Rotary news october 2014 by dimakh Sahasrabuddhe

Vol.65, Issue 4 Annual Subscription Rs.420

October 2014

Vocational Service Month

CONTENTS

From the Editor’s Desk

Photographic Memory

President Speaks

Village Transformed

First Thoughts

Their smiles tell the story

Chennai soon to get skin bank with Rotary help

Membership: It’s now or never!

Enhancing Education

Taking Rotary to the Public

Institutional Funding for Higher and Vocational Education

A Train Journey like no other

Smiling Sheriffs at Goa

Breaking taboos around reproductive health issues

Rotary Club of Coimbatore Spectrum

Meat Substitutes

reaches out to J & K victims

Very Briefly

Life Amplified

Focus Literacy

When Rotarians Reached Out...

World Roundup

São Paulo À La Carte

Spreading Cheer

A young angel for school kids 34

ADVISORY BOARD

TRUSTEES Chairman DG Ramesh Agrawal, RI Dist. 3052

RID

P.T. Prabhakar

RI Dist. 3230

Secretary DG Vyankatesh S. Metan, RI Dist. 3132

PRIP Rajendra K. Saboo

RI Dist. 3080

Treasurer DG Sanjay Khemka, RI Dist. 3250

PRIP Kalyan Banerjee

RI Dist. 3060

RI Dist. 2980

S.P. Balasubramaniam

PRID Sushil Gupta

RI Dist. 3010

RI Dist.3000

Jagannathan Paramasivam

PRID Ashok Mahajan

RI Dist. 3140

RI Dist.3010

Sanjay Khanna

PRID Yash Pal Das

RI Dist. 3080

RI Dist.3020

Dr. G.V. Mohan Prasad

PRID Shekhar Mehta

RI Dist. 3291

RIDE Dr. Manoj D. Desai

RI Dist. 3060

RI Dist.3030

Dattatraya Shantaram Deshmukh

Ramesh Agrawal

RI Dist.3052

RI Dist.3040

Narendra Kumar Jain

Vyankatesh Metan

RI Dist. 3132

RI Dist. 3051

Jagdish B. Patel

Sanjay Khemka

RI Dist. 3250

RI Dist. 3053

Anil Maheshwari

I.S.A.K. Nazar

RI Dist. 3230

RI Dist. 3060

Ashish Ramesh Ajmera

PDG Rabi Narayan Nanda

RI Dist. 3262

RI Dist. 3070

Gurjeet Singh Sekhon

PDG Radhe Shyam Rathi

RI Dist. 3053

RI Dist. 3080

Dilip Patnaik

PDG Hari Krishna Chitipothu

RI Dist. 3150

RI Dist. 3090

Pardeep Kumar Chehal

RI Dist. 3100

Sanjiv Rastogi

RI Dist. 3110

Ashok Jyoti

RI Dist. 3120

Satpal Gulati

RI Dist. 3131

Vivek Aranha

RI Dist. 3140

Ajay Gupta

RI Dist. 3150

Malladi Vasudev

RI Dist. 3160

G.S. Mansoor

RI Dist. 3170

Ganesh G. Bhat

RI Dist. 3180

Dr. S. Bhaskar

RI Dist. 3190

Manjunath Shetty

RI Dist. 3201

P. Venugopalan Menon

RI Dist. 3202

K. Sridharan Nambiar

RI Dist. 3211

K.S. Sasikumar

RI Dist. 3212

M. Ashok Padmaraj

RI Dist. 3230

I.S.A.K. Nazar

RI Dist. 3240

Swapan Kumar Choudhury

RI Dist. 3261

Shambhu Jagatramka

RI Dist. 3262

Ashok Bihari Mohapatra

RI Dist. 3291

Pinaki Prasad Ghosh

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

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

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

Your Comments Inspiring Keynote RI President Gary Huang’s keynote speech at the Sydney Convention was truly motivating. It has rekindled the spark within us and has encouraged us to Light up Rotary. Rtn. V.R.T. Dorai Raja RC Tiruchirapalli RI District 3000 Thoughts from leaders RI Director P.T. Prabhakar has his own wonderful ways to explain the things in every field which deserves all appreciations. Youth is our today’s investment which will definitely profit us in future. He says, “Youth are not useless. They are used less. Youth are not careless. They are cared less.” The ideas are quite appreciable. Further he added, “If we cannot prepare our future for the youth, let us prepare our youth for the future.” So every club should follow the above ideas and should care for the youth and try to make them useful to themselves and to society because our youth is our tomorrow. This is the only way we can contribute to “Light up Rotary.” I request RI Director P.T. Prabhakar to throw light on 4-Way Test so that Rotarians are enlightened about Rotary more and in a better way. Rtn. R.K. Kapoor RC Roopnagar RI District 3080 I am a regular reader of Rotary News. I find all articles very interesting. You have covered three generations of Rotarians. Why not consider members who have come across from Interact to Rotaract to

Rotary. RI Director Prabhakar’s words in his message, ‘First Thought’ are motivating for members. Rtn. Rajeev Singh RC Dimapur RI District 3240 I have been reading Rotary News for more than 14 years, and I am of the opinion that there is no match for it with any other magazine. ‘First Thought’ is really impressive and the article, ‘Marching towards Total Literacy’ educative and informative. Article on the life history of our RI President Gary C.K. Huang made an interesting read. Rtn. Raj Kumar Prasad RC Siliguri RI District 3240 Well Written The articles in August 2014 issue are interesting, especially ‘Bringing more hands to serve’ and ‘Lighting up Minds through Literacy.’ ‘Around the Districts’ which highlights the service projects done by various clubs will surely motivate new members. Rtn. Sushil Kumar Dubey RC Siliguri RI District 3240 Congratulations to the editorial team for bringing out excellent articles and projects on Rotary. The design of contents and photos are excellent. The article on membership is noteworthy. All my family members like to read Rotary News magazine. Rtn. T. Susant RC Berhampur RI District 3262 ‘Celebrating the Golden moments’ has been well written with suitable photographs. Rtn. Nan Narayenen RC Madurai West RI District 3000

We welcome your feedback

Poor sanitation has often been described as India’s failure that needs immediate attention and I congratulate Rotary Club of Silchar, RI District 3240, for their initiative to curb the issue of open defecation. Rtn. Col. Gopinathan RC Wadakkanchery RI District 3201 Need of the hour The holistic thought ‘Listen to the crying of your soul’ gives the real picture of the present day, where man is running behind the money. The words, “Peace is discovered when yearning gains precedence over earning” is thoughtprovoking. Rtn. B. Pasupathi RC Dalmiapuram RI District 3000 E-clubs I refer to the article ‘Hybrid E-Clubs’ in August issue. Many Rotarians make up their attendance through e-club facility when they are out of their city of residence. No doubt, the core of Rotary such as friendship and fellowship is missed there. Rtn. Dr. Sudam Basa RC Bhubaneswar RI District 3262 Welcome Congratulations to the new Editor of Rotary News, Ms. Rasheeda Bhagat. The September issue has got a new look with good content, captions and photographs. ‘Editor’s Desk’ column is nicely written. Each page is refreshing with lots of news about Rotary and general matters including clubs’ projects designed in an attractive way under the new title, ‘Spreading Cheer.’ Rtn. R. Srinivasan RC Madurai Midtown RI District 3000

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

Of man-made disaster and a Messiah

s Jammu and Kashmir grapples with the worst floods in living memory, the untold suffering in the State cannot be termed a “natural” disaster in the real sense of the word. The Kashmir valley was totally flooded and upto three storeys of homes in Srinagar were in water for days, forcing residents and neighbours from smaller homes to take refuge on the rooftops of taller buildings. While the media, mainly the TV channels, focused more on the Valley, it was easy to forget that even as late as September 15, 20,000 people from 45 villages in Tawi of Jammu were cut off from the rest of J&K. Over 2,550 roads out of 3,517 in the Jammu province were damaged. But Srinagar, as thousands of tourists who have enjoyed its beauty know it, has been damaged beyond recognition. Experts who have spent long years in Kashmir are telling us how the clamour and craze for “development” without understanding the fragility of environment and ecology, or the sensitive geographic location of Srinagar, has compounded this tragedy several-fold. As Srinagar is located at the “pinched waist” of the Kashmir Valley, water from the heavy rains and the melting snow of South Kashmir has to flow through a narrow 10 km path through Srinagar. But over the years, despite warning from environmental experts and some bureaucrats sensitive to ecological issues, multiple water paths were turned into smooth four-lane roads, and wetlands were filled up to build colonies and glittering malls. Forget wetlands, parts of the Dal lake have also been taken over for construction. The Dal lake, we are told, was five times its present size during Emperor Akbar’s reign. In the spring and through summer when the snow melts parts of Srinagar lie well below the Jhelum level and when both the Jhelum and the Dal lake were breached in several places during the present catastrophe, Srinagar, once the pride of Indian tourism, bore the

brunt of this devastation. Apparently, local newspapers in Kashmir had been warning from the last five years, through interviews with experts and concerned citizens that this kind of haphazard, unplanned growth and development in the city was a disaster waiting to happen. It has now happened. In a month when Rotarians across the world are going to concentrate on vocational work and exceptional professionals rising beyond the call of their work and duty in the accepted sense of the word, it is heartening to look at ordinary people in J&K, who are not only lending a helping hand to the Indian armed forces in rescue and rehabilitation, but are risking their lives to rescue the trapped and the stranded. Several Rotarians have been doing their bit in raising money to help the victims in J&K, and greater contribution will be made in the rebuilding of the State. And then, in Bhubaneswar in India, I am blown away by the phenomenal work done by a Chemistry teacher, Achyuta Samanta, who went far, far beyond his vocation, to create an institution that is changing the lives of thousands of tribal children from the remotest Odisha villages. Orphaned at the age of four, the man who can’t recall a “single good meal in my childhood,” has established the world class KIIT (Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology), which last fortnight placed 1,500 students in the Top-4 tech companies through the first day of campus recruitment. More important, his parallel institution, KISS (Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences) provides free stay, food and quality education to 22,500 tribal children at a given time. Read Samanta’s extraordinary story of passion and perseverance, courage, risk and relentless hard work in this issue.

Rasheeda Bhagat

OCTOBER 2014

ROTARY NEWS 7

HOLISTIC THOUGHTS

:LWKRXW FKDQJH WKHUH LV QR JURZWK Our comfort zones become our prison, a prison within which our potential stays locked up. People within their comfort zones live like a banyan tree

Get enriched with inspirational thoughts reproduced from renowned new-age life guru and spiritualist, Shri. Mahatria Ra. He is also the founder of Alma Mater, an organisation dedicated to self-mastery and holistic personality. His spiritual foundation, Infinitheism encourages a path that inspires breakthroughs in people by thinking abundance in all spheres of human endeavour.

that is growing inside a flowerpot. A seed is very well protected as long as it remains a seed. There is security in remaining a seed; whereas a plant is always vulnerable. To sprout into a plant makes the seed susceptible, but what else is the purpose of a seed than to spout? It contains a thousand forests within, and it is in the transcendence of the seed into a plant that these possibilities unfold. If the seed remains transfixed as the kernel, it is no better than a pebble on the beach. Either transcend your comfort zone and reach the higher planes of life, or stay transfixed within your comfort zone and remain stagnant. Don’t be afraid to give up certainty for uncertainty. Don’t be afraid to move ahead. It is astounding how the world makes way for a resolute soul and how obstacles move out of the path of a man who is determined to make it in life. There is no risk in ‘change’. In fact, ‘not to change’ is actually risky because it leaves you where you are. What is growth? Growth is giving up who you are to become what you can be. Life is not a 100-metre dash. It is a 110-metre hurdle race. Challenges and hiccups are bound to be there on the path of an achiever. Freedom comes not from escaping them, but in transcending them. Throw yourself into the unknown. Do what you have never done before. Do what you thought you cannot. Make a daring move. Take a rebellious plunge. Keep expanding your comfort zone and thus expand your life. Your success will never rise above the boundaries of your comfort zone. You have to break open the walls of your comfort zone. Self-belief is born when you transcend your comfort zone. Transcend your comfort zone and turn your life around.

8 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER JUNE 20142014

Dear Fellow Rotarians, In October 1914, Jonas Salk was born — a man who would change world history by inventing the first effective vaccine against polio. When the vaccine was introduced in the United States in the 1950s, polls indicated that polio was one of the nation’s two greatest fears, second only to the fear of atomic war. And with good reason: In the 1952 U.S. polio epidemic, 58,000 cases were reported, with 3,145 deaths and 21,269 instances of permanent, disabling paralysis. Globally, polio paralysed or killed up to half a million people every year. Soon after the Salk vaccine was created, Albert Sabin developed an oral version, allowing tremendous number of children to be immunised quickly, safely and inexpensively. In 1985, Rotary’s PolioPlus programme was born, with a simple goal: to immunise every child under age five against this crippling disease. Thanks in large part to the initial success of PolioPlus, in 1988 the 166 member states of the World Health Assembly unanimously set the goal of global polio eradication. At that time, the idea was breathtakingly ambitious, and many called it impossible. Today, we are closer to this goal than ever before, with only a few hundred cases of polio reported per year, and just three remaining endemic countries. We are on track to achieve full eradication by 2018 — if we can keep up the momentum that has brought us this far. And this month, we will mark World Polio Day on 24 October, and celebrate the 100th anniversary of Dr. Salk’s birth.

PRESIDENT

SPEAKS

I ask you all to Light Up Rotary this month by doing whatever yyou can to shine a spotlight on our efforts to eradicate polio. C Call your government officials and let them know that polio eradication matters to you. Go to endpolionow.org for inspiring stories about Rotary’s work, and share them on social media. And make the best investment you’ll ever make, by donating to polio eradication right on the endpolionow.org website and earning a two-to-one match on your contribution from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

When we eradicate polio — and we will — we’ll have brought the world into a better future, and Rotary into a better future as well. We will have proved ourselves, as an organisation, capable of great things. And we will have given our children and grandchildren a gift that will endure forever: a polio-free world.

Gary C.K. Huang President, Rotary International OCTOBER 2014

ROTARY NEWS 9

Seminars on membership For a future full of service & fellowship Clubs going on an induction spree! Full of activity was Chapter Three!! My dear partners in service, October is Vocational Services month. Vocational services is the fountainhead of Rotary and the 2nd Avenue of Service which helps us bring Rotary to our respective workstations. RI President Gary Huang has given the clarion call to Light Up Rotary, by bringing quality into vocational service. Coined by Rotary’s Gandhi, Herbert J. Taylor, the 4-Way Test is the guiding principle of vocational service: Of the things, we think, say or do: 1. Is it the truth? 2. Is it fair to all concerned? 3. Will it build goodwill and better friendship? 4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned? It is but befitting that as India celebrates Gandhi Jayanthi, we look back on Mahatma Gandhi’s life, draw inspiration and look ahead with hope and conviction. Indeed, Gandhiji embodied the essence of the 4-Way Test. Writing in Young India in 1925, he said that politics without principles, wealth without work, commerce without morality, knowledge without character and worship without sacrifice were factors that contributed to the moral decay of society. Gandhiji said that the prosperity of a nation does not depend on the strength of its armed forces or the number of high rise buildings it has He said that the prosperity of a nation depended on the number of men and women of enlightenment and character that it has. Let us remember that the 4-Way Test is an acid test for every Rotarian. As Rotarians, let us set stringent ethical standards in our chosen vocations and uphold the principles of the 4-Way Test. Let us draw courage from the amazing recognition and respect that Gandhiji commanded and from the unprecedented success that came his way without his ever giving up any of the 4-Way Test principles. Let us rejoice in the knowledge that the 4-Way Test has been accepted worldwide and has become the conscience keeper of many. Let us take pride in the fact that this test has withstood the onslaught of time and is relevant even today. Above all, let us pray to the Almighty to give us the moral strength to nurture and cherish the 4-Way Test with passion and determination. Let us compare the humanitarian service rendered by Rotary clubs with other organisations like Mother Teresa’s 10 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2014

