Vol.1, Issue 2
@Rotaract_India
@RotaractNewsIndia
April
2018
(Quarterly)
Cycling to End Polio
Content 7 Of soaps and chocolates 12 Bringing colour in the lives of disabled children 40 Rotaractors create a niche in Mulund
8
Cycling 20,000 km to End Polio
19 Pune Rotaractors showcase Rotasia
28 Mitty Chang inspires Rotaractors
24
A true Jalsa at RID 3250 Rotaract Conference
On the cover: Rotaractors M J Pavan and Bhagyashree of RAC Bangalore Orchards, D 3190, on a cycling expedition to promote polio immunisation.
Rotaract-Interact 36 RI’s Committee Meeting APRIL 2018
ROTARACT NEWS 3
RI Director C Basker District Rotaract Representatives
Rotaract News
Zone 4, 5 & 6A 2981
T Ramkumar
2982
D Praveen Kumar
3000
B Balachander
3011
Anmol Chawla
3012
Vivek Pangasa
3020
M V B Manognya
3030
Arti Jaywant Goswami
3040
Jitendra Singh Baghel
3053
Abhay Dubey
3054
Ronnie Vaishnaa
3060
Vaibhav Vyas
3070
Nitika Pahwa
3080
Yashika Sagar
3090
Yatin Sehgal
3110
Puspendra Trivedi
3120
Ashok Tripathi
3131
Pratik Joshi
3132
Pritish Kishor Govindpurkar
3141
Om Chawla
3142
Nikhil Lokhande
3150
Sneha Naraparaju
3160
Anilkumar Raiker
3170
Swapnil Dilip Ingale
3181
Jackson Herald Saldana
3182
Manjunath Karanth
3190
P Naveen
3201
Ajay Chandran
3202
R Nagarjun
3211
Achu Prakash
3212
S Ashwin P Rayen
3220
Anuradha Charithree Senanayake
3231
S Vijaysundar
3232
C Dhanakodi
3240
Namra Kar
3250
Vaibhav Thakur
3261
Bijaya Kumar Jena
3262
Smrutiranjan Biswal
3291
Pradip Dutta
3292
Hari Chandra Satyal
Editor Rasheeda Bhagat Senior Assistant Editor Jaishree Padmanabhan Senior Sub Editor Muthukumaran V Sub Editor Kiran Zehra Designers Vishwanathan K Gunasekaran L Krishnamurthy N Krishnapratheesh S Send all correspondence to
ROTARY NEWS TRUST rd
3 Floor, Dugar Towers, 34 Marshalls Road Egmore, Chennai 600 008, India. Phone: 044 42145666 e-mail rotarynewsmagazine@gmail.com facebook @RotaractNewsIndia twitter @Rotaract_India instagram @Rotaract_India website www.rotaractnews.org
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Editor’s Note
What Rotarians can learn from
Rotaractors
R
ecently, in an interaction with The Rotarian magazine, RI President Elect Barry Rassin explained the secret behind Rotary clubs in the Caribbean, where he comes from, having a great relationship with Rotaractors. He said that in the last two years his own club — Rotary Club of East Nassau in the Bahamas — had managed to get “100 per cent transition from Rotaract to Rotary”. And he believes the reason behind this is how the Rotarians in his club treat visiting Rotaractors. First of all, when Rotaractors “come to our club, they’re not our guests for the day. They sign in as members. So right away they’re feeling like they’re a part of us. That’s important.” Not only that; Rassin added that his club members ensure that a Rotarian from their club always goes to Rotaract meetings “so there’s always a connection.” And so it is logical that the conversion happens; “they come and join our club because they know us. We’ve got to keep that connection going.”
The incoming RI President also said that Rotarians could learn a lot from the much younger Rotaractors as they are energetic, passionate, like working with one another and really want to do good in their communities. But their “frustration”, he said, is that they find the transition difficult to a different club with a very different culture, much less energy and where the members hardly know how to use the social media. To me the last point is really crucial. Perhaps because of the average age of Rotarians, they aren’t really savvy in using the social media. Facebook is, at least in India, their most popular choice when it comes to interacting with each other, not to mention WhatsApp. And both are used most of the time only to post pictures — of their families, holidays, celebrations at festivals and birthdays and exchange greetings. Dissemination of vital information about what Rotary is doing in other parts of their own country, and the world, as also what other voluntary or charitable organisations are doing to change lives and improve livelihoods, is barely shared. Twitter, for example, is a great social media platform, but I barely find a presence of Rotarians, particularly from India, on that platform. But I do see some Rotaract presence on twitter and I am sure they are there in other social media platforms too. Now with Rotary International putting great emphasis on a much wider use of social media to spread the message of Rotary and its core activities, to enhance its public image, you Rotaractors will be doing a great service to Rotarians if the more social media savvy among you volunteer to unravel the hidden treasures of social media platforms, other than FB and WhatsApp, to your seniors. Prowess with technology is the boon of the young; go ahead, make the effort and demystify it for Rotarians, many of who, work so hard to start new Rotaract clubs and open up for you a wonderful world filled with opportunities to do good.
