Rotary news march 2015

Vol.65, Issue 9 Annual Subscription Rs.420

March 2015

From Field To School

T

he 1,200-odd delegates at the South Asia Literacy Summit were enchanted by the scintillating performance put up by 14 students from Class 5 and 6 from the Rosary School, run by Chandra Aranha, spouse of District 3131 DG Vivek Aranha. Conceived and choreographed by Chandra, through a series of liquid and graceful dance-cum-yoga movements on the stage, Rotary year 2014–15 theme ‘Light up Rotary’ and the importance and challenges in educating all children, particularly girls, were highlighted in this performance.

Picture by: Rasheeda Bhagat

12 CONTENTS

07 09 12

From the Editor’s Desk President Speaks You conquered polio; now conquer literacy

14 Lifting the clouds of

37

Illiteracy

24 28

58

Building Schools in the cloud From Despondency To Hope

32 Innovate to increase membership

35 37

Women have strengthened Rotary A simple powerful Rotary story

40 Q & A with RI President Elect K R Ravindran

44 48

14

Spray & Service Educating girls in Afganistan

50

50 Building Water Health Centres 56 58 62 66 74 76 78

62

Of depression ... and greeting cards Gifting Mobility Dancing into the Guinness pages Smiles after Surgeries

Updates from Rotary Headquarters A pan-Asian food odyssey The Beauty Myth

28

56

66

LETTERS Swachh Rotary, under Ravindran Not that he loves Rotary less, he loves Rotary’s image more.

RIPE Ravindran’s frank and authoritative call for cleansing Rotary by adopting transparency, avoiding favouritism, selecting best leaders, showing progress and avoiding courts is welcome. Is implementation possible?

Why not! It is said Rotarians can move mountains. Swachh Rotary is possible.

Let every Rotarian ponder. Thanks to Rotary News for the excellent coverage of this sensitive speech.

Rtn VRT Dorai Raja RC Tiruchirapalli-D 3000 What I’ve been thinking for 10 years has been said by RIPE Ravindran.

We’re all responsible for today’s Rotary in India. I have seen Rotary at its peak in quality and quantity when I joined in 1970. Many times I feel bad at its plight today, but could do nothing. I am sure under the leadership of Rotarians like Ravindran, things will change.

Rtn Manjeet RC Korba-D 3261 Quality content, right direction I am unable to decide from where to start after going through the January issue of Rotary News, full of details on Rotary and other social events, details of polio eradication campaign of RI, through which Rotary has saved millions of children from paralysis. It is a victory over the invisible enemy which was crippling our children.

Rotarians have demonstrated that civil society can play a key role in addressing challenging health issues. The Editor has covered the life of a generous donor — the octogenarian Rotarian Mohanbhai Patel of Mumbai. Hats off to this great soul who says, “when all your needs are taken care of, beyond a 4 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

Rotary News team is gift to the World!

After seeing the February issue, I couldn’t resist writing and complimenting you for the content of Rotary News.

Felt a proud Rotarian seeing the colourful photos of RI Assembly where Indians made a mark in traditional attire. The amazing articles on Sankara Nethralaya, polio-free world, Literacy Focus, Global Outlook — all these increase our Rotary knowledge. Kudos to the Rotary News team ... you have already proved you are a Gift to the World!

Rtn Jagdish J Malu RC Gulbarga Suncity-D 3160

point what is the use of money,” which he won’t take with him.

Rtn Raj Kumar Kapoor RC Roopnagar-D 3080 Under your editorial guidance Rotary News has enhanced its quality. Be it the Contents page, Letters or other feature articles, everything is inspiring. Work done by various districts is commendable.

Rtn Dr Anil Sudarshan RC Kota Roundtown-D 3052 ‘At the Core’ is a beautiful column where persons of immaculate character inspire readers. Though, you will face the challenge of choosing right personalities. I know you can do it Madam!

The biographical sketches of Mukesh Malhotra and Mohanbhai Patel will motivate readers, particularly Rotarians, to emulate the Art of Giving.

In the Editor’s column, the couplet by the Pakistani poet is quite moving and brought tears.

‘From ambush to amity’ is pleasantly surprising; initiation with good motives can do wonders, and earn a good name for Rotary. The story of the semi-urban clubs of Tirupur having undertaken and completed so many worth-while projects is overwhelming.

Our congratulations to their members.

Rtn Korukonda Butchi Raju RC Anakapalli-D 3020 Greetings from RC Rawalpindi.

Thanks for publishing article on our Polio Tournament and other activities.

The latest issue was very informative; great effort by your editorial team. We will send you reports of more activities done by Rotary in RID 3272.

Rtn Nosherwan Khalil Khan RC Rawalpindi-D 3272 It was invigorating and nostalgic to read RIPE K R Ravindran’s message: Be a gift to the world, especially as I had the privilege of being an aide

LETTERS to him and First Lady Vanathy during their visit to Ahmednagar region.

‘First Thoughts’ by P T Prabhakar grows better with each issue and motivates and inspires every Rotarian to be dedicated and do quality work!

With immense pride my club, an all-women’s club, salutes our woman editor who has sculpted the face of Rotary News adding more beauty, grace and glamour to the content.

Rtn Dr Bindu Shirsath RC Ahmednagar Priyadarshini-D 3132 The February issue with wide coverage and attractive photographs of the International Assembly was impressive. ‘Colours of India,’ ‘Skilling the youth,’ ‘Grand Old Hero of Visakhapatnam’ have been able to inspire the Rotary fraternity.

Congrats Editor for your majestic style of writing.

Rtn Col Gopinathan RC Wadakanchery-D 3201 Every month Rotary News is getting to be more informative and thoughtprovoking. Two articles in February issue — ‘Beware of child abuse’

by Kiran Zehra and ‘Are achche din around the corner’ by Srinivasa Raghavan — were really interesting.

Rtn B Pasupathi RC Dalmiapuram-D 3000 I am happy with the transformation in Rotary News. The Indo-Pak article by Shakti Sinha is an amazing revelation on the muddy relationship between the two neighbours. We are lucky to have kept the Armed forces in the barracks and religion in places of worship.

PDG J V Reddy RI District 3160 Improved appearance, quality articles and valuable messages in Rotary News under your able stewardship are being appreciated by

Proud of RI S. Asian Presidents Congratulations for the excellent cover page (Feb issue) of three South Asians at the helm of Rotary International. Missing in the company is the first RI President from South Asia, Nitish C Laharry (1962–63). Their contribution to Rotary has taken them to the highest position in the world of Rotary. We are proud of them.

RIPE K R Ravindran, while addressing the DGEs, PDGs and RI officials at the Rotary Institute in Chennai, drew attention to the “rising budget every year without proper results” and promised to bring meritocracy into appointments, and said every Director is expected to visit his districts. He talked of cost cutting, meaningless litigation and said ‘Perform or perish.’ Let us hope that these ‘ideals’ of RIPE will be put into practice by everyone.

Rtn Dr Sudam Basa RC Bhubaneswar-D 3262 all including readers in my neighbourhood who express solidarity with Rotary movement. The magazine is playing a vital role to inspire significant positive influences in the community by conveying Rotary ideals to the world outside Rotary too.

Rtn Roshan Devassy RC Wadakanchery-D 3201 My heartfelt thanks for the coverage of our unique project ‘PRIP Kalyan Banerjee Butterfly Garden,’ which has great public image development potential. Such coverage generates a feeling of recognition among Rotarians and inspires and motivates other clubs.

PDG Dr Ulhas Kolhatkar RI District 3140 Congratulations for the February issue; the photographs give an international look. It is wonderful to turn the pages and go through the content.

‘First Thoughts,’ ‘Indo-Pak Peace in

the Peshawar aftermath’ are feasts one can read and re-read.

Rtn Shyam Samtani RC Bangalore Palmville-D 3190 Even in despair, wise people keep hoping and smiling; you have rightly hinted at this in your Editorial ‘Something to smile about in gloomy times,’ which talks about peace and conflict resolution.

Rtn Arun Kumar Dash RC Baripada-D 3262 Rotary Samachar Appreciations to Rotary Samachar editorial team for its Hindi version. The article ‘Gaon Aur Soundryan Sarokar’ is impressive in its content, but has grammatical and linguistic errors. Perhaps the English articles have been translated into Hindi without appropriate paraphrasing, and hence fall short of the spirit and meaning of the English version.

Rtn Lokesh Sharma RC Jaipur North-D 3052 MARCH 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

DG

S.P. Balasubramaniam

PRID Sushil Gupta

RI Dist. 3010

RI Dist.3000

DG

Jagannathan Paramasivam

PRID Ashok Mahajan

RI Dist. 3140

RI Dist.3010

DG

Sanjay Khanna

PRID Yash Pal Das

RI Dist. 3080

RI Dist.3020

DG

Dr. G.V. Mohan Prasad

PRID Shekhar Mehta

RI Dist. 3291

RIDE Dr. Manoj D. Desai

RI Dist. 3060

RI Dist.3030

DG

Dattatraya Shantaram Deshmukh

DG

Ramesh Agrawal

RI Dist.3052

RI Dist.3040

DG

Narendra Kumar Jain

DG

Vyankatesh Metan

RI Dist. 3132

RI Dist. 3051

DG

Jagdish B. Patel

DG

Sanjay Khemka

RI Dist. 3250

RI Dist. 3053

DG

Anil Maheshwari

DG

I.S.A.K. Nazar

RI Dist. 3230

RI Dist. 3060

DG

Ashish Ramesh Ajmera

PDG Rabi Narayan Nanda

RI Dist. 3262

RI Dist. 3070

DG

Gurjeet Singh Sekhon

PDG Radhe Shyam Rathi

RI Dist. 3053

RI Dist. 3080

DG

Dilip Patnaik

PDG Hari Krishna Chitipothu

RI Dist. 3150

RI Dist. 3090

DG

Pardeep Kumar Chehal

RI Dist. 3100

DG

Sanjiv Rastogi

RI Dist. 3110

DG

Ashok Jyoti

RI Dist. 3120

DG

Satpal Gulati

RI Dist. 3131

DG

Vivek Aranha

RI Dist. 3140

DG

Ajay Gupta

RI Dist. 3150

DG

Malladi Vasudev

RI Dist. 3160

DG

G.S. Mansoor

RI Dist. 3170

DG

Ganesh G. Bhat

RI Dist. 3180

DG

Dr. S. Bhaskar

RI Dist. 3190

DG

Manjunath Shetty

RI Dist. 3201

DG

P. Venugopalan Menon

RI Dist. 3202

DG

K. Sridharan Nambiar

RI Dist. 3211

DG

K.S. Sasikumar

RI Dist. 3212

DG

M. Ashok Padmaraj

RI Dist. 3230

DG

I.S.A.K. Nazar

RI Dist. 3240

DG

Swapan Kumar Choudhury

RI Dist. 3261

DG

Shambhu Jagatramka

RI Dist. 3262

DG

Ashok Bihari Mohapatra

RI Dist. 3291

DG

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

A thousand rainbows...

A

s you leaf through these pages covering the South Asia Literacy Summit held in Pune, you’ll feel proud to be part of the Rotary family. Your smiles will widen and heartbeats quicken with excitement as you read and absorb the true impact of what Rotary has set out to do in India, South Asia. That is, waging an all-out war on the dark clouds of illiteracy that have pushed back our countries, in a cheeky exercise to light up our skies with the vibrant colours of a thousand rainbows.

What is merely a massive ground for wrestlers in the Balwadi area in Pune was transformed into a glitzy, hi-tech conference with a tastefully designed and lit up massive screen donning the proud logo: Rotary South Asia Literacy Summit. As 1,250 — no less — delegates took their positions in the huge room, a PDG was heard exclaiming: “I’ve never seen such a huge Rotary gathering in India.”

Convenor Shekhar Mehta, who heads the Rotary India Literacy Mission (RILM), along with Summit Chairman Mahesh Kotbagi, had managed to pull off yet another ambitious event with host District 3131 DG Vivek Aranha providing background support. The event began, unfolded, glided through evenings packed with different cuisines, dancing on the lawns on Valentine’s Day and struck a reflective chord with eminent educationist from Newcastle University, UK, Sugata Mitra, advocating departure from an education system designed “200 years ago for clerks and civil servants” and moving onto an IT-supported system. Emotional moments came when PRIP Rajendra K Saboo urged Rotarians to work hard — “and I will work along with you” — to ensure that his dream of seeing India totally literate was realised “before I go.” There were few dry eyes in the hushed auditorium when Pakistan Literacy Mission Chair Faiz Kidwai screened a heart-rending video of a slain Pakistani schoolboy asking the Taliban what kind of entity it was to wage a war on children.

The dream that unfolded at the event — to make India, and entire South Asia, totally literate by 2017— gave me goose pimples. Could Rotary really pull this

off? Imagine what a golden moment it would be to proudly proclaim that we have cent per cent literacy. In his concluding remarks, PRIP Kalyan Banerjee, widely hailed as the “father of the Rotary literacy mission” for South Asia, added that when he had first suggested 2017 as the year for making South Asia totally literate, he had done so as that was TRF’s 100th year. “You are on the right track, even if it takes a little beyond 2017, let’s do it. And when we do this, we would have achieved something totally beyond imagination.”

Admittedly, all of us are jumping a little ahead of reality, and we still have the dark clouds of illiteracy, along with poverty, disease and millions of underprivileged Indians looking up to both the Government and voluntary organisations such as Rotary, to lend them a helping hand. But as Ramon Magsasay Award winner and Founder of M V Foundation Shantha Sinha said, and was echoed by PDG Ravi Vadlamani, you have to be both crazy and mad to take up schemes such as eliminating illiteracy from India. She admitted to being one herself, and said she had decided to retire — her organisation has already put one million children into schools — but after attending the Summit, she was all charged up to send another 20,000 children to school.

But, she cautioned, her long experience had taught her that this was no joy ride or a “soft programme.” It was ridden with conflicts and “hidden power structures.”

To send one million children back to school they had to stop 20,000 child-marriages, rescue thousands of children from child labour. But the trick was to start with the assumption that you have no adversaries or enemies and everybody is a partner and an ally.

Isn’t that what Rotary does all the time ... and hence succeeds?

Rasheeda Bhagat

MARCH 2015

ROTARY NEWS 7

District Wise Contributions to The Rotary Foundation as on January 31, 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

91,875 21,805 22,928 37,327 1,240 (140) 30,119 (63,000) 29,430 44,906 32,564 69,412 38,393 36,785 66,499 40,828 75,126 12,272 3,36,205 49,042 5,694 18,188 1,11,199 2,21,866 17,599 2,59,793 62,559 28,838 92,740 76,886 2,09,375 12,318 47,875 6,096 21,44,642

PolioPlus*

Other Restricted

India 41,017 100 861 725 305 615 50 0 0 0 1,450 22,325 0 0 1,714 0 6,714 1,000 4,136 2,307 17 3,599 0 100 3,504 949 1,000 11,149 1,328 1,597 925 0 0 0 1,07,488

Endowment Fund

Total Contributions

0 0 30,542 20,373 3,164 0 0 4,027 4,000 11,690 1,829 36,567 0 0 0 103 4,30,999 3,000 2,63,626 18,076 0 25,000 6,247 31,421 0 0 0 0 19,981 4,053 105 0 0 75,988 9,90,792

7,834 7,115 1,000 25,036 0 593 0 83,136 0 11,543 0 12,398 0 0 0 0 26,801 0 11,650 28,639 0 0 0 0 0 1,017 6,000 0 53,418 15,050 12,245 0 30,000 0 3,33,475

1,40,726 29,019 55,331 83,461 4,709 1,069 30,169 24,163 33,430 68,138 35,843 1,40,703 38,393 36,785 68,213 40,931 5,39,640 16,272 6,15,617 98,065 5,711 46,788 1,17,446 2,53,387 21,103 2,61,759 69,559 39,987 1,67,466 97,586 2,22,650 12,318 77,875 82,084 35,76,397

2,41,182

Sri Lanka 2,515

2,022

15,000

2,60,719

3271 3272

15,885 25,852

Pakistan 28,819 43,740

0 (816)

0 1,000

44,703 69,776

Bangladesh 16,803 1,00,525

8,513 1,000

22,962 0

3,26,164 2,96,940

Nepal 50 900 2,99,939 10,02,411 1,45,43,200 81,51,336

0 3,72,436 1,17,74,254

56,288 46,30,987 9,75,18,673

3292 South Asia Total World Total

2,77,887 1,95,415 55,338 29,56,201 6,30,49,883

* 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

Source: RI South Asia Office

Rotary eNewsletters www.rotary.org/newsletters

*DU\ & . +XDQJ

3UHVLGHQW 6SHDNV Dear Fellow Rotarians, In Rotary, we have the opportunity to build bonds of friendship with fellow Rotarians around the world. And once a year, at our international convention, we have the chance to get together with all of our Rotary friends, to share new ideas, plan new service and just have fun.

What better way to celebrate the end of the 2014–15 Rotary year, and Light Up Rotary with your friends, than to travel together to the 106th annual

“

What better way to celebrate the end of the 2014–15 Rotary year, and Light Up Rotary with your friends, than to travel together to the 106th annual Rotary

“

International Convention in São Paulo, Brazil?

Rotary International Convention in São Paulo, Brazil? Whether you have never been to a convention before or are an experienced convention goer, this will be one you won’t want to miss. Preregistration pricing ends on 31 March, so plan now for the biggest Rotary party of the year.

The Convention will begin on Saturday, June 6 and after the opening ceremony there will be a traditional Brazilian Carnival party and a Samba School Parade at the Anhembi Sambadrome. Even if you think you have no rhythm or can’t carry a tune, you will find yourself dancing, singing, and laughing all night long. The party and parade will feature the bright colours, feathers and sequins of Carnival costumes as well as the sights and sounds of samba, the Afro-Brazilian music and dance, and the delicious food and drinks of São Paulo.

On Monday night, Ivete Sangalo, winner of two Latin Grammy Awards, will entertain Rotarians. Every evening of the Convention, Rotary Restaurant Nights will let you enjoy discounts in the culinary capital of Latin America.

Savour fish from the Amazon, sushi with a Latin flair, Brazilian beef, and other offerings from some of São Paulo’s 30,000 restaurants and bars. And admission to several museums in São Paulo, including the excellent soccer museum, will be free with your Convention badge.

Brazil reflects a diversity almost as great as Rotary’s: Paulistanos, as the people of São Paulo are known, have created a lively culture with influences from all over the world. One of the highlights of any Rotary convention is always hospitality night, where you can get to know local Rotarians. Monday night is your chance to experience the paulistano lifestyle with the Rotarians of Brazil — but be sure to book early, as numbers are limited.

In Rotary, service and friendship go hand in hand. As you focus on the work of this Rotary year, I ask you not to lose sight of the importance of international friendship, and to register for the São Paulo Convention now, at www.riconvention.org.

Gary C K Huang President, Rotary International FEBRUARY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 9

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

The new grants and your Cadre of Technical Advisers Now that the first year of the new grant model has been completed, it’s time to see how it’s working.

One of the most positive outcomes is that more clubs and districts have banded together to implement larger, more sustainable projects. Our Rotary Foundation funded 488 district grants worth a total of $23.5 million and 868 global grants worth $47.3 million.

The Trustees are mindful of their fiduciary duty to ensure that Foundation funds are spent wisely. To help achieve this, clubs and districts have the support of The Rotary Foundation Cadre of Technical Advisers. These are Rotarian volunteers who have been vetted as specialists in one or more areas of focus, or in financial audits. Last year, on behalf of the Trustees, these volunteers carried out more than 153 assignments. Forty-four were technical (desk) reviews prior to funding approval, and 68 were mandatory on-site screenings for larger projects, either before approval or during the projects’ implementation.

The cadre also conducted 41 audits of projects and districts.

We have learned that some sponsors of global grants have struggled with needs assessments, sustainability and monitoring and evaluation. This is where the cadre can be of practical assistance, so its members have been asked to increase their availability to grant sponsors from the start of the application process. Clubs and districts that sponsor grants can access this assistance by contacting their regional grants officer.

We are looking to add volunteers to our cadre in all areas of focus and in auditing. If you are interested in joining, email cadre@rotary.org for more information.

The aim of the Trustees is to make the new grant model as user-friendly as possible to clubs and districts.

