Rotary News July 2015 by Rotary News

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July 2015

Navaratna Moments

RI President K R Ravindran at the installation of nine Rotary Club Presidents in Chennai.

From left: D 3230 Governor C R Raju, RI President K R Ravindran and PDG Krishnan V Chari. Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat

10 CONTENTS

From the Editor’s Desk

President Speaks

10 Pay it Forward 16

We recognise your value and appreciate your role

Saving them from sex slavery

Ignorance and illiteracy behind +XPDQ 7UDIÀFNLQJ

Bringing focus to the North East

54 16

44 QR Code for Bidar’s Whispering Monuments 46

A 45-year bonding between German and Indian Rotarians

Israel charms Pune Rotarians

A Rotary Skin Bank in Nagpur

When a ‘homeless’ Governor was motivated

Mending little hearts

58 A discovery of Mexico’s unique cenotes 62

Ethnicity and culture rule this Resort

Project Azmat

LETTERS Lively magazine

Accomplished, multifaceted leaders

was fascinated to go through the profiles of the incoming RI President K R Ravindran and RI Director Manoj Desai. The two are indeed accomplished and multifaceted and hands-on leaders. Charming and colourful, they exude vision and out-of-the-box style of thinking and deep commitment to move forward in breaking the barriers of convention and formality. Rotary of late has suffered stagnancy and clichéd conventions. We are probably in for something refreshing and result-oriented moves. Rotary News, thanks to the flair and passion Rasheeda Bhagat flaunts in her writing and presentation, gives the readers an impetus. After a long time the contents carry a sense of aesthetics and readability. Thanks. PDG JV Reddy, RI District 3160

he personal stories of Ravi and Manoj are so touching and interesting, little touches like Ravi holding his granddaughter Raika, and his folded-hand posture in his study near the bookshelf in his house and his opening up — how did you manage Rasheeda? Hats off to you for the tenacity of purpose … because never did Ravi open up to many of us in India who are close to him. The entire page of Ravi ‘At a glance’ has been very well written. The pictures add a touch of class to the article. The very next article on RIDE Manoj is equally informative and excellently executed. His acknowledgement of the mentor in Kalyan (Banerjee) speaks high of his sense of values. Here too the ‘At a glance’ page informs us of his personal traits. Your Editorial on the Nepal disaster made me feel sadder than when I read it in the newspapers. You have a knack of painting pictures with words. RID Prabhakar’s First Thoughts with poetry interwoven, was heart warming. Robin Gupta’s Imperial Delhi and Jaishree’s School quality matters and Amazing Annettes, Kiran Zehra’s Big Club in a Small Town are all worth reading. Rtn Nan Narayenen, RC Madurai West-D 3000

read your interview with RIPE K R Ravindran in E-Flash. It is one of the best interviews I have read in recent times. Even though I have not met him personally, I had the opportunity to communicate with him through mails. He is such a great person, who replies to mails even after midnight. As you have mentioned he is a perfect gentleman and a great Rotarian. May his term as RI President bring him all the laurels and God bless his family. Thank you very much for publishing our club’s 100 per cent MPHF status and Paul Harris Fellows, All in your April issue. Rtn LS Sidduram, RC Mettupalayam-D 3202

4 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

nder your Editorship Rotary News is a lively magazine today. There is much to read, much to see and much more to think about. Congratulations! PDG K Chandramohan RI District 3291

ditor of our magazine Rotary News and her team have succeeded in making the readers go through all the pages of the entire magazine, which has excellent content. The June issue is in our hands and we are, as usual, impressed and excited. The magazine is getting evolved into a world-class publication to convey not only the news and information about Rotary but general interest articles that anybody would be interested in reading. A good example is the article titled Economic Growth: Concerns and Challenges by former RBI Governor Dr C Rangarajan in the current issue. The interview by the Editor with the incoming RIPE K R Ravindran and RIDE Manoj Desai are the other captivating articles in this issue, which make us feel proud to be Rotarians forever. Each issue looks new — a new start, new ideas and new expression of old subjects. We are enjoying the publication month after month. Rtn R Srinivasan RC Madurai Midtown-D 3000

he articles on RIPE K R Ravindran and RIDE Manoj Desai are extremely inspiring. There has been phenomenal improvement in the getup, content and presentation of articles and Rotary information in every issue of Rotary News since the last few months. The magazine now interests not only Rotarians but also non-Rotarians who happen to read our magazine. Congratulations. May I suggest that major community services rendered by Rotary clubs in the fields of illiteracy, rehabilitation of poor people in flood

LETTERS and earthquake-affected regions, etc, may be highlighted in a separate page for ready information, inspiration and guidance of Rotarians who may not be reading the whole issue. Rtn S K Gupta RC Jabalpur West-D 3261

Rasheeda Bhagat, the present editor of Rotary News, took charge of the magazine, it has taken an international flavour, which is worth appreciating. Hats off to you, Madam! Rtn G V Sayagavi, RC Davanagere Vidyanagar-D 3160

ll the articles in the May issue are very informative, especially the article, Find a happy balance & care for your body by Dr Sheela Nambiar, is an eye opener for younger women. The Kattanchimalai Story by Selvi, about an adivasi village that was neglected since our Independence and adopted by RC Coimbatore Cybercity, was notable. The services provided by these Rotarians to the tribal community are really great. Day by day the articles in Rotary News are becoming very interesting and keep us captivated to the magazine. In the June issue, the article, Down but not out by B Sadananda Naik is an eye opener and teaches us not to use drugs without consulting doctors. Rtn B Pasupathi RC Dalmiapuram-D 3000

Politics has to stop

eading Rotary News is becoming more and more interesting day by day with its stories on Rotary projects from around the world. In the June issue, the article Big club in a small town by Kiran Zehra was interesting. Congrats to the club members for taking up such a humanitarian project to immunise people against swine flu. Rotary News now has a prolific, globetrotting and multifarious editor, who is a good photographer too. Congrats. Rtn Arvind Patel RC Bombay North West-D 3140

he truth, acknowledged by many Rotarians is that since the day

n the June issue, it was really great to see that our school activities story is given nice coverage by Jaishree. Our club members are highly motivated with the recognition given to our efforts, and thank you while assuring that we will continue to do more for society through Rotary. Rtn Amit Chauhan RC Bhuj Wall City-D 3051

am pleased to go through the golden words, “Politics has to stop” by RIPE K R Ravindran, in the June issue. RIPE Ravi, you’ve made the point. Really, politics, lobbying and groupism are rampant in our region. Go ahead on your plan, Rotarians are behind you. PRIP (Kalyan) Banerjee did something in this regard. I suggest we have democratic secret ballot for all Rotarians to vote on election matters. Let’s do away with the DG nominating committee; instead, the DG can be elected directly by Rotarians from each district. This may minimise, if not stop, illegal practices. Rtn Ramakrishna RC Sullia-D 3180

Healthy Journalism

very genuine Rotarian would have felt relieved and elated to read RIPE K R Ravindran’s reprimand at the Colombo PETS, where he thundered, “Politics has to stop” and also, when he said, “From July 1 things are going to be different.” Well, things ought to have been different since long ago. Had RIPE Ravindran’s predecessors been strict in enforcing discipline and decency in Rotary, dolts and despicable ‘Rotary Politicians’ who do not even deserve to be a member in Rotary Clubs would not have become District Governors. Rtn AAHK Ghori RC Madras Silver Beach-D 3230

have gone through May issue of Rotary News. It is excellent, highly readable, informative and interesting. I have been a PR practitioner for nearly half-a-century. I read the letter by Rtn M R K Murthy and Rotary News Editor’s response. The response is amazing and needs to be read by all teachers and students of PR/CC. You have answered Murthy’s points very well. Above all, you published his highly critical letter prominently followed by your response. This is healthy journalism because when someone criticises, he needs to be given importance. At the same time, factual position also needs to be told for his and others’ information lest the readers get carried away by just one view of a Rotarian. Thanks a lot for publishing the news about the award I received at the Global Communication Conclave. Rtn C K Sardana RC Bhopal Midtown-D 3040

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

ROTARY NEWS 5

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

Dr Gunasekaran Chinnathambi

RI Dist 2982

R Vasu

RI Dist 3000

R Theenachandran

RI Dist 3011

RI Dist 3012

Board of Permanent Trustees PRIP

Rajendra K Saboo

RI Dist 3080

PRIP

Kalyan Banerjee

RI Dist 3060

Sudhir Mangla

PRID

Sudarshan Agarwal

RI Dist 3011

Jitender Kumar Gaur

PRID

Panduranga Setty

RI Dist 3190

RI Dist 3020

M Jagadeeswara Rao

RI Dist 3030

Dr Nikhil Arvind Kibe

PRID

Sushil Gupta

RI Dist 3011

RI Dist 3040

Sanjeev Gupta

PRID

Ashok Mahajan

RI Dist 3140

RI Dist 3051

C A Lalit Sharma

PRID

Yash Pal Das

RI Dist 3080

RI Dist 3052

Pradhuman Kumar Patni

RI Dist 3053

Anil Beniwal

PRID

Shekhar Mehta

RI Dist 3291

RI Dist 3060

Parag Sheth

PRID

P T Prabhakhar

RI Dist 3230

RI Dist 3070

Kuldip Kumar Dhir

RI Dist 3080

David Joseph Hilton

RID

Dr Manoj D Desai

RI Dist 3060

RI Dist 3090

Dharam Vir Garg

RI Dist 3100

Suneel Kumar Gupta

RI Dist 3110

Sharat Chandra

RI Dist 3120

Ved Prakash

RI Dist 3131

Subodh Mukund Joshi

RI Dist 3132

Dr Deepak Prabhakar Pophale

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

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

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

From th e E d i t or ’s Desk

New horizons beckon…

s a new Rotary year begins and we have new leaders taking charge, from the RI President down to the Presidents at the smallest Rotary Club across the world, there is a surge in enthusiasm, optimism and resolve to do good in the communities we live in. The new teams are raring to go, putting into place new ideas, new agendas, new projects. But this is also the time to stop and take stock of the projects that were started so lovingly by the Presidents who lay down office on June 30. If these have not been completed for some reason, will these projects be abandoned because the man / woman pushing it no longer heads the Club? Do the beneficiaries for whom the projects were meant understand the significance of one team of office bearers laying down office so that another team can take over? To the farmer who was promised water through a check dam, or parents who were assured that their sick children would soon get free / affordable medical care, or a village school that was promised pucca toilets with water and soap, does it matter that a different person will now be heading the club that had promised them hope? They know and recognise only one word … Rotary, and its symbol, the wheel. The new office bearers will do well to keep this in mind. As the new Rotary year begins, the incoming RI President K R Ravindran’s words at Sangamitra, the Multidistrict PETS in Colombo, ring in my ears. As also what PRIPs Rajendra K Saboo and Kalyan Banerjee had said at the South Asia Literacy meet in February. Ravindran said that Rotary is made not by RI leaders but by vibrant clubs and dynamic presidents. Before beginning your year as President, you’d do well to read and re-read Ravindran’s adventures as his club’s

President, his daring to think big, dream bigger and taking in his stride failed ventures such as the grand cricket match between his club and world famous cricketers that he had planned but never happened because a suicide bomber blew himself off outside the Taj Samudra in Colombo where the New Zealand team was staying. At the Literacy meet Banerjee admitted that Rotary India’s grand and daring dream of making India totally literate by 2017 or the next year could never be realised unless every Rotarian seated in that mammoth hall in Pune returned home with a burning desire to work with other Rotarians in his / her Club to realise the literacy goal. In an emotionally charged voice that left many eyes in the audience moist, Saboo urged Rotarians to work earnestly to fulfil his dream of a Swachh Bharat and totally literate India, promising to work along with them “as though I’ve got to live forever in this world.” And once this dream was realised there will be other new dreams, Saboo said. So dream big all you new Presidents. Spread your wings and fly high and when it comes to helping the needy, the distressed, the powerless, don’t set yourself any boundaries. Remember what Richard Bach said in Jonathan Livingston Seagull - a story? “Don’t believe what your eyes tell you. All that they know is limitation. Look with your understanding, find out what you already know, and you’ll see the way to fly.”

Rasheeda Bhagat

JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 7

President

Dear Fellow Rotarians,

Speaks

“

It is never the material value of a gift that matters — it is the love that comes with it.

We in Rotary aspire to great deeds. We admire those who gave great gifts to humanity: Abraham Lincoln, who gave the gift of human dignity to the downtrodden; Mother Teresa, who gave the gift of compassion to the forgotten; Mahatma Gandhi, who gave the gift of peaceful change to the oppressed. Their very lives became gifts to the world. We can be inspired by their example. We can be inspired to ask, how can I, in the life that I live — without neglecting the responsibilities that are so dear to me — how can I, too, become a gift to the world? As I considered my theme, I thought of the lessons I have learned through my Hindu faith. I thought especially of the story of Sudama. Sudama was a poor child and a bosom friend of Krishna, who was born in a royal lineage as an avatar — an incarnation of the divine. As the two boys grow up, they drift apart, and while Krishna becomes a military leader and king of great repute, Sudama remains a humble villager. The years go by and Sudama’s poverty deepens. Finally, he lacks even food to feed his children. His wife reminds him of his childhood friendship with Krishna: Perhaps it is time to go to the mighty ruler for help. Reluctantly, Sudama agrees, but resolves that he will not go empty-handed. He gathers together a few handfuls of rice — all the food his family has left — and wraps them in a piece of cloth as a gift for his friend. When Sudama enters the palace, he is overwhelmed by the grandeur and by Krishna’s gracious welcome. His meagre gift, so carefully prepared, seems a humiliating reminder of his poverty. Krishna embraces Sudama, who hides the hand holding the rice behind his back. Krishna asks what he is holding. Far from being disdainful, Krishna accepts the rice with gratitude and consumes it with joy as the two sit and talk together. Hours pass, during which the pleasures of their rekindled friendship push all thoughts of his desperate plight from Sudama’s mind. When evening falls, Sudama sets out for home — and only then realises that he has neglected his task. He is returning with nothing, and Krishna has eaten his family’s last grains of rice. Sudama steels himself to return to his hungry children. But standing before his gate, as dawn begins to break, he sees that the hut he left yesterday has become a stately home, and waiting to greet him is his own family: well-dressed, and well-fed by the baskets of food that appeared in their kitchen as Krishna ate each grain of Sudama’s rice. Krishna understood what Sudama had brought him: everything he had to give. In return, Krishna gave him everything he needed. It is never the material value of a gift that matters — it is the love that comes with it. Just as Sudama’s gift to Krishna became a gift to Sudama, what we give through Rotary becomes a gift to us. And we all have a choice: whether to keep our gifts to ourselves or give them to others, and Be a Gift to the World. We have only one chance at our lives. And we will have only one chance at this new Rotary year. This is our time. Let us grasp it. Let us Be a Gift to the World.

K R Ravindran President, Rotary International

The Quest

“

Rebuilding 11 villages and 142 schools in Gujarat opened my eyes to the potential and possibilities of what can happen with a missionary zeal, common cause, incessant action.

alai Lama once said, “I believe that the purpose of life is to be happy. From the moment of birth, every human being wants happiness and does not want suffering....” Let me extend this for Rotarians to say that everyone wants happiness in the world they live in and would wish to contribute in every way to alleviate any pain, misery, deprivation or anguish their brethren suffer in the community. Our true purpose is a world of happiness. And that is our constant pursuit and motive — our Quest. The million dollar question is how to achieve that. In my Rotary journey of 30 years, I have come across many ideals and examples — persons with exemplary leadership and service orientation, great projects that make a difference to many lives, clubs with splendid collective endeavours towards humanitarian causes, social initiatives that rally everyone towards a common objective and countless acts of personal philanthropy. However, I learnt the ultimate lessons after the earthquake struck Gujarat, where I live, in 2001. It was sheer devastation — 30,000 lives lost, and sheer helplessness everywhere! The then Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Narendra Modi, was proactive. He knew that this was a mammoth task that had to be inclusive, collaborative and synergistic, to make comprehensive and timely impact. The government quickly got into action and promoted the idea of PPP - Public Private Partnership. We in Rotary, Districts 3050 and 3060, took up the challenge and swung into action. We rebuilt 11 villages and 142 schools. This opened my eyes to the potential and possibilities of what can happen with missionary zeal, common cause, incessant action. I feel true Rotarians possess three common facets and traits — Dare, Care and Share. My dear friends, just reflect on these three magic words that explain what it takes to become special. In fact, extraordinary. – Dare to undertake what appears farfetched, and thus, impossible. – Care for the underserved and underprivileged who deserve attention. – Share what you have, or can muster up, with your resourcefulness. By practising these three things, you elevate yourself to the ultimate Quest ... to create Happiness. Please do remember that, what may appear small or inadequate to begin with, can grow and gain a momentum and scale that can make a huge difference over time. Rotary has responded positively to the clarion call of our Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, by accepting Project WinS and Literacy (10,000 toilet blocks in schools — especially for girl students and sending 100,000 children back to school). Are these not some of the best examples of Dare, Care and Share by Rotary in India? Our world leader wants us to Be a Gift to the World. This surely is an appropriate gift we can give to our motherland. I consider myself lucky that you have chosen me to lead our Zones 4, 5 & 6 A. A big thank you! Let our “Actions speak louder than words.” Let our Quest show the way.

Manoj Desai Director, Rotary International

PAY IT FORWARD Diana Schoberg Ravi Ravindran’s life was moulded by family, country and Rotary. Serving as Rotary President is his way of giving back to each of them.

efore he gives a speech, K R “Ravi” Ravindran doesn’t like flowery, adulatory introductions. They make him uncomfortable. The 2015–16 Rotary President would rather keep a low profile and share the credit. If it were up to him, you probably wouldn’t even be reading this article. Negotiating Days of Tranquility during the Sri Lankan civil war so that health workers could administer drops of polio vaccine? Although it was on

his desk that the agreement landed, he says, a lot of people worked to make that happen. Rebuilding 23 tsunamidamaged schools for 14,000 children? He merely led the committee. Taking a label-printing business from a small outfit operating in a space the size of a garage to a global powerhouse in the packaging business that has helped change the value-added tea industry in his country? Well, he simply happened to be in the right place at the right time.

Ravindran’s grandfather bought the Kelburne tea estate around 1950, and a portion of it remains in the family today. “I always love coming here,” Ravindran says.

10 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

“I’m sometimes introduced as a self-made man,” says Ravindran, a member of the Rotary Club of Colombo. “You’ve got to be utterly egocentric to believe you are selfmade. Each one of us is made because so many people helped us become who we are. One of the reasons I work so much for Rotary is that I have been helped by so many people, and often you never have a chance to reciprocate,” he explains. “The only way

you can is by helping others. When the people I help ask me, ‘What can I do?’ I say, ‘Go and help someone else in return.’ ” For Ravindran, paying it forward isn’t a fad, it’s a way of life. His theme for this Rotary year, Be a Gift to the World, also summarises his personal philosophy. This is heaven. A dizzying drive has led us up 5,000 feet, past rice paddies, gem mines and the occasional elephant roaming in the fields, over a thundering waterfall, and down a bumpy cobblestone road to the tea estate of Ravindran’s family. Lush tea bushes blanket the rocky cliff sides. We’re at the edge of the world, above the clouds, in a scene from a movie come to life. The property, called Kelburne, is mere miles from the fields where Thomas Lipton — yes, that Lipton — began growing Ceylon tea. Ravindran frequently takes his visitors to tour Lipton’s first factory, a long white building humming with conveyor belts, dryers and fans. Ravindran’s maternal grandfather grew tea at Kelburne in the 1950s; he was one of the first Sri Lankans to buy land from British plantation owners in that region. After Ravindran graduated from Loyola College in Chennai, India, with a degree in commerce, he came back here to learn the business side of the estate. The long days began at 5:30 a.m., with assigning duties, surveying the fields on foot and visiting the factory.

