Rotary News - October 2015 by Rotary News

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RotaryNews India

Vol.66, Issue 4

Annual Subscription Rs.420

October 2015

Disability Warriors

Padharo Mhaare Des

K R Ravindran & Vanathy

RID Dr Manoj Desai & Sharmishtha

PDG Dr Ashok Gupta & Vijaya

RI President 2015–16

Convener, Rotary Jaipur Institute 2015

Chairman-Rotary Jaipur Institute 2015

aipur is the much loved capital of India’s largest and most colorful state. It is also the main gateway of the splendour and magic of Rajasthan. This heritage city, popularly known as the Pink City, is an epitome of meticulous planning. Majestic forts and palaces dominate the skyline and yet, it is the bazaars in the old city, that create Jaipur’s unique energy, providing a special shopping experience. The city’s heritage status and proximity to the national capital New Delhi have attracted people from

far and wide. Mainly known for its innumerable sagas of valour, culture and heritage, it provdes an aristocratic treat for tourists. There is something in the atmosphere of Jaipur that brings joy and delight and the genuine hospitality of the people wins hearts. From sunset-pink walls, buildings and temples, all the corners of this city seem to be humming the famous folk song ‘Padharo Mhaare Des.’ Which is why we’ve chosen this as our theme. We are sure that the warmth of this city will mesmerise our guests as we walk them through an overwhelming experience.

Registration Details: Upto October 31, 2015 Nov 1, 2015 till D Day

INR 20,000 (Couple) INR 22,000 (Couple)

INR 14,000 (Single) INR 16,000 (Single)

Amount to be paid in favour of JAIPUR ROTARY INSTITUTE 2015 payable at JAIPUR Online Transfer Details On-line transfer of funds can be made to the Rotary Institute account from any bank in India. Please find below the details required for the transfer. IFSC Code Name of the Account Account Number Branch PAN No.

: : : : :

HDFC0000987 Jaipur Rotary Institute 2015 50100063848862 HDFC Bank, Mansarovar, Jaipur AABAJ8796J

Contents 22

RI Director visits D 3080

All set for Seoul

A sneak peek into what Seoul holds out for you as you set foot on the Korean capital for the Rotary convention.

A Happy School Model

RID Manoj Desai visits some of Rotary’s Happy Schools around Ahmedabad.

12 Spinal cord injury warriors Shaking off the shackles of paralysis, disability and discomfort, these people are helping others, and smiling too!

32 Vintage Rotarians No chequebook charity for him: Rtn S L Chitale of RC Madras has been in the forefront of colossal work done for immunising children against measles and polio.

19 Meet your Governors Meet the DGs of D 3110, 3100, 3060, 3150, 3040, 3180 and 3053

52 Enjoy a meal … end polio Rtn Susanne Rea raises funds through the World’s Greatest Meal for Rotary’s End Polio initiatives.

On the cover: Manoj with his father Vijay Kumar and sister Divya. Picture: Rasheeda Bhagat

Lighting up lives

D 3140 lights up tribal hamlets around Mumbai with solar lamps.

Oliver Sacks

The celebrated neurologist shows us an approach that views life as a welcome gift rather than bemoaning death as a medical failure.

Girls rule the roost

The colleges run by ROFEL are quietly changing educational, healthcare and agri scene in and around Vapi.

A mother’s dream accomplished

Rotary Maya Devi Hospital is the lifeline for the people living in the rural areas of Muzzafarnagar.

Microcredit to the rescue

Rotary Club Bhatkal brings cheer to women through its microcredit schemes.

The media over the years

With the advent of social media, have “professional journalists” become a dying breed?

64 Travel: Swiss Delights

LETTERS People’s President

saw the cover page of Rotary News in Lavasa at TRF Think-tank with Trustee Chair-elect Kalyan Banerjee. I am since trying to coin a right word to compliment you for the homage you have paid on behalf of 1.23 million Rotarians to one of the greatest statesmen our world has ever seen; our late President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. He was not a Rotarian by membership, but he was a true Rotarian in deed. I am sure Rotarians across the globe and 1.3 lakh members in India will be happy to see this issue, with an interesting tribute. May he continue to be the guiding force for all Rotarians, as we ‘Do Good in the World.’ PDG Anil Agarwal, RI District 3052

hanks for this issue. The excellent article by Jaya Indiresan, narrating her experience with the great man were worth reading. A few months before his demise, TVS School students at Madurai were fortunate to have him for an hour-long interaction. It was amazing to observe his simplicity and love for children. Dr Kalam’s unparalleled inventive brilliance, smiling humility, innovative mind and simple outlook, made him a ‘People’s President’ as you call him on the cover. In Dr Kalam’s demise, India has lost a priceless jewel. The void in the world of space science and Indian hearts can never be filled. Thank you for publishing ‘The Pride of India’ award, presented to me by CIPS, New Delhi. Rtn R Srinivasan, RC Madurai Midtown-D 3000

Rotary’s public image

Literacy Focus

am a Rotarian since last 26 years, all these years I have been receiving Rotary News magazine regularly. The articles are informative and knowledgeable. I compiled last year’s copies and gifted them to the main library in our town. By reading our magazine people will understand Rotary and the service done by us and Rotary’s public image will improve. I request all Rotarians to give their copies to public libraries after reading the magazine. Rtn T M Nazimuddin RC Thalassery-D 3202

titching up dreams is an excellent article on the efforts of Shamlu Dudeja. Rotary clubs should organise a show to revive dying skills of traditional Indian craftsmen in textiles, pottery, etc, which can employ large numbers. Lijjat Papad was also started by Chagan Bapa in Gujarat to give employment to widows. Rtn T D Bhatia RC Delhi Mayur Vihar-D 3012 4 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

n the August issue, Literacy Focus by PRID Shekhar Mehta, Chairman of RILM, motivates Rotarians who are dreaming to make India totally literate by 2018. Rtn Milan Kumar Agarwalla RC Angul-D3262

hank you for featuring Chocolates and beer at American farms, the VTT programme in the September issue, explaining our team’s visit (D 3170) to USA (D 7360). We now have the added responsibility to disseminate the knowledge gained. Rtn Dr Gaurish Padukone RC Bhatkal-D 3170

Right chemistry

otarians of RC Ankleshwar, students, faculty members of SRICT and I extend our profound thanks for the excellent coverage on our project Shroff S R Rotary Institute of Chemical Technology (SRICT) in the September issue. I can learn

from you how to develop a real story, make it meaningful and touching to hearts by personal interactions, rather than narration with data. This art of journalism will help us improve our public image. PDG Ashok Panjwani RI District 3060

am enthralled by the article, On a mission to give dignity to teenage girls in September issue. My sincere wishes to the all-women team of RC Karur Angels. The article Where the chemistry is right, reminded me of a quote of our belated president Dr Kalam, ‘Always think big.’ I hope this Institute will blossom in the most professional and ethical way to give our students a bright and successful future. Rtn Neelendra Airan RC Chandausi Poorvanchal-D 3100

t was a pleasure to read the article, Largest Rotary Club outside USA in the September issue. Congratulations to PDG Sam Movva for transforming RC Vijayawada Midtown and taking up its membership to 450 in 2015, and doing need-based service projects. Rtn Dr Sudam Basa RC Bhubaneswar-D 3262

DG Sam’s touching line caught my eye. “I can never ever repay the kind of debt I owe to this organisation. I have met some great and outstanding people. Rotary has opened doors that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise and helped me to see so much of the world.” I believe this is one of the best reasons for joining Rotary and new members may be inspired. N Jagatheesan RC Eluru-D 3020

Club culture

CA Srinivasa-Raghavan’s story on Clubs made me think of the days when British culture and way of life influenced us. I Say, Old Boy, Jolly Good, Check double Check were British expressions, and bridge and billiards with chosen beverages and cigars were the hallmark of sophistication. Rendezvous of the rich and famous took place in solemn and exclusive ambience. Slowly the clubs degenerated into gambling and drinking places. But there are

LETTERS Amazing issue

just read the September issue of the Rotary News, from page to page and was amazed. This was definitely the best issue since the time of PDG BN Hosali, and also your best. I feel it’s time our RI magazine looks to Rotary News for inspiring news and great moments in Rotary services. Continue and give your best. At 79, I can say I am proud of you. Rtn Madhu Narang RC Bombay West-D 3140

’m reading Rotary News for the past 17 years. It’s great you are bringing out inspiring articles like No Politics Please and Young India enthralls Ravindran. His six lessons given to the students were great. Well done Editor Rasheeda and Assistant Editor Jaishree! Rtn S Natarajan, RC Koothapakkam-D 2981

he magazine and its Editor deserve compliments for making it more useful, meaningful and attractive by adding innovations and featuring many service projects. Articles on ‘Asha Kiran’ and ‘Nation Builder Award,’ brief coverage of many club activities, Meet your Governors, and message from innovative RI President Ravindran and RID Manoj Desai about youth, are all very interesting, and give us more value. Rtn Ashvin Patel, RC Gandevi-D 3060

he September issue of Rotary News provided delightful reading to travel bugs in the article Vibrant Vienna by the Editor. Thanks for maintaining the flavour of a travelogue and resisting the temptation to include Rotary clubs in Vienna. Very refreshing. Such articles are sure to attract non-Rotarian readers. Rtn Sujata Srinivasan, RC Cuddalore Central-D 2981

he article Hard-won lessons, in the August issue was very timely and should be read — especially the boxed check list — by all Rotarians. The example of the women in Guatemala showed how surprising some of the results are. I see several good projects disappearing without a trace at the end of every Rotary year because these points are not taken care of. As president of a club, I had to face the embarrassment of not being able to reply to repeated e-mails from the president of a club that had partnered ours on a major project several years earlier. This because no one in our club was able to give any data or say whether it was a success or a failure. I hope there will be more such reports instead of only the rosy picture of a successful project. Rtn Dr T Sudhakar Bhat, RC Sullia-D 3180

exceptions. Life is a combination of good, bad and ugly. PDG JV Reddy RI District 3160

hen Britishers left India, they left behind four things: Indian Railways, English language, cricket and club. This is a fine article, but no article on clubs can be complete without Calcutta Clubs. Rtn Harjit Singh Khurana RC Ludhiana-D 3070

he article on clubs is not Rotary news. Commendable social work done by many Rotary clubs in India, impacting lives and bringing positive results could have been published in the space that you have given to this article. Rtn Dip Ghosh RC Bangalore Cantonment-D 3190

Acche din with Ravindran

otary is going to be rejuvenated. Congratulations to RI President K R Ravindran for his stand on Rotary politics, which has killed Rotary idealism and restricted its growth. By taking stern action against erring leaders, you give us hope. We sincerely need an action-packed leader at the helm; you shall not become unpopular but would be remembered as a reformer. We are with you. Rtn Nasir Borsadwala RC Kolhapur Midtown-D 3170

he RI President’s message was mindblowing.Through a short story of a woodcutter he explains how to work smarter. He asks: “How can we add more value to Rotary membership, so that more will join and fewer will leave?” Superb. Rtn S Sivasubramaniann RC Tirunelveli Venuvanam-D 3212

he article on Greener Rotary by RID Manoj Desai was very impressive. Insistence on growth of clubs, both quantitatively and qualitatively, along with growth in funds at TRF, is correct. This article will guide all present and future office bearers of Rotary clubs to perform his/her duty efficiently. Rtn T S Chelliah RC Tirunelveli West-D 3212

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

Board of Permanent Trustees

Governorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Council RI Dist 2981

Dr Gunasekaran Chinnathambi

PRIP Rajendra K Saboo

RI Dist 3080

RI Dist 2982

R Vasu

PRIP Kalyan Banerjee

RI Dist 3060

RI Dist 3000

R Theenachandran

PRID Sudarshan Agarwal

RI Dist 3011

Sudhir Mangla

PRID Panduranga Setty

RI Dist 3190

RI Dist 3012

Jitender Kumar Gaur

RI Dist 3020

M Jagadeeswara Rao

PRID Sushil Gupta

RI Dist 3011

RI Dist 3030

Dr Nikhil Arvind Kibe

PRID Ashok Mahajan

RI Dist 3140

RI Dist 3040

Sanjeev Gupta

PRID Yash Pal Das

RI Dist 3080

RI Dist 3051

C A Lalit Sharma

PRID Shekhar Mehta

RI Dist 3291

RI Dist 3052

Pradhuman Kumar Patni

PRID P T Prabhakhar

RI Dist 3230

RI Dist 3053

Anil Beniwal

RID

RI Dist 3060

Parag Sheth

RI Dist 3070

Kuldip Kumar Dhir

RI Dist 3080

David Joseph Hilton

RI Dist 3090

Dharam Vir Garg

RI Dist 3100

Suneel Kumar Gupta

DG Sudhir Mangla

RI Dist 3011

RI Dist 3110

Sharat Chandra

DG Subodh Mukund Joshi

RI Dist 3131

RI Dist 3120

Ved Prakash

DG Dr Gautam R Jahagirdar

RI Dist 3160

RI Dist 3131

Subodh Mukund Joshi

DG C R Raju

RI Dist 3230

RI Dist 3132

Dr Deepak Prabhakar Pophale

DG Chandu Kumar Agarwal

RI Dist 3240

RI Dist 3140

Subhash Kulkarni

RI Dist 3150

Gopinath Reddy Vedire

RI Dist 3160

Dr Gautam R Jahagirdar

RI Dist 3170

Shrinivas Ramkrishna Malu

RI Dist 3180

Dr A Bharathesh

RI Dist 3190

K P Nagesh

RI Dist 3201

Kamlesh V Raheja

RI Dist 3202

George Sundararaj

RI Dist 3211

C Luke

RI Dist 3212

J Navamani

RI Dist 3230

C R Raju

RI Dist 3240

Chandu Kumar Agarwal

RI Dist 3250

Dr Bindu Singh

RI Dist 3261

Rakesh Dave

RI Dist 3262

Sibabrata Dash

RI Dist 3291

Jhulan Basu

Dr Manoj D Desai

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (In addition to Board of Permanent Trustees)

ROTARY NEWS ROTARY SAMACHAR Editor Rasheeda Bhagat Senior Assistant Editor Jaishree Padmanabhan Send all correspondence and subscriptions to ROTARY NEWS TRUST 3rd Floor, Dugar Towers, 34 Marshalls Road Egmore, Chennai 600 008, India. Phone : 044 42145666 e-mail : rotarynews@rosaonline.org Website : www.rotarynewsonline.org

From th e E di t or ’s Desk

How to smile … and win

hining comes easily to most of us … the more blessed we are in terms of good health, financial resources, family support, the more we whine and complain about what we do not have — a better car, a bigger house, a glitzier gizmo or designer wear donned by celebrities. So it came as a breath of fresh air in the last few weeks to meet two very different sets of people who have all the cause in the world to grumble and be grumpy, but I found them smiling, cheerful and full of “mental stamina” to take on more challenges. The first set is featured in the cover story of Rotary News this month; Manoj a chirpy boy of 11, who while playing near a deep and unsecured ditch dug up to put in power cables for the new Secretariat building in Chennai, fell into it and became paralysed neck down. He was only five then, and being the son of an auto rickshaw driver with modest means, was shunted for weeks from one government hospital to another, one department to another, with zero treatment. But today, despite living in a little hole in the wall — 80 sq ft — home in a Chennai slum, he is always smiling, goes to a good school, loves Harry Potter books and plays cricket from his wheelchair. But above all, he is probably one of the youngest counsellors ever of disability. Manoj has already motivated 16 children with spinal cord injury to return to school. He and his parents visit such children at rehab centres, give them hope and motivate them to go back to school. Isn’t this Rotary’s Asha Kiran in a different and perhaps more exalted form? Others also covered in the story — Justin Jesudas, a brilliant IT professional, who was cruelly paralysed from neck downwards thanks to mishandling by paramedics while being shifted to the hospital after a road accident — bowls me over by his one line: “Instead of focusing on my disability,

I started focusing on what I could do.” The result was that though he can’t use his fingers, he now drives his own car through adaptations done with YouTube gyan, does his own shopping at malls, has taught himself to swim, and won gold medals in swimming from State, national and international competitions! Two years ago, S Vaidyanathan, an IIM graduate and a brilliant financial analyst, gave up a well paying corporate job to educate and help other spinal cord injury patients. There is no moaning or groaning about their plight. They are positive, smile a lot and constantly challenge themselves to do more. Move over to the college run by the Rotary Foundation for Education and Learning in Vapi, Gujarat, and I found there students from poorer, backward and tribal areas, many of them first generation learners. They attend their college shift, work very hard to catch up with students from more fortunate homes and hence obviously a stronger educational foundation, work part time either selling vegetables, working on their farms, or in offices. Forget pocket money that my and your children tend to blow up in no time, their earnings of Rs 2,000 or 3,000 through their part-time work goes to supplement the family income. The few girls I meet, talk to me with not only confidence, but also cheer. In these parts, and in such families, girls do not automatically get the opportunity for higher education. Rather than being a given, it is a bonus. They know this and I found them celebrating this privilege, not with band-baja or any shoo-sha, but quietly. Look closely, and you will find their smiles, captured in this issue, transmitting their story!

Rasheeda Bhagat

OCTOBER 2015

ROTARY NEWS 7

President Dear Fellow Rotarians, Last month, after confirming a full year without a single case of wild poliovirus, Nigeria was removed from the list of the world’s polio-endemic countries. It was the last polio-endemic country in Africa. Today, only two countries — Afghanistan and Pakistan — harbour the world’s final reservoir of endemic poliovirus. As this issue of The Rotarian goes to press, global cases of polio in 2015 number only a few dozen. The scale of this achievement can hardly be overstated. Polio has existed for millennia; it has plagued humanity since our earliest civilisations. Today, because of Rotary’s work and that of our partners, the end is in sight. We are counting down not in years, but in months. And yet, our success is as fragile as it is monumental. We are moving forward, slowly, steadily, inexorably — thanks to colossal efforts that never cease. We continue to vaccinate hundreds of millions of children in vast synchronised campaigns; we constantly monitor environments to prevent new outbreaks. The sheer scale of the effort — the coordination, the cost and the commitment — boggles the mind. Some ask why such high levels of immunisation and surveillance are still needed to combat a disease that is almost gone. The answer is simple: It is the only way forward. If we did anything less — if we allowed the virus any quarter — years of work would be undone. We know too well how easily polio could spread again. We know how quickly our decades of progress could be lost. And this is why the months ahead are so tremendously important. We need your voice — to raise awareness, to raise funds and to keep the momentum going. We need your strength to help fight this war until we have won. On 24 October, we mark World Polio Day. I hope that on that day, all of you will take part in some way in our work to eradicate polio. I know that many of you intend to publicise this event on the club or district level; for those who have not yet made plans, there are still many ways to participate. Visit endpolionow.org for ideas, tools, sample press releases and ways to donate. You’ll also find the link to our livestream event; be sure to join in, and share it on social media. This war of ours — which started as a war against polio but is also a war against hatred, against ignorance, against fear — this war will be won. It will be won soon. And when it is won, all of Rotary will have a story to tell — to the children, and the grandchildren, who will never see a leg brace or an iron lung, or know a world with polio in it. Whether you are a Rotarian in Kano or Peshawar or Swat, in Seoul or Madrid or Chicago — you are a part of this story. Your part in it is one that only you can write. I ask you all to write it well — so that the story you will one day tell is one of which you will be proud.

KR Ravindran President, Rotary International 8 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

Speaks

Vocational Essence of Vocational service Once I heard a speaker at a Rotary club meet saying that vocational service is ‘occasional’ service! Since then I have been thinking is this really the truth? We have shining examples of Medical Missions to Africa, PRIP Rajaji’s brainchild, which I believe is the truest Vocational Service. From 1999, Rotarians of Uganda, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Zambia, Malawi, Swaziland, Madagascar, Lesotho, Congo, Rwanda, Zimbabwe and Cambodia bodia have seen him and others in these Medical Mission camps scrubbing ng the feet of patients, feeding them, carrying stretchers and wheel chairs and doing things rarely seen done by a past president of Rotary International! onal! Does it not reflect how important Vocational Service is? You know the impact it has created? You have to see it to believe it.

The Concept of Vocational Service The Object of Rotary is a philosophical statement of Rotary’s purpose urpose and the responsibilities of Rotarians. The concept of vocational service ce is rooted in the Second Object, which calls on Rotarians to ‘encourage and nd foster’: • high ethical standards in business and professions • the recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations • the dignifying of each Rotarian’s occupation as an opportunity unity to serve society. As a Rotarian, how can you put these ideals into action? Consider nsider these suggestions: • Talk about your vocation in your club, and take time to learn about fellow members’ vocations. • Use your professional skills to serve the community. • Practise your profession with integrity and inspire others rs to behave ethically through your own words and actions. • Help a young person achieve his or her career aspirations. • Guide and encourage others in their professional development. ent. • If you do any of these things, you are performing vocational nal service. And if vocational service motivates and energises you, u, then you’re in the right place, because vocational service is the very essence of Rotary. It is what sets Rotary apart from m other service organisations. So many Chartered Accountants are going for 3-H Cadre to monitor, evaluate or audit all the major grants. Is not this a great example of Vocational Service? Rotarians from all classifications and sections of society can serve humanity. It iss just a change in our mindset that is needed. Please give some off ment your time in the service of humanity and you will feel contentment you have never felt before.