Rasheeda Bhagat APRIL 2018
ROTARACT NEWS 5
Message from the
RI Director
50 years of positive action Dear Rotaractors, This year marks 50 years since the founding of the first Rotaract club — the Rotaract Club of Charlotte, North Carolina, chartered on March 13, 1968. However, as early as 1935, our founder Paul Harris encountered a youth organisation based on Rotary principles in Australia. The new programme’s name, Rotaract, was created by Rotary International as a combination of the words “Rotary” and “Action”. The aim of the programme was “to develop leadership and responsible citizenship through service to the community.” I am reminded of Swami Vivekananda’s advice to youth to cultivate and nurture the ability to ‘feel’. He offered his Tarakamantra to youth — the most influential three Ps. They are: Purity: Purity of thought and achievement. Patience: Patience is not being passive, on the contrary, it is to be active and it is the concentrated strength to understand the dynamic form and need to focus on the area for improvement. Perseverance: Perseverance is the ability to keep doing something despite how hard it is or how long it takes to reach the goal. The three Ps are the great traits for the youth of today who are willing to adopt and be a part of positive change that will have an impact on an entire community. Rotaractors are true “Partners in Service” and important members of the Rotary family, who work hand in hand with Rotarians. I am sure that Rotaractors of today will serve humanity with joy and enthusiasm and make Rotary prouder and stronger. Rotary: Making a Difference.
C Basker Director, Rotary International 6 ROTARACT NEWS APRIL 2018
Of soaps and chocolates Jaishree
H
ere are a group of Rotaractors from D 3020 who brave irate parents and yet persevere to provide basic literacy to rural children. “If we give them pencils and books, the children refuse to accept. But give them chocolates and they will stretch out their hands for more,” says DR R M V B Manognya Rao. She is talking about the trips the Rotaractors of RAC Vizag Metro make to the hamlets of Araku Valley and the surrounding villages of Visakhapatnam. Initially all Rotaract clubs of the district began their WinS projects by visiting government schools across Andhra Pradesh and educating students about personal hygiene, use of toilets and proper handwashing practices. They would distribute soaps to the children and cleaning material such as broomsticks, floor and toilet cleaners to the schools. “We work as two teams; while the first group visits the schools and provides orientation to the students, the second group visits the same schools after a couple of months to ensure follow up and also refurbish the supplies of soaps and cleaning material,” she says. To ensure sustainability, the Rotaractors have
DRR MVB Manognya Rao with a child after teaching him to wash his hands; Below: Children hold aloft the soaps distributed to them by the Rotaractors.
reached out to 109 schools so far, covering 6,000 children and they intend to continue this project for the next two years, in collaboration with Districts 3202, 3250 and 3291.
Educating children “The parents and children are happy to receive us thus far. But when we call the children for studying they don’t want to come and the parents also tell us to leave them alone. ‘We don’t want them to study. We want them to work with us. If they go to school, who’ll be there to help us?’ they say. If the child is able to earn even `50 a day they are happy,” says Manognya. Most of the women work in tea plantations while the men go out to cut wood or work in restaurants. But in some hamlets, the Rotaractors are providing computer education and English classes with the support of their parent club RC Vizag Metro. They also help the Rotarians in their medical camps in these regions.
Cycling 20,000 km to End Polio Kiran Zehra
I
have climbed 8,000 metres but missed the Mount Everest Summit by a mere 800 metres, twice. I have not given up. I can try again. But when it comes to polio eradication, any second chance of letting the virus into our country will prove very expensive, � says Rtr Bhagyashree (26), who is on a cycle expedition along with Rtr MJ Pavan (25). They are Rotaractors of RAC Bangalore Orchards, D 3190, and attempting a Guinness record even while spreading awareness on Rotary’s End Polio and TEACH initiatives. They have completed cycling over 18,800 km of the planned 20,000 km in 200 days across India. The expedition was flagged off in September by DG Asha Prasanna Kumar and Nobel Peace laureate Kailash Satyarthi.