Ravindran at a meeting of the Rotary Club of Colombo.

For Ravindran, they reinforced the value of hard work and of treating others with kindness. “I realised that I related very well to people on the estate, and I started getting involved in their lives — finding ways of supplementing their income, improving housing,” he says. Ravindran and his family thought his life would revolve around growing tea on the estate and later at their head office. But in 1972, Sri Lanka’s new socialist government enacted land reforms that nationalised tea plantations. His family’s estate shrank from thousands of acres to 50. Ravindran was soon out of a job.

One of the reasons I work so much for Rotary is that I have been helped by so many people, and often you never have a chance to reciprocate.

He moved to the country’s capital, Colombo, and began helping out at the family commercial printing business, which also produced stationery and ledgers for tea estates. But Ravindran was restless. He knew that Sri Lankan tea was being shipped out in bulk and packaged elsewhere for customers in places such as Europe, Australia and the United States. He figured that if good packaging were available in Sri Lanka, the business would move to his country, with its lower costs. So he launched a new company to provide high-quality packaging for tea bags — tags, sachets and boxes — a move that would help jump-start the value-added tea industry in his country. There were many who placed their trust in him. His business partner (and now friend and mentor), the founder of Sri Lanka’s esteemed Dilmah tea, invested with him even though he barely knew him. A bank manager took a chance on him in his early days; they were members of the same Rotary club. Ravindran’s wife, Vanathy — whom he’d met in college and married in Colombo — and JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 11

their son and daughter, Krishna and Prashanthi, supported him through the long hours and uncertain future of a fledgling business owner. Today, the company is arguably one of the best-known suppliers of tea bag packaging in the world. Valueadded tea — tea that’s packaged in Sri Lanka rather than shipped overseas in bulk — plays a significant role in the country’s economy. On the sprawling factory floor at Printcare, ultra-modern printing and packaging machinery roars rhythmically, like a fast-moving train. A rainbow of packaging surrounds us: red boxes of Typhoo tea, destined for British grocery shelves; green Dilmah for Europe; blue Tetley for Australia. Other machines churn out nearly 100 million tea bag labels a day. Ravindran jokes that he’s called the company’s “chief executive gardener” because of his delight in the fountains and lush landscaped grounds he’d had planted when he bought the land from a tyre factory

In regards to technology and managerial style, he’s a visionary. If he takes on a project, from plan to execution, it is done perfectly within the speciﬁed time. in 1994, transforming this industrial site into an unlikely 10-acre oasis. Printcare does business all over the world with clients including Unilever, Target, Hallmark, and Twinings, with multiple factories in Sri Lanka and India. There’s a good chance that something in your cupboard right now was printed by his company. “In regards to technology and managerial style, he’s a visionary,” says one of his general managers. “If he takes on a project, from plan to execution, it is done perfectly

After a successful year as 1987–88 president of the Colombo club, Ravindran hands over the title to his successor and friend Ruzly Hussain (centre). Ravindran’s wife, Vanathy, is second from left; third from left is the current Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickremesinghe.

12 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

within the specified time. He has a charismatic leadership style. He also believes in sharing.” Ravindran implemented a matching grants programme, similar to that of The Rotary Foundation, through which his company helps the community. The company matches the combined contributions of its 700 workers on a mutually agreed-upon project, often with a focus on water and sanitation for area schools. Children of workers who earn less than a certain amount receive free books, funds for transportation, and shoes for school. (Education itself is free in Sri Lanka.) In 2014, Printcare was named one of the top 15 businesses to work for in the country, and Ravindran was honoured as one of the business leaders of the year. Treat people with love and respect, Ravindran says, and they usually will reciprocate. “He looks after people — he cares about them,” says another general manager. “There’s no point in just coming and making money and going home,” Ravindran explains. “Anyone can do that. The community around us should benefit from our presence here.” At the Rotary Club of Colombo’s first meeting of 2015, white Christmas trees line the hotel corridors and a buffet covers nearly onethird of the meeting room, which seems to be the norm in Sri Lanka. The club will soon celebrate its 86th year, and in that time, it has made its mark on the country. It founded

Ravindran and Vanathy walk among the Kelburne tea fields, which are ready for pruning. The two met in Madras (now Chennai), where they both attended college. “There’s a lot of goodness in him. That is what I really liked about him,” Vanathy says.

the national organisation for the prevention of tuberculosis; the nation’s first blood bank; the Sri Lanka AntiNarcotics Association, which launched while Ravindran was club president; and most recently, the only national facility dedicated to the screening, early detection and prevention of cancer. (In the past five years, more than 35,000 people have been screened free of charge, with more than 7,500 showing symptoms requiring further investigation. One of the club’s main partners for the project is the Rotary Club of Birmingham, Ala., of which Ravindran is an honorary member.) In 1974, while working at the tea estate, Ravindran became a charter member of the Rotary Club of Bandarawela, one of the first clubs in the country’s remote highlands. His grandfather was a Rotarian, as was his father. But as a 21-year-old, Ravindran’s focus in Rotary was fun and friends, not service.

At the Printcare factory in Colombo, Ravindran inspects tea packaging destined for the United Kingdom. With him are his son, Krishna (right), and general manager Rohitha Grero.

Even today, after many years of volunteer work benefiting thousands of people, one of his favourite parts of being a Rotarian is meeting individuals from around the world and chatting the night away. “His sense of fun is part of his DNA,” says Abbas Esufally, a close friend.

When Ravindran moved to Colombo, he joined his current club and began to take on more leadership roles. For Esufally, Rotary was one of dozens of extracurricular activities, but for Ravindran, it was a passion. “He had a focus, a singleminded focus, on Rotary and its JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 13

Ravindran at his home in Colombo.

Ravindran with his family, from left: son-in-law Nicolas Mathier, daughter Prashanthi, wife Vanathy, daughter-in-law Neesha, granddaughter Raika and son Krishna. 14 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

fellowship and service to community,” Esufally says. In 1983, war broke out between Sri Lankan security forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, a militant rebel group that wanted to create a separate state in the north and east of the country. (The group is known for pioneering the suicide bomb jacket.) In the more than quartercentury of fighting that followed before the war ended in May 2009, over 100,000 people were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced. As of 2014, 90,000 people still had not returned home. The conflict was rooted in tensions between the Sinhalese majority and the Tamil minority. But in Rotary, ethnicity didn’t matter. Although most members came from the majority Sinhalese population, clubs in Sri Lanka have elected as their leaders members from the Sinhalese, Tamil and Muslim communities — including Ravindran, who is Tamil. “In Rotary, there was no place for religion nor caste nor language. Everyone was just a Sri Lankan, and they picked the best potential leadership that was available,” Ravindran says. “You often wondered, why can’t the rest of the country act like Rotarians do?” The conflict also didn’t stop Rotary members from trying to help all of Sri Lanka’s children. In 1995, the government had planned to carry out a National Immunisation Day only in areas unaffected by the war, which would have excluded about a third of the country’s children from the polio vaccination effort. Rotary leaders, including Ravindran, then the national PolioPlus committee chair, worked closely with UNICEF to establish contact with the rebel party and negotiate Days of Tranquility. As a result, nearly all of the nation’s children were vaccinated. And after the 2004 tsunami, Sri Lankan Rotarians, led by Ravindran, made a point to diversify the

Ravindran with his daughter, Prashanthi, at breakfast; with his son, Krishna in his 1910 model Austin. “He loves fun. In our younger days, he was at the forefront of every practical joke,” says Abbas Esufally, a close friend of Ravindran and a captain of business.

locations of the schools built through a nearly US $12 million project so they would serve children of all ethnic communities. Fellow members of the Colombo club say Ravindran has high standards that he expects people to meet — and they do. “He has the attitude, ‘Don’t tell me why you can’t do it,’ ” says Derek de S Wijeyeratne. Adds Ruzly Hussain: “He has the innate ability of making his dream and his vision also your dream and your vision. It’s not ‘I did it,’ it’s ‘We all did it together.’ ” If Ravindran has any regrets about becoming Rotary President, they can be summed up in his earto-ear smile as he cradles his first grandchild, Raika, who was born in October. Living in Evanston, Ill., where Rotary headquarters is located, he’ll miss the early moments of her life that he otherwise would have been involved in. (Ravindran and Vanathy live in the same home as Krishna; his wife, Neesha; and now Raika. Prashanthi and her husband, Nicolas Mathier, live in Singapore.) “Vanathy and I would have loved to have been in Sri Lanka for her first two years,” he says. “But I guess there’s lots more time to reconnect with her and spoil her.”

He has the innate ability of making his dream and his vision also your dream and your vision. It’s not ‘I did it,’ it’s ‘We all did it together.’ With the civil war in the past, Sri Lanka is blossoming. Investment in infrastructure is up, and in downtown Colombo, barricades and checkpoints have given way to parks, playgrounds and upscale malls. The landscape is dominated by cranes amid the construction of luxury hotels; even the historic Galle Face Hotel, where the Colombo club held its first meeting in 1929, is getting a facelift. The smooth transition of power in January, after a presidential election in which the incumbent lost, reinforces optimism for a peaceful future. The country’s pristine beaches, jungles and cultural sites, which led Marco Polo to call it “the finest island in the world” and Forbes to list it as one of the top 10 coolest places to visit in 2015, are luring tourists once again. “We are

all excited about the future of Sri Lanka,” Ravindran says. As Rotary President, he’ll help put his tiny island nation on the global map. “My national anthem will be played in every country that I visit. My flag will fly wherever I go. The flag of this country will fly outside Rotary headquarters,” he says. “What more can I do for my country than this?” Ravindran says he doesn’t expect to leave a legacy as Rotary President, but he hopes to use his skills to leave the organisation better than he found it — and pay forward his debts to all the people who got him where he is today. “Rotary moulded me,” he says. “Rotary changed me, and that is why what I do for Rotary now is a hundredth of what I’ve gotten out of Rotary.” Photographs by Alyce Henson Reproduced from The Rotarian JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 15

We recognise your value and appreciate your role Rasheeda Bhagat

Regional Magazine Editors team at Seoul.

he regional magazines are very important for Rotary because they give regional news in the local language, something The Rotarian cannot do, said RI President K R Ravindran while participating in the Asia Pacific Regional Editors seminar held in Seoul end-April. It was attended by Editors and Advisory Board representatives from Australia, Philippines, Japan, Thailand, Korea and India. These magazines not only provide local coverage, but also “recFrom left: PRID Sang Koo Yun, RI President K R Ravindran and TRF ognise the work of Rotary clubs, Trustee Ian Riseley listen to translation of the seminar proceedings. which is a reward in itself and you can cover local events much faster.” all of you, The Rotarian, the Communications division of Giving the example of the recent earthquake in Nepal, RI in the years to come.” Ravindran said in such natural calamities, “often, by the But Ravindran also did some plain speaking to the time Rotary moves and reacts, it is one or two months after assembled editors at the meet. Urging David Alexander the event, and you’ve lost the premier spotlight. This time and Michele Moiron from the RI Communications division I was determined that within a few days we should move to devise ways to monitor the quality of the regional and bring out to the Rotary world what we plan to do. So magazines, he said the quality of these magazines was I spoke to (RI Secretary) John Hewko and got through to intrinsically connected to the branding of Rotary. “So there Rasheeda at Rotary News and am so happy that the appeal must be some standard for every magazine. I want to know is going to be brought out in the Indian magazine (May if you can ensure that even the smallest magazines have issue) which will be printed in a day or two, which is very some decent standard; otherwise you shouldn’t even let timely. Otherwise Rotarians send money to Red Cross!” them publish it.” So the role of the regional magazines was crucial; “you are a great asset to us; we recognise your value and appreciate your role and we see an increased orchestration between RI’s biggest asset He also urged the advisory boards in charge of Rotary regional magazines to bring in “transparency and accountability,” particularly with the finances and this information should be shared with Rotarians. “You must understand we have handed over to you our biggest asset — our membership.” Ravindran recalled that as Treasurer on the RI Board, he had even suggested that each magazine should pay a royalty to RI, “because we’ve handed to you our entire asset base. Some of you were upset about it too, but we bring in the rule that each member should subscribe to the magazine and we let you keep the money! At that time we were paying you to print the President’s message (not to Rotary News) which I thought was ridiculous.” Ravindran asked those magazines which do not have a digital version to go in for one by 2016 or 2017 as that was the future. He related an anecdote about digital media – RI President K R Ravindran and the future. On his way to Seoul for this meeting, transiting through an airport, he saw a child seated on the floor with a book. She was barely one and “I saw her doing something strange. She kept swiping across the page with

“

Regional magazines recognise the work of Rotary clubs and you can cover the local events much faster.

JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 17

her finger and I wondered what she wanted to do. Then I realised that she was treating the book as a tablet and trying to turn the page!” But while that was the future, “I believe for a long time both paper and digital books will stay on.”

No fan of digital books

RIP Ravindran, Melito Salazer Jr. and TRF Trustee Ian Riseley in conversation.

Ravindran admitted that he was not a great fan of digital books, even though he had a few loaded on his tablet. “I find digital books painfully ugly, they are really irritating sometimes; they look like print but can’t really be designed or typeset like that.

Rotary News cheapest

t the Korea Regional Editors seminar it felt good to note that in the Asia Pacific region Rotary News / Rotary Samachar, the Indian regional magazine, is the cheapest at sub-$7 (Rs 420) and along with Rotary Korea and The Rotary-No-Tomo (Japan), we have the highest number of pages at 84. Rotary Down Under, the Australian magazine, with 60 pages, is the costliest at $32. The Japanese magazine is p pr priced at $24, the same as The Rotarian outside the US. Rotary Ko Korea costs $13 and Philippine Rotary $12, but only for bulk bu u delivery in clubs. If you want it delivered at your home, ho as copies of Rotary News / Rotary Samachar are dispatched in India, the Rotarians are charged an annual subscription of $21. The Thailand Rotary magazine brings out only 6 issues a year, charging $1 per copy. Those who have an online version charge the ssame price. Nobody had dual pricing like we did, till thee parity was removed from the coming Rotary year. It should sho o be noted that in the US, where The Rotarian’s annual ssubscription is $12, Rotarians pay the same amount ($12) forr both print and e-version. Also, not all the magazines have an e-version yet, as we do! in this rregion e Michele Moiron, Director, Language Services, explained Mich Mic that recently it had been decided to charge subscribers of The Rotarian outside the US, $12 for the e-version, instead of $24 as online delivery of content has no fee, whether it is accessed in the US or outside. Those outside the US, including in India, pay $24 for their print copy, mainly to factor in the shipping charges. Incidentally, the Indian subscribers to the print copy of The Rotarian are paying almost four times the price members pay for a copy of Rotary News or Rotary Samachar.

18 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

RIP K R Ravindran with Editors of Asia Pacific magazines.

However good the cover looks with a hi-resolution image, it is just the screen and you can’t have either the feel or the texture of a paper book. And the most irritating thing is that you can’t flip the pages and can see only a page at a time.” Of course there were advantages, the scrolling was easier and there were search options as well as synchronisation with audio books. But Rotary print magazines “are here to stay for some time even though online presence is necessary, because access is limited in some countries, particularly in rural areas,” he added. In her address, Michele Moiron, Director of Language Services, RI, recognised the need for better interaction and communication between the Editors of regional magazines and said at RI the endeavour would be to encourage new ideas and innovative suggestion from across the Rotary world and share the best of the articles carried by different magazines.

The Rotary Korea team.

She said while some of the Rotary regional magazines were thriving and doing very well, others were struggling and piling up losses. Some of those in the latter category had survived till now — such as the Russian magazine — thanks to purely individual efforts and volunteer work. Similarly, the magazine in Mexico was struggling, and the one in Venezuela was ridden with problems as the country’s economy was not in good shape. Same was the story when it came to quality, with the graph varying in various countries/regions. Melito Salazar Jr, Editor-in-Chief, Rotary Philippine, described his efforts to improve the fortunes of his magazine by bringing in ads. “From this July we are going to make it available in bookstores as we want to take our magazine to non-Rotarians too.” The meeting discussed the possibility of extending the scope of regional magazines beyond the Rotary world and open subscriptions to non-Rotarians but it was felt that in a competitive media environment, such an effort can succeed only if the magazine has sufficient non-Rotary content and its overall content is of exceptionally good quality. Past RI Director Sang Koo Yun, from Korea, urged the regional editors to promote the Seoul Convention, to be held next June, in their forthcoming issues. Added Ravindran, “Those who attend the Convention will have a great time; I have rarely come across hosts better than the Koreans. I’m so happy that I’ve inherited a convention held in Korea. A President has no control over the choice of the venue; it is just luck of the draw!” Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 19

New Directors take ofﬁce The RI Board of Directors has 19 members: the RI President, the President-elect and 17 club-nominated Directors, who are elected at the RI Convention. The Board manages Rotary International affairs and funds in accordance with the RI Constitution and Bylaws. Nine new Directors and the President-elect take office on 1 July. John F Germ Chattanooga, Tenn. John is board chair and chief executive officer of Campbell and Associates Inc., consulting engineers. He joined the firm as an engineer in 1965 after four years in the U.S. Air Force. He also is founder and treasurer of the Chattanooga State Technical Community College Foundation and is president of the Tennessee Jaycee Foundation. In Chattanooga, he has served as president of the chamber of commerce, Boy Scouts, and Junior Achievement and campaign chair of the United Way. John joined Rotary in 1976 and has served RI as vice president, director, Foundation trustee and vice chair, aide to the Foundation trustee chair, chair of Rotary’s US $200 Million Challenge, RI Board Executive Committee member, RI president’s aide, membership zone coordinator, committee member and chair, task force zone and area coordinator, RI training leader and district governor. He has served as chair and representative of the Council on Legislation, member of the 2006 International Assembly Committee, and adviser to the 2008 Los Angeles Convention Committee, and on the Nominating Committee for President of RI in 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13, and 2014–15. He also has served as vice chair of the 2012 Bangkok Convention, and chair of the Investment 20 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

Committee and Finance Committee. John is a recipient of RI’s Service Above Self Award and The Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service Award. He and his wife, Judy, are members of the Arch Klumph Society.

since 1986, Manoj has served RI as regional Rotary Foundation coordinator, regional Rotary membership coordinator, task force and committee member, RI training leader, Annual Fund strategic adviser, regional RI membership coordinator and district governor. He also served as Rotary institute moderator in 2011.

Jennifer E Jones Windsor-Roseland, Ont. Jennifer is president and CEO of Media Street Productions Inc. She has served RI as RI president’s representative; RI training leader; committee adviser, member, and vice chair; Rotary public image area and zone coordinator; leaders’ seminar trainer; moderator; and district governor. Jennifer is a recipient of RI’s Service Above Self Award. She and her husband, Nicholas Krayacich, are members of the Arch Klumph Society, Paul Harris Society, and Bequest Society of The Rotary Foundation.

Manoj D Desai Baroda Metro, India Manoj is a spine surgeon at his own medical facility, Arpan Spine & Fracture Clinic. He is a life member of the Indian Medical Association, Spine Surgeons Association of India, and the Indian Orthopedic Association. A Rotarian

Bradford R Howard Oakland Sunrise, Calif. Brad is president of Howard Tours and managing director of Howard Properties. He is past president of the Haas School of Business Alumni Association (University of California, Berkeley) and trustee of the U C Berkeley Foundation. A Rotarian since 1985, Brad is a charter member of the Rotary Club of Oakland Sunrise. He has served RI as RI president’s representative, zone coordinator, Council on Legislation representative, committee and task force member, RI training leader, leaders’ seminar trainer and district governor. He also served as Rotary’s US $200 Million Challenge coordinator for Zone 26 and was general chair of the 2010 Zones 25 and 26 Institute. He is a recipient of RI’s Service Above Self Award, The Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service Award and the International Service Award for a Polio-Free World.