Missionaries of Charity or the Ramakrishna Mutt. And ask the question why society respects these organisations more than Rotary. Is it because, while as Rotary clubs we subscribe to lofty ideals like the 4-Way Test, as individuals some Rotarians do not practice the same in its entirety? While we cannot become saints overnight, let us resolve to follow the 4-Way Test, in its true letter and spirit, to the best of our ability! This will enhance the public appreciation of the services we do, both for the local and the international community. A Chinese proverb says “Give a man a fish and you are helping him for a day. Teach him to fish and you are helping him for a life time.” Keeping this in mind, I earnestly request each and every club to help shape the destiny of our youth with action and vision by organising career guidance and vocational training programmes. Many clubs have successfully imparted training to deserving youngsters as two-wheeler and air-conditioning mechanics, electricians, computer programmers etc. With the wide spectrum of classifications available in your clubs, I am confident that you will successfully exploit tremendous potential for service that exists in this area. Many districts have come out with “Rotary District Yellow Pages,” covering all important Rotarian classifications in the district. You can bring out one such publication in your district and that will be a highlight! I now share with you an interesting true story of the 1920s — a story that captures the essence and spirit of vocational service, a story that highlights the impact of this

avenue of service and a story that will warm the heart of every Rotarian. His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while working on his farm, he heard a cry for help from the slush nearby. He dropped his tools and ran there to find, mired to his waist in quick sand was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death. The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up at the Scotsman’s sparse home. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved. “I want to repay you,” said the nobleman. “You saved my son’s life.” “No, I cannot accept payment for what I did,” the Scottish farmer replied. At that moment, the farmer’s own son came to the door of the family hovel. “Is that your son,” asked the nobleman. “Yes,” the farmer replied proudly. “I will make you a deal. Let me take him and give him a good education. If the lad is anything like his father, he will grow up to be a man you can be proud of.” And that he did. In time, Farmer Fleming’s son graduated from St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin. Years afterward, the nobleman’s son was stricken with pneumonia. What saved him??... Penicillin. The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His son’s name? Sir Winston Churchill! Someone once said what goes around comes around. Rotary is a potent force that draws together people from all over the world and draws out the best from every one of them. Let us be aware of the fact that as Rotarians we have the ability to improve the quality of life of people around us and that our personal esteem and well being demands that we serve. I will sign off with the following appeal to all of you. In Rotary’s broad field of battle In your chosen vocation in life Don the leadership mantle Be a hero in the strife! Yours in Rotary,

P.T. Prabhakar Director Rotary International (2013–15)

www.rotarynewsonline.org

Rotary News Trust thanks the Rotarians who’ve opted for the e-version of Rotary News. By doing so, you have not only taken a step into the future, but also contributed your bit to preserve our fragile environment. You can access the e-version of the October issue of Rotary News on www.rotarynewsonline.org. We have redesigned and revamped our website and are posting online content on a regular basis. So here is an appeal to all Rotary clubs and Rotarians, please seize the opportunity to showcase the great work you and your Clubs are doing to serve your communities in areas such as education and environment, literacy, health care, sanitation, etc., and vocational service in various fields. Kindly send a description of your work — ideally in 300–400 words, along with good quality pictures that highlight the work and the beneficiaries more than the people doing it, and also short video clips (1–2 minutes please) to editor@rotarynewsonline.org. We will acknowledge the receipt of what you have sent and revert with questions/clarifications, if any. If you do not hear from our team, do feel free to write to me at rasheedabhagat@rosaonline.org, or rushbhagat@ gmail.com. With technology allowing us such great connectivity, let us have better communication and interaction. The good news is that as our revamped and new-look website gets fine-tuned, we will be uploading your work online, so that a much wider spectrum of Rotary and Rotarians’ work is shared on our website than is possible right now in the print version. This will not only inspire other clubs into action and improved or faster pace of work, as you proudly share your work with your family and friends, a larger non-Rotary community will get to see and appreciate your work. That brings me to the content of Rotary News. As you are the readers, please let the editorial team know what kind of content you would like to see in your magazine. I have introduced new sections such as travel and lifestyle, food and fitness, and plan to add new ones and give a qualitative push to the existing ones. But I’d also like to know what YOU want to read. So go ahead and give us suggestions. ... and keep those letters to the editor flowing! Editor, Rotary News

OCTOBER 2014 ROTARY NEWS 11

District Wise Contribution Totals to The Rotary Foundation as on August 31, 2014 (in US Dollars)

District Number

APF

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

21,035 4,143 7,547 1,404 (1,163) (3,892) 0 (72,500) 608 20,770 3,712 26,913 7,136 11,251 9,556 (10) 26,440 1,929 1,65,938 13,529 1,653 8,098 21,213 1,607 10,132 7,480 924 3,161 32,330 25,409 50,973 4,473 13,029 1,307 4,26,134

3220

36,925

3271 3272

0 500

3281 3282

33,725 2,400

3292 South Asia Total World Total

7,082 5,06,766 1,23,49,231

PolioPlus*

Other Restricted

India 5,943 0 0 0 424 2,700 500 3,000 305 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4,000 0 4,385 0 1,227 9,656 12,864 0 0 0 0 1,412 0 0 0 17 3,51,409 0 0 100 69,592 0 18,076 0 0 0 0 0 6,000 100 1,701 275 0 949 0 0 0 2,508 0 102 0 597 3,000 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7,476 22,887 4,85,430 Sri Lanka 1,100 0 Pakistan 22,802 0 4,326 (816) Bangladesh 11,000 0 0 0 Nepal 50 500 62,165 4,85,114 27,71,391 25,67,821

* Excludes Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Total Endowment Contributions Fund 0 0 1,000 0 0 593 0 83,136 0 8,492 0 3,898 0 0 0 0 20,000 0 1,300 2,000 0 0 0 0 0 1,017 5,000 0 15,509 25 7,245 0 0 0 1,49,214

26,977 4,143 11,671 4,904 (858) (3,299) 0 10,636 4,608 33,646 4,939 53,331 7,136 11,251 10,968 (10) 3,97,866 1,929 2,36,929 33,605 1,653 8,098 27,213 3,408 10,407 9,446 5,924 5,669 47,940 29,031 58,217 4,473 13,029 8,783 10,83,664

5,000

43,025

0 0

22,802 4,010

5,000 0

49,725 2,400

0 1,59,214 16,98,171

7,632 12,13,259 1,93,86,613

Source: RI South Asia Office

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MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR

Membership in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives

Simplifying your Foundation

n each of my monthly messages, I have endeavoured to highlight one individual Rotary Foundation goal for 2014â&#x20AC;&#x201C;15. This month, I wish to speak about the new grant structure and the reasons for its introduction. The Foundation Trustees identified a number of growing needs to improve efficiency, to streamline operations, and to focus efforts so as to achieve greater impact and public recognition. Prior to Future Vision, the Foundation was processing over 4,000 grants per year, and the average humanitarian grant was US $12,500. With many of the grants smaller than this figure, the cost to administer the grants was increasing at a significant rate, and we needed more staff to process the growing number of applications. In addition to striving for improved efficiency, the Trustees aimed for greater simplicity and a more streamlined process. The Rotary Foundation had 12 different programmes, each with its own requirements and application procedures, to support educational and humanitarian objectives. We now have only two grant types: district grants and global grants. By simplifying the process, the Trustees hope to enable Rotarians to reach a greater number of people to do good in the world; to provide a more efficient grants-making system, awarding fewer grants and large amounts at a reduced operational cost; and to give clubs and districts more ownership over the grant process. I urge you to ensure the progress of our new grant structure through your continued participation in our educational and humanitarian projects.

John Kenny Foundation Trustee Chair

As on September 2, 2014

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

158 95 133 66 88 102 66 71 50 83 116 82 74 87 107 67 117 72 142 92 61 123 136 88 125 103 127 84 64 129 76 91 74 77 80 89 140 83 148 88 3,854

6,683 4,172 5,416 3,302 4,690 2,360 2,602 3,484 1,845 3,590 3,299 3,322 2,095 2,018 3,390 2,563 4,721 3,082 7,314 3,293 2,190 4,788 5,479 3,673 4,722 4,017 3,950 3,482 1,775 5,705 2,617 3,198 2,397 2,685 1,416 2,093 4,267 2,381 4,035 2,859 1,40,970

171 279 534 183 518 226 193 457 162 302 265 163 75 93 142 194 667 205 991 255 100 233 197 252 232 169 145 158 206 373 243 400 286 250 165 382 442 166 601 318 11,393

66 130 53 30 42 26 36 23 13 34 42 40 19 9 42 23 45 29 96 62 8 24 37 48 59 49 6 15 60 104 36 35 14 24 35 15 183 109 42 92 1,855

264 250 179 176 178 87 119 124 30 96 118 147 27 78 44 30 169 82 335 158 37 242 355 105 86 342 59 128 182 350 109 112 94 59 14 33 68 20 93 86 5,265

RCC

186 68 80 258 122 131 329 120 89 102 56 96 122 146 60 48 65 54 137 108 80 153 141 41 43 38 113 117 93 271 109 162 40 65 13 31 169 38 518 85 4,697

Source: RI South Asia Office OCTOBER 2014

ROTARY NEWS 13

COVER STORY

Their Smiles tell the Story by Rasheeda Bhagat

hen a 14-year-old tribal boy from a remote village in Odisha can say confidently, seated in a conference room before a visiting journalist, “Ma’am, my name is Jayanto Mahji, I am from Kalahandi district, my society is low class, there is no post office, hospital, market in my village and my father is a labourer,” you simply have to sit up and take note. His English is not perfect, but the resolve in his eye as he tells me that he wants to master the language and become a doctor one day, tells you he will get there. Jayanto, the recipient of a scholarship programme in spoken English from the US government, has already visited four cities in the US, and is

Achyuta Samanta surrounded by the school children.

14 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2014

one of the 22,500 tribal children from the remotest corners of Odisha, who are beneficiaries of residential care and quality education at the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) in Bhubaneswar. The story of how KISS was founded by a chemistry teacher Achyuta Samanta in 1992–93 is inspiring enough. But what is mindblowing for me is to watch hundreds of tribal children queuing up quietly and methodically, their shining steel plates in hand, for lunch in the large dining hall, which can seat 10,000 children at a time. Their seniors are ready with bucketfuls of food, prepared in a mechanised kitchen, to feed these kids.

It is a Sunday, and chicken should have been served, but as the supplier couldn’t handle the big quantity required, “we are giving them rice and dalma (a nutritious local favourite — dhal with vegetables). Chicken will be served on Tuesday,” says Rajiv Singh, an executive working here. Somebody else says fish is also served weekly. Gently shaking his head, Samanta, the soft-spoken founder of this amazing institution that provides residential care and “education from KG to PG, and even Ph.D,” says, “It’s not possible to procure enough fish to serve 22,500 children. But yes, once a week we add fish to the curry to make it more nutritious.”

While education is the backbone of KISS, and will make these children’s future, the importance of wholesome meals to children who come from the poorest of poor families in the State cannot be overstated. Everyday Rs.3.5 lakh is spent on food, and 90 quintals (9,000 kg) of rice, 2,500 kg of vegetables and 2,400 kg of dhal (lentils) are needed. Sweets are reserved for special occasions. “We get apples from Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal and oranges from Maharashtra for the children,” says Samanta. Needless to add, they come by truckloads!

Early tragedy Heart warming stories of success are not difficult to find here. But the most inspiring one is that of Samanta himself. His father died in a rail accident when he was 4, and his mother was left with seven children — the youngest a one-month-old girl — with no savings at all, to raise them. “We were so poor that we didn’t get a single square meal a day; she didn’t even have a second saree to change into after bath, and walked the 300 metres from the river to our home, wearing the same wet saree,” recalls the son. He adds with pride: “She struggled, did all kinds of menial jobs but gave all of us the highest education.” His was a Masters in Chemistry; he passed out in 1987 from a college in Bhubaneswar and took up a lecturer’s job in a private college. The inner urge and passion to do something for poor children bore fruit in 1992–93, when with just Rs 5,000, he started two institutions — KISS and KIIT (Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology) from two rented buildings in the city. KIIT, then an ITI (Industrial Training Institute), has now grown into a prestigious deemed University that offers quality education to 25,000 students. “From day one, I knew that for KISS to grow, KIIT had to grow

too,” he says. You name the course and KIIT has it — from MBBS, BDS and nursing to engineering, arts and science courses. The fees are comparable to private colleges and the profits are ploughed back to fund part of KISS expenses.

Campus placement “You ask me about quality? The market decides the quality. Yesterday was the first day of our campus recruitment and four companies — Infosys, Wipro, Accenture and Cognizant — have given single offers to 1,500 of our students. If you take multiple offers, these were 2,500,” says Samanta, with quiet pride. The package beginning at around Rs.3 lakh, goes upto Rs.16 lakh for the top performers. Google goes up to Rs.20 lakh and this year, five students have been shortlisted. Over 95 percent of KIIT students come from outside Odisha, and also from 20 different countries. “We have one of two from even the US, UK,

Enjoying his rice and dalma.

wo years ago, when Ganeswar Mimika, a tribal student from KISS, got an interview call from not one, but two IIMs — Lucknow and Kozhikode — he was understandably nervous. “Along with other students who get calls from such prestigious institutions he was put in a training session. After the first class, not confident of his spoken communication skills, he said he didn’t want to go for the interview,” says KIIT Dean Kumar Mohanty, who is a Rotarian. But the boy was persuaded to pick up every day one story from a newspaper and discuss it Rtn. Kumar Mohanty in English. Like most tribal children who are extremely focused and disciplined, Ganeswar set about this task with sincerity. “Forget the professors, he would come even to my office and tell whoever was sitting outside: “Please listen to me speak on this subject.” He sailed through the interview and the group discussion and is today a II-year student in IIM Kozhikode. Crash courses are held for bank probationary officer posts and recently nine students got these jobs. Many KISS students get coveted government jobs both on merit and reservations and these include the posts of health inspectors, food inspectors, etc. But the most heartening part of this story is that many of the students who pass out go back to their villages to work with their communities. “Some become teachers and all of them say we’d like to give something back to our society,” adds Mohanty.

Haircut for juniors by senior students.

Australia and Canada, the remaining are from Gulf and SAARC and other countries. Afghanistan wanted to send 300 but we couldn’t take so many; but we have 50 from there, including girls.” Along with KIIT, KISS has spread its wings too, and that is the more inspiring story. Five percent of seats in KIIT — which gets 2.2 lakh applications every year for 3,000 seats, are reserved for KISS students. But how he runs KISS, without any government help or aid, is another story.

Financial model “We’ve developed a very good financial model to raise the Rs.75–80 crore required to run KISS,” smiles Samanta, over a leisurely chat. To begin with, the staff is kept at minimal, just around 800. Senior children are involved in serving food, cleaning vessels, stitching their own uniforms. The smart model Samanta has developed involves life-skills too; the soap, detergents and phenyl used at KISS is produced by the children, as are the pickles they consume. I even come across a senior cutting a junior’s hair, with four other kids waiting patiently for their turn for the haircut! Understandably there is a scramble to get into KISS, which gets 50,000 applications each year, many forwarded by ministers, MPs, MLAs, bureaucrats and NGOs. “We also send a team to the hinterland to select the poorest of the poor; finally about 2,500 are selected, and 55 percent of these are girls, as we place great emphasis on girls’ education,” says Samanta. The dropout rate is near-nil and the emphasis on quality is such “that 95 percent of KISS students clear their high school in the first division.” Coming to hard finance required to house, feed and educate 22,500 children, while Rs.30 crore comes from

Healthy food being served.

16 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2014

the KIIT treasury, another Rs.20–25 crore comes from the three percent salary the 10,000-odd staff donate to KISS. “Then the 500 people who do business with KISS have to give five percent of their profits; that brings in Rs.4 crore. About 200 elite parents of KIIT students in medical and engineering courses donate from Rs.25,000 to a couple of lakhs. Add to that Rs.5 crore, another Rs.10–12 crore that come from donations, and then there is funding of particular projects by agencies such as UNICEF and others.” As he explains the finance, I realise what a tough and smart negotiator the 48-year-old, who owns nothing and lives in a simple rented house must be! “There are 10 plastic chairs in my house and not much else,” he chuckles, waving his simple Nokia phone, adding, “This cost Rs.4,000 or so, and is recent; till now I had an old phone costing Rs.1,100! All I possess is passion to do something for the poor children of India.”

Earlier struggle And that he has in plenty, along with resilience and fortitude. Or else he wouldn’t have survived the earlier days when the “hand loans” he took from family and friends at 24–36 per cent interest to run both KISS and

Students of KIIT University.

Chak De India

Sports champions from the institute.

chat with a group of tribal students from KISS on a lazy Sunday afternoon in Bhubaneswar has a surprising revelation; most of the kids are international champions, mostly in rugby. And that too the girls; they have visited UK, China, and other countries for international competitions, and won India honours. Bhagyalakshmi Barik, who came here in 2007 from Cuttack district of Odisha and whose father works as a security guard in a private company is pursuing an MCA at the coveted KIIT University. Unlike other students who come from all over India and 20 other countries, the entire course and stay are totally free for her. This is because she has made the jump to KIIT from KISS, where she had come in 2007. “I am an international rugby player and had participated in the Asian Games in China in 2010. I was the only girl from Odisha in the Indian team,” she says proudly.

KIIT climbed to a frightening Rs.15 lakh by 1995.