Rtr Bhagyashree greets school students.
Rotaractors Bhagyashree and M J Pavan on a cycle expedition.
Children touch and feel the bicycles of the Rotaractors.
Day 1 was the toughest so far for them. Training post acclimatisation was the plan but “we reached Leh, and our cargo carrying the gear and cycle was delayed,” says Bhagyashree. So, they had to start off without practice and “the terrain was tough. I kept the pedals turning, focused on the ride and watched the scenic mountains. That element of enjoyment didn’t let me think too hard about what is ahead. This also turned out to be a great learning experience for me,” she says. At this point they had no support vehicle to plan logistics or carry their load. Pavan, who has already cycled from Delhi to Khardung La top, cycling 1,400 km in 40 days in a previous expedition says, “however exhausting the moments of cycling uphill are, there is always something better coming your way. The way Rotarians greet us at each pitstop makes us feel so special.” On receiving feedback and updates from the two, the parent club RC Bangalore Orchards, in association with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles,
arranged the support vehicle — a Jeep. DG Asha coordinated with all the 38 Rotary districts to provide support to the Rotaractors who are expected to complete the expedition by Mar 15. Past president Kirit Morzaria drafted the route map. The club’s Youth Service Director Jay Pillai has provided space in his office to set up a control room and is coordinating with a team of Rotaractors to monitor the day-today developments of the expedition. The cycling duo is completely cashless, “Our pockets are completely empty. Our meals are hosted by Rotary clubs and everything else is taken care of. All of this is possible only because its Rotary,” says Bhagyashree. “The networking is just amazing. But the one thing we wish we could tell the dear Rotarians, was to greet us sans garlands and maybe give us some fruits instead,” she quips. To which Pavan adds “Most of the days there is so much food and at other times we go hungry, but that’s just part of the journey.” Bhagyashree then reminded Pavan of the day he went “completely crazy because of his
hunger. But he picked himself back again,” she laughs. India is a vast country and the route map is zigzag and it was like a kaleidoscope of environments along the way for the two. “Except for going through different time zones, we have been through different cultures, landscapes and extreme climate,” she says. While Pavan isn’t a photo enthusiast, Bhagyahree has been “clicking too many pictures. I want one with the mountains, the fields, the crops, the children and of course the Rotarians.” So how is the body feeling after 18,800 km on the saddle? “Honestly,
The Rotaractors with their support vehicle; Above: Rotaractors Bhagyashree and Pavan interact with students in a class; Right: School children await to welcome the Rotaractors.
it has taken a lot of hurt. The track is often tough and we have to ensure that the cycles and we stay in shape,” he says. But beyond the physical challenge, poor nutrition and hydration, the psychological challenge is crucial. “It’s not easy. We lose more than 4,000 calories a day and we aren’t eating enough.” By the time they reached Gujarat the breakfast was reduced to jalebi and phafada and “we could hardly find any protein (egg and chicken) in our meals.” The tan on her face is obvious and a few spots too, but Bhagyashree doesn’t care. She points out that the
tan is lighter now after their stop over in Mumbai, her hometown. “My mom made sure that I get a de-tanning session.” When some of her friends and relatives pointed out the spots, the dog lover cyclist replied, “I am a Dalmatian and I love my spots.” Ask her how she manages her periods: “I have felt strongest on the days I have had my periods; There is no running away from that. Acceptance is the key. You can choose to cry or stand up and face things.” So far for her the only incident that made her very uncomfortable was when “two men on a motorbike chased me when they realised I was a girl. They even made a few phone calls but when they saw that I had company and that the support vehicle was keeping an eye they went away.” According to the two Rotaractors, visiting government schools instead of a club meeting is more meaningful. “We try as much to visit these schools and talk to the children because they are our target audience. But in most of the metros we attend only club meets.” Meeting children has become the best part of their journey. She recalls a funny incident. The head master of a government school in Bhangot, asked the children to sing a prayer song. A boy comes to the mike and sings, Ganpati Bappa Morya Pareshan kare mujhe choriyan “We couldn’t laugh
out loud because it was the prayer. The boy in his defence said ‘So what if it’s a film song. Sir, Ganpati bappa tho hai na.’” Their message End Polio does fall on deaf years sometimes. In Gulmarg, Kashmir, “we encountered a man who wasn’t even interested in listening to us because we were talking about Polio. He shooed us away. That’s when we decided to talk to the children in schools.” Starting from primary to high schools they are spending enough time with the children and Pavan says, “All we want is to leave an impact on these kids and help them understand Rotary’s work in ending Polio and keeping it from striking again.” Families of the two Rotaractors have been a constant support. “My Nani sold her gold jewellery when I had to climb the Everest the first time. My mom was the only earning member in the house and she gave all that she could too. They are proud that I have embarked on this journey,” says Bhagyashree. What are they looking forward to after the expedition ends? “All the things we take for granted, ghar ka khana, spending time with family — all those incredibly simple but beautiful things are what I am looking forward to,” says Pavan. Designed by N Krishnamurthy
Rasheeda Bhagat
DRR Yatin Sehgal (in white kurta) playing Holi with children in a home in Rajpura.