Hsiu-Ming Lin

Karen Wentz

Eduardo San Martin Carreño

Taipei Tungteh, Taiwan Frederick is managing director of Continental Worldwide Ent. Co. Ltd., a firm specialising in system design and integration for satellite communication. A director of the Taipei Lifeline Association, he is executive director of the Association of Protection for the Criminal on Probation. He also has been active on the Ta-An District Committee KMT. Frederick has been a Rotarian since 1988.

Maryville-Alcoa, Tenn. Karen is retired from a career in higher education administration, working in the fields of fund development, strategic planning, grants and project management. She has been active in the United Way, Habitat for Humanity, Humane Society of Tennessee Valley, AARP Driver Safety Programme and the American Cancer Society. A Rotarian since 1990, Karen has served RI as RI training leader, Rotary coordinator for Zone 30, general coordinator for Rotary Foundation alumni coordinators and district governor.

Majadahonda, Spain Eduardo is a finance consultant with Grupo Bancario Santander (branch of Santander Consumer Finance). He served as general director of treasury and finance for Europe at Grupo Bancario Santander from 1991 to 2004. He is a past vice president of Asociación Española de Asesores Financieros, in which he has been a member since 1992. Eduardo also is a member of Asociación Española de Entidades Financieras. He is vice president of Asociación 2001 and a member of Mundo Cooperante Niños de Papel. Eduardo has been a Rotarian since 1990.

Peter L Offer

José Ubiracy Silva

Coventry Jubilee, England Peter is retired from his position as managing director of a furnishings fabrics manufacturing company. A founding member of the Rotary Club of Coventry Jubilee, he has been a Rotarian since 1977. Peter has served RIBI as president and as committee member and chair. He has served RI as committee and task force member, zone institute chair and district governor. He also has served as vice chair of the Host Organisation Committee for the 2009 RI Convention in Birmingham. Peter received RI’s Service Above Self Award for, among other things, his work with the English Disabled Sports Team Championship, which he founded during his year as club president. He is a Paul Harris Fellow and a Benefactor of The Rotary Foundation.

Recife, Brazil

Saowalak Rattanavich Bangrak, Thailand Saowalak is an associate professor in the Curriculum and Instruction Department, Faculty of Education, at Srinakharinwirot University. She is a recipient of the National Outstanding Teacher Award from the Thailand Education Deans Council. A Rotarian since 1990, Saowalak has served RI as RI president’s representative, Rotary coordinator for Zone 6B, committee and task force member, RI training leader and district governor. She also has served as host area coordinator of the Rotary Peace Centre at Chulalongkorn University and vice chair of the Literacy Rotarian Action Group. For more than 15 years, Saowalak also has served as a training leader for the Lighthouse Literacy project in over 10 countries. She is a recipient of RI’s Service Above Self Award and the Presidential Citation, and The Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service Award.

Bira is CEO of a group of 10 companies managed by EBGE (Brazilian Special Guides Publishing). He is vice president of the Pernambuco Press Association. A Rotarian since 1970, Bira has served RI as RI president’s representative, regional RI membership coordinator, Major Gifts adviser, RI training leader, resource group zone coordinator, zone public image coordinator, Permanent Fund national adviser for South America and district governor. During his year as district governor, he worked to expand the Rotary Youth Exchange programme in his district and partnered with District 7500 (New Jersey) on a Matching Grant project to purchase a mobile eye surgery unit worth US $250,000. Bira is a Paul Harris Fellow and Major Donor of The Rotary Foundation.

Next issue: Meet Your Governors JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 21

Grand South Asia Reception P T Prabhakar

A TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta (right) and RID Giuseppe Viale.

22 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

t the grand South Asia Reception in Sáo Paulo, Rotary India’s generous contribution to TRF and addition of 20,000 new members this year were lauded by RI leaders. RI President Gary Huang and Corinna, RIPE K R Ravindran and Vanathy, RIPN John Germ and Judy, PRIPs Frank Devlyn, Ron Burton, DK Lee, Rajendra Saboo (with spouse Usha) and Kalyan Banerjee (with spouse Binota) attended the event. Other distinguished delegates included Trustees Julio Sorjús with spouse Carmen, Paul Netzel, Antonio Hallage and his spouse Rose, Jackson Hsieh, Samuel Owori with spouse Lorah and Sushil Gupta with spouse Vinita; and RI Directors Holger Knaack with spouse Susanne, Safak Alpay and spouse Deniz, Per Høyen, Seiji Kita and spouse Nobuko, Larry Lunsford, Greg Podd with spouse

Clockwise: RID P T Prabhakar and Nalini; RI General Secretary John Hewko and Trustee Jackson Hsieh; RIPE K R Ravindran and Vanathy; PRIP Rajendra Saboo; PRIP Kalyan Banerjee; RIDE Manoj Desai.

Pam, Steven Snyder and spouse Sharron, Sangkoo Yun and General Secretary John Hewko. RIDE Manoj Desai welcomed his batch of Directors who attended the meet. The event provided a perfect setting to build new relationships, connect with other Rotary members and exchange ideas across cultures. Earlier, at the opening session of the Convention, President Gary left Rotary

India proud when he talked about the Guinness record created by the Rotary My Flag My India event in Chennai. Another proud moment for Indian Rotary was the arrival of the Polio Flame, a project of RC Madras, after criss crossing the world. President S N Srikanth and Polio Flame Project Chair N K Gopinath entered the convention hall to loud cheering by the 14,000 delegates. Designed by K Vishwanathan JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 23

Saving them from

sex slavery Jaishree

he difference between perception and reality, one of the great challenges that Rotary India has been battling with, was conveyed when Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Sanjay Gandhi disclosed at a Rotary meet in Delhi, “There was a time when I used to be annoyed with Rotary for merely being a sewing-machine-distributioncentre — you give the sewing machine and with no affordability to buy materials, I would wonder in what way the machines are going to

L to R: PRIP Kalyan Banerjee, Awardees Mugdha Dandekar and Sunitha Krishnan, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi, PRIDs Ashok Mahajan and Y P Das, RID P T Prabhakar and PRIP Rajendra Saboo.

24 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

help the poor. They would only sell the machines and use the money. But today you do amazing work!” This change in her perception and recognition of Rotary’s “amazing work” came at a recent meet in Delhi to present Rotary India awards. These awards have been conferred annually for the past 22 years by the Rotary Awards for Service to Humanity (India) Trust. This year’s theme was to recognise organisations and individuals working towards ‘educating and empowering children of sex workers.’

The jury comprising former Chief Justice of India R C Lahoti, journalist H K Dua, former Assistant Secretary General of UN Virendra Dayal and classical dancer Sonal Mansingh, chose Prajwala and Prerana from the 30 nominations, as the winners of this year’s Rotary India Award. Prajwala, a Hyderabad-based NGO, rescues, rehabilitates and reintegrates sex-trafficked victims into mainstream society. It believes in ‘prevention through education’ and is actively involved in providing basic education, vocational training, lifeskills and often organises marriage alliances for the rescued girls/women. Started in 1996 with 5 children, today it is a lifeline for 5,000 children. Its co-founder, Dr Sunitha Krishnan, received the award — a cheque for Rs 500,000 and a citation — from Maneka Gandhi. In her acceptance speech Sunitha came down vehemently on the flesh

Dr Sunitha Krishnan, Co-founder - Prajwala, talking to the media along with PRIP Rajendra K Saboo and DG Sanjay Khanna.

trade. “I do not want to use the words, ‘sex worker,’ as there is no profession as ‘sex work.’ I feel it is ‘sexual slavery.’ The youngest child I’ve rescued from prostitution is a 3-year-old! It is shocking to find that around 30 lakh children and young women are sold as sexual slaves today,” she said. Referring to her ‘Shame the Rapist’ campaign that is making headlines these days, Sunitha said that the campaign was intended to expose the faces of the rapists who were uploading videos of the heinous act on Whatsapp. “That’s the kind of impunity these offenders enjoy. It is high time we stop talking about how to bring up our daughters and concentrate on how to bring up our sons,” she thundered. Thanking Rotary India for putting focus on this crucial area, she said, “This also makes us feel that we’re not alone and you are with us. Let us join together and initiate proactive measures on a war footing to curb this menace,” concluded Sunitha. The Mumbai-based organisation, Prerana, was conferred a Special Commendation by the Jury. RI Director P T Prabhakar presented the award comprising prize money of Rs 200,000 and a citation to Preethi Iyer, Project Director, and

Mughda Dandekar, who represented the organisation. Prerana implements a comprehensive education programme in Mumbai’s red light areas. Its three Night Care Centres are safe havens for children of women living in these areas, providing them protection from the dangerous influences of the neighbourhood during the dark hours. The NGO first set foot in Kamathipura, a red light area in Mumbai, in 1986 and noticed that despite there being a well-equipped Municipal School, children of commercial sex workers (CSWs) were not attending school. Girl children eventually got inducted into the sex trade while boys resorted to pimping and peddling activities. So Prerana decided to provide educational support to the children at the schools in the red light areas of Mumbai. “Education liberates children from such flesh trade and they will be better equipped for a decent future which will ultimately promote economic sustenance,” said Preethi. Inaugurating the meet, Chairman of the Trust and PRID Ashok Mahajan, provided a glimpse into the history of the Awards programme, and the Trust which was founded by PRIP Rajendra K Saboo in 1991 “to recognise JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 25

organisations and individuals for their excellence in social involvement. Ever since the first award was presented to the Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education, Coimbatore, for its exemplary service of promoting literacy, it has come a long way, recognising and motivating individuals and organisations in areas such as family planning, pollution control, elimination of child labour, women’s empowerment, health and sanitation,” he said. Referring to this year’s theme, he said, “To many children living in the slums and streets as orphans, the celebration of ‘Children’s Day’ has no significance. When a child is born to a CSW, it faces ostracism and condemnation.” “Curbing human trafficking is one of my Ministry’s primary goals,” said Maneka Gandhi, and elaborated on plans to check the menace, including displaying neon posters on child helpline in trains, promoting the web portal Khoyapaya which allows parents and others to register details of missing children. Her Ministry also plans to use Twitter to connect the lost child with the family.

Dr Sunitha Krishnan receiving the Award from Union Minister Maneka Gandhi and RID P T Prabhakar. PRID Ashok Mahajan, PRIP Rajendra Saboo and PRID Sudarshan Agarwal are also present.

The youngest child I’ve rescued from prostitution is a 3-year-old! It is shocking that around 30 lakh children and young women are sold as sexual slaves today.

RID P T Prabhakar and PRIP Rajendra K Saboo present the award to Preethi Iyer and Mughda Dandekar of Prerana. Also in the picture PRIDs Ashok Mahajan and Sudarshan Agarwal and DG Sanjay Khanna. 26 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

“Rotary will be happy to connect with you, wherever you work for women and children rehabilitation,” was the response of PRIP Kalyan Banerjee to the awardees. PRID Sudarshan Agarwal, the first chairman of the Trust, paid rich tributes to PRID O P Vaish who served as the Trust’s Chair from 2007 until his death in September 2013. PRID Y P Das, Vice Chair of the Trust, conducted the ceremony with elan. Saboo, Founder-Chair of the Trust, said. “The cause we champion today is significant and the need of the hour.” TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta participated in the meet hosted by RC Rohtak, D 3011. DG Sanjay Khanna, D 3010, Rtn Ravinder Gugnani, were also present.

District Wise Contributions to The Rotary Foundation as on May 31, 2015 (in US Dollars)

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

APF

1,36,922 40,558 78,719 66,468 34,440 5,820 60,621 (60,500) 63,243 1,91,466 96,805 93,670 47,922 42,503 88,771 67,570 1,88,146 32,047 5,61,032 63,206 13,424 81,159 2,27,207 4,02,287 49,312 1,40,874 1,38,161 91,958 2,00,852 1,77,583 2,91,953 25,617 68,054 34,139 38,42,007

PolioPlus*

Other Restricted

India 61,266 1,100 4,667 7,600 407 714 50 0 0 468 1,450 30,863 0 0 3,214 0 8,814 1,838 4,786 3,798 17 3,749 0 100 33,281 21,898 1,000 20,883 3,878 1,697 5,525 0 0 0 2,23,062

Endowment Fund

Total Contributions

0 0 73,542 50,373 2,53,164 10,814 0 53,527 4,000 24,890 51,489 45,885 0 15,378 0 205 4,48,583 7,000 2,95,642 1,09,430 0 31,918 11,427 86,980 0 1,06,500 11,336 0 59,982 95,387 5,165 0 100 1,22,801 19,75,517

11,075 7,115 33,631 73,826 7,221 593 0 83,136 0 11,356 0 12,398 0 0 0 0 35,050 7,000 49,505 33,639 0 0 0 1,198 0 52,017 6,000 1,000 1,08,450 33,384 22,245 0 30,000 0 6,19,839

2,09,262 48,773 1,90,559 1,98,267 2,95,233 17,941 60,671 76,163 67,243 2,28,180 1,49,744 1,82,816 47,922 57,881 91,984 67,775 6,80,593 47,885 9,10,965 2,10,073 13,440 1,16,826 2,38,634 4,90,565 82,593 3,21,288 1,56,497 1,13,841 3,73,162 3,08,051 3,24,887 25,617 98,154 1,56,940 66,60,426

4,22,262

Sri Lanka 9,230

15,969

16,029

4,63,489

3271 3272

17,395 40,456

Pakistan 28,969 44,735

0 (816)

0 1,000

46,363 85,376

5,44,145 2,03,020

Bangladesh 28,497 15,113 1,00,525 1,000

31,113 0

6,18,868 3,04,545

1,07,257 51,76,541 10,11,70,012

Nepal 50 15,300 4,35,069 20,22,083 2,39,99,665 1,35,04,151

0 6,67,980 1,69,82,852

1,22,607 83,01,673 15,56,56,680

3292 South Asia Total World Total

* Excludes Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Rotary Social Media www.rotary.org/socialnetworks

More Online Resources books www.rotary.org/rotarian

www.rotary.org/rotaryminute

Rotary Images www.rotary.org/rotaryimages

3220

3281 3282

Bookmark Rotary

Rotary eNewsletters www.rotary.org/newsletters

Source: RI South Asia Office OCTOBER 2014

ROTARY NEWS 27

Ignorance and Illiteracy behind

Human Trafficking Rasheeda Bhagat

RI President K R Ravindran with former US President Jimmy Carter.

President K R Ravindran was “astounded” to discover at an international seminar on human trafficking, hosted jointly by The Carter Center and Rotarians Against Child Slavery at Atlanta in May, that “this beautiful, diverse, modern city, which will be home to our Rotary Convention two years from now — is, according to the US Department of Justice, the largest hub of trafficking in the US. More than 100,000 children are forced into sexual exploitation in this country every year; this number does not even include the adults.” But this kind of news, as that of hundreds of thousands of children dying each year due to diarrhoeal diseases, rarely makes the headlines because such subjects are “difficult, uncomfortable and unpleasant.” Ravindran admitted that recently when he was asked to address a Rotary workshop in India to educate parents and teachers about how best to protect children from abuse and exploitation, he wondered what he would say as this wasn’t

28 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

“something that happens in my country … child abuse is a Western problem.” But when he sought some background material and statistics from the organisers on child abuse in India and internationally, he was in for a shock. “I found that such abuse of children is neither a Western problem nor an Eastern problem. It is a human problem. And it is a much larger problem than I had realised.” The same was true when he was invited to speak at the Atlanta meet. “I thought trafficking is something that happens in the brothels of seedy cities and the streets of red light areas. I never thought of it on the fishing boats of Indonesia, or the construction sites of Dubai. Still less did I think of it in terms of the migrant workers of Mexico, or Malaysia, or my own Sri Lanka.” After this “eye-opening experience” of the allpervasive nature of this menace, he was convinced that “it is our human responsibility not to tolerate it — not in our cities, not in our countries, and not in the businesses we

deal with or the products we buy and use.” The first step in fighting it was to recognise the global nature of human trafficking, raise awareness in our own communities and, more important, end the notion that “trafficking is too shameful to even discuss.” Many governments, led by the US, were increasingly recognising their responsibility to end human trafficking, but along with governments and law enforcement agencies, civil society would have to work to stop “something that we all know to be unacceptable. We need to stop the traffickers, we need to hold the criminals accountable, we need to have procedures in place so that victims know they will not be prosecuted for coming forward. We need businesses to know how their products are being produced, at every step of the supply chain, to ensure that slave labour is never involved — not only because ethics and the law demand it, but because their customers demand it.”

“

Most trafficked workers are trapped by contracts they cannot read, laws they do not understand, employers who take away their passports and their most basic human rights.

Ravindran said that while detection and severe punishment were necessary, prevention was the best; stopping it before it begins. Hitting the right note on the poignant and painful condition and genesis of migrant workers from developing countries, he said: “If you look at the Burmese men who have been trafficked onto fishing boats in Thailand, these are men who came to Thailand looking for economic opportunity. They came looking to work hard, to earn money, to return home to their families. And they were caught in the net of trafficking, and sold as slaves. The Filipino women who come to Doha to work in hotels, the Nepalese men who come to build skyscrapers, answering ads promising free transit and good pay or the Filipino women who come to New York to work as manicurists — they go because they have children at home they cannot feed, or parents who need medical care, or because they have no money to marry.” Most of these workers were “trapped by contracts they cannot read, laws they do not understand, employers who take away their passports and their most basic human rights. The women and girls in Syria, who are snatched from the markets and sold as prostitutes; the North Korean women in China, sold as brides — all of these are the face

“

Focus on prevention

of human trafficking today. It happens because of poverty. Because of illiteracy. Because of war.” These forces that drive trafficking are the very evils that Rotary continues to fight with its work. “We work to build healthier, more prosperous communities where young people have hope for a better future, right where they are. By making education available to the poorest children, boys and girls alike — whether it means building toilet blocks in rural Indian schools, or supplying school children with pencils and uniforms in Africa. We support economic growth, through vocational training, through micro-loans, through mentoring. And we help communities stay healthy, by training midwives, equipping clinics, and immunising children. 1.2 million Rotarians, all over the world, are doing all of that and more — every hour of every day.” During its 110-year history, Rotary had learnt that to do something big — whether building a hospital, or ending polio, or stopping human trafficking — the first thing is to get the right partners. Fighting against human trafficking was an area outside Rotary’s core areas of focus, and hence the Rotarian Action Group Against Child Slavery was working in partnership with other specialised groups to take on this challenge, he added. Distinguished participants at the meet included former US President Jimmy Carter, former US Supreme Court Judge Sandra Day O’Connor, Senators and representatives from law enforcement and anti-human trafficking and other advocacy groups. Participants shared knowledge and resources and developed real-time solutions such as the establishment of national and international networks to compare proven results that reduce demand for sex workers. The meeting discussed how despite international law and the laws of 134 countries criminalising it, trafficking of women and children for sexual exploitation is one of the fastest growing criminal enterprises in the world. A 2012 International Labour Organisation study has found that at least 20.9 million adults and children have been bought and sold worldwide into commercial sexual servitude, forced or bonded labour. A UN study says that nearly 80 per cent of human trafficking involves sexual exploitation. JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 29

Presidential Citation

Dear Club Presidents: This year’s Presidential Citation is somewhat different from previous ones. In developing this programme, I put a lot of thought into selecting goals that, if achieved, would be measurable by all of us and make Rotary demonstrably stronger, more effective at delivering service, and more widely known and respected by the general public.