A door opens “I had no means to repay my loans. Things got so out of hand, and the pressure on me was so much that I had to go into hiding and even contemplated suicide,” he recalls. But then suddenly the tide turned and a door opened in the form of a regional manager of the Punjab National Bank who was convinced enough by his work and sincerity to lend him Rs.25 lakh. “I immediately returned Rs.10 lakh and used the remaining Rs.15 lakh to expand both the institutions.” And never looked back, going by the 20-odd campuses he runs now over 80 acres in Bhubaneswar! Today his

As for her future, she will continue to play rugby but is interested in getting a government job “as it promises security.” Samjukta Munda, who came here in 2005, and is now pursuing BA in Anthropology is also a rugby player; “I’ve played in China, Malaysia, Singapore.” Jemamani Nayak who comes from an interior village bordering Jharkhand, proudly tells me how she represented India in Manchester and “we won!” Unfortunately Sumitra Banara, who also plays the game, couldn’t make it as her birth certificate was not ready in time. All of them have of course seen Chak De India, “not once, but several times, because we get a lot of inspiration from it to play as a team and win matches,” adds Samjukta. While Revathi Singh is a kabbadi player, the star in their midst is Ranjit Nayak, who came to KISS in 2009 as an 11 year old boy. He has trained in archery and won a silver medal for India at the Asian Grand Prix Tournament in Taiwan. He is now training to compete in the London Olympics in 2016, and KISS founder Achyuta Samanta is confident that he will get India a medal in archery. How does he manage the training? “Oh, we’ve invested Rs.10 lakh in buying equipment and instruments to train him; we have a special coach, who is paid double the salary of a government coach,” says Samantha. As other students tell me they are interested in archery too, my puzzled look gets this explanation. “Their ancestors hunted animals with bows and arrows, so archery is in their blood!”

bank loans — with seven large banks — run up to Rs.500 crore. Small wonder then that the KISS founder has been showered with 16 honorary doctorates from international universities; the latest being from the Tehran University in mid-September. And his visitors include 18 Nobel laureates! But Samanta is not planning to rest on his laurels. “Whatever I have achieved is with the grace and blessings of God. Finance is one part, but often people do not realise the huge risks involved in running an organisation where thousands of young boys and girls are living and studying.” He has no plans to rest till he has set up replicas of KISS to benefit

the poorest of poor children in each district of Odisha, and every State of India. “When that happens 2,00,000 children will get enrolled each year in India, and when batch after batch of these educated children pass out and get employment, just imagine what it will do to the livelihoods of our poorer sections and the general economy of India,” he smiles. As Samanta walks out with me to be photographed with his children, he is swarmed by bright, smiling, happy faces. Children walking towards the dining hall for their lunch quickly surround him; he chats with them and they respond ... not only with their lips, but also their eyes ... and hearts! OCTOBER 2014

ROTARY NEWS 17

MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Membership: Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s now or never! RI President Gary Huang has set a target of reaching 1.3 million Rotarians by end of this Rotary year. We have taken up this daunting challenge in each District of Zones 4, 5, and 6A, setting individual targets for each to achieve. Each District is following a set template, for Membership Development and Public Image Seminars. Public image plays a vital role in increasing membership. The discussion at each seminar unfolds the blue print for every Districtâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s membership growth. A past Governor is appointed as an Officer on Special Duty (OSD), with the sole purpose of giving an impetus to membership growth in that District. In addition, they will concentrate their energies in helping weaker clubs to reach a minimum membership of 35.

istrict 2980 organised their Membership Development Seminar on August 31, 2014 under the mentorship of DG Balasubramaniam and District Membership Chair Nirmal with ARC PDG G. Olivannan providing the necessary inputs. The Rotarians found his inputs on recruitment techniques very informative. The seminar was replete with healthy discussions and interesting case studies. Aptly named 10,000 wala, (their target figure for June 30, 2015) the seminar reaffirmed their determination to reach the goal. Membership Chair Nirmal communicates with all Rotarians of the District by e-mail on a daily basis to keep up the tempo ... a commendable effort indeed! District 3000 held its membership seminar at Trichy on July 27, 2014. More than 500 Rotarians registered for the event. The address by the Chief Guest, PDG Rtn. C. Basker was informative and more likely an enjoyable interactive session. District Membership Chair V. Ramesh reaffirmed the District target of 5,000 new members (25 percent increase). The sessions by the Past

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Women Rotarians’ enthusiastic participation D-3053

District Governors, Dr. Manickam Rajasekaran and Rtn. T. Ramanathan were very useful for the upcoming office holders and budding Rotarians. The presentation by District Governor Elect Thennachandran motivated the members to concentrate more on forming E-clubs and having the members associated with the club even in their absence. DGN Muruganandam focused on showcasing Rotary’s good work by the Rotarians to the general public that would motivate them to get interested in Rotary. District 3040 successfully conducted membership development seminar at Bhopal on August 3, 2014 where more than 300 delegates from across the district participated. The club leaders were motivated to increase the membership and the various aspects of membership development, retention and club extension were discussed. The attendees were instructed to provide correct membership status in SAR. In District 3053, one of the few all-women’s clubs in India hosted a seminar in Gwalior. The turnout was promising and the debate at hand was on the wives of Rotarians becoming members themselves. There were interesting points on both sides of the argument, which garnered a lot of attention and is likely to have a favorable impact on the number of women joining Rotary. They promised a 25 percent membership growth, at the end of the workshop. PDG Ashish Ajmera of District 3060 conducted a seminar on August 24, 2014 at Bharuch, which had a participation of over 300 Rotarians from 44 Rotary clubs. This was followed by a brainstorming session involving the core team, incoming District leaders, and Assistant Governors. Panel discussions were done on recruitment and retention of young members. New clubs chartered were felicitated. The discussion solely focused on the issues in reaching the growth target of 1,000 members. OCTOBER 2014 ROTARY NEWS 19

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The membership seminar of District 3132 was organised at Latur on August 31, 2014. It had a participation of 340 zealous Rotarians. District Governor Vyankatesh Metan along with OSD PDG Zubin Amaria energised the attendees with improving membership. PDG Deepak Shikarpur shed light on innovative ways to enhance membership and RC PDG Vijay Jalan’s address emphasised the importance of adding new members which is RI’s No.1 priority. This seminar was not only engaging, but also generated a commitment of 850 members to be added to the District. The first new club of the District for the current Rotary year, RC Udgir Central, was acknowledged. The seminar was followed by a press conference, which led to Rotary’s work being covered by leading newspapers the next day. District 3140’s RISE (Retain and Induct for Service and Excellence) was a membership initiative with point system (for involving each member of the district) conceptualised and driven by Membership District Chair Chetan which has been yielding great results. Unprecedented six District Membership Seminars on Retention and Recruitment, training of 15 prospective GSRs, chartering of two new clubs (target 15 new clubs by June 2015) within first three months, tie up with women organisations, social media campaign to attract youth, membership information booth at major projects — District 3140 is set to create a new benchmark in all aspects of Membership Development i.e. Recruitment, Retention and Extension. Kudos to Membership Chair Rtn. Chetan, his dynamism and commitment is note worthy. The Membership Development Seminar of District 3150 held on August 3, 2014 at Warangal was attended by more than 400 Rotarians from all over the district. The seminar provided ample opportunities to discuss various aspects relating to membership growth. In his keynote

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address, ARC PDG Kishore Kumar espoused the promotion of Rotary among the non-Rotarian public rather than amongst ourselves. “Target the close associates, relatives, circle of friends or anyone whom you come across,” he said. Speaking on Regional Membership Plan, Officer on Special Duty PDG Jawahar Vadlamani, reiterated the need for retention, induction of younger age profile members and women, besides inviting back erstwhile members who had left Rotary. With valuable inputs from faculty comprising of DG Malladi Vasudev, District Membership Chair PDG TVR Murthy, District Extension Chair Dr. C. Sarat Babu, District Chair for Women Membership Development Dr. Prasanna Yashaswi and other PDGs, DGE and DGN the seminar proved to be a grand success. District 3160 held its membership seminar at Raichur on September 14. Around 400 delegates from the district attended the event. While the goal set for the district is a net growth of 750, DG Mansoor said, “we are already there and we are looking at touching the net growth of 1,000 mark and thus breaching the 3,000 mark.” ARC Surendra spoke about how at the global level membership has become the biggest challenge. While the growth in India has been steady, we are still far behind our potential. OSD Ramalinga Reddy outlined his plan for the weaker clubs. Two clubs namely Rotary Club of Suncity and Rotary Club of Koppal were recognised for crossing the 100 member mark. All the clubs pledged to complete their goals by February itself. The seminar of District 3180 was a two-day event held on August 9 & 10 at Koteshwara; The seminar saw the strategies and action plan for membership development being discussed at length. District Membership Development Chair Rtn Usman Kukkady and OSD PDG Dr. Ravi Appaji elaborated and enthused the Rotarians to take Rotary to the public and concentrate on OCTOBER 2014 ROTARY NEWS 21

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inducting new members and retaining existing members. Zone Coordinator PDG C. Basker chaired an interactive session thrashing out the hurdles encountered by clubs in the aspect of growth and retention of members. It was refreshing to see so many fresh ideas and suggestions emerging from the Rotarians. District Trainer PDG Nagendran opined that proper orientation, mentoring and involving in Rotary activities could well keep the members firmly rooted in Rotary. The seminar was an educative session for the 700plus Rotarians who attended it. The Membership Development Seminar of District 3190 took place on September 7 and DG Manjunath Shetty had ensured a full house. In his usual inimitable style, Chief Guest, RID P.T. Prabhakar interacted with the audience and shared with them, the RI Boardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s No.1 priority, to increase global membership to 1.3 million by June 30, 2015. The sum total of the target for 2014â&#x20AC;&#x201C;15, accepted by the 34 Districts in India, is addition of 45,000 new members. PTP pointed out, that, RI District 3190, with major metros like Bangalore, should have a minimum membership of 7,000 and the present membership of 3,551 is grossly inadequate. He requested Rotarians of D 3190, which is one of the finest Districts, in terms of service projects and support to TRF, to concentrate on new member addition and reach a net figure of at least 5,000 by June 30, 2015. PTP pointed out the super success of hybrid E-clubs, started by D 3131 this year and requested DG Manju to start similar clubs in Bangalore, which is considered IT capital of India. The Membership Development Seminar of District 3202 was held at Kannur on August 10, 2014 with a 300-plus number of registrants. There was a good round of applause when DG K. Sridharan Nambiar announced that 300-plus number of new members

An interactive Membership Seminar of District 3201 was held at Cochin on August 30,2014 with very good participation by the Rotarians of the District. RI Director P. T. Prabhakar conveyed the vision of RI President Gary Huang, to increase global membership to 1.3 million, by June 30, 2015. He interacted with the Rotarians to find ways to have a substantial membership growth. DG Venugopal Menon enumerated the progress already achieved and the plans for the future.

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have been added in the first 40 days of the current Rotary year and the respective clubs and new Rotarians were felicitated at the seminar. Information on e-clubs and satellite clubs were also provided. The plenary sessions handled by expert Rotary leaders proved to be a learning experience for the Rotarians. The District Membership Seminar of District 3211 was held on August 17 at the scenic Kumarakom in Kottayam, with a registration of more than 900 Rotarians. Inaugurating the seminar, DG K.S. Sasikumar enthused the Rotarians to raise their District membership from 3,900 to 5,500 during the year. The Chief Guest PDG P.T. Ramkumar, RI District 3230, through his impressive presentation shared his thoughts as to how best we could strengthen Rotary by adding new members to it and retain them there. In the effective and purpose-oriented plenary sessions that followed, presentations were made on ‘Regional Membership Development Plan and Awards,’ ‘Rotary Club Central’ and ‘SAR-New Invoicing’ by Rotary’s experienced faculties. A lively interactive session was followed by recognition of Rotary clubs that had more than 20 percent increase in membership or had inducted more than five new lady members during the current Rotary year. The Membership Development Seminar of District 3230 was held at Chennai on June 8, 2014. RC Ulhas Kolhatkar was the chief guest and ARC PDG Olivannan, the guest of honour. Various sessions encompassing different aspects of membership development, including recruitment techniques, retention and membership extension was discussed. DG Nazar and Membership Chair Vasumathy did a commendable job in preparing the incoming leaders for enhancing membership. This District which ranks No.1 in the world in Membership Development for the year ending 2012–13 is a role model for other OCTOBER 2014 ROTARY NEWS 23

District Membership Seminar 2014 Dhaka, Bangladesh

RRFC Rafiq Siddique addressing the seminar, in the presence of DGE Sam Showket Hossain and RC Salim Reza.

District Governor Safina Rahman of D-3281 organised an excellent Membership Development Seminar on September 5, 2014 at Dhaka, Bangladesh, with RI Director P.T. Prabhakar as Chief Guest. With the participation of a record 600 Rotarians, the seminar achieved its purpose of disseminating information on the RI Boardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s No.1 priority, which is membership development.

Awards were given to clubs which have already achieved their membership targets, in the presence of DGN Sufi and Rotary Coordinator PDG Salim Reza. 24 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2014

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to undertake large service projects which would automatically translate into membership growth because then the community would like to engage with Rotary. District 3261 enthused Rotarians to concentrate on membership growth through its several District meetings. They conducted their membership seminar at Raipur in June 2014. In District 3292 OSD PDG Tirtha Man Sakya had set the foundation, by corresponding regularly with club Presidents. He has started monitoring membership on three counts: • • •

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districts to emulate. DG Nazar encouraged the members to do their best so that the District will be No.1 in the world in Membership Development in June 2015. District 3250 hosted District Membership and Grants Management Seminar. Membership Committee Chair Uday Dhir expressed happiness at the growth of some of

the clubs, 100 percent in some cases, but saddened to see the negative growth in others. The average growth over the past few years has been 65 annually. Governor Sanjay urged to induct more lady members, spouse and past Rotaractors into the fold and forming e-clubs. Rotary Assistant Membership Coordinator PDG Vinod Bansal urged the Rotarians

New additions till date Number of women members added Rotary Alumni added

The District Seminar held on August 16, 2014, showed good attendance of 172 Rotarians represented from 54 Rotary clubs, despite floods and landslides in the region. Their hope is to increase membership by 600. All Districts have taken the onus of fulfilling their specific targets in the hope of setting a new record for the Rotary year 2013–14. Tools such as Rotary Club Central and Brand Centre were used to explore new ways of improving membership growth. Some Districts have started e-Clubs that are now being converted into Hybrid e-Clubs. Hybrid e-Clubs require all members to meet physically, at least once a month, either on their own or with their parent club. Such meetings have garnered a lot of curiosity, leading to a sense of Rotarian bonhomie, helping in retention and continuity of this form of clubs. The excitement and the enthusiasm is infectious and is motivating every club in every District to help nurture the Rotary cause. With inputs from Rotary Coordinators and Assistant Rotary Coordinators of Zones 4, 5 and 6A OCTOBER 2014 ROTARY NEWS 25

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Taking Rotary to the Public T

he Public Relations teams are active with every District Governor appointing a PR team with a chairman, co-chairman and members. They are taking advantage of every opportunity to introduce Rotary to the public by making sure club or district activities like service projects, Rotary Days or recognition of teachers on Teachers Day are published in local newspapers along with the photographs and also make use of the social media such as Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp to publicise the good that Rotary does. Coordinators and assistants are busy addressing Rotarians at various district, multi-district and city forums to inform and educate them about the available visual identity guidelines and the importance of brand building, new logo and to maintain a uniform voice in telling our Rotary story. Rotary Public Image Coordinator (RPIC) Sam Patibandla addressed the Rotarians of District 3020 on August 10, 2014 at Visakhapatnam at the District Membership Seminar and he stressed on the significance of effective public relations, creating Rotary awareness that would enhance membership growth. He also had an opportunity to address Rotarians of District 3201 at Cochin on August 30, 2014 where he got a boost from the chief guest

Impactt

RPIC Sam addressing Rotarians at RI District 3020.