Manoj Desai Director, Rotary International

Service

RNT Chairman’s Report

RNT Audit Report

Dear Rotarians, This has been a good year for Indian Rotary and over the last 12 months Rotary News has consistently covered major developments in our world, through well written, detailed coverage of projects such as Rajasthan’s check dams, the schools we are building in the devastated Uttarakhand region, the Pune Literacy meet, and so on. It is good to see appreciative letters pouring in from Rotarians on the improving quality of Rotary News. I am happy to tell you that by running a tight ship and prudent spending during FY 2014–15, Rotary News Trust has a surplus of Rs 1.28 crore. And this despite bringing down our subscription rate from Rs 480 in the previous year to Rs 420 this year for print, and Rs 250 for the e-version. As pointed out earlier in one of the articles in the magazine, at Rs 420 (or less than $7) we remain the cheapest magazine in the entire Rotary world, including the Asia Pacific region.

Extracts from Auditor’s Report Audit report under section 12A (b) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, in the case of Charitable or religious trusts or institutions. We have examined the balance sheet of Rotary News Trust, No.34, Marshalls Road, Egmore, Chennai-600008. (PAN No.AAATR2745P) as at 31.03.2015 and the Income and Expenditure account for the year ended on that date which is in agreement with the books of account maintained by the Trust. We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in India. Those Standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material mis-statement. An audit includes examining evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles use and significant estimates made by managements, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion. We have obtained all the information and explanations which to the best of our knowledge and belief were necessary for the purposes of the audit. In our opinion, proper books of account have been kept by the above named Trust, so far as appears from our examination of the books. In our opinion and to the best of our information, and according to information given to us, the said accounts give a true and fair view (i) In the case of the Balance Sheet of the state of affairs of the above named trust as on 31.03.2015, and (ii) In the case of the income and expenditure account excess of Income over Expenditure for the year ending on 31.03.2015. N C Rajagopal & Co., Chartered Accountants

Some salient features: In FY 2014–15, our gross subscription receipts came down from Rs 5.4 crore to Rs 5.03 crore, thanks to lower subscription rates. But despite this we managed to make an impressive surplus. This happened mainly due to the following reasons: A major saving was made in reducing our printing cost from Rs 1.31 crore in FY 2013–14 to Rs 1.12 crore in FY 2014–15 — a saving of Rs 19 lakh. And through constant interaction with our printers, printing quality has improved too. A crucial initiative we took in August 2014 was to do away with the gatefold in the front wrapper, which cost us Rs 1 lakh every month, but failed to get us any ads. This initiative saved us Rs 11 lakh. The cost of computer consumables — paper, cartridges, toners — was reduced from Rs 9.67 lakh to Rs 7.34 lakh. A saving of Rs 2.33 lakh, and the environment. Under the “staff welfare expenses” head, costs have been reduced from Rs 5.55 lakh to Rs 3.87 lakh. But let me clarify, that none of the staff’s welfare measures have been cut! Another saving has been effected in the Telephone and Internet charges. By changing the Internet plan, we saved Rs 1.84 lakh (Cost came down from Rs 4.12 lakh to Rs 2.28 lakh). By shifting to emails, instead of letters, in sending reminders on Club dues, we’ve reduced postage charges from Rs 14.26 lakh to Rs 11.92 lakh— a saving of Rs 2.34 lakh. On the other hand, administrative expenses have gone up from Rs 72.77 lakh the previous year to Rs 80.08 lakh this year. This is mainly due to the Rs 7 lakh, given as part-payment for our office renovation. At our meeting in February 2015, the RNT Board decided to spruce up the office and improve staff facilities by building additional toilets, a cabin and a decent pantry-cum-dining space. Air conditioning facilities have also been improved.

(On behalf of Chairman, Rotary News Trust)

Note: Balance Sheet available with DGs. Those interested may get it from their District Governors.

District Wise TRF Contributions as on August 31, 2015 (in US Dollars)

District Number 2981 2982 3000 3011 3012 3020 3030 3040 3051 3052 3053 3060 3070 3080 3090 3100 3110 3120 3131 3132 3140 3150 3160 3170 3180 3190 3201 3202 3211 3212 3230 3240 3250 3261 3262 3291 India Total

APF

1,133 3,878 (9,020) (1,225) 1,06,337 25,914 3,245 172 0 0 0 26,297 1,900 14,537 15,049 17,660 5,850 9,850 8,431 10,199 1,88,292 1,252 132 27 20,053 156 52,795 1,170 3,310 1,168 51,952 21,852 7,638 0 8,772 (7,481) 5,91,296

3220

6,465

3271 3272

12,745 0

3281 3282

3,504 504

3292 South Asia Total World Total

41,556 6,56,070 1,52,67,916

PolioPlus*

Other Restricted

India 1,295 0 116 0 500 0 250 0 5,391 50,097 700 0 0 9,500 0 0 0 0 0 2,432 0 0 3,188 4,183 97 0 5,282 4,035 0 0 0 0 1,597 0 0 0 220 26,817 0 0 3,202 1,000 0 0 0 0 0 7,099 313 207 0 6,200 998 0 (1,271) 0 1,000 0 8 0 0 30,000 0 0 0 3,000 0 0 25 0 0 18,884 22,908 1,63,453 Sri Lanka 400 22,685 Pakistan 12,770 0 1,814 0 Bangladesh 0 32,200 0 0 Nepal 0 700 37,892 2,19,038 22,04,888 25,79,092

* Excludes Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. * Does not include contribution of Mrs Rajashree Birla ($1,000,000)

Total Endowment Contributions Fund 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3,063 12,500 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 1,000 (308) 8,643 0 0 0 2,000 0 26,908

2,427 3,994 (8,520) (975) 1,61,824 26,614 12,745 172 0 2,432 0 33,668 1,997 23,854 15,049 17,660 7,447 9,850 38,531 22,699 1,92,494 1,262 132 7,125 20,573 6,356 53,793 (101) 5,310 868 90,595 21,852 10,638 0 10,797 11,403 8,04,564

7,583

37,134

0 0

25,515 1,814

1,000 0

36,704 504

0 35,491 36,07,752

42,256 9,48,491 2,36,59,648

Source: RI South Asia Office

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Spinal cord injury

warriors

Rasheeda Bhagat

Justin Vijay Jesudas.

Shaking off the shackles of paralysis, disability and discomfort, these people are helping others, and smiling too!

don’t care being called differently abled, physically challenged, or whatever ... I know I am handicapped and I don’t mind being called thus.” Justin Vijay Jesudas is an executive in a leading software major in Chennai. Somebody so brilliant at work that he got a promotion almost every year, he was sidelined when he returned to work after battling with a spinal cord injury incurred in a car accident in Hyderabad six years ago. “I was driving a Honda City rather fast, hit a pothole and then the road divider. The car toppled and nothing much happened except for a fracture here ... (pointing to his upper back).” But that fractured bone poked his spinal cord, “which supplies messages from the brain to the body and vice versa.” Justin , along with S Vaidyanathan, an IIM Bangalore graduate and brilliant financial analyst; Naveen Iyer, a team leader at Accenture and Manoj Kumar, a vivacious boy of 11, have all come to the Rotary News Trust for the interview. They are all on wheelchairs and exude a cheer, camaraderie and positive energy that is infectious. Over the next 90 minutes, we discuss spinal cord injury, the harm done in shoddy handling during transportation from

the accident spot to hospital, callous doctors, inadequate rehabilitation facilities across India and what positive “mental stamina” can do! Vaidyanathan quit his corporate job 30 months ago and is now helping and guiding, through The Spinal Foundation of India, set up last year, the rehabilitation of scores of people who suffer spinal cord injuries. Justin, a tetraplegic, reiterates that spinal cord injury is often confused with orthopaedic disability. “Not a single joint or bone in any of us has a problem, but we are paralysed below our levels of injury; for me neck down, which means my hands, wrists and fingers are also affected.” He says after the accident, during which his phone and wallet were stolen, “I was sitting up and called my wife from a borrowed phone. I held the phone, so my finger function was fine. I was sitting, so my thoracic region was fine.” But what happened next was a nightmare and shouldn’t happen in any accident. While being transported to the hospital “even as I complained of neck pain the paramedic was flexing my neck.” This, he suspects, triggered his extreme disability. “In any neck level injury, it is very important to secure the neck with a hard collar.”

Two things make a difference; focus on your ability, not disability, and have mental stamina. If you want to be independent move away your caregivers … making them live your life is terrible.

OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 13

S Vaidyanathan.

Justin realised that the paramedics had really messed up his case when he heard the Emergency doctor yelling at the paramedic that “he is complaining of neck pain and you are flexing his neck. He was screaming, but it was too late ... that same day they told me you’re paralysed neck downwards, we have to do surgery.”

Rasheeda Bhagat

Jaishree

The Spinal Foundation The Spinal Foundation (TSF) at Vellore was set up last year to guide people with spinal cord injuries. “Unlike other physically challenged people who have pan Indian organisations for decades — the National Association for the Blind exists from 1948 — there was no such thing for persons with spinal cord injury.” Apart from guiding the injured on the importance of rehabilitation, TSF does advocacy with government as spinal cord injury is classified as “orthopaedic

Manoj Kumar with his sister Divya.

disability” though it imposes multiple disabilities at one stroke.” “We’ve come across several cases where people are paralysed after the accident because of mishandling when transported to the hospital,” says Vaidyanathan. He recalls that when he had a freak fall from the parapet wall while in second year at IIM, Bangalore, luckily his friends said be careful of the spinal cord, and ensured he remained flat while being transported to hospital. Also, the injured person should not be given any fluids as this will delay any surgery that may be required. “So no sitting, no fluids to drink or sprinkle on the face, securing the neck with a collar or any other material make it immobile and treating the person like a log — these are basic essentials in any accident. Every ambulance must have a collar and a full-length stretcher.”

A feisty little counsellor

leven-year-old V Manoj Kumar’s story is heart rending, frustrating but also empowering. He was five and while playing near his home, where Chennai’s New Secretariat building was coming up, the child slipped and fell into a huge pit which was dug for laying power cables. I hear in disbelief his father Vijay Kumar, an auto rickshaw driver, relate the horror story of how Manoj moved from hospital to hospital, getting near-nil treatment. First he was taken to the Institute of Child Health, next to the Government General Hospital, here he lay in the Emergency section for five days, with a doctor seeing him for the first time on the fifth night.” Diagnosed with a fracture, he was shifted to the orthopaedic ward, where a towel was tied around his injury! Kept thus for 10 days, he was discharged on the 11th day. But at least a CT scan and later an MRI screening were done. After hopping around more hospitals, one in Bengaluru, finally Manoj ended up at CMC where Kumar was told his child wouldn’t be able to walk and would have to use a wheelchair for mobility. Kumar has so far spent Rs 7 lakh on Manoj’s treatment — Rs 2.5 lakh alone on nappies. He is very happy at the Anitha Matriculation School, and has “46 best friends!” Kumar drops him to school, goes once to change his nappy, once again to give him

lunch and then to pick him up. “But now a new sword hangs over their heads; the Government has threatened to demolish his house — all of 80 sq ft — and move them far away,” says Vaidyanathan. This means Manoj will lose his school as not too many schools are willing to take in handicapped children. “And this when Manoj has already motivated 16 such children to go back to school. He and his parents visit children with spinal cord injuries admitted to the CMC rehab centre, give them hope and motivate them to send their children back to school by counselling them. Yesterday he counseled two children; at 11 Manoj should be the youngest such counsellor in India.” We visit Manoj’s tiny home in a Chennai slum and are amazed at the smiling faces that greet us; mother Muthulakshmi says dealing with Manoj’s disability “is no problem at all.” Divya, his younger sister is all smiles and hovers affectionately around her brother as pictures are clicked. “Ask him how many times he’s fallen off his wheelchair,” prompts Vaidyanathan; “45 times,” is the reply from Manoj, who has learnt to play cricket from his wheelchair. The accident happened at a government site, but despite many applications and an Assistant Collector’s visit, Manoj has received no help from the Government. Will any Rotarians come forward to give Manoj a home for at least 8 years so he can finish his schooling, asks Vaidyanathan.

Rotarians, who took up the battle against polio on such a war footing, should take up spinal cord injury as their next challenge.

OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 15

wheelchair, they said sorry. His earlier employer (before he joined IIM) refused to take him after a round of interviews because the owner wasn’t happy employing a handicapped person. One bank, in the second round, asked him atrociously and insensitively why his scrotal area was “so big. Normally I keep a towel around the area to absorb any urine leak, as most of us have partial or no bladder management control.” The Hindu group of newspapers in Chennai had just started their business daily — The Hindu Business Line — and “to the immense credit of the then Executive Editor K Venugopal and senior editor R Vijayaraghavan, they didn’t ask a single question on my disability or wheelchair. Venu simply said go and check out the rest room.” Later, a special toilet was constructed near his workspot.

Jaishree

Naveen Iyer.

Vaidyanathan’s story is fascinating too. The same night he asked the doctor if he could be mobile using a wheelchair and got affirmation. The third day he was in Christian Medical College (CMC) Vellore, the oldest and best for spinal cord injury rehab services in India. After six months at CMC he went straight back to IIM, Bangalore.

Mother-son duo in college But it wasn’t easy; at first they refused to take him back; there was no access to classrooms “and they had no idea 16 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

how to deal with a case like mine. But after a beautiful 343word summary by my doctor on how India needs to deal with people like me, some phone calls and my mother deciding to go with me, I was back!” At the age of 67, “she had amazing hostel life, enjoying all the cakes and ice creams distributed during birthdays, even though being a diabetic!” On attending lectures, he smiles: “Thankfully there was no access to classes so I didn’t have to attend any lectures; I studied on my own,” he laughs. But getting a job was no laughing matter. In 1992, after passing out, came the campus interviews. Those days the corporates weren’t too happy to employ disabled and he attended interviews with the ICICI Bank, Hindustan Lever, JM Financial, Bank of America, Citibank; you name it, I cleared the interview.” But none of them would have him, the moment they saw him on the

An amazing employer The third story is of Naveen Iyer, a team leader with Accenture in Chennai. Riding a two wheeler near a construction site, and suddenly finding a heavy sewage truck headed for him from the wrong side, he jumped but ended up with a spinal cord injury that has paralysed him waist downwards. He passed out and can’t vouch for it but his friend swears he saw him moving his legs in the hospital. “Perhaps later, in the ICU, they did something after which I lost the movement. A lot of mishandling and mismanagement happens in hospitals,” says Iyer. But his employer has been amazing. “My superiors were very co-operative, held my position while I was in hospital and ensured I return to the same team. And my workplace was already accessible for handicapped.” But Justin was not so lucky. His IT employer first said they’d reduce his team. When he threatened to quit, “they said they’d move me to bench, which meant that after a month I’d lose my job. I told them why wait for a month,

I’m ready to quit now.” This zapped them, and they allowed him to work from home. So he moved to Chennai “where my support systems were.”

Bladder management I watch all of them rising and lowering themselves on their wheelchairs at regular intervals. Vaidyanathan

explains these “wheelchair push-ups” are necessary to avoid skin breakage. Because such injuries result in loss of touch and pain sensation, it is easy to get skin problems referred to as bedsores. “You people automatically twitch and turn every now and then, but because we have no pain sensation, and the blood circulation is greatly

reduced to the lower half of the body due to lack of activity, every 10 minutes we have to do push-ups on the wheel chair.” Coming to bladder and bowel management, what is taken for granted by us is a struggle for them. They are taught different methods of catheter management; Justin needs it

A saga of grit and determination

s part of his rehabilitation, initially major effort was made to make Justin Jesudas to stand. But 18 months down the line, he realised that with spinal cord injury one couldn’t walk unless the injury is partial. “I thought why am I trying to do something beyond my control. Instead of focusing on my disability, I should focus on something I can do,” he recalls. This dramatically changed everything; and instead of allowing his wife or parents to do things for him, he set goals and executed them. He bought a small gym from OLX and did weights to strengthen his shoulder muscles. During his second rehab stint at CMC he met Vaidyanathan, and learnt “many new tricks.” One daywhen his driver failed to turn up “when I needed him the most,” he decided to drive himself and bought a car with automatic transmission. Watching YouTube he did adaptations, but found that while the accelerator and brakes were easy to operate, to steer with the special knob was extremely difficult, and he couldn’t manage sharp turns. First he despaired, then calmed down and asked his father to make him a tri-pin (see picture) to move the steering wheel. “I can

now drive from Chennai to Kerala at one shot and have done 27,000 km. This was the gateway to my independence. I could take my parents and wife out for the first time, can go to malls, ask the security to take out my wheelchair and do my shopping. It is important to set goals or objectives and meet them.” Having conquered driving, next he decided to play basketball, but with fellow players not turning up regularly,

paraplegics — he is a tetraplegic, paralysed below the neck. Next came the national championship and the international meet in Canada this March where he won three golds. “No coach was willing to coach me because I was paralysed below the neck, so I trained myself,” he grins. But how does he manage on flights? “It is very difficult but I constantly do push-ups and keep myself hydrated; when the bag is full, my wife empties it in the bathroom. I can manage the visas, the flights, everything. The biggest hassle is our corrupt sports bodies.” I want to hug him, as he smiles: “So this has been my journey so far. Two things make a difference; focus on your ability, not disability, and have the mental stamina to do so. Two, if you want to be independent move away your caregivers … making them live your life is terrible.” Vaidyanathan adds that Justin asked both his parents to leave the house because they kept trying to help him. “He makes it sound easy to you now but his restoration was much more challenging than he makes it out to be. Very few people in this situation lead as independent a life as he does.”

This is not an ortho disability. Not a single joint or bone in any of us has a problem, but we are paralysed below our levels of injury with multiple disabilities. he moved from a team game to swimming. Despite skepticism from life guards he took baby strokes into the pool, picked up swimming, moved from the first lane to the central lane and slowly started increasing the distance. When he could swim for 600–700 metres, he entered the State Championship, won a few golds, found his speed better than that of

OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 17

Rasheeda Bhagat

Manoj has sent 16 children with spinal cord injury to schools; at 11, he should be the youngest such counsellor in India.

What Rotary can do

he two major causes of spinal cord injury are road accidents and falls at construction sites. “You can’t drastically reduce road accidents but harnessing can be made compulsory at all construction sites,” says Vaidyanathan, estimating that about 20 per cent of all spinal cord injury is caused here. “If Rotarians, who took up the battle against polio on such a war footing, can take up spinal cord injury as their next challenge, they would help immensely to prevent such injuries sustained during construction or through mishandling the injured being moved to hospital.” Unlike polio, this is a multiple disability, is irreversible and has no treatment. All you can do is good rehabilitation, he adds. He wants more help from Rotarians. “Some Rotary club

should adopt Manoj (see Box pg. no. 15) and ensure he completes high school. And there are so many disabled people confined to their wheelchairs at home, with zero income. Transcription work from Rotarians or other organisations will help them get some income. For someone who is at Rs 0, even Rs 1,000 is a big jump.” Vaidyanathan quit his corporate job 30 months ago, and now helps and guides those with spinal cord injury. Says Justin: “He is a Victorian gentleman; the original ones take an early retirement, play golf, look after their cats and drop their kids to school. In his case the kids are spinal cord injury patients.” It is this kind of banter with absolutely no whining or self pity that endears these spinal cord injury warriors to you.

all the time and carries a bag which has to be emptied regularly. Adult nappies are an option but the cost is huge. Both procreation and sex are difficult but can be managed with external inducement. Coming to wheelchairs, use of motorised wheelchairs is not advised because it denies the users their much-needed exercise. “Had Justin been using one, his hand and finger movement wouldn’t have improved so much. He used one for some time, but gave it up; all over India not even 10 will be using motorised wheel chairs. Manual wheelchairs keep us healthy.”

Wheelchair Marathon All of them regularly participate in The Wipro Chennai Marathon; while in 2012 there were only two wheelchair participants, “in 2013 we had 8, last year 62; and the cumulative distance we did was 904 km,” says Vaidyanathan. This year, at India’s first marathon organised by TSF for the physically challenged (The Kotak Wheelchair Marathon) held in Chennai last fortnight, 100 of them participated in wheelchairs with about 1,000 regular marathoners joining them. Designed by N Krishnamurthy

18 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

Meet your Governors Rasheeda Bhagat and Jaishree

The day he became a true Rotarian Sharat Chandra Chartered Accountant, RC Agra North, D 3110

e became a Rotarian in 1983 but left in 1987 because “I felt there was nothing in Rotary for me. I was also a young and struggling CA and couldn’t devote much time to Rotary.” But with PDG Ram Narayan Agarwal quizzing him often about his departure and his professional status being well established he returned to Rotary in 2003. But he sought an “active club” and the PDG said: “You won’t find a better club than mine — RC Agra North.” So he joined it and is very happy and “feel that my life’s purpose is being realised thanks to Rotary. Without Rotary that wouldn’t have been possible.” So what’s so magical about Rotary, I prod him. “Our club has done a lot of work in polio. Once after doing 130–150 surgeries in a polio camp, Ram Narayanji called in the evening and said let’s go and feed the people.” A puzzled Chandra said they had done the operations in the morning so where was the need to feed them. Surely they could find their food. But the latter said they didn’t have the time to prepare food and added, “Let’s buy a lot of bread, butter, fruits, juice and namkeen; we took these to the camps where operations were done. I can’t even describe to you the kind of poverty we saw. When he saw the food, an old man started crying and said if you hadn’t brought this I would have remained hungry today. I had no money for food. I’ve come for two days but had money only for one day’s food. That day, I became a true Rotarian,” says an emotional Chandra.