Be a gift to the world

To improve our capacity to accurately measure our goals, Rotary International has enhanced the tools we use to gather and analyse data. These improvements will allow all levels of Rotary — from the clubs all the way up through the district, zone and international levels — to measure and assess their respective performance. Thanks to these resources, we now have a paperless process that replaces the forms and reports clubs and district governors were required to submit in the past. Instead, we will verify all club achievements with the information your clubs provide in the Rotary International database. To qualify for the Presidential Citation, your clubs must complete two mandatory activities and additional activities as described in each category. Some activities will be verified by the information you enter in Rotary Club Central, as noted in this brochure. Other activities will be verified automatically when you initiate a specific action. Unless otherwise specified,

K R Ravindran 2015–16 President Rotary International Mandatory Activities z z

Set at least 15 goals in Rotary Club Central. Pay July semiannual dues to RI on time. Note: Verify your payment options on your club’s invoice or by contacting your financial representative.

Membership Development and Retention Your club will verify that all membership data reported through My Rotary or your data integration service provider is accurate by checking the Members in a Club report in Rotary Club Central.

Foundation Giving Your giving and recognition data for your club and club members will be recorded on the contribution and recognition reports available to club officers via My Rotary.

Clubs must achieve 2 of the following 4 goals: z z

Clubs must achieve 3 of the following 4 goals: z

Achieve a net gain in membership. Small clubs (up to 49 members) must achieve a net gain of at least one member; large clubs (50 or more members) must achieve a net gain of at least two members. Achieve a net gain in female membership. Small clubs (up to 49 members) must achieve a net gain of at least one female member; large clubs (50 or more members) must achieve a net gain of at least two female members.

30 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

Improve the member retention rate by at least 1 percent from last year. Increase new member sponsors by at least 1 percent from last year.

Support our Foundation by contributing at least $20. Attain a minimum Annual Fund contribution of $100 per capita. Have at least 10 percent of club members enrolled in Rotary’s recurring giving programme, Rotary Direct. Or, if Rotary Direct is not available in your currency, increase the total number of Paul Harris Society members in the club by at least one. Increase the total number of Benefactors, Bequest Society members, or Paul Harris Fellows in the club by at least one.

all activities must be completed between July 1, 2015 and April 1, 2016. Your accomplishments will then be verified by Rotary International data. As club president, it is your responsibility to regularly check your progress and verify the accuracy of RI’s data. To help you with this, you will have the ability to track your clubs’ progress toward each of the citation’s goals in real time by signing in to your My Rotary account. This functionality will be available on 1 July. Any discrepancies you find in RI’s data should be brought to our attention immediately so they can be resolved before the deadline. District governors will also be able to track the progress of all of their clubs in My Rotary. I am asking your district governors to follow up with you regularly and support you in achieving these goals. I will also challenge district governors to qualify for a District Governor’s Citation programme to promote districtwide achievement. Details on the criteria will be shared with them separately. Thank you in advance for your efforts this year. Remember that your hard work will enable Rotary to make a significant difference in the lives of people all over the world.

co-sponsor is recorded, your club president may confirm RI’s records in Rotary Club Central Reports. Contact rotary. service@rotary.org to report any discrepancies. z

Note: Achievement of the following goals may relate to a single service project or multiple service projects. z

Online Tool Adoption All data for these goals will be automatically recorded when the actions are undertaken.

Partner with the Foundation by sponsoring at least one project funded by a global grant or a district grant.

Note: Your club can contact your district to verify whether it is registered as a global grant sponsor or is listed as a district grant sponsor in the original spending plan submitted with your district’s 2015–16 district grant application.

Sincerely,

K R “Ravi” Ravindran President, Rotary International, 2015–16

Ensure that at least one club member belongs to a Board-recognised Rotarian Action Group (www.rotary. org/actiongroups). (Clubs must report in Rotary Club Central.) Have at least one club member attend a grant management seminar. (Clubs must report in Rotary Club Central.)

Get 75 percent of club members involved in hands-on project participation. (Clubs must report in Rotary Club Central.) Establish partnerships with one or more corporate or government entities and conduct a project together. (Clubs must report in Rotary Club Central.) Enhance a project’s scope and visibility by partnering with at least five other Rotary clubs in your region. (Clubs must report in Rotary Club Central.)

New Generations Your club’s Rotaract or Interact club must be certified with Rotary International. To ensure that your status as a sponsor or co-sponsor is recorded, club presidents may confirm RI’s records in Rotary Club Central Reports. Contact rotaract@rotary.org or interact@ rotary.org to report any discrepancies.

Clubs must achieve 2 of the following 4 goals: Clubs must achieve 2 of the following 4 goals: z

z z

Have at least 50 percent of club members registered in My Rotary. Post at least one initiative on Rotary Showcase. Maintain a project in need of assistance on Rotary Ideas or contribute to a project on Rotary Ideas. Have at least two club members participate in Discussion Groups on My Rotary.

Humanitarian Service

z z z z

Public Image Clubs must achieve 1 of the following 2 goals: z

Clubs must achieve 3 of the following 7 goals: Sponsor at least one Rotary Community Corps to enhance community engagement and ensure project sustainability. Note: Your club’s RCC must be certified with Rotary International. To ensure that your status as an RCC sponsor or

Currently sponsor or co-sponsor a Rotaract club. Currently sponsor a community-based Rotaract club. Currently sponsor or co-sponsor an Interact club. Have at least three club members mentor a Rotaractor or Interactor. (Clubs must report in Rotary Club Central.)

Update club website and social media using Rotary’s visual identity guidelines (visit the Brand Centre at www.rotary.org/brandcenter). (Clubs must report in Rotary Club Central.) Update club brochure and newsletter using Rotary’s visual identity guidelines (visit the Brand Centre at www.rotary.org/brandcenter). (Clubs must report in Rotary Club Central.) JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 31

Apply yourself Would you like to contribute further to Rotary by serving on a committee? Each of Rotary’s 25 committees, comprising Rotarians from around the world, works with the organization’s leadership to ensure efficiency and promote the goals and priorities of the strategic plan. The following committees are searching for qualiﬁed candidates for openings in 2016-17. Most committees involve at least one mandatory annual meeting as well as correspondence, which may include email and webinars. Most committee business is conducted in English. To be considered for a committee appointment, visit tinyurl.com/RI-Committee-Application for the application form. Applicants should make sure they are registered on My Rotary at rotary.org/myrotary and that their My Rotary proﬁle includes current contact details. The application deadline is 20 August 2015.

COMMITTEE

FUNCTION

PREREQUISITES

COMMITMENT

Communications

Advises the Board on communication with key audiences

Professional background and experience in a communication-related ﬁeld

One three-year term; one annual meeting in Evanston

Constitution and Bylaws

Counsels the Board on constitutional documents and legislative procedures, including the Council on Legislation

Legal or legislative background and Council experience preferred

One three-year term; at least one annual meeting in Evanston; one Council on Legislation meeting in Chicago

Districting

Recommends new districts and district boundary adjustments

Broad regional knowledge, experience as a director, and respected leadership within a region

One three-year term

Election Review

Reviews complaints and disputes Must be a past district governor related to RI ofﬁcer elections with strong knowledge of RI Bylaws

One three-year term

Finance

Advises the Board on Rotary’s ﬁnances, including budgets, investment policy, and sustainability measures

One three-year term; two annual meetings in Evanston

32 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

Professional background in a finance-related field; nonprofit experience preferred

COMMITTEE

FUNCTION

PREREQUISITES

COMMITMENT

International Convention

Monitors convention planning, program development, and marketing

Previous attendance at multiple conventions; chair must be a past director with experience planning RI conventions

One term, through the conclusion of the appointed convention; one meeting in the host city

Operations Review

Reviews effectiveness and efﬁciency of RI operations

Experience in ﬁnancial management or leadership development; past presidents and current members of the RI Board of Directors or Foundation Trustees are ineligible

One six-year term; two annual meetings in Evanston

Rotaract and Interact

Advises the RI Board on Interact and Rotaract; promotes collaboration and mentorship between Rotary and its programs for young leaders; develops the Rotaract Preconvention Meeting program

Rotarians: Experience working with youth; direct experience as a mentor or Rotaract/Interact adviser or district chair. Youth program alumni are strong candidates.

Rotarians: One three-year term; one annual meeting in Evanston

Rotaractors: Leadership at the club, district, and international level. Strong candidates have served as a district Rotaract representative, organized projects, or attended a Rotaract Preconvention Meeting. Age restrictions may apply.

Rotaractors: One one-year term; one annual meeting in Evanston

Strategic Planning

Reviews Rotary’s strategic plan and associated measures; advises leadership on other matters of long-term signiﬁcance

One six-year term; 10+ years of experience in at least one annual meeting strategy development and monitoring; strong understanding in Evanston of RI and Foundation programs and services JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 33

NOW! for Rotary News Print Version & e- Version

For the Rotary year 2015 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 2016 As concerned citizens of the world, those of you who are alarmed at the degradation of the environment and slaughter of trees, kindly opt for our e-Version.

Annual Subscription

India

Rs.420 Print version

e- Version No. of copies

Rotary News (English) Rotary Samachar (Hindi)

For every new member the pro-rata is Rs 35 a month. Please attach the TYPED list of individual members with their complete address and PIN Code. Intimate language preference (English / Hindi) against each memberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name. Please do not send the Semi-annual Report for address list.

Rotary Club of .......................................................................................................... RI District ................................ Name of the President/Secretary ............................................................................................................................... Address ...................................................................................................................................................................... .................................................................................................................................................................................... .................................................................................................................................................................................... City ............................................. State ................................................................ PIN 45% $PEF 1IPOF 0Ä&#x203A; 3FT Mobile ...........................................................E-mail ...............................................................................................

Cheque/DD No. ............................................. Dated .............................................. for Rs. ............................................ Drawn on ..................................................................................................................................................................... in favour of â&#x20AC;&#x153;ROTARY NEWS TRUSTâ&#x20AC;? payable at CHENNAI is enclosed. Date:

President/Secretary Mail this form to: Rotary News Trust, Dugar Towers, 3 Floor, 34, Marshalls Road, Egmore, Chennai 600 008. Tamil Nadu, India. Ph: 044 4214 5666, e-mail: rotarynews@rosaonline.org rd

Procedure for Subscribing to Rotary News magazine 1.

Subscription is for the Rotary year (July to June).

All members of the club must subscribe to a Rotary magazine.

The annual subscription for the magazine is Rs.420 per member.

Subscription for the full year must be sent in July of every year, submitted in the RTGUETKDGF HQTO FWN[ ſNNGF KP

Prorated subscription at the rate of Rs.35 per month can be sent for members joining after July.

Subscription account of the club with Rotary News is a running account and does not cease at the end of June every year.

Names of all members, with their complete postal address with PIN CODE must be typed and sent along with the form and DD/cheques payable at par. Outstation cheques will not be accepted.

Copies of Semi Annual Report SHOULD NOT be sent to be used as address list.

Language preference (English or Hindi) for each member should be stated alongside his/her name.

10.

Clubs must inform Rotary News about the approximate reduction in subscriptions for the next Rotary year, if anticipated, during May of every year.

11.

Failure to report reduction in subscription will result in the magazine being despatched till intimation is received.

12.

Clubs are liable to pay for the number of magazines sent in accordance with the existing list available at Rotary News Trust.

13.

Unpaid dues of the club will be shown as outstanding against the club. Any payment received subsequently will be adjusted against earlier dues.

14.

Names of clubs with dues payable to Rotary News will be intimated to RI, to be taken off the list of eligible clubs that can participate in the election process in the district.

15.

The membership of the club, as reported by RI, will be tallied with the subscription list for accuracy in subscription.

16.

If a club wants to switch over to The Rotarian from July of a year, the decision to stop subscription to Rotary News must be intimated in May. Failure to do so will result in the magazine being despatched to the club and the club will be liable to pay for Rotary News magazine dispatched to the members as per existing list.

Literacy Focus Total Literacy & Quality Education PRID Shekhar Mehta Chairman, Rotary India Literacy Mission

As I move around India, I see that Total Literacy and the TEACH Programme have become buzz words for Rotarians and Rotary in India. During the last year we made huge strides for a nascent programme and I must compliment each one of you for having given your best in making this first year a successful one. I am particularly happy to see the success in the Adult Literacy Programme. I am aware that the other programmes have also started and gained momentum and there will be a quantum leap in implementing them this year.

Nothing inspires more than a successful beginning. I am sure the early successes of the TEACH programme last year will ensure that this Rotary year will be a special one, as you start building the edifice of total literacy on the foundation of the TEACH Programme, that you initiated last year. I wish the very best to all of you in your mission to achieve total literacy.

I also compliment the entire National Committee and the RILM staff for the efforts put in by them.

PRIP Kalyan Banerjee Chair, South Asia Literacy Committee

2015â&#x20AC;&#x201C;16: The year to build the edifice of Total Literacy on the foundation of the T-E-A-C-H programme

Teacher Support Aimed to assist the Governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ongoing effort, in accordance with the RTE Act (2009), this programme has trained hundreds of teachers and recognised more than 3,000 outstanding performers through the Nation Builder Award.

In the new year we aim to train and equip 10,000 teachers in select schools with better and progressive teaching aids to ensure quality education to all.

Outstanding teachers being felicitated with the Nation Builder Award. 36 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

E-Learning Aimed to improve the quality of elementary education through high quality local language and curriculum based E-learning modules to enhance knowledge absorption-retention abilities of children, this project has successfully implemented over 500 E-Learning Centres across the country.

In this new year we aim to establish 10,000 E-Learning Centres in various parts of India to make education fun and more knowledgeable. We have identified some outstanding software and hardware and negotiated with vendors to initiate the programme.

Students being taught at the various E-Learning Centres across the country.

Adult Literacy Aimed to educate adult non-literates in both urban and rural areas, this project has been undertaken to make 60,000 adults literate in two months through the Rotary India Global Dream Campaign, which empowers a student-volunteer teacher with a Toolkit that helps an adult

non-literate to read and write by just investing 30â&#x20AC;&#x201C;45 minutes time in a day. The focus of the new year remains on Rotary India Global Dream Campaign, which intends to educate more than 1,00,000 adults and also set up 1,700 Adult Literacy Centres across the country.

Adult learners at various Adult Literacy Centres. JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 37

Child Development Aimed to promote all-round development of differently-abled and disadvantaged children through equitable access to quality education appropriate to their ability levels and special needs, this project has taken care of the needs of more than 2,000 children across the country and is readying them to go back to school.

In the new year our aim is to send 1,00,000 children back to school at just Rs 2,100 per child. The Inner Wheel Club members have each pledged to take responsibility to send one child back to school, so let us take this opportunity to pave a better future for our nation as children are the future of any nation.

Children being prepared to be sent back to school at various non-governmental centres.

Happy Schools Aimed at improving infrastructural and co-scholastic facilities in government / government-aided schools to make them secure, attractive and happy learning places for students, this programme has turned a few hundred schools into Happy Schools all over the country.

In the year 2015â&#x20AC;&#x201C;16 our aim is to turn 3,000 elementary schools into Happy Schools, so that learning as well as teaching can be a joyful and enjoyable experience, to prevent student dropouts.

Happy School project implementation in elementary schools across India. 38 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

Library Creation The overwhelming response to ‘A Million Books - A Million Smiles’ campaign saw a huge surge in collection of 1.9 million books and creation of hundreds of libraries in various parts of the country. In this new year we aim to build 3,000 more libraries as we still

have loads of books with various Rotary Clubs across India and schools with the need of a library. To know more about the process and guidelines on Library Creation, please go through the September ’14 issue of Rotary News or visit www.rotaryteach.org

Book collection campaign for creating Library.

Rotary International Convention at São Paulo Rotary India Literacy Mission showcased its project implementation report of 2014–15 at the Rotary International Convention at São Paulo, Brazil. PDGs Jawahar

Vadlamani, Ravi Langer, Sandeep Narang, Sanjay Khemka, Benjamin Cherian, Ravi Vadlamani and Rtn Abhay Geed represented RILM at the Convention.

The TEACH Programme at Rotary International Convention at São Paulo, Brazil.

Outstanding achievements in the 2014–15 TEACH programme: • • • • • • • • • • •

Collecting 1.9 million books all over India Creating hundreds of libraries Training hundreds of Teachers and recognising over 3,000 of them for their contribution to education and literacy Starting more than 500 E-Learning Centres, with a few thousand more in the pipeline Initiating to educate 60,000 adult illiterates through the efforts of 60,000 student volunteer-teacher, in different parts of India Modifying, translating and printing 60,000 Toolkits of 55 pages each Setting off hundreds of Adult Literacy Centres Identifying, motivating and sending back more than 2,000 children back to school Implementing a few hundred Happy School Projects in various parts of the country, with few more hundreds in the pipeline Partnering with organisations like Nistha, Apne Aap, Kamina Social Welfare Society, Hippocampus, Akshara Foundation, Devi Sansthan and All India Private Schools & Children Welfare Association Training, motivating, planning and implementing various projects with zeal and fervour throughout the year and creating the literacy buzz of Rotary India Literacy Mission in India. JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 39

Bringing focus to the

NORTH EAST Tilak Das

here is a general view that the Northeastern States — Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura (the Seven Sister States) and the Himalayan State Sikkim — are isolated from the mainstream consciousness of India. In the Rotary world, they form the Rotary International District 3240. To promote true integration of the region with the rest of the country, the District organised a Rotary Day event — Light up North East — on June 6 at Guwahati. ati. It was a national conclave for promotion and media focus cus of the Northeastern region of India. The meet, hosted by RC Gauhati West, was inaugurated ated by the Governor of Assam and Nagaland PB Acharya. rya. PDG CT Liu, District 3500, Taiwan, represented the RI President Gary Huang. DG Swapan Choudhury, D 3240, 40,, ans welcomed the guests comprising PDGs and Rotarians from the District, educationists and policy makers. m Media personalities, editors and journalists from the print media deliberated on various issues pertaining to coverage of news about the region. Some of the participants included Debjyoti Chakraborty - National Affairs Editor, Hindustan Times; Amit Barua - Resident Editor, The Hindu; Sheela Bhatt - National Affairs Editor, Rediff.

deliberated on the issues pertaining to

“

Media personalities

negative news about the region. 40 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

com; Pamela Philipose - Development journalist and former Editor, Women’s Feature Service; Sevanti Ninan Editor, The Hoot; Kaushik Mitter - Managing Editor, The Asian Age; Nitin A Gokhale - formerly Defence & Strategic Affairs Editor, NDTV; Patricia Mukhim Editor, The Shillong Times; Pradip Phanjoubam - Editor, Imphal Free Press; Tongam Rina - Associate Editor, Arunachal Times; Sanjib Deb - Dainik Sambad, Agartala;

Facing Page: RIPR CT Liu, Governor of Assam and Nagaland PB Acharya and MP Bijoya Chakraborty. Left: Temsutula Imsong being felicitated by RIPR CT Liu.

Zarir Hussain - Editor-in-Chief, NewsLive; and Samudra Gupta Kashyap - The Indian Express. Lok Sabha MPs Bijoya Chakraborty and R P Sharma, and Parliamentary Secretary, Department of Information & Public Relations, Government of Nagaland K T Assumi also attended the meet. Three achievers from the Northeast — film-maker Padma Vibhushan Jahnu Barua; Mission Prabhughat fame social worker Temsutula Imsong and journalist

SOLUTION FOR THE LAST MONTH’S CROSSWORD

Tongam Rina, who braved the bullets of the insurgents, while on duty, were honoured. Discussions centred on drawing a strategy to overcome the prevailing negative perspective of the region due to poor knowledge of people outside these States and to promote the Northeastern States to the rest of the country through media in a positive manner. A brief presentation to adopt a Separate Time Zone for the region was deliberated by Jahnu Barua. A report is being compiled on the deliberations and recommendations that resulted out of the conclave, with help from the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, Gauhati University. The meet gave a huge boost to Rotary’s image among the people of the region and the media world. (The writer is the Event Coordinator and member of RC Gauhati West, D 3240) Designed by L Gunasekaran

Citation for Meritorious Service

PDG Deepak Shikarpur, RI District 3131, received the Rotary Foundation Citation for Meritorious Service Award for 2014–15 from RI President Gary Huang. Shikarpur is a digital literacy activist and has been instrumental in taking computer literacy to semi-urban and rural schools of Maharashtra. He has also authored books on computer technology and cyber crime.