RID P.T. Prabhakar to encourage and motivate the Rotarians to talk about all the good things we do in Rotary, either at club level, district level or national level. The features of Rotary Brand Strength S

Projects

Membership

Giving 26 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2014

Club Central, the new RI tool, were discussed and clubs were requested to positively register with Rotary Club Central by October 31, 2014. ARPIC P.M. Bhansali addressed intercity forums at Bangalore and Kundapur and the importance of enhancing public image to membership growth was emphasised. A few of the Indian corporate houses are actively participating in improving the communities around as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Now the Indian Government has mandated that at least two percent of the average net profit made

Light Up Rotary Seminar ‘Light Up Rotary Seminar,’ an adjunct event, in association with Rotary Institute ‘Vanakkam Chennai,’ is planned for December 11, 2014 to bring together District chairs for Membership, Public Relations and The Rotary Foundation and attendees would get to hear valuable inputs from experts who would share their knowledge and expertise to strengthen Rotary. Registration Fee: Rs.3,000 To register, please visit www.rotaryinstitute2014.in during the immediately preceding three financial years, with certain conditions, must be spent on CSR projects. This is an opportunity for us to associate ourselves with corporate houses to introduce Rotary to the business world and to combine our expertise with their funding to implement much bigger projects which would result in the much needed Rotary awareness. Coordinators and assistant coordinators are approaching various business houses in their locality with presentations and we have started feeling the impact. ARPIC Dr. Pattabhi Ramaiah has successfully tied up M/s KCP Ltd., with Rotary clubs of Vuyyuru, Challapalli and Kuchipudi in District 3020 to provide 2,000 tree guards at Rs. 2,000 each for a total cost of Rs. 40 lakhs. Rotarians will plant trees along National Highways 9 and 214 and protect them with tree guards with Rotary name printed on its three sides, on the entire stretch of 150 km. Dr. Pattabhi and DG Mohan Prasad were also successful in convincing ONGC to join hands with Rotarians from Rotary clubs of Rajahmundry, Rajahmundry River City, Kakinada, Kakinada Golden Jubilee and Amalapuram in District 3020 to adopt 20 villages to make them ‘Happy Villages’ at a cost of Rs.50 lakhs. Rotary clubs of Vijayawada, Vijayawada Midtown and Vijayawada Central in District 3020 have adopted and would maintain traffic islands in

Vijayawada. Rotary would be highlighted in the form of boards bearing the Rotary club’s name displayed prominently at each traffic island. ARPIC V.G. Nayanar is negotiating with PVS Hospitals, part of KTC group, a leading industrial house in Kerala and they have shown interest to work with Rotary in one of our focus areas — disease prevention and treatment. We are publishing ‘Reflections,’ a monthly e-bulletin edited by ARPIC Dr. Ulhas Kolhatkar with articles and messages from senior leadership, RID P.T. Prabhakar, RIDE Manoj Desai and RPICs with snapshots of public relations activities from Rotary districts across the country. Brand Strength leads to membership increase which in turn leads to increased Foundation giving that would enable performance of significant projects by Rotary clubs that would have a great impact on the communities, which again helps us to strengthen our brand. Success builds on success. PR exercise should be a very important part of Rotary activities as it is a chain process. “Publicity is absolutely critical. A good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front page ad,” says the successful business magnate, Richard Branson. Our PR excercise would be such as to make Rotary a house-hold name. With inputs from PDG Sam Patibandla RPIC Zone 5

Tel.: 011 42250101 Fax: 011 42250191

OCTOBER 2014 ROTARY NEWS 27

TRAVEL

A TRAIN JOURNEY L I K E

N O

O T H E R

by Rasheeda Bhagat

is named the Glacier Express, but perhaps it is the slowest express train in the world — taking nearly eight hours to cover a distance just short of 300 km, making the average speed only around 50 km. First of all there is the romance of the two destinations it connects. We, a group of nine international journalists, board the train at Zermatt, one of the prettiest towns in Switzerland located at an altitude of 1,604 metres. This is the

28 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2014

place you go to for many a hikes in the Alps, or take cable cars to some of the highest peaks in the region, including the king of them all — the Matterhorn peak, the summit of which was the last to be conquered in the Alps. Located at a height of 4,478 metres above sea level in the Valais canton of Switzerland, the British explorer Edward Whymper managed to scale the Matterhorn summit only at the seventh attempt in 1865. But the

consequences were tragic. As they reached the summit only around 1.16 p.m. and time was running out, Whymper’s group had to make a hasty descent. But tragedy struck with four members of the group falling to their death 300 metres below the summit. While Valais is very proud to remind all its international and domestic visitors that 45 of the 48 mountain peaks in Switzerland above 4,000 metres are in this canton, it bears reminding

Awe-inspiring Matterhorn Peak.

that Mount Everest rises to a majestic height of 8,848 metres! The eyes of all visitors to Zermatt are glued to the skies towards the majestic Matterhorn peak. We are there at the end of August while it is still summer, but as luck would have it, of our five days in the country, the day we are scheduled to take a ‘gondola’ or cable car ride to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise or its viewing platform located at a height of 3,883 metres turns out

to be cloudy, rainy. The saving grace is that it snows when we reach the viewing platform! Pollution free town Zermatt, by the way, gives you the cleanest and freshest of air to breathe as it is a town free of all petroleum vehicles. Both the cars and buses are battery operated; only the traffic police can use petrol or diesel cars during emergencies and twice a year,

huge trucks carrying construction material, either for building or repair, are allowed in the enchanting little town for two weeks. Once you’re done with Zermatt and the Matterhorn, and consumed the best of Swiss wines — the Valais region is the largest wine region in Switzerland and accounts for almost half of the total wine production — an ideal itinerary would be to take the Glacier Express to St. Moritz, the OCTOBER 2014

ROTARY NEWS 29

A view of the enthralling Swiss landscape.

glamorous playground of the rich and the famous, and one of the most picturesque regions of the world. The rail track of nearly 300 km is considered a masterpiece in Railway technology and if your pockets are deep enough, do opt for a first class coach. Along with the reservation fee of 33 Swiss Francs, and a simple lunch, it will set you off by nearly 300 Swiss Francs (about Rs.20,000), but the journey in luxurious comfort is worth the price tag. The ride offers so many scenic highlights that after a while you are compelled to put the camera away and take in nature’s beauty with the best lens in the world — your eyes. A scenic journey The journey between the Valais glacier region and the Engadin mountain valley includes the majestic Rhine gorge, the mountain lakes in the 2,033 metre high Oberalp pass — Oberalp is 30 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2014

a famous skiing destination in Europe and many Swiss nationals head here for a holiday — and a glorious view of some of Valais’ most famous peaks — including the Matterhorn! What is more, this train can also connect you to Davos, another world famous holiday resort, made even more famous by the World Economic Forum’s annual meets. A Glacier Express bus now connects passengers between Davos and Chur, as Davos is not a station on this route. The train which passes through 291 bridges and 91 tunnels, and introduced the cog component — the engineering bit that pulls the coaches up without the danger of slipping back — in 1891, also gives alert passengers an opportunity to photograph the legendary viaducts on this route. Small wonder that a quarter million passengers board this train to enjoy this scenic route! But a small quibble; for photo enthusiasts, even

though the large and clean windows offer a panoramic view, the journey is marred somewhat by the reflections on the glass. So in what you thought was a perfect picture of a snow peak, you’ll find the image of a fellow passenger. My Italian colleague, for whom Switzerland is a just a few hours away by train, gave us a valuable tip. “Next time, choose other trains ... they might not be so fancy, but they allow pulling up of the glass window by half, so you can get perfect pictures!” St. Moritz Soon our train pulls into the charming city of St. Moritz and Swiss Tourism has planned for us a chat with a distinguished senior citizen and retired school teacher Phillip Walther who gives us a countdown on how St. Moritz became such a popular destination for winter tourism. In fact next year, the Graubunden Canton has lined up a series of events to mark the 150th

An Alpine music festival near the Matterhorn Peak.

Picture credit: Rasheeda Bhagat

The quaint Zermatt station at the foot of the Alps.

anniversary of winter tourism in this region. Over a delicious nut pastry made of walnut, called the Nusstorte, which though not from this region has become so popular that many visitors take it home as a souvenir, along with a tall glass of hot chocolate, Walther tells us the story, which is already a legend, of how 150 years ago, the Swiss Alps which were thitherto considered an ideal holiday location only during summer, became such a hot winter destination. A Swiss hotelier in the Upper Engadin (St. Moritz) called Johannes Badrutt was heartbroken every winter to find his hotel empty at the onset of winter as his guests, most of them English, headed back home, dreading the freezing Alps. So in 1864 he took a bet with six of his last remaining summer guests and urged them to stay on. Winter in Engadin, he assured them, was full of sunshine and much

better than the cold damp winters in England. They left anyway, only to return before Christmas and loved the sunkissed region so much that they stayed on all till after Easter! Surely Badrutt must have heaved a sigh of relief because the bet he had made with his guests had agreed to make their hotel stay free and reimburse their travel cost if the guests did not love their winter stay here! On our walking tour we are shown the houses of the rich and the famous, including one of the steel baron, L.N. Mittal. But the best is yet to come. After a short car ride to Punt Muragl we ascend by a funicular and a 15-minute stunning ride to the mountain Muottas Muragl, which provides an outstanding view of the entire Engadin valley â&#x20AC;&#x201D; with its snow covered mountain peaks, lush green stone-pine covered slopes, the sparkling waters of several lakes at a lower level, and clear and intense blue

skies. The funicular has taken us up by about 1,000 metres; we check into one of the most romantic hotels in the world ... The Romantic Hotel Muottas Muragl. From 2010 it has really earned the label of being eco-friendly by harnessing the sunâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy to become a Power Plus hotel. In summer it stores its extra energy in the power grid and borrows back some of it in winter. Whether it is its fabled 300-year old mineral water springs with impressive therapeutic and regenerating properties or its 500-odd km hiking and biking trails, not to mention the various skiing slopes and routes, the Upper Engadin valley is so beautiful that you can imagine how and why this region sees annually 2.1 million overnight stays in summer and 2.3 million overnight stays in winter. Significantly enough, of the tourists visiting this stunningly beautiful region, guests from Switzerland comprise 55 percent and foreign visitors a remaining 45 percent.Â&#x201E; OCTOBER 2014

ROTARY NEWS 31

Smiling Sheriffs at Goa

robably for the first time in the history of Rotary International, the District Governor Nominees of India and Nepal came together almost two years ahead of becoming District Governors, to know each other and formulate an agenda of action before starting their tenure. The group of DGNs 2016–17 was titled ‘Smiling Sheriffs’ by RIDE Manoj Desai on July 5, 2014. DGN Gopal Mandhania of District 3140, DGN Dr. Pramod Kumar of 3120, DGN Hitesh Jariwala of District 3060 designed the event;

DGN Dr. Vinay of 3170 arranged the venue and logistics; DGN Prashant Deshmukh 3131 and DGN Er. Darshan 3040 organised the guest faculties/ trainers to make the event fun and informative. The 31 Smiling Sheriffs along with their spouses gathered at Ramada Caravela Beach Resort in Goa on August 22, 2014. DGNs and their spouses were introduced by Dr. Pramod. The gathering was treated to soulful ghazals rendered by DGN Vinay and the Goan dress code added flavour to the evening. The informal meeting enabled the ‘Sheriffs’ to bond with each

other as long-time friends and they exchanged pleasantries over delicious Goan food. Beyond this fun and fellowship, the DGNs were empowered with training on various Rotary subjects, delivered by accomplished faculty comprising of PRIP Kalyan Banerjee, RID P.T. Prabhakar, RIDE Dr. Manoj Desai, PDG Dr. Deepak Shikarpur (3131) and DG Vyankatesh Metan (3132) for the next couple of days. PRIP Kalyan highlighted on how the DGNs can play a significant role in taking forth the Rotary movement in India. Comparing the growth of Rotary

Group photo session of DGNs with senior Rotary leaders.

PDG Deepak Shikarpur

DG Vyankatesh Metan

An informal setting.

RI Director P.T. Prabhakar, PRIP Kalyan Banerjee, RI Director Elect Manoj Desai speaking at the Meet.

Spouses strike a pose with Rotary leaders.

in India with other countries in South Asia, he appealed to the DGNs to build a stronger network concentrating on growth in terms of Membership and Foundation contribution. RIDE Manoj gave a crisp presentation on the action plan to be undertaken till July 2016 and the disciplines to be followed during the year 2016–17. He led the Smiling Sheriffs on a pledge to take India to the second position in the Rotary world, in terms of Foundation contribution and make India No.1 in Membership Growth. IPDG Deepak Shikarpur shared with the DGNs his ideas and rich experience in membership growth and success in attracting TRF contributions.

He elaborated on strategies to achieve the targets set, and shared his thoughts on how the DGNs should start concentrating on planning for their Rotary year from September 2014 so as to effectively implement their course of action when they take over as District Governors in July 2016. DG Dr. Vyankatesh Metan stressed upon the DG communication systems, programming, action plans and a methodical approach for a successful DG year. RI Director P.T. Prabhakar inspired the DGNs with his motivational address on Effective Rotary Leadership. His talk was peppered with many interesting case-studies and real-life examples

that served as a morale-booster for the Smiling Sheriffs. At the end of the day, the DGNs shared enthusiastic plans with each other with a promise of an action plan for their next meeting which would be at the Rotary Institute, ‘Vanakkam Chennai,’ to be held at Chennai in December 2014. To sum up, the meet at Goa proved to be a unique learning exercise for the District Governor Nominees and they went back home with an improved confidence and courage to lead their team in an efficient manner and take Rotary to new heights. Compiled by DGN Prashant Deshmukh RI District 3131 OCTOBER 2014 ROTARY NEWS 33

s the Kashmir Valley got flooded, two dedicated Rotarians, Rtn. K K Payal and Rtn. Chendilnathan of Rotary Club of Coimbatore Spectrum from RI District 3201, flew down to Srinagar on September 14 carrying with them emergency medical supplies. Upon landing at the Srinagar Airport, they took a walk down the streets of the flood ravaged city. They reached the first relief camp which was set up around 1 km from the airport. This camp was handled by Dr. Yattoo and Dr. Tehmeena Bhukari â&#x20AC;&#x201D; wife of a former Rotarian, Shujaat Bhukari. The medicines were handed over to the camp, where over 500 people were seeking relief for BP, diabetes, thyroid, gastroenteritis and skin allergies. Our Rotarians then moved on to a second camp managed by Shujaat Bhukari and Peer Bilal. Here over 300 senior citizens needed medicines and others needed food. Children and lactating mothers asked for milk powder, which was arranged.

Rotarians providing medical relief to the flood victims.

Team Rotary News 34 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2014

Various Rotary clubs from Jammu, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amristar under the guidance of the District Governor Rtn. Gurjeet Sekhhon, were co-ordinating with our team and many NGOs. Our home

team in Coimbatore started collecting medicines on a war footing, and these were airlifted through Spicejet and Indigo Airways. More medicines and other non-medical relief items are being

collected and arrangements are being made to transport the same to the relief camp which is the Rotary central distribution point. People from all quarters of India are in touch with RC Coimbatore Spectrum to lend a helping hand in the relief process. “We are appealing for more relief supplies. Those Rotary clubs stationed north of Hyderabad may send the items directly to the relief camps to the following address: Mr. Shujaat Bhukari, E 16, Lane 4, Friends Enclave, Humhamma, New Airport Road, Srinagar - 190021. Ph: 09419000608, 09906000608. Others can send the supplies to Rtn. K K Payal, 95A, Vyshnav Building, Race Course, Coimbatore - 641018. Ph: 09842205505 (whatsapp), 09366605505. The supplies can also be sent directly to Mr. Peer Bilal Ahamad, Harwan, Srinagar, 9469000016, 9018065544. Kindly check for requirement before sending them or contact Rtn. K K Payal,” says Rotarian Chendilnathan. The alacrity with which these Rotarians have acted makes the Rotary family proud. OCTOBER 2014

ROTARY NEWS 35

ROTARY ACTS

Life Amplified Rotary Sri Lanka introduces the sounds of the world to the otherwise silent environment of the hearing-impaired by gifting them the invaluable hearing aids. They suddenly find their life amplified and vibrant now.

Team Rotary News

A child receives hearing aid from a Miss China finalist (left) in the presence of DG Gowri Rajan (right).

ow wonderful it is to listen to the chirping of the birds, the innocent sound of a baby’s laughter, the gurgling of a brook! But alas, the world is just a deafening silence for the hearing-impaired. Rotary International District 3220, Sri Lanka and Maldives have risen up to the rescue of the hearingimpaired in Sri Lanka as they launched a project to donate hearing aids to them at an event held at Cinnamon Lake Side Hotel, on December 31, 2014 in the presence

36 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2014

of 40 international and local media. The event was aired that night to the twenty million population across the country. The launch was unique given that the Miss China finalists vying for the Miss Universe 2014 title handed over the hearing aids to the initial 20 deserving children. The launch function was sponsored by an IT corporate called E Wise. Speaking about the project, District Governor Gowri Rajan outlined how a field assessment carried out in Sri Lanka earlier during the year had

revealed that almost 1.6 million people (9 percent of the population) were affected with hearing problems and Rotary District 3220 having identified this issue located a donor to make a difference to the fast growing Sri Lankan economy that needs a healthy labour force to support the strong economic growth agenda of the country which is estimated by World Bank to grow at a staggering seven percent-plus growth. The French trade organisation ranks the economy as one of the best of the two fast growing economies in Asia. The project is valued at 100 million Sri Lankan rupees in equipment and professional time. Past Governors of the District were all present at the occasion. The initiative was an exceptional one, as those who could not have access to such a sophisticated equipment worth between Rs.60,000 to Rs.1,10,000 each, now had the opportunity of owning one. The District Governor informed that the hearing aids originated from Germany. “One thousand such hearing aids will be donated by Rotary across the country,” she said. The base hospital owned by the Government of Sri Lanka in a respective geographic area will verify the hearing capacity of the potential recipient, with an audiogram and then Rotary would provide the equipment to the needy person. It is a classic PPP (private-public-people) partnership approach that Rotary advocates in the country for a long term sustainability of the project. It is an on-going project that would continue for years to come.