Diving into the “sea called Rotary” Sunil Kumar Gupta Plywood dealer RC Meerut Samrat, D 3100

y Rotary yatra began when I was only 17 in 1989 and I became a Rotaractor,” says Sunil Kumar Gupta, adding that his Rotary bonds were further strengthened when he was given the important post of DRR in 1994–95. “The service sentiment was already in our family; my father was the district governor for Lions. And after spending a busy eight years in my business I became a Rotarian in 2002.” What Gupta enjoys the most about Rotary is the “amazing people I have met and made friends through Rotary. At the International Assembly I discovered an entirely new facet of the colourful Rotary … a service-aboveself Rotary. I don’t know how exactly to put it but Rotary is like a huge sea and once you take a dive in it, you can never leave it; it becomes a part of you.” For his year as Governor, he has appealed to all his colleagues to focus on education, clean drinking water and building toilet blocks in schools. “A lot of my effort and time will go into raising funds for TRF and my District is all geared up to take up Swachh Bharat work with full enthusiasm and sincerity.” OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 19

Reconnecting with youth

Parag Sheth, Salt manufacturer, RC Narmada Nagari, D 3060

oining Rotary in 1993 meant for Parag Sheth an “instant connection to the global world of Rotarians.” While he has faced “many challenges” in his journey towards the DG’s post, now that he is at this exciting point in his Rotary journey, he will focus on two things during his year. “Great projects and connecting with the students we have sponsored and helped. In Rotary we keep talking about the need to get younger people. In the last 15 years we have sponsored around 1,500 children and will now have a reunion and a youth exchange programme with all these youngsters.” Awestruck by the energy and dynamism of RI President K R Ravindran, the DG says, “He is very focused and passionate about Rotary and keeps telling us all the time that every day of your one year is very precious, so don’t waste a single day. I’m trying to follow this sound advice.” Another priority area for Sheth this year will be to contribute towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of a Swachh Bharat. “Rotary has taken this up in a big way. An integral part of this is WinS and in Gujarat, we are going to build toilet blocks with separate toilets for girls and boys with all facilities and ensure that these are well maintained for long years,” he adds. 20 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

Let dialysis be Rotary mantra

Gopinath Reddy Vedire Builder, RC Hyderabad East, District 3150

Rotarian since 1989, DG Gopinath Reddy says he drew inspiration from previous Governors and planned his year of leadership well ahead. “I feel that Rotarians are confused with the concept of service avenues and areas of focus prescribed by RI.” He explains the new structure designed for his District integrating each service avenue

with a focus area. He feels 92 clubs is a large number to cover within a year. He advocates bifurcation; “50 clubs per district is ideal; we can generate more members and increase the number of Rotary clubs too.” Telengana has 10 revenue districts and Guntur-Prakasam belt alone has 30 Rotary clubs — “All these represented by one governor — it is tough to concentrate and deliver. Mehboobnagar has great potential but we’re unable to establish even one Rotary club there.” He wants to provide classroom furniture that is lacking in his District. “Seven hours a day is too long for them to sit on the floor. Besides being unhygienic, it takes a toll on their health.” Telengana alone needs 500,000 pieces of furniture in 10,000 schools without desks and benches. TRF should consider including this under Global Grant (GG) scheme, as this satisfies the sustainability criterion, and can last for at least 15 years. GG should be considered on regional needs, he says. The DG feels that just as Lions are identified with eye care, Rotary should be identified with improving dialysis facilities. A pilot project has been set up in Hyderabad’s Mahaveer Hospital, and “we have applied for GG for more such centres across the District.” He plans to equip each of the State’s 12 districts with a blood collection van. He plans to provide group handwashing facilities in 600 schools which have basic infrastructure like water and toilets, though he is skeptical about constructing toilets as “they have to be maintained regularly.” Reddy is all praise for RI President K R Ravindran’s ideas and recalls his visit to this district for a joint installation of 16 clubs in June. A tech-savvy governor, Reddy says his website is updated (“40,000 hits so far”), his office paperless and the directory, GML, etc, online and most of the communication is now done through email, sms and whatsapp.

Combating disability

Solar lamps to light up lives

Rotary has put me in elite company

Anil Beniwal Automobile dealer, RC Jodhpur Midtown, District 3053 Sanjeev Gupta Sales and service of IT products, RC Indore Uptown, District 3040

Dr A Bharathesh Ayurveda medicine RC Karkala, District 3180

A I Rotarian since 1992, DG Sanjeev Gupta says his Rotary experience was enriched with his earlier assignments as Assistant Governor and District General Secretary. “My best Rotary moment was when I served as a GSE Team Leader in France.” His District’s priority is providing artificial limbs to the orthopaedically challenged and it has so far helped mobility for 300 such people through two camps (Indore and Khandwa); two more are lined up, followed by a mega health camp in February in 25 locations, and setting up dialysis units in all the district headquarters. “We have applied for Global Grants and we are confident of rolling this project very soon,” says Gupta. WinS and literacy promotion activities will be part of the Happy Schools programme, he adds. He is confident about improving his District’s membership figures by 10 per cent and bolster TRF contribution with $250,000.

t has been great and I am enjoying every moment,” says DG Bharathesh about his year as DG so far. A Rotarian for the past 27 years, he finds during club visits that “my entire team is energetic and positively charged for the year.” He wants to focus on projects to promote moral values among school children and sensitise people on sexual abuse of children. Solar lighting for 3,000 people living near the forests where there is no electricity is another focus area. “We also plan to give vocational training course to youngsters at Manipal, Mysuru, Shimoga and Chickmagalur, and install e-learning facilities in schools.” Bharathesh is confident that his team will meet the RRFC’s target of $500,000 contribution to TRF; on membership, he proposes to install 25 Rotaract clubs and increase Rotary membership by 20 per cent.

n 1997, Anil Beniwal joined hands with 19 Rotaractors like him to form the Rotary Club of Jodhpur Midtown. “I was actually its Charter Secretary; we began with 20 members and today our club has 120 members, all of them Multiple Paul Harris Fellows,” he says proudly. It was a “thoroughly enjoyable journey” and in 2001–02 he became the President of the Club and later the Assistant Governor in 2008–09. On his priorities as DG during this year, Beniwal says that his focus is on putting together multiple clubs to do “collective projects. This makes a much bigger impact on the community we live in. For example, Jodhpur has three clubs; now when these three clubs come together to do an impressive project, there is not only a greater involvement of club members but it is also good for Rotary’s brand building. I believe this is the best way to attract membership,” he says. So what has Rotary given you? “Oh, many things. Not only me, but all those who have joined us. For one thing, I am a dealer for both Skoda and Isuzu, and being a Rotarian has certainly helped my business to grow faster.” The other advantage is that Rotary gives its members an “opportunity to move in elite circles, of business, industry and all other sectors,” he adds. OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 21

Towards a Clear Vision Rasheeda Bhagat

As RID Manoj Desai visits District 3080, he asks tough questions, gives focus and direction, and leaves behind a vision statement.

The medical mission led by PRIP Rajendra K Saboo to Malawi with 21 doctors from 10 specialities and seven volunteers was a life changing experience for me.

know about the remaining 12 per cent. They are mostly rural clubs, says Hilton. The RID says this is the most common excuse but his experience has shown that many rural clubs are the first to connect to Rotary Central!

Interrogation time As the interrogation proceeds and the sun goes down, the driver, obviously not amused at his boss being quested thus, snaps on the light to help Hilton read the figures from the file he’s holding. But when it comes to projects and ideas, Hilton has an ace, or two, up his sleeve. He has just returned from a

Picture by Rasheeda Bhagat

t’s a tortuous and bone rattling journey full of potholes and long stretches of broken road. As his driver negotiates the Innova through the horrendous stretches between Dehradun and Chandigarh where we are headed, David J Hilton, DG of District 3080, seated in the front, has more reason for discomfort. He is being asked some tough questions by RI Director Manoj Desai, for whom the trip has been even longer and tougher — from Mussorie — where he has just completed a think tank meeting — to Dehradun, from where we are headed to Chandigarh. Here he will be conducting his 11th District visit which has four components — meeting the Troika (DG, DGE, DGN), Vision 20–20 seminar, projects visit and COG. He is armed with a file where information got from RI is neatly tabulated. Tough questions are being asked of DG Hilton on membership, why some clubs in his district have shown a poor growth, why can’t his Presidents induct more women or younger members. How many of his presidents have connected on Rotary Central and updated their projects. “Eighty eight per cent,” Hilton smiles. But Desai, after a brief congratulations, wants to

medical mission to Malawi, “a life changing experience for me” with 21 doctors from 10 specialties and seven volunteers. The Mission, led by PRIP Rajendra K Saboo, did 300 surgeries, and thousands of medical interventions, with a couple of children requiring heart surgery referred to the Fortis Hospital in Chandigarh where D 3080 runs a Heartline project. During his year, three more such medical missions are planned — to Ethiopia, Dimapur and Rwanda. Desai gives full marks to Hilton for this excellent humanitarian project and seeks new ideas from him on his plans to meet the major objectives of Rotary International and Rotary India. Hilton has another ace coming up. To further the literacy mission of Rotary India, he has already initiated a dialogue with the Council for the ISCE Board which has approximately 2,000 schools under it. An educationist by profession, he runs a school in Dehradun and is also Secretary of the Association of Heads of Anglo Indian Schools in India. “If this MoU is signed, we are looking at children from nearly 2,000 schools getting involved in RILM work.” Later, Desai will have separate meetings with Hilton, DGE Raman Aneja and DGN D C Bansal to discuss issues pertaining to the District and look at long term goals and continuity in achieving them. The burden of Desai’s song at all these meetings is membership, funds for TRF — next

year being the Centenary year this is even more important — and improving Rotary’s public image. He will also emphasise the importance of strategic planning that will help achieve the Vision 20–20 target. Apart from meeting the troika, as he calls them in every district, the RID is also available, but through prior appointments for 10 minutes, to any Rotarian wanting to discuss an issue or voice a grievance. Here too such an appointment is sought, and given.

Change in mood By the time we reach Chandigarh it is 8 p m. After a 30-minute break to freshen up, we meet for dinner. Desai has changed into a casual shirt and having shed his suit and tie, the RID’s mood has changed too! There is no evidence of the punishing 7-hour road journey on terrible post-Monsoon roads. Wife Sharmishtha Desai is there as also Aneja and spouse Meenu, Hilton and spouse Patricia. Over some great thin-crust pizza, risotto and white wine, the RID regales us with Rotary anecdotes. “On our 25th anniversary Sharmishtha asked me what will you give up for me, and I said all coloured drinks. So I can’t have

From left: Sharmishtha Desai, PRID Yash Pal Das, RI Director Manoj Desai and DG David Hilton.

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Look at what India has achieved on the membership front. Last year, of the 20,000 additional members Rotary had added, India’s share was 63 per cent. Coke, Pepsi or whiskey.” The previous year the smart woman had similarly made him give up coffee! “He used to drink 6 to 7 cups a day and that was bad for his health,” she whispers to me. Desai is busy pulling the youthful Aneja’s leg on his looking younger, slimmer etc. There is banter, laughter, camaraderie. Listening to Desai’s stories, my fatigue from the punishing road travel from Mussoorie to Chandigarh melts away. I had earlier asked to be excused and wanted to crash but the RID had sternly told me I’d feel hungry in the night! That he would next day ask me to watch my weight is another story! Desai has District visits lined up and wants to complete all the Districts bby y the end of the year. How does he

manage such punishing schedules, I ask him. Soon, he will visit RI District 3180, where another 7-hour road journey is required to reach Shimoga! “It’s a job I have undertaken and want to execute it to the best of my ability, incorporate strategic planning and long term vision into it, so that we work toward the three core Rotary objectives with total clarity and a well thought out plan on moving forward.” The Vision 20–20 seminar hosted the next morning by RC Panchkula about 12 km from Chandigarh, is packed with 432 participants; PRID Yash Pal Das is present with several PDGs. Hilton unveils some of his plans for the District, how they have to meet Rotary’s three main goals on membership, TRF donations and Public Image. In the last two years the D 3080’s contribution to TRF had gone down because of the natural disaster in Uttaranchal, where Rotary had rushed help and is now building 35 schools; 14 will soon be handed over to the Government and the remaining completed by December. But this year it has to meet its goal of raising $500,000 for TRF; with 3,300 members, this was doable if each member donated only $100. Delivering his address, Desai held the audience spellbound speaking in Hindi and packing his speech with some of the best Urdu couplets I’ve heard. The underlying message delivered through a couplet that instead of squabbling over contentious issues, if all Rotarians put their hearts and minds together to work for Rotary’s core objectives, they would help India emerge much stronger on the global platform, goes home. RID Manoj Desai visits RC Chandigarh’s Project Heartline at the Fortis Hospital.

Picture by Rasheeda Bhagat

Divide to multiply The RID disclosed that at the recent Udaipur retreat for senior Rotary leaders during RI President K R Ravindran’s visit, PRIPs Rajendra K Saboo and Kalyan Banerjee and other senior leaders had decided that “we will have to divide to multiply.” While there was a norm that an RI District should have a minimum of 1,100 members and 35 clubs, there was no such ceiling for the top. Why should India have districts with 6,000 or 7,000 members? These districts have to be split. Delhi had already done so and Calcutta and Chennai will follow suit. “My goal is to have 50 Districts in two years. The number of RI districts would remain at 535, but think of the big picture. If we have 50 districts, and can get four zones, we can have four RI Directors.” Desai added, “Look at what India has achieved on the membership front. Last year, of the 20,000 additional

Manoj (Desai) used to drink 6 to 7 cups of coffee a day and that was bad for his health; so I made him give it up!

members Rotary had added, India’s share was 63 per cent. This is no mean achievement and it is time for India to claim its rightful position in Rotary,” he added. But for this dream to be realised, each Indian Rotarian would have to work hard and take care of each of his three children — Membership, TRF and Public Image. He also urged them to send short 90 second video clips on their projects, which would be shown at the Jaipur Institute. Hilton said he’d send two clips of their medical missions, and schools.

Vision statement Showing slides of the pyramids and Taj Mahal Desai said these were the results of a vision. “But unfortunately there is no vision statement at this hour in RI; and we all know that without vision there is no performance.” And that was the reason why the performance graph in various clubs and districts were zigzag, when they had to go only up. “How can you have a group of brilliant professionals and business people, the elite, coming together and have the graph go down? This is not acceptable.” His Vision 20–20 was to take all the focus areas of Rotary such as water, sanitation, mother and child care, literacy, diversity, and leadership and “work together … do a really big project and think of continuity … that is why in every District I meet the DG, DGE and DGN, because continuity is very important.” Vision 20–20 has two meanings — to see with complete clarity and achieve goals by the year 2020, he added. Designed by Krishnapratheesh

A Think Tank takes shape Rasheeda Bhagat

t was a power-packed group that met in Mussoorie in the last week of September. Put together by RI Director Manoj Desai and labelled his “Think Tank,” the dozenodd men — all PDGs and wearing various hats such as those of RCs, RPICs, EMGAs (Endowment Major Gift Advisors), Training Leaders, etc, they brain stormed with the RID over two intensive sessions. The objective — devise and crystallise a strategic plan on how to meet the core goals and objectives of Rotary. Desai said each of them was a brilliant performer who delivered results. This was the second review meet; the third would be at the Jaipur Institute in December. He told them that no institution that lived in an era when changes were taking place outside but not within could survive, leave alone thrive. “At the senior leadership level we realised that at this hour we have no vision statement — missions and objectives are there — but no formula to define our vision of what we have been doing for over a 100 years. So we’ve decided that we have to change radically.” This he was doing through structured and planned District visits; in three

26 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

months he has already visited 11 districts across the country, preferring first those with problems or weak spots. “I find tremendous enthusiasm in the districts and passion to do good work. But there are issues, such as siphoning of funds, in one case TRF funds by a PDG. I also found PDGs who are sitting on their surplus for 10 years and their motive can be guessed.”

I find tremendous enthusiasm in the Districts and passion to do good work. He told the group — Vijay Jalan, Ravi Vadlamani, Ashok Panjwani, C Basker, Asoke Ghosh, A S Venkatesh, Bharat Pandya, Kamal Sanghvi, Vinod Bansal, Gulshan Thakral, Sam Patibandla, Rajendra Rai and Ashish Desai — that his role was that of the ‘middleman’ to take information and issues from the “grassroots to the Board and vice versa. In many districts the DG, DGE and DGN do not see eye to eye, and meeting all the three is

helping. Also, there is going to be zero tolerance for financial irregularities.” After polio eradication, the vacuum has been filled through new challenges such as WinS, Asha Kiran; Rotary was committed to building 10,000 toilet blocks in schools this year, and to send 100,000 children back to school towards the total literacy goal. In Uttaranchal District 3080 had done phenomenal work in building schools, of which 25 were ready. At the Udaipur Retreat for senior Rotary leaders it had been decided that henceforth there will be only one job for one man. Desai announced that at the Jaipur Institute the TRF seminar will be replaced by the Vision 20–20 seminar. The meeting threw up several ideas on the road ahead and how to improve performances in core areas of Rotary — membership, TRF and public image. There were suggestions that prior to the International Assembly, Governors should also be trained on cultural sensitivity, etiquette and accepted behaviour norms. Desai urged Rotarians to send him 90 seconds video clips on their projects, which would be shown at the Jaipur Institute. Picture by Rasheeda Bhagat

All set for

Seoul Sandeep Narang

eoul pronounced ‘Sole,’ the capital of Republic of Korea (South Korea), is a modern, hi-tech, bustling metropolis, on the banks of the Hangang, commonly referred to as the Han River. The country has busted the myth that government intervention breeds sloth. In 2012, 25 per cent of venture capital came from the government. It’s easy to forget that in the 1960s, South Korea’s per capita GDP was less than Ghana. Today, South Korea is the world’s 15th largest economy.

Rasheeda Bhagat

Incheon International Airport Seoul is catered to by two airports — Gimpo, the older airport, serves mostly domestic destinations and shuttle flights to Japan, Taiwan and China. Incheon International Airport, 48 km from the city, is more recent, and world’s eighth busiest airport.

Gyeongbokgung Palace.

Incheon’s décor is actually quite minimal, the signages wonderfully clear and welcoming, and in English as well. Airport authorities claim that an average departure and arrival takes only 19 minutes (60 minutes world-wide industry average) and 12 minutes (45 minutes) respectively — I would agree with the latter; I breezed out of the airport in no time. However, on the way out, I had

to negotiate a long line at Immigration. Tip: Arrive at departures a few hours earlier to shop or window-shop at the airport. Connectivity to the city is very established — I take the KAL (Korean Airlines Limousine) bus to my hotel. Seoul, abloom with azaleas — pink, fuchsia, mauve, white — is a

breathtaking sight. Koreans even make a wine out of azalea — dugyeonju — azalea wine. I also see some trees covered densely with white cotton-like flowers and wonder whether these are cherry blossoms. No, I am told, the cherry blossom season is over — this is something they called spring cotton. I am still trying to google it, probably it is forsythia.

Free Wi-Fi Free wi-fi, that too 5G, is available almost everywhere at Seoul — at the airport, in the tube, at the hotel, at the convention centre — you connect instantaneously to the free network. But sometimes there are glitches. The government has wired the entire country for high-speed broadband and is now wiring every household with a

The 2016 convention’s slogan, ‘Connect With Korea — Touch the World,’ gives an idea of the emphasis placed on fellowship and networking opportunities. one-gigabit-per-second connection, 200 times faster than the US average internet speed. We are told that at the Kintex convention centre, to meet the 2016 Rotary convention, infrastructure will be in place to ensure that 35,000 delegates can use free wi-fi at once. Twenty per cent of Korea’s total population of about 51 million lives here. It shares one of the most heavily

militarised borders with North Korea. About 53 per cent of Koreans have a practicing religion, of which 43 per cent are Buddhists, 55 per cent are Christians (Catholics and Protestants) and the rest follow Confucianism, Islam and other religions. A Korean name consists of a family name followed by a given name. Traditional Korean names typically consist of only one syllable. Only three surnames, Kim, Lee and Park, account for the appellations of nearly one-half of all Koreans — but “Kim” remains the champ by a wide margin!

Connect with Korea 2016 Rotarians and guests from about 120 countries attend each Rotary convention. The 2016 convention’s slogan, ‘Connect With Korea — Touch the World,’ gives an idea of the emphasis placed on fellowship and networking opportunities. The organisers want to explore how Rotarians might connect on a different scale in

Rasheeda Bhagat

Smartphone p users can download Apps such as Visit Korea, Korea Travel Guide and GenieTalk to help breeze through the country’s customs and culture.

the future, using apps, translation and shared cultural experiences. The 2016 convention logo is the silhouette of the main reception hall at Seoul’s iconic royal palace, Gyeongbokgung. The five basic colours — blue, red, yellow, white and black — correspond to five basic elements: wood, fire, soil, metal and water — the basis of the governing principle of yin and yang which explains how all things in nature grow and develop on the basis of mutual interactions. In Korean food, coloured ingredients are blended to produce foods that allow the body to efficiently absorb nutrients and stimulate the appetite through the five essential tastes: salt, spicy, sweet, bitter and sour. We were served three traditional Korean liquors. The first was a green pint bottle, with Korean inscriptions; cryptically on one side it read ‘happy water’ in English. This is ‘soju,’ a strong drink and one gulps it down in shot glasses. It tasted like

diluted vodka; I took a couple of shots and made the Koreans happy. Then there was fermented rice wine, makgeolli. With only 6 per cent alcohol and milky, it is the “liquor of the common people.” I liked the way it was served in archaic bowls but did not find it very palatable. The third drink, gwasilju, a Korean fruit wine, was sweet, something like our Goan port wine.

