we raise more money through the Paul Harris Fellowships ($1000). Coming to membership, while some European countries such as Germany and Italy are holding on to their members, Rotary membership is going down in Scandinavia. Why is this so?

I don’t think we are attracting younger people in Scandinavia. But in Germany the prestige of the clubs is so high that people want to join to be able to say they are Rotarians, because that gives them a certain image in the community. At one time Scandinavia had the highest Rotarians per capita than other countries in the world. But we are gradually losing them in the last 15–20 years. What do you think is the reason?

I don’t think Rotary is attractive to the younger people, as well as women, as the gender gap in Rotary membership shows. We’ve just not been able to

We’re not attracting younger people in Scandinavia. But in Germany the prestige of the clubs is so high that people want to join for a better image in the community. cross the bridge to the younger people and in Scandinavia the young people are little more avant-garde than other countries.

There has been discussion of involving the Rotary scholars more closely with the organisation, because over the years they tend to drift away. And do they even end up becoming Rotarians?

Is Rotary actively wooing women?

The Rotary scholar’s aim is to make the world a better place ... as for their becoming Rotarians they might if while selecting them we tell them we expect you to be active in the Rotary world. And they can choose whether to join or work on a project or come for occasional meetings. But we need to tell them that ‘Rotary is changing your life and you need to share your story in appreciation.’ And I believe they will respond to it.

That is up to the clubs; we’re now up to 20 per cent and are disappointed that women’s membership is not growing faster. At the district leadership level, even that 20 per cent is not reflecting in India when it comes to women Governors. We have 34 DGEs from India at this Assembly, and only one is a woman!

Well, when I was (RI) President, in New Zealand, there were six Governors and three were women! We started taking women in 1989, and it took until 2008 to get a woman on the Board of Directors! In Rotary you have to work your way up. But they are there now and I believe they will eventually be over-represented on the Board in proportion to their numbers. But I don’t like to say it because they will be representing all members, and not only women. I think that women in Rotary, because of their hard work and willingness to work, even if their membership numbers remain at 20 per cent as now, their leadership in Rotary will be more like 30–40 per cent. From my little interaction with the only incoming woman Governor from India — Bindu Singh — I can tell you, she is tough as nails!

Is she? (Guffaws in delight)

A lot of thought is now going into branding Rotary. Unfortunately, in the mainstream media at least in India, there are negative vibes about Rotary being all about a bunch of men wanting to project themselves. But I see Indian Rotarians doing amazing work, be it building check dams in the semi-desert regions of Rajasthan or rebuilding devastated schools in the difficult terrain of Uttarakhand in the Himalayas. But most Indians don’t know all this.

We come from a background where it was believed that it is wrong to draw attention to yourself ... that has to change. In the old days we could attract people just by the prestige of the club but now we have to convince people about the work we are doing and ask them to help us so we can help them and their communities. So we are learning but are not there yet. APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 33

For how long have you been a Rotarian?

We need to tell Rotary scholars that Rotary is changing your life and you need to share your story in appreciation.

You made an interesting observation about connecting commerce and cause; can you elaborate?

Commerce, or business around the world, should be involved in humanitarian causes because they (business persons) have more expertise, more integrity, more ability to achieve results in humanitarian work than anybody

else. So business people should be taking up this work ... Many of us are business people providing service and products and we have the expertise to make the world a better place. If good people in the community, who are not Rotarians, have a project, a cause, if they join hands with Rotary, we’ll help them implement it better.

I joined Rotary in the US in 1961, so it is 54 years. How has such long years in this service organisation shaped your life? Was this a turning point for you in any way?

The exposure to Rotary taught me to raise my horizons and gave me much better focus on many areas/ issues of life. What will be your focus as you take over TRF leadership this July?

Two areas — one will be to get ready for the Centenary year (2016– 17) when Kalyan Banerjee from your country will be TRF Chair. And to evaluate the Future Vision programme — it will be time to look back and see what we did right or wrong.

Wellness on Wheels Team Rotary News

otary Club of Madras East, RI District 3230, donated Aarogyam Bus, a mobile cancer screening unit, to an NGO, Penn Nalam, on International Women’s Day. The vehicle costing Rs 45,00,000 would be used by the NGO to reach out to women to sensitise them about early detection of cancer which is vital for effective treatment. Carnatic vocalist Padma Bhushan Sudha Ragunathan was the chief guest at the dedication event. Describing the bus, the club Secretary Janaka Pushpanathan informed that it was made possible through a global grant with RC San Antonio, Texas, the DDF of Rotary District 5840 and TRF. Women between ages 25 to 80 will be screened and involved in the awareness programmes. To be able to detect breast, ovarian, uterine, and cervical cancer and their precursor conditions, the bus contains an examination couch, medical instruments and equipment for whole-body medical examination of women, a portable ultrasound machine and a biochemistry analyser. The data will be computerised and will help in future follow up and treatment of highrisk patients. The bus would also be used for collecting epidemiological data on cancer. Speaking at the launch DG ISAK Nazar said that partnerships between Rotary clubs and such NGOs

34 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

Padma Bhushan Sudha Ragunathan flanked by club President VGP Ravidas and DG Nazar along with other Rotarians.

would play a huge role in “creating sustainable impact in healthcare, especially for economically disadvantaged communities.” Sudha Ragunathan, in her address, emphasised on the “joy of giving” and urged the Rotaractors of Stella Maris College, to “give by starting early.”

The Malegaon Magic Team Rotary News

RFI Chair Ashok Mahajan honouring the Ulemas.

alegaon, about 270 km from Mumbai and the second largest city in Nashik District, Maharashtra, was considered the epicentre of polio-virus five years ago due to its dogged resistance to polio immunisation. Out of four-lakh-odd families, including six lakh Muslim families, at least 1,000 Muslim households refused polio drops for their children and this number fluctuated with each immunisation round. The prejudice stemmed from rumours that the drops would make their children impotent. The breakthrough came with Rotary establishing the Ulema Committee for Polio Eradication in Malegaon in 2010, following the success of a similar committee formed in Uttar Pradesh in 2007, to overcome the community’s resistance to polio drops. This was the time when more than 80 per cent of India’s polio cases where found in the Muslim community. Through this new working relationship, the Ulemas (Muslim religious leaders) were involved in clearing misconceptions about polio vaccines in families

This Committee has gone a long way in breaking the resistance against the vaccine and helped India get the coveted ‘Polio-free’ certification from WHO. through door to door campaigns, and Friday sermons at mosques. Even a Fatwa was issued encouraging people to give polio immunisation to their children to protect them from the crippling disease. “We never dreamt that this initiative would be such a big success,” said Rotary Foundation India (RFI) Chair Ashok Mahajan, who also heads the Committee. This Committee has gone a long way in breaking the resistance against the vaccine and helped India get the coveted ‘Polio-free’ certification from WHO, and was felicitated by four Rotary clubs of Malegaon. It was attended by Mahajan, NCM Rajeev Pradhan, DG

Shantharam Deshmukh, other Rotarians and general public. Mayor of Malegaon Haji Ibrahim, the chief guest, requested the Rotarians to erect hoardings across the city announcing the NID dates to remind people to bring their children to the booths without fail. “We will continue our efforts to keep India polio-free,” said one of the 40 Muslim clerics, who attended the event, and thanked Rotary for its unrelenting engagement with the community. “Given the real and imminent danger of re-infection, we cannot slacken our vigil and we have to give all it takes to realise the promise we have made to the children of the world,” said Mahajan. APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 35

XXXXXXXXX XX X XXX XXX XX XXX XX

From thatched huts ... to shining homes by Rasheeda Bhagat

he two little nondescript villages of S Mambakkam and Manampathi, about 80 km from Chennai, wore a festive air on Sunday, and sprang to life on a scorching March morning with drummers and aartis heralding the arrival of VIPs. A merry group of Rotarians — many of them ‘Peace’ Presidents from the era of 2012–13 when RRFC V Raja Seenivasan was the DG of 3230 – drove into these villages in a dozen-odd SUVs and sedans. The pride of the pack was a glistening BMW transporting PRIP Kalyan Banerjee, who had flown

36 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

down from Mumbai to inaugurate some low cost shelters built by the Rotary Clubs of Chennai Galaxy, Mamandur and Chennai Thiruvanmiyur, with help from TRF Matching Grants and Districts 3680 (South Korea), 1880 (Germany) and 3590 (Korea) respectively. In each of the villages 13 houses—about 165 sq ft—have been constructed, along with toilets, at a cost of Rs 2 lakh, excluding labour which was provided by the beneficiary families. The quality of the construction—plastering, ground tiling, roofing and electrical

works was exemplary and noted by Banerjee, who has long years of experience in low cost shelters, particularly in Kutch battered by the 2001 earthquake. Addressing the meeting, Seenivasan recalled how during his term as Governor in 2012–13, 115 clubs in D 3230 had adopted 115 villages, bringing to life the “Happy Village” project. If today 39 quality

XXXXXXXXX XX X XX XX XXX XXX XXX XX XX

From top (Clockwise) Jyothilingam and his family prepare to shift from his old thatched house to the new one; DG ISAK Nazar, RRFC Raja Seenivasan, PRIP Kalyan Banerjee, Happy Village District Chair Y Sudarsana Rao, with the new houseowners; (from Left) AG Elect Shanthi Selvam, Rtn Anuradha Giri, President Elect of Rotary e-Club of Chennai Jayanthi Seenivasan; Kalyan Banerjee, ISAK Nazar, RC Chennai Galaxy President Nikhil Singhi, RC Chennai Thiruvanmiyur President Dhakshayini V.

shelters had been completed in these three villages at a cost of Rs 1 crore, it was thanks to the intervention of Banerjee “who fought with the RI top leaders” to ensure the matching grants came through. He also gave credit to the then Happy Village District Chair Y Sudarsana Rao for working relentlessly to see this project through. RC Thiruvanmiyur is now building 10 more homes.

Addressing the Rotarians and villagers, Banerjee said such shelters were also being built in two other places, as well as Pakistan which he had visited last month. “But this is probably the best quality, best materials used; it is absolutely perfect! Such shelters change the way the disadvantaged people think. It gives them confidence and hope in the future.” Lauding District 3230 for always doing “fantastic work,” he said that the projects DG ISAK Nazar was doing — such as getting into the Guinness Book of World Records through My Flag My India — “are now making RI Presidents come all the way from Evanston to see what he is doing!” He promised to come back to Tamil Nadu every time “you do

shelters, build schools, toilets, as this is the work of Rotary; this is what I live for and so do all of you.” Banerjee ended his short speech making light of the heavy bamboo pole of the shamiyana that had come crashing down a little earlier, barely missing him but brazing his shoulder, with: “Let me finish before another bamboo is thrown at me!” DG Nazar, DGE C R Raju, and presidents Nikhil Singhi of RC Galaxy, Elumalai of RC Mamandur and V Dhakshayini of RC Thiruvanmiyur also participated. After the dust of the departing motorcade settles down, Jyothilingam, who works as a daily wage labourer, his wife Devi, and their two brighteyed little daughters — Indumathi and Harini — will have a brand new, pucca house to live in. And so will Manohar (a driver earning a wage of Rs 8,000) and his wife Malathi. Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 37

by Kiran Zehra

n December 26, 2004, while holidaying with her family at the Nilavelli Beach Resort in Sri Lanka, DG Gowri Rajan, District 3220, was almost swept away by the dark and angry waters the tsunami unleashed on this region on that day. “The earlier day was Christmas, and I was fast asleep at the resort when I was suddenly woken up by the sound of crashing water,” she recalls. She opened her eyes to find black water

pouring down, and thinking it was “water leaking from the AC,” closed her eyes to go back to sleep. Luckily, she didn’t do that; getting up she drew the curtains to find a wall of water outside her room. “I rushed towards the main door but couldn’t open it thanks to the pressure of the water.” Soon the crashing water burst open the other door in her room, and while trying to get out; she fell

down and was thrown against a tree. In desperation she clung to the tree, till the wave receded, leaving water stagnant around her. She hung on for 15–20 minutes, until her cousin came and rescued her. “As we were walking away, another wave came and my cousin asked me to climb a tree, which I couldn’t. But luckily a friend shouted to me to walk towards a tree where he

Miss World 2014–15 Rolene Strauss launching the One Million Tree Stories in Sri Lanka in the presence of DG Gowri Rajan, 38RIRROT 38 ROTARY RO OT O TA ARY AR RYY N R NE NEWS EWS WS APRIL APR A PR PRIL ILL 2015 201 20 0Celia 015 15 Vice President Cruz de Giay and Past RI President Luis Vicente Giay.

was and pulled me up. So yes, I was saved by not one, but two trees,” says Gowri. So while researching for the Sri Lanka Rotary project termed ‘One Million Tree Stories,’ that aims to plant one million trees in Sri Lanka within this year, “we were discussing the findings of some research that says everybody has a tree in their life.” Being petrified of snakes and insects, Gowri says, “I keep far away from trees, so I said I don’t like trees.” But she was urged to look back and think, and she ended up with one of the most interesting tree stories that any human being can share. Gowri adds that the objective of the project is “to have a greener earth by inspiring, engaging and supporting people to take personal responsibility of the environment, making it safe, healthy and sustainable and to share the process as a model for the country and globally.” Sri Lanka Tourism Department in partnership with Rotary Sri Lanka and Hatton National Bank is sponsoring this project. “An objective research suggests that every human being is emotionally attached to a tree at some point in their lives, hence the name,” said the DG. Miss World 2014–15 Rolene Strauss who visited Sri Lanka to attend the Rotary District 3220 Conference was impressed by the project and decided to plant the first tree. After launching the project she tweeted “Privileged to attend and speak at the launch of the ‘One Million Tree

“

A little girl collecting seedlings for the Rotary tree planting project.