My dear brothers and sisters in Rotary, I am happy to see how the Total Literacy Mission is catching up with Rotarians. Most Rotarians want to play a part in this Mission. While some are collecting books, others are creating libraries, some will do hands on teaching, others may collect funds, organise events, build media relations and so on. Sometime back IPDG Vinod Bansal from Delhi gave me an idea and requested me to spread it all over India. The idea is that each club can choose to contribute their SUNSHINE collection that they collect during every meeting to the cause of Total Literacy. They can keep collecting the funds and send them on a monthly or quarterly basis to the Rotary India Literacy Mission. I did write to all Governors and they in turn propagated this concept and many clubs around India have agreed to do so. PRIP Raja Saboo’s own club sent their installation meeting Sunshine collection of about Rs.27,000. RC Calcutta, I am told, has agreed to contribute their full years Sunshine for the cause of Total Literacy. Many other clubs have done so. Your club too could consider doing this. It can be an easy and meaningful way of making a small contribution to this Mission. To quote Mother Teresa, “What we are doing is like a drop in the ocean but we want to make that drop, without which the ocean is not complete.” This is absolutely a voluntary contribution for your club. I am asking my club to do this; you can ask yours. With best wishes,

Rtn. Kalyan Banerjee Past RI President (2011–12) Chair, South Asia Literacy Committee OCTOBER 2014 ROTARY N NEWS 37

FOCUS LITERACY by PRID Shekhar Mehta Chair, Rotary India Literacy Mission Literacy: the Bridge from Misery to Hope After the overwhelming success in collecting books, registering volunteers and awarding the Nation Builder Award to teachers, Rotary India Literacy Mission now focuses on the challenging task of identifying and bringing backto-school one lakh out-of-school children, within the age group of 6 to 14 years. This would include (a) Children at Risk (b) Differently-abled children and (c) Other children. These children are to be admitted to mainstream (preferably, government) schools. Out-of-school children are of two types: •

•

Children who have never been enrolled into schools (particularly, children above the age of eight years and not enrolled in a school), and

Who are the Differently-abled Children? •

Children with vision impairment

•

Children with hearing impairment

•

Children suffering from autism

•

Children with learning disorders, etc.

School Drop Outs (those who were enrolled in schools but did/could not continue with their education because of various reasons).

Who are the “Children at Risk”? •

Children of convicts

•

Children of sex workers

•

Children of migrant workers, e.g., i) brick kiln workers ii) workers at large construction sites

•

Children who are victims of exploitative labour practices, e.g., children who work in i) automobile garages, ii) canteens/tea stalls, iii) industries like brassware, glassworks, carpet weaving, matches/crackers, leather works, bidi-making, iv) household jobs, v) other unorganised micro/small enterprises, etc.

•

Children otherwise at risk, e.g., i) juvenile offenders, ii) roadside beggars, iii) orphans, iv) home-less children, v) children of lepers, vi) H.I.V. positive children, vii) transgender/third gender children.

38 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2014

How to identify and work with/for Children-at-Risk & Differently-abled Children? •

The needs of these special children are multiple. Usually, they cannot be straightaway admitted to mainstream schools and some of them may need special schools.

•

Rotarians may not, therefore, find it easy to identify and work directly for/with most categories of these children.

Child Development Committee Members

PDG Rekha Shetty Chair

PDG Sushil Khurana Vice Chair

PDG K. Chandra Mohan Member

•

An effective way of identifying and working towards educating the out-of-school children of these categories is to partner with NGOs that have credible track record of dealing with them.

•

There are several good NGOs working with each category of special children.

•

Centrally, the Rotary India Literacy Mission office will identify such NGOs and enter into partnership with them. Their details will be shared on the website www. rotaryteach.org.

•

The Child Development Committees at the District and Club level need to keep visiting the website to get updates on partnerships.

•

The partnership will generally mean augmenting the capacity of the NGO concerned to enhance the number of such children that it is currently helping educate — if the number of children it is sending to school is 100 now, let us help raise the number to 200.

•

50 percent of the cost of educating such children, up to an upper limit of Rs.1000 per child, will be reimbursed to the club that seeks the assistance of the selected partner NGO.

How to work directly with such children? •

It is possible for a Rotary club to directly work with some groups of children, an example could be, children of brick kiln workers or of workers at large construction sites.

•

PDG Zubin Sam Amaria Member

PDG Dilip Patnaik Member

For example, to make children of construction workers literate, the steps to follow would be: • meet the builders’ association in the town/city, • obtain list of large construction sites engaging migrant labour, • use the services of registered volunteers, • download the Survey Form for Child Development Project (Form No. C1) from www.rotaryteach.org and ask volunteers to use them to enumerate the out-ofschool children at the site, • counsel parents and • either, get these children into regular schools, or start a school for them at the site itself. OCTOBER 2014

ROTARY NEWS 39

FIVE POINTS FOR CHILD DEVELOPMENT OFFICERS IN CLUBS:

•

Ensure teacher sensitivity to the needs of differentlyabled children.

•

Organise appropriate training for the teachers.

• Identify NGOs already doing projects in area of child development and support them to add more children.

Let us join hands to build the bridge towards literacy and help the children at risk.

• Identify children at risk in the locality and approach schools to set up evening classes with teachers, meals and other amenities. eg. Child labour schools in Punjab.

Vocational Training Centres for Adult Literacy

• Identify drop outs from existing schools and provide evening/night schools with coaching to pass exams privately. • Use e-learning facilities supported by teachers to reach children in orphanages and juvenile homes.

Traditionally October is the vocational month in Rotary. In keeping with this tradition Rotary India Literacy Mission focuses on imparting Vocational Training for skill development under the Adult Literacy project of its T-E-A-C-H programme. Adult illiterates find it difficult to spare time for functional literacy unless coupled with employment opportunity.

• Network with Government District Education Officers, police and social welfare departments where possible.

Alternatively, contacting schools adopted by clubs for the Happy Schools Project would help to collect information about children who are out-of-school. Awarding scholarships to meritorious students will also motivate them to join schools. This scheme, which already exists under the Child Development project, can also be used. Using Advocacy to Bring Differently-abled Children Back-to-School

Vocational training for skill development and skill upgradation will be given to: •

Unemployed adult neo-literates, and

•

Literate adults employed in low skilled jobs,

Along with •

Functional literacy,

•

Soft skill development, and

•

Pride in the work they do.

How to give vocational training? Vocational training can be imparted through:

A project can be done for differently-abled children using the provisions of ‘Right to Education Act’ to get them back into mainstream schools. The process for this would include: •

Establish contact with local government authorities, use advocacy to ensure provision of amenities required in mainstream government schools.

40 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2014

•

Establishment of a vocational training centre.

•

Identifying an existing vocational centre and supporting it financially to increase or double the number of adults being trained.

•

Rotarians with in-house vocational training centres to include unemployed adult neo-literates for training and certification.

To establish a vocational training centre one can avail the schemes of the National Skill Development Corporation and of similar organisations of the central/state governments so as to augment the income of unemployed adult illiterates/ neo-literates and thus motivate them to seek literacy and vocational/skill development training.

MY ROTARY MOMENT

appa, they want to operate tonight. They say it is essential to save my legs!” I get this frantic call out of the blue from my son who was participating in some corporate group games at Goa representing United Spirits, Bangalore. It shattered our life. My wife and I were at a prayer meeting and other than a tearful entreaty to the Almighty we did not know what to do. I called him back, got some idea of the cause and talked to an orthopaedic surgeon who opined that the symptoms were most likely that of ‘Compartment Syndrome,’ a situation caused when excessive blood flow into a muscle mass causes it to swell resulting in pressure, and if not addressed properly can lead to permanent damage to the nerves resulting in paralysis of the lower limbs. The date was October 10, 2010 (10-10-10), and I was serving as General Manager of State Bank of Hyderabad at Hyderabad. I managed to get a ticket to Goa the next day and reached his bedside by noon. The operation was carried out the previous night by Dr. Mahendra Kudchadkar who was attending a party but was requested to come away and perform the operation because of the urgency. My son was admitted in Vrundavan Hospital owned by Dr. Digambar Naik. He was in some pain and was given painkillers and sedatives but at least he was on the road to recovery. I thanked God for all His kindness. But God intervenes through people; so how did a critical situation come to be addressed so well? The previous night, I called up whoever I thought could be of help, logistical and otherwise at Goa and

Certainly it was God who was behind this concerted action but it is also because, in Rotary, it is our people’s energy that propels our journey forward.

like seismic impulses one of my calls alerted a priest who got in touch with a Past District Governor of Cochin. Though he knew me, at that point of time he did not know that the patient was my son. He immediately got in touch with PDG Dilip Salgaokar of Goa and requested assistance. My son was admitted at a hospital owned by Rtn. Dr. Digambar Naik and he then knowing the seriousness of the situation requested Rtn. Dr. Mahendra Kudchadkar to come away from a party at 10 p.m. and operate. Coincidence? Hardly; but more miracles were yet to come! By October 11, the Rotary community in Goa came to know that a Rotarian’s son from Kerala was hospitalised after an operation in Vrundavan Hospital. They swung into action, visited the hospital and assured me that every assistance will be given; we have to just indicate what we required. Rtn. Haresh L Melwani sent us food from his home

on all the days we were there in Goa. His family visited us daily to see if we needed anything. The experience was as moving as it was memorable. Finally after two weeks when my son was able to travel, I wanted to hire a cab to go to the airport; they would not hear of it: a Rotarian sent his car to drop us at the airport which was some distance from the hospital. How can we ever repay all those magnificent men and women who constitute the Rotary community at Goa? After this experience I sat down to try and analyse why so many hitherto unknown people came to our aid when we wanted it most. Certainly it was God who was behind this concerted action but it is also because, in Rotary, it is our people’s energy that propels our journey forward. Tapping this collective synergy and making it a powerful force through empowerment and engagement has re-defined possibilities and re-set boundaries. Look how Rotary fought against polio. It is this readiness to serve and the enthusiasm of Rotarians that makes the journey of excellence truly memorable and creates the impact on the lives of millions of people around us. The Rotary movement in India and indeed all over the world is now on a strategic course in its journey of excellence and with the blessings of the Almighty will continue to forge ahead to greater goals. Thank you Rotarians, your contribution will make the world a better place. We as a family, will always remember our 10-10-10. Rtn. M.C. Jacob RC Trivandrum RI District 3212 OCTOBER 2014 ROTARY NEWS 41

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WORLD ROUNDUP Turkey COOKBOOK FOR THE VISUALLY LY IMPAIRED D Rotary members in Western Turkey ey have partn partnered ered with a library to produce the country’s first cookbook cookboook for the visually impaired, printed in Braillee and recorded recordeed on CD. Several dozen copies of the book and CDs CDs have rolled off the library’s press and studio.

Iraq and Afghanistan an THOUGHTFUL APPROACH Rotary Club of Atlantic, Iowa, along w ounwith Shindand Women Social Foundation, a non profit, sponsored the purchase of goats for 15 women, in rm order to give them a sustained form of livelihood.

United Kingdom 1,800 RACE THE TRAIN Rotary Club of Tywyn organisedd a charity under the banner ‘Action for Children’ to raise money for Rotary’s ary’s campaign to End Polio and Shelterr Box, which provides survival kits to people eople in disaster relief zones and other causes. auses.

Singapore STOP HUNGER Rotary Club of Singapore prepared ared 200 meals m in one box and a total of 200 boxes oxes were packed paacked with the involvement of about 400 0 students from f 7 Interact clubs. The meal boxes weree delivered to food banks for consumption both in Singapore and abroad. 44 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2014

Virgin Islands YOUNG WRITERS GET PUBLISHED Rotary E-Club of the Caribbean, with the support of clubs l b from f 10 Caribbean nations, invited children to participate in a writing competition. Rotary members member and others are encouraged to donate copies of the winning stories to school libraries. Proceeds from the sale of these books were use used to support other literacy efforts

Uganda Ugand da TRAINING NURSES TO SAVE MOTHERS AND TRAINING BABIES IN AFRICA Through Throu ugh a packaged packag grant, Rotary in partnership with the Aga Kh an University Khan University, has granted about $14,000 per student — tto cover tuiti tuition, books, and room and board, for two years. Those living near this University’s East African campuses were selected. sele The students’ career goals had to focus on impro improving child and maternal health issues — a core area fo for Rotary.

Sabu Sa WE BEING WELL Rotary Club of Beaumaris with the supportt off Rotary Rota R t club clubs of Kupang, Indonesia, Brighton North, Vic, Seminyak, Bali and Feldbach, Austria, contributed Sem fund to construct 30 wells and extend support to funds stud students for accommodation, food, school fees and school equipment, provision of mosquito nets (as schoo malaria is a major problem in Sabu) and improvement malar of sani sanitation.

Mongolia Mon GIVIN VOICE TO CHILDREN GIVING Rotary Club of Ulaanbaatar Peace Avenue is equipping hospita hospitals with screening devices to test newborns’ hearing hearing. More than 200 children in the country lose their hearing h each year. The club has held two fundraisers including a performance of the ballet ‘Swan Lake’ aand raised more than $10,000 to equip two hospita hospitals with screening devices. OCTOBER 2014

ROTARY NEWS 45

ROTARY ACTS

SÃOPAULO À LA CARTE W

hich is the better city, Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo? That is the great debate that dominates Brazilian life, and probably always will. Rio is the global poster child for beachfront hedonism, with its mountains and jungles and beautiful people in skimpy clothing. This is something paulistanos grudgingly admit. They then invariably ask, “Where in the Marvellous City can you get a decent meal? ” Because São Paulo, its concrete towers peering from a plateau over the coastal plain, is a monument to fine living, a tropical version of New York. Its busy denizens pride themselves on being the business heart of the world’s seventh-largest national economy,

46 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2014

The 2015 Rotary convention will dish up something for everyone.

and they argue with justification that Sampa, as the city is known, is the culinary capital of South America. Aside from the sheer concentration of wealth in São Paulo — its central skyscraper canyon, the Avenida Paulista, contains one percent of the nation’s GDP in its milelong stretch — part of the city’s gastronomic greatness stems from having the largest Japanese population outside of Japan. This legacy of the early 20th century, when Brazil was hungry for immigrants and post-feudal Japan was suffering famine, has left an entire area of the city centre, known as Liberdade, full of Japanese shops, festivals and amazing sushi restaurants.

by James Hider A few blocks away from Liberdade — if you stroll past the hulking cathedral, or Catedral da Sé, and the crumbling art nouveau facades of apartment blocks built when the centre was still surrounded by tea plantations — you come to São Paulo’s ground zero: the 16th-century Jesuit mission, an oddly rural-looking relic standing on a small square and dwarfed by high-rises and grandiose century-old office buildings. The monks who ran the mission are long gone, replaced by bakers who sell a mean bolo, or cake, to be savoured with Brazilian coffee in a small courtyard out back. But to really leap into São Paulo’s exotic gourmet heart, start at the

A panel by artist Maria Bonomi titled Epopeia Paulista connects metropolitan and subway trains at Estação da Luz.

The all-female Samba de Rainha is a popular São Paulo band.

Mercado Municipal, the vast Victorian market hall that looks a little like a London railway terminal from the outside. For Rotary convention goers, it’s an easy cab ride across the Tietê River from the Parque Anhembi convention centre. Inside, you’ll find a labyrinth of stalls selling all varieties of Brazilian spices and fruit, cured meats, and salted cod. (At the Porco Feliz, you can pick up an entire pig, or order a capybara, the largest rodent in the world.) Upstairs is a huge balcony packed with cafes where you can down sandwiches and ice-cold draft beer, called chope, and contemplate the bustle below. If you’re looking to go upmarket, São Paulo has some of the world’s

Chef Alex Atala, whose restaurant, D.O.M., is considered one of the best in Latin America, champions locally sourced ingredients. OCTOBER 2014

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The Mercado Municipal is a great place to pick up a snack, have a cup of coffee, or marvel at the array of fresh local foodstuffs.

A residential area in the Lapa neighbourhood.

48 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2014

The Liberdade neighbourhood, the centre of São Paulo’s Japanese community, offers fantastic cuisine.