John Kenny Foundation Trustee Chair

Membership in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives As on February 2, 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 99 131 64 90 93 65 68 52 85 115 77 75 87 102 67 126 73 144 91 63 125 136 93 126 108 130 83 73 131 76 94 74 77 73 92 148 104 148 88 3,908

7,024 4,509 5,458 3,237 4,885 2,056 2,540 3,562 1,913 3,675 3,274 3,208 2,002 2,046 3,343 2,646 5,048 3,271 7,421 3,339 2,323 5,018 5,661 3,924 4,804 4,275 4,191 3,397 2,073 5,938 2,710 3,511 2,453 2,688 1,171 1,839 4,507 2,904 3,947 2,928 1,44,719

258 338 599 163 566 255 188 542 167 329 272 167 66 97 169 225 755 261 997 261 105 248 228 301 243 204 245 160 249 426 269 512 279 268 148 342 536 205 596 338 12,577

73 140 59 30 44 29 37 27 13 34 48 41 20 10 43 28 52 39 102 69 8 27 38 50 64 65 9 16 64 116 41 37 14 27 35 18 186 111 44 92 2,000

289 292 189 209 185 87 119 127 30 96 129 151 33 84 46 38 182 88 339 161 37 256 362 116 87 360 64 143 183 364 119 146 97 60 14 35 69 20 97 90 5,593

RCC

196 72 80 258 123 133 329 123 89 105 58 98 122 146 60 48 65 57 139 109 80 155 141 41 43 38 115 118 93 272 111 165 41 66 13 32 171 38 527 89 4,759

Source: RI South Asia Office

)LUVW 7KRXJKWV Dear Partners in Service, Teach ignites the DGEs Literacy Heroes inspire the Rotarians!

Pune Summit highlights WASH WinS & WASH earn a ‘Sabash’!

At the end of the tunnel we see light Chapter Eight was a Delegate’s Delight!

All Rotarians can be proud of the tremendous success of the National Polio Immunisation Days. Proud that the target was not only reached but also surpassed and prouder that Rotarians worked together in unison, breaking cultural and geographical barriers, to achieve this grand success of making India polio-free.

American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “What a man has is God’s gift to him. What he does with it is his gift to God.” In gifting polio vaccine to the world’s children, we’ve added an exciting new dimension to Rotary. The seeds of PolioPlus were sown in the Philippines in 1978.

The then RI President Jim Bommar administered the first two drops of oral polio vaccine to a little child there. Since that small beginning, PolioPlus has grown to encompass and change many countries. Teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.

In India our Rotarians, Anns, Rotaractors and Interactors worked together with Government agencies in making Pulse Polio an unparalleled success story.

Each one of us can draw satisfaction that we touched or saved the lives of thousands of children, who we may never know or meet. We can say with joy that somewhere in our country, a child or several children live because of what we did as Rotarians.

I would like to share with you the thoughts of Mahatma Gandhi after he visited Britain. “I am not conscious of a single experience throughout my three months stay in England and Europe that made me feel that East is East and West is West. On the contrary, I am convinced more than ever that human nature is much the same, no matter under what clime it flourishes, and that if you approached people with trust and affection, you would have tenfold trust and thousandfold affection returned to you.”

I could not agree with Gandhiji more, especially after eradication of polio in all but three countries of the world.

Here is a true story that started in Mumbai 27 years ago.

A young man in his thirties used to stand on the footpath opposite the famous Tata Cancer Hospital and stare at the crowd in front—fear plainly written upon the faces of the patients standing at death’s door; their relatives with equally grim faces running around. This sight disturbed him greatly.

Most of the patients were poor people from distant towns. They had no idea whom to meet, or what to do. They had no money for medicines, not even food. The young man, terribly depressed, would return home thinking, ‘Something should be done for these people.’

Haunted by this thought day and night, at last he found a way.

He rented out his hotel that was doing good business and raised some money, from which he started a charitable activity right opposite the Tata Cancer Hospital. He had no idea this activity, of P T Prabhakar providing free meals to Director, Rotary International cancer patients and their relatives, would flourish even after 27 years. Beginning with 50, the beneficiaries soon rose to 100, 200, 300. As the number of patients increased, so did the number of helping hands. As years rolled by, he continued, undeterred by change in seasons, come winter, summer or the dreaded Mumbai monsoon. The number of beneficiaries soon reached 700.

Harakhchand Savla, for that was the name of the pioneer, did not stop here. He started supplying free medicines for the needy through a medicine bank, enlisting voluntary services of three doctors and three pharmacists. A toy bank was opened for kids suffering from cancer. The ‘Jeevan Jyot’ trust founded by Savla now runs more than 60 humanitarian projects. Now 57 years old, he works with the same vigour. A thousand salutes to his boundless energy and his monumental contribution!

There are people in this country who look upon Sachin Tendulkar, Amitabh Bachchan, Rajnikanth, etc., as Gods. The internet is full of information on them. But hardly anyone knows Harakhchand Savla, leave alone calling him ‘God’ for feeding 10–12 lakh cancer patients and their relatives. Even Google failed to provide a photograph of Savla.

Crores of devotees looking for God visit temples/mosques/ churches every day. But God resides in our vicinity, in the form of human beings like Savla.

For 27 years, millions of cancer patients and their relatives have found ‘God,’ in this man.

There are many Harakhchand Savlas amongst us. Rotarians, in their own humble way, are doing great service throughout the world through this great organisation. Our goal is to bring peace and better understanding through thousands of volunteers and alleviate hunger, poverty and illiteracy.

There is no doubt that if Rotarians unite as we did in PolioPlus we can make a difference in other vital areas too.

As small as polio drop, as big as world peace The miracle of Rotary shall never cease!

Yours in Rotary,

P T Prabhakar Director Rotary International (2013–15) MARCH 2015

ROTARY NEWS 11

You conquered polio; now conquer literacy

by Rasheeda Bhagat

In an inspiring speech K R Ravindran assured Rotarians that they would usher in an era where literacy would not be linked to “accident of birth.”

I am thinking what Internet could have achieved 50 years ago. I’m thinking of Ramanujam Srinivas, who taught himself mathematics with ad hoc lessons from poor lodgers when he was 11. He taught himself trigonometry from a copy book when he was 13, the ability to solve the cubic equation with one single lesson when 15. He went to Cambridge at 26, independently recreated modern mathematics theory and went further. His career ended 95 years ago when he was just 32. Just imagine what would have been possible had Ramanujam lived today.”

With these words Rotary International President-elect K R Ravindran urged the 1,200-odd Rotarians gathered in Pune at the South Asia Literacy Summit to overcome all challenges to make their countries totally literate. The challenges of literacy began with water, toilets, health and sanitation, children being wanted on the fields for labour.

No government by itself could meet these challenges.

12 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

There were two ways to interpret the figures presented

by RI Director P T Prabhakar at the Summit on India having 74.4 per cent literacy. One was to say: Oh, three fourths of Indians are already literate. But these figures just presented the big pictures without showing the smaller picture — that 25 per cent of 1.25 billion was a huge number. The statistics did not show that “59 per cent of government-run schools do not have drinking water, and much of the illnesses and absenteeism is due to that. They don’t show that 89 per cent of government-run schools have no toilets and therefore the chance of graduation is practically nil for females. Or that, India has some absolutely top elite schools classed with the best in the world. And on the other side we have a situation that if you are born a female or poor you may not end up in a school at all,” said Ravindran.

Bird and mouse He related the story of two rocks standing alongside a mountain and wondering what was on the other side, being told

by a bird that flew over the mountain and the mouse that climbed up the rock. While the bird said “there are houses, cities, rivers and valleys,” the mouse said there was “earth, grass, trees and forest.”

The situation for Rotary was that of the bird and the mouse. “On the ground we are like the mouse, we look at every community, town and city; from the top we are looking at events like this (Literacy Summit) when we work together in a much larger space. We look at aggregates, trends, best practices and strategies and try to devise a programme best for the whole nation.”

Yes, 25 per cent of 1.25 billion was a huge number, larger than populations of many countries. “You can get blown away by this number or say why should we do it.

But if you look at the smaller picture and specific obstacles, deal with them and move forward ... start with how much we can do, let’s do what we can, you can make progress.” After all, he added, Indian Rotarians had played “a consistent and supportive role” in the growth of your country.

Huge challenge The challenge of making India literate was huge, but when the British handed over India, the literacy rate was only 12 per cent and at the end of 19th century it was only 3 per cent. So tremendous progress has been made, with success stories in Kerala (94 per cent), Mizoram (92) and Bihar up from 39 per cent in 1991 to 63.8 per cent in 2011. “We have achieved much and we need to credit the government for what it has done; but we need to do more.”

While taking up this challenge Rotarians would have to look at the infrastructure and resources needed. PRIP Kalyan Banerjee had talked about the poor quality of teachers.

“The reality with literacy in our part of the world is that a lot depends on the accident of your birth, whether you are a male or female, where you are born, caste, family, resources.”

That is why, said Ravindran, he loved the idea of midday meals in India, because then value was attached to attending schools. He was a great fan of educationist Salman Khan who had set up the Khan Academy and said world-class education should be available for free to everyone, and “you can learn anything.” He had partnered NASA, was supported

by Bill Gates and worked with MIT and the California Academy of Sciences.

“

“

With a cheap laptop and Internet connection, you could get the

best lectures from the topmost professors in the world.

Ravindran added that though there was very high literacy in Sri Lanka and adequate number of schools, he had question marks on the quality of education being imparted. He believed that you could get the best professors and teachers to devise the best syllabus and then deliver it into all classrooms via Internet. His company was doing this; “we are running very large losses, but this is our contribution to the country and one day we will be able to transform the education system in the whole nation.” Internet had revolutionised education; with a cheap laptop and Internet connection, you could get the best lectures from the topmost professors in the world.

Returning to Ramanujam, the math genius, Ravindran added, “Imagine if he didn’t have to scribble on composition books, or get teased by his friends who couldn’t decide if he was a genius or a fraud. He would have been recognised the world over, connected with mathematicians of the world with the click of a button, had the world of mathematics on his fingertips. He wouldn’t have had to set sail to London and lose his health in the pursuit of education. Instead of reinventing his basic theorems, he would’ve had access to the entire sum of human knowledge ... all on a cheap computer and a community of global listeners and learners. Imagine what he could have achieved.”

Conquer literacy, like polio Ravindran asked the gathering to reflect on how much of India’s resources and intellectual power had gone out with generations of people leaving. “Can we harness them; bring them back, because we need them now for what we want to do.”

Urging them to keep moving forward to establish firmly that literacy belonged to everyone, he said even though he knew very little of the subject and felt “intimidated” by the kind and scale of work Indian Rotarians had done on the literacy front in India, “I have the faith that you can and will do it.”

Martin Luther King had said, “You must have faith when you’re taking the first step, when you can’t even see the staircase. I think that is what Kalyan Banerjee and Shekhar Mehta and their team did when they took the first step in literacy.”

Even while having “zero expertise” on literacy, “I can inspire and help you,” but ultimately the goal of making India totally literate could not be achieved from Evanston, or Mumbai, Delhi or Kolkata. It would have to be done at the clubs “where we have the perspective of the mouse to see the grass, trees and stones. And we can be like a bird too as we are doing now by organising this literacy summit, and having the vision to see a better India and South Asia ... healthier, prosperous, free of poverty and looking to the future with great hope. Already you have conquered polio. The work you are trying to do now, with God’s help, will also succeed. We conquered polio, one day we’ll conquer literacy.”

Picture credit: Rasheeda Bhagat MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 13

Lifting the clouds of

by Rasheeda Bhagat

Sending 1,00,000 children to school might sound daunting; but every Rotarian sending one child to school is doable.

14 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

From left: Rotary Pakistan Literacy Mission Chair Faiz Kidwai, PDG Salim Reza - D 3271, PRIP Kalyan Banerjee, RILM Chair Shekhar Mehta, DGN Showket Hossain - D 3281, Pakistan National PolioPlus Chair Aziz Memon.

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This is the only Rotary event I remember where all the 34 Districts of India are represented.

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he magic and power of Rotary were amply evident at the mega event that saw 1,250 people come together to endorse a dream that only “mad and crazy people” can dare to dream ... to make India, and the rest of South Asia, totally literate by 2017.

Thanking senior Rotary leaders such as PRIP Kalyan Banerjee, who has driven the ‘total literacy mission,’ Rotary India Literacy Mission (RILM) Chairman and Convenor of the South Asia Literacy Summit (SALS) Shekhar Mehta said he was overwhelmed at the “faith, commitment, enthusiasm and sincerity” fellow Rotarians had shown in this project over the years. The ambition to send 1,00,000 children back to schools seemed gigantic, “but if each Rotarian decides to send one child back to school, it seems doable.”

Illiteracy

Banerjee told the closing session that this was the only Rotary event he remembered where all 34 Indian Rotary Districts were represented, along with Pakistan’s 3271 and 3272; with 3271, which has Karachi, sending over 50 people. “As for Bangladesh, there are so many of you ... as also from Nepal. The way literacy has brought together all of South Asia is amazing.”

Josh for literacy The ‘crazy’ josh for literacy began with orientation sessions where senior Rotary leaders, particularly RIDE Manoj Desai, charged up DGs, PDGs, DGEs and other Rotarians to commit their clubs to send so many children to schools, build so many toilets, happy schools etc. Urging them to put their hearts, minds and souls into ensuring that Rotary’s Total Literacy Mission gets off to a “fantastic and effective” journey, he said, “Keep your focus all the time on the Rotary literacy goals, captured so beautifully in the acronym TEACH, which include teacher support, e-learning, adult literacy, child development and happy schools. The beauty of this programme is that each of the five elements come together wonderfully to give the gift of total literacy to India.

With your hard work and dedication, this can and will be done.”

Desai added that celebrity endorsements were pouring in. One Amitabh Bachchan was enough, but “we also have Mary Kom, Farhan Akhtar, Anna Hazare, Sonakshi Sinha, Juhi Chawla; hardly any organisation can boast such a line-up of celebrity endorsements.”

Rotary was closely working with the Government of India and major corporates to banish the clouds of illiteracy from India, and the whole of South Asia, he added.

Addressing the inaugural session, Mehta said, “The last eight months have been epoch-making, and

D 3131 DG Vivek Arhana, spouse Chandra and PDG Deepak Shikarpur.

A section of the crowd.

MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 15

PDG Sunil Zacharia with RILM Chair Shekhar Mehta.

we can’t believe so much happened at such a frenetic pace.” RILM now has a CEO in Anupam Dasgupta, a former Secretary to the GoI, who brought with him “knowledge, expertise and excellent connections.”

Blockbusters Mehta said Jan 31 was a special day when RILM “raised money to sponsor 1,000 children’s education. The next day was even more special; on Feb 1, we met HRD Minister Smriti Irani and did a lot of business. She invited us to send back to school 1,00,000 children, and helped us raise Rs 75 lakh at the District 3140 conference, where Ajay Gupta is the Governor.”

As the packed hall cheered him on, Mehta pulled out more goodies from his literacy bag. “All this was certainly good, but the bonus was yet to come.” This was mega star Amitabh Bachchan agreeing to endorse Rotary’s literacy mission, and even make one or two

“

One Amitabh Bachchan is enough; but we also have Mary Kom, Farhan Akhtar, Anna Hazare, Sonakshi Sinha, Juhi Chawla to endorse our literacy mission.

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16 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

films, pointing to celebrated director R Balki standing nearby! But Ajay Gupta was a man in a hurry; he ensured that on the spot, by putting a steep fee of Rs 11 lakh for every handshake with Senior Bachchan, RILM raised megabucks. “Amitabh was hesitant, till I told him, ‘Imagine Sir, one handshake will take back so many girls to schools.’ And friends, in no time we raised another Rs 77 lakh.”

But, added the RILM Chairman, each new day brought new challenges and adventures, but solutions were found too. “A few days back we signed an MoU with Nishta to send back 1,500 children back to school.”

Another MoU with another NGO will ensure children accompanying parents to brick kilns will get quality education. “These children can’t go to schools because there are no schools around the brick kilns. So we will take schools to them.”

Best brains drive literacy Multiple committees at the national, district and club levels were working tirelessly. The ideation and fund collection happened at the national level, but execution had to be done by the clubs. “We’ve had 30–40 meetings of various committees, over 105 PDGs are involved; just imagine, some of the best brains in India are now ensuring that every Indian child becomes literate.” An excellent communication system and optimum use of social media quickly sent out “turf knowledge from Kolkata, Delhi or Mumbai” to the remotest corner of India within minutes. And we now have a world class website.”

TEACH had now become a buzzword in the whole of South Asia. Roshan, a Rotaractor, had travelled more than 4,000 km on his bike over eight months to remote schools, collecting data. A group of Rotarians from District 3060, had cycled from Siliguri in West Bengal up to Nepal and then Shirdi, covering 3,060 km “just to spread the good work of literacy.”

The programme had truly matured; thousands of teachers were being trained across the country, and a few thousand Rotary e-learning centres set up. “We want to send 1,00,000 children to schools and seated in front of me is the Ramon Magsasay award winner Shantha Sinha, through whom we want to send 20,000 children back to schools.”

Mehta said that by the year-end RILM wanted to complete 1,000 Happy Schools, but now with the Inner Wheel already doing 514 as stated by Dr Bina Vyas, “maybe we’ll touch the 1,500 mark. Our mission over the next five years is to send every child to a school, a school where the teachers are well trained, and the teaching methodology is modern.” Schools with compound walls, well-aired and lighted classrooms,

So many dreams

PRIP

Rajendra K. Saboo, in an emotional speech, urged Rotarians to go beyond just taking the Swachh Bharat pledge, as they had done at the Chennai Institute in December 2014.

After this pledge, which said they would devote 100 hours a year — two hours a week — to clean India, he asked how many Rotarians had actually dirtied their hands, admitting that he hadn’t managed to do so himself. His intent was to involve the chiefs of many companies around his office where there was a lot of dirt, but “I have been so busy going to Rotary events to talk and profess what we need to do, that I haven’t had the time to actually do it!”

Whether it was the Rotarian he saw 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”), or those who see dirty toilets in aircraft and curse either the passenger who had used it before him, or the cabin staff for its status, a lot of self-introspection was required. “The person who goes after you (to the toilet) will think what an uncultured person

you must be. And if you are wearing a Rotary pin, just imagine the consequences.”

Similarly on literacy, charity began at home ... with their domestic or office staff, drivers, etc.

Saboo reminded the 1,200 odd delegates at the Summit that he was totally with them on this quest.

But he also cautioned them, as he always does at Rotary meetings, not to be complacent about polio “which is knocking at your door. So much needs to be done to keep India polio-free and achieve a polio-free world as well.”

But he was confident in their ability to do so and while asking for their help and support, prepared to work along with them. “I am prepared to dirty my hands and will continue to work as if I’ve got to live forever in this world. Because I have a dream of a polio-free world, a dream of India as Swachh Bharat, and a dream of India becoming totally literate. I want that dream to be realised before I go. And then new dreams will start coming. That is Rotary.”

Expectedly, Saboo got a standing ovation for his stirring speech.

RB MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 17

clean toilets with adequate water. But at the same time Rotary could not leave out “the millions of adult illiterates that we have; they are our backlog and we will clear it,” he pledged.

He announced that three Rotary programmes had got GoI approval. “In WinS (WASH in Schools) we’ve signed an MoU with the Government under the Swachh Bharat programme. The HRD Minister has invited us to have an MoU in child development and in the adult literacy programme, a Joint Secretary of GoI is coming here to partner us.”

“The clouds of illiteracy are dark but TEACH is the silver lining. Whatever be the challenges, we shall overcome. Our mission is total literacy and I am sure we will achieve it.” With those words Mehta urged the audience to raise their hands to form the symbol of total literacy, and profusely thanked Summit Chair PDG Mahesh Kotbagi for his relentless work in “putting together this awesome event.” Host District 3131 DG Vivek Aranha was also thanked and recognised.

Warren Harris, CEO and MD of Tata Technologies, US, signed a $500,000 MoU with RILM for e-learning centres in Pune. To help manufacturing companies create better products, “we rely on the creativity and innovation of thousands of engineers, designers and technologists.” Five years ago, facing a “fundamental sustainability challenge as the need for qualified engineering graduates was exploding and Indian schools were hardly keeping pace with the demand, we created the ‘ready engineer’ programme,” and had trained 500 engineers under this in three years.