Stories’ project in Sri Lanka. Planting trees — Protecting our environment — Ensuring a sustainable future. Welcomed by traditional dancers and drums. #Rotary International #Sri Lanka Tourism #Colombo.” Rtn Rohantha Athukorala, Chairman Sri Lanka Tourism Bureau said, “A report from the Forest Department of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Sri Lanka has revealed that the forest cover in the island has reduced from 53 per cent in 2012 to 29 per cent. This innovative project allows a happy tourist at the end of his holiday to sponsor a tree for $1.” This includes the cost of the plant and general maintenance for two years. “We have both online and offline ‘Tree Purchases.’ You can view them on our website rotarytree.com. Every single tree is geo-tagged and is entered into the system with the help of Google Earth,” said Nirosha Kodituwakku, Chairman District Website. Catchment

Privileged to attend and speak at the launch of the ‘One Million Tree Stories’ project in Sri

Lanka. Planting trees — Protecting our environ-

“

ment — Ensuring a sustainable future. Welcomed by traditional dancers and drums. #Rotary

International #Sri Lanka Tourism #Colombo. Rolene Strauss, Miss World 2014–15.

areas are marked in red and if somebody is interested in seeing the exact location of their tree, “they can see the satellite image. Of course they will not exactly see the tree but over a year or two the ground will be greener.” Rotary Club of Ibbagamuwa, RI District 3220, in partnership with Department of Irrigation, Agrarian Services Development and Divisional Secretaries of the area, Sri Lankan Army and 2,500 farmers from Ibbagamuwa will help in nurturing the trees in 16 specific nurseries at Ibbagamuwa and Kurunagala villages. “As of now there are one million seedlings available for planting at specific geographical areas,” confirmed Athukorala. He also said that “once the one million trees are planted, a certification for carbon credit (tradable certificate or permit representing the right to emit one tonne of carbon dioxide or the mass of another greenhouse gas with a carbon dioxide equivalent) will be obtained. Sri Lanka’s export industry can purchase the carbon credits at a nominal price to ensure the neutrality of a brand on carbon footprint (the total sets of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an organisation, event, product or person). Rotary plans to partner with the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce to set up the first biodiversity bank in Sri Lanka in the third phase. Designed by L Gunasekaran APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 39

*OINȩTHEȩ4RADITIONALȩ3OUTHȩ!SIANȩ2ECEPTION AT 2)ȩ#ONVENTION ȩ3ÍOȩ0AULO *OWJUF ZPVS HMPCBM QBSUOFST XIP TVQQPSU ZPVS TFSWJDF QSPKFDUT #SJOH ZPVS 3PUBSZ GSJFOET UP TIPX IPX 3PUBSZ XPSLT HMPCBMMZ 0QQPSUVOJUZ UP NFFU BMM UIF XPSME MFBEFST PG 3PUBSZ 7FOVF 3FOBJTTBODF 4ÍP 1BVMP )PUFM "MBNFEB 4BOUPT 4ÍP 1BVMP #SB[JM 5FM

-RLQ XV

:H FRUGLDOO\ LQYLWH WKH 5RWDU \ IDPLO\ RI 6RXWK $VLD WR D WUDGLWLRQDO UHFHSWLRQ RQ 6DWXUGD\ -XQH DW 5HQDLVVDQFH 6ÍR 3DXOR +RWHO $ODPHGD 6DQWRV 6ÍR 3DXOR %UD]LO EHWZHHQ SP DQG SP 5, 'LUHFWRU 3 7 3UDEKDNDU 1DOLQL 3UDEKDNDU

5HJLVWUDWLRQ )HH ,15 86' SHU SHUVRQ 3D\PHQW FDQ EH PDGH E\ FKHTXH SD\DEOH DW SDU RU '' IDYRXULQJ , 6 $ . 1$=$5 SD\DEOH DW &+(11$, DQG VHQG WR

'* , 6 $ . 1D]DU &KDLUPDQ 6RXWK $VLDQ 5HFHSWLRQ $/ , )ORRU WK 6WUHHW WK 0DLQ 5RDG $QQD 1DJDU &KHQQDL ,QGLD 0RE ( PDLO QD]DULVDN#JPDLO FRP VW

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

New grant model When the new grant model for The Rotary Foundation was introduced under the Future Vision Plan, the Trustees decided that it should be reviewed in the 2015â&#x20AC;&#x201C;16 Rotary year so that your experiences could help make our processes as effective as possible. The Trustees recognise that grants involve many participants who may have different expectations, so I have appointed an independent committee of four past RI presidents to ensure that all views will be considered, and to ensure confidentiality to anyone who may want it. The committee would like to hear about your experiences with the areas of focus and district and global grants, and to seek your ideas for any improvements that could make our Rotary Foundation the best possible. It comprises myself and Past RI Presidents Kalyan Banerjee, Ray Klinginsmith and Bill Boyd, who will serve as chair. We welcome your suggestions, which you can email to futurevisionbillboyd@outlook.com. We will read and analyse your ideas and meet at the Rotary International Convention in SĂŁo Paulo, Brazil, to decide on any items that should be given to the Trustees Programmes Committee. That committee will undertake the necessary surveys to ensure we are reflecting the opinions of every Rotary member, and will report back to us at the January 2016 International Assembly. We intend to make our recommendations at the April 2016 meeting of the Trustees. We seek your support to ensure that our Rotary Foundation continues to do good in the world in the best possible way.

John Kenny Foundation Trustee Chair

Membership in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives As on March 3, 2015

RI RI Rotary No. of Women Rotaract Interact Zone District Clubs Rotarians Rotarians

5 5 4 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 6

2980 3000 3010 3020 3030 3040 3051 3052 3053 3060 3070 3080 3090 3100 3110 3120 3131 3132 3140 3150 3160 3170 3180 3190 3201 3202 3211 3212 3220 3230 3240 3250 3261 3262 3271 3272 3281 3282 3291 3292 Total

162 100 131 65 90 93 65 68 52 85 115 77 75 87 104 67 136 73 144 91 64 125 138 93 126 110 130 83 73 132 76 94 74 77 73 95 153 108 149 88 3,941

7,063 4,541 5,472 3,272 4,876 2,080 2,547 3,568 1,941 3,710 3,292 3,213 2,001 2,060 3,402 2,646 5,345 3,298 7,435 3,353 2,348 5,028 5,781 3,930 4,816 4,362 4,224 3,406 2,064 5,962 2,726 3,538 2,434 2,703 1,173 1,853 4,666 3,017 3,980 2,946 1,46,072

262 338 596 162 561 263 188 542 165 331 282 168 66 98 178 225 834 267 1,002 265 108 249 243 307 244 204 244 160 248 423 277 516 253 272 148 347 563 234 602 346 12,781

73 141 61 30 44 29 38 28 13 34 49 41 20 10 43 28 54 42 104 70 8 27 38 51 66 65 9 16 67 118 41 37 14 27 35 18 187 111 45 92 2,024

291 294 189 209 185 87 119 127 30 96 129 152 33 84 46 38 182 91 339 161 37 256 362 117 87 360 64 143 183 367 120 146 97 60 14 35 70 20 97 90 5,607

RCC

197 75 80 258 123 133 330 123 89 105 58 98 122 146 60 48 67 60 139 109 80 155 141 41 43 38 115 118 93 290 117 165 41 66 13 33 171 38 527 89 4,794

Source: RI South Asia Office

Literacy in top

Promoting literacy through brochures.

It started as a casual talk after a club meeting. We wanted to do something different, innovative and enjoyable. Literacy is a nationwide key Rotary project, so we decided why not! And thus happened our road trip,” said Rtn Jawahar Ali, team leader and President of RC Calicut Metropolis, D 3202. Eight Rotarians of the club (Rtns Jawahar Ali, KT Vikas, Satish Kumar, Anees Ali, Baju Sebastian, Mithun Kumar, Russel and Sherin Abdulla) had just returned from a road trip undertaken in two cars to spread literacy among the marginalised community living in remote villages. Bharat Yatra — an 11-day road trip covering 5,300 km — was flagged off on November 26 from Calicut. The 42 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

cost of the trip (Rs 2.2 lakh) was raised by the team. Rotary India Literacy Mission (RILM) logos, slogans and messages were splashed all over the cars. “We distributed brochures on Rotary’s literacy mission to everyone whom we met along the way. Most of the communities in the villages and towns had no idea what Rotary was all about. Polio vaccination worked well for an introduction as it was a big PR activity,” said KT Vikas, the team coordinator. They visited government schools in remote villages and interacted with the students, explaining Rotary’s T-E-A-C-H programme in detail. Many schools lacked basic necessities such as toilets, drinking water and furniture,

Many schools lacked basic necessities and we passed on this info to the nearest Rotary clubs for necessary action.

gear

by Selvi

and “we passed on this information to the nearest Rotary clubs, adding those schools to Rotary’s ‘Happy Schools’ project. Connecting with the people from the lower strata and visiting schools in villages were the highlights of this trip,” said Kumar, the only Hindi-speaking person in the group. A meeting in Bangalore with District Literacy Committee Chair V R Ramesh “enlightened us on the successful smart classroom project, where software was designed with the State Board syllabus and projected in Government and Government-aided schools,” said Vikas. The team was overwhelmed by the reception they received as Rotarians. “We couldn’t believe it,” exclaimed the coordinator. “Just imagine, our team walking into a hall and the entire group of Presidents of District 3030 giving us a standing ovation! We felt very special.” But more was to come. “In Gujarat, we were welcomed with the famous

At the RISAO, Delhi.

Selfie time with the locals.

Most of the communities in the villages and towns had no idea what Rotary was all about. khadi garlands, in Jaipur with the traditional turban and aarti.” The Zonal Literacy Coordinator in Nagpur, PDG Sanjay Mishra, presented them with “fresh Nagpur oranges early in the morning before we started out for the day’s journey!” At Delhi, they visited the Rotary International South Asia Office, and interacted with the Regional Head Rtn Vinod Bhola, TRF Manager Jayashree Raveendiran and DG Sanjay Khanna of District 3010. Bharat Yatra was an “experience of a lifetime” for the team. A journey with no hick ups, just a “fine of Rs 300 for over speeding!” Well, if nothing else, their enthusiasm to usher in total literacy was on display! APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 43

3ROLR )ODPH ¿UHV Pakistani Rotarians by Rasheeda Bhagat

44 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

“

The flame got an overwhelming response in Pakistan, where we were mobbed and given amazing hospitality!