Nightlife spills out onto the streets of São Paulo, whose restaurants, bars, and cafes kick things up a notch after dark. One of these kids could grow up to be the next Pelé.

highest-rated restaurants. At the top is D.O.M., in Jardim Paulista, frequently cited as one of Latin America’s best — if not the best. Its chef, Alex Atala, made Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people last year. He harvests his ingredients from sustainable sources in the Amazon, making frequent trips to seek out plants and fish with unpronounceable names, and helps small farmers produce organic crops profitably. The result is a homegrown Brazilian haute cuisine that has been much imitated, but not yet rivaled. Figueira Rubaiyat commands one of the most impressive settings in the

city, on Jardim Paulista’s glitzy Rua Haddock Lobo. In its garden, tables cluster around an enormous banyan tree whose branches snake out over diners like diplodocus necks before disappearing through the glass roof. Most people go for the Brazilian or Argentine beef dishes, but the lamb is among the best I have ever eaten, and the selection of meaty Amazon fish is as good as anything outside Manaus. The city’s Japanese master chefs have also gone upmarket: At tiny Aizomê, sit along the wooden bar and watch as they prepare dishes ranging from traditional sushi and

The caipirinha is Brazil’s national cocktail.

sashimi to Japanese-Brazilian fusion cuisine, such as grilled oysters with passion-fruit glaze. But in São Paulo, eating downmarket doesn’t mean missing out. Regional cuisines are well represented, especially the northeast’s homey seafoodrich dishes. By far the most renowned spot for this is Mocotó in Vila Medeiros, a 40-minute drive north of the city centre but worth the trek. It began life as a hole-in-the-wall kitchen set up by José Oliveira de Almeida, a migrant from Pernambuco in Brazil’s drought-plagued northeast. His home cooking — including his trademark OCTOBER 2014

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meat-and-bean broth, made according to a secret recipe — has attracted such a lively crowd over the years, he was forced to expand into a full-scale restaurant that Newsweek listed as one of the 101 best eateries around the globe. Mocotó also boasts the world’s first and only sommelier of cachaça — Brazil’s most celebrated native drink, originally distilled on slave plantations from pulped sugar cane. Leandro Batista will give you a tour of the best brews from the country’s vast range: His top tip is the Havana brand, which rivals single-malt Scotch for smoothness and price, but a close second-best, and one to bring home, is Weber Haus, with a hint of vanilla bean that gives it the softness of a good Sauternes rather than a spirit. Once your belly is full and your wallet more or less depleted, it’s time to sample the city’s other passion: soccer. Futebol, as they call it here, is more than a national obsession; it’s more like a religion, and São Paulo is the place where it all began. Charles Miller, the son of a Scottish railway engineer and an Anglo-Brazilian mother, was born here in 1874 and studied in Britain, where he became a footballer for the now-defunct London Corinthians. When he returned to his native city, he brought with him two leather footballs, a pair of football boots, and a book of rules. The sport quickly caught on, and Brazil went on to become the most decorated national team in history, with a record five World Cup titles under its belt and an undisputed roster of some of soccer’s greatest players. The name Corinthians is now associated with one of the most lucrative clubs in the world, whose fans are so devoted that it offers funeral services for die-hard supporters, complete with a coffin in the team’s colours and a violinist to play its anthem. It is no coincidence that São Paulo was picked to host the opening match of the 2014 World Cup in a spanking-new stadium built for about half a billion dollars, which is the new home of the Corinthians. 50 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2014

If you plan to catch a game, you can choose from a host of teams, including São Paulo, Palmeiras and Portuguesa. Down the road, the team of Santos, from the dock city of the same name, was the club of footballing legend Pelé. You can combine the city’s loves for fine dining and football at Morumbi stadium, located in one of the swankier areas of São Paulo, also called Morumbi. There you can trade in the bleachers for a spot at Koji, a wonderful little Japanese restaurant whose salmon-belly sushi with a citrus twist is enough to distract even the most ardent fans from the game. It is also one of the few places in Brazil’s dry stadiums where spectators can enjoy a drink. For more football, visit the Museu do Futebol under the bleachers of the Paulo Machado de Carvalho stadium (Pacaembu), a 1940s arena wedged among the slopes of Higienópolis. With a lively layout and a wry sense of humor — despite dealing with Brazil’s holy of holies — it captures the essence of the beautiful game. Highlights include a room full of sepia photos of Brazil from the time when football first arrived, and a display of objects that the nation’s street kids — some destined to become multimillionaire soccer legends — use in kickabouts, from dolls’ heads to rolled-up socks and even rocks. It also has hilarious audio of radio commentators narrating the most famous goals (spoiler alert: most end in an ecstatic scream of “Goooooooooool ”) and soccer personalities describing their most abiding memories of the game. One renowned commentator describes how, as a boy, his family (like many in Brazil) was so superstitious that he had to sit in the same chair during every World Cup match while his father held a rolled-up magazine under his armpit for luck. There’s not a lot left of historic São Paulo, a once-elegant city built in the colonial European style that has been swept away by the frenetic pace of expansion and redevelopment. As British novelist

A late 19th-century building is an ideal setting for the Museu Paulista, the city’s history museum.

Within Ibirapuera Park, you’ll find paths for strolling, benches for reading, and São Paulo’s modern art museum.

James Scudamore described it in his 2010 novel, Heliopolis, “Town planning never happened: there wasn’t time. The city ambushed its inhabitants, exploding in consecutive booms of coffee, sugar and rubber, so quickly that nobody could draw breath to say what should go where. It has been expanding ever since, sustained by all that ferocious energy.” Walking through the city, you sometimes get an odd whiff of nostalgia for a place you’ve never been, a faint echo of the 1950s-era skyscrapers of the New York of black-and-white photos.

One of the snakes at the Instituto Butantan.

The city is easy to navigate — the extensive metro is clean and safe, and cabs are plentiful and reasonably priced. Avoid buses at all costs — they are generally packed, chaotic and move too fast for their own safety. To get away from the bustle of this city of 20 million souls, head to São Paulo’s equivalent of Central Park. A leafy sweep of lakes, lawns, and tropical trees with impossible names, Ibirapuera Park, in the central Vila Mariana neighbourhood, is where paulistanos go to unwind, have a picnic, or jog along paths that weave through

the greenery. It is beautiful after dark too, when the heat of the day is gone and the fountain on the lake is lit red and orange to look like flickering flames. One treasure that escaped the city’s wild redevelopments is the magnificent Museu Paulista, built in 1895. It was once home to the Natural History Museum and now presents the history of the city. It looks out on a park that gently rolls down a hillside, past fountains and pools, to a vast stone monument to independence from Portugal. But if you really want to escape, grab a cab and ask for the Instituto

Butantan. Looking like a small slice of Belle Époque Europe dropped into the tropical woods of São Paulo’s western suburbs, this is one of the city’s most bucolic and unusual sites. Built more than a century ago as a medical research facility after an outbreak of bubonic plague, it houses a huge collection of venomous snakes. (Fortunately, because it is still a research centre, it is also Latin America’s largest producer of antivenoms, antitoxins, and vaccines.) You can wander rows of rattlesnakes, cobras, king snakes, and massive tropical boa constrictors, as well as a collection of giant tropical spiders that will make your skin crawl. A sign on the edge of the leafy park warns you not to enter the forest — and having seen what’s in the cages, you won’t want to. São Paulo has a thriving music scene, and it moves to the beat of the samba. In the city centre, the Bar Você Vai Se Quiser on the trendy Praça Roosevelt has long been a magnet for music lovers. At Bar Favela in Vila Madalena, an all-female lineup called Samba de Rainha plays to a packed house on Sundays. Or grab a bite at the nearby Grazie a Dio! dance bar and watch the locals hit their rhythm. After dark, it’s best to stay away from the old city centre near the Sé, but the restaurant and bar areas such as Jardim Paulista and Pinheiros are safe to stroll. One of the best ways to cap off a day in São Paulo is with a caipirinha, the delicious cocktail of cachaça, freshly squeezed lime, and sugar. And one of the liveliest streets to enjoy one on is Rua Aspicuelta, in the bohemian neighbourhood of Vila Madalena, which thrums with bars and restaurants, and whose sidewalks overflow with young paulistanos after dark, doing what their city is famous for — living it up.

Register for the 2015 Rotary International Convention, 6-9 June, by 15 December for special pricing. Go to www.riconvention.org. OCTOBER 2014

ROTARY NEWS 51

Spreading

Cheer

RC Kumbakonam RI District 2980 Sewing machines distributed to needy women to help them take up a vocation and support their families.

RC Dindigul RI District 3000 Tricycles distributed to physically challenged school children to help them go to school with ease.

RC Visakhapatnam Central RI District 3020 Computer lab inaugurated at Government Zilla Parishad School, Velanki village to make the children future ready.

52 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2014

RC Nawada RI District 3010 Sewing machines distributed to poor women and they were enrolled for tailoring classes at Saheli Centre.

RC Achalpur RI District 3030 Blood donation camp conducted at Nagar Parishad Hall.

RC Indore Greater RI District 3040 Computers and water purifiers donated to Rotary Model School, Indore.

RC Malpura Green RI District 3052 School bags donated to students of UPS Government School, hailing from underprivileged families.

RC Baroda Cosmopolitan RI District 3060 To encourage environment protection, the club recognises student community with â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Tree Garden Awards,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; for the best maintained gardens.

RC Deesa RI District 3051 Vocational training and medical camp conducted for children of Vicharati Samuday Sarthan Manch, a tribal community.

RC Bikaner RI District 3053 Distribution of educational kits to students of Government schools in Bangla Nagar.

RC Udhampur RI District 3070 Eye check up and surgical camp at NHPC Hospital, Kishtwar.

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RC Roopnagar RI District 3080 Interior designing course for girls was organised by the club in association with the Inner Wheel Club.

RC Nabha RI District 3090 Financial assistance provided to a government school to build a shed to seat the students for their mid-day meals.

RC Moradabad Civil Lines RI District 3100

RC Kanpur RI District 3110

Homeopathic medical camp organised for students of Sarawati Vidya Mandir School.

Water purifier donated to Spastic Centre Bal Bhavan, Kanpur.

RC Varanasi Greater RI District 3120

RC Pune Kothrud RI District 3131

Blood donation camp organised at I.M.A Building, Lahurabir.

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Under the Anti-rabies drive dog adoption camps were conducted and vaccination of 30 stray dogs was done.

RC Beed RI District 3132

RC New Bombay Seaside RI District 3140

Sewing machines donated to Jankalyan Samitiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s training centre to assist poor women to get trained to enable them to pursue the vocation.

The 11th Interschool Youth Festival - Spirits - had a participation of 2,600 students from over 30 schools.

RC Chandanagar RI District 3150

RC Kavali RI District 3160

Educational kits and stainless steel lunch kits distributed to students of Upper Primary School, Bandlaguda village.

RI District 3170 Singing competition conducted for school students and general public.

Elocution competition conducted for students of Gitanjali English Medium School, to encourage their latent skills.

RC Arasikere RI District 3180 Educational kits distributed to students of Seva Sankalpa School, to promote literacy.

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RC Bangalore Junction RI District 3190 Rotary Junction Techno Sight Centre, a vocational computer training centre established for the visually challenged.

RC Nilgiris RI District 3202 The club along with its sponsored Interact Club of Laidlaw Memorial School, installed a water purifier at the Coonoor railway station.

RC Kadayanallur RI District 3212 Goats donated to poor villagers to help them earn a living.

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RC Coimbatore Aakruthi RI District 3201 Sanitation kits, stationery items and story books provided to three schools in the region to promote Rotaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s TEACH mission.

RC Tiruvalla RI District 3211 Food kits distributed to flood victims at relief camps in Tiruvalla.

RC Madras Central RI District 3230 Medical camps conducted at Nanmangalam and Margaret Sidney Hospital, Nanganallur and over 150 patients benefitted from the camp.

RC Siliguri Green RI District 3240 The club installed outdoor play equipments at Sharda Shishu Thirtho, Patherghata.

RC Jabalpur Greater RI District 3261 Along with Matching Partner RC Canada Guelph, RI District 7080 and TRF, the club provided infrastructure for Bramharsi Bawara Narmada Vidya Peeth School.

RC Keonjhar RI District 3250 Saplings were planted at Gujuri Sahi to promote a greener earth.

RC Cuttack Barabati RI District 3262 Over 200 saplings planted by students of Maa Bhagwati Vidyapitha School, Bhairpur.

RC Calcutta South City Towers RI District 3291

RC Dhulikhel RI District 3292

Under the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;A Million Books - A Millon Smilesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; initiative, 1,800 books were collected, that would promote reading habit in youngsters.

Mushroom cultivation training and donation of goats to poor villagers to enable a sustained livelihood.

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Rotaractor Roshan Naveen on cycle expedition.

hile Rotarians are actively pursuing the goals set by Rotary India Literacy Mission, young Rotaractor Roshan Naveen (25) is on a cycle expedition from Kanyakumari to Kolkata to promote literacy and Rotary’s T-E-A-C-H programme. A member of the Rotaract Club of Bangalore South, RI District 3190, Karnataka and inspired by Rotary’s pledge to eradicate illiteracy from India, Roshan has set out to create awareness among rural and semi-urban communities about this unique initiative that envisages total literacy by 2017. Beginning his expedition from Kanyakumari on July 2, his plan is to visit government schools across rural India, talk about Rotary’s literacy programme, survey and assess the kind of help these schools require and pass on the information to the nearest Rotary club for possible adoption and transformation into ‘Happy Schools.’ “I plan to do the groundwork for 600–700 schools,” says Roshan. Ten days after starting, Roshan had pedaled his way to Chennai after covering the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. He was a celebrity visitor to the Rotary News office. “I wanted to join the Indian Army, but when I couldn’t get into it, Rotary’s cause for literacy seemed to be the perfect option. I understood that I need not be in the defence forces to serve our nation; sensitising parents and children about the significance of education and making India literate is indeed a way of serving the nation,” he says. His uncle Rtn. Raveen, a member of RC Cubbon Park, who is also his official co-ordinator has been a wonderful source of inspiration, says Roshan. Every day has been a learning experience for Roshan. Did you know that India’s first school to have a water treatment plant was the Government Higher Secondary School at Nadukuppam in Tindivanam taluk? Or that the

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cows with a hump are indigenous cattle and those without are cross-bred; and the desi-cattle which yield 40–45 litres of milk are fewer in number when compared to the cross-bred variety. Rotarians of RI District 2980 shared such interesting facts with him during his visit there. And while at Chennai, Roshan learnt to make paper bags from Rotaractor Raman Mitra of Rotaract Club of MNM Jain College. He is happy that he has learnt the art as he is able to teach it to the students at schools that he visits. Roshan’s expedition is as much adventurous too. He rides through the highways during the day, making stops at schools on his way and tucks in at a village for the night. He has interesting episodes to narrate back home — how he spent a night under the tree and another in an anchored boat. In Kanyakumari, he stayed at the Missionaries of Charity, where he offered to serve the 50 inmates in return for bed and dinner. This expedition has helped shape him as a better human being with such experiences and he is confident that he would return home a changed person at the end of it. A city-bred youth, Roshan who had done his schooling and college education in Bangalore, says that he finds this trip around the country-side educational too. Occasionally some Rotaractors accompany him in his journey and they cycle to a nearby city together, visiting schools on the way. This is a positive trickle-down effect of Roshan’s initiative. Rotary clubs extend good support to him and Rotarians accommodate him during his stay, with some providing monetary support too. The clubs lap up the valuable information he has gathered about the schools in their locality with the resolve to extend a helping hand to some of the schools. An information sheet on what infrastructure the school has — toilet facilities, water, playground and sports equipment, library, furniture,

computers, mid-day meals, number of teachers, their qualification, student-teacher ratio and much more, and what is the urgent requirement for the school, is filled up by the school head, and is later shared with the nearest Rotary club. Roshan spends 45 minutes to an hour in a classroom and interact with the students, chatting about the importance of education and Rotary’s literacy mission. He also encourages the children to teach their parents and family members functional literacy — how to write their name, numbers and alphabets. He also introduces them to the basics of computers. The Rotaractor was awed by the Gandhiji Middle School in Pondicherry which he rates as the best school. The school is run with support from an NGO called Mala Foundation from Belgium in association with RC Pondicherry Midtown, RI District 2980. The school is equipped with all amenities such as a 45” projector, 30 computers and an outstanding kitchen. But he also cites the sorry state of several schools in the rural areas without qualified teachers, no class rooms, no toilets or water facilities and open drainages. Such schools have to be adopted by Rotary clubs and transformed into Happy Schools to ensure children quality education. Rotary India Literacy Mission Chair, PRID Shekhar Mehta, wished Roshan a successful trip and advised him to get Rotarians and non-Rotarians to register as volunteers for the Mission’s T-E-A-C-H programme (T: Teacher

Roshan (extreme right) promoting Rotary India Literacy Mission’s T-E-A-C-H programme.

Training, E: E-learning; A: Adult Literacy; C: Child Development and H: Happy Schools) and for fund-raising for the cause of literacy. Zonal Literacy Co-ordinator PDG Rajendra Rai, RI District 3190, is also a huge support for Roshan in his mission, often guiding him and coordinating with the respective District leaders as he pedals into the various Districts. Roshan is still on the move, visiting and assessing schools and linking them with the proximate Rotary clubs.