Gangnam Style Hallyu, a word that describes the Korean Wave, began in 1997, and refers to the increasing popularity of South Korean culture. The term was originally coined in mid-1999 by Beijing journalists who were surprised by China’s growing appetite for South Korean cultural exports: for many Chinese, globalisation is Koreanisation. First driven by the spread of Korean television dramas, it was carefully nurtured by the South Korean government, evolving into a global phenomenon due to the proliff eration of Korean pop (K-pop) music

videos and extends to movies, fashion, food and beauty. K-pop, the genre of slick, massproduced teen-idol boy and girl bands, has caught the imagination of the entire world. K-pop videos were viewed more than two billion times in 2011. The Gangnam style video has been the most watched YouTube video of all times. Incidentally, it is also the entry music to RI President Ravindran, at the convention. Wonder if we can match the steps! Gangnam, by the way, is a hip shopping district, the Mayfair of Seoul, home to the enormous underground COEX mall (where part of the video was filmed) and the nearby boutique-lined streets of Apgujeong-dong. The streets are full of young, well-dressed teens mingling with the city’s super rich. This district is also the capital of plastic surgery in Korea. The Chinese come here to look like K-drama stars — they want to have Korean actresses’ noses or eyes.

India & Korea When Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Seoul, The Economic Times said:

“Mr Kemcho meets Ms Kimchi” — referring to the Korean kimchi and the Gujarati ‘Kemcho’ for ‘How are you?’ In 1992 when the then Indian Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao visited Korea, the two countries opened up trade and Indian households became familiar with Korean brands like Samsung, Hyundai and LG. In 1998, the US imposed sanctions on India postPokhran 2 nuclear tests, and many of its allies, including Japan followed suit. Seoul decided against imposing sanctions; and won the Indian market.

Getting ready for Korea For smartphone users, these are a few Apps to download: Visit Korea, Korea Travel Guide, GenieTalk. Also check out the websites: www.visitkorea.or.kr, www.visitseoul.net and www.seoulistic. com which showcase videos on Seoul and Korean culture and customs. A sure way to bring a smile to a Korean face is to greet her in Korean; Annyeong-haseyo for Hello and Kamsahamnida for Thank you. (The writer is Past District Governor of D 3250.) OCTOBER 2015

ROTARY NEWS 31

Rasheeda Bhagat

Rasheeda Bhagat This vaccination warrior from one of the oldest Rotary Clubs in India — RC Madras — has been in the forefront of colossal work done for immunising children against measles and polio.

ot all Rotarians in India would be aware that one of their biggest triumphs — winning the battle against polio — began in a major way in India with the vintage and prestigious Rotary Club of Madras in 1989. This happened when the then RI President Hugh Archer said “we’ll give you $4.6 million for polio immunisation for five years,” recalls S L Chitale, who completed 50 years in his Rotary journey this July. As a cub reporter in The Indian Express who regularly covered the immunisation work done by RC Madras in the late 1970s, I recall the impeccably dressed gentleman in white who passed on his infectious enthusiasm and passion for protecting children against debilitating diseases and getting good coverage of this Rotary programme in mainstream newspapers. That was Chitale, a leading architect in Madras.

32 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

Recalling that journey with stars in his eyes while seated at his office Chitale and Sons, an architectural firm started by his father in 1932, he explains the background of their initial work that got the eye and confidence of the RI President. Chitale’s Rotary journey started in 1965 — earlier he was a Round Tabler — when he joined RC Madras. In 1979, the golden jubilee of the club, its president “V Chidambaram said let’s do a big project which will be remembered for a long time.” It also being the International Year of the Child, they zeroed in on vaccination for measles, then the biggest killer of children.

Measles vaccination The Club struck a collaboration with RC Whitby of Canada, which agreed to gift the Indian Rotarians 65,000 doses “which were sufficient for only Nungambakkam

or Mylapore, and not Madras,” smiles Chitale. But this partnership gave RC Madras its biggest benefactor and Chitale, a dear and lifelong friend in Ken Hobbs, who came down as a volunteer and got so hooked to the Madras Rotarians and the immunisation project that he would later come down every year with his wife for the next 30 years. With CMC Vellore’s eminent microbiologist and past president of RC Madras, Dr Jacob John, too being part of the team, measles immunisation work was in full swing. “We partnered with RI, Ken Hobbs worked very hard for us from Canada and eventually the vaccination warriors of Madras managed to get 5.2 million doses of the measles vaccine. The number swelled due to these dedicated Rotarians’ efforts, but the next big hurdle was “how to bring the vaccines here, who would pay the Customs and other duties and where to store them ... we couldn’t keep them in our drawing rooms!” After a flurry of activity by the Rotarians, meetings with officials, they got all duties waived. “We could convince government officials that we were only helping them in their work in child health.” The vaccine, to be stored at minus 8 deg C was transported by Air India from New York to Madras.

Government support vital “For five years; AI flew free of cost 650,000 doses every six months. And we got the King’s Institute to store the vaccine for us. I kept telling my fellow Rotarians that if you want to do a project of this magnitude, you need government support and you should make it your partner, because it has all the infrastructure and facilities; we can only throw in a few inputs.”

The involvement, friendships and participation were much greater in those days. We were personally involved. Today it is more chequebook charity. Well, Chitale is modest; what the Rotarians did was much more than contributing a “few inputs.” They shored up the cold chain required to store the vaccine doses at the requisite temperatures by spending Rs 40 lakh ... a huge sum 35 years ago. “Otherwise we would have been administering the children only distilled water,” he says. Slowly, the measles immunisation programme grew from a single club to a district (then 323, the 0 was added later to make it 3230) project and that too over five long years. Chitale gives credit for the success of measles vaccination to the team who “did an excellent job ... Jacob John, Venkat Subbiah, PDG Purushottaman from Salem, Vishwanatha Reddy, Saravanan, R K Swamy. Meanwhile, much earlier and in 1979, RI had begun its polio vaccination initiative with Philippines. “While there it remained more of a government project, Indian Rotarians got wholeheartedly involved in polio immunisation and Tamil Nadu was the first State in India to be declared polio-free,” says Chitale proudly. He recalls that though the Rotarians’ job was to make available polio and the government staff administered polio drops in hospitals, “wherever there was some deficiency and our services were required, we pitched in. We also conducted camps to administer the vaccine.”

The Ken Hobbs magic

S L Chitale addressing a Rotary meet; the then Tamil Nadu Health Minister Dr H V Hande seen on extreme right.

Chitale cannot thank enough the interest, passion and hard work done by PDG Ken Hobbs in making such a huge success of their immunisation programmes. “He was a wonderful man and came here every year, at his own expense, for 30 years, all the way from Toronto. Much later, in 2002, when he got the Order of Canada, “which is like our Bharat Ratna,” responding to Chitale’s congratulatory note, Hobbs replied: “You were the catalyst that made it happen, without you it would never have happened. OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 33

I tell fellow Rotarians that for a project of great magnitude, you need government support and should make it your partner, because it has all the infrastructure and facilities; we can only throw in a few inputs. Friend & Mentor: PDG Ken Hobbs.

I feel so fortunate to have you as a trusted friend for the last 23 years.” Hobbs passed away in 2010.

Childs Trust Hospital For the Childs Trust Hospital in Chennai, a private and prestigious children’s hospital Chitale helped set up along with his close friend and eminent paediatric surgeon Dr M S Ramakrishnan, Hobbs helped raise a total of $700,000. “That was the kind of wonderful and d generous friend he was,” adds Chitale. His close involvement in the immunisation programmes for children and the hospital, al, says Chitale, was related to his difficult childhood. “II lost my mother when I was only 8, had no siblings,, and always wanted to do something for children.”” nai, his Though he grew up in Chennai, d “were forefathers came from Maharashtra and all temple priests. Even in Round Table I worked for the Pallipattu (S S) Boys Home, and I carried this passion into Rotary.” With cause Dr MSR he started Childs Trust, because Madras then had only one children’ss hospital — the Government Institute for Child Health. “And if doctors have to look at some 2,000 to 3,000 children a day, what attention will they be able to give to the patients? MSR did the medical portion and I did the building and publicity.” So why did such a premier and vintage club such as RC Madras, one of the 34 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

oldest and founded in 1929, lose the importance and halo it once had, I quiz him. “Well, we’ve returned centre stage with the polio flame,” he replies quietly.

Chequebook charity On what he enjoyed most about being in Rotary, Chitale says it was forming a team and forging great friendships. “Ken Ken Hobbs became such a dear friend, the way his and my chemistry worked was amazing. But for Rotary I wouldn’t have even met him.” On what has changed in Rotary over half a century, Chitale muses for a moment and says, “I think the involvement, friendships and participation were much greater in those days. In any project that Rotary did, we became personally and passionately involved. I am afraid today it is more chequebook charity, and not so much personal involvement. It’s like I sign a few

cheques and have made my contribution. But in those days, when we would ourselves go to camps with our ladies and do all the work ... taking down names, maintaining records ...” Today much more money is available in India with Rotarians and others for charity; how did they manage in those days where financial resources were lower, but travel and other expenses had to be borne? “Oh, where was the money for all that? We used our own funds. The money that came ... the $4.6 million we got from RI had to be used only for vaccines ... and the cold chain.” S L Chitale with PRIP Rajenda K Saboo (Left). As for professional work suffering, he says they were too Reddy was a very forward looking man and wanted professional to neglect their clients. “Simple, we worked something really good, not an ordinary structure where overtime, to accommodate both.” you just put a false ceiling and call it an auditorium. So To get an idea of the brilliant architect he is, let us go I created this unique concept; that of a saddle-back shell back to the auditorium he constructed for the Venkateswara made of concrete which is 160 ft long and can seat 1,500 University 40 years ago. Chitale joined the J J School of students, and is 1.5 inches thick, otherwise it will become Architecture in Bombay in 1947; “there were only two too heavy as the whole thing is made of concrete.” such schools in India then, now we have 400–500!” As he traverses his professional and Rotary journey, Brilliant architect Chitale can look back with satisfaction on his work ... meaAfter graduating, he joined his father’s firm that has comsles and polio immunisation; Childs Trust Hospital, renopleted 84 years. On his table lies a recent issue of RIBA vation of 36 temple tanks in Chennai, rainwater harvesting (Royal Institute of British Architects) magazine, with 20–25 years ago, work for the Worth Trust in Vellore for the cover picture of a prize winning shell-like building. handicapped children. In June 1992, when Rajendra K A smiling Chitale points to the picture of a strikingly simiSaboo was the RI President, Chitale was among the first 50 lar building pinned on his drawing board behind the table. in the world to be given the RI Service above Self award. “I designed and built such a structure 40 years ago. And So what has Rotary taught him and what advice would I sent them a picture of it, saying so, but there is no reply!” this vintage Rotarian give to his younger colleagues? That building was an auditorium built for the Sri “That you should devote time, think your project Venkateswara University. “The VC, Dr D Jagannatha through carefully, give it your full attention. Person-toperson contact is the most important; I don’t believe in this chequebook charity concept at all. Only when you get fully involved, your project will benefit people. Most important of all, work always as a team. No single man should say ... I did it!” Also, he adds, his team was lucky to have Dr H V Hande as Health Minister and Dr Kapali as the Director of Public health and they understood the importance and value of Rotarians’ work. But he cautions that vigilance on polio immunisation has to continue. “There is danger of polio coming back; measles has come back because we stopped; it was sad to see it return after we had worked so hard. So we have to be vigilant on polio.” Designed by Krishnapratheesh

Ken Hobbs became such a dear friend; the way his and my chemistry worked was amazing. But for Rotary I wouldn’t have even met him.

OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 35

LITERACY FOCUS PRID Shekhar Mehta Chairman, Rotary India Literacy Mission

E-Learning and Library Creation

-Learning and Library Creation” will be the main focus of Rotary India this month. Comprehending something through concepts shown vide audio-visual/animation format is much more stimulating and easier to remember than the traditional methods of learning. Thus E-learning classroom is the future learning methodology every school in India will adopt. The language of students and teachers will improve as a standard language and pronunciation in the voice-overs is used in these modules. With standardisation of content and teaching methods across schools, the divide between the rich and poor schools, urban and rural schools, government and private schools disappears. And better grades and attendance can be achieved as children find learning more fun. The E-Learning Programme of Rotary India Literacy Mission aims to • Improve the quality of education and learning in primary schools, through extensive use of local language curriculum based E-Learning software.

• Establish E-Learning centres in select elementary schools by providing them with: – State approved high quality E-Learning software in certain local languages. – Projector and power pack sets to each E-learning centre along with maintenance facility for three years. • Train the teachers to use these devices. Guidelines to implement E-learning in the T-E-A-C-H programme • School selection – Choose state-funded schools which has at least two teachers; one classroom with pucca (roof, floor, walls, doors and windows) construction; electricity/solar power; white coloured walls — otherwise a white board is required and the school building must be secured against unauthorised entry during non-school hours. • Software selection – Use our shortlisted software companies — Quality checked and approved by our National Committee Members. Selection procedure of E-learning vendors E-learning National Committee met periodically to evaluate and finalise on the hardware and software vendors for the programme and the syllabus for e-learning. School principals and teachers representing Government, private, state and other board schools participated in assessing the demos of software companies. Shortlisted hardware companies include E-Gate Infotel Pvt Ltd and Tirubaa; and software companies were Educomp Solution Limited,

36 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

Compatible hardware available Tech Specs

Tirubaa Winner

Tirubaa Mini

Tirubaa Super

Egate P531

Egate K8

LED Lamp LCD Panel

DLP LED

LED Lamp LCD Panel

LED DLP

upto 30,000 hrs

upto 50,000 hrs

upto 40,000 hrs

upto 50,000 hrs

3000 lumens

4500 lumens

3500 lumens

Projection Size

50" to 120" inch / 2-6M

10" to 200"

12" to 300"

40" to 200" inches

Audio In /Out/ Speaker

Yes

Power consumption

less than 150 watts

less than 40 watts less than 45 watts

150 watts

55 watts

` 38,000 with Mini PC; ` 31,500 without mini PC

` 22,990

` 30,500

Projector Type Light Source Life Brightness at source

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` 42,400

NOTE: We request you to inform us if you come across any quality software in local language at this price and we will include them in our list.

Details of softwares available Company

Class

Subject Class 1-5 Maths & Environment Sc.

Designmate (I) Pvt Ltd

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Class 6-8 Maths, Science, Geography Class 9-10 Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography

State Board

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CBSE, ICSE, Delhi, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Mizoram, English Manipur, Meghalaya, and Hindi Arunachal Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadwip, Maharashtra and Gujarat

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Class 1-5 English, Hindi, Maths, Environment Sc.

Educomp Solution Limited

Class I to X

Class 6-8 English, Maths, Science, S.Science, Economics. Class 9-10 English, Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Pol.Sc, Geo., Economics.

JIL Information Technology Limited

Class I to X

Science, Social Science, Mathematics, English, Grammar.

CBSE, ICSE, AP, Karnataka, Samacheer (Tamil Nadu), Kerala, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, UP, MP, Rajasthan, West Bengal.

English, Hindi, Kannada, Gujarati, Marathi

Punjab, UP, MP, Rajasthan, Mizoram, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Haryana, West Bengal

English, Hindi

OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 37

Designmate (I) Pvt Ltd and JIL Information Technology Limited. Placing the order Select the hardware and software from the list. The complete transaction will be in accordance with your choice. The details of the vendors are available on www.rotaryteach. org. The products will reach the recipient within 7â&#x20AC;&#x201C;15 days of placing the order and will be delivered only after the full

payment is made. Software training will be provided by the content developers. One E-learning classroom installation costs Rs 30,000 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 40,000. RILM will share Rs10,000 of the total cost. The payment for the software-hardware combination is only one-time. The amount will be paid to the companies as per product selected. The Club/District should encourage beneficiary schools to contribute at least Rs 10,000 from their local fund/gram

Asha Kiran â&#x20AC;Ś a ray of hope .HHSLQJ WKH Ă&#x20AC;DPH RI OLWHUDF\ EXUQLQJ RYHU FRPPLWPHQWV UHFHLYHG

Super Star Asha Kiran Club: RC Coimbatore Heritage, D 3202.

6WDU $VKD .LUDQ &OXEV 5& 3D\\DQXU ' 5RWDU\ &OXEV 6DOHP 0LGWRZQ ' )DULGDEDG ' DQG 9D]KDNXODP ' DOVR HQMR\ WKLV VWDWXV

Mega Star Asha Kiran Club: RC Jodhpur Padmini, D 3052.

38 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

District should encourage other organisations such as corporate houses, educational trusts, NRIs, relatives of Rotarians, school alumnus and other individuals to participate in the programme.

&KLOGUHQ HQMR\ UHDGLQJ ERRNV SURYLGHG E\ 5& 6RODSXU 1RUWK ' panchayat. This gives them a buy-in into the programme and maintenance of the E-learning facilities. The remaining amount should be arranged by the Club/District. The Club/

Library creation: Indian Rotarians collected over 1.9 million books in response to the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;A Million Books â&#x20AC;&#x201C; A Million Smilesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; campaign. Rotary clubs have built more than 2,000 libraries in various parts of India, and more are being added. A â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Guide to Setting up a Libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; was already covered in Rotary News - September 2014 issue, and can also be found on the RILM website www.rotaryteach.org. The process and guidelines on Library creation is provided by our knowledge partners Akshara Foundation and Hippocampus.Â&#x201E;

Gifting smoke-free kitchens Selvi

e used to collect wood, chop and store it, but in the rainy season with the wood getting damp, we struggled to light it and it also gave out more smoke,â&#x20AC;? says Sabita, a resident of Katangdhara village near Nagpur. This situation was even harder for the woman to bear as she was used to gas stoves in her parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; home before marriage. But now, thanks to intervention from RC Nagpur Greencity, D 3030, which has adopted this place under the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Happy Villagesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; programme, the living conditions of the villagers have change dramatically. The club has gifted them smoke-free kitchens through gas stoves. Devendra Agrawal, who owns a gas agency in the nearby town Hingna, provided the gas connections as a CSR initiative. The villagers readily agreed to pay for their cylinders as it was a dream come true for them. Around 150 tribal families inhabit this village and till 2009, it had little cause for cheer. The Rotarians constructed a primary school in 2010, and have been giving books, uniforms, bags and stationery to the children every year. Encouraged by this, the Zilla Parishad added two more classes, converting it into a high school. The club donated bicycles to 25 girls to help them commute to school and back. Toilets

were built for all houses and RCCs appointed to sensitise the villagers on literacy, sanitation and hygiene. To help women with economic independence, the Rotarians donated sewing machines and organised tailoring classes. Next on cards is building a check-dam, installing solar energy panels for street lights and providing 100 LPG connections in the nearby villages. Meanwhile, Sabita now has more time to complete her graduation course through correspondence.Â&#x201E; OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 39

MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDATION CHAIR

TRF to kickoff Centennial Celebration at Seoul

he 2016–17 Rotary Year will be the centennial year for The Rotary Foundation, which started at the 1917 Rotary convention in Atlanta. This issue is filled with information about the exciting 2016 convention to be held in Seoul, May 28–June 1 — and part of the excitement is due to the kickoff activities for the Foundation’s centennial celebration. The Foundation has a Centennial Celebration Committee, which is chaired by Past Trustee Stephanie Urchick, and the committee has comprehensive plans for a full year of celebratory events, which will culminate in a giant celebration at the 2017 Rotary convention in Atlanta. The Foundation trustees, Rotary International directors, and Rotary staff members are all committed to a successful recognition of the Foundation’s anniversary because of the Foundation’s significant role in helping our clubs and districts to conduct service projects around the world. The Rotary Foundation clearly has been a tremendous force for Doing Good in the World! And as we contemplate our high-level plans for the centennial, we once more pause to recognise and appreciate that the totality of what happens in our clubs and districts is far bigger and longer-lasting than what

happens in Evanston and at the conventions. As a result, the true success of the centennial celebration will depend on the quality and quantity of the celebratory events in our clubs and districts. The big question is whether our Rotarians around the globe will embrace the Foundation’s centennial and undertake their own centennial projects and celebrations. So please do your part to stimulate the interest and involvement of your club. The Rotary Foundation has been highly successful in assisting our clubs and districts to promote international understanding, goodwill and peace in the world — and therefore, it is appropriate that all of our clubs and districts should participate in the centennial celebration. As usual in Rotary, there is no prescribed way in which the clubs and districts should join the celebration, and I hope our clubs and districts will be as creative in their celebratory activities as they have been in their myriad humanitarian projects throughout the years. This is the right time for all of us to express our appreciation for The Rotary Foundation!

Ray Klinginsmith Foundation Trustee Chair

SOLUTION FOR THE LAST MONTH’S CROSSWORD M

M A

A M

Y O

S U

P T

O S

U T

N A

40 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

Rotary at a glance Rotarians

12,19,713*

Clubs

35,145*

Districts

535*

Rotaractors

1,87,864

Clubs

8,168

Interactors

4,23,499

Clubs

18,413

RCC members

1,95,960

RCC

8,520

U N

O W

M E

*As of September 1, 2015 As of June 30, 2015

Doing good with TRF help

Equipment bank for farmers Selvi

nable to afford to pay hefty rental charges for hiring farm equipment, the farmers of Vaijapur, Khuldabad, and other tiny hamlets around Aurangabad, were forced to work as labourers despite owning land. Working in the fields for harvesting sugarcane, they regularly moved to Western and Northern Maharashtra and Gujarat with their families in search of work for nearly seven–eight months a year. The children of these migrants could not be enrolled in schools due to this nomadic lifestyle. RC Aurangabad Elite, D 3132, decided to help these farmers to be self-reliant and send back their children to schools, a primary Rotary objective in its Literacy Mission.