“

he Rotary End Polio Flame, which was launched at the Chennai Institute by RI President Gary C K Huang, had its most poignant moments while journeying around Pakistan, “where it got such an overwhelming response, that we were totally surprised,” says S N Srikanth, President of the Rotary Club of Madras, which launched the flame. Explaining the “philosophy behind the flame,” he said the Club wanted to do something on PolioPlus, and “we thought let’s launch a flame to help motivate Rotarians to fight the last mile in the battle against polio.” After Chennai, the Colombo Rotarians wanted it immediately as Gary was headed there. From there “we asked a DG from Sri Lanka to carry it to Karachi.” A delegation of three, including Srikanth, from RC Madras went to Pakistan “and not even in our wildest imagination did we think we would be mobbed like that there,” he grins. Originally only an inter-city event was planned in Pakistan, but the Rotarians there wanted to take it to other cities. This was fitting as Pakistan continues to face a major challenge with polio, with its polio workers being attacked and even killed by extremist elements. In the end, the polio flame ended up in 10 Pakistani cities, including Qasimabad, Mir Purkhas, Hyderabad and of course Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad. “They set my heart beating very fast when they said Peshawar, as that is Taliban territory,” says Srikanth. What shocked him was the proliferation of the Taliban in Karachi; “there are so many areas in Karachi where Rotarians and polio workers are not able to enter to give polio drops. Everywhere we saw gunmen. It is admirable that despite this the Pakistani Rotarians are doing their best.” At each of the points the flame was carried, there were rallies, meetings, walks and in many places religious leaders were invited. A high point was the Governor of Sindh, a very powerful man, having a special

– S N SRIKANTH

“

We checked with TRF and the person who donates $1000 in the name of the slain polio worker, will also become a Paul Harris Fellow.

function in his office — a mansion — to receive the flame. Srikanth said RC Madras will make one of the “polio martyrs” an honorary Paul Harris Fellow, and hopes that all the 73 workers who have been killed in Pakistan will be thus recognised. “We checked with TRF and the person who donates $1000 in the name of the slain polio worker, will also become a Paul Harris Fellow.” From Pakistan, the flame was taken through the Khyber Pass to Jalalabad and from there to Kabul, where Rotarians held a meeting and invited representatives of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to participate in the event. RC Kabul President Luke Beer later blogged: “It was inspiring to be part of the flame’s journey. As an Afghan club, we are so grateful for the energy it has given us as a club to refocus our efforts on polio awareness. We are not ignorant of the fact that Afghan organisations, clubs and society have done a limited amount to raise funds for

and truly engage the polio eradication effort. At first, we were confused by the utility of the torch. But I must say, it certainly has had a unifying effect. We’ve had two private organisations come forward with considerable donations as a result of the torch’s visit. It has also helped us as a young club explain to our members about Rotary’s international reach and fellowship. I look forward to reconnecting with the torch and its bearers in São Paulo! The flame has been taken to Taipei, as that is Gary’s home country. “We were amazed to hear that New Taipei has over 200 Rotary clubs and Taiwan as a whole over 600. A number of new e-clubs and satellite clubs are also being formed, and membership is growing at 20 per cent a year,” says Srikanth, who travelled to Taipei. The flame will also go to Toronto because of “my respect for Bob Scott who put in 26 years of hard work in PolioPlus.” The first person he had checked out the idea with was Scott, who made a request the flame be brought to Toronto. On the actual transportation, he said that as far as possible Rotarians are taking it to different countries by air, and utmost pains are taken to see that it is actually lighted (through a special canister) and not artificially lit. Of course the three countries most critical — where polio is still endemic — are Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria and the polio flame will be taken to Lagos before it reaches Evanston, Toronto and from there to São Paulo by June for the RI Convention. Eventually, says Srikanth, the flame may end up collecting $1 million. “Our Governor (ISAK Nazar of District 3230) is doing a lot to raise funds. He is going to carry a subsidiary flame around the district.” Susanne Rea, of the World’s Greatest Meal to End Polio Now, who visited Chennai, was also pressed into service to take it to eight countries, via UAE, Egypt, Bahrain to the US and Canada. APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 45

An Abode of Compassion

Karunashraya by Jaishree

When hope for cure ceases, Karunashraya in Bengaluru exemplifies the philosophy of palliative care for the terminally ill, helping them learn to let go and face death with equanimity.

46 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

eet Dr Nagesh Simha, former consultant surgeon at Manipal Hospital, who underwent the trauma of two renal transplants and six surgeries in 18 days! And yet, today he is the moving spirit behind the setting up of Karunashraya (‘abode of compassion’ in Kannada) that provides professional palliative care to advanced cancer patients. The hospice is a joint endeavour of RC Bangalore Indiranagar (RCBI), RI District 3190, and Indian Cancer Society, Karnataka Chapter (ICSK).

The Genesis Armed with the experience of organising cancer screening camps, RCBI under the then president Gurmeet Singh Randhawa, and ICSK formed the Bangalore Hospice Trust (BHT) in 1994. ICSK’s Kishore Rao is the Chair, Randhawa the Managing Trustee and Simha the Medical Director. The Trust began its services with a home care team that went around the city in a hired auto rickshaw, visiting homes of advanced cancer

No gloomy hospital gowns or visiting hours; they can walk into the recreation zone any time and watch television; celebrate festivals and have their favourite food on demand.

patients, providing them nursing care and counselling services. Soon, more teams were formed. The foundation stone for Karunashraya was laid in 1996 on a 5-acre land leased by the Government. Soon the majestic stone building, “considered one of the best models of a green architecture,” was put up by eminent architects Chandavarkar & Thacker (for zero fee), and was ready in 1999. Today the 55-bed hospice provides free palliative care through medical and psychological interventions.

In these 15 years, thousands of patients have experienced its tender loving care and passed away peacefully, says Archana Ganesh, Head — Public Relations. The home care team too continues to be busy. The word ‘serene’ acquires a new meaning here; every nook and corner is designed to invoke calmness and peace in one’s inner self — the greenery, water bodies aglow with waterfalls and chirping birds through background music. The music was the idea of Rtn Bhaskar who was passionate about the centre and afflicted with cancer, passed away here six years ago. The charity shop sells donated goods and the proceeds are used for hospice care. A prayer hall and morgue are adjacent to each other. These are meant for poor families who cannot arrange cremation and last rites for their loved ones immediately, explains Simha. Though life and death seem to walk hand in hand here, there is no sign of grimness in the air. As Simha walks me around, I am deeply moved by the sight of a motherson duo sitting by the poolside, gazing wordlessly at the fish. Dealing with hopelessness and death can take its toll on the patients and their care-givers. Live music by visiting volunteers offers a ‘diversion therapy,’ to refresh and energise them. Food choices of the patients are noted down thrice a day in a meal register and cooked in the spacious

sophisticated kitchen. “We had a young boy who wanted masala dosa, hot and crisp, every day” recalls Archana. A mechanised laundry and a spacious auditorium are other features of this place. The hospice goes all out to bring families together. “We once had a cancer patient who was terribly dejected. He had come to us on his own. And now he longed to see his son. We arranged a search party and enabled their meeting. It was such an emotional reunion. And the father breathed his last the very next day!” recalls Simha. There are no restrictions for the patients — no gloomy hospital gowns, no visiting hours; they can walk into the recreation zone any time and watch television; celebrate festivals and special occasions; and have their favourite food on demand. Time is the only factor in short supply. “It is like being in a resort, and I forget I am a cancer patient, I am blessed to spend this valuable time of my life here.” These are the words of Ayesha, a patient, recorded in the register. She died three months later.

Educational initiatives The Rotary Indiranagar-BHT Centre for Palliative Care Education offers training programmes in association with Cardiff University, UK. Support is also extended to satelite hospices set up at various cities across the country. APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 47

It is like being in a resort, and I forget I am a cancer patient, I am blessed to spend this valuable time of my life here.

Resources Financial support came from various quarters, “from ordinary citizens of Bengaluru to families of our patients. Special mention needs to be made of the House of Tatas. They have contributed more than Rs 20 lakh over the years,” says Simha. On other helping hands, he recalls “the Matching Grant from RC Faringdon, RI District 1090, UK and TRF ($156,000), that helped the purchase of hospice equipment. Another 48 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

one facilitated by PDG S Udaya Kumar helped to purchase a generator set and electrical fittings. Rtn Ben Bazely of RC Shrewsbury, District 1210, helped obtain a DDF grant, funding the travel of our nurses to Shrewsbury and London for training.” Everything from furniture to beds and wheel chairs here has come through donations. “There was even a time when there was no rice in the kitchen and a donor sent 50 bags immediately,” says Archana.

A sister-hospice relationship forged with Severn Hospice, Shrewsbury and St Joseph’s Hospice, London provided further guidance. “Rtn Jeremy Johnson, Director of Severn Hospice and his wife Penny visit us every year, many times with a delegation, and spend a week teaching and guiding our staff,” says Simha. The demand for beds at Karunashraya is so high that every day, at least three to four patients are turned away. Construction is now on to accommodate 24 more beds.

What you can do As I take leave, I contribute Rs 1,000 into their collection-box. But this is too small a sum to compensate for their expansive activity. Karunashraya welcomes volunteers and monetary contributions to expand its journey. Donations can be made through their website: www. karunashraya.org Designed by N Krishnamurthy

District Wise Contributions to The Rotary Foundation as on February 28, 2015 (in US Dollars)

District Number 2980 3000 3010 3020 3030 3040 3051 3052 3053 3060 3070 3080 3090 3100 3110 3120 3131 3132 3140 3150 3160 3170 3180 3190 3201 3202 3211 3212 3230 3240 3250 3261 3262 3291 India Total

APF

95,168 22,098 25,028 39,895 1,240 1,796 30,119 (62,000) 34,020 46,036 39,366 72,031 39,593 38,385 75,956 42,618 79,550 22,014 3,71,548 59,796 13,322 34,914 1,35,407 2,21,866 21,148 2,60,014 74,198 40,817 1,22,643 79,408 2,07,169 14,507 47,875 6,096 23,53,640

PolioPlus*

Other Restricted

India 42,792 100 861 725 405 714 50 0 0 0 1,450 22,325 0 0 1,714 0 7,714 1,000 4,136 2,307 17 3,599 0 100 7,707 949 1,000 20,203 1,428 1,597 5,125 0 0 0 1,28,017

Endowment Fund

Total Contributions

0 0 30,542 20,373 3,164 0 0 4,027 4,000 11,690 1,829 41,141 0 15,378 0 205 4,35,999 3,000 2,64,642 51,055 0 30,000 6,247 71,480 0 16,500 9,336 0 58,982 4,053 105 0 0 85,880 11,69,628

7,834 7,115 1,000 25,036 0 593 0 83,136 0 11,543 0 12,398 0 0 0 0 26,501 7,000 21,650 28,639 0 0 0 0 0 1,017 6,000 0 53,418 15,050 22,245 0 30,000 0 3,60,174

1,45,793 29,313 57,431 86,029 4,809 3,102 30,169 25,163 38,020 69,268 42,645 1,47,896 39,593 53,763 77,670 42,823 5,49,765 33,014 6,61,976 1,41,798 13,339 68,513 1,41,654 2,93,445 28,855 2,78,480 90,534 61,020 2,36,470 1,00,109 2,34,644 14,507 77,875 91,976 40,11,460

2,62,219

Sri Lanka 2,615

3,025

15,000

2,82,859

3271 3272

15,885 27,802

Pakistan 28,819 43,740

0 (816)

0 1,000

44,703 71,726

3,65,315 1,96,326

Bangladesh 17,303 12,113 1,00,525 1,000

23,962 0

4,18,692 2,97,851

87,640 33,08,827 7,08,25,416

Nepal 50 1,300 3,21,068 11,86,250 1,65,13,467 95,59,925

0 4,00,136 1,29,07,007

88,990 52,16,282 10,98,05,816

3292 South Asia Total World Total

* Excludes Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Rotary Social Media www.rotary.org/socialnetworks

More Online Resources books www.rotary.org/rotarian

www.rotary.org/rotaryminute

Rotary Images www.rotary.org/rotaryimages

3220

3281 3282

Bookmark Rotary

Rotary eNewsletters www.rotary.org/newsletters

Source: RI South Asia Office OCTOBER 2014

ROTARY NEWS 49

XXXX XXXXXXXXX XXXX XXXX X X

A Run to Walk Team Rotary News

“M

ummy, you need not carry me to school any more, I can walk by myself,” — Little Nikhil told his mother, wiping the tears of joy that rolled down her cheeks. Nikhil and many more orthopaedically challenged can stand on their own feet, thanks to the Jaipur Foot Centre, a project of RC Bombay Worli, RI District 3140

Rotarians experimenting how it feels like to walk with crutches.

and their service partner Ratna Nidhi Charitable Trust. The Centre provides Jaipur Foot and other mobility appliances such as crutches, wheel chairs and callipers to enable mobility and independence. To raise awareness and promote this endeavour, the club members along with the Trust and Team Agni, a group of athletes associated with the club for the cause, participated in the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon (SCMM). To understand the pain of the physically challenged, some participants 50 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

‘put themselves in their shoes,’ and walked the 6-km Dream Run using crutches. Commenting on the experience, club President Kiran Vora said, “I used crutches when I had fractured my leg a few years ago, but that was different. Walking on crutches for so long is quite painful.” Few physically challenged people using various mobility aids including Jaipur Foot also participated, providing inspiration to many. The event fetched around Rs 4.5 lakh through registration fees.

by Jaishree

Rtn Kuldeep Jandial interacting with participants at Pune.