RI Director P T Prabhakar said while the US had over 95 per cent literacy, and Sri Lanka and Maldives

94.2 and 97 per cent respectively, India had only 74.4 and Pakistan 58 per cent. “After conquering polio, our next priority is total literacy, and we need to achieve that by sending our children to schools that have, along with good classrooms and well-trained teachers, proper toilets with adequate water.”

India had the “dubious distinction of having 800 million cell phones, but only 80 million toilets,” and our ranking on the UN Human Development Index was deplorable. “Even countries like Egypt and Guyana are better than us on parameters such as infant mortality, per capita income and literacy,” he added.

But if Rotary could conquer polio in India, it could certainly defeat illiteracy, Prabhakar said, relating the story of unsung heroes like Harakhchand

“ 18 RRO 18 ROTARY OT O TA ARY AR RY RY N NE NEWS EWS WS MARCH MAR AR RCH H 2015 20 5 201 20

India has the dubious distinction of having 800 million cell phones, but only 80 million toilets.

Inner Wheel’s Dr Bina Vyas.

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Ready Engineer

RIDE Manoj Desai.

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These children can’t go to school because there are no schools around the brick kilns. So we’ll take schools to them.

Rotaractor Roshan at the Summit.

Savla’s service to cancer patients in Mumbai (see First Thoughts for details).

WASH in Schools Making a statistics-studded presentation on WinS (WASH in Schools), TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta said in June 2014, TRF Chair John Kenny had said, “I will give you an additional responsibility. Knowing your interest in water it will relate to water, and then he asked me to chair a sub-committee on WASH in Schools!”

He said recently Rotary India had given a commitment to the GoI for building toilet blocks in 10,000 schools a year, for two years — a total of 20,000 toilet blocks. While this involved a lot of work, it would also be a considerable PR exercise for Rotary’s image.

Reiterating Rotary’s commitment to projects involving water, sanitation and hygiene, Gupta asked Rotarians to remember that almost 46 per cent of global matching grants in Rotary were available for this area of work. “We Rotarians have a strong competence in implementing these kind of activities,” he said, reminding them that building wayside conveniences in Chicago was a primary Rotary project in its earliest years.

Gupta said after a few meetings with the Government, Rotary had committed to play a big role in this aspect of Swachh Bharat. If a child was given a clean toilet with water facilities in his school and was educated and sensitised to wash her hands with soap before every meal, it would soon become a habit and he/she would insist on doing the same first in the family and then in the larger community, and thus “become an agent of change.”

The other important fallout would be Rotary contributing to gender equity, as separate toilet for girls with adequate water facilities would prevent the dropout from schools of 30–40 per cent girls, as was happening now.

Showcasing the phenomenal work being done by Round Table India, its President-elect Suman Voora said they had presence in 95 Indian cities and were “working towards the goal of freedom to education.”

In the last 17 years they’ve built 4,865 classrooms in 1,758 schools spending Rs 38.85 crore, and impacting 5.86 million children. “This means Round Table India is inaugurating one classroom a day; this is our impact on education.”

He added that in 2010, their education venture got a “big leap” with Procter & Gamble partnering Round Table, and contributing Rs 12 crore.

“We are a zero overheads organisation and every rupee donated is used for charity and construction of schools.”

PRID Sudarshan Agarwal, former Governor of Uttarakhand and Sikkim, and founder of Him Jyoti school for underprivileged girls, urged Rotarians to replicate such schools offering top quality education. Many of its students had got into prestigious colleges in India and overseas and a few had even visited US, Ireland, etc.

He read out a moving letter from Shalini, a student, while leaving for higher education in Bangladesh. “I feel so fortunate to see my cherished dream come alive. This is not just a piece of writing but my heart thanking you for the good changes you’ve brought in my life.”

Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat Designed by Krishnapratheesh MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 19

RIPE K R Ravindran and Vanathy (left); SALS Convenor Shekhar Mehta and spouse Rashi.

RIPE K R Ravindran and PRIP Kalyan Banerjee share some light moments with RID P T Prabhakar and DG (D 3281) Safina Rahman.

RIDE Manoj Desai with M V Foundation’s Shantha Sinha.

TRF Trustee Chair John Kenny with PRID Sudarshan Agarwal.

TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta addressing the Summit.

Kathak presentation by Sharvari Jamenis (Right).

Tata Technologies CEO and MD Warren Harris, who signed an MoU for $ 500,000 with RILM.

PRIP Kalyan Banerjee and RIPE K R Ravindran with delegates at the SALS.

PRIP Kalyan Banerjee makes Rotary photographer Hemant Banswal an Honorary Paul Harris Fellow.

Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy with Shantha Sinha and Manoj Desai.

SALS Convenor Shekhar Mehta with RIPE K R Ravindran and Vanathy.

PRIP Raja Saboo with RIDE Manoj Desai.

TRF Trustee Chair John Kenny, spouse June Kenny and PRIP Kalyan Banerjee.

SALS Chairman Mahesh Kotbagi and his spouse Amita.

Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat

Building schools in the cloud

by Rasheeda Bhagat

Blasting age-old education systems “designed for clerks and civil servants,” Prof Sugata Mitra advocates bold new experiments in education.

24 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

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he future of learning “could it be we won’t need to go to schools at all ... could it be if we need to know something, we can find it out in two minutes? My wish was to build a facility where children can go on ‘intellectual adventures,’ schools which can be practically unmanned and called Schools in the Cloud, designed and run by children.”

With these words Prof Sugata Mitra, Professor of Education Technology at the Newcastle University, UK, enthralled the 1,200-odd delegates at a packed plenary session of the South Asia Literacy Summit held at Pune.

With some of the money he got from the TED Prize, 2013, he set about doing just that and built a few labs in India and UK where children have large screens, good broadband connectivity and can explore the entire world and learn for themselves.

Showing the picture of one such centre in the UK, which has not only all this but “also an Xbox, so children don’t want to go home,” he added, “but if you notice, not all of them are playing on the Xbox all the time. They are on the Internet.”

He added that among such centres in India, one is in the Sundarbans.

“There is no electricity, no healthcare, no primary school. It is solar-powered with a mast that sticks out 50 ft from the ground to catch the signal. It has all kinds of technical problems, but there it is!”

We are producing children for employers who are dead.

Outdated assumptions Mitra said we continue to be dogged by built-in assumptions about education. That inside a school education has to be unidirectional, from the teacher to the students, who listen and are examined on what the teachers said, and then certified.

“That system comes from the last 200 years of the empire. Its purpose is to produce clerks and civil servants.” So we need to examine if we should continue this — “of course we still need a few clerks, because what clerks and civil servants do can be done by a computer today!”

The other assumption in this dialogue is that we are the masters and the computers are the slaves.

Not sure this is true; there is also the Internet, so not sure who is the master and who the slave!”

Mitra said he “bumped quite accidentally” 16 years ago into what is the foundation of his work today through an experiment in Delhi slums in 1999. This, as other experiments, showed that “a group of children, left with a computer, can learn anything by themselves. This might sound strange but I did experiment after experiment to find out the limit saying, this one they won’t be able to do. I still haven’t found any!”

Ensure safeguards But, he cautioned, certain conditions and safeguards have to be put in place. The free Internet access should be given to unsupervised groups of children in safe public places which are visible to everybody. “A single child with a single computer in a room somewhere is dangerous. Every educator needs to keep that in mind. It is not one to one.”

This process of learning — putting a whole lot of children in front of computers and asking them questions which will interest their age group — can trigger a whole lot of learning.

For example, ask nine-year-olds why nails on our fingers grow and grow and we need to cut them off. How and why does it happen? “In 40 minutes you’ll get evolutionary biology and a whole lot of things popping out of nowhere!”

Imagine involving a granny telling the child how did you do it? At your age I was so stupid, and the children will go further and further,” said Mitra.

Granny cloud

Prof Sugata Mitra addressing the gathering.

He said that in 2009 he created the Granny Cloud by inserting an appeal in The Guardian newspaper saying if you are a British grandmother and has a broadband and a web camera, could she give him an hour of her time every week for free? In two weeks, he had more than 200 volunteers. “Now it’s a global thing, with Indians, North and South Americans, etc. It is a fantastic resource. These MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 25

are retired teachers back home somewhere who miss the children. I beam them through Skype to places where good teachers will not go. The presence of a friendly mediator can boost such learning.”

Replicating the Delhi slum experiment in classrooms with glass walls in England where furniture is replaced with five computers with large screens, Mitra allowed the children “to work on whatever interested them. Once in a while you admire them. So SOLE (Self-organised Learning Environment) as I call it, is Broadband collaboration and encouragement. It costs very little and is highly effective.”

This idea spread fast; the first calls came from Europe, then North America and other continents; “I’ve lost track of how many teachers are using SOLE today. They are in tens of thousands. So obviously teachers like it, as it delivers results,” said Mitra.

The dilemma But a big problem with this method was that teachers in India and elsewhere asked him what do they do after Class 9, “because then there is an examination, where the internet will be taken away from the children, and they will be asked to solve question papers in an assessment system that is 200 years old. So what do we do? How do we handle the transition of the children in Class 10 to a time machine that will send them into the past? And what will happen to them after that? I think everyone in this room has been taught how to

solve a quadratic equation. Equally true that none of us has ever had to solve a quadratic equation till today!

So what is it for?”

Captivating the attention of the audience, Mitra then showed a picture of an office as it was 150 years ago, showing rows and rows of clerks, who needed to know reading, writing legibly and arithmetic, “and to understand instructions.

They were taught, like most of us for 17 years were, not to ask questions and not to be creative. Many of us, I see, including myself, are dressed like that (in suits)! We are producing our children for employers who are dead.”

Showing pictures, he said, when today’s office was a few people brainstorming before or with the

Why can’t we allow internet into the examination hall?

aid of computers, our examination halls should also have kids in front of computers. But his quest with governments in different continents, “asking desperately to please allow the Internet into the exam hall” has met with zero success as this is “inconceivable in all continents now.

I haven’t succeeded in getting even one positive response. But wherever there are children who listen to my talks, I get applause.”

The problem in changing the system and allowing the Internet in classrooms was that the approach to teaching, curriculum and exam papers and hence the entire education system would have to change totally. “But who is to bell the cat?”

Mitra left the audience with these thoughts: e-learning is a generic term.

“Because is there any other kind of learning? What can we do without the internet? So why don’t we find a way to release children into this environment, and find new assessment and certification systems? It will be hard but has to be done.

Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat Designed by N Krishnamurthy

26 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

AT THE CORE

From Despon To Hope by

There is great optimism in the nation today; it is time for the Central Government to deliver.

J

ust over a year ago the mood in India was one of doom and gloom. The economy was sputtering (despite the revised figures), job generation was almost at a standstill, oil prices were increasing, inflation was coming down but still high, investments were down, the current account deficit, though down, was a concern. Parliament saw unprecedented turmoil with members more intent upon shutting it down than debating and the government was seen as weak and floundering. On top of all this mess the government was seen as corrupt and unable to deliver good governance.

The NGOs were running riot and almost controlling government action. The Supreme Court was discarding judicial restraint and encroaching on to policy on the thesis that the executive had failed in its task. The CBI was running amuck,

NGOs running riot; Supreme Court encroaching on policy as executive had failed; CBI running amuck; people felt nobody was running the government.

28 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

T V Mohandas Pai

dency

A new government with a majority in Lok Sabha; strong, hard working Prime Minister focused on growth and development, and committed to eliminating corruption.

becoming a law unto itself. The people were left feeling that there was nobody running the government.

The only hope was the next election and a new government of whatever disposition.

Today, the situation is vastly different! We have a new government with a majority in the Lok Sabha. A strong, hard working Prime Minister focused on growth and development — though sometimes distracted by some extreme elements within his own Party — and committed to eliminating corruption. A dispirited Opposition with a few bent on making Parliament dysfunctional again. Inflation is down to lower levels — luckily, oil prices are dramatically down relieving pressure on the rupee and reducing the current account deficit. There is greater talk of improved investment, though still inadequate, with a focus on manufacturing, and a Make in India strategy.

An increased focus on jobs and skill development gives hope to our young citizens. The NGOs seem to have lost their sting and credibility with decreased public sympathy. The Supreme Court, with a new Chief Justice, is more restrained in the policy area, though it expresses its unhappiness sometimes. The CBI, with a new chief, is more focused and intent on its task. We’ve seen a restoration of the balance between the Executive and the Judiciary. Citizens have much greater faith and confidence in our new PM and see him as a strong leader — focused on good governance, development and job creation.

Dramatic change Stepping back for a larger picture, the change is almost dramatic and the stage is set for sustained high growth. The world has also recognised the change, and is rediscovering India. Suddenly, there is a deluge of overseas delegations and leaders visiting us, talking about investments and markets with renewed hope and confidence in our future. They seem to trust us again as a good investment destination.

Among the BRIC nations, India stands alone with growth in China coming down, Russia and Brazil in the dumps. India is being seen as the lone sentinel. The stock markets are booming, seeking new high levels, driven by huge flows of funds from FIIs. The RBI Governor is seen as a global rockstar — fighting inflation, intent on destroying it, and creating conditions for sustained growth. Our foreign exchange MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 29

reserves are at an all time high, with the rupee being stable and even threatening to appreciate.

Expectations on the new Government and on our new PM are at an all time high — it’s almost frightening! The NDA, with a comfortable majority in the Lok Sabha, has swept the polls in many States and is seen as strengthening itself to deliver good governance, development and jobs.

Yes, there is a feeling of hope of a better future and the feeling of doom and gloom has receded into the past.

Cause for anxiety However, a certain anxiety is setting in. There are not many signs of a great surge in investment. Banks are burdened with huge NPAs and restructured assets with no end in sight, with complaints of a lack of lendable proposals. Announcements by the government on Make in India, large defence contracts, approvals of stuck projects and so on, do not seem to have made an impact on the ground. Overseas investors have talked much, are positive, but have not put money into large projects because they are waiting for certain laws to be passed and for the retrospective tax amendments to be revoked.

The taxman, particularly in corporate taxes, continues to make perverse assessments driven by high unreachable targets. The tax appeals process is prolonged and almost broken. Job prospects are improving, though not fast enough to meet our needs and are still anaemic and sporadic.

Barring the reduction in petrol and diesel prices, the aam aadmi has not seen an improvement in his life, with no reduction in grassroots corruption, oppressive government officials and corrupt police. Impatient and eager to experience a better life, voters have demonstrated their unhappiness at the lack of change by putting an effervescent new party into power in Delhi.

This unprecedented sweep has wiped out the NDA

Industry wants easier policies, reduced red tape, elimination of approval Raj, and a friendly, responsive government.

30 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

But the aam aadmi sees no improvement in his life, no reduction in grassroots corruption, oppressive government officials and corrupt police.

and totally eliminated the Congress. It is clear that the honeymoon period is ending, and citizens want action.

Now, there is renewed focus on the next Budget.

Investors want the revocation of the retrospective tax amendments, a stop to tax extortion and a taxpayerfriendly tax administration to start investing in a sustained manner again. Citizens want an honest Budget with achievable tax collection targets, expenses fully accounted for and reduced individual income taxes so that they get more money to spend and invest.

Industry wants easier policies, reduced red tape, elimination of the approval Raj, and a friendly and responsive government. They want much larger allocations for infrastructure, particularly roads, ports and railways, reducing of cycle-time and costs in the supply chain, elimination of bottlenecks for the power, roads and infrastructure sectors, elimination of unnecessary subsidies and reduced waste of taxpayers’ money. An enhanced allocation for capital purchases in the defence sector with a focus on Made in India to buttress the reforms in defence investment is expected.

They expect accelerated ease in doing business with less government controls. There is also a need to redirect government expenditure towards development and investment, large-scale job creation with a reduced fiscal deficit to make more funds available for investment. The stage is set with low oil prices, low inflation, low oil and fertiliser subsidies and lesser strain on the current account for a great Budget to unleash the entrepreneurial talent of our people for sustained growth and job creation.

Yes, hope has been restored, and now the time for action has come! Hopefully the Budget will decide the future for us and our children.

The writer is Chairman, Aarin Capital Partners.

Of Bits and Bytes

by Jaishree

T

he children at Lady Hawabai Girls High School at Pune will now be comfortable to talk about bits and bytes, hardware and software and a host of computer language, thanks to the efforts of Rotary Club of Pune Cantonment, RI District 3131 and a UK-based charity, Nancy Tweddle Foundation.

Established in 1963, the school is probably the first in the Camp area of Pune to impart education in Urdu medium. A majority of the total school strength of 475 hail from underprivileged families. The school did have a computer facility but with just 20 computers, each shared by three girls, making learning tedious and cramped for them.

The idea to transform it into a fully equipped lab germinated in 2012 when a team from Nancy Tweddle Foundation visited the school to donate classroom furniture for the students.

The Foundation is the charity wing of Jupiter Marketing, suppliers of agricultural produce based at UK. While the funding for the entire revamp of the lab was undertaken by the Foundation, RC Pune Cantonment managed the smooth execution of the project.

Estimates for the computer lab were worked out; fund-raisers were organised,

Students at the new computer lab at school.

the significant one being a 24-hour Challenge to climb the three highest peaks of England, Scotland and Wales by the corporate’s team. The money thus raised helped in improving the facility with 25 more computers, a projector, furniture and fittings; the floor area was extended, making the lab more spacious and the walls given a fresh coat of paint — All this at a cost of Rs 8.5 lakh.

“The children just love the new computer lab so much that they eagerly await the ‘computer hour’ everyday.

The projector helps in training the

The children just love the new computer lab so much that they eagerly await the ‘computer hour’ everyday.

students to give presentations, thus building their self-confidence, and making them future-ready. The exhaustive computer literacy would increase their chances of getting employment after they leave school,” said Project Chair, Rtn Azhar Tambuwala.

The school headmistress, Zillehuma Bargir, echoed the thoughts of the parents stating that this new dimension to grassroots computer-learning is of paramount importance for the disadvantaged children, giving them a chance to learn skills that may transform their lives.

She also informed that the fullyequipped lab is of great help for Classes 9 & 10 where the students learn computer as a compulsory subject, besides basic computer being a certificate course for classes 5 to 8.

“Recently our students participated in the IT Olympiad in the city. Though the results are awaited, they are confident that they have performed very well, thanks to the swanky lab we have been gifted with now,” she added.

MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 31

Innovate to increase

membership

by Rasheeda Bhagat

Past RI President Kalyan Banerjee urged incoming Governors at the International Assembly to look at newer ways to attract people to join this “amazing” organisation.

If I ask you what is Rotary, I know I will probably get 540 different answers. When someone asks what Rotary is and we’re not sure of our answers, I believe we need to tell them simply about those things that have kept Rotary strong for over 100 years.

Tell them about our core strengths, service, fellowship, diversity, integrity and leadership.”

With these words PRIP Kalyan Bannerjee held, in rapt attention, the audience at one of the most crucial sessions on membership at the International Assembly in San Diego this January.

Addressing the 538 DGEs and their spouses at the colourful meet, which was nothing short of amazing, he said he was “a bit awestruck” at the huge gathering held in the American city known for its white beaches and great weather.

Commenting on the huge diversity of Rotary, so visibly demonstrated in the huge auditorium at the Manchester Grand Hyatt, the annual venue for this crucial RI event, Banerjee said, “As all of us squeeze into the hotel elevators, we’re seeing dresses we’ve never seen before and hearing languages we’ve never heard.

Doesn’t this incredibly amazing experience make us all stop and wonder at the miracle of Rotary?”

Their love for Rotary had brought them together as also “what we can do because of Rotary and we are ready to do more.”

But while Rotarians lived by the core values of Rotary: “the roots of the Rotary tree that makes our branches spread far and wide and strong and through more than 34,000 32 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

clubs,” it was time to pause and think why this big tree was not growing bigger.

Reminding the DGEs what PRIP Richard Evans used to say — growth is the only evidence of life — Banerjee said the collective leadership at the Assembly needed to reflect on why in the “past two decades RI has been fairly static in its membership. We were 1.22 million in 2007; in 2015 our membership stands at 1.18 million.”

The growth in Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe had just about balanced the declines in both the American continents and much of Europe, Australia and Japan.

“Does this mean that clubs that do more community projects as in Asia and Africa, tend to attract more members?” If this was true, a greater focus on community and international service projects in the districts with declining trends might promote growth faster. The new Foundation grant model that encouraged and facilitated the usage of District grants for both local and international projects, could further help do this.