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Photographic Memory Does taking pictures enhance experience, or detract from it?

n the middle of Hong Kong Island is a mountain known as the Peak. A cable car climbs the slope from the city, arriving at a building called the Peak Tower. Take the escalators to the top and you’ll find one of the most breathtaking views in the world. On one side is the forest of skyscrapers that makes up the megacity of Hong Kong. On the other, trees cover the mountain as it sweeps down to the ocean, which itself stretches out to the horizon. A cool wind from the sea washes over Peak Tower, and on the currents above, raptors drift, looking for prey. Below, through Hong Kong’s hazy air, helicopters fly, and further out boats slip through the harbour across giant waves that look almost gentle from the Peak. I stood there for almost two hours when I was in Hong Kong recently. I didn’t want the experience to end. I wanted to soak it up, not knowing if I would be back. I took a few photos, but most of the time I just looked out over the edge. Before long, the other tourists in my group left and new ones arrived. This happened several times, and the more I watched, the more puzzled I became. Over and over, I saw people stand at the edge with their phones and cameras. They would take one picture, look at it, delete it, then take another. 60 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2014

Some people did this again and again until they got the right one. When satisfied, they left. Another time, I watched an entire family take some photos, then sit down on a bench and stare at their phones for half an hour. They barely seemed to know where they were. Were they really present on the Peak Tower? Or were they only

partly there and partly elsewhere, lost in “the cloud” where they could post their pictures for everyone to see? Was this simply a performance for their online audience? Were they so desperate to capture an experience that they were willing to not even have it? I worked myself up into a state over this, and since then, I have given

this phenomenon a lot of thought. It seems we are afraid that if we can’t capture an image of an experience, it wasn’t real. The quantity of photographs we take every day is staggering: 60 million posted to Instagram, 350 million uploaded to Facebook, 400 million added to Snapchat. One 2012 estimate put the number of photos taken on mobile phones at 1.4 billion every day. “The possession of a camera can inspire something akin to lust,” Susan Sontag wrote in her 1977 treatise On Photography. “And like all credible forms of lust, it cannot be satisfied: first because the possibilities of photography are infinite; and second, because the project is finally self-devouring.” This becomes an issue when we are out in the world. “Travel becomes a strategy for accumulating photographs,” Sontag wrote. “A way of certifying experience, taking photographs is also a way of refusing it.” While photos used to be seen as a way of documenting a journey, they now risk becoming the point of it. It’s a departure from older notions of travel, in which the ostensible purpose was to take in new things, to let them become part of you, and to make you a richer, more interesting, possibly even wiser person. That line of thinking can be traced back through Jack Kerouac to Mark Twain to Henry David Thoreau, who wanted to live deliberately, not to have pictures of himself doing it. Linda Henkel, a memory researcher at Fairfield University in Connecticut, has been researching the effect of photo-taking on memory. “I was interested in exactly this issue,” she told me when I called her. “We have a beautiful museum on campus, and people go there and take photographs of things. But when you watch them doing it, they barely look at the objects.” In a study she designed, Henkel took 27 undergraduates and had

them go to the museum, where they photographed 15 items and observed 15 others. The next day, they were tested on which objects they remembered seeing. “What we found,” she says, “was that people remembered fewer of the objects — and they remembered fewer details about an object — if they had taken a photograph of it than if they had just looked at it. So the act of taking a photograph actually impaired their memory.” What’s most likely at work here (in addition to divided attention), she says, is what’s called “directed

If you want to better remember an experience, focus on the experience itself and then supplement it, so the photographs serve as cues to the key aspects. That’s what will lead to the richest memory traces. forgetting,” where we tell our brain that it doesn’t need to remember something. “Once we hit that button,” she says, “it’s as if we’re sending a signal to our brain: You don’t have to think about this, you don’t have to process this, you don’t have to consolidate it, because the camera is going to store the information.” Photographs, of course, are good at capturing details we might not otherwise remember, and for documenting things (such as Rotary projects) we need to report on. Some technology enthusiasts say this is precisely the point: We can

store information electronically, freeing up our minds for other uses. They call this “distributed cognition,” and maintain that expanded digital memory effectively increases our intelligence. But with smartphones and digital photography, we take far more photos than we could ever organise or look at. “People have a thousand photos on their smartphones,” Henkel says, “and they’re overwhelmed with trying to go through them and look at them. So they collect the photographs but don’t actually use them. And collecting photographs isn’t going to benefit memory.” More to the point, a photo and a memory are different things. To create a memory from an experience, you need to engage in the process of turning it into something richer and more meaningful than a bunch of pixels. You need to come back to it, think about it, and remember it. Henkel recommends that we take fewer photos and be more deliberate about the ones we do take. Then we should find other ways of layering meaning onto our memories — by writing about them, reflecting on them, and sharing them with people in our lives, and not only online. “Photographs are wonderful memory tools,” she says. “I still take photos. But if you want to better remember an experience, focus on the experience itself and then supplement it, so the photographs serve as cues to the key aspects. That’s what will lead to the richest memory traces.” The photos we take should be like signs that point down the path to our memories. The things outside the frame are what give an experience the texture that makes it real. The memory I have of the Peak Tower, for example, contains so many things, including the sun and the wind and a feeling of wonder, all of which I will never forget. And for me, that’s worth far more than a thousand words, or even a million likes. By Frank Bures Reproduced from The Rotarian OCTOBER 2014

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ROTARY ACTS

Check dam that became functional.

Village Transformed Kewnale, a tribal village benefitted through the dedicated service of members of Indian and US Rotary clubs.

by Selvi

ewnale, a village situated in the Sahyadri Ranges, in the Mokhada Block in Thane District of Maharashtra was engulfed in poverty and gross neglect. But there has been a tranformation after Rotarians of Rotary clubs of Mumbai Shivaji Park and Bombay Bay View, RI District 3140, along with their global partner, District 7210, USA, worked

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hard on integrated community development here. The man behind this project is Rtn Aniruddha Naik of RC Mumbai Shivaji Park, RI District 3140. A chance visit to the village in November 2010 shocked this Rotarian about the plight of the tribal residents, the abject poverty here, and the absence of even basic amenities such as electricity, drinking

water, toilets, hospitals and proper shelter. The only public transport for the region, a government bus, reached the village by sunset and returned the next morning. The primary school was in shambles and the children sat on the floor as the school had no furniture; the Samaj Kalyan Kendra or the community centre had a leaking roof and was in a dilapidated condition. The village has a population of about 600 adivasi people, who lived in mud houses and commuted on mud roads. Sanitation facilities were nil and this adversely affected the health of the villagers. Women had to trek three kilometres daily to fetch drinking water and during monsoons the situation was much worse. Such uninhabitable conditions prodded many families to migrate to nearby areas and children to drop out of school.

Clockwise: Renovated community centre; Toilet blocks; Furniture for students; PDG Vijay Jalan (second from left) and Rtn Aniruddha Naik (third from left) at the dedication ceremony; Tailoring class for women; Play zone for kids.

Rtn. Naik described his experience to his club members and thus the Rotarians of RC Mumbai Shivaji Park got passionately involved in developing the village with support from other Rotary club partners. Together, the Rotarians brought about better comforts and enhanced the living conditions of Kewnale. The main areas of focus were education, water, sanitation, women empowerment and community development. The work was in full flow with US $59,250 received under Rotary Internationalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Future Vision Plan of Global Grant Project and substantial contributions from club members and the District Grant. The check dam built by the Government which was hitherto non-functional was repaired and the wells were deepened and cleared of slush to provide sufficient drinking water to the people.

Solar panels were installed on housetops and solar-powered street lights brightened the paths of the newly-laid roads. Toilet blocks were constructed and the community centre was also made functional and equipped with adequate furniture. The Zilla Parishad School was renovated and necessary infrastructure was put in place. Uniforms, sweaters and stationery items were distributed to the 100 children studying there, to encourage them to attend school regularly. The women of Kewnale were empowered with training in tailoring and sewing machines were also provided to them enabling a sustained livelihood. Arrangements were put in place to impart adult education to empower the villagers with functional literacy. Kewnaleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s community leader Madhukar Khade says that after the

Rotary intervention the entire village has now become vibrant and alive and a new hope for better days ahead has been kindled in the hearts of the villagers. The tribal community comprising mainly of agricultural labourers had till then survived on a meagre annual income of about Rs.15,000 and through the intervention of the Rotary projects, they have started to lead a better life. Women now are empowered so much that they also participate in discussions and decision-making in the Gram Sanghatan; children now attend their classes regularly and even take part in sports activities. The village with its new look and life was formally dedicated to the villagers by PDG Vijay Jalan in a simple yet exuberant ceremony in April 2014.Â&#x201E; OCTOBER 2014

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by Rasheeda Bhagat

ow many people know that if they ever had the misfortune of getting a burn injury or any other skin problem requiring skin grafting, their own thighs can provide as much as 18 percent of the total skin that a human body has? Add to this the two arms, and the burns specialist who is treating you will not have to look further for skin to save your life and treat your injuries. But the problem arises when limbs are burnt; and the plastic surgeon can be at a loss. In such cases the presence of a skin bank in your city can help. Mumbai and Pune have skin banks supported by Rotary Club of Mumbai North (RI District 3140) and Rotary Club of Khadki (RI District 3131) respectively, Chennai too is going to get one, thanks to the initiative of the Rotary Club of Madras Galaxy, RI District 3230. A young Rotary club in two ways, it was set up 11 years ago and the average age of its 37 members is 40 years. “We are going to sign an MoU with the Government of Tamil Nadu to set up a skin bank, most probably

64 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2014

in the Government Stanley Hospital,” says Club President Nikhil Singhi. For guidance on this project they have the Mumbai club as well the Euro Skin Bank in Netherlands. Over the next 18

Quick facts: • Skin can be donated within six hours of death.

• Skin can be stored in a normal fridge for 2–3 weeks; in a skin bank for 9–12 months.

• Anybody over 18 can donate skin; wrinkled skin doesn’t matter.

• Mother-to-child live skin donation is possible and effective.

• A person’s own skin can be cultured.

months the club plans to raise about Rs.1.5 crore for this project. Heading it on the medical side is Dr. K. Sridhar, a plastic surgeon with 38 years of experience. Now Senior Vice President of the SRM group, Chennai, the surgeons clarifies that contrary to popular perception, including in the medical community, aesthetic procedures and cosmetic surgery constitute only 10–15 percent of plastic surgery. The remaining is reconstructive and corrective surgery for congenital disorders such as cleft lip, burns due to acid attacks or electrical burns, face, jaw and hand injuries, reconstructing defect and deformity due to cancer or leprosy and restoring finger joints affected by arthritis or a congenital defect. Only then comes aesthetic surgery.

• Pour cold water over burnt area immediately.

• Take care of your skin by moisturising, sun screen lotion, and protection from pollution.

Skin grafting When a patient comes with 50 percent burn injury — this is the skin surface and not to be confused with the degree of burn such as second or third degree

which is related to the depth to which the skin is burnt — his/her own skin removed from the thighs and even arms is first used. But if this is not sufficient then the skin stored in a skin bank can be used to cover the burnt area. “Uncovered area causes infection and hence death,” says Dr. Sridhar. It is like borrowing somebody else’s skin for a short while, he adds. But this will remain without decay and rejection for only two weeks. After this, it should be removed, and if a skin bank is available, the area should be covered with another donor’s skin. Using skin from the same donor will hasten rejection. “So a skin bank helps you tide over the crisis of a major or over 50–60 percent burns. If your heart is functioning at 50 percent you can survive without any problem; same with the liver or just one kidney functioning. But nobody can survive with only 50 percent of their skin,” says Dr. Sridhar. A skin bank is also vital when children suffer over 50 percent burns as their skin surface is limited. An interesting nugget: if a child is burnt and the mother donates her skin, the chance of rejection is less and recovery is faster.

Skin donation While skin can be taken from a dead person — up to six hours after the heart stops beating — even a living person can donate his/her skin. And most often, mothers do so for their children. Skin can be removed from a live donor under general or spinal anaesthesia, and will grow back within two to three weeks, says the surgeon. Apart from donating the money required to set up three collection centres and later the skin bank, Rotarians will work to spread awareness on the need for skin donation. Dr. Sridhar says more medical research and work is required to culture the victim’s own skin, to rule out rejection. “Also the skin from a uni-ovular twin — those born from a single placenta — will not get rejected, but of course these are very rare,” he adds.

www.rotary.org/myrotary/en/exchange-ideas/groups/membership-best-practices

CLUB DOWNLOADS

Find club committee manuals for: • • • •

Administration Membership Public Relations Rotary Foundation

• Service Projects search www.rotary.org

club committee manual OCTOBER 2014 ROTARY NEWS 65

Welcome to Rotary Institute 2014 Dear Rotary Leaders, Rotary Zone Institutes give an opportunity to Rotary Leaders, Past, Present and the Future, to meet and greet each other, exchange ideas and debate on how to take Rotary forward. Nalini & I deem it a privilege and pleasure, to invite you and your spouse, to Rotary Institute 2014, to be held on December 12 - 14, 2014, at Hotel ITC Grand Chola, Chennai.

Venue: ITC Grand Chola, Chennai. Date: 12 - 14 December 2014

Our Esteemed Guests

Gary Huang - Corinna Yao RI President 2014 - 15

Rtn. P.T. Prabhakar & Nalini R I Director (2013-15)

With a set of wonderful speakers and world class entertainment, this institute will be truly an Institute with a difference. We will have the rare opportunity of having with us, the 2014-15 R I President Gary Huang and his wife Corinna and 2015-16 RI President K.R. Ravindran and his wife Vanathy who will make this Rotary Institute memorable for us. The dynamic Institute Chairman PDG Raja Ramakrishnan and his wonderful team are making every effort, to ensure, that, we all have a glorious Rotary Institute. With warm regards. P.T. Prabhakar, RI Director (2013-15)

My dear Rotary Friends, “Vanakkam Chennai”. Rotary Institute in each Zone is a much awaited event where the Past, Present and the incoming RI General Officers in that Zone meet and deliberate many of our on-going programmes and plans for the future. RI leaders will be there to share with us the current status of Rotary and their vision for the future. Above all it will provide us all the opportunity for fellowship, renew old friendships and make new friends.

Rtn. R. Raja Ramakrishnan & Rajalakshmi Institute Chairman

After 12 years we are privileged to host the 2014 Zone Institute in the hometown of RIDirector and Convener P T Prabhakar . He has challenged us to match his previous Institute on a Cruise in terms of its uniqueness , record attendance and quality of programmes. The venue of Grand Chola offers comfort and world class conference facilities. For Ladies and families we will make their stay interesting and enjoyable with special tours in and around Chennai and shopping. We are also planning to organize a one day tour to Tirupathi for those who wish to have Dharshan of Lord Balaji. The organizing committee is making all efforts to make your visit to Chennai and participation in the Institute very rewarding. On behalf of Convener RI Director P T Prabhakar and Nalini Prabhakar, the Organising Committee , Rajalakshmi and I welcome you, your spouse and family to join us in Chennai to “Light up Rotary”.

K.R. Ravindran - Vanathi RI President 2015 - 16

Yours in Rotary, PDG. R. Raja Ramakrishnan Chairman

OCTOBER 2014 ROTARY NEWS 67

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ROTARY ACTS

Enhancing Education by Kiran Zehra

t is a matter for great pride for ‘Rotary School (Anand Shankar)’ that one of its alumni, Rezi Dung Dung, has gone on to become an IPS officer and now serves as an Additional Director General of Police in Jharkhand. He recalls his days in the school as the most “carefree and cherished moments” of his life. This school was started as an elementary school with only 70 students in 1965 by Rotary Club of Daltonganj, RI District 3250. Today it has 3,200 students in classes that go up to standard XII, and is affiliated to the CBSE Board. In the last 49 years the school has seen growth in admissions and infrastructure but tradition of Rotarians and their spouses serving as teachers still continues. This school was built with a vision to provide education to children of all sections of society. It is heartening to note that girls make up 50 percent of the school strength. Each year, an increasing number of children from poor backgrounds enrol in the school. RC Daltonganj provides scholarships worth Rs.20 lakhs every year (based on the child’s academic performance) to these children. The scholarship includes school fees, uniform and travel expenses for their entire schooling period. “Rotarians and their spouses do visit the school and render teaching services but today most of the teaching staff is from Anand Shankar Rotary B. Ed. College, another club initiative. The teachers are paid well and two children of the teaching and non-teaching staff are eligible for scholarships. This way we promote the Hum do, Hamare do culture too,” says Rtn. R.S. Sinha, the club’s past secretary. The school is well equipped and students are given an opportunity to participate in various extracurricular activities. A career guidance programme is conducted annually for high school students. “The school has become an important and trusted part of our locality. Parents are happy to send their children here and hope the school continues the good work,” says Meera Singh, mother of Diwakhar (Class III) and Bhaskar (Class II) — students of the Rotary School. Rotarians of RC Daltonganj hope to enhance the quality of the school and thereby Rotary’s public image.