Delegates in action at RIIMUN, Pune (left) and RID 3000 MUN, Karur (right).

he Model UN Assembly (MUNA) is part of Rotary’s programme to educate high school students about the United Nations Organisation and its commitment to world peace,

RIIMUN’15 A similar event was hosted by RC Pune North East, D 3131. Organised for 15 successive years by Rtn Kuldeep Jandial, District Chair MUNA, this event sees the participation of institutions from all over India and overseas. This year 225

health, education and living standards of people world over. It is a learning simulation of the workings of the UN General Assembly in its structure and proceedings. Students take on global citizenship as they model the Assembly student-delegates from 46 institutions—39 colleges and 7 schools— participated. Over the years, thanks to RIIMUN encouraging more female student participation, this year half of them were girls. Under the Teach for India umbrella, 17 children from underprivileged schools were invited.

and in the process, learn diplomacy and international relations, addressing and debating problems and issues of global concern. Rotary District 3000 MUNA was hosted by RC Karur Angels and had 60 young participants from various schools, divided into three committees. Issues relating to themes such as ‘Water Conservation and Distribution in Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs),’ ‘Gender wage gap between men and women’ and ‘Female infanticide, healthcare issues and women empowerment’ were discussed at the workshop. Replete with audio systems, laptops, WiFi connectivity and LCD projectors, it gave the students a great learning experience. “Participating in the MUN has helped me improve my public speaking and critical thinking aptitude,” said Sunil, one of the delegates. Another said, “It has helped me get over my shyness and has boosted my self-confidence.” This is what it is all about — to bring the children out of their comfort zones and break away from their protective cocoons to face the world with confidence and learn to place their views across boldly in a public forum, in addition to promoting international understanding in youngsters, said Club President S Meena. The event was chaired by Rtn Vinitha and inaugurated by DG P Jegannathan. A panel of judges evaluated the students’ performance and the winner was felicitated with a laptop sponsored by Karur Vysya Bank and each of the three runners received a Tab sponsored by the DG. The two-day event saw interesting debates on various subjects ranging from gender equity, women’s political participation, healthcare, rights of mediapersons in conflict zones, racial and religious discrimination, etc. The sessions were efficiently conducted by Project Director Harsh Nangia and Student Secretary General Rajdip Ray. APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 51

by Kiran Zehra

C Lahore Model Town, RI District 3272, has kept special and less fortunate children close to its heart by filling the gaps of their health and educational needs from time to time. “Apart from distributing educational and food kits we have conducted polio corrective surgeries, given out braces and crutches to polio survivors, vocational training and assistance for job placement for a few of them,” said DGN Mir Arif Ali, charter secretary of the club and Rotary Day Chairman. He decided to treat his district to “a special day to connect with truly special people,” through the Rotary Sports Festival 2015. “Right from the venue, menu and return gifts, we wanted to make it special,” as the invitees were 1,200 special children from across 36 institutions for children with special needs

52 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

to make it happen. Media coverage by local TV channels enhanced Rotary’s public image in a very special way.” “Special children are our assets; if properly groomed they will achieve higher standards in all fields. I will try to increase the quota for special children in regular schools, jobs and other institutions,” said Asif Manais, Minister for Special Education, Government of Punjab, Pakistan. “Games were conducted keeping in mind the guidelines and safety of the children,” and what amazed the Rotarians, Rotaractors, their families and guests was the “flawless

“

Special children

are our assets; if

properly groomed they will achieve

higher standards in all fields. I will try to increase the quota for special children in

“

and underprivileged schools from the cities of Lahore and Islamabad. At the Mughalpura Cricket Stadium a 60 ft (width) stage with a 20 ft (height) lantern hanging at centre stage, was erected to showcase RI President Gary C K Huang’s theme Light up Rotary. The event cost — Pak Rs two million, was raised by RC Model Town and other clubs helped in several ways. “Rotarians became referees, DJs, food and beverage managers ... they all came together

regular schools, jobs and other

institutions.

Asif Manais, Minister for Special Education, Government of Punjab. performance of the children — they smiled throughout! These children have restricted outdoor activities but they managed themselves so well,” said Ali. For many children, this was their first sports event. There was a march-past, bhangra, tribal dances, jugglers, jokers, sports events, food and more. The children had a good time and most important fact was that they were happy, said a teacher. DG Mansoor ul Haq was so impressed with the special children who participated in different sports activities that he offered to be a “sponsor for next year’s event.” The success of this event has spurred the Rotarians to make this an annual event. Rtn Saleem Ahmad Khan said, “Every child went back home with a smile and a prize.” With inputs from Rtn Saleem Ahmad Khan RC Lahore Metropolitan, D 3272. APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 53

The Romance of Jeeping by S Jothy A woman Jeeper recounts her first-time experience in the rugged terrain of Karnataka.

here is nothing like living life the wild way. When a good old friend, who had for years engaged me with stories of his 15 years of Jeeping experience, called up and invited me to join him and his group in their next adventure, there was no way I could say no. The “fun begins where the road ends,” he said. Little did I realise that this Jeep off-roading experience of mine would turn out to be fun unlimited and once in a lifetime experience in the wild. The adventure was as simple and as complicated as: “eat, someddrink, dr ink, in k, ssleep leep le ep p and ndd jjeep.” eep. ee p .”” Fo p. Forr som so o me memeone oon ne likee m me, e, w e, who hhoo hhas as ttrekked reekked rekk ed iin ed n th the he Hi H Himalayas ima i ma mala laya la y s an ya and n d tth the h e We W Western ster st err n Ghats, Gh hat ats, s, aand nd w who hoo ddrives rive ri vess to to w work ork or rk

5544 RROT ROTARY RO OT O TA AR ARY RYY N R NE NEWS EW WSS APRIL APR AP A PPR RIILL 2015 201 220 0115 0

daily, this was what I had always wanted to experience. The jeepers who lined up with their ‘four wheel drive’ machines — Mahindra Thar or a customised Gypsy, or a Willys or even a Scorpio — were there to have a lifetime adventure and determined to return to civilisation with a sense of bravado and achievement. Their hearts were beating to the rhythm of the Jeep, their minds were tuned to the Jeep mode and the language they spoke had only one name: Jeep! This event took place in Karnataka and wa as ve vvery ry w elll or el oorganised orga rga g ni n seed by b aw eelll and was well well kn now own registered reegi regi gist ster st e ed er ed ooff-roading fff-roa -roaadiing -r n aauthority utthori utho rity rity y known c ll ca lled e B ed ODA. OD A W A. hats ha tssaappp li ive ved up up tto o it iitss called BODA. Whatsapp lived reeppuutaati tion ioonn aand nd aacted nd cctted d aass a bbi ind ndin din ing fo forc rce rc reputation binding force fo or the the ga th gang gang ng ooff je jjeepers eep e er erss for

with whom I was grouped. Balaji, a senior and experienced off-roader, was the mentor of the gang and he lived up to his role in style, taking a lead in every issue and ensuring that the needs and requirements of the team members and their jeeps were met. The team was named partly after him and we loved it. We were eight, including two women, in four jeeps — all four Mahindra Thars, fully equipped with tow ropes, high lift jacks, winches and other required tools. The team members came from varied walks of life — busi bu sine ness ne sssme m n, n ggovernment ovverrnnm men entt of oofficials, ffiiciial a s,, businessmen, aadvocates, ad vooca cate ate t s, eexecutives, xecu uti tive ves, s, jjournalists. ournal ourn ou rnal rn alis lis i tss. Th T herre There wa as no ot ev eeven e a ssingle en in ngl gle misunderstandmisu mi suundder e st stan a dan was not iing in ngg orr unpleasant unp n le leassan a t experience expe ex peri pe r en ri nce ce among amo m ng g thee gr th rou o p me memb m er mb erss an nd th tthee grou gr rou o p wa wass group members and group

a perfect example of camaraderie and team work. The team went all out into jeeping during the off-roading trail under the leadership of Balaji and after two days, left the camp with a sense of extreme satisfaction and achievement. The organisers of the event made all the necessary arrangements and painstakingly laid out the routes to be taken by the off-roaders. The campsite was in the middle of nowhere and the trails were extremely challenging. There were four routes which the jeepers could take and these were identified with ribbons or flags tied at crucial corners. The four teams of the jeepers were sent into the wild offroad trail, ably assisted by marshals and volunteers. The food and water for the day was packed and handed over … to be consumed whenever the tummies growled for food! But honestly, who cared for food as each and every moment of the trail was filled with thrills and excitement? Each day of the two-day adventure began with the jeeps lining up groupwise, before being flagged off into the wild. From that flag-off moment, it was team work, concentration and exhibition of a jeeper’s skills in hardcore mountain manoeuvring. While the veterans in our group took to offloading and encountered the driving challenge as fish to water, others struggled. On day one, we had to pull a fellow jeeper’s jeep from a ridge and the entire team spent one hour in this endeavour. After push, pull, tug, tow and lifting, the machine (jeep) was pulled out amidst cheers and was again set to conquer the rugged hills and quarries, which, its seasoned owner Uttkarsh did in style!

Then came the narrow gauges and the slush, which were child’s play for the team. Aided by marshals, the rest of the jeep off-roading was “thrill-aminute experience” and the hills of Karnataka rocked like never before. The second day of jeep off-roading was much more adventurous and even veteran jeepers found it very tough and challenging. But a real jeeper never gives up and all participants tested their skills at each and every turn, uphill and downhill. The slush never bothered anyone; a true Jeeper’s jeep, with mud all over it, is actually a trophy! The jeeping experience is not only a test of your grit and nerves; it also enhances your technical knowledge in automobiles to levels unknown. Jeepers can retrieve any breakdown vehicle easily and can help in road and off-road emergencies. Interestingly, the romance of the Jeep lures women too, and female Jeepers look at the jeep with the same twinkle in their eyes like other seasoned

We were the coolest girls in the world and felt: Mud, not makeup, looks good on me!

male off-roaders. We, the women Jeepers sparkled with the mean machines during this event and were the coolest girls in the world and felt: “Mud, not makeup, looks good on me!” Like in most events, we had Rotarians too in our group. Chandrakumar from RC Madras Industrial City said, “The off-road was rough and tough and the hills showed no mercy to the jeeps. The adventure was so thrilling, that we couldn’t predict the next turn and terrain.” He added, “It would be nice if Rotary clubs also organise such events, as they nurture the body, mind and the soul.” For a wide-eyed adventurer like me, the challenge of the dirt was both fun and adventurous. The fun was in each and every moment of the camp, be it in jeeping up and down the hills or in laughing out loud, post a tired day of off-roading or while just hanging out. All in all, it was full time engagement with mud, slush and adventure in the wild. The two-day romance with off-roading in four-wheel machines was the beginning of a long-standing association with the jeepers, their culture and craziness! As the sun set and the rugged hills in Karnataka bid goodbye to the jeepers, the four-wheel lovers left the camp in their jeeps with a sense of fulfilment and wishing each other: May the Fours be with you. APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 55

Rotary’s Youngest Ambassadors Team Rotary News

hildren of Greenwood Kindergarten School, Hyderabad, thanked Rotary for the gift of a polio-free India and conveyed the message “Peace begins with us” through an electrifying dance performance at Ravindra Bharathi auditorium.

It was a sight to behold as the kids, all donned in Rotary’s signature bright yellow polio vests and caps, grooved to music, the dance depicting their desire for a beautiful world filled with peace and harmony. The programme was part of Rotary’s 110th birth anniversary celebrations.