Sowing the seeds of faith In 2013, these Rotarians visited the community school, Bal Anand Jeevan Shala Childhood Development and Care Centre, located at the village Vaijapur, and joined hands with the NGO Lokparyay to set up a ‘Community Agriculture Equipment Bank.’ The NGO has worked hard to get land rights and titles for these poor tribal communities. About 1,500 families, including single women and widows have been helped to get their land registered in their names. With the help from PDGs Prafulla Mirajgaonkar, Vyankatesh Metan and Meena Patel (D 6650, USA), funds were released for this project. With the Club’s contribution of $3,000 and the global grant partners RC Salem

Rotarians with the farmers display a tractor purchased for the Equipment Bank. (D 6650, USA), and RI District 6650, USA contributing $2000 and $8000 respectively, and TRF’s matching contribution, a total of $33,500 was collected. Farm equipment such as tractors, trollies, tankers, oil engines, cultivators, harvesters, chaff cutting machines and other modern agricultural tools were purchased for the Community Agriculture Equipment Bank. “Farmers can now borrow the equipment from this bank at a rent 45 per cent lower than market rates. We are very happy that many villagers are cultivating their own land for the first time,” said club secretary Suhas Vaidya. Lokparyay monitors and maintains the equipment, and manages the collection of rent.

Vaidya added that once a sizeable land area comes under cultivation, RCCs will be appointed. His club will also support the school run by the Lokparyay under the Rotary’s T-E-A-C-H mission. Resources have been earmarked to conduct workshops on latest techniques for sustainable agricultural development like organic/ natural farming, vermicompost and to provide seeds, fodder and to grow medicinal plants. As there is no electricity in the village, the club is also providing oil for their engine pumps to draw water from the reservoirs, used mainly for drinking by the villagers and their cattle. People in these villages have now become farmers from labourers and their children are going to school OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 41

A Happy School Model Team Rotary News

C Ahmedabad Mahanagar, D 3051, hosted RI Director Manoj Desai’s first ever visit to a Rotary Happy School after he assumed office as Director. Municipal School Number 17 in Ahmedabad was adopted by the club in July. Rotarians have equipped the school with better infrastructure, educational material, library, sports material and a computer lab. Under the WinS initiative clean drinking water facility, hand wash units, and separate toilet blocks for girls and boys have been constructed. Distribution of school uniforms and shoes was also undertaken. The club has also partnered with other notable organisations to provide professional computer programmes and coaching for various sports. “We are also providing educational support

RID Manoj Desai and Sharmishta at the school.

and scholarships to rank-holders in every class to keep them motivated,” said club President Bijal Shah. Desai appreciated the efforts taken by the club and mentioned the school as a

model for Happy Schools at a district event, Vision 20-20. He visited a few more Happy Schools adopted by other Rotary clubs in the region.

What’s cooking in Pune Jaishree

ondering how to prepare Beach house Bok-choy/ Trinidad’s Doubles and Bara or our traditional dahi vada/ khandvi/Nagpuri patwadi? The ‘Circle of Friends Recipes’ — an endeavour of Rotary Clubs of Poona Downtown and Katraj, D 3131 — will tell you how. The cookbook, a compilation of vegetarian recipes, is an outcome of Rotary Super Chef, a culinary contest hosted by the two clubs and Women in Rotary (WIR) committee. “We came up with this event when we were brainstorming ideas to attract women into Rotary and enhance the involvement of the Anns and Annettes in Rotary activities; 70 women participated in the contest,” said Yezdi Batliwala, IPP of RC Poona Downtown. Demos of cake making, vegetable carving, table decoration and mixing mocktails, etc 42 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

PRID P T Prabhakar launches the book at a District event. Also present: R’Anns Chandra Aranha, the book’s editor Meena Latey and Poroochi Batliwala.

were part of the programme, attracting several people. The number of women Rotarians went up from 600 to 1000-plus at the end of 2014–15 due to the vibrant WIR Committee. “We have lined up empowerment programmes such as driving lessons, nursing and

tailoring courses for young women in the neighbouring bastis,” said last year’s Committee Director Deepali Gadkari. Priced at Rs 350, proceeds from sale of the book will go to fund welfare projects for underprivileged women.

Doing good with TRF help

Lighting up lives Kiran Zehra

nsu goes to the local taluk school and can now “come back home instead of staying at the Ashram,” that houses many other tribal students like her. Lack of electricity had left them with no choice but to stay away from their homes and complete their weekly lessons. “It was shocking to hear that near the bright and bustling city of Mumbai there are several villages that are in total darkness,” says Rtn Sachin Kulkarni, Chairman Renewable Energy, D 3140. Small oil lamps lit up the homes of these poor villagers. Back in 2008, RC Bombay Rotarians and villagers standing under Hills South initiated the Dream a newly installed solar street lamp. Light Green Light project. Each family contributes Rs 70 annually towards mainteWith support from RC Detroit, D 6400 and TRF, the nance and repair. “This stand-alone system is most apt as District provided solar electrification for 89 hamlets. their homes are in the middle of forest areas that cannot Seven years later 100 tribal hamlets in Jawahar, Wada, have direct access to electricity,” he says. Mokhada, Talasari, Dahanu, Tansa and Shahapur have The most interesting part of the whole project is that a solar panel connection and a battery that supports an “although these people don’t have sufficient to eat, each LED light, a night lamp, mobile charger and a radio. family owns a cell phone, as their economy depends on daily wages and their earnings linked to the calls received,” says Kulkarni. Earlier, they had to walk 8–10 km to the nearby villages and pay Rs 10 to charge their phones. “If the battery went out, we had no work. There was no other way for the Malik to get in touch,” says Hariom, a daily wage worker from the village. Thank god for the “rashan pani jo sarkar dethi hai (ration provided by the government),” he says, adding that otherwise they would have to go to bed hungry. With the new solar panel in place these villagers are now able to “get in touch with their employers regularly and charge our neighbours’ phones for a fee of Rs 10,” quips Hariom. The Rotarians estimate that approximately 400,000 litres of kerosene has been saved and the project has brought down carbon dioxide emission significantly. The District is now keen on building toilets in these villages.

that near the bright and bustling city of

“

It was shocking to hear

Mumbai there are several villages that are in total darkness.

OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 43

Oliver Sacks, who has taught us so much, now teaches us the art of dying Ranjana Srivastava

ike millions of readers I had a lump in my throat as I read Oliver Sacks reveal his diagnosis of terminal cancer earlier this year. Every doctor aspires to be a little like Sacks whether for his sharp intellect, his obvious humanity or his exquisite writings that go to the core of what it means to be human and frail. In February he calmly y declared that metastatic melanoma affecting his liver meant that his luck had run out. I found it hard to share his is calm but then like the genial, grandfather-figure he is, he reassured us, oncologists and all, that he still felt intensely ntensely alive, wanting to “deepen my friendships, ps, to write more, to achieve new levels of understanding and insight.” His mention of finding ing a new focus and perspective resonated ed with me — it is as close to a universall finding as there ry individuals and is in clinic, where ordinary famous people all say thatt cancer forced them to contemplate their life and legacy. It’s not always pretty,, I concede. Cancer triggers joyful marriage but ut also bitter divorce. It unites bickering siblings gs but also tears apart ed. It fosters a peaceful those previously contented. existence but equally temreckoning and loving coexistence pestuous anger and unrelenting enting sorrow. All I can say is letting go is hard. Actually, ually, it sucks. Watching the march of thousands of such ch patients, I keep thinking it must be indescribably difficult to bear if it is so difficult just to watch from the vantage point of an unrelated oncologist, ncologist, who at best catches only glimpses mpses of the struggle patients face every ery day. The lump in my throat at grew larger this weekend when Oliver Sacks declared that his disease ease

44 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

had inevitably returned despite liver embolisation and immunotherapy, the holy grail of melanoma treatment. Oh no, I thought glumly, not you too, as if the greatness of being Oliver Sacks were enough to outsmart rapidly dividing melanocytes. Sadly no. The venerable figure that he is, I can just about picture him telling a group of despondent young residents that it would be naive to think that a terminally ill doctor might avoid the fate of many of his patients. Oliver Sacks dying of metastatic melanoma may have been just another story of misfortune in a world spilling over with bad news were it not for something that caught my eye towards the middle of his column. He lists symptoms of nausea, loss of appetite, chills and sweats and a pervasive tiredness, all cardinal signs

Photo courtesy: Wikimedia commons

Death is never easy. But Oliver Sacks shows us an approach that views life as a welcome gift rather than bemoaning death as a medical failure.

of worsening cancer. He tells us he is still managing to swim although the pace is slower as he pauses to breathe. And then, he says something utterly obvious and yet, thoroughly remarkable: “I could deny it before but I know I am ill now.” In a piece of achingly beautiful writing, this observation may bypass the typical outsider but as an oncologist, it struck me as the essence of what it takes to die well — the concession that all the well-intentioned therapy in the world can no longer prevent one from going down the irreversible trajectory of death. This recognition allows patients to halt toxic treatment, opt for effective palliation and articulate their goals for the end of life. It permits their oncologist to open up new conversations that don’t include the latest million-dollar blockbuster therapy with a bleak survival curve but do mention the therapeutic benefit of teaming up with hospice workers to write letters, preserve photos and record memories. I would say that this candid admission from a patient is the difference between bemoaning death as a medical failure and viewing life as a welcome gift. I found myself thinking of a former patient who came into hospital dying of liver failure from metastatic bowel practically glowing and she cancer. Her jaundiced skin was practic was not a single comhad a resulting insatiable itch. There w fortable position she could find and it soon became clear sedation for comfort. But that that she needed continuous seda sure that she understood before I sedated her I needed to be sur her terminal condition, difficult given that the liver failure was that her husband was causing agitation. The problem w bedside and would not was permanently stationed at her be news to the patient. hear of me mentioning any bad new He had determined that there was to be no conversation fact that she lay dying. about her progressive cancer or the fa Her experience was unacceptable yet the impasse dreadful and ethically troubling. but she needed One morning her husband was delayed de urgent attention so I walked in alone to find a clearly dissurreptitiously around the room, tressed patient. Looking surreptitiou whispered, “What is happening and temporarily alert, she whispered to me?” noting a trail of bleeding I sat down and held her hand, noti scratch marks. “Do you want me to tell you?” Before she could answer, her husband roared from behind me, “How dare you plot to scare my absence? Get out!” wife like that in my absenc As I covered my ears against the litany of terrorised eyes briefly abuse, the patient’s te rested on mine. So Sorry, they seemed to Refusing to be say, I am really sorry. so mollified by the palliative care staff virtually dragged his the man vi

Patients who can get even part of the way to acknowledging their mortality ultimately do themselves an untold favour. dying wife home. He made a mockery of her end of life care and left me with a searing memory of my failure to help a dying patient. But I also try to remember that he loved her and just couldn’t bear the thought of letting her go. Letting go is hard. Doctors fail patients in various ways but in some ways it is easier to fail patients when they or their family deny impending death. They are the ones who deserve our greatest consideration and patience but the truth is that it’s taxing enough to treat intractable pain, omnipresent nausea or pervasive melancholy without having to take on the onerous task of saying, “Believe me, you really are dying.” Unlike suturing or locating a pulse, dealing with death does not become easier with time. If you care about your patient, it always hurts. It hurts when you fail to cure them and it hurts when you fail to help them die. Patients who can get even part of the way to acknowledging their mortality ultimately do themselves, their relatives and even their oncologists an untold favour. But of course, it’s one thing to understand your mortality and quite another to articulate your feelings for the world to scrutinise. At his diagnosis Oliver Sacks wrote, “I cannot pretend I am without fear. But my predominant feeling is one of gratitude.” Those insightful words brought inspiration to untold patients. But the doctor who brought to us the man who mistook his wife for a hat isn’t about to mistake death for what it is. Now he reminds us with all the poise and dignity we have come to expect of him that there is value in embracing our mortality, that there is an art to dying, and before he goes, he might just show us how. For this and so much more, we owe him. Reproduced, with permission, from The Guardian © The Guardian (Dr. Ranjana Srivastava is an Australian oncologist, a Fulbright scholar and an award-winning author.) OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 45

Girls rule the roost Rasheeda Bhagat One man’s vision has changed the educational, healthcare and agri scene in and around Gujarat’s industrial town of Vapi.

f you think of women’s empowerment, Gujarat isn’t the foremost State that comes to mind. But a quiet gender revolution is taking place in the State known for its business savvy and enterprising people. On a recent visit to RC Vapi, District 3060 and chatting with the principals, students and faculty at the several colleges put up in and around Vapi by ROFEL (Rotary Foundation for Education and Learning), it comes as a breath of fresh air to note that 65 per cent of the 2,025 students at the colleges offering Arts, Science, Commerce and Business Administration courses are girls! In some of the courses they go up to 80 per cent; in one classroom I found only three boys.

Principal Hemali Desai with commerce students, 46Dimple 46 ROTARY ROT R RO TARYYPrajapati N NE NEWS WS OCTOBER WS OCT OC O CTand C OBERKhusbu OBE OBER 2015 2015 155 Sharma.

“This year, when I was handing out awards, I saw only girls coming to receive them,” recalls PDG Ashish Roy. For a while he was spooked but then “a few boys came forward and I heaved a sigh of relief,” he smiles. On two-thirds of her students being girls Principal Hemali Desai says, “We all know that Gujaratis love to set up their own businesses; so while young men go into business, young women, when given an opportunity, excel,” she says.

One man’s vision But that is not the real story at the clutch of educational services Vapi Rotarians have set up here. As PP of RC Vapi

PRIP Kalyan Banerjee and RC Vapi President Jayesh Kansara share a warm moment with mentally challenged children at the Haria Rotary Hospital.

and ROFEL Trustees Praful Dewani puts it, apart from these courses, ROFEL runs also a Pharma college and a state-ofthe-art hospital. “We have set up a few Trusts in Vapi to take care of different activitie activities. es. Ours was the first college set up i V in Vapi api in the 1980s, w with help from United Phosphorous Ltd L Lt d (U (UPL (UPL). P ). Later more co colleges were added and also the hospital hosp ho sppit ital al cam came a e up. All oof tthese are the brainchild of PRIP Kalyan K Ka lyan ly aan nB Banerjee a erjee (a me an member mb of RC Vapi and Director of UPL). U UP PL PL) L)). It iiss his vision tha that at we follow till today.” Butt th B Bu the he college, star started rte to help students in Valsad and nne eig igghb h ou hb o ring areas did dn’ have its own premises, till a neighbouring didn’t R Rota Ro ottaariian an’s ’s father in V als donated land, and the first Rotarian’s Valsad bbuilding bu ilddiing il ng ccame a e up. Overr th am the years, as the Nagarpalika and the th he GI G I D DC (Gujarat Indu ust GIDC Industrial Development Corporation) gave ga gave v tthem h m more land, oother he the buildings, specialities and the hhospital ho osp spit i al it a ccame ame up. Thee ROFEL campuss hhas 10 acres of land and the green Th landscaping creates a se la ere spot of beauty in an ordinary serene Indi In diaan industrial town. E Eve Indian Even more heartening than girls constituting 65 per cent of tthe colleges’ strength, is that OBC, SC aand nd ST students are th there in large numbers. “This is a trib tr ibal al belt and children e co tribal come to us from 108 villages, and man ma ny of them are first ge ene many generation learners. Till Rotarians set up tthis his college, they hadd tto travel 30 km to go to colleges iinn V alsad fo forr quality ed uc Valsad education,” says Hemali. Thanks T Th han a ks tto o a lot of tim time me put in by ROFEL Trustee Bharat Patel P Pa ate tel in int into to aadministrative dministrativee m matters, this is a “disciplined and well we w ell ll m managed a ag an ageed institution institution,” n,” says Roy.

Supplementing family fam mi income On w On why hy tthey h y don’t offer re he residential facilities despite having tthe th he sp spac space, acce, e tthe h Principal sa he says free transport is given to the

In this area, parents are reluctant to send girls for higher education thinking that after all a girl has to do household work after marriage. But once they get the opportunity to study, they work hard and excel. students, but “most of them are not interested in staying on the campus because many of them do part-time work.” While some work in offices, others sell vegetables and some help out their parents on their farms. As there are two shifts, this is possible. The good news is that many girls, after passing out, go for jobs; while the arts and science and commerce students begin with a salary of Rs 6,000–10,000, the B Pharm or M Pharm get around Rs 12,000–15,000. The MBA students begin with an annual package of Rs 3–4 lakh. “Keeping OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 47

Just three boys in a classroom: PDG Ashish Roy interacting with a student.

Between Surat and Mumbai, this is the largest hospital and patients, particularly those involved in accidents on NH8 that links Vapi and other towns to Mumbai, are rushed here.

48 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

in mind the demand of the times, we have introduced English medium last year,” says Tanveer Rana, a faculty member. Of course those from poorer backgrounds and SC/ST groups often have to work very hard to catch up with the others. Many of these students get scholarships. Even in the MBA course, where the fee is Rs 40,000 for a semester — decided by the Government; no capitation fee is charged — “we help them with a fee waiver or scholarships. Even when they leave this campus, we try and help some for higher education,” adds PDG Roy.

First generation learners I ask for girls already doing part-time work and meet Dimple Prajapathi, a III Year B Com student whose father works as a gardener, and that too on a part-time basis as “his health is not good. He earns barely Rs 3,000–4,000, so the Rs 2,000 Dimple makes by working for three hours in a local company helps run the household. Khusbu Sharma is 19, an M Com student and her father works in a bank; her part-time work fetches her Rs 3,000. She is hardworking, focused and after completing M Com wants to do her ICWA course. Both are OBC, and first generation students. Hemali adds that “in these areas, parents are reluctant to send girls for higher education with the mentality being that after all a girl has to do household work after marriage. But once they get the opportunity to study, they work so hard and do so

well that it makes us happy. All over Gujarat, the general trend has changed; in many areas girls are doing better than boys.” Deepak Shah, PP of RC Vapi and Trustee, adds that after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ call, there had been a spurt in the enrolment of girls in educational institutions. “My maid servant’s two daughters are now in Class 8 and 10, so the next generation is getting better education across classes.”

Women pharmacists! In the lab of the pharmacy college, many smart young women pharmacists of tomorrow are Haria Rotary Hospital Superintendent Dr S S Singh examines a patient. doing practicals. Here too the girls dominate; 65–70 per cent being female! Mukti Davda is from Vapi and plans to our students get placement in the industries, starting with do M Pharm after completing B Pharm. a package of around Rs 12,000–15,000,” he adds. Pooja Chowdhary, also from Vapi, is from OBC and doing M Pharm, and plans to take up a job, so does her Multi-specialty hospital friend Vishala. Subodh Agarwal, a male student of M At the plush 200-bed multi-specialty Haria Rotary Hospital, Pharm, will either take up job as a drug inspector or “I run by the Rotary Charitable Trust, Superintendent might even prepare for the IAS exam; I am yet to decide.” Dr S S Singh, who has been here for 30 years, says it was Dr Arindam Paul, Principal, says proudly: “Right started by the Trust in 1984, and over the years has added now, in the Valsad Drug office, there are three drug almost all specialities. These include neurosurgery, joint inspectors who have passed out from our college.” replacements, maxillofacial surgery, corneal transplants, This college offers four different specialities in etc. “Except for open heart surgery we do other cardiac proPharma and as Gujarat is a major pharma hub “all of cedures such as angioplasty. Between Surat and Mumbai, this is the largest hospital and patients, particularly those involved in accidents on NH8 that links Vapi and other towns to Mumbai, are rushed here. We also give free treatment to about 20 children under the Smile Train project.” While there are beds reserved for poor patients, even other costs at this state-of-the-art and spanking clean hospital put together at a cost of nearly Rs 8 crore, are nominal. A knee replacement costs around Rs 1.25 lakh and insertion of a stent Rs 1.05 lakh, and other charges are nominal too, almost 50 per cent of other private hospitals providing quality healthcare, he adds. Ramesh Desai, a Trustee of ROVADAN (Rotary Vapi Dangs Development) Trust, which has done phenomenal Pharmacists in the making at the pharma college. OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 49

Maj Gen (Retd) Tsheri with nursing students at the Sandra Shroff ROFEL College of Nursing.

work in transforming some of the villages in Dang district, says that dialysis here is totally free. There are five dialysis machines. “Even the rich are given free dialysis but they can donate, and if somebody donates Rs 5,000, we acknowledge that the day’s dialysis has been sponsored by him/her.”