OCTOBER 2014 ROTARY NEWS 71

Institutional Funding for Higher and Vocational Education

iteracy and skills development for enhancing employability have been thrust areas of Rotary and clubs have been substantially contributing through programmes such as loan, scholarship, career guidance/counseling and Bhavishya Yaan to support economically-challenged students to excel in education. Rotary clubs need to create awareness about the initiatives taken by Government in recent years and act as catalysts for the student community to benefit from the schemes extended by various agencies. One such initiative of our Government has been facilitating affordable institutional funding for higher education and vocational courses that broadly comprises of:

•

Advising banks in India in 2001 to implement the Model Education Loan Scheme developed by Indian Banks Association (IBA) for Higher Education (post HSC level); Launching of Central Interest Subsidy Scheme in 2010 linked to the above loan schemes of banks where 100 percent interest charged by the bank is subsidised by Ministry of HRD, Government of India for students hailing from economically weaker sections (defined as those families having gross annual income of up to Rs.4.5 lakhs) during the moratorium period (course period plus one year or six months after getting employment).

•

Advising banks in India to implement the Model Education Loan Scheme for vocational courses developed by IBA in May 2012. All major banks in India have since launched these loan schemes for students and the Central Interest Subsidy Scheme is operational with a public sector bank acting as nodal bank on behalf of Ministry of HRD and IBA as coordinating agency. However, awareness about these loan schemes and the interest subsidy scheme has remained at levels lower than expected. In terms of the loan schemes and guidance given to banks: 72 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2014

•

The banks are advised to assess the loan applications based on the student’s future earning potential and not on the basis of the current family income;

•

Banks have to extend repayment holiday (moratorium) for principal and interest for the course period and one year or six months after getting employment, whichever is earlier;

•

Repayment of principal and accumulated interest (simple interest) begins after the repayment holiday and can extend up to 10 years for loans up to Rs.7.5 lakhs;

•

Banks cannot insist on third party security/guarantee for loans up to Rs.4 lakhs — only parent signs as co-borrower;

•

Banks cannot charge processing fees or prepayment fees for education loans. Rotary clubs can play a vital role in this area. Clubs can create awareness amongst people by making presentations at schools for students/parents, giving key information on loans/subsidy scheme; set up help-desks to assist students/ parents in applying for loans/subsidy, and liaison with banks and; tie-up with banks for promoting their loan schemes amongst the communities where the clubs are associated.

Salient features of Education Loan Scheme for Higher Education (after HSC level):

•

Amount of Finance: Rs.10 lakhs for study in India and Rs.20 lakhs for study abroad

•

Margin Contribution from student/parent: NIL for loans up to Rs.4 lakhs. For loans of more than Rs.4 lakhs, margin of 5 percent for study in India and 15 percent for study abroad

•

Security/Guarantee: No security or third party guarantee to be insisted upon for loans up to Rs.4 lakhs. For loans between Rs.4 lakhs and Rs.7.5 lakhs, suitable third-party guarantee to be provided. For loans above Rs.7.5 lakhs, collateral security of the value acceptable to the bank.

•

Rate of Interest: As per bank’s policy (Interest payable on Education Loans is currently exempt from Income Tax u/s 80E)

•

Repayment Holiday: No repayment to be made by student/parent during the moratorium period; payment of interest during the repayment holiday is optional for student/parent. Interest to be accumulated on simple basis and added to principal amount for calculation of EMI post-repayment holiday.

•

Repayment Period: May extend up to 10 years (after repayment holiday) for loans up to Rs.7.5 lakhs and up to 15 years for loans above Rs.7.5 lakhs.

•

Interest Subsidy: Students availing loans for study in India and whose aggregate family annual income

is less than Rs.4.5 lakhs are eligible for interest subsidy equivalent to 100 percent of interest charged by the bank during the moratorium period of the loan. Lending bank is required to obtain the interest subsidy from Government of India upon the student/ parent furnishing income certificate from notified authority in their respective States. Salient features of Education Loan Scheme for Vocational Education:

• • •

Amount of loan ranging from Rs.10,000 to Rs.1,50,000

•

Repayment Period ranging from 2 to 7 years after the repayment holiday

Margin contribution by student/parent : NIL Repayment Holiday: For course duration of up to one year, 6 months from completion of course and for course duration of above one year, 12 months from completion of course.

•

Interest Subsidy Scheme not applicable for this loan scheme. For further details, please visit www.rcbw.org/files/ education loans schemes of banks of india.pdf and www. rcbw.org/files/vocational education loans schemes of banks of india.pdf.

Rtn. Aslam Merchant RC Bombay West RI District 3140

A picture can speak a thousand words.

ROTARYIMAGES WWW.ROTARY.ORG/ROTARYIMAGES

Now Rotarians can search and access thousands of high-quality photos taken by Rotary International photographers. Rotary Images is a database of pictures that bring Rotary’s stories to life and can help enhance club Web sites and other publications.

OCTOBER 2014 ROTARY NEWS 73

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Breaking taboos around reproductive health issues T

here are around 243 million adolescents (10–19 years) in India, comprising 21.2 percent of the country’s population, of which 48 percent are adolescent girls. According to the National Family Health Survey (2005–06), around 8 percent girls between ages 15 to 19 in the country had their first sexual intercourse before the age of 15, and only 3 percent girls in this age group reported the use of a condom at that time. This survey also showed that around 10.5 percent girls in the same age group, who had ever had sex, reported having sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or any symptom of STI. Around 47 percent women in the age group 20–24 years reported having got married before the legal age of marriage (18 years) and 44 percent of currently married adolescent girls had already started having children. Around 14 percent of births to adolescent mothers were unplanned. As per the recent estimates by the Registrar General of India, around 7 percent maternal deaths in the country occur in the age group of 15–19 years. Adolescent girls must be provided resources and opportunities to realise their full potential as individuals and citizens. Evidence from various parts of the world suggests that awareness, education and skills improve individual and societal outcomes through enhanced confidence, increased income, increased access to higher networks and improved social status. The Government of India has made a provision of vocational training for out-of-school adolescent girls under the Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls, or SABLA, to make them economically

Computer training being imparted.

independent and self-reliant. There are 64 vocational training providers (VTPs) in 15 districts of Madhya Pradesh that provide vocational training to adolescent girls in modular employable skills (MES). These VTPs include institutes of central and state government, public and private sector and industrial establishments. They provide counselling and vocational guidance, training facilities and post-training support to trainees in obtaining employment, and also maintain a database of trainees and the outcomes of the training programmes. Currently around 3,500 adolescent girls in the state are enrolled in these programmes. Through this, the girls are able to learn vocational skills and also acquire knowledge and skills on health, nutrition, adolescent reproductive and sexual health (ARSH), skills that help build their self- confidence and also improve health. Recognising the importance of holistic development of adolescent girls and influencing their reproductive

health seeking behaviour, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in collaboration with the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Madhya Pradesh and the State Resource Centre - Indore, started an initiative for integrating life skills and ARSH issues into ongoing vocational training programmes for adolescent girls in 15 districts of Madhya Pradesh, namely Indore, Jhabua, Nimach, Sheopur, Bhind, Rewa, Siddhi, Sagar, Damoh, Tikamgarh, Bhopal, Betul, Rajgarh, Jabalpur and Balaghat. This initiative aims at making the girls knowledgeable about physical, cognitive, social and emotional developments during adolescence, reproductive and sexual health, as well as developing life skills to deal with problems and to take informed decisions. Sessions conducted in this training programme use participatory methodologies such as games, role-plays, case studies, stories, picture cards and problem cards. Source: UNEWS, August 2014 OCTOBER 2014

ROTARY NEWS 75

HEALTH

MEAT substitutes

on’t know what to use in place of meat in your favourite recipes? There are now widely available alternatives to just about every type of meat, including chicken-, pork-, fish-, and beef-style products. Plant-based meat substitutes have come a long way in both taste and texture since the days of the first veggie burger, thanks to the growing popularity of vegetarian diets. Faux meats are most often made from soy or wheat protein and are available fresh, dried, or frozen. Tofu: First used in China around 200 B.C., tofu has long been a staple of Asian cuisine. Tofu soaks up flavours and is best when marinated for at least 30 minutes or served with a flavourful sauce. There are two types of tofu that you’ll want to try: fresh, water-packed tofu (always refrigerated) for when you want the tofu to hold its shape, such as when baking or grilling, and silken tofu, which is packed in aseptic boxes and usually not refrigerated, for pureing. Try firm or extra-firm tofu for baking, grilling, sautéing, and frying and soft or silken tofu for creamy sauces, desserts, and dressings. Silken tofu is used for making a heavenly chocolate cream pie but will fall apart if you try to make it into shish kebab. When baking tofu, cook it in a marinade so it will soak up more flavour. To give tofu a meatier texture, try freezing it for two to 24 hours and then defrosting it. Press the water out of the tofu prior to preparing it. Wrap the tofu in a towel and set something heavy on top of it for at least 20 minutes, and it will be ready for marinades, sauces, freezing and cooking. Tempeh: This traditional Indonesian food is made from fermented soybeans and other grains. Unlike tofu, which is made from soybean milk, tempeh contains whole soybeans, making it denser. Because of its density, tempeh should be braised in a flavourful liquid

76 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2014

(see recipe below) for at least one hour prior to cooking. This softens it up and makes the flavour milder. After braising, you can dredge the tempeh in flour, corn meal, or a mixture of ground nuts and flour and panfry it. Then try adding it to a sauce and continue cooking it for an enhanced flavour. PETA’s famous Tempeh Creole recipe is an example of how satisfying tempeh can be. Seitan: Also known as wheat gluten, seitan is derived from wheat and is a great source of protein. Try seitan as a chicken substitute in your favourite recipes. The Dutch are way ahead with a “vegetarian butcher” who transforms plants into “meat.” Dubbed the “Frankenburger,” the lab-grown beef — developed at a cost of more than 250,000 euros ($330,000) — was unveiled by scientists in London and served to volunteers in what was billed as the start of a food revolution. But “we are much more advanced, so-much-so that we have built an unassailable lead over meat produced from stem cells,” said Jaap Korteweg, founder of the “Vegetarian Butcher.” Korteweg’s shop on a main street in downtown The Hague is packed with a range of products from veggie “hamburger” patties to “meatballs” and even “tuna” salad. One of the secret ingredients is a soy paste, which when put through a special pressurisation machine, imitates meat fibres, a technology invented by the University of Wageningen in the central Netherlands. Ingredients vary. For chicken, he uses more soy, while beef is made from carrots, peas and potatoes. The “meat” taste comes by adding herbs and spices and all the rest. The vegetarian chicken “tastes just like real chicken,” and the tuna salad is also close to the real thing, according to an AFP journalist and several customers, who conceded some products

“

This traditional food is made from fermented soybeans and other grains. Unlike tofu, which is made from soybean milk, tempeh contains whole soybeans, making it denser.

”

weren’t quite realistic but said they tasted good. The demand for an environmentally friendly and vegetarian alternative to meat is growing, with meat production notoriously inefficient, requiring huge swathes of land to grow the crops to feed the animals. “Our hamburger’s environmental footprint is seven times less than that of a real hamburger,” claimed Korteweg. “Our chicken only requires half to a third of what’s needed to produce a real chicken. I’m talking about use of land, water, the grain and feed normally fed to chicken,” he said. Three years after opening, the Vegetarian Butcher sells its products in 500 stores around the Netherlands, mainly supermarkets and specialist food stores. Korteweg says that sales have doubled each year since, and hopes to open his own factory next year to boost his share of the market and drop prices to below that of the real thing. Though now slightly more expensive than real meat, his products cost about the same as organic meat. The Vegetarian Butcher has struck a chord with Dutch animal welfare organisations and its pro-vegetarian Party for the Animals (PvdD), which

has two seats in Parliament. One of those seats is held by Korteweg’s wife and PvdD leader Marianne Thieme. But just as French beef farmers reacted with outrage at developers of the stem-cell burger, the Dutch meat sector has issues with the Vegetarian Butcher. “Every consumer has the right to choose what they eat, of course,” Jos Goebbels, the head of the Dutch Central Meat Sector Organisation (COV) said. “What we do have a problem with is that they use terminology specific to meat, while everybody knows that there’s no meat in there,” he said. “It shouldn’t be called chicken, or a hamburger but should rather have another name, because it tricks consumers.” Goebbels did not, however, feel that veggie meat posed a threat to the chicken or beef industry. In his quest to make veggie meat taste like the real thing, Korteweg has enlisted the help of chefs, as well as scientists. “The great difficulty is to reproduce on a large scale what we’re able here to produce with our experiments in the kitchen,” chef Paul Bom said. Another problem is people who say “they simply could not imagine consuming an alternative” to meat, said Bom, so “the only solution is to get them to taste it.” Dutch environmental group Natuur & Milieu is doing just that, promoting veggie food with free tastings in supermarkets. “We believe vegetarian food is a relatively easier alternative to achieve than say, finding an alternative to jet fuel or introducing electric cars on the road,” said Olof van der Gaag, the organisation’s campaign manager. If everyone in this country of 17 million ate one less meat-containing meal a week, he asserted, it would be equivalent to cutting the carbon emissions of a million cars. Courtesy: World Veg Digest OCTOBER 2014

ROTARY NEWS 77

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

â&#x20AC;&#x153;GOOOL!â&#x20AC;? Across 56 Ellerbee or Evans 1 Venomous African snakes 58 Conventioneerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s badge 7 Lana of Smallville 61 Prefix for â&#x20AC;&#x153;plasmâ&#x20AC;? 11 Rat-a-___ 62 Some watch readouts, briefly 14 Fly planes 66 Host city for 2015 15 Skin cream element RI Convention 16 Earlier than now 68 Nation with the fifth17 43-Across, in the United States highest number of Rotarians 18 One of five won by Brazil 70 Big band or disco period 20 Abbreviated 71 The King and I locale Valentine message 72 Prolonged account 21 Suspenders alternative 73 â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bitterâ&#x20AC;? part 23 Greek vowels 74 One-named sports star 24 Make amends (for) who scored 1,281 times 26 Bustling activity in his 43-Across career 27 Cinnamon, for one 75 Come from the shadows 30 Brandy designation 32 Completely engrossed Down 36 Gibson of tennis fame 1 Einstein concern 38 Scale notes 2 Swear 40 Take a taste of 3 Thin-layered mineral 41 With 43-Across, 4 Pain relieverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s target, 66-Across landmark perhaps 43 See 41-Across 5 Bolted down 45 Links grp. 6 ___-Croatian 46 Sound of relief 7 Xena portrayer Lucy 48 Muppetsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; street 8 â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is ___ of fun!â&#x20AC;? 49 Terrier of films 9 Neither partner 51 Dedicated poetry 10 Icy cold 53 Stage figure 11 Good people skills 54 Animalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pouch 12 Water, in 66-Across

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Does better than It might be ajar Ltr. holder Prepare to play, in golf 100, say Nickname for 66-Across 34-Downs Where ___ (center of activity) Punch-in-the-gut reaction Opportunity to hit Ad 10th U.S. president For this purpose Word after home or bed Brit. word reference Grow more intense Mat word Right away Take a load off Shocked Chemically inert â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gotcha!â&#x20AC;? Repair by weaving Garden dweller Lander at Ben Gurion Former Russian autocrat Car door dent Roy Rogersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; real surname Slangy reversal on the road Basketball net holder

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ROTARY NEWS 79

THE MIDDLE WORLD OF MUSHROOMS In its earthiness, chewiness, umaminess and wide range of subtle variations in taste, mushrooms sit in the unique middle world between vegetables and meats. Unlike vegetables, they are a natural source of Vitamin D. Unlike many red meat options, they deliver on the protein and fibre without piling on the cholesterol or fat. Not surprisingly, in many East Asian traditions, mushrooms are a symbol of longevity and they play an important role in traditional Chinese medicine. Cloud ears, for example, are valued for their blood cleansing properties. China which has a 2000 year history of cultivating mushrooms, has over 900 varieties of edible mushrooms. While shiitake (which is available in many variations) is a favourite in many parts of East Asia, even once-rare mushrooms like the lionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mare are today more accessible through wider cultivation. Courtesy: Flavours of Grand Asia, WelcomZest

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On August 27, 2014 RID P.T. Prabhakar and Trustee Sushil Gupta, met Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Mr. Harsh Vardhan (top) and Minister for Rural Administration Mr. Nitin Gadkari (below), to discuss service projects that Rotary can take up in collaboration with the Government of India.

PDG Deepak Shikarpur, RI District 3131, gets Top Management Consortium’s ‘Youth Service Excellence’ award for his services to rural youth.

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