Lessons in Water Management A two-day seminar on water management organised by RC Poona Downtown, District 3131, as part of their Rotary Day and Rotary Awareness programme was inaugurated by DG Vivek Aranha, and attended by Rotarians, college students, engineers from Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation and water treatment plant manufacturers. Sessions on energy-saving pipe line design, water waste management, rain water harvesting and recharge, urban water supply management and surge analysis of long transmission mains were addressed by eminent speakers from across the globe. Dr Srini Lingi Reddy, Associate Professor at University of Kentucky, addressed the gathering on the misconception of ‘no water availability in India.’ “We have ample water availability, but proper focus should be given to preservation of our resources,” he said. Dan Cohen from Israel said, “India is very fortunate; water is available at low cost to all. In Israel water charges 56 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

Photo: Rasheeda Bhagat

Team Rotary News

Rotarians facilitate water facilities near Pune.

are extremely high and this restricts the amount of water being used. Even with scarcity of water they have performed miracles in agriculture and industry through research, rain water harvesting and recycling of waste water. Reuse of water is the main focus of Israel government. India too can reverse her situation as she is blessed with good rains.”

XXXXXXXXX XX XXX XXXX XX XX XX

A walk for

Literacy This

5 km marathon walk

was held on February 1 and all the

30 Rotary clubs of

twin city Hyderabad & Secunderabad and

45 clubs from other parts of D 3150 participated.

hree Rotary clubs of District 3150 — Hyderabad Deccan, Ameerpet and Secunderabad West organised the Rotathon, ‘A walk for a cause,’ to support and spread awareness about Rotary’s Total Literacy mission. This 5 km marathon walk was held on February 1 and all the 30 Rotary clubs of twin city Hyderabad & Secunderabad and 45 clubs from other parts of D 3150 participated. It was conducted at different cities and was flagged off at the same time. Around 20,000 participants comprising Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors, Inner wheel members, Anns and Annets took part in the rally. The event had also roped in film stars, sports personalities, politicians and government officials. Though a registration fee of Rs 200 per head was collected, many people joined along the way. “The

by Selvi

registration charges collected goes for the literacy project fund of the three organising clubs,” informed Anil Ram Chandani, Secretary of RC Hyderabad Deccan. “It was heartening to see physically-challenged people in their wheel chair taking part in our walk. And we had young mothers also participating enthusiastically pushing their toddlers in the pram!” he said. The Rotarians had also organised health camps, blood donation and polio immunisation camps in these areas. Banners and posters displayed at prominent locations announced about Rotary’s literacy projects. Wide coverage of the event was given in the electronic and print media. District Governor Malladi Vasudev appreciated the Rotarians for taking Rotary’s literacy mission to the masses, which will go a long way in promoting the importance of education. APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 57

Paul Harris Fellows, All by Jaishree

Receiving the banner from DG Sridharan Nambiar at the District Conference.

ll the 54 members of RC Mettupalayam, District 3202, have contributed a $1000 each to The Rotary Foundation this year too, after a similar activity last year. This generosity of the Rotarians has helped make theirs a 100 per cent MPHF (Multiple Paul Harris Fellow) Club — “probably the first in the District,” says club member L S Sidduram. When all members of a Rotary club contribute $1000 each to TRF, the club qualifies for ‘100 per cent Paul Harris Fellow Club’ recognition; and when they give more than $1000 each, the club becomes a ‘100 per cent MPHF.’ 58 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

RC Mettupalayam received the prestigious banner from DG Sridharan Nambiar at the District Conference held at Wayanad, Kerala, during the first week of February. Chartered in 1961, the club has ushered in a remarkable transformation in the community in the past 53 years. The 37-year old METRO (METtupalayam ROtary) Matriculation Higher Secondary School, the first English medium institution in the town providing quality education to 2,100 students, with cent per cent ‘pass’ results in the Board exams consecutively for 30 years, is one of its babies. A 10-year old vocational training centre that has been empowering

poor women with knowledge in tailoring, embroidery and a beautician course and helping a good number of them to earn a living; and a beautifully landscaped electric crematorium (“looks like the Brindavan Gardens,” says Sidduram) worth Rs 2.2 crore dedicated to the Mettupalayam Corporation, are the other significant landmark-projects of the club. “We are glad that our contributions to TRF will help in securing and growing Rotary programmes somewhere in the world, reaching out to some needy society,” says club President Ismail, on his club’s new status.

very word has a fascinating tale behind it. Did you know that the word ‘sandwich’ was named after John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich. It is said that he ordered his chef to get him meat tucked between two pieces of bread, and others began to order, “the same as Sandwich.” Or that ‘Vinegar’ derived from the Latin root ‘vin’ meaning ‘wine.’ How many of us get confused as to how to spell ‘aficionado?’ or would it have to be ‘diary’ or ‘dairy?’ Wiktionary defines ‘logophilia’ as the ‘love of words and word games.’ It deals with English vocabulary,

etymology, pronunciation, spellings and usage, all of which helps to understand and love the language better. The Annets of RC Texcity Coimbatore, District 3201, conducted this vocabulary development workshop where 10,000 words were taught in 10 days to school students for a fee. It helped raise Rs 1.25 lakh which was donated to various hospitals in the city for the treatment of cancer-afflicted children. When asked how they came up with such a novel activity, Rtn Suresh Lund said, “The programme was conceived when one of our Rotarians was looking for vocabulary workshops for

her son’s SAT exams and she chanced upon this. It is generally conducted in IITs and IIMs.” Seventy-two ‘Logophiles’ or word lovers participated in it. Needy girls from Avinashilingam University also participated. The enterprising Annets have come up with a programme where they have transformed old plastic bottles into attractive piggy banks which were distributed to the Rotarians. The money collected from these piggy banks is being donated to Aroh Cancer Foundation periodically. Contributing Rs 2.5 lakh to Make a Difference Foundation for the education of girl children is one more significant venture. APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 59

XXXXXXXXX

Don’t be bound by

gadgets

by Bharat and Shalan Savur

es, gadgets are great inventions, very handy and convenient. The genius of the whiz kids who invented these portable, technologically advanced marvels that connect us 24 / 7 and make life easier is undisputable. It’s believed that during an evolutionary upsurge, the gene microcephalin sprang up in our species and enabled us to think symbolically. Later, the gene ASPM drove us to craft cities. Now emerges an unnamed gene to build gadgets that dramatically make the world more accessible.… For the first time in the history of the Homo sapiens, some 700 million of us are laughing at the same jokes forwarded 60 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

at lightning speed. Welcome to the Era of Bonding, the Age of Euphoria. Ah, but let’s laugh and bond in good health, yes? Let’s use our gadgets at the required time, not all the time. Why not? Well, we do live in an electromagnetic field and already receive low-energy Radiofrequency (RF) radiation from outer space, the sun, sky, earth. If our body fluids absorb large quantities of RF radiation, it can produce heat that can burn and damage healthy body tissue. When we watch TV, listen to radio broadcasts, use our cellphones, laptops, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, live or work in proximity to cellphone towers, we continually expose ourselves to more RF radiation.

As yet, there is no precise information on how safe our environment is vis-à-vis these radio frequencies. But it’s good to be aware of the health risks unofficially attributed to their emissions: headaches, insomnia, brain tumours, cancers, multiple sclerosis, depression, autism. There’s been a lot of ‘yes’ and ‘no’ regarding the safety of microwave ovens. The latest is: they’re safe. Apparently, when the water in foods absorbs microwaves, the water-molecules merely vibrate and produce heat, but the foods’ molecular and chemical structures remain unchanged. And since microwaves don’t use x-rays or gamma rays, they don’t make food radioactive.

However, we must tread cautiously and with responsibility. We need discernment to enable us to make our lives as safe as possible. We need compassion to know that our commercial pay-offs should not cause harm to others. We need health to live to our fullest potential. Meaning: we need to take precautions. As friend Narayan jokes, “Be smarter than your Smartphone!” Topping the smart-list are: • Don’t keep your cellphone in your pocket; don’t hold it in your hand when you’re not using it. It’s particularly important not to keep it in the shirt pocket as the heat could reach the heart tissue. • Turn off all screens an hour before bedtime. Smartphone, laptops, computers, TVs, tablets disperse blue light into our eyeballs, thus, preventing sound sleep. A recent study found that kids with TVs, computers or Smartphone in their bedrooms sleep 18-21 minutes less per night than kids with no electronic gadgets in their bedroom. Lack of sleep can cause obesity, low concentration and poor academic performance. This holds true for adults too — after all, we’re grown-up kids! • For the same reason, please don’t expose yourself to these appliances and gadgets first thing in the morning. Expose yourself to sunlight — it’s still the best fix to improve alertness and productivity. Overall, it’s about pragmatically balancing our lifestyles — alignment with the digital world but not dependence. Choose to have off-screen days than off-days. The more we ingest pieces of multiple information from the web, the

more we need quiet spaces to contemplate, make associations, infer, create, be open to spontaneous insights. However plastic and brilliant our brain, it still needs pressure-free breaks and experience emptiness to help us become mentally more resilient and less stressed out. When you are in the digital world, you are practically unconscious. A lady, affectionately nicknamed Mama, was

Chairperson of a spiritual institution in Chicago. She was overweight, but insisted she was controlling her diet rigorously. It was observed that at night, Mama would sleepwalk to the refrigerator and eat a pie. So, the observer emptied the refrigerator. That night, when Mama opened the refrigerator, there was no pie. With the break in the

pattern, her eyes opened and she realised what she had been doing. When your mind is drowned in the digital world, you become oblivious to the important things in life. You eat unhealthy food, procrastinate on tasks, and get cross when interrupted.… Essentially, you’ve got to become aware of where you’re heading, pay attention to what you eat and drink, ensure that you get sufficient exercise, spend time outdoors without any gadget, allow your natural, rational, patient, caring self to re-emerge. To open your eyes, break the pattern and re-wire your habits: • Schedule little blocs during the day for healthy practices — 20–40 minutes to exercise; 30 meal-minutes to eat leisurely; 30–90 minutes to meditate, read, paint, write, sing, listen to music, daydream. Ensure that you are not at the beck and call of any gadget during these beautiful blocs. • Meditate daily: Still the body until the muscles stops twitching and learn to relax. Allow every part of your body to let go tension and become restful. Pay attention to your breath until it becomes smooth and even. All kinds of thoughts will arise. Observe them without reacting to them. As you continue watching your breath, you will feel a deepening sense of peace.... And the compulsion to look at your gadget will vanish. The mind is free. Above all, realise there is a life without gadgets. It’s called Life. The writers are authors of the book Fitness for Life Designed by K Vishwanathan APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 61

The little theatre

and big hearts by Kiran Zehra

All eyes and ears for the performance.

C Tiruchirapalli Shakthi, District 3000, in association with St Joseph’s College, hosted a special screening of King Kong with a funny twist by The Smallest Theatre in The World, which brought to life the reel world for close to 2,000 underprivileged students from Seva Sangam School, Maharishi Vidya Mandir, Dollops School, Carmel School and Pravaag School. In 1971 Marcel Steiner conceptualised this small theatre. Today it tours the world, all thanks to the Grand Theatre of Lemmings which rescued its originality after a 15-year break. Calling it the “Lemmings style,” Rtn Allirani Balaji, President RC Tiruchirapalli Shakthi said “each actor performed multiple roles — Mandy played a sailor, a glamorous film star and a member of the air force. But it never felt like it was the same person.” How did she like the street theatre’s performance? “I wouldn’t call

62 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

them a street theatre,” she says, adding that she was thoroughly impressed by the way the actors introduced the theatre “so small it can be towed to a two wheeler.” A comfortable two-seat theatre hall made it look like “a play within a play. (Actors jumped into the theatre, performed for their audience inside, and jumped out to continue their performance for the larger audience.)” As for the acting “King Kong was amazing. The five-member theatre

group kept the audience engaged. It was much more than a street theatre.” “They used talcum powder for a fog. Bubbles, water spray guns, stuffed snake toys and a toy aeroplane. I was fascinated to see a white lady speak in English and I could understand everything she was saying,” quipped Hari Priya, a student. “I couldn’t believe that so many things came from inside the box. I was first scared to get in and wondered what was inside it,

I was fascinated to see a white lady speak in English and I could understand everything she was saying.

Thank you for watching The Smallest Theatre in The World.

The Smallest Theatre in The World is raising funds for underprivileged children. Something Rotary has been doing all along.

but their acting was wonderful,” said Nitin, another student. M Ganesh, a Class 7 student from Vasavi Vidyalaya School, was upset with the scene where “King Kong was killed. Animals have feelings too. I wanted him to have a happy ending.” How was it inside The Smallest Theatre in The World? “You should sit inside it to know how it feels,” he added. These shows were planned because “exams are about to begin and these children need to unwind and refresh,” said the Club President. But that’s not all. “The Smallest Theatre in The World is raising funds for a charity organisation that works with children in Madurai. The funds they collect from every performance are going to be used to “help those underprivileged children. Something Rotary has been doing all along.”