12 ROTARACT NEWS APRIL 2018
T
he Rotaractors of RI District 3090 took an opportunity to add colours to the world of the disabled children from a local children’s home in Rajpura, by organising their DRR visit during the Holi festival. Accompanied by the Rotaractors from RAC Rajpura, DRR Yatin Sehgal
splashed Holi colours on the children, who participated in the festival with great joy and enthusiasm. Later the Club President Arush Chehal organised a tree plantation project along with the children, who planted trees in a bid to make their city greener.
APRIL 2018
ROTARACT NEWS 13
Rotaractors from RACs Moga and Rajpura distributing blankets and woollens.
The biting cold of winter months in the district was made more comfortable for some people with several clubs from the district distributing blankets and warm clothes to the less privileged. In yet another project undertaken by the district, RAC Barwala organised a first aid awareness camp for local school students. To raise awareness about the importance of being well prepared for any injuries or medical emergencies, the students were given first aid kits and taught how to respond quickly to medical emergencies, injuries or accidents and the appropriate use of the kits.
First-aid lessons being given to school students. 14 ROT ROTARACT O ARA ACT NEWS APRIL 2018 201 08
Designed by N Krishnamurthy
Rotaractors distribute refreshments to the pilgrims.
Service to mankind is service to god Jaishree
A Rotaractor tends to the blisters in a child's foot.
T
he month of Shravan or Sawan is considered holy for the Hindus. It is observed from late July to end-August and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. In Bihar, devotees visit the Palheja ghat, in Sonepur, which is a confluence of the rivers Ganga and Gandak. They take the holy water from here and walk 74 km to reach the Baba Garib Nath temple in Muzaffarpur, carrying the pots on their shoulders, all the way. They perform abhishekam on the Shivling at the temple with this water. Every year this ritual, called the Mahamrityunjay Kanwariya, is performed religiously with great fanfare. This year too lakhs of devotees observed the ritual. The Rotaractors of RAC Muzaffarpur, D 3250, pitched in with their community service on the occasion. They set up pandals or temporary resting shacks and made available plenty of water, juices, snacks along the way for the devotees. They also provided first aid for the needy. The Rotaractors served around 90,000 devotees in three campsites. “We have shot to fame with these camps. People here know about our club and our humanitarian activities now. This has been a good public image exercise and we intend to continue this every year,” says the Club President Ashit Sultania. APRIL 2018
ROTARACT NEWS 15
T
he Rotaractors of District 2982 marked Rotaract’s 50th year with a variety of events that enhanced the organisation’s visibility among the general public, inspiring more youngsters to join. Mega banyan tree
The Rotarians and Rotaractors came together to create a record by forming a large banyan tree with 5,284 students of the Excel group of educational institutions. The formation was performed at the college’s sprawling campus in Komarapalayam near Salem in Tamil Nadu. “We chose the banyan tree as it symbolises the various benefits that green trees provide us — shade, abundant fresh air and oxygen, rains, and of course flowers and fruits. The banyan is our country’s national tree. We want to sensitise people about the urgent need to preserve trees and plant new saplings,” said Rtn G Sampath of RC Komarapalayam. He is the Advisor for Rotaract clubs of the district. DG Dharmesh Patel, past and incoming governors and civic officials such as the Revenue Divisional officer, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Thasildar and the local MLA were present to witness the event and applaud the endeavour. Six officials documented the formation for certification from the Limca, India, Asia, Asia Pacific and the Guinness books of records. It’ll take a month to get the certification, said DRR D Praveen Kumar. Planting saplings
When Governor Patel gave a call to the Rotarians and Rotaractors to enhance greenery by planting 1.12 lakh saplings in the district, Rotaractors of the Excel group took it up in a big way, planting more than 2,000 saplings on their college 16 ROTARACT NEWS APRIL 2018
A Rotaract gift
to the environment Jaishree
Human formation of banyan tree by 5,284 students. ROTARACT 2018
ROTARY NEWS 17
A sapling plantation activity in the college campus with DG Dharmesh Patel. campus. The college has seven Rotaract clubs and 750 Rotaractors. DGN Dr A K Natesan, Chairman of the Excel group of institutions, who has been encouraging and supporting the Rotaractors in all their endeavours, applauded their enthusiasm.