More than medical care That this hospital does much more than just clinical or surgical intervention is seen from Dr Singh’s simple statement. “Most dialysis patients get financially exhausted, so to the needy ones we also give, along with free dialysis, some ration, such as 5 kg of rice, wheat, one litre of oil and some other ingredients.” Roy adds that for none of the four charitable Trusts run by RC Vapi, any matching grants have been taken from RI, except for some small things such as an ambulance. Also, 20 RI Presidents have visited this flagship Rotary project of District 3060 over the years, inaugurating some new ward or facility. I know PRIP Banerjee, whose hometown is Vapi, is somewhere in the hospital, and wonder where he is. “Oh, he must be checking out the toilets. Kalyanbhai is very particular about clean toilets,” quips RC Vapi President Jayesh Kansara. As if on cue, Banerjee emerges, and smiles, “Yes, I have checked the toilets and they are clean!” He is accompanied by Retd Major General Tsheri, who heads the Sandra Shroff ROFEL College of Nursing, which is training 106 nurses. Needless to say her nurses get instant 50 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

Most of them are not interested in staying on the campus because many of them do part time work to supplement family income. placement “not only in Gujarat or India but all over the world,” she beams. No prizes for guessing that once again, girls dominate. The last batch of 40 nurses that passed out had only 6 men! I come away from Vapi with vivid memories of Ramesh Desai’s video presentation of the way in which Rotary has transformed farmers’ lives in Vapi. “We work with the Gujarat government and Ph Ds in Agriculture work with us to bring in change.” Well, Vapi deserves another visit, as the best stories can be related only from the spot. Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat Designed by N Krishnamurthy

Doing good with TRF help

From floor to desk Team Rotary News

otary has committed to provide basic infrastructure, gender-specific toilets, drinking water and libraries in schools ... “all these to empower students with quality education as they are the ones who can work wonders for the nation,” said RI President K R Ravindran. He was at Hyderabad along with RI Director Manoj Desai to dedicate thousands of dual desks to schools in the newly formed Telangana State. Twenty one Rotary clubs of D 3150 provided 7,593 dual desks to 145 government schools at a meeting at Madhapur, Hyderabad. The project costing Rs 1.82 crore has Global Grant support from Rotary clubs of St Simon Island, Brunswick, Golden-Isles-Glymn County and McIntosh County, D 6920, USA; D 3510, Taiwan; D 1400, Finland and

RI President K R Ravindran interacting with the students at Hyderabad. TRF. “This will provide comfortable learning experience for 22,779 students,” said PDG Ravi Vadlamani, Chairman of the District initiative, Save Our Schools. The District has donated 75,000 desks worth Rs 18 crore to various schools in the last five years.

T Harish Rao, the State’s Minister for Irrigation, Mines and Geology, lauded Rotary’s initiative to achieve total literacy in India by 2017. At another event organised in Chilakaluripet (Andhra Pradesh), 1,457 dual desks were donated to schools with support from TRF and D 2110, Italy.

Him Jyoti Vocational Training Institute Team Rotary News

he Him Jyoti Foundation in Dehradun which provides quality education to underprivileged girls from Garhwal and Kumaon regions of Uttarakhand, has now started a vocational service centre to equip women from poorer sections of society with income generating skills. The Foundation, founded by PRID Sudharshan Agarwal, has established the Him Jyoti Vocational Training Institute (HVTI) just across the campus of the Him Jyoti School. While

Him Jyoti Vocational Training Institute at Dehradun the State government has provided land secretarial course, personal grooming for the institute, the cost of construction and fashion designing. Currently, 55 and equipping it is Rs 6 crore. girls are undergoing training, but gradTwo-year programmes are offered ually the strength will be stepped up totally free of cost in graphics design, to 150. OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 51

Enjoy a meal … end polio

Rasheeda Bhagat

Rtn M K Gopinath, IPDG ISAK Nazar, Rtn Susanne Rea and 3'* 6 3 %DODVXEUDPDQLDP DW WKH 5RWDU\ 1HZV 7UXVW RI¿FH LQ &KHQQDL

fflicted by the polio-virus as a child, when Susanne Rea was made District 9550 (Australia) Chair in 2013, she decided to use the social media to connect with her district to raise funds. Given her verve and vivacity, energy and enthusiasm, and penchant for travel, it was only a matter of time before the WGM went global. Susanne already had previous experience of collecting funds for three years for TRF. When she met PDG Mukesh Malhotra in London, the two decided to set up the World’s Greatest Meal (WGM) to end polio by urging Rotarians to give a little more for any meals they might attend or organise in Rotary. And what better medium than social media to do so! “We formed a group on FB and started with 30, a few of them PDGs, and invited a lot of friends.” Those 52 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

who sign up for the WGM share a meal with their club members, friends, family or office colleagues in any way they choose. During the meal, donations are sought for the End Polio Now campaign, and the participants can decide if they wish to hold a frugal meal in place of a full meal, and donate the difference in cost. Or just donate $10 or so above the ticket price. “Or, they can invite friends and neighbours for tea in return for a donation — the ideas and outcomes are limitless,” she says. Till date the WGM has raised a whopping $4 million. “We run raffles, auctions, etc, too and in Brazil, in the biggest event we’ve had, we auctioned Pele memorabilia and raised $67,000. But of course this is not usual and not all our events are big. The smallest we’ve collected is £7 in a really small club. The money we collect through meals at different events, gets tripled

when it reaches Evanston by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation — 1 dollar becomes 3, she says, and the total amount goes towards polio eradication programmes. Internet, social-media driven

Now the WGM has several initiatives going on the Internet and the social media, and she is helped by a Spanish webmaster, Indian co-ordinators and other Rotarians enchanted by Susanne’s energy. Whatever is given by a Rotarian to the WGM counts towards the donor becoming a Paul Harris Fellow. Till now the highest personal donation at WGM is $1,000. “A man I met in London, a nonRotarian and an industrialist from Africa, once offered me a million dollars if I would go to a certain place and have a meal with him. But I declined.”

“Because I knew he would give the money anyway; and he did,” she grins, adding that her idea is to get involved as many Rotarians as possible and take ownership of the polio eradication programme.”

“

A man I met in London, a non-Rotarian and

an industrialist from Africa, once offered me a million dollars if I would go to a certain place and have a meal with him. But I declined.

Teaming with Rotary Flame

There’s an interesting story behind how Susanne got involved in the Polio Flame. An Egyptian friend of RC Madras PP, M K Gopinath, who is an active Rotarian and a friend called and said she wanted the flame in Egypt. Next day, by a co-incidence Susaane wrote to him. Within three days they organised her visit to Chennai; “in no time DG Nazar organised a meeting of 10 clubs and we raised $3,900 for WGM. We did all this in a few days without knowing each other; sometimes you can’t do such things even in

Rtn Susanne Rea at Sir Don Bradman’s KRXVH LQ $XVWUDOLD

“

Why?

six months,” says District 2980 PDG S P Balasubramaniam. As a result RC Madras and WGM joined hands and decided that Susanne would take the flame over 108 days to eight countries during the last leg to eradicate polio from the world. In Chennai she visited the Rotary News Trust office where we hosted a meal for her, without then being aware of how her meals work! But we, and WGM, got a surprise benefactor in the form of the then D DG ISAK Nazar. As Susanne mentioned, mentione in the course of the interview that ju just 14 months down the line, she was short of a total of $2 .55 m illi il lion on bby yam $2.5 million mere $2,200, Nazar quietly announced announced, “That will be my contribution!” Re Reverse mortgaging her h house

As she takes out her heavy bag to give us some WGM trinkets such as pens and badges, Susanne complains about being allowed only 15 kg on domestic carriers in India, the PDG urges me to ask her how she manages her travel across the world. Recently she had taken the Polio Flame to P llegendary cricketer le

Don Bradman’s house in Australia and later to Uganda. So who pays for her global travel? “Oh, I’ve reverse mortgaged my house,” she smiles and relates the story of how last summer, when she had taken a $20,000 limit on her credit card, at one point over $19,000 had been spent. “Oh, I manage,” she smiles and is sometimes sent shopping for more dresses by her webmaster, who is also a Rotary public image coordinator. “He said you are wearing that pink dress too often. Leave it at home. Oh well, as I address many meetings across the world, I have to look presentable … I should know how to talk, which isn’t an issue, fix my hair, and so on!” On how she got polio, she says, “I am 72 and in the olden days they didn’t have polio immunisation.” When young she didn’t need any corrective surgery but “since I was 50 I’ve had 18 surgeries. I have challenges concerning mainly airports and standing.” When she addresses Rotary clubs, where a standard talk takes 20 minutes this is a challenge and though she is requested to sit and speak, “I prefer to talk while walking around. Look, as long as I can do it I will do it.” As for her future plans once polio is eradicated, she says she has already discussed with incoming RI President John Germ to turn this into a general fundraiser for TRF. Designed by L Gunasekaran OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 53

Doing good with TRF help

A mother’s dream accomplished Kiran Zehra In the rural areas of Muzzafarnagar, UP, where there is no healthcare, the Rotary Maya Devi Hospital provides the much needed lifeline for women and children.

f you wanted a haircut you could sit on one chair at the barber’s shop and sit on another chair for healthcare,” says PP Anil Jain of RC Calgary Centennial, D 5360, talking about the nonexistent medical facility in Sarurpur village. Forty years ago, he recalls, “a medical facility meant walking up to my doorstep where my mother Maya Devi, who understood the health challenges of women, especially during pregnancy and delivery, would assist them with some home remedy.” Being the eldest daughter she was not allowed to go to school. Her brothers became engineers while she was married and had to deal with the

54 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

death of two of her children because of lack of medical care. Living in extreme poverty she knew that education was the only way to change the life of her children irrespective of their gender. “Once my sisters had reached the 5th grade they were asked to quit school — a traditional practice,” says Jain. But she did not pay heed to the criticism from the community. “My mother was persistent and my father supportive. For five weeks he accompanied my sisters to school with a bamboo stick (to ward off any conflict).” From the sixth week other girls began to come to school. “My father never had to wield the bamboo stick again because he

knew that together the girls were very strong.” Upon Maya Devi’s death, her children, who are now accomplished professionals, “decided to transform their mother’s home in the village into a women’s hospital,” says Jain. RC Muzzafarnagar, D 3100, supported by RC Calgary Centennial, D 5360, the CHILD Foundation and TRF, realised this dream and today “thousands of women and children from over 25 villages now have access to modern medicine for the first time in their lives,” he adds. Dr Pragya Jain, the Chief Gynaecologist of Rotary Maya Devi Hospital says this facility had to

deal with local attitude initially. “A rich landlord said ‘Free hai? Toh yeh garibon ka aspatal hoga! (If it’s free then it’s only for the poor.)’ During awareness rallies and health check up camps we often heard comments like, ‘Zyada padhe likhen logon ko koi kaam nahi hota. (Educated people have no other work.)’ But slowly the villagers realised that this hospital had more to offer.” Shunned as infertile and sterile earlier, many women are now able to bear children. But the facility is often inundated with expectant mothers with pregnancy-related complications. Dr Pragya recalls the case of Rekha, who had heavy internal bleeding and incessant abdominal pain. She was brought in to the hospital only to find her fourmonth old pregnancy was terminated. Within a year of counselling and nutritious diet she is on the motherhood path again. Many women in the region suffer from anaemia. They do not take prescribed medicines. “We tell them ‘palak khao, channe khao (eat greens, eat chickpeas)’ that’s how they understand,” says Dr Pragya. Water-borne diseases are another serious matter here. So a water puifier has been installed at the hospital to provide clean drinking water for the villagers. “Often the hospital has more children than patients filling up water to take back home,” says club member Suneel Aggarwal. Sanitation programmes and awareness rallies are taken up by the club to discourage open defecation. RAGMHI Contact details Rtn Rita Aggarwal’s contact details were inadvertently missed in her article: Rotary Action Group on Mental Health Initiatives, published in the September issue. She is a member of RC Nagpur, D 3030, and the only Indian on the Board of Directors of RAGMHI. She can be contacted at: rita.aggarwal@gmail.com; Mobile: 09823073986.

Membership in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives As on September 1, 2015

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

5 5 5 4 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

2981 2982 3000 3011 3012 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

104 66 113 64 70 77 92 98 65 68 56 95 114 77 78 84 107 71 136 81 148 92 66 126 140 97 134 137 133 90 78 146 79 98 75 80 56 104 174 122 152 90 4,133

4,504 2,978 4,853 2,778 2,915 3,895 4,963 2,232 2,413 3,512 2,128 3,914 3,162 3,208 2,037 2,029 3,446 2,805 5,664 3,396 7,573 3,319 2,320 5,112 5,651 4,173 5,042 5,137 4,217 3,643 2,081 6,145 2,843 3,660 2,434 2,854 976 1,884 5,064 3,258 4,008 3,120 1,51,346

217 117 427 378 302 217 557 279 177 535 217 336 260 172 101 104 189 247 1,009 326 1,055 272 101 304 262 351 262 280 249 161 248 600 327 579 267 306 140 343 659 276 662 389 14,260

44 33 155 27 44 60 52 33 38 28 14 40 50 49 27 10 45 31 56 49 110 71 9 30 41 60 72 71 9 21 69 140 45 40 14 33 35 21 195 111 47 96 2,225

196 102 315 109 88 239 187 90 119 127 30 96 129 154 34 84 46 48 180 104 342 163 37 260 366 133 92 362 67 145 184 391 122 186 97 62 14 35 79 21 103 96 5,834

RCC

164 37 78 28 53 264 128 133 330 125 90 108 58 98 122 146 62 48 68 89 140 109 80 155 145 41 46 39 119 118 94 298 125 171 42 68 13 34 178 38 536 89 4,907

Source: RI South Asia Office

opea parviflora, Actinodaphne malabarica, Cynometra beddomei — Sounds Greek and Latin? These are the botanical names of some of the plant species on the verge of extinction. The Rotarians of RC Payyanur, D 3202, have came up with a unique community project — an attempt to preserve and revive some of the endangered flora varieties that are endemic in the Western Ghats region. The club with support and guidance from the Botany Department of Payyanur College have set up arboretums in various parts of Payyanur in Kerala. Naming it the ‘Threatened Trees Conservation Garden,’ they planted 1,111 saplings of 111 species of globally threatened plant troves. “One hundred and eleven plant varieties to commemorate Rotary’s 111 th anniversary,” said the club president C R Nambiar. The saplings have been planted in the club’s oneacre vacant plot at Muthathy, and at Payyanur college campus, Edanad and Kunhimangalam, where the local people also pitched in and have promised to help in the maintenance of the plants. Without proper conservation, several medicinal plants have disappeared in the Western Ghats, said Nambiar. Dr Ratheesh Narayanan, a club member and Botany professor in Payyanur College was instrumental in identifying the various species

“

Payyanur’s tryst with forgotten flora Jaishree

PDG V G Nayanar, D 3202, planting a sapling in an arboretum. from Wayanad for this club initiative. A scientist in plant taxonomy with about 15 years of association with the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation, Narayanan has done a lot of research on the globally endangered plant varieties that are endemic to the region. Wayanad, in the Western Ghats, is a

Preserving such endangered

trees will not only help in educating

students about the diversity of plants but

“

will also serve as source material for micro propagation. 56 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

haven of biodiversity. Classified under categories such as critically endangered, vulnerable and rare, at least 352 globally threatened tree species grow here. Several of them have medicinal properties; “their barks and leaves are used in preparing arishtams and kashayams, that our State is known for, to treat complex disorders. These species need our attention and have to be protected,” he said. The ex-situ preservation of such endangered trees will not only help in educating the student community about the diversity of plants but can also serve as source material for micro propagation, he added. How about the post-planting care that is equally vital for the plants to grow? “These saplings are like our children; we will nurture them with utmost love and care,” assured the club president.

Doing good with TRF help

Microcredit to the rescue Dr Gaurish Padukone Thanks to the microcredit finance project of RC Bhatkal, villagers around Bhatkal enjoy better lifestyle today.

anapi Kumbhar, displaying her new potter’s wheel bought with a loan from her Self Help Group (SHG) says, “With one wheel my husband and I could earlier make earthenware pots for only the Bhatkal shandy. We are now able to make pots and other items for three weekly shandies in Bhatkal, Murdeshwar and Manki. Our weekly income has increased three times ... God bless the Rotarians.” Aruna Madival, member of Omkar Swasahaya Sangh, Shirali, who used the microcredit loan funds to pay tuition fees for her daughter in a school in Bhatkal, adds that but for this loan her daughter could not have attended a private school. Since 2009 RC Bhatkal, D 3170, has been promoting financial independence in the women of villages in and around the Bhatkal taluka in Karnataka with microcredit loans. TRF has sanctioned this project worth Rs 13 lakh, which has financial support from RC La Jolla Sunrise, D 5340, California, USA, and District 2080, Italy.

How it works The club gives loans ranging from Rs 50,000 to Rs 100,000 to SHGs formed with rural women as members. They meet weekly and pool in their savings which are deposited in a savings bank account. SHGs disburse small loans to their members for income-generating activities such as candle making, floriculture, purchase of irrigation pumps for vegetable gardens and sewing machines to set up small tailoring units. Microcredit loans have also

SHG members making candles. helped them to pay for their children’s education. Vocational training courses and skill development programmes are also organised by the club in association with the government for the SHGs, who are also educated on the importance of saving, family planning and personal hygiene. Six such groups have been given a total loan of Rs 1 million between 2010–12, and the entire capital has been repaid along with interest. The Project Committee has formed 10 new SHGs in 2014–2015. “I have a cleaner, smoke-free kitchen and no back-breaking journeys to the forest to collect firewood. I used to cook food for the entire family of 12 on wood fire all these years,” says Gangamma Gonda of Neerkanta village. A loan from Shri Annapoorneshwari Swasahaya Sangh has helped her purchase a gas stove and also get an LPG connection. The microcredit project funds helped Nagalaxmi Naik, an

SHG member, to pay off the medical bills for her son’s emergency surgery at a city hospital and Kalpana Gonda, a member of Nagashree Swasahaya Sangh in Jali village, to construct a toilet for her home.

Upgrading daycare centres The second part of the MG project was to develop good daycare centres for children of working women in rural areas. The existing anganwadis are large halls where children are looked after and given midday meals. The children are taught rhymes and folk songs, alphabets and numbers from paintings on the walls. Under this project, the Rotarians have so far equipped five day care centres with colourful desks and chairs, educational toys, given teaching aids to teachers and equipment and utensils for the meals. They plan to upgrade the facilities of 15 more centres this year. (The writer is member of RC Bhatkal, D 3170.) OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 57

Doctor, heal thyself Bharat and Shalan Savur

t was a ride on the wild side. Super-charged with adrenaline, I paced the space like a caged tiger, mind on fire, words crying to be heard. Sentences exploded: “A thought is only a thought!” “Nothing happens, nothing has happened, nothing is happening, nothing will ever happen!” I wrote like a maniac not knowing then that it was soon to be a book — The Long Road to Nowhere: from Is to Bliss (Zen Publications). Apparently, my eyes had become large and extraordinarily clear. My last rush of words before being driven to the hospital, I was told, were: “I don’t know if I’m crazy or enlightened!” And here’s the crux of the story: I was blessed! I had three caring doctors charting my stars to recovery. Just because my blood pressure had risen and I was speaking repetitively, I was an ICCU candidate! Fortunately, one of the three wise doctors, my dear sister Deepika, said firmly, “Not the ICCU. It’s too cold and impersonal. He’ll recover faster if he sees people around him.” Truer words have never been spoken. No distant ‘all-nightvigilance’ in chilling, sterile conditions can replace the warm, loving hand on the brow.

Needless tests I did not undergo a battery of needless tests, just those required. I came out with flying colours — lungs, heart, kidney, liver were healthy and oxygen levels good. My hugely relieved sister attributed it to my daily fitness and meditation regime. I concur heartily. Tip: Pedal on your stationary bike for an hour daily. Do stretches with 58 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

Healing Touch: PRIP Rajendra K Saboo has organised and led many medical missions in India and Africa where Rotarian doctors operate/consult for no other consideration except caring and healing.

springs. And crunch those abs. Since my sodium level had dropped by three points, I was put on a saline drip for five days. I had always thought I was the salt of the earth. Apparently, the next day, I was chanting “I surrender. Peace.” And I was at peace. Right through this unexpected experience, I was super confident that there was nothing wrong

in my body. Years of fitness silently nurture body and mind. When you surrender to healing forces, you enjoy a childlike immunity to ill-being. With firm resolve, I walked the path my pen had set: “Remember, pranic and panic are an ‘r’ apart. That ‘r’ is respiration. Breathe deeply. Panic disappears. Pranic energy re-flows.” Tip: In good and bad times, concentrate

on your breathing. Often, brain and body come up with a subconscious knee-jerk panic attack. Deep, consistent breathing beats counting to 10. It also helps to repeat the healing affirmation of the Masters: “I will my life force to charge through my nerves and muscles big and small, my tissues, limbs and all, with vibrant tingling fire, with burning joyous power. In blood and glands by sovereign command I bid you flow, by my command, I bid you glow.” In a system gone callous where pharma companies and some practitioners are in an unholy alliance, my three doctors tower as true heroes. Shining examples to the growing tribes of medicos who see a patient as one more number to achieve their ‘target’ for the hospitals they work for, prescribing tests and surgeries merely to collect commissions. These over-the-top practices are justified by many in the profession as a ‘preventive action’ against patient litigation. But how many in India have the gumption, resources and energy to take a medical practitioner to court?