Rotary Day in Berhampur Team Rotary News

otary Club of Berhampur East, District 3262, organised its Rotary Day this year through a 3-day celebration in Berhampur. It managed to get stalwarts like PRIP Kalyan Banerjee, PRID Shekhar Mehta, Past Inner Wheel National Association President Sarita Lunani, DG A B Mohapatra, PDG Rabi Narayan Nanda with a galaxy of PDGs from RI District 3261 and 3262. The Rotary Day concept, proposed by RI President Gary C K Huang, was simple: hold a fun, informal event that could be an opportunity to introduce everyone to Rotary. It had to help drive interest in membership, strengthen Rotary’s relationship with local institutions and community leaders, and improve Rotary’s image. The event focused on what unites Rotarians with their fellow citizens. The rich local culture of the district of Ganjam, hitherto unknown to the outside world, was interwoven into the event, and numerous service projects were launched. A business-promotion fair and food festival promoting the rich cuisines of the region were also incorporated into the event. On the first day, Banerjee led the rally, and handed over benches and chairs to 300 students. A session on Happy Schools and Happy Villages, where senior Rotary leaders spoke about The Rotary Foundation and

PRIP Kalyan Banerjee inaugurating the Rotary Day celebration.

its importance, was a big hit. Another seminar talked about the importance of early detection and treatment of cancer. During the three-day event, at least 20,000 footfalls were recorded, and Rotary’s focus on Total Literacy was driven home. Conference Chairman Jawaharlal Palo, organising Club President I Rajeswar Rao and Conference Secretary Dr Sambit Beugray, under the leadership of DG A B Mohapatra oversaw the event. APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 63

Relax, New Mom! Motherhood — it’s a cocktail of emotions! One moment, you are on top of the world. The next, you find yourself in throes of uncertainty and panic. No matter how much a woman prepares for motherhood, she can’t seem to escape the moments of inadequacy. In this excerpt from Post Baby Bounce, published by Harper Collins, wellness expert Namita Jain gives handy advice and tips to fight those post-partum blues. Dear Diary, Something strange happened to me this afternoon. Mia had just fallen asleep, the household help had come, attended to the chores and gone, and I found myself all alone, with nothing to do. And just like that, tears started rolling down my eyes. Slowly at first and then in a giant torrent. They just wouldn’t stop. I didn’t know what was happening to me. I kept thinking about my life before pregnancy and how I would never get it back. I felt sorry for myself. And for the mess I was in. And it made me cry even louder. Almost an hour passed before I was able to control my anguish. Even as I think about it now, I feel ashamed of my outburst. I wonder what had come over me. Yours, S. First of all, it is important to distinguish between baby blues and post-partum depression (PPD). Almost all new mothers go through a phase where they feel overwhelmed by what is happening to and around them. It will leave them feeling anxious, miserable and wanting to break down. These are the baby blues and will usually last a couple of weeks. Post-partum depression is real depression involving an inability to get out of the blue funk in which new mothers may find themselves and it requires professional help. Research suggests that 10 – 15 per cent of new mothers may face post-partum depression. Though serious, the condition is definitely treatable. What you need to know:

PPD may vary in intensity. Some mothers may suffer from a milder version while others may get completely bogged down by it. New mothers — especially those with schizophrenic or bipolar tendencies — may also be prone to a post-partum psychosis which could possibly drive them to harm themselves or others. * Some believe that hormonal changes are at the root of PPD. Others posit that external factors, such as social pressure to get back to normal as quickly as possible and the lack of helping hands in modern nuclear families to bring up the baby, are more to be blamed. 64 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

Typical symptoms include weeping, sleeplessness, overeating or an inability to eat; inability to concentrate; needless anxiety about the baby’s health; lack of interest in the baby; being exhausted all the time; feeling sad, hopeless, miserable, frustrated, angry and agitated; getting nightmares and wanting to be or fearing to be alone. * PPD can affect any mother. In some cases, it may make its presence felt during the pregnancy itself. In others, it may show itself a couple of weeks after the delivery rather than immediately after.

* *

Most mothers may not realise that they are suffering from PPD. Treatment for PPD could include counselling and, in a few cases, medication. Making positive lifestyle changes too will help.

How to deal with it:

Cut yourself some slack. There is no such thing as a perfect mother and you shouldn’t aspire to become one. Setting high standards is stress-inducing and makes you prone to depression when you fail to live up to them. * I have said this before and I will say it again — use all the help you can get. There is no heroism in trying to do everything alone. Hire extra help, delegate chores, get your family members to pitch in with the baby and split night watches with your partner. This will contribute to a more peaceful frame of mind. * I know someone who has a little trick for when she is feeling down. She puts on her brightest lipstick and suddenly the world is a better place. Be like her — put on your best outfit; get your stylist to give you a trendy haircut at home; splash on your favourite perfume; and wear your favourite makeup. It makes a world of a difference, trust me!

Some me-time is essential. Get out of the house once in a while. Shop. Or window-shop. Go to your favourite restaurant. Or catch a movie. Meet up with friends. Or plan a clandestine date with your partner. If you feel guilty about leaving your baby in someone else’s care, remind yourself that it is for your — and by extension your baby’s — benefit. * Put on your sweats and get moving. Nothing like happy endorphins to bust those blues! * Eat. Low blood sugar may be one reason why you are feeling down in the dumps. A good mood may be just a healthy snack away. * Don’t be afraid to show your emotions. If you feel like having a good cry, have one. You will feel better afterwards. If you’ve been grumpy all day, tune into your favourite sitcom and laugh out loud with the characters. If something is preying on your mind, confide in your partner. Or, as I have said before, vent it all out in your diary. * Having said all this, if the symptoms persist for more than a couple of weeks, seek professional help. (Excerpted from Post Baby Bounce by Namita Jain; Published by Harper Collins; Price: Rs 250) By arrangements with Women’s Feature Service

SOLUTION FOR THE LAST MONTH’S CROSSWORD

Rotary at a glance Rotarians

12,19,369*

Clubs

34,789*

Districts

536*

Rotaractors

1,74,984

Clubs

7,608

Interactors

4,06,249

Clubs

17,663

RCC members :

1,88,301

RCC

8,187

* As of March 3, 2015 As of December 31, 2014

APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 65

Plaza de la Virgen with the iconic Turia fountain.

66 ROT 66 ROTARY RO R OT O TA AR ARY RY RY N NE NEWS EWS WS APRIL APPR A APR PRIL IL 2015 20 2201 0115 0

A blend of modern and

traditional by Rasheeda Bhagat

At the Spanish port city of Valencia, discover some great food, historic sites, monuments and beaches as well.

eputed to be a city with ‘a thousand personalities’ once the sun has gone away, the real nightlife in the Eastern Spanish port city of Valencia begins at midnight. In keeping with true Spanish tradition where people chill out in the evenings at Tapas bars and where dinners can begin only at 10 p.m. and extend over a couple of hours, the tireless energy of its residents extends till the wee hours of the morning during weekends. In keeping with the spirit of “In Rome do as the Romans do,” visitors to this magic city can effortlessly pick up the lifestyle of locals. Including a memorable gastronomic experience. The essentials are of course piles of Paella and pitcherfuls of Sangira, the popular Spanish cocktail. Going by earlier visits, I’m prepared for the gourmet experience. Hosted by Spanish Tourism, we (five Indian journalists) await to discover the city’s historical and modern charms, its monuments and the imposing Marina and beaches. Valencia, with its spacious port and sparkling waters has become a cruising hub with luxury liners such as Queen Elizabeth II and The World stopping over. Close to 5,00,000 cruise passengers visit the city every year.

Gourmet experience begins But what we didn’t expect was a gourmet experience within an hour of landing at the airport. Driving straight to the restaurant Casa Gijon, run by Paseau, whose grandfather started it in 1940, we are charmed as much by the traditional stone interior in Moorish style as the quick APRIL 20155

ROTARY NEWS 67

succession of delicious tapas (starters) that land at our table. Freshly baked bread and tomato pesto, a delicious salad with nuts and raisins, Escalibada, a tapas made with codfish, onions, red peppers and aubergine, squids with green beans and garlic ... all happily washed down by the famished guests with a refreshing house-made white wine. Paseau and colleague soon make a dramatic entry, the two holding a gigantic platter of the king of all Spanish dishes — the Paella. The Paella, fragrant with saffron, at one end, and a striking, Soccarat (traditional painting on tiles) by a famous painter on the other side, complete the Mediterranean magic of a warm and hospitable stone and wood interior. We feel even more at home when told he had recently served a meal to a group of 100 Indian dentists! Valencia being a rice growing region, the Paella evolved here naturally. Traditionally, people would throw into the pan vegetables — onions, potatoes and peppers, beans and whatever meat brought from the

A Spanish woman in a traditional dress.

day’s hunting. Thus, a rabbit paella became common. But with most tourists too squeamish to eat rabbit, we got a chicken paella, made with lots of vegetables and with locally grown Bomba rice. It is delicious, consumed quickly, along with the mousse for dessert … a subtle mix of strawberry, orange and chocolate. The balance of flavours and taste is incredible. A meal like this costs 25–30 euros here. Over the next two days, other gourmet experiences follow; Sangria, made with red wine and fruits, and what I thought was orange juice, is soon sought, served and downed. Later on, in both Valencia and Ibiza, I learn that Sangria in this coastal Spanish region is made with red wine and fizzy drinks such as Fanta, Fanta-lemon and pieces of fruit. I tried it after returning home, and it was nearly as good.

A modern city The next morning we visit the buzzing Plaza de la Virgen, at the centre of which is the iconic Turia

Info Box • An accessible Mediterranean port city, Valencia can be reached by air, boat, train and bus from most European hubs. • Spend half a day walking around the historic Plaza de la Virgen with Turia Fountain and the cathedral complex. • The birthplace of Paella, this rice growing region offers the best of this delicacy, perfect for Indian vegetarians too. • Plenty to offer for families with children — a Bioparc which simulates open wild spaces and is home to over 4,000 animals from 250 different species. There are special arts, science and music programmes for children too. • Hop from a Horchatta (a refreshing drink made from tiger nuts) bar to a tapas place, dine in a fine restaurant, before heading for a pub crawling session till the wee hours.

“

Valencia, being a rice-growing region, the traditional Spanish dish Paella evolved here naturally.

fountain, and the Cathedral complex alongside. Spanish bascillicas can give Italian ones a run for their money in their exquisite architecture, paintings and décor. We are lucky to chance in on a photo shoot of a lady wearing traditional costume, and click away merrily, all in phokat! Our guide tells us how Valencia is emerging as a destination of choice for huge global events — seminars, workshop, professional congresses and more. More and more venues and hotels are coming up with the right blend of conference facilities and opportunities to relax and party after the conference. He regales me with stories of how different nationalities have different needs and perspectives when they do a preconference survey. The Japanese are the most serious and meticulous. “They do video-filming of the most minute details; the film is taken back home, played to a committee and then they decide whether this will be the perfect venue for the event they are planning. You can learn a lot from the Japanese on the importance of meticulous planning and minute details.”

Pub-hopping At his first bar Laboratorio, which he calls “cheap and cheerful” we’re served a traditional and delicious Mojito, among the best I’ve ever sampled by Marc Insanally, its young owner. Mostly the young hang out here; the typical Saturday evening begins at 10 pm with a drink or two at one bar, then moving over to another, and so on. Such pub hopping is very Spanish. Essentially a café-cum-bar, this joint strives to provide a “very young and vibrant and very Spanish setting with a cosmopolitan feel,” says Marc. Here you can enjoy a fusion of styles … local wines, cocktails — from mojitos to sangria — each costing only around 4-5 euros, cured ham, aged cheese, hamburgers. As also what is exotic for Europeon or American guests, Inside a little iconic cathedral.

City of Arts and Sciences.

A typical vegetable market.