Start with Rotary and good things happen.

He has been assigned the role of Assistant Rotary Public Image Coordinator for 2015–16 for Districts 3030, 3131 and 3132.

JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 41

Pictures: Rotary International Designed by K Vishwanathan RIDE

An acrob audience

Samba dancers at the Rotary Carnival.

Shelt

RI President Gary Huang with 10-year-old volunteer leader from Argentina, Lucía Gómez García.

2 ROTARY NEWS FEBRUARY 2015

Video recording of Bill Gates commending R anniversary of PolioPlus programme.

Manoj Desai with PDG Ravi Vadlamani.

Welcoming the Polio Flame: L to R: RID P T Prabhakar, Corinna, RIP Gary Huang, RC Madras President S N Srikanth and Project Chair N K Gopinath.

bat with the Phoenix Firedancers dazzles the e at the opening plenary session.

terBox booth at the House of Friendship.

Rotarians on the 30th

TRF Trustee Chair John Kenny addressing the delegates.

Dr Geetha Jayaram receives Rotary Foundation Global Alumni Service to Humanity Award from RIP Gary Huang and TRF Trustee Chair John Kenny, for her dedication to the cause of overcoming mental illnesses.

FEBRUARY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 3

QR Code for Bidarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

Whispering Monuments Jaishree

Deputy Commissioner Dr P C Jaffer and visitors at the Bidar Fort read about the monument on Wikipedia.

o longer does one have to worry about ignorance about Bidar, while on a trip to this hilltop city on the Deccan Plateau in Karnataka State, thanks to the initiative of RC Bidar, District 3160, and the district administration to install QR codes at the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s monuments. Quick Response (QR) Codes are technological tools that, when scanned with smart phones, will lead to Wikipedia pages that provide information about the place, its

monuments, etc, and visitor can access the info on their mobile phones at the site. This is probably the first time QR Codes have been used to promote tourism in Karnataka and Bidar is the only district in the State to have so many articles on Wikipedia in so many languages, observes Kishor Joshi, Assistant Director of Tourism. The Bidar Wikipedia initiative began in January when 20 students from the local schools led by Channaveer Patil, a faculty from GND Engineering College, met members of the Wikimedia Foundation. They wrote articles about the various tourist spots in and around Bidar, which were then edited and translated by Wikipedians and writers from around the world. Nearly 50 articles on Bidar have been uploaded on Wikipedia now and been translated into 30 languages, including Sanskrit, Mandarin, French, Polish and Arabic.

Edit-a-thon

Visitors scanning the QR Code on their mobile phones. 44 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

A Wikipedia Edit-a-thon was conducted for college students the same day by the club in association with the District Heritage Committee. Several students and

“

Besides promoting tourism, QR Code on Bidri wares would fetch economic benefits for the artisans.

staff from various colleges submitted their articles on various monuments and pilgrim spots dotting the city. The club secretary Khaja Mohteshamuddin said that his club intends to adopt this as an ongoing project and more school and college students will be encouraged to contribute content for the initiative. Workshops were also conducted for the students where noted Wikipedia Coordinator from Bangalore, H L Omshivaprakash, Wikimedia India Project Director A Ravishankar and other Wikipedians shed light on various topics such as writing and editing articles, photography and uploading pictures and about the

Wikimedia Copyrighting and the Creative Commons Policy. The district’s Deputy Commissioner Dr P C Jaffer said that his administration plans to place boards with excerpts from Wikipedia along with QR codes in other tourist places and train school children in computing skills and encourage them to dig into the history of various places and contribute articles to the web portal.

QR Code for Bidriware More recently, in June, the Club tied up with the Department of Tourism and the District Administration and Wikipedia to provide QR Code for the city’s famed Bidriware. This would provide economic benefits for the Bidri artisans, who received their first order for Bidri key chains with QR Code, from the Rotarians, said Mohteshamuddin. Bidar is an ancient heritage city that holds archaeological prominence. The book Bidar Heritage published by the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage, states that 30 of the 61 monuments listed by the department are located in and around the city and thus it earns the nickname, ‘The city of whispering monuments.’ The 500-year old Bidar Fort, Bahmani and Barid Shahi tombs are some of the historic attractions of the city.

Getting back to the roots Team Rotary News

griculture is the backbone of our country’s economy. Yet today’s youngsters seem to be moving to big cities or abroad lured by the white collar jobs that would earn them lakhs and dollars from the comfort of air-conditioned rooms. Thankfully, the grass is still green for some people who have a passion to grow crops and love the smell of the soil. Rotary gives a helping hand to them to pursue agriculture. Rotary Club of Mumbai Versova, D 3140, under a District Grant project, reached out to Uttan Krishi Sanshodhan Sanstha at Bhayandar in Thane District. The project included installation of a green shade net house and donation of farm equipment to the centre. The total project cost was Rs 9 lakh; with Rs 3 lakh from the District Grant, the Rotarians of the club pitched in with the balance amount. Equipment such as power tiller, spray pump and mud pump were donated to the centre. Fruits and vegetables can now be grown in the green house. There would be

Rotarians operate the power tiller donated to the Sansthan.

an improved productivity and better yield which would in turn fetch higher revenue for the Sanstha, says Rtn Rajesh Choudhary, the Project-in-charge. The centre is an ideal location for krishi research and education. Their institute, Keshav Shruti Krishi Tantra Vidyalaya offers a three year residential diploma course in farming. Around 180 children of farmers are pursuing the course and every year at least 60 students are admitted for agri-studies. The club’s service would expose the children to sophisticated equipment and inculcate interest in cultivation and plantations amongst students. JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 45

A 45-year bonding between

German and Indian

Rotarians Rasheeda Bhagat A chance meeting between a German and Indian on a German train resulted in RC Budge Budge doing great projects with help from RC Munster St Mauritz.

bout 45 years ago, when an Indian, working in the UK had a problem in communicating while on a train in Germany, he was helped out by a fellow traveller who could speak English fluently. The German was a famous numismatist (specialising in study or collection of coins / currency) Peter Berghaus, then the Director of Museums in Germany, and the Indian on that train was P N Pathak. The former was a committed Rotarian from the Rotary Club of Munster St Mauritz, then in RI District 85, and now RID 1870. Pathak hailed from a place called Budge Budge, about 15 km from Kolkata city; “you can call it a suburb of Kolkata,” says PDG K Chandramohan, D 3291, adding,

“and he was a bachelor who lived in extreme austerity.” By living so, the service-minded Pathak managed to save some money from his humble income to carry out small welfare activities in his native village of Raghunathpur near Budge Budge. The train contact between the German Rotarian and the Indian do-gooder came in handy in 1970 when the former wanted to ship a few bags of milk powder for free distribution to undernourished children in Budge Budge — remember those were the days when Western charities and churches sent a lot of milk powder, cheese etc to the poor in India. Berghaus thought it best to send the milk through Rotary and contacted Pathak, who put him in touch with

Kolkata and Chennai Rotarians at the installation of the 50th President of RC Munster St Mauritz - 2013.

they came, they would stay for around three days, interact with the locals, enquiring about their needs. The emotional rapport that Berghaus developed with the locals is unique; he did so specially by staying at the R K Mission Orphanage at Ashuti and sharing the food with the inmates, playing games, singing songs and thus endearing himself to the people here,” says Chandramohan.

A plethora of projects

Mother Theresa with ladies of RC Budge Budge.

RC Budge Budge, “which took up the responsibility of bringing the donated milk powder and distributing it at the Biraj Lakshmi Charitable Trust, a service organisation started in the memory of Pathak’s late mother,” recalls Chandramohan. Rtn S B Roy, then the Manager of Hansa Lines, waived transportation costs.

Long and deep association Thus began a long and deep association between the German and Indian Club through which, over the last four decades, thousands of poor oor people in the rural areas south west of Kolkata have benefitted. nefitted. “This kind of partnership, which goes far beyond the he quantum of money the German club has sent over the years yeears to this area, is unique in the history of Rotary,” he adds. dds. Within two years, Berghaus errghaus made his first visit to India and RC Budge Budge inn 1972, acco accompanied omppannie ied by y tthe h tthen he henn he Governor of his District ct Arno Jochum Jochums. um ms. T This his vi hi visit isi sitt wa w was as a hee annual visi it off R otar ot a ians ns ffrom rom ro m solid foundation for the visit Rotarians z. Travelling th hrouggh th thee be bbeautiful eau a tiifu ful ul RC Munster St Mauritz. through anns evaluatedd ssome oom me of tthe hee ffundau daaun countryside, the Germans occal community communnit ity ty which whhic ichh mental needs of the local rinking water err w as needed to be addressed. D Drinking was y, and the ‘S Swe weet e identified as top priority, ‘Sweet C Budge Bud uddge Water Programme’ of RC Budge veer 232 deep ttube ubbe was begun in which over oday’s valuat atio on, wells, each costing, in to today’s valuation, edd around $2,500, were put in, fund funded luub or TRF. either directly by this club Berghaus’s visit too Calcutta and in all became a regular featuree and mes with he has visited India 18 times ngg along his wife Inge, bringing erman with him several other G German erry time Rotarians too. “And every

The main building of this orphanage built in 1975 with German funds is known as ‘Munster House.’ At the Jyotirmoyee Children’s Welfare Society, German Rotarians and their families have adopted 30 girls, paying for their education, boarding and lodging. Similarly, 30 boys were adopted at R K Mission, Batanagar, where the play area is christened ‘Inge Park.’ A 10-bed hospital is another major initiative done with help from the German Rotarians and “now we have plans to convert and enlarge this as a better centre of medical help even for the whole locality in the memory of Dr Peter Berghaus who left this world recently,” he adds. With the passage of time the ageing Berghaus passed on the baton to Dr Reinhard Fricke and his wife Waldtraut, who are now carrying on the former’s legacy. If the quantum of help extended by RC Munster St Mauritz is aggregated along with the personal visits and close involvement of the German Rotarians, the colossal work done by RC Budge Budge to help the local community is priceless. While Swachh Bharat and building toilets in schools is a new project, over the last 30 years, more than 4,300 low-cost toilets have been built. “For over 10 years (1985–95) the club ran ‘A toilet a day’ project. This

Dr Peter Berghaus with the beneficiaries in a village - 1978.

unique achievement lauded by organisations such as UNICEF is perhaps a record for any Rotary Club,” says Chandramohan, one of the oldest members of RC Budge Budge. Apart from building a school, roads, and helping cataract surgery for the poor through temporary eye camps, now with support from the German Rotarians, RC Budge Budge has built the GRSM Rotary Eye Hospital, which serves over 35,000 patients annually. A big chunk of the money for this hospital came from Rtn PDG Reinhard Fricke and PDG Chandramohan at the vegetable Jagannath Gupta, a local businessman. garden in ‘Missionaries of the Word.’ A training centre for poor unemployed girls through the Inner Wheel Clubs of IW District 87; the Rotary Annelie Dental Clinic; expansion of the ‘Missionaries of the Word’ which z Photovoltaic Roof for Kelavani Mandal School for once had only 15 children of sex workers to an abode for solar power at Sion, Mumbai, D 3140 325 children; and the Fricke Dialysis Centre are other notaz Burn’s prevention clinic for children at Indore, ble ventures put up with the help of the German Rotarians. D 3040 This collaboration between these two clubs has now z Technical training exchange with clubs at Indore z Boat Clinic ‘Jibontari’ in association with RC Dum extended further and an Indo-German Rotary Inter CounDum to serve the poor in the isolated islands of try Committee was started way back in 1987 during the Sundarbans, D 3291 Munich Convention, and PDG Chandramohan now chairs the Indian Chapter of this committee. z Construction of deep tube wells at Dakshin Barasat Few noteworthy projects implemented by this com(D 3291) to help the inhabitants overcome the problem mittee include: of water salinity.

z z z

Rehabilitation centre for children of Leprosy patients at Bhubaneswar, D 3250 Rotary school for economically weaker children at Ambattur, D 3230 Sanitation project at Kozhikode, D 3201 Assistance to earthquake victims of Uttarkashi in Himachal Pradesh and Latur in Maharashtra, (Districts 3080 and 3132)

“

This kind of partnership, which goes far beyond the quantum of money sent, is unique in the history of Rotary.

48 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

“

Recently when RC Budge Budge celebrated its golden jubilee, the German Rotarian contingent was present in full force to cheer their Indian friends. “Budge Budge is also special to Rotary India for another reason; past RI President Rajendra K Saboo was born here,” smiles Chandramohan. RC Munster St Mauritz has also partnered RC Ambattur in many projects, two major ones being building a general hospital and a high school which the club runs. Small wonder then that in 2013, at the 50th installation of the President of the German Club, a contingent of Rotarians from Kolkata and Chennai were present. Chandramohan recalls the warm hospitality, good food — including a barbeque of fresh deer meat — and fine wine during their stay in Munster. But the best part was meeting the special invitee at the event — Inge Berghaus. “Peter Berghaus will be remembered by all of us as the man who lit the lamp of friendship with RC Budge Budge in 1970; and we, the delegates from India, were indeed overwhelmed to be with Inge,” he adds. Through a slim book titled, Where Hearts Dare, Chadramohan has catalogued this unique story of friendship and service sketched by the Indian and German Rotary Clubs.

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interacting during weekly meetings. I can now talk FRQÂ¿GHQWO\ RQ DQ\ VXEMHFW DQG HYHQ VKDUH shayaris DQG SRHPV , KDYH DOVR OHDUQW DQRWKHU ODQJXDJH 0DUDWKL DV WKH PHGLXP RI FRPPXQLFDWLRQ LQ WKH weekly meetings is generally Marathi. , KDYH EHFRPH QHW VDYY\ QRZ WKDQNV WR P\ &OXE , KXQW DQG H[SORUH LQIRUPDWLRQ RQ WKH LQWHUQHW WR VKDUH DW WKH ZHHNO\ PHHWLQJV 0\ 5RWDU\ P HPEHUVKLS SURYLGHG PH D XQLTXH RSSRUWXQLW\ WR GRQDWH engineering text books to Sureshchandra Dhariwal 3RO\WHFKQLF -DPQHU $ UHDO VHQVH RI IXOÂ¿OOPHQW , GHULYHG LQ WKH SURFHVV , IHHO KRQRXUHG VLQFH PHPEHUVKLS LV E\ LQYLWDWLRQ and not everyone is invited to join Rotary. I wear my 5RWDU\ SLQ ZLWK SULGH 1RZ LI VRPHRQH DVNV PH Â³:K\ VKRXOG , MRLQ 5RWDU\"Â´ , ZLOO FRQÂ¿GHQWO\ LQVSLUH KLP WR become an enthusiastic and engaged Rotarian.Â&#x201E;

JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 49

Israel charms Pune Rotarians Ajit Gangoli Yezdi Batliwala Impressions of an unforgettable visit to Israel

“

Going to Israel?” Are you mad? Do you want to get killed? These were the comments we heard when we decided to make a trip to Israel with Rotary friends. Israel is not a popular tourist destination for Indians but despite the present turmoil in Middle-East from Yemen to Algeria and Libya to Nigeria, we, a group of 60 Rotarians, Rotary Anns and some friends, decided to take the plunge. Our Governor Vivek Aranha was keenly interested in our going to Israel and entrusted RC Poona Downtown 50 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

President and Rtn Subhas Sanzgiri, Special Aide to DG and Counselor, District International Services Committee to organise this first ever trip of RID 3131 Rotarians to Israel and visit RID 2490. Rtn Subhas’ contacts and knowledge of Israel played a vital role in the planning which was disclosed at the district conference in Goa. RC Poona Downtown invited representatives of Israel tourism department in India and Albert Benabou, Director of Israel’s International Travel and Congresses to Goa to give a presentation on Israel.

After initial tardy registration, the pace picked up when the trip was thrown open to Inner Wheel members and friends of Rotarians. We had to stop registration at 60! We landed in Jerusalem via Amman on May 16, all excited. Israel is a holy land, but let’s call it a “land of Books.” Moses’s Ten Commandments were written here, as was the Bible and part of Quran. The world’s three major religions have their roots in this holy land. Israel was formed by the UN mandate in

DG Mali Levy of RID 2490 addressing the joint meeting.

One can think of no other country which has constantly fought for its survival and yet prospered. 1948. Since its birth this country has gone through severe problems which threatened its existence. But resilience of its people has given a new meaning to the word “existence.” One can think of no other country which has constantly fought for its survival and yet prospered. We looked forward to see Israel for its development in agriculture, horticulture and hi-tech defense production. Our tour started with visit to Dead Sea, a land-locked sea 1,200 ft below sea level. Its salinity is so high that you cannot sink and float easily, but be careful to not let it into your eyes, or else your eyes will sting for 10 minutes! Apparently, the water is so salty that a glass of it can cause a heart attack due to sodium poisoning. It is so mineral-rich that its mud is used for therapeutic treatment.

We visited Jerusalem, Haifa and Tel Aviv. Jerusalem was unique as it is a disputed land and is divided into ‘Old city’ and ‘New city’ by the Mandelbaum Gate. West Jerusalem was part of Israel since 1948 after the British left Palestine. But in the 1967 war, Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordan and later in 1975 annexed it as Israeli territory. Though Jerusalem is the capital city of Israel, most countries consider Tel Aviv as capital. It’s a unique city — three major religions Christianity, Judaism and Islam have their holy places here. Parts of Jerusalem in the vicinity of Al Aqsa mosque are managed by a council under the Palestine Authority, though the territorial ownership belongs to Israel. Though politically complex, it is very peaceful.

There are gun-wielding Israeli soldiers everywhere, which gives a feeling of safety. The day we arrived in Jerusalem was the day of Israeli military victory over the Arabs in 1967, according to the Jewish calendar. So throngs of Israeli people and children singing patriotic songs were visiting the church of Sepulcher and the Wailing Wall. This Church is built on the place where Christ was crucified. The Church belongs to all major sects of Christianity. People worship the wooden log where Christ’s body was kept after the crucifixion. Another place of importance was the birth place of the Christ, which is also managed by all sects of Christianity. The place where Christ was born is underground, in a cave-like room, where you have to descend many steep steps to get to the bottom. A simple manger like JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 51

room gives a holistic feeling and also solitude. Our visit to a kibbutz, the Israeli word for community living, was very enlightening. Though kibbutz is now almost redundant, with only a few such communities remaining and prospering, the future of the country’s foundation was laid here. After travelling through the holy land, now we were on our way to modern Israel — Haifa and Tel Aviv. Haifa is one of the most beautiful towns many of us had ever seen. Situated on a hill overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, it’s a town full of gardens and greenery, beautiful houses and eateries. We visited the Hadassah-Hebrew University and Research Centre, a world renowned research centre in medicine and bio-technology. It is also called a “City of Healing.” With its high ratio of doctors and some of the ablest physicians and researchers, Israel is uniquely equipped to serve the Middle-East. Whether a Christian Arab or a Muslim Arab, both get the same treatment here. This centre has produced a large number of Nobel Prize winners. The Bahai

temple in Haifa is something one can never forget. It has a seven layered terraced garden and the temple is situated over the 7th terrace.

Tel Aviv After Haifa it was Tel Aviv, which is like any large metropolis and the commercial capital of Israel. It is also regarded by most countries as the Israeli capital as they consider Jerusalem to be occupied territory. Jerusalem was part of Jordan till 1967. In the famous six-day war of

1967, Gen Moshe Dayan’s army captured the whole of the Sinai peninsula and annexed Jerusalem. In Tel Aviv we had the long awaited meeting with the Rotary Club of Tel Aviv Yaffo, where DG Mali Levy charmed the Indian Rotarians, and Club President Rafi Priel rolled out the perfect hospitality. RC Poona Downtown President Yezdi Batliwala read out DG Aranha’s message, exchanged flags, and explained the many projects undertaken by D 3131.