Invasive procedures More disturbing are the invasive procedures imposed on the terminally ill not just for profiteering, but also as a ‘classroom lesson’ where medical students are invited (without the family’s permission) to watch the specialist’s prowess. This actually happened with my mother-in-law, the insensitivity of the senior doctor was appalling. A doctor must be sensitive to every individual’s right to live or pass away in peace and dignity. Ethics, values and humaneness must grow, not diminish, with the advance of technology. A doctor who punishes patients for profits, power or prestige punishes himself/herself first — a precious spark of love dies inside. Dr Atul Gawande, a renowned surgeon in the USA, puts it beautifully in his book Being Mortal: Medicine and what matters in the end, “People with serious

Rotarian doctors at a medical camp in Sikar (Rajasthan) organised by RC Sikar, D 3052.

illness have priorities besides simply prolonging their lives … avoiding suffering, strengthening relationships …. being mentally aware, not being a burden on others, and achieving a sense that their life is complete … Our system of technological medical care has utterly failed to meet these needs. The question is how we can … actually help people achieve what’s most important to them at the end of their living.” I applaud the good doctor’s deep concern and thoughtfulness. I wish that doctors, who look more into the health of their profits than the health of their patients, could look deep into their core and rediscover that great seed of love and goodness that resides in them. Understanding and compassion along with the determination to heal the sick and strengthen the weak is a bountiful energy that lights up the doctor’s life with genuine purpose. Why undermine it?

When professional life is conducted with kindness of honesty and truth, deep fulfillment and joy abound. Indeed, we are happy not because of our wealth but because of our enormous capacity to love. As that great Master Thich Nhat Hanh revealed, “The secret to maintaining happiness is to nourish our love every day,” and exhorted, “Don’t allow success or craving for money and power to replace your love.” To that end, I urge doctors to redirect and re-dedicate their intentions to the greater, higher purposes they had started their medical career with. Daily, sit comfortably, eyes closed gently. Concentrate on your breath, the rise and fall of your stomach. Now, put your honorable intentions into these affirmations. When you open your eyes, open your heart, and let the pure healer in you emerge. (The writers are authors of the book ‘Fitness for Life.’) OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 59

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Where physiotherapists excel Kiran Zehra

he story of little Raghav, who was facing death in February 2011, is heartrending. The four-year-old child had damaged his neck bone in an accident and was at a risk of permanent paralysis. After multiple surgeries he was discharged but needed extra help. When he enrolled at the AN Chaturvedi Rotary Physiotherapy Centre, his head was dropping and he couldn’t look up. “His t-shirt would be always wet as the saliva kept dripping from his mouth. Thanks to the doctors and physiotherapist here, today he can look at me straight and I don’t have to carry a towel to wipe his mouth constantly,” says his mother wiping her tears. Sponsored by RC Kankaria, D 3051, the club, chartered as RC Vejalpur, is now called RC Ahmedabad West. With no pucca meeting place, the Rotarians met regularly under the trees of Unnati Primary School’s garden, “and one such meeting resulted in the establishment of this physiotherapy centre,” says club member Jayvant Kamdar. Earlier patients had to travel nearly 8 km to a nearby town for treatment. Named after its highest donor, the physiotherapy centre boasts of a 250,000 strong database and sees nearly 7,000 new patients every year. Club President

“

If you are a young

physio, you know you are

“

going to get quality training here.

Alkesh Patil attributes the centre’s popularity to the dedicated team of doctors, assistants and administrators. Dr Namratha, the chief physiotherapist recalls an incident where a girl whose right hand had almost been paralysed was rushed in. “Her father came in crying and told us that the girl had her board exam in two hours.” This was a challenge as time was limited. After one and a half hours of therapy the girl was able to move her hand. The delighted father donated the much-needed laser equipment to the centre. “Soon word spread about this excellent centre and now patients come here through doctors’ reference and recommendation,” says Rtn Prem Bomb, who adds that many Rotarians, despite their business interests, give time to this centre on a daily basis. Since the place is young and vibrant it is also popular as ‘the place’ to work at. “If you are a young physio, you know you are going to get quality training here. I only treat back pain, another physiotherapist treats shoulder problems and we are allowed to also consult at back and shoulder clinics. That is a bonus for us at the professional level,” says a junior therapist. The 26-year-old club is involved in a variety of welfare projects; its literacy programme in the slums has earned it the name: sadkon ke shiqshaq (roadside educators). OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 61

The media over TCA Srinivasa-Raghavan With the advent of social media, have “professional journalists” become a dying breed?

few years ago, a local TV channel in Delhi sent a very young girl to get a ‘bite’ from a very senior minister after he had finished his speech somewhere. Dutifully, she stuck the mike in his face and asked him for his comment, which he gave. Then the girl asked him, “Please, Sir, can you tell me your name?” The minister told me he has never recovered from that episode. Journalism wasn’t always so breathless, and, so literally in-your-face.

622 ROTARY ROT OTARY RY NE N NEWS WS OCTOBER OCT TOBE OBER 2015 2015 0

When print was the only medium — radio news has never caught on in India — it was a more relaxed affair. Those who had something to say invited you for a cup of tea and made their statement. You asked your questions politely, without shouting. You got your answers, noted them down, went back and filed your report. It was vetted first by your immediate superior, then by the production crew called the ‘desk.’ The mistakes were ironed out, needless adjectives

were removed, and a sober headline was given. It summarised the news below — instead of asking a question which has become the fashion now to escape legal consequences (eg, ‘Did X rape Y?’ instead of saying ‘X raped Y’).

Lazy reporters There was a negative aspect to this style of journalism — it produced lazy reporters who waited for the news to come to them. Also, since only the government or political parties always

the years had something to say, the ‘news’ was heavily administrative and political. Features were for the women who would write on cooking or curtains and of course the arts — music, dance, etc. The only exception allowed was literature — but not fiction. The liveliest spot in the paper was the sports page because neither entertainment nor business was considered respectable enough to cover. Business, in particular, was shunned almost totally. A company’s name could never be mentioned. Entertainment lived in a journalistic ghetto with its own weekly or fortnightly publications. This form of dictation-journalism began to change in the mid-1970s when editors like the late B G Verghese started the tradition of investigative journalism. He commissioned and printed a series in 1974 that showed how even though Indira Gandhi had inaugurated a large number of ‘development’ projects since 1970, not a single one of them had taken off. He was soon dismissed.

Political journalism takes off It was only after the Emergency that political journalism took off and business journalism became ‘all right’ but was confined to the back pages. The lead was taken by the newly launched magazine India Today. Not only did it start writing about different things, it did so with style and panache with lots of pictures and quotes. It also broke with the tradition of not printing the names of officials or their photos. Daily newspapers took some time to change their ways but this happened in the mid-1980s. Features, business and entertainment now occupied a central place in a newspaper. More importantly, so also rank and age.

You asked your questions politely, without shouting. You got your answers, noted them down, went back and filed your report. By the end of the 1980s, the average age in the print media had dropped to 37. It was full of young generals and younger soldiers. This was the first whiff of breathless journalism. The results were dramatic in terms of sales and profit growth.

Enter TV journalism! But all good things must end and in the 1990s came TV news. To begin with it was only for a few hours a day but by 2000, 24 x 7 TV news had become the norm. After that, print stood no chance and it became only a matter of time before its importance to both the consumer of news and the purveyor of advertisements declined. TV, in ten seconds, reached ten thousand more times the people that print could ever hope to. The next decade, from 2000–2010 was dominated entirely by TV news. The written word became increasingly less popular. There was growth in sales because of the higher number of literate people; but profits were dropping throughout this period. Even so, the combined worth of the media — print and TV — was around Rs 40,000 crore in 2010. It was a good business to be in because if your offering was even reasonably alright, you could make a

small amount of money. But far more importantly, you could wield a lot of influence, if not power.

Social media arrives In the last five years, with the increasing penetration of the Internet and handheld devices, even that has changed. This platform, via Twitter, Facebook and alerts, makes news available instantly, on the move and for free. The generation born after 1985 hardly ever reads ink-on-paper news; and it almost never watches TV news. The downside of Internet-delivered news is that there are no quality filters. But no one seems to care. As a result, the trend of higher top lines and lower bottom lines has continued for print and TV. News has become commoditised. Over the next decade a shakeout is due so that the industry can consolidate. Indeed, with the heavy presence of the large corporates in the media, the process has already begun. It will be interesting to see how things unfold over the next few years. My guess is that Twitter will become the mainstay of staple news and information. In that sense, professional journalists may be a dying breed. Designed by N Krishnamurthy OCT OCTOBER C O CTOBE OBEER 2015 2015 0 RO ARY NEWS ROT ROTARY NEEWSS 63 N 63

Rasheeda Bhagat

A typical wood and stone cottage in the little town of Rougemont.

Aided by its magical Alps, shimmering waters of Lake Geneva, and the delectable cheese-chocolate combo, Switzerland has perfected the art of showcasing its tourism delights.

ince so many journalists from around the world were coming, we specially ordered the rains today to wash our mountains and fill our lakes,” said Jurg Schmid, CEO of Switzerland Tourism. He was addressing 139 international journalists from 35 countries who had landed in Lausanne, on the shores of the glistening waters of Lake Geneva in Switzerland, on a wet and cloudy day. As we walked in large groups towards the Olympic Museum, where a reception was hosted for us, locals watched in wonder huge groups of red ‘My Switzerland’ umbrellas moving across the streets towards the beautiful museum which houses the largest archives of Olympic Games. Each year Switzerland Tourism unveils a special theme; while last year it showcased the charm of the Swiss Alps, this time it is the beauty of the Lake Geneva region in the Vaud Canton through the Grand Tour, a 1,600 km road trip linking the country’s most popular tourist and natural destinations. As Schmid said, the beauty of this route was that one could do it in different stretches, splitting the route into flexible journeys. “Depending on the time you have you can do this trip in stretches of 6–8 days or have a long, peaceful and luxurious holiday for 34 days,” he smiles. And you also have multiple options for the starting point; beginning your trip from either Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Lugano or some other popular towns. Apart from 11 UNESCO sites, the Grand Tour includes Switzerland’s pride — the snow-capped Matterhorn peak.

Scenic train journeys Perhaps frustrated by the overcrowded Indian trains, always a challenge for reservations, Indian tourists have always loved to travel on trains in Europe, where most of the time a reservation is not needed! Switzerland is no exception and as the Grand Route has a train option too, Indians might want to grab it, OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 65

This church is very popular with Indian tourists because the hero and heroine in a very famous Indian movie were shown here. Of course Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in DDLJ, I smile.

particularly as this route passes through some of the most picturesque spots in Switzerland’s pastoral beauty. But please be careful while buying train tickets whether online or from stations in Switzerland. Frequent travellers used to the Swiss Pass will now have to categorically ask for the Swiss Travel Pass, as earlier this year the Swiss authorities have made a distinction between the two; the first for locals and the second for foreigners. At different points in our trip, in this region famous for its vineyards, we are shown stone walls specially constructed around vineyards to soak up the warmth of the sun which gives a special quality to the grapes and the wine made from those grapes. The whites are more famous here than the reds, which worked fine for me! Apart from its famous wine, cheese and chocolates, Vaud is home to 55 sports federations and bodies; the International Olympic Committee headquarters is located here.

Art of watchmaking From Lausanne, I first visit an important route on the Grand Tour — the Jura Vaudois National Park, a huge expanse of forest in mountainous land, which is dry this year because of insufficient rainfall. After some refreshing coffee and local cheese in a traditional chalet here, we are taken to the ubiquitous watch museum — Espace Horloger — for which the Valley de Joux is famous. Some of the most famous brands in the world are displayed at the museum which was renovated three years ago at a cost of 1.4 million Swiss Francs. Vincent Jaton, the

manager, explains that the huge variety of watches and clocks on display here, some of them dating back a few hundred years, are a collection from watch manufacturers and individuals. Watchmaking became popular here because in harsh winter months, the farmers didn’t have much to do during the days and started making complicated watches, and slowly the region emerged as a centre of excellence in international watchmaking. Over time the Valley became the cradle of complicated watchmaking. Those of you who have been smitten by Swiss watches would be most happy to play around the three interactive tables in this museum which allow visitors to explore the different skills required to make a “complicated watch” — movement, watch exterior, decoration and finish. It is fascinating to watch the micromechanics that come into play to make the perfect and dependable Swiss watch. In these computerised and interactive panels, which allow you to send emails or share stuff on social media, it is easy to get totally immersed in the glamorous world of Swiss watchmaking. Some of the clocks with pendulums are obviously heirlooms, which must have been handed over from one generation to another. I quiz Jaton about the collective value of the watches in the museum and the man who is amazed that such a guess can even be attempted, says majestically, “It is impossible to give you the price … it is priceless.”

Golden Pass Train A highlight of my tour is taking the Golden Pass train that links Montreux to Lucerne, via Chateau d’Oex, where our group was headed. A class by itself, the luxuriously done-up first class coach of the train takes you right back to the famous Agatha Christie thriller and famous Hollywood movie Murder on the Orient Express. It has an old world feel of luxury with its plush and ample seats, wooden interior and classic décor. Nicolas is in charge of giving us details and tells us stories bordering on fairy tales. Such as an 86-year-old lady, whose house is along the picturesque route of this journey and who sits out in her garden the entire day and has spent the last 50 years of her life waving to passengers like us! Or how Santa Claus, while flying “with Rudolf, his reindeer, across the Lake Geneva region during one of his journeys, saw this beautiful region, had a glass or two of our wonderful wine, and when Rudolf suddenly scratched his foot a little bit, they had to land. He loved our lake and our mountains and has now decided to spend most of the year here!” We all have a good laugh and add bits to make the story even more entertaining. As Nicolas is a handsome Swiss with sharp features, our female-majority group is compelled to listen to his tales! With the greenest grass you have ever seen, even after a scorching summer, the shimmering waters of the lake, the beautiful wooden cottages and the grassy slopes of the mountains for company, who wouldn’t want to live here, we chant in unison. Nicolas next tells us about the Chocolate Train — oh yes there is one such train — where you can “eat as many chocolates as you like before visiting Nestle’s chocolate factory, where you can eat more chocolates.” Mercifully, he soon pulls out a box of delicious Swiss chocolates and distributes its contents to a very hungry bunch of journalists. The Romanesque church at Rougemont.

Depending on the time you have, do this trip in 6–8 days, or have a long, peaceful and luxurious holiday for 34 days. – Jurg Schmid CEO, Switzerland Tourism

Before we disembark, he shows us a little cathedral saying: “This church is very popular particularly with groups of Indian tourists who like to visit it because the hero and heroine in a very famous Indian movie were shown here.” Of course he has no clue about the movie! Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in DDLJ, I smile.

Cheese making and fondue We are next headed for a cheese and fondue experience at a traditional restaurant — Restaurant Le Chalet — where OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 67

A selection of cheese on offer at the Restaurant Le Chalet.

In the midst of rustic settings, the cheesemaker transforms 160â&#x20AC;&#x201C;200 litres of milk in a huge cauldron kept over open fire into special organic cheese, right before our eyes. 68 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

bang in the midst of rustic settings, the cheesemaker transforms over 160 litres of milk in a huge cauldron kept over open fire into special organic cheese, right before our eyes. We are first welcomed with a typical Swiss snack â&#x20AC;&#x201D; wine, bread, cheese and smoked meats. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a glorious summer day and we enjoy the green outdoor ambience, as the milk is boiling and the cheese granules separating. One person is required to remove the granules; I hesitate looking at the huge quantity but am assured that the farmer will do most of the work. After donning a brown leather apron, stirring the milk a little bit, more for pictures than anything else, the

cheesemaker makes me hold one end of a large piece of thin, muslin-like white cloth. I watch in horror as he pours some ice-cold water on his fingers and plunges them right into the boiling cauldron to place the cloth near the bottom! Together we haul out the cheese granules. The entire quantity, along with the cloth, is placed within a round cane frame, the excess water is drained out with the farmer patting it firmly several times. Our lunch has been arranged here and we leave the circular block of cheese to cool and set. Lunch is simple, yet delicious … freshly baked bread pieces dipped into a typical Swiss cheese fondue and savoured with sips of white wine. After about an hour or so, the cloth is removed from the hardened cheese block which will now be transferred into the cellar, where it will remain for six months or so before it’s ready to eat.

A coach in the Golden Pass train.

A Romanesque church Visiting a Romanesque church in Rougemont town, laid out in the shape of a cross and built by monks in the 11th century, is an experience to cherish. It has been rebuilt several times and our local female tour guide, dressed in a black top and skirt, wearing a straw hat and carrying a quaint cane basket in lieu of the normal women’s handbag, is an instant hit with us. She explains the “difficult history” of this church, which has been rebuilt several times. It is dedicated to Saint Nicolas de Myre, a martyr of the 4th century and the patron saint of children. During the Bernese reign, the priory was demolished and a castle for the bailiffs was put in its place. Major restoration work from 1919–1926 uncovered a rich haul A complicated watch at the watch museum.

Watchmaking became popular in Valley de Joux because in harsh winters the farmers didn’t have much to do during the long days and started making complicated watches.

of beauty … the stones of the building hitherto hidden by five layers of plaster. The ceiling has now been remade with wooden beams, and the wood, together with the stone walls of the church painted in bright orange and brown, add a unique sense of warmth and quaintness, compelling you to sit down and pray, irrespective of the faith you belong to. Waves of calm, peace and content engulf me … and I wonder what better way to round off a day filled with cheese, chocolate and wine, and train rides with Santa stories? Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat Designed by Krishnapratheesh OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 69

Of greying stewardesses and thirsty cows Rasheeda Bhagat

A makeshift boat-like tent in a vineyard on the banks of Lake Geneva.

n a Swiss Air flight from Delhi to Zurich last month, as a woman who has opted not to colour her hair and allow the natural process of ageing to determine its colour, I am pleasantly surprised to see a senior stewardess in Business Class briskly going about her work with her hair, styled in a simple ponytail, revealing ample silver strands. I don’t normally travel Business Class; it was just luck of the draw and I had got upgraded. Initially the lady at the check-in counter had tried to bump me off with an attractive offer — a night’s complimentary stay in a swank Delhi hotel and €600 if I volunteered to take the next flight. Not on a holiday, but on an invite from the Switzerland Tourism Department for its annual media event when it unveils its annual theme for the year, the tempting offer had to be declined. This year Switzerland Tourism is promoting the Grand Tour of Switzerland, a 1,600 km road trip linking the country’s most popular tourist destinations through a stunningly scenic journey.

This July, thanks to deficient rainfall, the Swiss army airlifted water for the cows at the Jura Vaudois Nature Park. 70 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

On the flight I compliment Angela, the stewardess, for not giving in to the stereotyped norms of beauty, and tell her she is making a positive statement with her decision not to allow the ghisa-pita definition of “beauty” to look younger by colouring her hair. She smiles and says: “Yes, my sister couldn’t believe it when I decided to grey naturally two years ago.” She did it seeking relief from the irritating regimen of colouring her hair every week. I told her quite a few Indian women are doing just that, including popular TV anchors. As both of us toast to the 21st century woman’s decision to make her own rules about her personal beauty space, an Indian stewardess on the same flight — younger but with obviously dyed jet black hair — intervenes with an outrageous comment on how “silver strands in the hair of European women look nice but make us Indian women look old.” I sigh and let it pass. At 37,000 ft, at 3 a m, there’s only that much energy you have, even in the J cabin!

Bollywood’s gift to Swiss tourism I am part of an international media group of 139 journalists from 35 countries Switzerland Tourism has invited for their annual tourism promotion. Thanks to Yash Chopra and later the spectacular success of DDLJ, the Indian market is important for Switzerland, the most expensive destination in Europe for us price-sensitive Indians. But brought up on a Bollywood diet of the picturesque snow-capped Swiss Alps, the verdant green Alpine region, the shimmering

waters of Lake Geneva and of course the irresistible cheese and chocolates, not to mention global industry captains oozing economic gyan at the annual World Economic Forum meets at Davos, Switzerland has its own charm for Indian travellers. The Swiss penchant for punctuality is well known and all of us are familiar with the cliché that you can set your watch by the arrival or departure of a Swiss train, but on this visit, I am blown away by Swiss Tourism’s endeavour to give the visiting journalists a unique experience at Lake Geneva in Lausanne … sorry that should be Lake Leman, the locals hate the “English name Lake Geneva!”

Many 21st century women are finally deciding to make their own rules about their personal beauty space, and grey naturally. toilets of five-star quality at the temporary venue. There is no evidence to show that this is a make-shift facility. Till late evening, there is no hint of stench. I inquire, and am told that “5–6 people were exclusively in charge of cleaning the toilets for the entire evening.”

Perfection to the core After an hour or so of a live jazz band and heavenly music that compels you to jive on your seat, some excellent wine from the local vineyards of the Vaud Canton, we are transferred by buses to the nearby wine-making village of Epesses, which is bang on the shores of the lake. The streets are a little narrow to accommodate so many buses, but even that is taken care of! A police patrol car has been organised to ensure that way is made for the buses. We reach the charming little wine-producing village which has picture postcard quality vineyards nestling close to the shimmering waters of the lake. Here, for a week, Switzerland Tourism has worked to create a few boat-like white tents to seat all of us, ensuring each journalist gets a view of the lake. Very thoughtfully each chair is covered with a blanket in case the evening gets cold! While my European friends swear by the aperitif of semi-cooked fish and the main course of rarely done beef with saffron risotto, I eat up only the rice and pass the rest, till of course the dessert arrives. But for me, used to stinking loos at the Chennai airport and elsewhere, the takeaway of the evening is neither the spectacular view of the sun going down on Lake Leman, nor the delicious white wines; it is the construction of

A live Jazz band on the boat.