PRIP Kalyan and Binota Banerjee with PDG Daniela Tranquilli Franceschetti, D2080, Italy.

No one-size solution Banerjee said there was growing realisation that one size does not fit all — Asia’s needs were different from those of Europe and America. Even North and South America had different needs and priorities, which could again vary depending on the way communities and cities live and work.

Innovation was the order of the day and new models to increase membership were being tried. Clubs of only younger people, or former Rotaractors, or Rotary alumni getting together, or e-clubs that were totally international were being tried out. “Rotarians and clubs are increasingly realising that the methods of today’s fellowship may happen even through ‘Facebook’ or ‘whatsapp.’

Having choice and options are the order of the day.”

The Rotary Council of Legislation, a “comparatively staid and conservative body,” which met once in three years, was getting “increasingly sensitive to our organisation’s needs for change,” and the Board of Directors was helping the change process as well, permitting the exploration of new options on a trial basis, he said.

with growth problems. One reason could be that in Europe, “membership in a club is a matter of prestige and honour, and the candidate has to truly deserve it.” Connecting with potential younger members was also an issue in some countries. But the positive was membership patterns remaining steady because these clubs were “outstanding in retaining members, which is a problem in Asia and other high-growth countries.

I encourage you to ask your clubs to look at retention as an equally critical area in our quest to raise membership,” said Banerjee.

India adds 9,425 members Urging Rotary leaders to take a fresh look at what was being done and whether this could be tweaked or changed a little, he said that from the figures shared

by RI President Gary C K Huang, clubs in India had grown by 9,425 members in this year alone. Western Europe — Zones 15 and 16 — were the only zones to lose members. Other zones had grown, increasing by between 17–400 members. Against Canada and South America

Positive growth in Japan A positive development was Japan showing this year a positive growth in Zones 1, 2 and 3. “Some months back I met a 27-year-old Japanese Rotarian — something unusual — a member of an e-club and thoroughly enjoying his Rotary membership, as he had made a lot of friends. So there is a huge change in that wonderful Rotary-loving nation.” In Russia, Denmark and Sweden, former Rotaractors were forming a number of clubs.

India and South Asia continued its membership surge primarily because of the community-changing projects they had executed. But clubs in Western Europe and South America were plagued

We were 1.22 million in 2007; in 2015 our membership stands at 1.18 million.

MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 33

Map depicting the membership growth trend.

struggling a bit, US was showing a modest growth this year. While two districts were losing members, overall in the American zone “the thumbs are pointing upwards ... kind of!” (See map.)

Banerjee said that when as Governors they visit their districts the two most important issues they’ll need to address are membership and contributions to TRF, though the latter was less of a challenge.

He felt that several initiatives taken in the last few years, such as regional membership plans, focus on core values, etc, had succeeded in “arresting the steeper decline of the earlier years. But I believe we still have some way to go before we can acquire stability, and then hopefully chart a modest growth path.”

He/she must work on a plan; “if a president is good and caring, sacrificing and goal-oriented, he or she will convince the club members to work together.” New members could be brought in by talking about Rotary’s core values, its engagement in stopping polio, spreading literacy, providing clean water and tackling diseases. “You do it your own way, highlighting your own priorities.” For instance, one president in the US was trying to make his club a VIP club — where V stood for values, I for image and P for product.

Banerjee urged the incoming Governors to be in touch with the media — print, radio, TV and Facebook too, if it worked for them. “Let us not forget wherever we are, the Rotary wheel is a great source for starting a conversation as Past President Frank Devlyn has always told us. If you get values and image and product in place, you do get a VIP club. The Rotary Club of Birmingham, District 6860, has 611 members and believe it or not, a waiting list half as long.”

But it was not size that was all-important. “There are hardworking clubs with less than 10 members. It’s the image that you have, the work that you do in the community that ultimately gets new members to queue up to join you. So go ahead and try some of these thoughts after you go home,” he concluded.

Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat Designed by Krishnapratheesh

The Rotary club of Birmingham has 611 members and a waiting list half as long.

Different sets of challenges The important thing to realise was that each country, zone and district had different challenges in increasing membership. “There can never be just one way, the one right way. The rules for membership may remain the same worldwide but the way you implement those rules can and indeed do vary. And while it is the job of every Rotarian to bring in new members, I think in North America, US and Canada, it is the club president who has the most vital role to play, and must be responsible to drive membership growth. He has to play the role of not a club manager but a strong leader, leading the club to a higher level.”

34 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

Women Have

Strengthened Rotary

by Rasheeda Bhagat

RI President Gary C K Huang stresses the importance of inducting younger people and women into Rotary.

H

aving grown up in a large family with “six strong women — my mother and five sisters,” he could vouch for the popular Chinese saying: ‘Women can hold up half the sky,’ said RI President Gary C K Huang, addressing the DGEs at the RI Assembly in San Diego.

Speaking at one of the membership sessions, he said 70 per cent of Rotarians are 50 or older “with wide business and community contacts. We need to maximise our strength with this core group of members as our strong backbone.” But at the same time Rotary has to target younger people “who will bring in energy and fresh ideas to the organisation. They are our future. I would also like to see more female Rotarians.”

He recalled how during the Rotary Day celebrations at the White House last October, a dozen Rotary women

of action had been honoured. “Some powerful and very touching stories” had been related about some of them mentoring women in business, providing health services to those in need, counselling battered women, volunteering in schools, preventing trafficking of women, mentoring challenged children in Russia and offering medical care in Africa and Latin America.

He said over the last few years, while membership in many areas was going down, it was heartening to see the number of women in Rotary was going up. About 2,40,000 women Rotarians “worldwide have greatly strengthened our organisation bringing unique perspectives to Rotary,” and now comprise 20 per cent of the total membership.

Gary urged Rotarians to ask their own family members to join Rotary. He said in October when he visited MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 35

District 7360 in the US, he noticed a woman who served as a remarkable host, working “quietly and efficiently helping DG Jason Piatt to ensure everything was smooth.” It turned out that she was his mother, and had been helping Rotary for many years and from the time Jason’s father was in Rotary.

Surprised that with such dedication nobody had invited her to join Rotary, he asked her: “Are you ready to join? She was thrilled and accepted. Over the past few months I have personally recruited several such remarkable women.”

Don’t be afraid to ask He urged Rotarians: “Don’t be afraid to ask; sometimes all it takes is to ask.” He had found that even the most qualified people were happy to join. Recently when Congressman Ed Royce came to a reception in California to honour Rotary for polio eradication, “he said so many nice things about Rotary.

I asked him, why are you not a Rotarian and he said nobody ever asked me! I said I am asking you now. I will even give you my pin. He said ok and is now a Rotarian.”

Gary added he thought the Congressman was just being polite and would not take his membership seriously, but was later happy to learn “Congressman Royce has paid his full dues. I was told when you see him next, you can call him Rotarian Ed Royce!”

Similarly in Zambia, a Deputy Mayor had accepted his invitation and joined Rotary. “I just learnt that he is now the mayor and a likely presidential candidate.” In

36 ROT 36 ROTARY OTARY O ARY RY NE N NEWS W MARCH WS MA MAR AR A RCH CH 2015 2015 201 20

Turkey when he met the Mayor of Istanbul, he said he loved Rotary because he used to be a Rotaractor 20 years ago. “So I asked him why he wasn’t a Rotarian and he said ... ‘no one ever asked me!’ I said I am asking you and will give you my pin.”

The same story was true for the youngest minister in Italian government. The 39-year-old woman was very impressed by Rotary’s work in public health. So how come she wasn’t a Rotarian? “Nobody ever asked her. You know where the story ends. I lost another pin!”

Added Gary: “No matter where you come from, there are many people in our communities who want to be Rotarians. I want you to ask them to join Rotary. Maybe some will say ‘No,’ but I don’t want them to say they aren’t Rotarians because nobody ever asked them.”

Just like the rock musician Amanda Palmer, who has written a book The art of Asking — her Ted video has been seen over six million times — Rotarians too should make a habit of asking people to join this fantastic organisation. “All of us are proud of Rotary because we believe we can make a huge positive impact in this world. Great things don’t happen by themselves, they happen when we work hard. The light of one candle may be feeble but when other members of the community join hands, Rotary will be lit up and the neighbourhood will be much brighter. Let’s do it.”

Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat

T

A simple,

he little figure walked up to the podium at the International Assembly to admit in all humility that she had no big degrees or professional qualifications to address such a “distinguished gathering of past, present and incoming Rotary leaders.”

But she stood there as a “victim of RIPE Ravi’s power for persuasion.”

With these simple words Usha Saboo, spouse of PRIP Rajendra K Saboo, held her own and drew huge rounds of applause while recalling the efforts she had put in bringing smiles, cheer, hope and health in the lives of

by Rasheeda Bhagat children and adults across the world.

Re-creating the “continuous flow The diminutive Usha Saboo touched a of images of people young and old, thousand hearts at San Diego Assembly with ailing and crawling, hopelessly needy her compelling story on her years in Rotary. people,” whose lives she had touched thanks to the opportunities provided by Rotary, Usha gave the audience a glimpse into the medical project remained her priority and today “their children are missions conducted by Indian Rotarians not only in India going to schools and their residential colony is a place of but several African countries as well. pride in our town,” she said amidst applause.

A few years ago she got a request from Mother Teresa’s Hostile, nagging organisation for funds to help the heart surgery of Suresh, a At the outset she admitted: “When Rotary came into my child. Even though fund collection began immediately, he life, I was not prepared for it. I had two very young children passed away before they could help. “This tragedy shook to look after. When Raja became Club President I became our conscience, and Raja and I promoted a heart surgery hostile and constantly complained, argued and nagged.” But project (Rotary Heartline) for poor children.” all this changed when she took her bitterness to her spiritual Starting from 1998, so far over 526 free congenital guru and came away with this advice: “Look around and cardiac corrective surgeries have been done on children from see how the world is broken and torn with suffering and India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Uganda, Nepal and Rwanda. strife. Change your attitude, and convert this obstacle into A special moment was being greeted by some of these an opportunity.” children and the their parents at the airport during a Slowly her vision widenedd from “mine to ours, recent visit to Rwanda. “On the happy faces nt was the day in the of those kids kid I saw the imprint of Rotary.

I to we.” The defining moment They won’t remember our names, but most market when she accidentally stepped over a buncertainly the dle of rags only to discover Basappa, a terribly they remember the one important n great agony, with name — Ro disfigured leprosy patient, “in Rotary,” she said. d leaking wounds.”

After Saboo Sa mutilated hands and feet and was done with his “RI way, she apologised responsibilitie Arresting her impulse to run away, responsibilities, we decided to dedicate some of our time and resources for hands-on service. and stayed behind to find theree were hundreds h no hope, In 1991–92 (wh of them in Chandigarh, “with (when he was RI President) Look ending beyond you begging during the day and spending yourself was just a theme, but our s, in journey on this path started in 1998 the nights on roads, under trees, whe rain and cold.” when we took our first medical missi Badly jolted, she shared thee sion to Uganda,” she recalled. story the next morning with Why Africa?

Saboo, who immediately Many Rotarians in India convened a meeting of his questioned them “Why club to plan a strategy to help Africa?” when so much needs these patients. For years, this

powerful Rotary story

MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 37

to be done in India. “Our simple answer: Africa because each time I go, I leave a part of myself and bring back we want to reach out to our larger human family ... and beautiful memories from each visit.”

Usha added that these visits and work within India on erase man-made barriers.” Over 17 years, the couple has organised 13 medical missions to over a dozen countries, Rotary projects has taught her lessons of patience, tolerance and gratitude, the power of love and above all to smile, changing countless lives. Through these missions children saying “Hakuna Matata” (Swahili phrase meaning ‘no have walked after polio corrective surgeries, vision has been restored, plastic surgeons have given new faces to victims of problem’). These lessons can’t be learnt from books or the most inhuman Rwanda genocide, and dignity restored classrooms. to abused and neglected African women with torn genitals and uterine tumours weighing upto 10–12 kg. “Our Rotarian Make TRF stronger surgeons have performed miracles and restored dignity to their Striking a personal and poignant note, she said, “After lives, generating unlimited smiles ... and seeing the badly disfigured faces of restoring the faith of young and old in the genocide victims in Rwanda, I am no generosity of human spirit and the power longer conscious of the leukoderma I am a mother of love,” said Usha. patches on my own face and body. when pacifying These medical missions comprise I count my blessings and realise how 30–35 doctors, including surgeons fortunate I am to have a healthy body.” a crying child, a from 5–6 specialities and “non-medical But then these service activities could waiter serving volunteers such as Raja and me.” happen only because of Rotarians’ concoffee to the team, The discomforts include long tributions to TRF. India became polioand tedious journeys, heavy loads of free “thanks to your generosity, and a a nurse when equipment and medicines, minimal polio-free world will become a reality bandaging stay, food and local transport. “Yet due to our continuous giving. If Rotary our surgeons innovate methods to is to become a world-power in hope and patients. overcome deficiencies and perform healing, a strong TRF will be needed to intricate surgeries, sometimes using add more muscle to our caring hands double or triple gloves for protection against HIV/AIDS. and loving hearts.”

Each of us is a bridge between pain and happiness, and She left the international audience from over 200 an ambassador of goodwill and peace, a messenger of countries with a powerful message on the real essence of light and love.” communication. When at one of their medical missions in Simply and yet effectively, Usha described her own role Ethiopia, Martin, a five-year-old polio patient, was asked in these missions. “I am a mother when pacifying a crying by a doctor how he communicated with Usha as he knew child, a nurse when assisting the doctors in bandaging or no English, the child replied: “Oh, that’s so easy, Ma’am giving medicines to patients, a waiter while serving coffee always smiles in my language.” to the team members or food to the attendants of patients.”

But what she enjoys the most and “lose myself in, are their Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat smiles ... discovering myself again and again. It’s a barter; Designed by L Gunasekaran 38 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

“

“

Lighting up the blind...

by Jaishree The Saibaba School for the Blind is the most precious gift to the underprivileged children of Medak District.

L

ife did not stagnate for 72-year old T N Prabhakar, blind-by-birth, and today, the Chairman of Saibaba School for the Blind at Narasipur in Medak District, Telangana. With astonishing will power, he has defied all barriers that come with being visuallychallenged, and established a school for the blind, Two years old, the

school gives free education to 30 children from surrounding hamlets and has left an indelible footprint on the community.

RC Chandapur, RI District 3150, recently honoured him with the Vocational Excellence Award for his exemplary service in education. “This is our way of saluting this man who has risen above a huge challenge, to light up the

lives oof other visually challenged children w with the precious gift of knowledge to completely change their lives,” says Su Subrahmanyam Reddy, the club President.

Preside Trudging through a path strewn Tru lots of hardships, Prabhakar went with lo a teacher, a profession on to become b pursued for 18 years before retiring he purs in 2006.

200 “My visual impairment was a huge hindrance to get proper educawhich I realised is the most powtion, w weapon to overcome disability. erful w Through this school I want to convince Throug sightless children that their condition sightle he says. is not hopeless,” h Post retirement, serving as President Pos of the Blind Welfare Association, help to the visuallyhe extended ext challenged by helping them get penchallen sions, bank loans to buy cattle or set shops or for agricultural activities. up sho wife and two daughters gave me “My w idea to establish the school and it the ide came uup in 2012,” he said. His elder daughter, Venkatramanalakshmi, is daught presently the school’s vice principal. presen The village Sarpanch provided the Th building rent-free for a few months. buildin Out of his Rs 30,000 monthly pension, Prabhakar contributes Rs 25,000 for the school. Rotary clubs and other philanthropic organisations provide support with cash or kind, and his son-in-law also provides substantial monetary and material support.

The school, initially begun with one student, Nagaraj, today has classes I to VI and a hostel. Lessons are free and imparted in Braille in Telugu medium. Lessons in music, karate and furniture-making, along with characterbuilding, are given here. “Dad never observes any bias in admissions in the school,” says Venkatramanalakshmi.

“He is our inspiration and has set an example not only for us but also for our children to follow,” she proudly adds.

“Aadmi ko athma vishwas se kadham badaana chahiye,” (One needs selfconfidence to take each step forward) says Prabhakar on this exclusive school.

K R“RAVI” RAVINDRAN Our first Sri Lankan president insists he’s perfectly ordinary. You decide.

K R Ravindran insists you call him “Ravi” immediately after you’ve been introduced. He has bearing: He is tall, with excellent posture, and he has the off-handed self-assurance of someone who is impressively accomplished. His disarming features are his restless curiosity and profound modesty.

Ravindran is CEO and founder of Printcare PLC, Sri Lanka’s largest printing and packaging company, with a worldwide clientele. It is publicly listed and has won many national and international awards for excellence. It provides design-to-delivery printing, packaging and digital media solutions, and is arguably the No. 1 producer of tea bag tags and sachets in the world. Ravindran insists that his company maintain a focus on environmental sustainability, social responsibility, community engagement and high ethical standards.

A member of the Rotary Club of Colombo since 1974, Ravindran has served as RI treasurer,

THE ROTARIAN: You’re successful in business. Rotary isn’t a business, but it sometimes behaves like one.

What have you learned in business that you would like to apply to Rotary, and how do you plan to do it?

RAVINDRAN: Success is a relative term. Albert Einstein said, “Try not to become a man of success, but rather a man of value.” It’s more important that I am known as a man of value. But to answer you, Rotary is not a business. That’s clear. But there is no reason it cannot be managed along the lines of a business. In business we are beholden to our shareholders. In Rotary we are accountable to the Rotarians who trusted us and placed us in a 40 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

director, and Foundation trustee, as well as in many other offices. When he was his country’s PolioPlus committee chair, he headed a task force, which worked with UNICEF to negotiate a cease-fire with northern militants that allowed National Immunisation Days to occur. Ravindran also chaired the Schools Reawakening project, sponsored by clubs and districts in Sri Lanka, which rebuilt 25 tsunami-devastated schools, benefiting 15,000 children. He also serves on the boards of several other companies and charitable trusts.

Editor in Chief John Rezek reports: “When I first met with him, he decided to ask me questions about the magazine instead of answering mine. It’s a safe bet that he is the best-dressed person in any room. He gets extra props for his highly polished monk-strap shoes. He is a man of many parts, all of which are put together with precision and thoughtfulness.”

position of responsibility. Every investment we make in time and resources must have a return. Every expenditure must be justifiable. The goals we set for ourselves should be transparent and measurable, and the leaders at every level must be accountable for their performance.

TR: Some people believe we are products of the place where we grew up. Do you think that’s true?

RAVINDRAN: Without question, when it comes to developing your character, I doubt whether any institution can compare with, or effectively substitute for, the home’s potential for positive influence on the development of a personality. It is true for me. I am

thankful to Rotary for reinforcing the values my parents taught me. Today I can proudly proclaim that I am what I am in my life because I was moulded

by Rotary. I can personally vouch for the ability of our organisation to blend commerce with cause, friendship with service, and know first-hand that each of us is lifted even as we lift others.

TR: How would you describe Sri Lanka to a blind person? What other senses would take over?

RAVINDRAN: As our tourist literature would say, Sri Lanka is a resplendent island in the Indian Ocean and a leading tourist destination. But Sri Lanka’s secret lies with its people.

The spice-addicted, cricket-crazy, and

tea-drinking people of Sri Lanka are famed for big smiles and bigger hearts and a culture enriched by 3,000 years of knowledge. It’s an island country of endless beaches, timeless ruins, welcoming people, and oodles of elephants, schools of blue whales, a killer surf, famous tea, flavourful food, and good value for money, with, most important, great, friendly people.

TR: What first drew you to Rotary, and what prompted you to take higher and higher leadership roles? Do you assume a leadership position in everything you’re involved with?

RAVINDRAN: Sometimes life takes you on a path that almost seems predestined. I joined Rotary for the fun and fellowship it offered, without any idea of taking on responsibility. In fact, if I had been told that I would have to take up leadership positions, I may not have joined at all. Over the years, in spite of being involved in some history-making projects, my best Rotary moments have been sitting with friends from diverse cultures and countries and laughing and talking half the night away. One does not go in search of leadership positions, but I think if you are a good follower, then leadership comes around to you in a most natural manner.

TR: What are the three most important rules of leadership?