Patriotism and discipline

The Bahai temple in Haifa has a seven layered terraced garden and the temple is situated over the 7th terrace.

A striking feature we saw all the time is their sense of patriotism and discipline. Once we left Jerusalem, we never saw a single policeman. In Haifa and Tel Aviv we did not see even a traffic cop, yet the towns were peaceful and people law abiding. India-Israel friendship is now blooming and Israelis have great love and respect for Indians as large number of Indian Jews are settled in high tech jobs and are respected. Israelis also remember that in India there is no discrimination against Jews. The hospitality shown to us and the trouble taken by Albert Benabou, Guy Leibovitz, our guide, and Amir, our driver made our 7-day trip truly memorable. (RC Poona Downtown is planning a second tour of Israel on demand from Rotarians of RID 3131 in September 2015.) Designed by N Krishnamurthy

52 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

A Rotary Skin Bank in Nagpur Selvi

otary clubs in India have opened skin banks in Mumbai, Pune and Chennai. The fourth in the list is the Rotary OCHRI Skin Bank at Nagpur, recently established by RC Nagpur, D 3030. This facility is a result of a tripartite agreement between the Club, Orange City Hospital & Research Institute (OCHRI) and National Burns Centre, Mumbai. It is located in the OCHRI premises and was inaugurated on February 27 by the Energy Minister of Maharashtra, Chandrashekhar Bawankule. The Minister said, “RotaryOCHRI is the first skin bank in Central India and the facility will not only relieve the pain of burn victims but will also reduce death ratio by 50 per cent. It is also commendable that it will be available at one tenth of the cost of artificial products.” The equipment necessary for retrieving and storing skin was purchased at a cost of Rs 11.16 lakh, contributions for which came from Rtn Ajay Sancheti (Rs 6.11 lakh), Luxora Infrastructure Pvt Ltd. (Rs 1 lakh) and the balance from the Rotarians of RC Nagpur. Club President Bharatraj Goenka said, “Though OCHRI has no burns centre, patients with burn injuries are

regularly treated here and in other major hospitals in Nagpur, and they will benefit a lot by this skin bank.” The skin bank’s helpline number for informing the death of registered donor or for enquiry of skin is +91-9422106298 / 0712-6634800. In skin banking, skin from eligible deceased donor is collected, processed and stored to treat burns patients. The skin that is totally burnt cannot heal without a skin graft operation and the stored donor’s skin which is preserved in glycerol

Rotary-OCHRI is the ﬁrst skin bank in Central India and the facility will not only relieve the pain of burn victims but will also reduce death ratio by 50 per cent.

and frozen comes as a life saver. It acts just like a biological dressing for the burn injury, preventing the loss of vital fluids, protein and heat, maintains electrolyte balance and protects the injury from bacteria, drastically reducing the risk if gangrene and other infections. Goenka added that initially people were surprised to know that even skin can be donated. They were a little apprehensive regarding disfigurement following skin donation. “But once they understood the concept, they were enthusiastic and many conveyed their willingness to donate. Many Rotarians have pledged their skin and enquiries from the public have started pouring in.” The Club plans to extend the facility by opening collection centres in Vidarbha from where local doctors can harvest skin from donors and send it to the Rotary OCHRI Skin Bank at Nagpur for processing and use. They have also plans to start research in stem cell therapy using the same infrastructure and facility. JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 53

When a ‘homeless’

Governor was motivated Kiran Zehra While the Indian media faced a backlash for its seemingly insensitive coverage of the earthquake-hit Nepal, Rotary India continued to pass on the knowledge of the lessons it learnt during the 2001 Gujarat earthquake.

Students of the Rotary Ade Majiyagbe Memorial English Medium Madhyamik School, Kutch.

“B

uild schools in Nepal; this will keep the community intact and stop them from migrating to another region. That is one of the most important lessons we learnt after the Gujarat earthquake,” says PDG Bharat Dholakia who decided to step down as District Governor after he lost his home and office in the Gujarat quake in January 2001. “I was psychologically not prepared to attend the International Assembly or continue as Governor,” he recalls. But PRIP Kalyan Banarjee and RID Manoj Desai’s visit to Bhuj changed everything and “what happened 54 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

Skeleton of the 75-feet blue whale at Hill Garden, Bhuj.

next was nothing short of a miracle for the people of Gujarat,” he adds. “Kalyan Bhai and Manoj Bhai said ‘tujhe Assembly mein jaana hi padega (you will have to go to the Assembly).’ I realised they were looking at the bigger picture.” Dholakia attended the International Assembly in February 2001 at Los Angeles. PRID Rajendra Saboo gave him an opportunity to address the gathering. “I had nothing to say, my introduction said it all. I was the Homeless Governor,” recalls the PDG. Moved by his condition, “TRF for the first time waived their mandatory requirement to help Gujarat. Until that date Matching Grants were never provided for construction,” he recalls. During the Assembly, a sum of $ 1.2 billion was announced for relief work in Gujarat; TRF sanctioned the 3H (Health, Hunger and Humanity) Grants. Rotarians from Japan and other countries donated $ 1 billion for low-cost shelters. The Rotary Gujarat Rebuild Trust was formed and “Rotary in partnership with the Indian government constructed close to 1,000 classrooms in 182 villages,” says PDG Mohan Nemchand Shah who was incharge of the 3H Grants.

Usha Saboo, who led the spouses committee then, appealed to the spouses of Rotarians. Over $44,000 was collected and these funds helped in setting up a school — the Rotary Ade Majiyagbe Memorial English Medium Madhyamik School at Haripar in Kutch. The school was named after Ade Majiyagbe, spouse of the then RI President Jonathan Babatunde Majiyagbe “who believed that literacy is the path to opportunity and always made sure to promote this cause,” says PDG Shah.

Row houses constructed after the earthquake.

training programmes for women are organised during the vacations.

Rotary Colony Rotary English School This school has around 200 students and classes all the way to Class 12. The classrooms are spacious, well maintained and the blackboard sports signs of interactive lessons, as children walk up to the board and mark the different parts of the flower the teacher had drawn. “We hire teachers who have completed their B Ed and who have a passion for teaching,” says the Principal Gopi Trivedi. Fee is nominal and scholarships are available. She proudly says “We have a record for cent percent results in Class 10.” The school never goes on a holiday as vocational

Rotary in Nepal should treat this as an opportunity and showcase Rotary’s care for humanity.

Navratri celebrations at the Hill Garden.

RC Bhuj constructed 872 houses in Bhachau, Paddhar, Bhuj and Anjar — the worst affected regions. “The row houses look decent, comfortable and toilets are attached,” says Abha Behn, a resident of the Rotary Colony. Her 1BHK home has made her so comfortable that she feels “Yeh pichley wale ghar se behtar hai (This house is better than the old one).” Oma begins to cry as she recalls the horror. “Thank you Rotary for the roof above my head,” she says gratefully.

Hill Garden Built on 22 acres of land this garden was handed over to Rotary by the Government. RC Bhuj has spent about Rs 22 lakh to set up a dome that houses the skeleton of the 75-feet blue whale which was found dead in the Creek Sea. This attracts thousands of visitors weekly and “taking a selfie here has become a tradition,” says Rtn Vinay Toprani. “During Navratri the garden hosts Garba nights and disco dandiya and is the best of its kind in Bhuj,” says a visitor. When the news of the Nepal earthquake came “each club came forward with whatever they could because we knew how 42 seconds and 7.9 magnitude on the Richter’s scale took our everything,” says Dholakia. But it gave Gujarat a “doosra janam (a rebirth) and yet again it gave Rotary a chance to serve. Rotary in Nepal should treat this as an opportunity and showcase Rotary’s care for humanity. We are with them.” JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 55

MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDATION CHAIR

A penny for your thoughts: About the Future Vision Plan

he future vision plan was developed to remedy some weaknesses in our Rotary Foundation’s programmes, one of which was the Foundation’s slowness in handling applications for Matching Grants. As a result, the Future Vision Plan sought to simplify the Foundation’s programmes, to give Rotarians more voice and ownership in these programmes, and to reduce the time required for the processing of humanitarian grants. In 2010–11, the Future Vision Plan started with 100 pilot districts. The full launch of the plan for all Rotary districts was achieved in 2013–14. Rotary uses a three-year cycle for the implementation and testing of its new programmes, and as a result, the first comprehensive evaluation of the full launch will occur in the third year — which is now this year! A full and fair evaluation of the Future Vision Plan, now referred to as the new grants model, is the most important task of the year for me and the other Trustees. I encourage you to take advantage of the various surveys and polls that will be conducted in the next few months to test the effectiveness of the new Foundation programmes. Comments from Rotarians were solicited earlier for consideration by a committee of past presidents, chaired by Bill Boyd, and the comments received were a good prelude to the more formal part of the evaluation process now underway. I am committed to a thorough evaluation of the new grants model, and the Programmes Committee, which is managing the evaluation process, is truly interested in the level of our customer satisfaction with the new grants model. And, of course, that is why you are critical to our assessment, because it is the Rotarians of the world who are our Foundation’s customers!

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

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

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

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

168 104 135 69 91 95 65 68 54 86 115 78 76 87 106 69 140 75 145 93 66 125 140 96 131 117 131 88 74 137 78 94 77 78 75 98 162 117 152 89 4,044

7,335 4,684 5,692 3,407 4,996 2,179 2,501 3,605 2,059 3,796 3,292 3,258 2,051 2,069 3,473 2,772 5,893 3,387 7,616 3,448 2,430 5,142 5,879 4,059 5,049 4,588 4,284 3,536 2,129 6,307 2,823 3,599 2,481 2,808 1,187 1,908 4,960 3,233 4,034 3,024 1,50,973

347 378 659 178 563 281 187 552 199 350 278 167 72 102 203 247 1062 275 1036 276 107 294 261 324 280 223 263 160 261 619 305 546 244 296 151 363 636 289 632 353 14,019

96 148 65 42 49 30 38 28 14 37 49 42 23 10 43 30 54 43 105 70 8 28 40 55 69 70 9 19 68 139 45 39 14 32 35 20 188 110 45 93 2,142

298 315 194 238 186 90 121 129 30 96 129 154 33 84 46 48 182 104 343 163 37 261 363 118 93 360 66 147 185 388 122 159 97 62 14 35 78 20 98 91 5,777

RCC

201 77 81 263 127 133 330 123 89 106 58 98 122 146 61 48 68 78 140 109 80 155 144 41 45 39 116 118 94 297 123 166 41 68 13 34 179 38 531 89 4,869

Source: RI South Asia Office Ray Klinginsmith Foundation Trustee Chair

Mending little hearts A C Peter

hen 2-year-old Samudh Gunawardhar from Sri Lanka, referred by Rotary Club of Colombo, landed at New Delhi with his parents Oshan Wijesiri and Malitha Nammuni on May 26 by Sri Lankan Airlines, they never felt that they were in a foreign country; they were at ‘home,’ in the safe hands of Rotarians and hospital staff. After a day’s rest at the accommodation arranged by the Gift of Life (GoL) coordinators, Samudh was operated upon at the Fortis-Escorts Heart Institute in Delhi for TOF, a critical Congenital On road to health: (From left) DG Sanjay Khanna, TRF Trustee Chair Heart Disease (CHD). He is the 18th child John Kenny and TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta with a GoL beneficiary. from Sri Lanka to be treated under Rotary heart surgeries under GoL, for underprivileged children. GoL project. Sri Lanka lacks adequate facilities for critical open Commemorating this milestone, RI launched an animated heart surgery for CHD patients. Same is the case with campaign, ‘Saving little hearts.’ GoL India Chair Ravishankar Bhooplapur (PDG of D other SAARC nations such as Nepal, Pakistan and also the Tibetan Government-in-Exile from where recently 7250, USA) organised a fund-raiser dinner at New York recently where substantial funds were collected for treating many children visited Delhi for open heart surgery. Children also come here from Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, children with CHD in India. “I do not want any child to die for lack of financial resource for treatNigeria, El Salvador and Zambia for ment of CHD and I am always willing open heart surgery. Over 30 children This is a classic to support Clubs and Districts for this from Uganda have benefited from this example how Rotary project,” he said. TRF Trustee Sushil project. Nyasha Joshua Mwamba (18) Gupta is the Advisor for GoL Delhi. from Zambia, referred by the Africa can promote peace and TRF Chair John Kenny visited this Vision of Hope through Gift of Life understanding between project recently along with his spouse International, also underwent treatment June, and said, “This is a classic examfor CHD here in June. nations through ple how Rotary can promote peace and CHD accounts for 20 per cent of international understanding between nations through infant mortality in India, affecting 8 humanitarian international humanitarian service.” out of every 1,000 live born infants. An GoL New Delhi has so far spent US estimated 2.25 lakh children are born service. with heart problems every year, 30 per $1.02 million from grants in addition to cent of which are serious and could be substantial funds from GoL and donors. fatal without surgical intervention. This month, TRF sanctioned US $131,000 Global Grant But facilities for CHD surgery are limited to only 12 (GG), and 18 Rotary clubs/Districts in India joined as host Indian hospitals. Successful treatment requires specialised partners for this GG. Two more applications with support care and financial resources. Rotary has joined hands with from TRF Trustee Jackson Hsieh and Bhooplapur as international partners await TRF approval. Hsieh supports specialist private hospitals in Delhi for performing open the programme and Rotary Clubs and Districts of Taiwan heart surgery for economically weak children (up to 20 participate in GoL grant schemes every year. years) suffering from congenital heart diseases. GoL Delhi aims at performing 300 surgeries a year and Ever since its auxiliary, Rotary (Delhi NCR) Gift of Life Trust, was formed on July 20, 2005, three CHD urges Rotary clubs to refer deserving cases. diagnostic medical camps were organised at Jammu, Imphal (The writer is National Coordinator, and Kochi. Rotary India has successfully completed 5,000 Gift of Life - India)

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JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 57

A discovery of

Mexico’s unique cenotes Rasheeda Bhagat

Take a break from the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula’s stunning beaches to visit the Mayan Riviera’s cenotes, or sacred pools of water, where once the Mayans communicated with the gods.

he Mayan Riviera on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is a coveted destination of Americans and Europeans alike for its balmy tropical climate, its stunning beaches, which have made destinations such as Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum, the three places I recently visited during a family holiday, extremely popular. Well, the spanking clean beaches with their cottonlike white sands, the turquoise blue waters of the Caribbean Sea and the clear blue skies, coupled with the buzzing bars and night clubs in Cancun and Playa del Carmen (Tulum is a charming and laid back town) do come together to give you an amazing holiday. Long spells either in the sea, if the unseasonal weeds do not hamper your swim in the sea, or soaking up the ambience by the swimming pool, are certainly the USP of a Mexican holiday. But Mexico is much more than its beaches and tequila; those interested in history and culture will come away enthralled from this country.

58 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

What I was not prepared for was an entire day of unadulterated fun, relaxation and education through an experience totally new for me. When my sons insisted that we do a full-day tour of the famous Cenotes of the region — reaffirming what guides and travel agents have told me in Africa and some European countries that more and more Indians are opting for adventure tourism — I tried my best to opt … or rather chicken … out. Overruled, one just decided to fall in line. The Swiss travel agent on the buzzing Fifth Avenue from whom we booked our tour to Xenotes Oasis Maya (privately owned by the company) was not only reassuring about the modest rigours of the tour but also made it sound exciting. My first education on the evolution of the cenotes and what they denote came from him.

Mayan belief He explained how the Mayans (one of the most dominant indigenous people of Mesoamerica, a term used to

Cool clean waters

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The organisers are strict about preserving the ecosystem and only chemicalfree sunscreen and insect repellents are encouraged.

Rasheeda Bhagat

The cleanliness of the cenote water was the first thing that strikes me as I am gently lowered into the first cenote several metres below the surface through rappelling. As we are strapped up and harnessed, a bit of apprehension, if not fear, is invariable. But the whole set up is so professional and the personnel strapping us up and lowering us into the cenote several metres down are so competent and

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The Mayans held the cenotes to be absolutely sacred and worshipped them by offering human and other sacrifices, praying for good rains, harvest, health and prosperity.

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describe Mexico-Central America before the 16th century Spanish conquest) held the cenotes to be absolutely sacred and worshipped them by offering human and other sacrifices. Apparently research carried out in the 20th century by deep diving into the cenotes has revealed human traces and precious stones such as jade, proving that sacrifices were offered both of humans and prized possessions to appease the gods and their ancestors. The rain god Chaac was the most important one, and was believed to reside right at the bottom of the cenote and the sacrifices were made particularly to please him. Through such offerings the Mayans would pray for good rains, bountiful harvests, good health and prosperity for the family. Often priests would collect water from the sacred cenotes for rituals at temples. With cenotes being so important and central to the Mayan culture, their depiction in the art and artefacts of this period was inevitable. So the regional art has many depictions of gods such as Chaac, the water lily serpent, etc, and the gods are shown pouring water into a cenote or creating storms. Water lilies growing at the edges of the cenote also symbolised the purity of the water.

handle each visitor with such calmness and caring that you soon revert to breathing normally. And at each of the four experiences — rappelling, zip lining, kayaking and snorkelling, not to mention the last bit which is a relaxed stretch of swimming through a considerable length of the open cenote — you have to compulsorily wear a life vest and these are available in various sizes. All the cenotes are of course part of an underground water network. The different cenotes — in this property four of them

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At $100, the cenote experience is value for money, including as it does transport, lunch, snacks, and an unending supply of beer, wine, and hot and cold beverages.

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representing the four elements, earth, fire, wind and water — have been formed by the collapsing limestone; the Yucatan peninsula rests on a bed of limestone. What takes your breath away is the greenery and rustic beauty of the entire property which is kept absolutely clean. In fact, the organisers are quite strict about preserving the ecosystem and only chemicalfree sunscreen and insect repellents are encouraged. Actually, you need neither as most of the time you are in shade in the cool waters of the cenotes. Near the entrance of each of the four cenotes there are spanking clean toilets and changing rooms.

Screams galore! The first cenote where we rappelled down on the rope was rather dark and semi closed and represented the earth. Despite my apprehensions, it was easy. At the second one that represents wind, there was a lot of excitement and screaming — mercifully each group is limited to 16 in the tour — as the group ziplined over the pool of water. As you pass nearer to the central point you have to jump ... a depth of 15 to 20 ft. There were more women in our group and hence you can imagine the decibel levels as each 60 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

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There were more women in our group and hence you can imagine the decibel levels as each participant hit the water from a height of 20 feet!

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participant hit the water! Needless to say most in the group used the chance to zip line and jump multiple times. At the third cenote there was considerable exercise in the form of kayaking and I chose my partner wisely in my younger son, and the passage through the open water body was smooth without crashing too many times into kayaks of fellow visitors. The snorkelling was good but having done seawalking in Mauritius where you see such an exotic mix of fish and coral, I can say I’ve experienced better. Once these four activities were over, we were taken to a spot for a refreshing swim in the gentle currents of an open cenote. As energy and vitality flow through you at the end of an activity-packed day, and shafts of gentle sunlight play hide and seek, you soak in the ambience and can understand why the Mayans established villages around these sacred wells or pools of water, their only source of fresh water. The caves and the fauna add to the richness of the cenote experience, which at $100 is value for money, including as it does transport — a 45-minute drive on a smooth motorway in a comfortable mini-bus — lunch and snacks, with an unending supply of beer, wine, and hot and cold beverages. A photographer accompanies you all the time, recording all your high and low moments — of exhilaration as well as fear! Who can say no to the pen drive she dangles at the end of the trip for a little more than $100?