70 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

but very familiar to others such as Indians, a variety of dimsums, samosas and kebabs! “This café combines its primary function of food and drink with small cultural events, networking breakfasts, language evenings,” says Marc. Next we move on to the more upmarket Café de Las Horas, the second bar Mark started in 1994. This strives to “combine the styles of the classic Spanish literary café at the turn of the 20th century, the bohemian Parisian café, the very English tea room, and the American cocktail bar,” says the brochure. The result is essentially Valencian — a perfect blend of the old and the new … tradition and modernity, also promising a comfortable evening for teetotallers with exotic coffees and teas. We end our evening here with a real taste of this beautiful Spanish Town — Agua de Valencia, the base of which is cava / champagne, orange juice, with a dash of gin and vodka. “And I add my little tricks to make it different and special,” grins Marc. He sure does, as we walk out singing! Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat Designed by Krishnapratheesh

Build the Connection Upward! Dada J P Vaswani

It’s a hectic life that we all lead! We all have our duties to attend to. We have several obligations to fulfill. We cannot retire to the tapobana or the forest of meditation, as the holy men did in the dim, distant past. We have to live in this world; we have to carry out worldly duties. But while we attend to our duties sincerely, faithfully, honestly, earnestly, let us also carry the consciousness of God within our minds all the time. A holy man was invited to visit the estate of a wealthy landowner. As evening approached, the rich man took the visitor to the spacious terrace atop his mansion and pointed to each direction. “Do you see those orchards to the East? I grow apples, pears, plums and peaches there. As far as the eyes can see, the orchards are mine!” “Do you see the farmland that stretches to your West? I grow potatoes, cauliflowers and cabbage in those fields. Fifty percent of the State’s supply comes from my lands!” Dada Vaswani, born Jashan Pahlajrai Vaswani, is a spiritual leader and heads the Sadhu Vaswani Mission, that has its centres spread out across the world. A recipient of U-Thant Peace Award, he has addressed the British House of Commons, the World Parliament of Religions, Chicago and the Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders at the United Nations, New York, and several other gatherings. For more details, please visit www.sadhuvaswani.org

“Do you see those beautiful gardens to the South? I am growing exquisite flowers for export out there. There are dahlias, chrysanthemums, roses and lilies. My gardens stretch for miles in that direction. “Do you see those virgin forests to the North? They belong to me, too! There are millions worth of the country’s best timber out there — teak, rosewood, oak and pine — they are all mine!” “I have worked hard over the last 30 years and built up this green treasure and it is mine, on merit!” He waved his hands all over, turning triumphantly in all directions. “It’s mine and I own all that you see in any direction from my home!” He paused, searching the holy man’s face for some reaction, expecting words of praise, admiration and appreciation. The holy man laid his hand upon the wealthy landowner’s shoulder and pointed upward. “Tell me brother,” he said gently, “how much do you own in that direction?” We are told that on an average, over 3,00,000 people die every day — men, women and children. Does it not make you wonder, when my turn will come, when your turn will come? We all know that we have arrived here on this earth with a return ticket. Back to our true Homeland, we must all return sooner or later. Therefore I say, let the thought of God be in your consciousness all the time! APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 71

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 1

ão Paulo, Brazil, is a bustling multicultural metropolis of 20 million people. It’s home to the largest Lebanese population outside Lebanon and the largest Japanese population outside Japan. The city’s biggest ethnic group is Italian, numbering more than six million people. While you’re in São Paulo for the 2015 Rotary convention, 6–9 June, get to know some of the city’s diverse neighbourhoods: Liberdade Stop by the Museum of Japanese Immigration to find out why São Paul has such a large Japanese population — then eat at one of the many inviting sushi restaurants in the district. Bela Vista A former Italian settlement, this area is home to some of the best theatres, bakeries and restaurants in the city. Vila Madalena and Pinheiros Samba, shop and snack in São Paulo’s two bohemian neighbourhoods, home to myriad clubs and performance spaces. Bom Retiro In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this area flourished as a garment district populated by Jewish immigrants. Today it’s home to a growing Korean population. Brás Italians, Greeks and Armenians initially made up most of this neighbourhood. Now many Bolivian and Korean immigrants call it home. Register for the 2015 RI Convention in São Paulo by March 31, for a reduced rate. Go to www.riconvention.org. 72 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

37 44

45 48

52 58

61 68

55 56

10 11

21 24

Ethnic São Paulo

29 30

CONVENTION

53 59

62 70

SUGGESTIONS WELCOME

Across

1 Softer-than-gypsum mineral 5 Prof’s degree, maybe 8 Dietary restriction 14 Racetrack shape 15 Bray syllable 16 Modern taxpayer 17 After “The,” publication to write with crossword theme suggestions 19 Yellowstone sight 20 Wide-mouthed pitchers 21 Twelve-point measure 23 Mouthpiece for a horse 24 Actress Longoria 26 What 17-Across is 29 Decathlon event 33 ___ cava 34 Skip and jump companion 35 Keanu’s role 37 Sorority letter 41 Start of the address for 17-Across 46 Java option 47 ___ pal 48 Gumshoe, in slang 49 Speculative 52 Frenzied hurry 55 More of the address 59 Condensation 60 Pt. of R&D

61 1957 movie river 63 Valuable fur 67 Former Patriots quarterback Steve 70 With 60201-3698, end of the address 72 Pungent cheese of northeastern Italy 73 Contend for superiority 74 Wet to the touch 75 Beantown team 76 Brain scan, initially 77 Presley’s middle name

Down 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 18 22

Scurried big-time Declare bluntly Not on cue Red wine from Bordeaux Upsilon follower Great quantity It’s in our jeans Enya’s genre Two ___ kind Short drink Courtroom excuse Grant admission to Lacking originality Invitation notation Cleveland hoopster, familiarly 25 Free babysitter, maybe 27 Upfront money

28 On the Case with Paula ___ 29 Sporting pumps, say 30 Use a whetstone on 31 Well-funded grp.? 32 The Mad Hatter’s drink 36 End of Rotary’s URL 38 Rebuke from Caesar 39 Ball holders 40 Prefix for bishop 42 Parade stopper 43 Spin- ___ (some new shows) 44 Edible tuber 45 Sporting threads 50 Goldfinger depository 51 “That’s painful!” 53 Ricky player in ’50s TV 54 Neighbour of Burundi 55 Award named for Poe 56 Frost lines? 57 Treat like a pariah 58 Lacking worldly wisdom 62 Tennis Hall of Famer Nastase 64 Wild swine 65 Long car, for short 66 Channel for armchair athletes 68 Electric alternative 69 Long trailer? 71 Journey segment

Solution in the May issue

Reproduced from The Rotarian

Porishkar Kolkata by Jaishree

he Swachh Bharat buzz has caught on and pan India — across villages, cities and States — and corporates and NGOs alike are gearing up to spend their CSR funds to keep their surroundings clean and hygienic. Schools teach children to keep their classrooms and campus clean and throw litter into trash can. Volunteers campaign for clean streets and educate people not to throw waste around and use the dustbin to dump their waste. But wait, where are the dustbins? “As I was enjoying my morning walk one day, I noticed a gentleman throwing a banana peel on the side of the road. I gathered courage and pointed out to him that it would be great if he could pick it up and throw it in the dustbin. He retorted: ‘Show me a dustbin.’ This triggered the start of this wonderful activity,” said PDG Kamal Seth, District 3291, explaining the ‘Porishkar Kolkata’ campaign. RC Calcutta Midtown in association with Steel Authority of India (SAIL), and active support of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), has rolled out this campaign to keep the streets of the metro clean. Launching the cleanliness drive on

PRID Shekhar Mehta releasing baloons at the launch ceremony.

March 4, the Rotarians distributed 50 garbage bins among hawkers at Camac Street. In this colourful function, students, businessmen, street vendors and Rotarians participated. Around 50 school children designed and displayed placards generating awareness about cleanliness and hygiene. Ten best ones were given gift vouchers. The club plans to install 300 dust bins, sponsored by SAIL, in three streets initially. The project is to be

Children holding the placards designed by them.

carried out in phases spread across two years, with the steel giant promising 3,000 garbage bins across Kolkata. More programmes targeting various zones and communities are to follow. “Though much is talked about the Swachh Bharat programme, there is a lack of awareness on an individual basis, especially among communities such as the hawkers.We are educating them on the basics and making sure they also ensure their customers keep their environment clean,” said club President, Bhupesh Kapoor. PRID Shekhar Mehta, R K Sharma, Executive Director SAIL, State Minister of Correctional Administration H A Safwi and KMC Borough VII Chair Sushmita Bhattacharya participated in this drive. Commending the Rotarians on their unique project Mehta said, “Sustained campaign of education and building awareness on waste disposal will make the Clean India dream come true.” APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 73

High Tea through the day by Smita Tripathi

It’s always tea-time,” said the Mad Hatter to Alice in Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland. He could easily have been talking about us. For whether it is a strongly brewed black Assam with adrak (ginger) and elaichi (cardamom), the perfect ‘wake-up’ cup or the healthier green tea, we Indians love our chai. So what could be more satiating than a cup of our favourite tea? Our favourite tea paired with mouthwatering food. And no, we are not talking about just cakes, samosas or sandwiches that are traditionally had with tea, but an entire meal, right from a fish or mushroom starter to a chicken or paneer main course and chocolate cake or kulfi dessert, all had with cups of tea. “Tea like wine can easily be paired with food and has the added advantage of not making you tipsy,” smiles Nitin Warikoo, the head of Cha Bar and Business Development at Oxford Bookstores. “What’s more, unlike wine, tea tickles your taste buds, waters your mouth and cleanses your palate making you ready for the next course.” It is also a better accompaniment to food than coffee as it naturally complements food by rounding off its flavours and acts as a great flavour bridge from one course to the next. Coffee, on the other hand, is overpowering. So what should you keep in mind while pairing food with tea? “There’s no hard and fast rule. But you should make sure that the ingredients in the dish are not so dominant as to overpower the tea and vice versa,” says Anamika Singh, tea sommelier and founder of Anandini — The Tea Room, an experiential tea room in New Delhi. The tea and food should complement each other to make a good pairing. For instance, green tea which is not heavy on the palate works better with salads and grills as they don’t have any intense flavours. Singh recommends having a first flush Darjeeling with grilled fish or a vegetable salad. On the other hand, where the food is rich in spices or has been cooked for long, a strong black tea is a better accompaniment. “Long leaf Assam goes very well with Indian food such as butter chicken or shahi paneer,” he says. Adds Lakshmi Poovaiah, the manager at Emperor’s Lounge at New Delhi’s Taj Mahal Hotel: “A robust black 74 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

Pair your favourite tea with a range of foods to enhance the experience.

tea is perfect for an Indian dish like a chicken tikka masala. It also complements a well done steak.” However, if you were to have your steak medium to rare, then she recommends accompanying it with oolong, a Chinese tea. She suggests that most dishes that are traditionally paired with white wine can be paired with white or green tea. She recommends having white tea with grilled fish with lemon butter, and green tea with sushi, Chinese greens, stir-fried vegetables, etc. “Green tea is also a good accompaniment to fried foods as it helps cut the amount of grease that you intake while having fried food,” adds Lakshmi. For desserts flowery teas such as Jasmine and Rose which have a sweet aroma though they don’t taste sweet are ideal combinations especially with Indian desserts such as gulab jamun and kheer. She recommends having Jasmine tea with milk-based desserts such as kheer or rabdi. Singh’s favourite combinations are gajar ka halwa with oolong and rasgulla with a white tea. Dark chocolate is best had with a full-body Assam. Once you have started on the flavourful journey of pairing teas with food, there is no need to restrict yourself to Indian teas. Chinese and Japanese teas also pair wonderfully with food. Japanese teas like Sencha or Genmaicha go perfectly with seafood and rice dishes, while Chinese greens like Dragonwell and Jasmine which are strong in flavour and aroma complement salads and chicken dishes. The calming Puerh tea from China’s Yunan province is also a great digestive offering a welcome settling effect after a heavy meal. Try floral oolong with scallops, lobster and Peking duck. Medium to dark oxidised oolongs that are full flavoured are perfect for Thai and grilled foods. When serving tea with food ensure that the tea is not piping hot as it will burn your tongue making you lose all flavour. “Tea should cool down to 60–80 degree Celsius by the time it is sipped,” explains Warikoo. Of course, nothing stops you from serving cold or iced tea. Try cold Hibiscus iced tea with crab meat as a starter. Other options include an iced black Orange Pekoe with honey and ginger or an Egyptian Chamomile iced tea with honey. This is a particularly healthy option as it does not have any caffeine. Then there are also fruit infusions such as orange and black currant that can be added to cocktails or mocktails. At the end of the day pairing of food and tea will depend a lot upon your personal taste. Have it the way you like it. Pictures by Ritesh Sharma APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 75

RC Pondicherry Central RI District 2980 Dining tables and stools to seat about 40 patients were donated to Joseph Support Centre, an AIDS and leprosy rehab at Tindivanam.