RAVINDRAN: First, honesty and integrity. If there is no trust between leader and follower, then all is lost.

Integrity goes hand in hand with honesty and is an essential trait in an effective and trustworthy leader. Don’t stray from your beliefs just to get ahead in your company. Remain true to your principles in any situation, and your team will know it can depend on you.

Keep communication open, honest and genuine at all levels of the organisation.

Second, management. A good leader must know every aspect of his organisation or surround himself with people who know and, in fact, are better than he

is. You must be able to gain the respect of your stakeholders — both internal and external. Management must demand high ethical business standards and practices at all levels of an organisation.

Third, transparency, which is a reflection of your character. If you do not know something, admit it, and then do your best to find out the answer.

Make your feelings and the reasons for your decisions known so people understand your reasoning. Then, they will be more likely to come along for the ride. Watch, listen and acknowledge the work and opinions of others. Base your management style on cooperation, ethical behaviour, respect for diversity and commitment to the success of the organisation you serve.

TR: What does a person in your position never do?

R AV I N D R A N : D o n ’ t s p e a k from the lectern what you don’t

practice yourself. Only politicians do that.

TR: What character trait do you think every Rotarian should have?

Is it inherent or learned? Do you find it is in short supply?

RAVINDRAN: Character is moulded by environment. There are many members in Rotary who you would have thought should not be in Rotary when they joined, and yet we believe that these people will be influenced by their colleagues to become productive members. A well-functioning Rotary club has a way of changing the character of its members. I was one of those who joined Rotary for fun, and after 40 years, I still have a lot of fun. But fun alone could not have kept me in Rotary all these years. It was a sense of achievement, and the ability to leverage your own meagre resources with others’ and reach out MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 41

to thousands, even millions, that kept me in Rotary.

TR: What will be your focus during your term? What do you hope to accomplish?

RAVINDRAN: I am an average individual and an ordinary person, who has no plans to leave statues behind. Yet, as someone said, “It’s when ordinary people rise above the expectations and seize the opportunity that milestones truly are reached.” I hope I can be one of those people. I will focus on improving everything around me a little bit so that I leave the organisation just a little bit better than I found it.

I will try to make appointments based on merit and without bias. I will look to drive operating costs down, knowing full well that I can never achieve that unless I win the complete cooperation of our capable staff. I will look to add value to the individual Rotarian’s membership.

TR: Is there such a thing as a bad Rotarian? Have you met one in the wild?

RAVINDRAN: Rotary is a microcosm of society. What you find in society, you will find in Rotary.

What you consider bad in society is also bad in Rotary. Each Rotarian does not come with godly habits and qualities. A Rotarian who qualifies as being bad can be good at another time. And a Rotarian considered good can be considered bad at another time. But so often we have seen transformations for the better take place once an individual absorbs the qualities of Rotary.

TR: Have you ever encountered a situation you couldn’t fix? What did you do?

RAVINDRAN: Yes, many times. You just move on and not let that one setback depress you or take your spirit away.

42 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

TR: Name some of Rotary’s most existential challenges.

RAVINDRAN: Of course, eradicating polio is our No. 1 goal, and every member needs to keep his eyes focused on that. We also know that our membership languishes in areas where it should be growing. We have the technology at our headquarters to help us communicate better. But it falters because it is not being properly exploited by many of our clubs. We know that our Rotary brand must be made to shine brighter and speak louder, especially to those outside our organisation.

TR: Is sustainability a goal in itself, or a natural by-product of a well thoughtout plan?

RAVINDRAN: Sustainability is an endurance of systems and processes.

If you increase membership one year using some method that temporarily bolsters growth only to falter the next year, then that is not a sustainable process. The organising principle for sustainability is sustainable development, which includes four interconnected domains: ecology, economics, politics and culture. As far as Rotary is concerned, in recent times, especially

through The Rotary Foundation, we have been espousing the cause of doing sustainable projects. We have also had debates about what we define as sustainable. Such differing opinions about sustainability are bound to arise, and in time will settle down as our freshly minted programmes under the new grant model begin to mature.

TR: One of the challenges of the polio eradication campaign in Sri Lanka was that the northern part of the country was an active conflict zone. You were a crucial factor in negotiating recognition of children as zones of peace, and therefore provoking a cease-fire to allow for vaccinations. We suspect you might be modest about your role, but please describe dealing with people who mean to do you harm. Do you think this experience could apply to Pakistan?

RAVINDRAN: The difference between Sri Lanka and Pakistan is the literacy levels. In Sri Lanka, the government forces were literate and thus knew that vaccinating children against polio was a good thing. The rebels were literate enough to know that their own progeny needed to be protected. The government members were literate enough to know that vaccinating children took precedence against temporary gains of war. In this scenario, all that was needed was an honest broker, and Rotary became one.

The situation in Pakistan is different because the Taliban are illiterate in the main and allow their anti-American sentiments to take precedence over the welfare of their future generations. That’s a pity, and that’s where the problem lies, although our Rotarians there, headed

by Aziz Memon, are playing a heroic role.

As for my own role in Sri Lanka, I’d rather not talk about that except to say, it was a small one.

TR: Tell us how you came up with your theme, Be a Gift to the World.

Did you pick out your theme tie by yourself, or did you seek help from those closest to you?

RAVINDRAN: It definitely was not a solo effort. My wife was fully involved and so were some close friends, as well as my family. I don’t have the brains to come up with a great theme like this by myself! But just think about it: We in Rotary aspire to great deeds. We look up to and admire the towering figures of history who gave such great gifts to humanity. Abraham Lincoln, who gave the gift of human dignity to so many. Mother Teresa, who gave the gift of compassion to the forgotten.

Mahatma Gandhi, who gave the gift of peaceful change to the oppressed.

We all live together in one house, and I yearn for when I can go back to spend time with the child. I am looking forward to when, as a little toddler, she makes her way to my study at home, where I spend a lot of time.

TR: What do you read, and in what languages? Is there a book that you reread regularly?

RAVINDRAN: I keep up with the business magazines — The Economist is a magazine I enjoy reading. I read mostly in English. My wife, Vanathy, is strong in our own tongue.

There are two books I reread. The first one is Stephen Covey’s best-seller The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, and the other is a book by Gurcharan Das called The Difficulty

We in Rotary aspire to great deeds.

We look up to the towering figures of history who gave such great gifts to humanity.

All of them gave their lives to others — and their very lives became gifts to the world. Cannot we in Rotary be, in our own way, a small gift to the world?

TR: What are the unexpected benefits of being tall and well-dressed?

RAVINDRAN: Are you referring to me? At 6 feet 1 inch, I guess I am tall. Well-dressed — not too sure. I’m not certain there are any benefits, but I am well aware of the challenges of squeezing into airplane seats.

TR: During your presidency, what won’t you have time for?

RAVINDRAN: I won’t have time for my granddaughter, who was born last 22 October, and with whom I would dearly love to spend much more time.

of Being Good. Das, an alumnus of Harvard and a former CEO of Procter & Gamble in India, bases his book on the Hindu epic Mahabharata and the subtle art of dharma or behaviour, or dealing with real-life situations of acting in an ethical manner. I have given up reading fiction.

TR: What do you want your legacy to be? Which presidents do you think left a lasting mark on Rotary?

RAVINDRAN: I don’t plan to leave a legacy. I am a very ordinary individual.

Many presidents in Rotary have left a lasting impression on the organisation.

Of the presidents I know, Clem Renouf and the late Carlos Canseco have left indelible impressions on Rotary.

Reproduced from The Rotarian MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 43

Spray & Service

by Jaishree

I

t is that time of the year in the Rotary world, for District Conferences, where District Governors motivate and inspire their teams to do even more, while highlighting the District’s achievements and the clubs’ projects to transform societies.

Here Rotarians celebrate fellowship and develop networks.

The DisCon of D 3230, Saaral (‘a gentle spray’ in Tamil) got off to a vibrant start on February 7 at the Chennai Convention Centre. The two-day event ensured a memorable experience for the guests. RI President Nominee John F Germ and spouse Judy were the chief guests, as RI President’s Representative.

RI Director P T Prabhakar and RI Director Elect Manoj Desai also graced the occasion. Over 5,000 Rotarians, including past governors from the host District and neighbouring districts and Rotarians from nine countries (the District was also hosting a unique Rotary Games Bond, an international sports event,

with participants from nine countries) attended the event.

District Governor ISAK Nazar was lauded for his remarkable feat of taking his District into the Guinness Book pages for the Rotary My Flag My India event that saw the largest human flag formation, the signing of a sister club agreement between the District’s 59 Rotary clubs with 51 of D 3220, Sri Lanka, where he had led a team of 200 Rotarians on a goodwill visit and accomplished some meaningful projects in the island nation. Another remarkable initiative of the District this year was the forming of Annettes clubs and District Annettes Council which was recognised at the conference. On the membership front, the District has enrolled about 1,140 new members and formed 23 new clubs in the past six months since the beginning of this Rotary Year.

Nazar motivated his team saying, “You are not going to be ordinary

presidents; I see you all as the most outstanding leaders. You’ll be the President of the decade, not just President of the year! I appeal to you to make 3230 proud and continue to deliver the best in the next five months.”

Service above Self A Rotarian of 55 years who started as charter secretary in his 26th year and who has held just about every position in the District, implementing great projects and displaying true leadership, PDG Ramakrishna Raja was given Rotary’s highest recognition — the Service above Self Award by Germ.

Polio Flame The Rotary End Polio Flame, an initiative of RC Madras, was lit by John Germ. The flame started its journey from Sri Lanka and will travel to all endemic countries before reaching São Paulo for the Convention, creating awareness about polio immunisation and Rotary’s role in polio eradication and raising funds for the End Polio initiative. Club President S N Srikanth appealed to the Rotarians to donate US $1,000 to TRF to make the polio martyrs, brutally murdered in Pakistan, Paul Harris Fellows.

Lesson on Rotary values

44 RRO 44 ROTARY ROT OT O TA AR ARY RY NE RY N NEWS EWS WS MARCH MA M MAR ARCH AR CH 2015 2201 20 015 01

PDG Ramakrishna Raja being felicitated by DG Nazar.

In his address Prabhakar congratulated Nazar for his District’s excellent performance, and Conference Chair Rtn Mitra Srikkanth, for putting together a wonderful programme. He quoted statistics to show that India tops the world in membership development with an addition of 14,000 members this year and D 3230 ranks first with the highest number of new members added in the last six

RIPN John Germ lights the Polio Flame in the presence of RID P T Prabhakar, RIDE Manoj Desai, DG Nazar, PDGs Benjamin Cherian and S Krishnaswami and Rotarians of RC Madras.

months ended December ’14. Referring to the Rotary Day Celebrations held in Chennai, he said that RI President Gary Huang hailed the event at the International Assembly at San Diego as “the biggest and the best PR exercise ever in the 110 years of Rotary.”

Elaborating on the Rotary values, Prabhakar added, “To be a successful leader you need the right attitude.

Your generous contributions to TRF that makes huge transformation in

We should not increase membership for the sake of numbers.We don’t need numbers, but we do need volunteers....

RIPN John Germ

Be proud of the opportunity to serve

A

ddressing the D 3230 conference, RI President Nominee John Germ urged the delegates to be acutely aware of each of the remaining days that were ticking away in this Rotary calendar year.

Each of these days was a unique opportunity given to them “to make the world a better place.

You are part of not only D 3230, but a part of the 1.2 million Rotary family that extends to 538 districts in over 200 countries.”

Thanks to the unique opportunity this organisation had given them they could be effective, efficient and persuasive in solving the social problems of the world ... in education, health care, sanitation and so on.

Germ told the delegates that while numbers were important, “we should not increase membership for the sake of numbers. We don’t need numbers, but we do need volunteers ... to improve the quality of life of people in our community ... in the world.”

He said TRF has six focus areas and one of these crucial areas is peace and conflict prevention and resolution. There was so much of violence and many wars around the world.

“Peace is not just the absence of war; peace is providing clothing to children, helping heal the sick and educating children.”

He urged all Rotarians to work towards a more harmonious world “so that all of us have an opportunity to

raise our children and grandchildren in a peaceful world.”

He lauded D 3230 for its excellent projects in all the core areas of Rotary; they could be proud of the fact that they had worked hard to change lives — bring water to the thirsty, heal the sick, feed the hungry and educate disadvantaged children. They had in their midst 176 Major Donors, 4,052 Paul Harris Fellows and had contributed $9 million to TRF. They could be proud of all this; proud that they had worked to eradicate polio from India and were “part of the inspiration that keeps India polio-free,” Germ added.

MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 45

Cultural performance at the conference.

society, is the greatest service to God.” He appealed to the club presidents to “build something concrete that you can be proud of before your year is out.

Please build a toilet block in a school, or a library, anything of a permanent nature that you would cherish and your community would be grateful for that,” he concluded.

Time for delivery Addressing the meet, Manoj gave the delegates details about his mission

as RID in 2015–17. “Rotary has to deliver on the promises made; till now whatever has happened is good, your dedication and work have certainly given us credibility. But next what? At Chennai we signed that document with Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu for 10,000 toilet blocks.” But it is not an easy task; “It is a Herculean task because when you say ‘toilet block,’ it means two toilets for girls and two for boys.”

Dr Pawan Agrawal.

46 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

And now Rotary will be addressing not 10,000, but 20,000 blocks, which is a sizeable number that has been appreciated by none less than Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Desai said. When you get this kind of appreciation, with Amitabh Bachchan, Mary Kom and Juhi Chawla being your brand ambassadors before the launch of the programme, “that shows how popular and credible you are and that Rotary is a preferred partner in such programmes. So now let us start working on delivery.”

Dr C Rangarajan, former Governor of RBI, Ramanathan, DirectorProjects, Chennai Metro Rail, Dr Pawan Agrawal, President of Mumbai Dabbawala Education Centre and novelist Chetan Bhagat were other speakers at the conference.

A trio-rally comprising of a walkathon, a bicycle and a tri-cycle rally to promote healthy and environment conscious lifestyle, organised at the beach, was flagged off by RIPN John Germ and Judy. About 6,000 Rotaractors participated in the rally.

Empowering women through

vocational training

by Selvi

S

arala, a polio victim suffering from disability in her hands, was rejected at every tailoring institute she had applied. At Gurukulam Vocational Training Centre, an initiative of RC Tirupur North, RI District 3202, she received admission for a 6-month course in tailoring. Today, using her motorised machine, she accepts stitching orders from home and leads a dignified and independent life.

Instituted in 2007, Gurukulam is now a lifeline to many deprived women for extra income. Kalaimagal, the trainer and manager of the centre since inception, says, “The classes are free, but the women have to bring their own material for stitching.” Age is no bar and minimum educational qualifications are required. “Till now 1,000 women have been trained in embroidery and tailoring.”

Revathy Thangamani is a post graduate, but the responsibility of her two children made it impossible for her to take up a fulltime job. Today she runs a tailoring unit from her house and is thankful “to this vocational training centre that gave me skills.

Computer class in progress.

Gurukulam arranged my bank loan and today I am a full-time mother and business woman.”

Computer training for needy students is another freebie at Gurukulam. “Close to 500 students have been trained so far in MS Office, DTP and Tally courses,” says P Saraswathi, the computer trainer. This certificate course “is a boon for women who have to discontinue their higher education because of lack of financial support.

Tailoring class.

One such story is that of Sowmya, whose father is a cutting master in a textile mill and could not support her education beyond Class 10. But now “even before completing this course I have a job, thanks to the placement assistance at this centre.” She plans to take up the job as a computer operator and support her family and her education through correspondence courses.

A matching grant partnership with RI District 7150, New York Upstate, funded the purchase of computers and sewing machines at Gurukulam. The total cost of this project was around Rs 5,00,000. RC Tirupur North continues to pay the maintenance cost and the salary of the trainers, said Rtn V Muthusami, Secretary of the club. The vocational centre functions within the club’s own building, next to the ‘Freedom 50 Hall’ (community hall) built in 1997 and named in commemoration of the 50 years of Indian independence. “With a capacity to accommodate 150 people, this hall can be rented at Rs 2,500 and free for the poor to host various occasions with dignity,” he added.

MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 47

Educating girls in Afghanistan

by Kiran ran Zehra

M

eet Razia Jan, a Rotarian by membership, a humanitarian at heart, who is changing the lives of girls and women in Afghanistan. A member of RC Duxbury, RI District 7950, USA, she is also the winner of the CNN Top Ten Heroes, 2012 Award and multiple Rotary International Peace Awards ... all for her relentless work in educating girls.

Eight years ago when Zabuli Education Centre was instituted with 101 girls in Deh’Subz, a village near Kabul, “fathers never counted them as members of the family. They were treated like objects. They would leave out the girls and only mention the number of boys they had,” she says. But today things have changed.

“The school has 500 girls who learn maths, science and languages and 500 proud fathers,” says Razia Jan, founder of Razia’s Ray of Hope Foundation, a non-profit organisation that is improving the lives of women and children in Afghanistan through education.

Razia graduated from a college in the US and began her own dry-cleaning unit there. She returned 48 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

to Afghanistan in 2005 to establish her dream — the Ray of Hope Foundation. She worked “tirelessly” to raise funds and gain the community’s acceptance as “schools built with community participation are less vulnerable to attacks.”

Villagers initially rejected the idea of a girls’ school. Four men warned her to change it to a boys’ school saying, “Boys are the backbone of Afghanistan.” But she firmly replied, “Girls are the eyesight of Afghanistan.

You are blind; let me help restore your vision.”

Feeling that it was important for the father to understand that girls are precious, she ensured that whenever a

new girl was enrolled, she was “first taught to write her father’s name in three languages — Pashto, Dari and Persian.” The paper, with his name, is then sent to the father. “Many fathers come to school the next day and thank the teachers with tears of joy in their eyes. They are proud of their four-year old daughter who can write her father’s name,” she said.

Razia is excited as “this year my first batch of students is all set to graduate,” and is extremely grateful to “each and every Rotary club who has supported us all along.” In order to become employable, the girls need to specialise in the field they choose.

“We have a plan for that! With help

from various Rotary clubs we have built a vocational training centre.

Girls will be trained in computer science, midwifery and teachers training with English as their second language for two years.”

She recalls the story of a 16-yearold girl “whose 60-year-old father wanted to marry a 16-year-old girl from a neighbouring village.

In return, he wanted his daughter to marry a 70-year-old man there.

Some sort of an exchange offer!”

The girl was strong and did not give in. “Every other day she would come to school with a broken nose, bruised hand or leg.” Whenever she was questioned she would reply,

Many fathers have tears of joy in their eyes; they are proud their 4-year-old daughters can write their names.

“I fell off the chair.” Razia was amazed to learn that “this young girl turned down the marriage offer, no matter what. The girl fought such a huge battle without any help” and in the end she won! “But unfortunately she could not stop her father from marrying the 16-year old.”

“We opened a school for girls in Afghanistan to help break the cycle of poverty through education. By empowering these girls with education, we are giving them a ray of hope to protect themselves from poverty, malnutrition and hunger. But this young girl made it clear that education makes you strong and it gives hope for a better tomorrow,” Razia adds.

“I cannot stop because a school was burnt in a neighbouring village.

I cannot stop because children are being ruthlessly murdered in another country. Each day is a struggle ... a good struggle.” she says. “I am very small ... I have only one school and I hope and pray that it lasts forever.”

Designed by N Krishnamurthy MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 49

Building Water Health Centres

by Rasheeda Bhagat

WHI now has 1,500 employees in India. It also operates in countries like Bangladesh, Nigeria, Liberia and Ghana.

Jacqueline, who is passionately involved with India since she came here with her husband Richard Celeste (former US Ambassador to India from 1997–2001), says that during the last 15 years they have been bringing people annually to India for trips, and the number has crossed 1,000.

Last January they brought 64 people to Hyderabad. At the end of the trip each visitor contributed funds to build and launch WHCs. They also helped to launch a new foundation called ‘Jaldhaara’ which aims to provide safe water to communities; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), education; improving health outcomes for school children — their families, and the empowerment of women, she said.

“

To come to a safe, well-lit spot in the town to fetch water quickly, economically, is a boon for women.

A Water Health Centre in India.

50 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

“

T

his International Women’s Day, a consortium of women from seven countries, will join a group of Rotarians in Bengaluru to launch a Water Health Centre (WHC) in Williams Town, on a patch of land around the park. “The location emphasises how beautifully Indian democracy and Indian religions integrate, there is a church across the street, a temple close by as well as a mosque,” says Jacqueline Lundquist, VP - Corporate Affairs, Water Health International (WHI), which operates water projects in India in Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telengana.