This charming break from the beaches and the pubs into the Mayans exquisite underground world of cool blue waters, where they once communicated with the gods in these sacred pools, is highly recommended. These natural swimming holes formed by the collapse of porous limestone bedrock have fresh and mineral-rich water naturally filtered by the earth that really perk you up and do good to your skin too. And what better place to learn about another country, another culture, and delve into the history of the Yucatan peninsula than in the subterranean realm of such unique natural beauty! Designed by Krishnapratheesh JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 61

Ethnicity and culture rule this Resort Jaishree Kadambavanam Resorts wraps and presents to you a combo of Tamil art, culture and traditions, making your stay refreshing, educative and memorable.

here is something about Madurai that is deeply rewarding for your senses — that’s how I feel when I set foot on this ancient Tamil land famed for its Meenakshi Temple, unique Jigarthanda and piping hot idlis dished out by the roadside, with chutneys of varied colours. But the biggest surprise came in the form of the Kadambavanam Resorts, a 30-minute drive from the Temple. Nestled in a sprawling 22 acre land, amidst a bed of greenery that includes mango, coconut and cashew plants and surrounded by hills on all sides, the resort extends an idyllic retreat that guarantees to rejuvenate body and soul. “A temple of traditions that lets you enjoy a cross section of everything Tamil,” says Chitra Ganapathy, Managing Director of the resort and member of RC Madurai West, D 3000. The 30 air-conditioned cottages are built in native style, but have all modern amenities. Each one faces the hills, and

62 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

is dedicated and themed after a Tamil great, the interiors featuring Tamil art work.

The restaurant Perched at the very top, it offers much more than just dining, giving a sweeping view of the rich landscape. The culinary delights include soups made from horse gram, snake guard or drumstick; and typical village food such as finger millet porridge, curry leaves rice etc., besides the regular pan Indian cuisine. Most foreign guests are game to try out offbeat varieties while the locals prefer rotis and naans, says

Chitra Ganapathy enumerates on the nutritive value of village cuisine.

Restaurant and swimming pool on the foreground.

A temple of traditions that lets you enjoy a cross section of everything Tamil.

restaurant captain Veera. “We want to break away from standard cuisine and offer bygone village-food in five-star ambience,” explains Chitra. With the present generation leaning towards the West and celebrating anything Western as trendy, “it is our responsibility to introduce them to our healthy food varieties, which are tasty as well. Why not serve thattai, murukku and karumbu (sugarcane) juice rather than Nachos, popcorn and coke in our theatres?” she laments. Almost all the staff (66) here hail from nearby hamlets. “We feel proud to walk through our streets clad in our uniform sari and when we hear people speak among themselves that we work at Kadambavanam,” says a smiling Rajathi who works at the restaurant. “The resort has brought a huge financial relief for all of us. I helped my family with funds for my sister’s marriage, through my earnings here,” says Saraswathi. JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 63

The resort works on a “social entrepreneurship model involving local villagers to run the show. They were illiterate, and did not know how to handle guests. We trained them, taught them to dress neatly, speak politely and serve food with a smile,” says Chitra.

Other facilities The massive Cultural Centre adorned with brightly hued Le Pakshi style of paintings depicting folk tales and mythology has been a venue for some unique weddings. One was between an Aruppukottai (a nearby village) groom and a Swiss bride and there was a Sri Lankan wedding too. Other activities include drama workshops, educative movie sessions for school children and other ticketed cultural shows. “We have had renowned theatre personalities such as Seema Biswas perform here,” adds Chitra. The Conference halls offer space for corporate guests to organise seminars, lecture-demos and training sessions. The well maintained lawn, pavilions and terraces are used for college reunions, family get-togethers and weddings. A 6,500 sq ft open air swimming pool is a perfect setting to relax against the abounding hills. While the herbarium enriches the botanical knowledge, the gods of the Hindu pantheon installed in simple open structures invoke the spiritual senses. “Daily pujas are performed here and we enumerate upon our religious practices and mythological tales to foreigners,” says Chitra.

Trying a hand at folk art.

Why not serve thattai, murukku and karumbu (sugarcane) juice rather than Nachos, popcorn and coke in our theatres? Guests at the resort are treated to activities such as hill trekking, village walk and cultural shows. During festive seasons, the atmosphere is vibrant with the specialties of each festival. Local artists are engaged to perform folk art such as karagaatam, oyilaatam, poi kaal kudhirai and bharatanatyam. Value camps are conducted for student groups. Future plans include setting up pet farms, health club, games court, a museum that captures various facets of Tamil evolution and a management school based on Tamil principles. The resort promotes endogenous tourism that encompasses cultural, spiritual, heritage, culinary, health, eco and rural facets, all wrapped in one.

Team Kadambavanam Chitra’s passion for Tamil and its culture comes from her father, Dr Nambi Arooran, grandson of Tamil scholar Maraimalai Adigal and mother, Dr Sarada Nambi Arooran, a renowned Tamil orator. Her husband, M Ganapathy is an architect and interior designer who conceived and executed this unique tourism project, and together with their sons Vasanth and Indirajith, also architects, the family has bigger plans for the future. Guests try out native musical instrument - Nadaswaram. 64 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

With Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala and DG Manjunath Shetty.

Integrating for a cause K S Nagendra

t first look, Jayamma, a frail 63 year old lady comes across as a typical grandmother at home. As you talk to her about herself, her ailments, and her family conditions, you get a glimpse of her courage, commitment and resilience that has sustained her through nearly a decade of kidney failure, resulting in dialysis for the past eight years. “A decade ago, dialysis was affordable only for the super rich. Today people like me will bless Rotary for setting up such a good facility at a subsidised cost, mitigating the misery of many,” she says, as

she undergoes treatment at the District 3190 Nephrology Centre. At the start of the Rotary year 2013–14, with a keen idea to build one landmark Rotary project that would be recognised forever, we, Rotarians of D 3190, zeroed in on setting up a dialysis centre with 20 machine/bed facility and named it ‘RI District 3190 Nephrology Centre.’ Two institutions — Bangalore Kidney Foundation and Rangadore Memorial Hospital — with huge domain expertise agreed to be technical and service partners and collaborate with Rotary for the project, and St Theresa’s Hospital agreed to provide a part of the sprawling hospital complex for the Centre on lease basis.

The facility is a result of the unified strength of nearly 100 Rotary clubs (comprising 4,000 Rotarians) of the District in association with international partners, RC Leven, D 1010, UK, and TRF. Today it is one of the largest integrated facilities that can handle approximately 15,000 dialysis cycles annually at subsidised/free costs for the needy. The Centre was inaugurated by Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala in April 2015. It was heart-warming to hear Sr Martha, the administrator of the Hospital, say that it was one of the best decisions that she had taken, when she decided to provide space in her hospital for Rotary. (The writer is Past District Governor of D 3190.) JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 65

CONVENTION

A taste for kimchi

CROSSWORD PUZZLE 1

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uring the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, government officials were in a quandary about kimchi. Their concern was that the particularly pungent smell of this beloved national dish would be unpleasant to foreign visitors. Volunteers for the organising committee were strongly advised to brush their teeth after meals. Perhaps they need not have worried: It turns out that many of the visitors acquired a taste for kimchi. Exports of it have grown steadily since then, and kimchi can be found in supermarkets and on restaurant menus around the world. Rotarians attending the 2016 Rotary International Convention in Seoul from 28 May to 1 June can plan on having easy access to kimchi, and lots of it. For the uninitiated, kimchi is fermented vegetables. There are more than 100 varieties, but the most familiar form is made from napa cabbage, each leaf lovingly covered with a spicy red pepper paste and left to cure in a cool place, sometimes for a week, or sometimes for much longer. Kimchi is consumed at breakfast, lunch and dinner, no matter what else is served at the meal. The South Korean government solicited American help in delivering kimchi to its soldiers during the Vietnam War. And the first Korean astronaut took a stash of kimchi to the International Space Station in 2008 — probably with an extra toothbrush.

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FA M I LY, C O U N T R Y, R O T A R Y

Across 1 5 9 14 15 16 17

19 20 21 22 25 26

27 29 31 33 35 38 42 43 44 45 48 49 54

Mugger repellent Iowa State site Atmospheric probe Lawyer Dershowitz, e.g. Beagle and shih tzu Shrimp’s cousin New RI president, whose nickname is the start of his last name Expressed excitement Distributed, with “out” Slow-moving dance Criminal paterns, for short Some appliances Rotary Club of ___ (which 17-Across once served as president) This, in Toledo Kind of panel Wrap brand Childish comeback ___ out a living “Be ___” (17-Across’ theme for 2015–16) Mo. of summer and fall Mountainous walk Two-time Nobelist Pauling Small fruit pies Low-cal product word Spouse of 17-Across Family mem.

56 57 58 60 61 65 66 67 68 69 70

Elusive type Bad way to be caught Stag party attendees Barber’s device Like 17-Across, geographically Computer pros Ceramic square Dale start or concession end Evaluate, as ore samples Bloc letters, once Some organisers, briefly

Down 1 Disfigure 2 In the style of 3 Cleveland hoopster, for short 4 City west of Tulsa 5 Discombobulates 6 To a greater degree 7 “Gosh!” 8 Pay-stub ID 9 Make a mess of 10 Maine college town 11 Book between Micah and Habakkuk 12 Socially inept sort 13 Put an ___ (halt) 18 Carolers’ quaff

21 22 23 24 26 28 30 32 34 35 36 37 39 40 41 46 47 49 50 51 52 53 55 58 59 61 62 63 64

Code maven Arizona sights Missouri feeder Comic ___ Cold, hard ___ Palooka Soda size Utmost degree Pal of Pooh and Piglet Baseball’s Banks Movie for which Jane Fonda won an Oscar Old Ford flop Church goer’s donation Approving answer Wildcatter’s find Lags behind Buyer’s counterpart Horizon, maybe Gets the pot started Drug police Hawaiian greeting Unsteady Shepherd’s field X-ray alternatives Lose it Poker champ Ungar Jest with Coach Parseghian Old video game inits.

Solution in the August issue

Reproduced from The Rotarian

Hope after Fire Krishnan Sriram ire accident survivors often find themselves in an unimaginable hell — disfigured and deformed, they battle depression on one side and societal rejection on the other. Not to mention the fight for earning a simple livelihood. No surprise, therefore, that many of them wish that they had died rather than survived the fire accident. But for 155 fire accident victims in and around Coimbatore, hope has indeed returned, thanks to ‘Hope After Fire’ (HAF), a unique flagship project of Rotary Club of Coimbatore Metropolis (RCCM), being carried out in concert with Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore, since 2012. Leading the project is Rtn Dr S Raja Sabapathy, Director of Ganga Hospital and Head of its Plastic Surgery wing. He points out that following a series of surgical reconstructions (carried out free for needy patients), the victims are able to return in a much better shape and, more importantly, able to use their limbs to do productive work. Take the case of Nivedita, the first patient of ‘HAF.’ Scars in the face, neck and hands from a blaze had incapacitated

this 10+ student in Theni three years ago. Following a series of surgical procedures she was able to resume her studies. Today she is a top ranker at Apollo Polytechnic College, Chennai where she is pursuing higher studies. For Kavitha of Mettupalayam, burns to her face and hands had caused severe deformities. She could see only straight due to the contraction of the skin-folds near her eyes and had to keep her face covered in public. The HAF team of surgeons did a series of procedures on her face and hands and restored not just her appearance and mobility but also her self-confidence. She learnt tailoring and with the help of an NGO, opened a tailoring shop. And now wishes to adopt a baby that would be a useful citizen of the country tomorrow! A tea-break fire accident threw Babu of Ooty into a veritable hell. Major burns to his face and upper body, totally disfigured him with his chin getting fused with his chest. He presented a scary visage to children of his neighbourhood. A marathon 7-hour operation, in which his face was released from his chest and tissues from his thighs were taken to fill the gap by microvascular surgery, vastly improved his appearance and

confidence. ‘HAF has given him a face, to face the world confidently,’ says Dr Sabapathy with a quiet sense of achievement. These are just a few of the heart-warming stories scripted by the joint project of RCCM and Ganga Hospital. The partners are committed to not only keep it going but also expand its reach significantly to cover many more. Successive leaders of RCCM have wholeheartedly supported it through regular fundraising (well over Rs 51 lakh) since 2012. Until April 30, 2015, Rs 87 lakh were spent on 243 reconstructive surgeries on 155 needy burn victims. Burns are India’s 3rd biggest ‘burden of disease’ as more than 3 million of its people suffer from burns each year (as noted by Resurge International). For every burn-related death, it is estimated that there are at least 10 severely burnt survivors with deformities that require highly skilled series of reconstructive surgeries. “This is an excellent project that is worthy of being upgraded to the district level to serve larger number of beneficiaries,” says DG Kamlesh Raheja. (The writer is member of RC Coimbatore Metropolis, D-3201) JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 67

Project Azmat Arun Kapoor A project that abolishes the heinous practice of manual scavenging. It won the Rotaract Outstanding Project Award (2014â&#x20AC;&#x201C;15).

roject Azmat is an endeavour by the Rotaract Club of SRCC Panchshila Park and its parent club Rotary Club of Delhi Panchshila Park, District 3011, to liberate and rehabilitate manual scavengers by providing them a sustainable source of livelihood through development of a microenterprise and construction of proper toilet systems. This project was conferred the 2014â&#x20AC;&#x201C;15 Rotaract Outstanding Project Award at the Rotaract Pre Convention Meet in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Project Azmat, (dignity, in Urdu), uses a multi-faceted approach for the 68 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

rehabilitation of manual scavengers by providing them an alternative source of livelihood and replacement of dry latrines with proper toilets. The repulsive act involves humans cleaning dry latrines (nonflush toilets) by picking up human excreta with their bare hands and carrying it to the place of disposal. This practice was banned in India since 1993; however, it still continues to be practiced in many parts of the country. The club members focused on improving the health, safety and

economic stability of communities of women working as manual scavengers. After installing pit toilets for the entire community to improve sanitation and prevent spread of diseases, the Rotaractors worked to empower them to build a better future for themselves and their families. The women participated in a literacy programme and financial management training where they learned to apply their new skills to make detergent, market their product within the community, and grow their own sustainable and independent business.

Goals and Objectives Rehabilitation of women by organising them into a cooperative society and providing them basic literacy and financial training and training in detergent making to enable them to pursue an alternative livelihood. The business model will generate enough revenue to increase their income manifold. The dry latrines are demolished and two-pit toilets are constructed across the village. These toilets incur no maintenance cost, require little water and convert waste into manure. The Club has collaborated with Sulabh International, an NGO, to construct 128 two-pit toilets to ensure that the women do not go back to that profession.

The Community and the Business Model A community of 22 women manual scavengers was identified in Nekpur near Ghaziabad, in February 2012 with the help of the Safai Karamchari Andolan (SKA). They lacked basic amenities such as education, health care and sanitation. Coupled with the indignity of their job, they were earning a meager Rs10 per day in kind. The women are the sole bread winners of the family as the men

The sustainable business model not only increase their income level but also ensure the wellbeing of the community.

remain unemployed for large parts of the year. These women are now proficient in making environment-friendly Phenyl and powder detergent under the brand name â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Neki.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; The products are certified under Grade 2 quality of detergents by an Indian Standards Institutionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approved laboratory.

RC Delhi Panchshila Park takes care of the commercial marketing.

Triple Bottom-Line Impact Economic: Sustainable business model ensure the well-being of the community and income increase is 7 times their current earnings. Social: Abolition of the deplorable and pitiable practice of manual scavenging. The women will not face differential treatment and will be able to hold their heads high with dignity. Environmental: The two-pit toilet conserves water and converts human waste into nutrient-rich manure, which creates a positive environmental impact and also promotes the agrarian economy of the village. In recognition of the excellent social impact, Project Azmat has received awards from various other organisation.

Women engaged in detergent making.

(The writer is President of Rotary Club of Delhi Panchshila Park, RI District 3011) JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 69

Girl Power for Good Governance Anuradha Shukla

The all-women Gram Panchayat of Sisva.

inal Patel is a nursing graduate, Radha Patel an engineer, Nisha Patel works as a manager at a motorbike showroom while Viralben Sarvaiya is a Pharma student. Busy with their jobs and studies during the week, they along with eight other girls meet every Sunday at Hinal’s home. This is not your ordinary group that hangs out to swap gossip or talk about their latest crush; they are the competent members of the all-women Gram Panchayat of Sisva village in Gujarat’s Anand district. Under the able leadership of Sarpanch Hinal Patel, 12 women, all of whom are well-qualified and between 21 and 26 years, have been efficiently chalking out and implementing a sound development agenda for their village since four years now after they were hand-picked for this very important ‘job.’ Sisva is one of the thousands of villages in Gujarat that have opted to constitute their gram panchayat as per the guidelines of the Samras Scheme introduced in the State to popularise the concept of governance by consensus. A Samras village chooses its panchayat through mutual consent instead of holding elections and each Samras Gram Panchayat is given a monetary development incentive by the State government. Hinal was only 22 when she was unanimously chosen as the sarpanch of Sisva in 2011. “Having just completed

70 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

my BSc Nursing degree, I was looking for a job when one afternoon I overheard my parents talking about the upcoming panchayat elections. I was instantly drawn into the discussion because I had many thoughts on how to make things better for the community. My father suggested I share my vision with everyone,” she says. As she spoke about her dreams of a brighter, more secure future for Sisva, she managed to inspire other young women to add their voice too. “When Hinal spoke up, a few other girls gained the confidence to put forth their views as well. That’s when the village elders felt that we could give our young women a shot at governance. Sisva has previously had women representatives so we didn’t see any problem in handing over the reigns to the girls,” recalls Shailesh Bhai Patel, Hinal’s proud father, who has been a panchayat member himself. In the beginning, there were several challenges before them. Hinal elaborates, “On our priority list was finding a viable solution to the safe drinking water crisis, putting an end to open defecation and building proper roads. A few of us also had other jobs as well; so we had to learn to manage time and balance our duties. We wanted to make a difference and were willing to put in the hard work.” Right at the onset, the girls divided the work according to their skills and interests. Hinal and Viral decided to deal with health issues, Radha, the engineer, took to

overseeing infrastructure creation and the commerce and management graduates in the group settled on sharing the accounting and money management duties. Needless to say, everyone was available to pitch in wherever required and they have continued with this status quo till date. The panchayat members never lose sight of the fact that they are there to serve the people and do what’s best for them with their approval. “We make it a point to hold our monthly panchayat meeting on time and personally motivate villagers to be present to take up all pending matters. Involving people, especially women, is an essential part of our governing process,” adds Viral. Sisva’s all-women panchayat has done quite a lot in the last few years. Together they have established two RO water plants that provide potable water to families and today, not only does each home have a toilet but a few public utilities have been constructed strategically to eliminate open defecation. All roads in this 7,000-strong village have been paved and duly lined with solar lights that keep the streets safe after dark. Garbage bins have been placed in all the right places and the market-areas cleaned and given a facelift. “Sisva has been declared a Nirmal Gram and we have received the President’s Award in recognition of our efforts. But none of this would have been possible without the support of our parents or our people. After all, we can’t keep the village clean or maintain the roads and other infrastructure without their cooperation. There is a strong sense of ownership that we have been able to inculcate successfully,” says Hinal. Of course, they are far from achieving everything on their wish-list for the village. These days, Radha and Nisha are working on creating a website as a first step towards making Sisva an e-village. Setting up a small-scale industry

360 all-women Samras Gram Panchayats

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At present, there are

and they are doing good work.