Tiruchirapalli Shakthi RI District 3000 The club conducted a heart check-up camp under the banner â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Healthy Heart for Happy Life.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Close to 100 people benefited from this camp. 76 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

RC Pondicherry Central RI District 2980

RC Ghaziabad Central RI District 3010 Rotarians provide basic education (Hindi and Maths) to housemaids, drivers and other manual labourers under Rotaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s adult literacy programme.

RC Kakinada Central RI District 3020 The club in association with RC Gislaved, RI District 2380, Sweden and TRF installed RO water plants at Madhavpatnam.

RC Tiruchirapalli Shakthi RI District 3000

APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 77

RC Warora RI District 3030 Rotarians organised a cleanliness drive at various places across the city to promote the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

RC Godhra Midtown RI District 3040 Around 500 students from India, Nepal and Bangladesh participated in a 5-day International RYLA organised by the club.

RC Mandvi RI District 3051 To spread awareness on keeping India Polio-free the club opened a polio booth at Navjivan Hospital. Banners announcing immunisation dates were displayed at important public places in Mandvi.

RC Jaipur Royal RI District 3052 School uniforms, bags and lunch kits were distributed to students of Government Higher Secondary School, Hathroi. An E-learning projector was also installed.

RC Nokha RI District 3053 In partnership with Shri Jain Shivetambar Sabha and Kotari Medical Institute, Bikaner the club conducted a medical camp. About 300 villagers from in and around Nokha benefited from this camp.

RC Kakinada Central RI District 3020

RC Chachoki RI District 3070 Sewing machines were distributed to needy widows to help them earn a decent living by taking up a vocation in tailoring.

RC Narwana RI District 3080 An asthma checkup camp was conducted by the club along with pharma company CIPLA and Shri Jai Ram Hospital. Close to 100 patients benefited from this camp.

RC Samana RI District 3090 In a cataract surgery camp conducted by the club at Rotary Bhavan, around 400 patients were screened and 104 of them were operated.

RC Khurja City RI District 3100 Shoes and solar lamps were distributed to needy students to

encourage them to continue their schooling and learn better.

RC Kanpur RI District 3110 The club felicitated students from various parts of the country with scholarship awards. The event was co-hosted by Kanpur Welfare Association.

RI District 3120 Under a district initiative to support RILM 5,000 desks and benches were distributed to various underprivileged schools in the region.

RC Kharghar Midtown RI District 3131 The club in association with Muscaan Foundation, London installed a laboratory, infrastructure and smart class equipment at KES Secondary School, Kopra.

RC Jalna Central RI District 3132 Rotarians donated an e-learning unit at different schools in the region. Around 1,500 students would benefit from this initiative.

RC Ulhasnagar Midtown

RI District 3120 78 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

RI District 3140 Rotarians handed over sewing machines to needy women to help them earn a living and support their families.

RC Bhadrachalam RI District 3150 The club in association with RC Farmingdale, RI District 7250 and TRF installed an RO water purifying unit at Sundaraiah Nagar to help underprivileged people access clean and hygienic drinking water. RC Angadipuram Temple Town RI District 3202

RC Nandyal Midtown RI District 3160 A medical and dental camp was conducted for students of Rotary E M High School. Sanitary kits were distributed to all the students.

RC Angadipuram Temple Town

RC Siliguri Green

RI District 3202 Bed sheets and mattresses were donated to an orphanage for visually challenged.

RI District 3240 Rotarians participated in a friendly football match with Young Indians as part of their Rotary Day celebration.

RC Kottayam Southern

RI District 3250

RI District 3211 Run Kerala Run campaign was organised jointly with RCs Kottayam East, North and Central to enhance Rotary’s public image.

As part of Rotary’s 110th Anniversary the district conducted immunisation drives in the region. Rotarians from other countries also participated in the event.

RI District 3212

RC Rourkela Steel City

Rotarians collected books from various parts of the region to support the Happy Schools initiative.

RI District 3261 An RO water purifying unit was donated to Vishwa Bharathi Vidya Mandir School, Golghar.

RC Arasikere RI District 3180 The club donated stainless steel plates and tumblers at B V Hatti Government School, in a village in Arasikere.

RC Bangalore Jeevanbimanagar RI District 3190 The club conducted an IndoMaldivian Cultural Extravaganza to raise funds to perform 100 eye surgeries as part of their ‘Vision 100’ programme.

RC Madras Central RC Coimbatore Aakruthi RI District 3201 In order to create awareness on road safety the club distributed helmets to two wheeler riders.

RI District 3230 The club conducted a medical camp at Allandur. The camp was partnered by Rotary Central Margaret Sidney Hospital.

RC Belur RI District 3291 Rotarians organised an Awareness Walk to promote the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Around 300 students from 20 schools of Kolkata participated in the event.

RC Madhyapur

RC Madhyapur RI District 3292

RI District 3292 The club in association with Nepal Cancer Relief Fund and Bhaktapur Cancer Hospital conducted a cervical cancer screening camp for 200 underprivileged women. APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 79

MAIL BOX

XXXXXXXXX

Not numbers but Volunteers

Why not SHE-Power?

Wake-up Call

The Literacy Summit was outstanding, as the coverage on it, but with guilt I ask myself, “What have I contributed towards creating a cent per cent literate South Asia?” The next day as I complete an article, the question pops up again. How can I pursue my passion for writing when millions are waiting to learn to read, write and even unable to sign? Why can’t we, the well educated, help at least a few to switch over from thumb impressions? The top speakers at the summit have shaken my serene life a bit, and I have started contemplating on how blessed I am but how little I am sharing my blessings with the less fortunate. We, the women in Rotary, especially spouses of Rotarians, need to ask: When we can excel in multitasking as home makers, career women, corporate heads, teachers and other professionals, why can't we add one

more wing of service to our work for a totally literate India? Actually every member of a Rotarian’s family can contribute, and the women can motivate their friends and neighbourhood women too. Let us first access and learn the e-learning system that aims to bring education to the masses, especially in rural areas, and then help educate the children of our domestic help. Let the entire Rotary family in South Asia resolve to first start the journey from our homes, and unleash this latent talent. Let us arise and hold hands with Rotarians who are fighting against all odds to bring total literacy in South Asia. Just go ahead and click on www. rotaryteach.org and carry forward its message and magic. Rtn Jayanthi Raja Seenivasan Rotary E-Club of Chennai D 3230

Dear RIPE Ravindran, On behalf of our DGE Parag Sheth, DG Ashish Ajmera, District Trainer Deepak Aggarwal, District 3060 Training Assembly Chairman Himal Pandya and all Rotarians I thank you for your brief but live address to us. When one has mastered something, they say, “Wake him up at the middle of the night and he will do it.” You made a lucid speech when you were woken up by PRIP Kalyan Banerjee past

80 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

I am a Rotarian aged 78 from RC Pallapatti in Karur, RI District 3000. For the past 28 years we have been doing good service in Rotary. Though we are just 14 members in our club, all of us are interested in social work. We have tried to increase membership, but have not succeeded. Fortunately I read in the March issue a statement from our RIPN John Germ: “We should not increase membership for the sake of numbers. We don’t need numbers, but we do need volunteers.” Actually we are searching for volunteers, not numbers. I extend my whole-hearted thanks for the useful and meaningful thoughts of Germ. Rtn Nagu Arumugam RC Pallapatti - D 3000 I have come across some who have become Rotarians by just paying the membership but never attend the meeting or participate in club activities. Active participation should be given top priority. Rtn M T Philip RC Trivandrum Suburban D 3211

midnight your time. Your address was indeed a gift to the Assembly delegates. We were so happy when Kalyanbhai put you on the speaker through his cell phone and we listened to you in pindrop silence. Your gesture in waking up past midnight in the US and addressing us in Bhavnagar motivates us to ‘Be a gift to the world.’ PDG Pradeep Gohil D 3060

Make sure Rotary News Moves with you! Changing your address? Please write to us before you move, two months in advance. Mention your Club name, RI District Number and Rotary News Account Number from your magazine address label or simply attach the label itself.

Your Rotary News Account Number Name Rtn. _________________________________________________________________________________ Rotary Club of __________________________________________________ RI District ____________________ New Address (Please write your NEW Address below, in CAPITAL letters) ___________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________ City / Town _____________________________________________________ PIN Code ___________________ Mail this coupon to: ROTARY NEWS TRUST, 3rd Floor, Dugar Towers, 34, Marshalls Road, Egmore, Chennai-600 008.

Air-conditioned Conference Hall with a seating capacity of 30 persons in the ofďŹ ce of the Rotary News Trust

3PREAD THE WORD Invite someone to become a

Rotarian today.

Contact:

ROTARY NEWS TRUST 3rd Floor, Dugar Towers, 34, Marshalls Road, Egmore, Chennai - 600 008 Phone: 044-4214 5666, Fax: 2852 8818 e-mail: rotarynews@rosaonline.org

Views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Editor, trustees of the Rotary News Trust, or Rotary International. Every effort is made to ensure that the magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s content is accurate. Information is published in good faith but no liability can be accepted for loss or inconvenience arising from errors or omission. Advertisements are accepted at face value and no liability can be accepted for the action of advertisers. The Editor welcomes contribution of articles, news items, photographs and letters, but is under no obligation to publish unsolicited material. The Editor reserves the right to edit for clarity or length. Contributors must ensure that all material submitted is not in breach of copyright or that if such material is submitted, they have obtained necessary permission, in writing, for its reproduction. Photographs in this publication may not be reproduced, whether in part or in whole, without the consent of Rotary News Trust. Printed by Mukesh Arneja at Thomson Press (India) Ltd, Plot A-9, Industrial Complex, Maraimalai Nagar 603209, India and published by Mukesh Arneja on behalf of Rotary News Trust from Dugar Towers, 3rd Flr, 34, Marshalls Road, Egmore, Chennai 600 008. Editor: Rasheeda Bhagat. APRIL 2015

ROTARY NEWS 81

Rtn Mohan Rajan, RC Madras T Nagar, Chairman & Medical Director of Rajan Eye Care Hospital received the Medical Wizard Award for his services in the field of ophthalmology, from the Governor of Tamil Nadu, K Rosaiah. This award was presented by The India Today Group.

DG Ashok Padmaraj, RI District 3212, conferred Rotary’s Vocational Excellence Award, on Kathiresan, Director, ISRO Propulsion Unit, for his services in the field of space research and India’s Mars mission - Mangalyaan.

The 2,200 Rotarians registered for the District Conference of D 3201, wore masks depicting RI President Gary C K Huang to mark the Light Up Rotary moment when his theme speech video was screened during the event. This was followed by the President’s trademark ‘Happy Clap.’

82 ROTARY NEWS APRIL 2015

Feisty & Resourceful R

ann of Kutch in Gujarat is a seasonal marsh land. Local tribes of Kutch region such as Meer, Rabari, etc, make a remarkable livelihood under arid, harsh living conditions. With a rich heritage of making exquisite handicrafts and textiles, they are warm, hospitable people. Kutch faced many natural disasters, including the 2001 earthquake. But such tragedies have not impacted their indomitable spirit. The rustic beauty of this young Meer tribal girl radiated under the early morning sunlight. Text and picture by M Swaminathan

REGN. NO. TN/CCN/360/2015-2017 LICENSED TO POST WITHOUT PREPAYMENT NO.TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-431/2015-2017 REGISTERED WITH REGISTRAR OF NEWS PAPERS FOR INDIA 3880/57 ROTARY NEWS PUBLISHED ON 1ST OF EVERY MONTH

Advertise in Rotary News ... with a circulation of 1.2 lakh, and connect with 3.5 lakh readers. Reach some of the most influential industrialists, businessmen, finance professionals, doctors, lawyers and other high flyers.

Tariff Back cover

Rs.1,00,000

Inner Front Cover

Rs.60,000

Inner Back Cover

Rs.60,000

Inside Full Page

Rs.30,000

Half Page

Rs.20,000 Specifications

17 x 25 cm

Full page

17 x 12 cm

Half page

Advertisements in colour only

Rotary News Trust Phone: 044 42145666, e-mail: rotarynews@rosaonline.org