Explaining the WHI model, she says it works as a public-private partnership where the company partners locally with the panchayats in communities, which need clean drinking water. The local authorities provide the land for a nominal fee, along with the water source needing purification. The land required for a WHC, which serves the need of about 10,000–15,000 people, is only 50 ft x 50 ft.

WHI typically sources funds through its corporate partners or development agencies. Once the land, water source and funds are available it takes about three weeks to build a WHC which becomes a community asset, with the WHI having the right and responsibility to operate, manage and maintain the plant for 20–25 years. The community pays a small fee for the purified water (branded Dr Water) typically in the Rs 5–7 range for 20 litres and this fee pays for the running costs of the plant. The labour is hired locally and

This year another group — an all-women group of 20, is visiting Delhi and on “International Women’s Day, we international women will inaugurate a WHC in Bengaluru that we have helped fund. In addition Rotary groups from Bengaluru and United States will also be contributing to the Jaldhaara initiative.”

Underlining the importance of reliable operations, maintenance and water quality (services that WHI provides), Jacqueline says “Many organisations just drill wells and walk away. We know that these wells have a life expectancy of 6 to 9 months and nobody monitors the quality of water.

Muppet Raya interacting with PRIP Rajendra K Saboo and WHI, being operations and maintenance intensive TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta at the International Assembly. and focused on water quality, stays in the community for 10–15 years, runs the plant, tests the Rs 3 lakh each. “If we can raise the money for all the 198 water regularly, makes adjustments and posts results for the centres, they can be built within a year.” Having worked community to see the quality of water they are drinking.” with Rotary for long years, including polio eradication proOne third of WHI’s employees are women; “we offer jects in Delhi when she lived here, Jacqueline is now in the jobs and opportunities to women, and turn the tragic story process of joining a Rotary e-club in Colorado. of women and water on its head,” she says. Needless to say, most of this income earned by the women goes into Water and women educating their children, including daughters.

On how access to clean drinking water changes the lives In Bengaluru, WHI working with the Bengaluru Municof women on whom the onus rests for this essential comipal Corporation, will build about 198 WHCs, for which efforts are on to raise funds. While the USAID has joined modity, she says that a study by the International Finance the initiative with a grant, “we are in the process of getting Corporation in communities where WHI operates found additional grants from Indian foundations and will raise healthcare costs come down by 76 per cent once safe drinkthe rest of the money through organisations like Rotary,” ing water is made available. Infant mortality rates also fall says Jacqueline. since safe drinking water reduces diarrhoea and other waterShe has already got commitment for 5 WHCs from a borne diseases. “So we are improving the lives and health of Rotarian of Indian origin in New Hampshire, who happened children and keeping them alive. I don’t have to tell you the to be visiting the Rotary district conference she was addressstory of women and water ... their getting up early to fetch ing in Bengaluru in October 2014. And five Rotary clubs it, leaving them vulnerable to eve-teasing and harassment. in Bengaluru have also pitched in with a contribution of To come to a safe, well-lit spot in the middle of the town to fetch water quickly, economically, also leaves the whole day free to work at home or outside.”

Jaldhaara and WHI have recently started a new initiative called Water for Schools, which brings safe water to a million school children.

“Within the footprints of where we operate, there are a million school children within a 2–3 km radius. We have created a partnership with Sesame Street and its newest muppet, Raya, whose character is focused on educating children about safe water and proper hygiene practices and are raising funding for the project — we are also talking to Rotary about this — providing water and hygiene education for these kids.” Meanwhile, on March 8, at Pottery Town, one of the celebrities present at the event, we are excited to announce, will be “our SpokesMuppet, Raya,” Jacqueline with US Senators at a project site in India. smiles Jacqueline.

MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 51

ANNOUNCEMENT

ROTARY AWARDS FOR SERVICE TO HUMANITY (INDIA) TRUST Rotary India Award 2014-15 on “Educating and Empowering Children of Sex Workers through Self Help Groups”

H

uman trafficking, especially of women and children for prostitution has been the bane of our society. It is estimated that over 5,00,000 commercial sex workers are in India, spread over various metros and towns. Several individuals and organisations are engaged in the activity to educate and rehabilitate children of these sex workers.

Rotary Awards for Service to Humanity (India) Trust has decided to recognise and award institutions, NGOs, Rotary clubs and/individuals who have done exemplary work in the rehabilitation of children or commercial sex workers in India. The awardees will be chosen by a panel of eminent judges who are committed to change the way our society treats the children of commercial sex workers.

Rotary India Award 2014–15 on “Educating and Empowering Children of Sex Workers” is intended to locate, identify and recognise the initiatives of the corporate sector, voluntary/non-profit organisations and individual social activists who are addressing the plight of these children. The Award carries a cash prize of Rs 5,00,000/- and a Citation. Last date for nominations is March 31, 2015.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA 1. Rotary India Award 2014-2015 is open to all Indian citizens and corporate/voluntary organisations, Self Help Group/Co-operatives in urban as well as rural areas in India, and community-based institutions involved in activities and programmes inter alia aimed at ‘Educating and Empowering Children of Sex Workers’ 2. The Award shall be given in recognition of excellence, result-oriented performance and commendable achievements.

• Measurable impact on Educating and Empowering Children of Sex Workers.

• Consistent pursuit of promoting the activities of Educating and Empowering Children of Sex Workers.

• The nominee should have been active for minimum 5 years or more on issues relating to Educating and Empowering Children of Sex Workers.

• The extent and range of the nominee’s activities should stimulate similar action by other individuals/ institutions in India, including official agencies.

52 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

•

The impact of the programme should lead to mobilisation of new resources for improving overall status of the children of the sex workers.

NOTE: Ministries and Departments of the Central/State Governments, local bodies and their officers charged with responsibilities of looking after the above mentioned activities and programmes as part of their normal official duties are not eligible to apply. They are, however, encouraged to report their performance/contribution on the subject which the Trustees will appropriately highlight and recognise at the Award ceremony.

NOMINATION FORMAT FOR ORGANISATIONS Contact details • • • •

Organisation’s Name Contact Person(s); Position(s) held in the Organisation Complete Contact Address with postal code.

Telephone and fax numbers; E-mail and Website, if any.

Organisation Details

• • • •

• • • • •

Year of Registration and number of years in existence on the date of application Number of beneficiaries reached in a year Area of operation; Principal activities Number of people involved in running the organisation/ programme Full Time – Male ( ) Female ( ) Part Time – Male ( ) Female ( ) Board of Directors/Management Committee Members/ Trustees (as the case may be) Total Budget for the year 2014–15 and audited accounts for 2013–14 Sources of Income and Expenditure (specify usable income) Has the organisation ever won appreciation from the State/Central Government? If yes, the details.

Has the organisation been awarded by any other recognised national or international body? If yes, the details.

• • •

Extent of convergence and networking with other organisations.

Any special case study or initiative relating to the subject that you would like to share.

Why do you think the initiative which you are nominating should be awarded or recognised?

NOMINATION FORMAT FOR INDIVIDUALS

• • •

Nominee’s Name Bio-Profile Organisation or Institution, if any, that you have formed or are currently associated with • Position held • Complete Contact Address with Postal Code • Telephone Numbers, Fax No., E-mail/Website, if any • Duration of work • Area of operation; Principal activities • Number of beneficiaries reached out in a year • Financial resources and Management, Government and private funding, donations etc.

• State the expenditure incurred during the last three years • Any appreciation or Award won from the State/Centre?

If yes, the details thereof.

• Any Award/s won from any other recognised national or international body? If yes, the details thereof.

• Any special case study or initiative relating to the subject that you would like to share • Why do you think you should be awarded or your initiative should be recognised?

Kindly enclose two passport size photographs and add other relevant information, if any.

1.

2.

3.

4.

GENERAL RULES Nomination for the Rotary India Award 2014–15 shall be received latest by Tuesday, 31st March 2015.

Nominations should be sent on plain paper, in the prescribed format, neatly typed either in English or in Hindi, containing bio-profiles and two passport size photographs in case of individual applicant, besides all other relevant details. Voluntary organisations and corporate institutions should also send their complete profiles in the prescribed format with aims and objectives for which established.

A brief synoptic note, in not more than 3 or 4 pages, containing highlights of the activities undertaken by institutions/individuals, must accompany each nomination.

Nominations from individuals working in an organisation or institution should be certified and forwarded by the Head of the concerned organisation/institutions clearly stating that the latter would have no objection to their being considered for the Award in their individual capacity.

5. Nominations must be supported by copies of complete documentary evidence, including copies of publications, article, and photographs if any. These will be returnable only if a specific request to that effect, is made.

6. Please specify whether the services are rendered free or the beneficiaries are charged.

7. All nominations should be sponsored/recommended by any one of the following: • Editor of leading newspapers or journals, present or past District Governors of Rotary International.

• Present or past Inner Wheel District Chairman.

• President of a Rotary Club in the area of activity of the applicant.

Hon. Chair Rajendra K Saboo

Chairman Ashok Mahajan

Vice Chair Yash Pal Das

All completed Nominations should be mailed to the below address: PRID YASH PAL DAS 122 Railway Road, Ambala Cantt. 133 001, Haryana Tel: +91-98-120-38999, Fax: +91-171-2643983, E-mail: yashpaldas@yahoo.com, Deadline to receive Nominations is Tuesday March 31 2015 MARCH 2015

ROTARY NEWS 53

in Rajasthan

by Rakesh Kumar

“The children in my village are now actively participating in sports and they all love running. I have noticed this change ever since they started eating the special ‘rotis’,” says Vijay Joshi, physical training instructor at a government school in Sheshpur village.

“I don’t get tired very soon these days and even my husband’s knee pain has reduced considerably,” shares Sumitra (30), anganwadi worker of Singhavat village.

“Till just a few months back, there was not a day when I didn’t feel listless or feverish. Carrying out my duties as a government school teacher and helping out in serving the mid-day meal, wasn’t easy. Thankfully, I feel much better and stronger,” says Varsha Sevak (26), government school teacher in Banora village.

There is a quiet health revolution underway across several villages in the tribal-dominated Salumbar and 54 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

Sarada blocks of Udaipur district in Rajasthan, where widespread malnutrition, especially among women and children, has had devastating effects on their physical well-being. Since September 2012, households dotting the arid countryside have been motivated to consume wheat flour fortified with micronutrients such as iron, folic acid and vitamin B12, as part of a novel initiative introduced in the region by Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) and Institute of Health Management Research (IHMR), Jaipur, and implemented by the Bhoruka Charitable Trust (BCT).

Nutritional deficiencies are rampant in Rajasthan. The National Family Health Survey-3 has noted high levels of anaemia, stunting and wasting.

That’s because a typical home-cooked meal here is imbalanced: it includes high quantities of cereal — that are cheap and provide energy — and very little pulses and fruits and vegetables,

which are rich sources of vitamins and minerals, critical for proper growth and building immunity.

Considering that the diet of these people is not diversified, provision of staple foods such as wheat, oil and milk that have been fortified with vitamins and minerals is considered one of the best ways of improving the health indicators . Not only is food fortification easy and cost-effective, it is also an inexpensive way to provide good nutrition and sufficient vitamins and minerals for health improvement in a short time,” says Deepti Gulati, Senior Associate, GAIN. In Udaipur, Salumbar and Sarada blocks were identified for action after a baseline survey showed locals suffering from high levels of micronutrient deficiencies. Rahul Sharma, Director, Food Fortification Project, IHMR, said wheat flour being the major staple cereal in this region, was chosen as the vehicle for fortification.

Picture by Rasheeda Bhagat

A Health Revolution

The next step was ensuring the use of fortified flour (‘atta’). For this, reaching out to the friendly neighbourhood chakki wallahs (millers), where households get their wheat grain milled, became imperative. They had to be convinced that by adding the micronutrient-rich premix to the flour, they could become “agents of change” to improve the community’s health.

About 200 chakki-owners were identified and actively engaged in this initiative and trained on how, when and how much to add the premix.

Shivendra Kumar Jha, BCT Project Manager, says, “Initially, the millers had several questions and apprehensions like ‘why should I do it?’; ‘do I get anything for doing it?’; ‘will the quality of flour get affected and impact my business?’ So we had

to tell them that it was their social duty to contribute in this fight against malnutrition.”

Other challenges emerged soon enough. Some people complained that the fortified dough made rotis dry. An investigation showed that some of the millers were adding a higher quantity of the premix, thinking if it was good for health then why stop with just one spoon! They were educated that it was important to stick to the right dose and eventually both the millers and consumers were happy!

Now an information campaign is on to publicise the advantages of consuming fortified wheat flour, and this includes community meetings, campaigns and street plays, says Jha. But, as Khajhrulal Jain, one of the three millers in Jhallara village

of Salumbar block, points out, only 60–65 per cent of his clients are convinced, and they tend to be the educated ones.

Anganwadi workers and Accredited Social Health Activists , who give nutritional advice to village women, are pitching in to increase the usage of fortified flour. Anita, from Dhoodhar, a small village in Salumbar, is one of them. As a grassroots government health worker she counsels families on the importance of eating nutritious meals. “I tell them how it reduces anaemia among women and gives strength to their children. And the best part: there is no extra cost involved!”

Jha says that in the last eight-nine months, fortified flour is being used by about 6,600 homes in Salumbar and Sarada.

Announcement from Rotary News At Rotary News, we are committed to enhancing your reading experience and projecting the best of what is happening in the Rotary world to inspire you and make you truly proud of wearing the Rotary pin.

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MARCH 2015

ROTARY NEWS 55

Of depression ... and

greeting cards

by Jaishree

The Rotary Special School which is the Rotarians’ solution to share the challenge of the mentally-challenged children at Trivandrum.

T

he precision and cadence of the band that greets me as I enter the small morning assembly at the Rotary Institute for Children in need of Special Care is heartwarming! The children are practicing for the Republic Day celebrations.

As they walk to their respective class rooms, with teachers in tow, one child came running and hugged me.

She was sobbing uncontrollably … as I try to pacify her, her teacher says that she is suffering from a serious bout of depression.

Close your eyes and listen to Prasanth play ‘Kadhal Rojave’ of Roja

56 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

fame on the keyboard … it is most certainly a performance of a professional.

His mother Suhidha proudly says, “I am very happy the school has shaped my son thus. He plays the tabla too and is adept with the playstation. Tell him the date and month of any year and he will promptly tell you the day.”

It is hard to believe that Prasanth is mentally challenged.

The facility The Institute is a community service endeavour of Rotary Club of Trivandrum, RI District 3211.

Established in 1964, the 50-year

old Institute is built on a Government-leased land and has three blocks of 12,000 sq ft each, housing the classrooms and a hostel for boys and girls. It serves as a multifocal treatment-cum-training centre for mentally challenged children and houses pre-primary, primary, secondary and pre-vocational classes.

The children are grouped into classes on the basis of their chronological age and intellectual functioning levels. Children from 5–18 are admitted here and education is free. Of 178 students, 60 are hostelites. Day scholars are given transport.

The faculty Ms Mothi Habeeb, the Prinicipal is an experienced educator and the staff strength is 48 with 17 special educators, a craft teacher and music teacher. The student-teacher ratio is a comfortable 8:1.

In the spacious dining room children are served a nutritious lunch.

They need individual care; parents are allowed to be with the children during the lunch hour but the school’s assistants patiently feed the children when the parents are unable to visit. The school has the support of a vibrant PTA. Children battling with various levels of disabilities such as CP, autism, epilepsy, chronic depression and speech impairment, receive educational and vocational training along the guidelines of the National Institute for Mentally Handicapped (NIMH).

Speech therapy, physiotherapy, classes to help children identify objects, colours, numbers, money concept and domestic skills are held.

Children neatly fold clothes and pile them one over the other in one of the classrooms; in another, some sit around a ‘vegetable store’ manned by Ajmal Hussain (10). Sanoj (14) is excited as he holds up an egg-plant and announces in Malayalam, “Vazhuthananga!” The teacher claps in appreciation and says, “He represented the State team in the Special Olympics Meet held at New Delhi in March.”

The children are extraordinarily talented in extracurricular activities. The school identifies their latent talent and encourages them with special training.

“Vivek (11) is a master artist; Vineeth

Teaching them concentration & co-ordination.

won an ‘A Grade’ in folk song and dance category in the Special Schools Art Festival conducted by the State’s Department of Education. Our children have won 29 prizes this year in various competitions conducted by the Social Justice Department, Government of Kerala on World Disabled Day,” says Mothi, referring to the trophies and awards adorning her spacious office.

The children are engrossed in shaping a beautiful pearl necklace, in one of the classrooms! “Crafts, needlework and ornament-making are part of their vocational skills development,” she adds.

Music, dance and yoga are also part of the curriculum. Computer classes offer them the greatest excitement. “Most of these children are too good in computer games!” says the computer trainer Pradeep. “It is also a kind of a therapy — promotes eye-hand coordination.”

Rotary support The Institute is managed by a tenmember committee comprising Rotarians of RC Trivandrum. Rtn M C Jacob is the Committee President now. He and

The Rotarians are passionate about the Centre ... even more than their involvement with the club.

others such as Rtn K C Chandrahasan, K P Sukumaran, DSN Ayyar, Kesavan, K V Nair and Dr Radhakrishnan Pillai are some of the major donors to the Institute. They ensure it remains adequately funded.

The Rotarians are passionate about the centre, “and it is even more than their involvement with the club,” says K V Rajagopal, Secretary of the Institute.

“They quietly visit the Institute along with their families and celebrate special occasions with the children here and also support in cash or kind during such visits. Rtn Kurien Kalathil undertook the renovation of the hostel, classrooms and the toilet block; Pradeep of RC Trivandrum West sponsored the medicine cupboard. The compound wall was commissioned by RC New Milton, New Hampshire, D 1110. The district governors also contribute generously during the official DG Visits,” he said.

Other Rotary and Inner Wheel clubs of D 3211, Lions clubs and corporate offices also lend their support.

It costs Rs 3.5 lakh a month, and the Institute gets assistance from the Government’s Grant in Aid (GIA). The teachers are also very accommodative and dedicated. Sometimes insufficient funds delay their salaries but they just carry on unmindful of this shortfall, says the Principal. “We hope to establish an Endowment Scheme for Rs 1 crore by this year end,” says Rajagopal.

As I take leave, I am overwhelmed by the pack of greeting cards the children give me, all made by them!

MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 57

At the Rotary Viklang Kendra in Delhi they don’t give in or give up ... they give it all they have to improve mobility.

by Rasheeda Bhagat

T

he Rotary Viklang Kendra, a project of RC Delhi Central, RI District 3010, since 1988, exudes a sense of both competence and comfort. Comfort for the physically challenged who need artificial limbs that are lightweight, flexible and aid their mobility to the maximum.

As its Chairman, Dr N Subramanian, walks me through its new facility, built on government land gifted to Rotary in 1998, we find Sachin Kumar (28), who owns a small shop, waiting for some adjustments on his artificial foot. In 2001, he lost his foot when he slipped and fell while boarding a train. “I first Beneficiaries at the Rotary Viklang Kendra in Delhi.

58 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

went to a Government hospital to get an artificial limb but it was too heavy.”

In 2004, at Viklang Kendra he got a comfortable limb fitted free of cost; it was replaced five years later. He now needs another adjustment; “as muscles shrink, the beneficiaries need replacement,” says Dr Subramanian. A beaming Kumar says that now he can, not only walk comfortably, but cycles to work. What is more; he can squat on an Indian toilet too!

PDG Ranjan Dhingra, a long-time chairman of the Kendra till three years ago, says spontaneously: “Do you pray for us?”

Dr Subramanian explains they use the Jaipur foot as the base and then work on it to make the artificial limb as comfortable as possible.“The idea is to get them out of wheel chairs and make them mobile; we manage that for most by fitting them with callipers, splints or some refitting of the limbs.

When that doesn’t work, we provide crutches, wheel chairs and other mobility aids. The idea is also to free their family care-givers for gainful employment.”