to give a much-needed boost to women’s employment in the area is next in line. For Radha, the daughter of a modest farmer, setting up an educational institution is another cherished dream, one she hopes will be realised soon. “It was my father who pushed me to pursue my studies and I want to give every child in the area the same kind of opportunities,” she says. Although sceptics have often argued over the concept of the Samras Scheme — they believe it goes against the real spirit of electoral democracy by offering “carrot of monetary incentives” and “linking development with political process” — so far, 3,794 villages in Gujarat have adopted it. Moreover, as Pankaj Joshi, Development Commissioner, Gujarat, puts it, “The scheme is working well to bring in more women into grassroots politics. At present, there are 360 all-women Samras Gram Panchayats and they are doing good work.” Madhu Kishwar, Senior Fellow at the Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), observes, “The ideal concept of a panchayat was to encourage unity and cohesion among villagers so that they work together towards development. That is the reason women working under this scheme are performing well. While it is true that many a time women are used as rubber stamps, even in such cases a positive change happens after one or two terms.” Whereas there may be a general tendency to stereotype women panchayat members as “weak” and “ineffective” Hinal’s team is anything but that. “We are normal girls, who have big dreams and who love to have fun with our friends. At the same time, we are aware of our responsibilities as panchayat members and know that good governance is essential to making our village prosperous. Also, we hope that with our example many more parents will encourage their daughters to participate in grassroots politics,” signs off Viral. (© Women’s Feature Service) JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 71

Listening to your body Sheela Nambiar

“

Eat well now because you won’t get anything till lunch time,” I overheard a mother tell her 10-year old who was insisting she was ‘full’ after eating just a little something for breakfast. The little one had been lazing around, not too much of physical activity, so clearly, she wasn’t too hungry. I don’t think they had to fear a shortage of food in the near future and the little girl could easily choose to have a snack / fruit a little later if she was truly hungry. The mother however was concerned that she hadn’t eaten ‘enough.’ These are some of the confusing messages we are inundated with as children. We are told we have to eat, we are told when to eat and often how much to eat. Children are force-fed at an early age. They are often

72 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

given ‘treats’ to keep them quiet or entertained. As a result, we stop ‘listening’ to our own bodies, disregarding signals of fullness and hunger because we believe we ‘have to eat’ way beyond what we really require. We are taught to disregard such valuable indicators from our body as feelings of fullness, discomfort, thirst as opposed to hunger, fatigue, sleepiness, anxiety and so on. Over time the body stops recognising these signs for what they are and we struggle with an endless loop of overeating, lack of physical exercise, pills to sort out anything from indigestion to anxiety and a constant struggle with our weight. ‘Listening to our bodies’ is a skill that seems to be lost to us as adults. Our physical and emotional selves are

inherently very clever, telling us when we need to stop eating (we feel uncomfortably full), move more (we feel lethargic, full, bloated) or low on energy (we may be eating unhealthy, eating too little, or too much, exercising too much, sleeping too little and so on). This skill needs to be nurtured from an early age. It’s not easy! Children can be fussy eaters, throw tantrums and so on. It’s a fine line between allowing a child to gauge her own hunger levels and stop eating when she needs to and allowing her to run wild, disregarding food on a whim. I don’t suppose parenting was meant to be easy! How often have we told our kids, ‘Behave well and you will get a chocolate / pizza / burger?’ Food has always been used as a form of emotional blackmail and persuading tactic. The result? As adults we tend to seek comfort in food. We see food as our safety blanket and turn to it in times of stress, boredom, low mood and anxiety. We use it for more than just mitigating hunger. Take a buffet for instance. How many of us can actually walk away from a buffet table feeling comfortable? How many of us wish later we had stopped just before that last piece of quiche or pudding? Our bodies do indicate to us when we have had enough, but we blithely eat ‘just a little more,’ ‘just to taste’ something different or new. Children are encouraged to ‘try everything’ as we pile our plates astonishingly high and totter to and from the buffet table. Problem occurs when this kind of behaviour becomes a habit. When we continue to eat ‘just a little more’ on a regular basis, our senses get blunted to our real needs.

When we tell our children that they ‘have to eat now,’ almost indicating that food will run out shortly.

Survival strategies: z Eat mindfully. Be fully aware of what you are putting

on your plate and in your mouth. z One of the ways of preventing weight gain is to stop

z z z

We stop ‘listening’ to our own bodies, disregarding signals of fullness and hunger because we believe we ‘have to eat’ way beyond what we really require.

eating when you are just 80 per cent full and leave the table. You can always snack later if absolutely necessary. You don’t have to undo your jeans button in order to feel you have eaten well. Serve yourself on a smaller plate. You will feel like you have a lot more food on it! Don’t eat in front of the TV or when distracted. You don’t register what you are eating. Make mealtimes pleasant and social with the family/ friends when possible and keep it about having interesting conversation just as much as eating. If you are done with your meal, get up from the table and walk away. Sitting around will tempt you to serve yourself more. Stop telling yourself you are eating to please someone else. Whether it is your host, mother or in-laws, they cannot tell if you are full. Only you can ascertain that. You will also need to be educated and teach children about food groups, proteins, carbs, fats and micro-nutrients so you and they can make informed choices about food. That is more important than encouraging children to just ‘eat well.’ Be careful what you tell your kids. It’s the programming at an early age that leads to difficulties with weight, food and body image later on.

(The writer is a fitness and lifestyle consultant and has authored the book, Get size wise. She can be contacted at Sheela.nambiar@gmail.com) JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 73

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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.

A fascinating account of firangis in India TCA Srinivasa-Raghavan

his book made me curious about two things. First, of course, was the title: what in heaven could it be about? The second, after I had read the jacket blurb. Why on earth don’t Indians write books like this? Remember that Englishman William Dalrymple, who digs into all sorts of forgotten papers from the past 500 years and produces wonderful accounts of our own history? The author of this book is from New Zealand, and has lived for two decades in the US. He teaches Shakespeare. And he has produced this terrific account of The First Firangis, i.e., the first European foreigners who decided to settle in India 500 years ago — and down the years since then. The book tells the stories of dozens of firangis who turned up in India for a job and then stayed on.There were women too, but usually in harems. Each individual story is fascinating. The attention to detail is stunning, even if the style is a shade more academic than required for a book like this. What does the word firangi mean? Quite literally, says Harris, it means a mixture of the Hindi videshi (alien) and pardesi (outsider). He says it has come down from the Mughal era when they used the Arabic word farenji to denote people from France. But it was also used to describe all Christians. Eventually, it became the word for all white Christians although other ‘foreigners’ could also be firangis. Here Harris has introduced his own meaning: foreigners who have become Indian but are not regarded by Indians as Indian. But one thing is for sure: for all genuine Indians, it is a derogatory term. However much ‘authentically’ Indian a foreigner may become, if he is white and Christian, he will remain firangi, an object of mild derision. Harris, however, doesn’t say what happens to a firangi’s descendants, such as the Eurasians and the Anglo-Indians. Do they get accepted or not? He answers the question somewhat obliquely in his penultimate chapter titled ‘On being interrupted.’ The key to being an Indian, it would appear (at least according to Harris) lies in the ability to interrupt while others are speaking. Let me quote: “Exchanges between Indian friends often

The First Firangis By Jonathan Gil Harris Aleph Book Company Rs 595 involve finishing the others’ sentences, cutting them off, or abruptly changing the subject at hand ... Indian conversation feels more like a rough-and-tumble game of hockey with many clubs swinging — or more accurately, a game of hockey with many balls being simultaneously whacked.” He suggests obliquely that a foreigner can’t become a true Indian, and will perhaps remain a stupid firangi forever until he has learnt the art of handling persistent interruption. In another chapter, the coda takes the form of a note, not just on clothing, but re-clothing as well. What you wear in India is important, he says, and tells us about his favourite dress, the black pathan suit. The firangis of old also went native, as it were. But that really isn’t the point. The real point is the Indian custom of gifting clothes, including second-hand ones. To quote once again: “My cook wears several of my discarded shirts and jackets. I am pleased that I can give him clothes that he needs; but even as my gifts have created an intimacy between us, they have also cemented the class difference between us. By re-clothing him, I bind him more firmly into a hierarchical relationship of obligation to me.” Then he tells the story of two firangi women who lived in a Mughal harem. They had to participate in the ritual of giving and receiving clothes, which must have been fun except that the rituals inducted them into another perhaps less pleasant hierarchy. They had to “use their bodies in accordance with the often stern prescriptions of the Mughal court.” He doesn’t tell us what these prescriptions were. Another little addendum at the end of another chapter is about the Indian practice of renaming. Most other parts of the world use nicknames, says the author, but in India “it is a compulsion.”The Mughals used renaming to elevate the status of an artisan or some other menial to the status of a servant of the Court. These nicknames, he observes — quite wrongly in my view — force the people on whom they have been bestowed to “do things they would not otherwise do.” In his own case, says Harris, a Punjabi friend has given him the wholly Punjabi name of Gillinder, and Gillu. The former is for formal occasions and the latter for more ‘sporty’ ones, he says. JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 75

RC Thiruvarur RI District 2981 Rotarians installed a RO water plant at the Thiruvarur bus stand.

RC Salem Galaxy RI District 2982 The club in association with Apollo Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital, Chennai, conducted a cardiac camp for children below age 16. Over 100 were screened and 18 were advised surgery. 76 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

RC Thiruvarur RI District 2981

RC Madurai North RI District 3000 To showcase their support to eradicate illiteracy Rotaractors from the district formed a human â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Râ&#x20AC;&#x2122; on World Rotaract Day.

RC Gurgaon Cosmopolitan RI District 3011 Students of the Government Primary School along with the Rotarians planted 100 saplings.

RC Madurai North RI District 3000 JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 77

RC Visakha Port City RI District 3020 The club in association with RC Vizag Metro & Daliraju Super Market jointly installed RO water plant at Lalitha Nagar, Akkayyapalem.

RC Jalgaon RI District 3030 An eye, skin and dental check up camp was conducted for students of the Baheti High School.

RC Visakha Port City RI District 3020

RC Jaipur Pinkcity

RC Moga City

RI District 3052 A cheque for Rs 2,40,000 was handed over to Akshaya Patra to facilitate mid-day meals for 200 government school children.

RI District 3090 The club in association with Rotaract Club of Moga City conducted a diabetes check up and awareness camp.

the Rotarians donated a LCD projector, desktop screen and other accessories to Santh Maharishi Devraha School.

RC Poona Downtown

RI District 3053 Rotarians distributed clothes and food kits to villagers.

RI District 3131 Under Rotary Distance Education Programme, the club donated computers to underprivileged schools in Khed Shivapur.

RC Jetpur

RC Aurangabad Elite

RI District 3060 The club conduct a dental camp at its adopted village school.

RI District 3132 The club provided warm clothes for new-borns at AMC Hospital at a cost of Rs 30,000.

RC Gwalior Veerangana

RC Ludhiana Greater RI District 3070 The club conducted cleft lip surgeries for children.

RC Ambala City RI District 3080 Rotarians distributed notebooks to students at various schools in the region.

RC Gwalior Veerangana RI District 3053

RC Moradabad Civil Lines

RC Lokhandwala Kandivali

RI District 3100 The club in partnership with Rotary clubs of South Korea, District 3630, and TRF installed a computer lab at Shishu Vatika Inter College.

RI District 3140 The Rotarians organised a Spoken English programme for children of BMC School near Lokhandwala.

RC Bhadrachalam RC Rudrapur RI District 3110 The club donated computers, furniture and sweaters to various schools.

RI District 3150 Relief materials and food kits were distributed to fire accident victims at Chintalagudem village.

RC Hospet RC Varanasi East RC Ambala City RI District 3080 78 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

RI District 3120 In association with RC Turtle Creek, District 7300 and TRF,

RI District 3160 The club distributed sewing machines to poor and needy women.

RC Udupi RI District 3180 The club in partnership with RC Florence, RI District 6060, USA and TRF, constructed toilet blocks at three institutions in Udupi.

RC Punganur Central RI District 3190 In association with RC Mission Viejo, RI District 5320, USA and TRF, the club installed safe drinking water plant at Koturu village.

RC Coimbatore Texcity RI District 3201 Sixty students from 25 institutions from 5 RI Districts and international students participated in the IRYLA conducted by the club.

RC Moradabad Civil Lines RI District 3100 to explain the importance of education to them.

adult school with help from RCC Mehadibagan.

RC Madras Magnum

RC Damodar Valley

RI District 3230 The club conducted a Carnival Day for cancer-afflicted children at the Adyar Cancer Institute.

RI District 3250 To help them earn a decent living the club distributed sewing machines to needy women.

RC Jabalpur South RC Gobi RI District 3202 The club along with Garala Foundation, USA, closed the abandoned borewell holes in the surrounding areas of Gobi.

RI District 3261 The Rotarians contributed Rs 1,00,000 towards providing relief for Nepal earthquake victims. RC Varanasi East RI District 3120

RC Tinnevelly

RC Burdwan

RI District 3212 The club conducted games and competitions for tribal children

RI District 3240 To support Rotary’s TEACH initiative the club opened its first

RC Shri Jagannath Dham RI District 3262 A community hall was inaugurated at the club’s adopted village, Alanda. It will be used for the club’s TEACH programme.

RC Rawalpindi RI District 3272 The Rotarians organised a picnic to a park in the city for the students of Slow Learners Institute to cheer them up.

RC Kasba RC Lokhandwala Kandivali RI District 3140

RI District 3291 The club provides basic computer training to orphaned children of Kasba Home. JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 79

Online

Feedb@ck A combo of strength, success & elegance • Good work Rasheeda! Neatly done. Shows another dimension of RIPE Ravi. I like the ‘At a glance’ tidbits.

structured and easy to navigate through. You really can learn at your pace and this reduces a lot of stress. Lack of deadline reduces the fear of the course going offline! Aruna Maruthi aruna_maruthi@yahoo.co.in

• I benefited from the Spoken

Ravvi Shankar R ravvishankar@gmail.com

Ravindran’s challenges as RI President • I cannot believe what I have just read ... Rotary maybe saved after all. Just need to operate the same philosophy at RIBI in the UK.

English basics. It is very helpful for those who can’t afford books and have an interest in learning new things. Masooma Abbas masoomafia@yahoo.com

• A humanitarian endeavour that enhances knowledge and the free education is a grand service to mankind. Ramzanali I Merchant rimerchant@gmail.com

Paul Jackson paul.jackson@triangle.eu.com

• This is definitely a move towards a brighter future and Opening Leadership, a necessity if Rotary International wants to sustain a steady membership growth rate. Jim Henry jrhjr@jimhenrybooks.com

Making Magic with free online learning • Thanks for sharing the story. I feel proud to be an Indian student of ALISON. The courses are well designed, have easy acess and the language is simple. Vijaya Prakash prakash.viju@gmail.com

• I found the courses extremely well

Presidents and vibrant clubs make Rotary, not RI leaders • Rasheeda has raised the bar so high. I felt as if I was present in Colombo to witness the event. Hats off to Ravi for his outspoken style, and giving a befitting warning. Keep off, Rotary Politicians! PDG Subhash Saraf subhashsaraf@gmail.com

• Well written. A simple terse message which sets the tone for the forthcoming year. Rtn Tanu Roy roytanu@hotmail.com

• It is a true feeling of the heart. Ravindran, you are frank, true

and add a human touch to Rotary projects. You are a true Rotarian and a gift to the Rotary International. God Bless you. Jhansi Premanand premanandjhansi@yahoo.com

No ego trips for him • Article is written very nicely. Although I know Dr Manoj for 20 years, I think I know him better now. Rajiv rajivtibdewal@gmail.com

• Hats off to you RID Manoj Desai for your belief and commitment to Rotary. Well, I have become a fan of yours after going through the write-up. May your tribe increase for the welfare of our nation, nay, of the Universe. Raghunandanan Parakkal raghu55parakkal@gmail.com

• There are many leaders who just talk and advise but the end result is insignificant. Luckily we have our Incoming Director Manoj Desai being a surgeon, he will be resultoriented and practical as we are already seeing his plans and actions. Dr Sushil Khurana drkhuranasushil@gmail.com

• Though I had an opportunity to hear his speeches for three days and had few photographs, at Kolkata, after reading your article I came to know more about Dr Desai. Hats off to you! RID Desai, you are truly inspirational. BN Prasad bnprasad.msp@gmail.com

We welcome feedback @ www.rotarynewsonline.org

Rtn Bahri BR Malhotra of RC Pune Central, D 3131, becomes the second AKS member from the Malhotra family. He handed over the cheque for USD 250,000 to PRID Ashok Mahajan, in the presence of PDGs Vivek Aranha and Deepak Shikarpur, DRFC Mohan Palesha and Rotarians Pramod Bhalla and Mukesh Malhotra.

Rtn Darshita Babubhai Shah received the dainikbhaskar. com Woman Pride Award from actress Gul Panag for her contribution towards vocational training for the physically challenged. Darshita is a polio survivor herself.

The District Training Assembly of D 3291 was held on May 1 at Kolkata. The chief guest, PRIP Rajendra K Saboo addressed the 1,200 delegates present at the event.

JULY 2015

ROTARY NEWS 81

IN BRIEF When exercise becomes unhealthy Too much of a good thing can backfire, and it applies to exercise as well. While lack of exercise is bad for health, health experts have warned that too much of it can trigger blood poisoning. A team led by Dr Ricardo da Costa of Monash University has observed that intensive endurance activities such as ultra or multi-stage marathons, if stretched beyond four hours daily, can cause the gut wall to change, allowing the naturally present bacteria, the endotoxins, in the gut to leak into the blood stream, causing serious infection. Experts suggest that 150 minutes of exercise a week is ideal for adults. Spanish resto ranked #1

El Celler de Can Roca of Girona, Spain, reclaimed the top position in ‘The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ list of the British magazine, Restaurant. The list is based on a poll of international chefs, restaurateurs, restaurant critics and gourmands. Copenhagen’s Noma had topped the chart in 2014 while Catalonia’s (Spain)’s ElBulli had held the top rank the maximum number of times — in 2002 and again from 2006 to 2009. Founded in 1986 by the Roca brothers (Joan, Josep and Jordi), the restaurant is famed for its unusual presentations — dishes, based on perfumes and caramelised olives served on bonsai tree. A perfume, Núvol de Ilimona, based on a dessert called Lemon Distillation, was developed by the restaurant to spray as a mist over the diners as they ate the dish. Yoga for high flyers Air India has introduced yoga sessions for its pilots and new cabin crew recruits. Remember the crash of the German wings Airbus 320 into the Alps while flying from Barcelona to Dusseldorf due to the pilot’s depression? Many AI flights have been delayed in recent months due to late reporting of the pilots and cabin crew. 82 ROTARY NEWS JULY 2015

Polio numbers drop in Pakistan

Pakistan has recorded only 24 polio cases since January this year — a marked decline of over 70 per cent from last year’s figures. While the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) had seven cases so far this year, Karachi reported none.With help from Army and funding from the UAE, polio eradication teams have for the first time in two years been able to reach areas such as Waziristan and some no-go zones of Karachi which were previously controlled by militants opposed to vaccination programmes. Of the other two endemic countries, Afghanistan has reported one case, while Nigeria reported none. School dropouts increase in Chandigarh The child-mapping survey of the Union Territory’s education department reveals that 2,932 children dropped out of schools this year, as against 2,800 last year. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan officials attribute this to detention of poor performers in class 9 (upto class 8, children are automatically promoted). Major dropouts were found in rehabilitated colonies in the periphery due to parents’ reluctance to send their daughters to faraway schools. Steps are being taken to construct schools in such areas to benefit the children there. Meanwhile the number of students who never took admission in a school has decreased from 3,025 last year to 2,418.

Picture: M Swaminathan

The shore Temple at Mahabalipuram, on the outskirts of Chennai, at sunset with monsoon clouds hovering over it. This 8th Century AD temple done in Pallava architecture is probably the first structural temple construction attempt in South India.

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