Army airlifts water for cows This is not all; only that morning, during a visit to the Jura Vaudois Nature Park, that covers a fifth of this region’s territory — apart from hosting some of the most famous watch brands in its lovely watch museum — while enjoying the cool winds at an elevation of 1,447 metres, we hear a lovely story from our guide. Only the earlier fortnight, having sweated through a historical high of 37 deg C in Vienna and Prague, the last two places an Indian expects to get scorched, it comes as no surprise that Switzerland has had a harsh summer too. Add to it low rainfall, and the Swiss army had to carry out an unusual operation — airlifting water for the thirsty cows. The Swiss cows play an important role in the economy, producing quality milk for Swiss iconic products — cheese and chocolates — and have to be taken care of. A cow, I learn, needs at least 100–150 litres of water a day to provide optimum milk. This July, with the temperatures rising to a very un-Swiss 32 deg C and the deficient rainfall running off the mountainous region, there was a huge shortage of water for some 200,000 cows of this region — more than the human population of the area. So Swiss soldiers came to the rescue; installing water tanks in this region of the Vaud Canton, and filling them up with water air-lifted from the lake! But while this ‘Operation Water’ was funded by the Swiss government, when other Swiss Cantons started clamouring for similar assistance to quench the thirst of their livestock, the military made it clear that henceforth the Cantons will have to foot the bill for water ordered for their cows! We, the visitors listened and watched in fascination and returned home with an even bigger halo about all things Swiss! Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 71

lilting tribal tune catches the attention of a group of women gathered at the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) centre in Jidu Pandra village, Ranchi district. As they keenly listen to the beautiful voice of Suman Devi, 25, singer and composer, gradually the Nagpuri lyrics explaining the ill-effects of child marriage start to sink in. When the melody comes to an end, in the ensuing stillness, Suman opens a discussion on healthcare for women and adolescents. Songs have greater appeal than lengthy speeches. They help me break the ice with the community. I write, compose and sing songs on health, sanitation and regressive social practices such as child marriage and dowry. I start every meeting with a musical number and when everyone’s listening I go on to talk on subjects like the need for immunisation, taking iron pills and nutrition for pregnant women,” says Suman, a barefoot auditor for the village. There are 70 barefoot auditors, or Gram Arogya Sakhas, of which 60 are women. They work in villages across 15 Gram Panchayats in two blocks of Ranchi and Hazaribagh districts, sensitising rural communities on government health schemes and helping them avail and monitor these services. They have been trained through intensive workshops conducted by Child in Need Institute (CINI), an NGO in Jharkhand, working on mother and child health under Oxfam India’s DFID-supported Global Poverty Action Fund initiative, ‘Improving Maternal Health Status in Six States of India. “The trainees were identified by the Village Health, Sanitation and Nutrition Committee (VHSNC) in each village on the basis of their networking skills, ability to communicate, awareness levels and commitment to the cause of social development. About 25 of them were 72 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

Jharkhand’s

barefoot AUDITORS Ajitha Menon already working as ‘Sahiyas’ under the government’s National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) and had experience in community mobilisation,” says Faiz Ahmed, CINI’s Project Coordinator. “I had to go to every home in the village and ask women to come for meetings to talk about health matters. Despite being from the community, I faced a lot of resistance. There was a general unwillingness to take time out. The progress was gradual, but once the benefits became apparent, more women started turning up on their own,” says Poonam Devi, another barefoot auditor of Chetanbari village. The barefoot auditors take advice and guidance from CINI trained field animators. For every seven villages, there is one field animator who plans awareness strategies and monitors the implementation of health services. “With our dedicated approach we have managed to earn the trust of the villagers. The work we have put in over the last three years since the project began has started to bear

fruit now. The excellent results ensure that service providers take our inputs, suggestions and complaints very seriously as they realise that we have the backing of the entire community,” says Siben Devi, a field animator. Her masterful assessment is bang on. In each of the 70 villages, the impact of the intervention is visible. Today, the ICDS is functioning without a hitch, infants get their government-sponsored meal on

A barefoot auditor counsels a group of village women.

“

The barefoot auditors

have emerged as a skilled force, gradually turning the wheels

“

time everyday and their height and weight is being tracked to monitor malnutrition. The Anganwadi workers and Sahiyas carry out routine immunisations without fail; pregnant and lactating women get their monthly nutrition packets; women and adolescent girls are taking their iron pills and regular blood testing for anaemia is being done and expectant women are regular with their pre-natal check-up. Almost all childbirths in the last three years have taken place at a hospital, and infant and maternal mortality have notably been very low in all these villages in this period. “Our barefoot auditor Rita Kumari has changed our lives. Earlier, we had no idea about the government health services, let alone availing or benefiting from them. It is her repeated counselling and campaigning that has made everyone in the village realise

towards positive social change in the villages.

the significance of these services. Now we treat her advice as gospel truth,” says Gudiya Devi of Palu village. In the last three years, only one woman in Palu has died in childbirth and that too because her husband failed to call the barefoot auditor or the free Mamata ambulance service when her labour pains started. “We give our number to the pregnant women and their husbands and also write on the walls of their homes and the village office the phone number of the free ambulance service available under the Janani Suraksha Yojana (a safe motherhood intervention under the NRHM). The moment we get the call, we ring for the ambulance and reach the pregnant woman’s house. I have often accompanied the women to the Primary Health Centre or the hospital,” says Rita Kumari. Apart from counselling pregnant women and their families, these barefoot auditors have become trusted friends of teenage girls in the community as most of them are young — between 20 to 30 years — and are able to relate better to teenage concerns. “I was using cloth during menstruation and it was very uncomfortable. Due to constant itching, I got infection but I could not even tell my mother,” recalls Suman Kumari, 17, of Palu village. Fortunately, the youngster

was able to shed her inhibition in front of Rita. “I spoke to her as she was more approachable. She took me to a doctor for treatment and told me to use sanitary napkins being provided by the government through the Sahiyas. Now every girl in our village uses napkins that come for Rs 6 for a box. I even convinced my mother to start using them,” Suman adds. Besides solving their health problems, the barefoot auditors have won the confidence of the younger girls as they staunchly stand up against child marriage, domestic violence and dowry. Take the case of Gudiya (15) of Bada Ulatu village. When she discovered that her parents had fixed her marriage, she sought the help of Poonam Kumari, a barefoot auditor. Not only did Poonam speak to the marriage broker, Rashmi Devi, and pointed out that she could end up in jail for facilitating an underage union, she even got Rashmi to convince Gudiya’s parents to break the alliance. Talk about barefoot auditors in any of the 70 villages and there are many glorious stories that people come forward to share. Clearly, they have emerged as a skilled force that is providing much-needed counsel, improving access to healthcare and gradually turning the wheels towards positive social change. (© Women’s Feature Service) OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 73

Two Rotary books Jaishree

Three lakh whatsapp messages do the trick

ver wondered why a Rotarian’s wife is referred to as ‘Rotary Ann’ or the historical story of how women were included as members in the organisation? Read the book The Power of Rotary: How to make a difference in your world, for the answers. A collection of Rotary nuggets, this book is an outcome of Satinder Nath Khanna’s 38 year journey in the organisation. Known to friends and fellow Rotarians as Sati, he was president of RC Nagpur, D 3030, (erstwhile D 314) in 1990, and an accomplished industrialist specialising in flexible packaging. The book contains an exhaustive research on Rotary’s historical and meaningful activities in the last 110 years. With information on Rotary’s origin, administration, service avenues, TRF and some ideas on how to make life in Rotary interesting, the book is particularly informative for freshers who get lost in the maze during their initial years. They are given just a bare sketch and a couple of booklets that spell out the club’s byelaws when they are inducted. This book has the potential and power to convert a mere member into an active Rotarian.

Team Rotary News

History of RC Ghaziabad

otary Club of Ghaziabad, D 3010, the second oldest club in the District, has brought out the club’s journey since 1952, in ‘History Book.’ The events and the club’s milestone projects have been compiled by Rtn N C Gupta, a club member since 2005. The book includes memories and anecdotes contributed by club members, some of which are interesting and humourous, like the one related by Rtn Sundeep Khanna. He remembers a Pakistani Governor (western part of Pakistan was part of the District then), who used to love bananas more than the expensive platter of dry fruits served to him during his visits. He explained to Khanna that while banana was a novelty where he came from, there was no shortage of grapes and dates back home. One more story he relates is that of a fund raiser where the women donated their gold bangles for the National Defence Fund. 74 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

$ FKLOG EHLQJ ¿WWHG ZLWK WKH /1 DUP

C Indore Uptown, D 3040, along with RC Bangalore Peenya, D 3190, RC Poona Downtown, D 3131 and the Interactors of Choithram School have conducted an LN4 prosthetic arm fitment camp, with artificial arms imported from Ellen Meadows Prosthetic Hand Foundation, San Francisco, USA. Over three lakh messages through Whatsapp and other social networking applications were circulated to spread the word. The pre-fitment condition requires that the patient should have at least 13 cm of residual limb below the elbow, reasonable flexibility and good health. Around 550 patients were fitted with the prosthetics and can now use their new arms. These functional hands allow them to grip, write, drive and do almost everything. Rotarians have also encouraged the beneficiaries to sign up for an organ donation campaign.

CONVENTION

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Korean spas

hen you travel to Seoul for the 2016 Rotary International Convention, 28 May to 1 June, few experiences will bring you closer to the local culture than a visit to a Korean spa, called a jjimjilbang. But don’t expect plush bathrobes and dim rooms filled with candles. This is an entirely different kind of relaxation. You will be required to undress completely and shower before you enter the gender-segregated baths, where you’ll find a number of pools for taking calming dips. You can get a massage, which here means an intense scrubbing over every inch of your skin with something akin to a Brillo pad. Once you are bathed and buffed, the spa provides you with a clean T-shirt and shorts, and you can enter the mixed-gender part of the spa. Standard in most jjimjilbangs are assorted sauna rooms that use different natural elements, such as salt, charcoal, or amethyst — all believed to have healthful effects. You’ll also find communal areas to relax, watch TV, or play games. Some jjimjilbangs are resort-like, with movie theatres, salons and karaoke rooms. The menus are generally healthy but hearty, with a variety of rice, noodle, and soup dishes. Eggs that are baked in the sauna are a staple. Families spend the day at the spa. Couples go on dates. Friends meet to catch up. Visiting the jjimjilbang is a habit that is deeply embedded in Korean life. Register for the 2016 Rotary convention in Seoul at www.riconvention.org.

SEOUL TRAIN

Across

1 React to an injection, perhaps 6 ___ hour 10 Great serves 14 Flawless 15 Fed. agency concerned with safety 16 Ancestral stories 17 Place to visit while at the 11-Down 19 Fit of temper 20 Legally Blonde protagonist 21 Table of contents, e.g. 22 Feels affection for 23 Durable wood 25 Feel affection (for) 26 Cantaloupe cousin 29 Best-friendship, between men 33 Way to work 34 Kin of op. cit. 35 Fed. agency concerned with safety 36 “As-wish” connector 37 With “District,” place to visit while at the 11-Down 40 Wall St. event 41 Storable beds 43 Poker type 44 Sing softly 46 Former brokerage powerhouse

48 Delicately pretty 49 Green fruit 50 Mil.-sponsored college program 51 Selfie, for one 53 Garfield pronouncement 55 Honor card 59 Body parts that may ring 60 With Market, place to visit while at the 11-Down 62 In ___ of 63 Martha of TV 64 Famous Asia Minor sight 65 Corner 66 Heavenly orb 67 Jazz pianist McCoy

Down 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Guinevere, to Arthur Teen fixation 1994 Jodie Foster movie Bakery container Lawn tree Perez or O’Donnell Takes habitually Kubrick’s Eyes Wide ___ Amateur radio operator Third-place finisher After “Rotary International,” event that starts 28 May 2016 12 Pennsylvania port city 13 Tennis divisions

18 22 24 25 26 27 28

29 30 31 32 34 38 39 42 45 47 48 50 51 52 53 54 56 57 58 60 61

Wrist-to-elbow bone Leave in a hurry “___ your pardon!” Musical finale Psychic Edgar Emotionally removed After a word in the title, location of the 11-Down Small air rifle Cheese coat A hundred bucks Ornamental wood Really boning up on Italian wine town Exam for future 60-Down Gets one’s clothes on Unsteady A pair Elwood P.___ (Jimmy Stewart’s Harvey role) Bannister or Miller Skin Ponytail makeup Trench around a castle Irish New Age singer Phrase at a poker table Artists’ study Snarl Hosp. personnel Quantity (abbr.)

Solution in the November issue

Reproduced from The Rotarian

RC Kumbakonam RI District 2981 An awareness camp to help students get financial assistance from banks for further education was conducted at Saraswathi Padasala Girls High School.

RC Villupuram RI District 2982 The club donated a LCD projector to enhance the learning experience for students at Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Villupuram. 76 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

RC Bhavnagar Royal RI District 3060

RC Tiruchirapalli RI District 3000 Adopting Rotary India Literacy Mission’s idea, the Rotarians honoured teachers with the Nation Builder Award on Teachers’ Day.

RC Delhi Midwest RI District 3011 As part of Rotary’s TEACH initiative, the club donated books to Maitri, an NGO that supports underprivileged children.

RC Amritsar Midtown RI District 3070 OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 77

RC Green Greater Noida RI District 3012 Rotarians instituted the Rotary Adarsh School to provide free education to underprivileged children in the region.

RC Vuyyuru RI District 3020 An eye and dental camp was organised at Zilla Parishad School. Dental kits were distributed to the students.

RC Padmini Kota

RC Uklana Mandi

RI District 3052 Rotarians hosted the ‘Kota’s Got Talent’ show. Besides tapping local talent, the event enhanced Rotary’s public image too.

RI District 3090 The club’s ‘Cow Seva’ initiative exhibited Rotarians love for animals. Over 150 cows were fed at the Goshala.

RC Gwalior Central

RC Moradabad Civil Lines

RI District 3053 Educational kits were distributed to underprivileged children to encourage them to attend school regularly.

RC Bhavnagar Royal RC Nagpur West RI District 3030 Many schools in the region participated in an interschool singing competition conducted by the club.

RC Indore Greater RI District 3040 School bags, shoes, stainless steel plates and tumblers were distributed to tribal students of AIM for Seva’s school.

RC Ahmedabad South RI District 3051 Promoting Rotary’s TEACH mission, Rotarians distributed educational kits to 150 students of the municipal school in the region.

RI District 3060 An ophthalmology camp was organised by the club with support from RC Luton North, D 1260, UK. Over 600 patients were treated and cataract surgeries were performed for the needy.

RI District 3100 The club organised a health check-up camp for the students of Yaggh Bhavan Junior High School and provided relevant medicines for the needy.

RC Jhansi RI District 3110 Saplings were planted at Maharani Lakshmibai College, Jhansi, to promote a green environment.

RC Renukoot RC Amritsar Midtown RI District 3070 Initiating the WinS programme the club installed handwash units at a school for the visually challenged.

RI District 3120 Rotarians distributed educational kits to students of Kasturba Balika Vidyalay, Mawarpur and Government Primary School, Rantoola village.

RC Baddi

RC Pune NIBM

RI District 3080 Saplings were planted across the region to promote greenery.

RI District 3131 The club provided a facelift to the Chaturshingi Police Station to provide better amenities to the police personnel there.

RC Jalna Central RI District 3132 About 185 patients of 415 screened were operated at a cataract check-up camp conducted under Global Grants with RC Columbia Missouri, D 6080, USA and TRF at Wai village.

RC Bombay Hanging Garden RC Padmini Kota RI District 3052 78 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

RI District 3140 Rotarians and Inner Wheel

members celebrated Raksha Bandan with police personnel at Malabar Hill Police Station.

RC Tenali Vykuntapuram RI District 3150 The club conducted a dental camp followed by distribution of educational and dental kits for school students at Champadu and Pothumarru villages.

RC Guntakal RI District 3160 Exhibiting its support towards RILM, the club inaugurated an adult literacy programme in Molakalapenta village.

RC Panaji Riviera RI District 3170 Rain coats were distributed to the traffic police of North Goa. Printed with the Rotary wheel, the gift enhanced Rotaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s public image.

RC Mysore North RI District 3180 The club donated moral science books and first aid kits to the government schools in Talur and Murudagally villages.

RC Bangalore Lakeside RI District 3190 Along with Oracle India, an art workshop was conducted for children at Grace Fellowship Charitable Trust, an orphanage.

RC Shoranur RI District 3201 The Rotarians extended medical aid of Rs 5,000 to 30 needy patients in Shoranur and Cheruthuruthy.

RC Trikarpur RI District 3202 A toilet block for girls was

RC Srivilliputtur Town RI District 3212

constructed by the club in partnership with D 7210, USA , and TRF, under Global Grants.

RC Haripad RI District 3211 Toilets and water connection were installed for needy villagers at Mahadevicad village.

RC Srivilliputtur Town RI District 3212 Rotarians undertook cleaning of the Thiruvannamalai canal in order to facilitate storage of water for the neighbouring villages.

RC Ranipet RI District 3230 A job fair was conducted by the club along with DN Leather Solutions Pvt Ltd at Walajapet. Out of 5,000 job aspirants, 750 were placed in various companies.

RC Green Land Silchar RI District 3240 A WinS programme at Tarapur Girls ME School enlightened students on the benefits of healthy habits. Hygiene kits were distributed to them.

RC Saran RI District 3250 Rotarians distributed first aid boxes to various schools in the region.

RC Waiganga Balaghat RI District 3261 The Rotarians adopted the Boda Government Schools at Balaghat to implement WinS programme and gifted geometry boxes to the students.

RC Calcutta Mahanagar RI District 3291 IOL surgeries were conducted at Haricharan Garg Rotary Mahanagar Netralaya for 25 needy patients at a camp organised by the club.

RC Dhulikhel RI District 3292 Zinc sheets to set up temporary homes for earthquake victims were distributed at Kharelthok, Nepal. OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 79

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

Rtn Subhash Jain, RC Ghaziabad Central, D 3012, presented a cheque for $30,000 to RI President K R Ravindran, as his contribution to TRF, at the Intercity Meet held in Gurgaon.

Under RILMâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Asha Kiran programme, Rotarians along with their spouses lit candles and pledged to support education of underprivileged children by donating Rs 2,100 per child.

RC Jaipur Midtown, D 3052, organised a blood donation camp to celebrate the birthday of PRIP Rajendra K Saboo on August 11. The highlight of this occasion was PDG Anil Agarwal donating blood for the 66th time.

Rotarians of D 3262 were part of the Independence Day Parade contingent in Bhubaneswar where Odisha Chief Minister S J Naveen Patnaik took the salute. With an audience of 5,000 people and telecasts in TV channels, it gave good visibility for Rotary.

OCTOBER 2015 ROTARY NEWS 81

IN BRIEF Japan’s penchant for innovative loos Japan is known for its innovative toilets and the Tokyu Departmental Store has now won an unusual award from the Japanese government— offering plush and comfortable toilets to its female customers. The award was given under the ‘women’s empowerment’ category, and these toilets are termed ‘switch rooms,’ striving to give customers a change of mood, with art displays, background music and special fragrance. The Japanese government has presented its maiden toilet awards to 28 municipalities for promoting clean, safe and comfortable public lavatories. The toilet beautification drive is planned to provide a comfortable experience for tourists ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. IIT Bhubaneswar to train Odissi dancers

Body art takes them places

J Manjula, a recipient of DRDO award for ‘Performance Excellence’ and ‘Scientist of the Year 2011’ has been appointed as the first woman Director General of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The new DG was Director — Defence Avionics Research Establishment of DRDO, prior to this appointment. She is credited with designing various sophisticated systems for the Army, Navy, Air Force and Paramilitary.

Green Guru dakshina

In addition to producing engineers, IIT Bhubaneswar will now produce Odissi dancers too. The institute has recently included this classical dance form in its B Tech curriculum, giving it 60 hours. Accomplished Odissi dancers have designed the course which will be an extra-academic activity in the first year and an elective in the next two years. Students who pursue the course in the final year as an optional subject will get a diploma in dance along with their B Tech degree. About ten students have opted for this. 82 ROTARY NEWS OCTOBER 2015

Nagaland’s Mo Naga, Kolkata’s Abhinandan Basu and Delhi’s Manjeet Singh are among the world’s 100 notable tattoo artists featured in the book The World Atlas of Tattoo published by the Yale University Press. While Mo Naga is trying to revive the tattooing tradition of the Nagaland tribals from his studio in Dimapur, Basu’s tattoos highlight Bengali folk art. Singh is known for his photorealistic tattoos and images. The book documents revival of lesser-known indigenous practices from across the globe, including a feature on the Ramnamis of Chattisgarh who cover their bodies with tatoos of the Hindu god Ram’s name.

Chandra Bhushan Tiwari (44) of Lucknow makes his pupils plant saplings in their neighbourhood and water them as his guru dakshina. He runs four schools across the city and educates about 650 children of labourers. Named School Aapke Dwar (school at your doorstep), they are rustic, make-shift schools and Tiwari provides the basic learning kits to his students, sending the best to regular schools and funding their education. He quit his teaching job at the Kendriya Vidyalaya to pursue his passion — promoting education for underprivileged and planting 10 lakh saplings in his lifetime (one lakh planted so far). His wife, a college professor, supports him in this endeavour.

Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat

PRID Yash Pal Das lights the Diya at Vision 20â&#x20AC;&#x201C;20 Seminar in District 3080. Also seen are (From L) RID Manoj Desai, DG David Hilton, Sharmishtha Desai, PDG Shaju Peter and Patricia Mary.

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