The corpus of nearly Rs 2 crore which has come in over years — Rs 4 lakh from Subramanian and spouse Lalitha requesting their friends on their 25th wedding anniversary to avoid gifts and donate for this cause instead – provides half of the monthly running cost of around Rs 3.5 lakh. The Ministry of Social Justice, which pays for the limbs of the patients it sends, and a couple of private foundations, give regular donations. “And of course, in our club, on birthdays, anniversaries and other happy occasions, people donate artificial limbs,” he smiles.

The average cost of a limb is Rs 2,000–4,000; all given free to

disadvantaged sections. While the number of polio patients is limited, 16-year-old Priyanka is one. She got polio when she was eight months old, and till three years ago when she got fitted with a comfortable artificial limb here, “mei ghuton pe chalti thi (I used to crawl on my knees),” she says. Fitted with a splint and callipers, now she can walk comfortably without limping.

She is studying in a government school and wants to become a teacher.

Dr Subramanian, who is passionate about this service, says in India many people lose their limbs because of poor understanding of what needs to be done after injuries. Diabetics and smokers too are susceptible to loss of limbs. At this centre, mostly lower limbs are fitted; “we do offer upper limbs but they have limited functionality.”

Dhingra introduces me to Ramesh Das, “our first employee as technician in the limb manufacturing unit, who has fitted himself with an artificial limb. Here we have a much higher level of engineering and mechanical involvement. We take a primary Jaipur foot which is very light weight, fine-tune and adjust it. Now he is able to walk, jump, run and he too cycles to work.”

Das has now become an expert at fitting people with such prosthesis, which need to be changed every five years. The Centre also has three physiotherapists and capital expenditure on the entire equipment has been around Rs 80 lakh, “of which Rs 20 lakh we spent recently,” adds Dhingra.

Subramanian, who is also involved in Trauma Care India says spinal injury patients have a lot of urinary problems too, and hence his connect and passionate involvement with this centre. One such patient who came to him in Apollo Hospitals, where he practices, was Sachin Chamadia, who had bladder problems due to his spinal injury.

From an affluent family, some years ago as a Class 11 student

Chairman of the Kendra Dr N Subramanian (left), counsels Sachin Kumar, a patient, while former Chairman Ranjan Dhingra looks on.

holidaying in Kolkata with his cousins, the youngster, who wasn’t wearing a seat belt, was involved in a car accident. By the time the rescue team arrived he was paralysed down the neck. “Both Lalitha and I have done the First Responder Course, or primary trauma care course, on what precautions should be taken in transporting such patients. The first is preventing further damage through safe transportation,” says Subramanian. Incidentally a seat belt and helmet can prevent 85 per cent deaths.

In western countries, head injury victims are never transported without a cervical collar or neck support.

“But unfortunately here, they are held by hands and legs while being shifted. With Chamadia too this happened. He came to me paralysed with no hand or leg movement and no bladder or bowel control.”

After many surgical and other procedures in India and US, Chamadia has recovered to a point of reasonable hand movement, and with a pro-mobile chair, he can get into his own vehicle and drive.”

He has now graduated from the Sriram College of Commerce in Delhi and joined his family business where he is very productive as a director as his brain function is fine. His bladder is managed by a special catheter. “What I like about him the most is that he has never believed he is a victim. He is a go-getter and when we invited him as a speaker he said, ‘you can either give up, give in or give it all you have.

I’ve done the last.’ He is always open to sharing his story, lessons learnt and how individuals need to respond if they are injured in accidents. He is a role model to me,” adds Subramanian.

Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 59

Girls, plan your future!

by Kiran Zehra Helping students plan their future.

G

uiding Lamps, a District 3230 Vocational Service initiative, recently held a workshop for career guidance at a city college in Chennai. The workshop focused on “What next? — an oft-asked question before we make a career choice,” says Rtn Vasanthi Ranganathan, District Chair - Career Guidance. “Dreams need to be big, but the steps we take to achieve them have to be small,” she told the 500-odd girls in the auditorium.

DG ISAK Nazar handed over the charter certificate to Charter President Nalini for the college’s Rotaract Club of Madras Silver Beach. “The installation of the Rotaract club is timely as your college steps into its 50th year,” he said. He congratulated the District vocational service team led by Chair Suchitra Sagar for organising an event to “exchange thoughts and help these students plan for a better future.”

“You can get bored by doing the same thing over and over again, but repetition makes you better,” said Vasanthi. Time and again she emphasised on “Me, It’s about me, I study for me, eat for me so why not plan a better future for me?” She also listed out options to help them “explore, understand and plan the future.”

Speaking on professional ethics she explained, “If I were a watchman, I wouldn’t accept a drink and let anybody into the campus. Every job has certain rules related to punctuality, honesty and integrity.”

Shaping a child’s “future is a great responsibility that we want teachers to understand

”

Students exchanged their views on Bharati kanda pudhumai pen (Bharathiar’s vision of a modern woman) followed by a singing and painting competition on ‘Say No to Violence.’ “I would like to thank Rotary for making me realise that it’s about me,” said Sasi, a student. Another thanked her “for helping me think what next? I have big dreams, but the first thing that I will plan is my small steps.”

Sagar said, “When we were college students we did not have career guidance programmes. But today it’s different.

You have the internet; you have various other programmes ...

Make sure you take full advantage of these sessions.”

Guiding Lamps has already addressed Corporation School teachers in Chennai. “Shaping a child’s future is a great possibility and responsibility. We want teachers to understand the importance of education and impart it to their students,” adds Vasanthi.

60 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

Rotary Day – D 3250 Team Rotary News

R

otary International President Gary Huang and spouse Corinna participated in the Rotary Day celebrations of District 3250 that covers Bihar and Patna.

DG Sanjay Khemka welcomed the international guests after which they flagged-off a bike rally, Safar Siksha Ka (Journey for literacy) — wherein 10 bikers would cover a distance of 3,000 km in 10 days to spread the message of Rotary India’s literacy mission.

The programme organised at Rabindra Bhawan in Patna, had Rotarians from 73 clubs of the District and from the neighbouring Districts too.

RIP Gary Huang handed over sewing machines, sponsored by Rotary clubs of Patna, to 100 women from underprivileged families. PDG Kamal Sanghvi anchored the event and Sanjay highlighted the landmark achievements of 3250. The Major Donors to TRF were honoured. A special stamp and First Day Cover issued by India Posts to commemorate the historic

Children with school bags distributed by RC Patna City.

visit of RIP Gary Huang and Corinna was released by the RI President.

Rtn Michael Matulick, founder and champion of Australian nonprofit, Soap Aid, spoke on the project — how it helps promote hygiene and sanitation in school children by recycling and reprocessing discarded soaps from hotels and turning them

into new bars to be used for the cause. Rotary India Literacy Mission Chair Shekhar Mehta spoke on ‘Literacy - the only sustainable asset.’

RC Patna City distributed school bags and stationery materials to 350 children. Five new Rotary Clubs received their Charter from the RI President at the event.

Special stamp and First Day Cover being released by RI President Gary and Corinna Huang.

MARCH 2015

ROTARY NEWS 61

Dancing into the

Guinness pages

Dance recital in progress.

J

anuary 10 dawned with palpable excitement over Kolhapur and the entire city wore a traditional, festive atmosphere to witness and celebrate a remarkable feat – the creation of the Guinness World Record for performance by maximum number of classical dancers at a time!

The event was Rotary Nritya Sanskarr hosted by Rotary District 3170 as part of their Rotary Days.

The unique programme saw 2,100 Bharathnatyam dancers, aged 5 to 40, perform gracefully for 12 minutes, at the Rajashri Shahu Maharaj Stadium on the evening of January 10. When the Guinness Adjudicator Mercie announced the news of the record, it indeed was a momentous, memorable occasion for each of the participants!

The dancers hailing from various parts of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Goa were trained for over three months by Tapasya Siddhi Kala Accademi, a dance school based at the city.

62 RO ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

Dancers receiving the Guiness Certificate from the Adjudicator.

Dance teacher Sanyogita Patil said that the dance was recorded on a CD and sent to the respective training schools in the various cities to ensure uniform performance. “The fact that we have danced our way into the pages of the coveted Guinness Book just makes the heart of each one of us swell with pride and joy,” she said.

The event served as the District’s celebration of Rotary Day and DG

Ganesh Bhat said that with about 30,000 spectators witnessing the programme from the stands and thousands more from the comfort of their homes through the television, it was an excellent PR exercise for Rotary.

All expenses of the dancers such as their costumes, travel, accommodation and food were borne by the Rotary clubs.

Team Rotary News

XXXXXXXXX

Library and Toilets for Schools

by Kiran Zehra Here’s how Rotary is making schooling a dignified experience.

R

otarian Arvind Agarwal was completing his morning walk when he found “the name board of Rishikul Higher Secondary School broken and fallen down.” He approached his club (RC Allahabad Elite) to renovate the school. Club President Ritesh Singh visited the school and found that the school needed water, toilets and a library. Jwala Devi School in the same region suffered from a similar plight. “Both these schools had been instituted to serve 600 underprivileged students. This made it more important to bring about the necessary change,” said Singh.

Within the next three months funds were allocated and work began.

A water tank was installed, class rooms were white-washed and separate toilet blocks for girls and boys were constructed.

“Aisey laga jaise hamara farishton se rishta jud gaya (we got connected to the angels),” said Sheela, Principal of Rishikul Higher Secondary School.

“Now the children don’t have to wait to find a toilet, don’t have to wait to wash their hands, they have a bench to sit on and most importantly, they don’t have to struggle to find a book,” she added.

“I remember a small boy who walked up to me and asked ‘Uncle, you built the toilet and library?’ When

I said yes, he asked me, ‘Jhula kyun nahi lagvaya?’ (Why didn’t you install a swing?) I had no answer. That’s when I realised all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” said Singh.

Post construction of the toilets, a health and hygiene awareness programme was conducted for the students. “Now the children can relieve themselves without any embarrassment. For parents who cannot afford school fees, this comes as a big blessing,” said Sheela. But Singh says, “There is lot more work to be done.

We are hoping to establish a Global Grant to fund the construction of classrooms and a shed for the open classroom and the play area, swing included!”

MARCH 2015

ROTARY NEWS 63

WORLD ROUNDUP Rotaract Club Trujillo, California The Club partnered with Rotaract Clubs Trujillo North, South and San AndrĂŠs, and organised an LN-4 prosthetic hands fitment camp. Children and adults without upper limbs were identified and an arm or both were fitted at the camp.

Helping Hand.

Fun and entertainment.

Rotary Club Orani, Philippines An art workshop conducted at Pantalan Luma Elementary School identified children talented in art but with no access to specialised training, and imparted training in the fundamentals of fine art through drawing and painting. The programme was structured to cater to students at all levels of experience.

Tracing the future.

Rotary Club of Victor Harbour Art Show, Australia

Rotary Club of Port of Spain

This annual art show raises funds for local community and humanitarian projects overseas. Funds are also donated to Australian Rotary Health, a Rotary initiative providing much needed grants and scholarships and funds for researching mental and other health issues.

Rotarians spent time with the inmates of the Princess Elizabeth Centre, a home for physically challenged children.

Using the Picture Exchange Communication (PEC), Rotarians interacted with children suffering from autism. Games, body art and other interesting activities kept the children entertained.

Banding up for support.

Art of giving.

Act for change.

Rotary Club München-Lehel, Germany

Rotary Club of Hong Kong South, China

The club conducted a charity event along with Goethe Institute, a non-profit German cultural association, promoting the study of German language abroad and encouraging international cultural exchange. Funds from the event were donated to ‘On Stage,’ a juvenile home.

An outdoor concert ‘Shelter Skelter Music and Arts Festival’ featuring six bands to raise funds for ShelterBox, an international disaster relief charity, was organised by the club. ShelterBox helps families worldwide to survive after disaster, providing them with essential materials including a tent designed to withstand extreme weather conditions, water purification kit, blankets, tools and other necessities.

Smiles after Surgeries

by Kiran Zehra

R

otary Sri Lanka, Interplast Germany and Dr Neville Fernando Hospital, Malabe, Sri Lanka, have transformed lives of children born with facial and physical deformities through corrective plastic surgeries.

At their latest camp they performed 50 surgeries and the youngest child Biyanwila (9 months) was operated for cleft palate. She was on the waiting

list of a Government hospital, with the operation scheduled only in 2017.

“Thanks to Rotary Sri Lanka and the doctors from Germany, my child will have a beautiful tomorrow,” said the mother. Her parents who could not afford the surgery at a private hospital are now “delighted” because “the surgery not only gave cosmetic results but also improved her speech and swallowing.”

The team that gave the transformation.

66 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

The estimated value of this plastic surgery project surpassed Rs 10 million and was initiated by the German Embassy. “Germany’s Ambassador in Sri Lanka, Dr Jurgen Morhard introduced a team of doctors from Interplast Germany who visit various parts of the world offering their time and resources as a part of their social responsibility, to RC Colombo West,” said Rtn Roshan Lyman Chairman of the Project. “For almost a year I had to work with the German team leader Dr Matthias for the logistics in Sri Lanka, to get approvals from the Ministry, identify a partner hospital, promoting the project and identification of patients,” he added.

After the funds were allocated Dr Neville Fernando Hospital was selected because of its impressive array of services and the availability of German equipment. The hospital agreed to provide services free of charge to carry out the operations there, explained Lyman.

At the camp the doctors completed consultations followed by surgeries for burn injuries, hand deformities and cleft lip and palates. “There were three categories of patients — those who came for consultations, second opinion or surgery. Treating patients requiring surgery was our main aim.

A surgery in progress

The surgery not only gave cosmetic results but also improved her speech and swallowing.

But everyone who visited the hospital got a chance to meet the doctors,” said Dr Lackshan Fernando, Head of Medical Service at Dr Neville Fernando Hospital. “We are happy and honoured to have been a part of this project. Patients came from different parts of the island to be treated by the team of top 11 German doctors and the results are heart warming.”

Calling this project a “friendship between the societies,” the German Ambassador said, “This is nothing to do with the Government; this is an initiative between society and people.

It is about how the people are benefited. Germany started helping Sri Lanka 10 years ago — this is not the first time.”

DG Gowri Rajan was “thankful to RC Colombo West for partnering with RI District 3220 in an initiative that recognised needy people who required such complex surgeries.”

SOLUTION FOR THE LAST MONTH’S CROSSWORD

Rotary at a glance Rotarians

:

12,15,089*

Clubs

:

34,721*

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 February 2, 2015 As of December 31, 2014

MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 67

T

he state of Jammu Kashmir was reeling in the aftermath of the massive floods that wreaked havoc in September 2014, claiming lives and destroying properties, leaving several homeless.

Rotarians pan India and even abroad reached out to the victims providing relief materials and monetary help.

In October, we, a team of Rotarians from Rotary Clubs of Vellore Golden City, Vellore Cosmos and Vellore Midtown of District 3230, visited the state with relief packages to extend a helping hand to the flood-affected population. Further to a joint meeting with the Rotary clubs of Jammu, Jammu City, Jammu Astha, Mahavir Jammu, Jammu Midtown, SIDCO Bari Brahma and Anantnag (Kashmir) to work out a plan of action, we organised camps in the flood-hit areas near Tawi River, Mansar Lake and in Jammu City to distribute medicines and other toiletries.

Amidst unrest in the state due to the elections and shifting of the Secretariat from Srinagar to the winter 68 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

Rotarians with relief material at the Airport.

capital, Jammu, we conducted relief camps in various other regions of the State. Relief materials were handed over to the local Rotarians for distribution in the marooned regions. As winter was fast setting in, we also understood that woolen clothes and blankets were the need of the hour.

After a week of ‘doing good,’ we

returned to our town with a promise to soon deliver these essentials and with a charged mind and body, we set about the task. By the first week of December, we kept up our promise.

Rtn D K Manoharan RC Vellore Golden City RI District 3230

A unique partnership

by Selvi

T

he collaboration of Rotary Clubs Thane East, D 3140, India and Mission Viejo, D 5320, USA dates back to 2004–05, and continuing to this day, it has brought extraordinary benefits to the people of Thane.

In year 2004–05, the then president of Thane East, Rtn C P Prafull Karnik visited the Nakhwa School which provides education to around 600 students hailing from the Koli Samaj (fishermen tribe) of Thane. He found the school in a profoundly sad state and his club decided to adopt it with help of a Matching Grant. Discussions led to a coalition with RC Mission Viejo, and thus began this unique partnership which paved way for many more.

Through matching grant with TRF and a total cost of USD 14,000, the clubs provided furniture and water tank, upgraded science and computer lab and library, sponsored sewing machines and tool kits to impart vocational training in tailoring and electrician course for the students, at the school.

Check dam.

Hearing and speech impaired children at the Kamalini School.

Immediately after this, they again worked together in 2005–07, to provide hearing aid equipment and install sound-proof audiometry room at the Kamalini School, which caters to learning needs of hearing and speech impaired children.

Major sustainable projects in water management — construction of four check dams and digging of bore wells in rural areas — undertaken by these clubs in 2008–09, at a total cost of USD 32,000, not only provided sufficient drinking water for the villagers, but also enabled the farmers to cultivate a second crop.

And now in May 2014, the partnership again resulted in the construction of five check dams and bore wells. The project that cost USD 37,000 has benefitted 4,300 people directly in three villages of Murbad Taluka.

Rtn Dr Pushpa Chandwani representing the partner club also visited the project sites several times to ensure the right coordination.

This unusual instance of long standing relationship between the two clubs goes to establish how Rotary clubs with the support of The Rotary Foundation can ring in remarkable transformations in societies in dire need.

MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 69

RC Salem Gugai

workshops on yoga, creativity and personality development.

RI District 2980 RotaKids Club of Salem Gugai, the club’s initiative to enhance talents and skills of children in the region was inaugurated.

Rotarians hosted cultural and sports activities for the 45 members of the club.

RC Rewari City RI District 3010 A talent hunt programme ‘Nartyam’ hosted by the club provided a platform for women in the region to bring out their talents.

RC Madurai West RI District 3000 To enhance the leadership qualities and make Rotaractors future ready, the club conducted a RYLA programme that included 70 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

RC Visakha Port City RC Rewari City RI District 3010

RI District 3020 Installation of an RO water plant system and distribution of baby kits at the hands of

the Tamil Nadu Governor Rosaiah was undertaken by the club as part of community service.

RC Nasik Airport RI District 3030 Medicines worth Rs 45,000 were donated to flood victims in Kashmir.

RC Bhopal Midtown RI District 3040 The club contacted inter school quiz competition.

Around 1,000 students

RC Bhopal Midtown RI District 3040

participated in the programme.

Cash award for the winners and participation certificates were given to all, to motivate them.

RC Udaipur RI District 3052 The annual blanket distribution helped 300 poor and under privileged people to sleep without worrying about the cold.

MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 71

RC Ferozepur Cantonment

RC Varanasi Greater RI District 3120

RI District 3090 In partnership with Red Cross Ferozepur, the club distributed tricycles, hearing aids and educational kits for the differently-abled.

RC Moradabad Civil Lines RI District 3100 Sweaters were distributed to needy students of Yagh Bhavan Junior School.

RC Shajahanpur City

RC Ferozepur Cantonment RI District 3090

RC Bikaner RI District 3053 Rotarians distributed blankets to the students at a school for the visually impaired.

RC Jetpur RI District 3060 As part of its permanent project, the club fed 130 underprivileged children with nutritious food at Anganwadi Dudh Sukhdi.

RI District 3110 The club distributed dental kits to children at a school for the physically impaired. Importance of oral care and habits were taught to the students.

RC Varanasi Greater RI District 3120 A joint initiative of the club and Fix My Life Foundation provided educational kits, sweaters and blankets to underprivileged children.

RI District 3070 Educational kits were distributed to 150 needy students of Veer Abhimanyu Sanstha to encourage them to study better.

RC Karad

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

RC Saharanpur Classic

72 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

RI District 3131 Laptops were donated to Jijai School to promote and create awareness about computer literacy.

RI District 3132 Distribution of 350 blankets to the poor and needy was undertaken by the club. The blankets were door delivered at the beneficiaries’ homes.

RC Amritsar Aastha

RI District 3080 To promote Swachh Bharat Abhiyan and to provide the students of Mahatma Gandhi Memorial School with a clean and hygienic environment at school, the club donated a sanitisation kit to the school management.

RC Pune Magarpatta City

RC Sattanapalli

RC Hubli West RI District 3170

RI District 3150 Rotarians organised and participated in Rotathon Swachh Sattanapalli, a walk to promote and create awareness on Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

RC Parkala RI District 3180

RC Tirupur Dollar City RI District 3202 The club conducted cardiac checkup camp to recognise underprivileged children who require immediate heart surgeries.

RC Kazhakuttom RI District 3211 The club installed solar heaters at various child-care and mental healthcare facilities in the region.

RC Nandyal Midtown RI District 3160 Stainless steel plates and tumblers were distributed at MPPS School, Krantinagar.

RC Tinnevelly RI District 3212 Under the District initiative Happy Schools, the club distributed 5,000 notebooks to 400 students from various schools in the region.

RC Hubli West RI District 3170 In a joint venture with Sadhu Vasvani Mission Pune, the club distributed artificial limbs to 105 physically challenged people.

RC Parkala

RC Chennai Chepauk Centennial RI District 3230 The club conducted eye screening for 120 patients followed by cataract surgeries for the needy.

RI District 3180 A drinking water supply unit was donated to an Anganwadi centre to provide its students with hygienic and clean drinking water.

RC Kazhakuttom RI District 3211

RC Jalpaiguri RI District 3240 Rotarians distributed woollen sweaters to students of Munda Basti Shishu Shiksha Kendra.

RC Muzaffarpur RI District 3250 Interact Club of Pristine School, Muzaffarpur visited Leprosy Mission Hospital and distributed food materials to 52 patients.

RI District 3261 A painting competition conducted

by Rotary Charitable Trust for around 400 students worked as public image enhancer for Rotary in the region.

RC Kasba RC Bangalore South RI District 3190 School kits inclusive of lunch bags and water bottles were distributed to rural students to encourage them to study better.

RI District 3291 Under Rotary India Literacy Mission, the club has started a computer literacy drive at Kasba Modern Institution, a residential school for 200 underprivileged girls.

RC Coimbatore Texcity

RC Dhulikhel

RI District 3201 A RYLA was conducted for rural and destitute girls to enhance their leadership skills and confidence.

RI District 3292 Disaster relief kits assembled by the club were delivered to the victims of the Jure landslide that claimed over 156 lives.

RC Tinnevelly RI District 3212

MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 73

Updates from Rotary Headquarters Rotary International Board of Directors Meet The third 2014–15 RI Board of Directors meeting was held from January 26-29, 2015 in San Diego, USA. The Board reviewed nine committee reports and recorded 51 decisions.

Clubs and Districts In reviewing districting matters, the Board reorganised the following Districts effective July 1, 2017: District 3460 (Taiwan) into new Districts 3461 and 3462; District 3480 (Taiwan) into new Districts 3481 and 3482; District 3500 (Taiwan) into new Districts 3501 and 3502; District 3520 (Taiwan) into new Districts 3521, 3522, and 3523; District 9140 (Nigeria) into new Districts 9141 and 9142 Programmes and Awards The Board agreed to establish in 2015–16 a new award called the ‘Rotary Award for Excellence in Service to Humanity’ to be given to non-Rotarians who have demonstrated exemplary humanitarian service consistent with Rotary’s ideals.

The Board recognised three new proposed Rotarian Action Groups: • Disaster Network of Assistance Rotarian Action Group • Rotarian Action Group for Endangered Species • Rotarian Action Group—Preparing for Life The Board agreed that simultaneous interpretation at the International Assembly plenary sessions and at the Council on Legislation will now include Chinese.

Administration and Finance The Board • Elected past director Bryn Styles to fill the remainder of Monty J Audenart’s term (through 30 June 2017) as a Foundation Trustee.

• Reaffirmed that the certification of polio eradication is the premier goal of Rotary International and its Foundation.

• Approved President-elect Ravindran’s proposed 2015–16 committees, including appointments to these committees.

The Board approved the budgets for the 2015–16 district governors, at this meeting (instead of at the ‘July’ Board 74 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

meeting), so that they can more effectively plan their terms in office.

The Rotary Foundation Trustees Meet The Rotary Foundation Trustees met on January 17, 2015 in San Diego and reviewed five committee reports and recorded 30 decisions. The following are highlights of actions taken.

Administration The Trustees approved Chairman-elect Klinginsmith’s proposed 2015–16 committees, including appointments to these committees. They agreed that the task of helping to achieve the previously approved 2015–16 Trustee priorities and goals is to be added to the Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator and Endowment/Major Gift Adviser’s list of responsibilities.

Programmes The Trustees awarded five global grants, each in excess of US$100,000 for: • a maternal and child health grant to benefit Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital in Colombo, Sri Lanka • a water and sanitation grant to benefit 45 underserved schools and five communities in District 3790 (Philippines) • a water and sanitation and economic and community development grant to benefit Busolo-Gomba district (Uganda) and surrounding villages • a disease prevention and treatment grant to benefit 10,000 individuals within 10 remote townships in Taiwan • an economic and community development grant to benefit the village of Mwika, Tanzania The Trustees reaffirmed that the certification of polio eradication is the premier goal of Rotary International and its Foundation and approved a new Polio Ambassadors Recognition Award to recognise celebrities and other notable figures who used their status to publicly support Rotary’s polio eradication fight. They also approved Polio Plus grants for Afghanistan, Africa (eastern and southern), Cameroon, Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan and Somalia.

XXXXXXXXX

MAIL BOX

Dear Dr Jayprakash Narayan, Your article, ‘Are we a sinful nation?’ in the Jan 15 issue is an eye-opener.

I agree with you that RTE has proved a stumbling block for the schools committed to imparting quality education.

I appeal to people related to education to understand the difference between Education and Knowledge ... we do not want this generation to become educated alone; we need them to be knowledgeable with the ability to think.

My question is simple — why is the Government not able to evolve a system for imparting quality education to children at ‘affordable’ cost?

Instead, it wants educational institutions to reserve 25 per cent of seats for certain sections, including those institutions not taking any help from the Government. This issue needs a national discussion.

Rtn Avinash Deo RC Akola-D 3030

Dear Rtn Sam Venkatesam, I am relatively ‘new’ to Rotary as I joined only in July 2010, post retirement, after working for 37 years with a Vadodarabased MNC.

I read your article ‘Rotary - CSR Combo’ with great interest and compliment you for the excellent piece.

Apart from your basic theme of aligning ourselves with the CSR goals of various organisations, I also hold the view that having only one year term for Rotary leaders is one of the major causes for various problems Rotary faces today.

We have a good system of nominating the President two years before he actually takes over, so he can be actively involved with the club’s projects for four years (including his year as IPP)! However, and understandably so, each President tends to focus all his energies to meet and excel in his own performance during his year because of which he does not like involvement (read interference) from anybody else — least of all his successor.

As you have pointed out correctly, this mindset results in our inability to take up large high-impact projects which obviously cannot be completed within “the year” of each incumbent President.

I have shared my thoughts with some senior club members but could not convince anyone. I realise that most Rotarians are active professionals in their respective fields; hence, given today’s fiercely competitive market situation, are unable to spare more quality time for the club — beyond what is required for the oneyear tenure.

I still believe that we must find a way of having the Board members’ tenure for about 3 years to have any significant and sustainable projects.

Till such time, maybe we can tie up with CSR programmes of various corporate houses as suggested by you.

Rtn Rajeev Mujumdar RC Baroda Jawaharnagar D 3060

A very informative article on our Foundation’s Funding Model, the first of its kind I have come across in recent times. The contents are exhaustive and explanatory which every Rotarian ought to know as a stakeholder. This should be made a part of PETS by DGEs for knowledge empowerment of incoming Rotary leaders at the club level.

One request — please publish such information, maybe once in a Rotary year.

Rtn J P Malhotra RC Faridabad Midtown, D 3010

Thank you for publishing the article, ‘United for Sports,’ in the February issue.

The entire event was hosted by our club in Goa, but we were upset as our club’s name was not mentioned anywhere in the article. It is sad that our efforts were not recognised and mentioned in your prestigious magazine.

Rtn Clare Desouza President RC Panaji Riviera-D 3170 Dear Rtn Clare, I am sure your club members worked very hard for the event, and deserved mention. But we had received the information about this event from your DG’s office, and that carried no mention of your club. Maybe in the future, DGs, as also we at Rotary News, should keep this in mind while sharing such information. Editor MARCH 2015

ROTARY NEWS 75

A pan-Asian

food odyssey

by Rasheeda Bhagat

I

f you think the palate of the wellheeled and willing-to-try-outnew-food-Indian has not evolved, and that too in the Southern metro of Chennai, step into the Pan Asia restaurant’s brunch on any Sunday.

Located over two levels at the sprawling ITC Grand Chola Hotel, this fine dining place will dazzle you with the sheer breadth and width of the culinary journey on offer. Right from a stroll through the Chinese Sichuan and Beijing provinces, it walks you

through the enticing sushis of Japan, giving you glimpses along the way of the best from the rest of Asia — Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. It is impossible to cover them all in one meal!

But before I can get lost in its zone-wise kitchens, F&B Manager Prashant Chada, tells me how he has now got used to the “Indian palate opening up to ... something like

sushi. Sometimes when we try to tell customers how to take sushi, or about sushi etiquette, we find they are knowledgeable about it ... having tried it or at least read about it.”

I make it clear to him, and his Junior Sous Chef at Pan Asia Michelle Peris, that I would be delighted to be educated about sushi, which I continue to approach with a bit of trepidation.

Along with sips of some excellent Chardonnay, I get educated on the traditional way of eating sushi — with a little wasabi (I can’t help wincing at the memory of the blister on the tongue after taking a little too much of wasabi in a restaurant in Spain, but that had come out of a tube and couldn’t have been this good), and gari.

Gari is made from picked ginger juliens, but as Michelle explains, “this is not our traditional adrakh.

76 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

This is an authentic Japanese product that comes from Japan, and doesn’t have the pungent taste of our ginger.

It has a beautiful texture and you take a little bit of gari between sushis to clear your palate....”

Just as you take cheese or bread between different varieties of wine, I intervene, and get an appreciative nod from my tutor!

But sushi comes only in the middle of this brunch; we begin with an array of salads and while the chicken salad served with a Miso dressing (made from soya sauce) is delicious, I enjoy most the salad with thin slices of orange segments, served along with pumpkin seeds. Not only does it stimulate the taste buds without filling you up, it also gives you the much required halo of a perfectly healthy intake!

She next serves me a clear chicken soup with smoked tofu and noodles, and this is followed by an offering of dim sums and wantons.

The vegetarian dim sums on offer are made of water chestnuts, and along with mushroom wantons, can give the non-veg ones — prawn and chicken — a run for their money.

They get my thumbs up, made even

more delicious by the accompanying Cantonese chilly sauce.

As I savour this sauce, Michelle explains that it gets its special quality after a “long process of being cooked in oil, which extracts its flavour and then a paste is made which is roasted again. This process ensures that the chilly doesn’t hit you,” she explains.

Next comes a selection of sushi, and I try it out with the special gari, followed by lamb patties and Lobster Croquettes. The croquette is a clear winner; it has all the requisites of a perfect croquette — life and fluffy, soft and crispy.

It is humanly impossible to take any more, but as I throw up my

hands, Michelle insists that as she has specialised in desserts and pastry, “the best part of the meal” cannot be ignored.

What she next sends to the table is a virtual assault on the senses ... and the taste buds. A beetroot and honey ice cream that just melts in the mouth, tender coconut ice cream which is irresistible. By the time you have spooned through these heavenly offerings, the plum pudding with a brandy sauce tantalises the taste buds along with a cherry chocolate pie.

Against such irresistible delicacies, the humble pumpkin custard remains untasted .... saved for another day.

Plush decor, great ambience and courteous, unobtrusive service make the dining experience at Pan Asia truly special. The warm, oriental colours, the pillars, Chinese paper lamps, urns and bamboo shoots, all these evoke a quintessential Asian ambience. But a single visit to this truly pan-Asian diner cannot satisfy either the taste buds or satiate the senses.

I come away knowing only too well, that I have only tasted a small portion of the sea food delicacies for which this specialty restaurant is famous. And much else remains to be explored.

Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat Designed by N Krishnamurthy MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 77

The Beauty Myth

by Dr Sheela Nambiar

F

rom time immemorial women have strived to look beautiful.

There have been changing standards of beauty and body size that are considered attractive through the ages. What was considered appealing in the Victorian era — the tight corsets to show off tiny, compressed waists for example, maybe horrifying archaic now, as may some of the 21st century styles and standards of beauty, for someone a hundred years from now.

Cosmetic surgery has reached a new high today. There is an unimaginable array of ‘procedures’ you can subject yourself to, that supposedly improve appearance. Some of these procedures are similar to over-thecounter drugs where, one can walk into a cosmetic clinic over the lunch hour and step out looking different.

78 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

Then there are the expensive creams, gels, pastes, massages, treatments, laser and other interventions that claim to improve the quality of skin, do away with wrinkles, ‘lift,’ ‘tuck’ and ‘shape’ where required, usually in an attempt to look younger.

Procedures like bariatric surgery are also on the rise to hasten weight loss. It seems easier to go under the surgeon’s knife than work hard and watch the diet in order to lose that fat.

How long are we able to sustain this newfound body or is this just another temporary tryst with ‘beauty’?

An important question to ask ourselves is — Are we really better following these procedures? True there may be a marked temporary difference in the outward appearance, but how do we feel about ourselves? How well are

we able to sustain this ‘improvement’?

How long does it last? Is the internal working of our body better? Are we healthier?

Young women, seem particularly susceptible to falling prey to clever marketing tactics selling the beauty myth. Truth of the matter is, as far as looking good is concerned, it is possible to achieve a better body and better skin with some hard work and dedication. What results from this approach is not just a better looking body, but a better functioning one. No amount of cosmetic surgery can achieve greater strength, better stamina or flexibility.

Who wants any of those things, you say! All we want is a beautiful face and sexy body, and that too, in the easiest possible way, in the shortest time conceivable!

Unfortunately, most of these attempts at reversing the ageing process will not withstand the ravages of time. What follows will be more cosmetic surgery, eating disorders as we struggle to remain thin followed by mood disorders as we strain to cope with the unnatural struggle with this myth of beauty and slimness.

Vitamin X None of the expensive ‘anti-aging’ creams come close to a good thirtyminute, heart-pumping workout.

The resulting increased heart rate, increased blood flow to the skin and muscles, the opening of the sweat pores to cleanse the skin leads to that naturally youthful glow that no laser, cream or gel can reproduce. This is simply because what happens during a workout happens from within the body. It’s not just a bad surface job that is likely to crack and fade.

With regular exercise -

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The skin looks better and clearer.

Muscles are toned, withstand sagging, giving the body a youthful appearance.

Fat percentage is reduced, allowing for better muscle definition.

Acne, skin problems are minimised.

You walk taller, straighter with better, more youthful posture.

You have better balance, and reflexes preventing falls and injury.

Your memory and mental acuity increases making for a younger, smarter brain.

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Abdominal fat is reduced, creating a slimmer, more youthful waistline.

Most importantly there is a great surge in self-confidence and mood elevation giving you the joie de vivre that enables you to live a better life.

Several health issues that creep in with age can be easily prevented with the right and regular exercise routine.

-

You don’t necessarily need to become diabetic or hypertensive with age (even if your parents are); - You don’t necessarily have to deal with an annoyingly widening waistline after you hit forty; - You don’t have to struggle with obesity, high cholesterol or heart disease if you take the necessary precautions early on; - You don’t have to spend hours in a beauty parlour trying to look younger.

All you need is a great workout.

None of the expensive ‘anti-aging’ creams come close to a good thirty-minute, heart-pumping workout.

With an endless list of benefits that are enticing for anyone seeking a better body and more importantly a better quality of life, I see no reason why women should seek out cosmetic surgery or the beauty parlour as the only way to improve appearance. These are superficial solutions intended to further increase one’s insecurities than truly improve one’s body from within.

Vitamin X or Exercise is the only truly proven method of arresting and reversing the ageing process from the cellular level. Studies done on individuals exercising regularly have found that the very DNA within muscle cells undergoes changes, altering the genetic expression within the individual muscle cells. Genes within the muscle cells were enriched and the aging was reversed. So, not only does the body appear visibly younger, muscles firmer, more toned and youthful, but the changes are evident on a basic cellular level!

By all means colour your hair, get a nose job or a tummy tuck if that’s what you want. Consider however that this is not a substitute for regular exercise and healthy balanced eating if your objective is to obtain an indisputably superior body and lead a better quality life.

The writer is Fitness & Lifestyle Consultant and author of ‘Get Size Wise.’

MARCH 2015 ROTARY NEWS 79

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round this time every year, Brazilians celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of Lent with one of the world’s largest parties, Carnival. For days, revelers dance, drums thump and sequins glitter alongside the elaborate floats of competing neighbourhood groups. These clubs, called samba schools, can be as large as 5,000 people and are judged in categories such as the band, song, harmony and coordination, costumes, spirit, floats and dancing.

While the festivities in Rio de Janeiro may be the country’s most famous, São Paulo hosts a bash with its own flair. For two nights, the city’s top 14 samba schools parade their way through the Sambódromo do Anhembi, a venue that can hold up to 30,000 people, in a nationally broadcast competition. Meanwhile, neighbourhoods throw their own block parties called blocos, in which everyone can participate.

At the 2015 Rotary International Convention, 6–9 June, you’ll be able to join the party too. On 6 June, you can attend the Rotary Carnival Parade, which will take place in the Anhembi Sambadrome, just as the samba school parades do. Learn more and register at www.rotary2015 saopaulo. org.br/carnaval-do-rotary.

Register for the 2015 RI Convention in São Paulo by 31 March for a reduced rate.

Go to www.riconvention.org.

80 ROTARY NEWS MARCH 2015

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The Club within Across 1 Short pants?

5 Tight embrace 10 Items in a shirt pocket 14 Kind of desk 15 Soaps star Susan 16 Look out for, as a crook 17 Embroidered ltr., often 18 ___ Martin (car maker) 19 Noted gallery 20 Portending major change 23 Conveyed title 24 Part of UTEP 25 Share ___ (dine together) 28 Letter-shaped gripper 32 Dress feature 35 Electric car company 37 Org. dealing with rats and moles 38 2004 Gretchen Wilson album 42 Lennon’s “Woman” woman 43 Fleeced beast 44 Fluffy and Fido 45 It may be personal 47 King’s proclamation 50 Angry audience reaction 52 Horse that hasn’t won

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Way to one’s head?

Old Testament bk.

“It’s ___ deal” Eclectic magazine starter British blueblood Driver’s woe Nike slogan, with “Just” Proverbial china shop problem 67 Paddock papas 68 They’re no longer seeing each other Down 1 Spot for a show?

2 Nicole’s Cold Mountain co-star 3 ___ Oyl (Popeye’s love) 4 Modern 5 Actor Rains 6 Strong desire 7 Prologue follower 8 Exclusive 9 Highest level 10 Cop’s beat 11 Online shopping site 12 Fishbowl accessory

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Fr. holy woman Sci-fi author Stanislaw Music-licensing org.

Mach3 alternative “Step aside, I’ll do it” Field unit Hand, slangily Settles a bill Reveal Swedish actress Olin It’s pumped at the gym Migratory herring Panache Nostalgic numbers Part of SAT “___ do!” (“Stop it!”)

Likenesses Indy 500 racer Vodka brand, familiarly First step of rehab, often Cubs legend Banks Duma dissents Ringlet of hair Letter-shaped supporter Critical Coming-out female Adam’s ale, in Alsace Solution in the April issue

Reproduced from The Rotarian

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Editor: Rasheeda Bhagat.

Mary Kom, who was appointed as Brand Ambassador to endorse Rotary India Literacy Mission, with RI Director Elect Manoj Desai.

A special stamp and first day cover was released at Bengaluru by DG Manjunath Shetty, RI District 3190, to commemorate the birth centenary of Dr Jonas Edward Salk, the inventor of polio vaccine.

DGE Kamlesh Raheja, District 3201, received the ‘Outstanding Humanitarian Award’ from Gen (Retd.)

J J Singh, former Governor of Arunachal Pradesh and Gift of Life India Chair PDG Ravishankar Bhooplapur, D 7250, New York. Raheja was instrumental in bringing the Gift of Life India Foundation to the forefront in his District, and it has facilitated over 750 paediatric heart surgeries.

Our Literacy Brand Ambassadors

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All these youngsters, who performed at the RILM, are westerners!

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