“These saplings are like babies. We will take care of them until they grow and stabilise considerably,” said Deborah Joseph, President of RAC Excel Engineering College and Assistant DRR of the district. A special ‘Rotree Day’ was observed for the activity and the district is
Participants of the RYLA in the Kolli Hills. 18 ROTARACT NEWS APRIL 2018
giving a good push for promoting greenery through a special ‘Rota tree’ project. A grand celebration
RAC Salem hosted Rotaract’s 50th anniversary celebrations and 20 Rotaract clubs including those of the Excel group participated in various cultural programmes. Over 50 Rotaractors from RACs Salem North, Kongunadu Engineering College, Ramalingam Government Arts College and the Excel group participated in a three-day RYLA organised by RC Namakkal Poultry Town at the Kolli Hills. In another event, a blood donation camp conducted by these Rotaractors collected 465 unit of blood from the college students. “Our Rotaractors are very active and we’ll have more programmes to commemorate the golden jubilee,” said Sampath.
Pune Rotaractors showcase Rotasia Kiran Zehra
R
otasia 2018 was an amazing whirlwind of activities,” says an excited Rachel Jayaseelan from D 3190 who was crowned Miss Rotasia 2018. “We saw the Rotaractors reaching across ethnic,
religious, cultural and political divides to create a more peaceful and inclusive world. And I see Rotasia as the unifying force.” Hosted by D 3131 in Pune on Feb 22–25, the international conference of Rotaractors in South Asia provided
Mr Rotasia Muthu Prassanna, D 3201, and Miss Rotasia Rachel Jayaseelan, D 3190.
the youngsters an opportunity to exchange information, enhance fellowship, build a network and develop ideas to work together. A delegation of over 1,000 Rotaractors and Rotarians from 25 districts including those from Australia, Kenya, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka took part in the gala event which got off to a rollicking start with an all-women band playing the swasthik dhol and tasha (drums). It was followed by a Marathi cultural extravaganza against the backdrop of Shaniwar Wada, a historical fort and capital building of the Peshwa Empire. “The women playing the drums were partially blind and came from underprivileged families. This was a wonderful way to encourage them and it was great entertainment for us,” says Rachel. Challenges Just a week prior to the event, communal riots broke out in Pune leading to the Municipal Corporation
We saw the Rotaractors reaching across ethnic, religious, cultural and political divides to create a more peaceful and inclusive world. Rachel Jayaseelan
APRIL 2018
ROTARACT NEWS 19
visited an orphanage for special children in Pune and made handcrafted articles together which were later displayed for sale at the Rotasia carnival. “We wanted something unconventional, and not common, but with loads of fun at Rotasia. So, we decided to include sports, community service and showcased the events at iconic locations and that worked wonderfully for us,” he adds.
Delegates from Bangladesh.
restricting the entry to the Shaniwar Wada fort with the threat of cancellation of Rotasia. “We met various officials at the Corporation and also contacted the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis.
We finally got a green signal, but not before enduring some chaotic and suspense-filled days,” says Prathik Joshi, the host DRR. “There were many firsts at this Rotasia,” says Joshi. Thirty DRRs
Inter-District sports The Rotaractors took on each other in various sports events at the Balewadi Stadium even as they were cheered by teams cutting across district loyalty. Rachel supported teams from D 3220 (Sri Lanka) and her home D 3190. “In fact, every Rotaractor out there knew this wasn’t about his or her team winning it, but about sportsmanship.
A flash mob performance by the delegates.
Just as in Rotary, we too did not want to observe any borders or divisions.” Cricket, football, basketball and carrom were few of the games that were on offer at the meet. A district parade showcased the sartorial elegance of the delegates as they were led by their respective DRRs. “Waving hands to the audience, dressed in traditional attire, the march past was a moment of pride,” she says. Mr & Miss Rotasia 2018 Through an online screening, nearly 20 boys and girls from various fields were chosen to compete for the Rotasia title. “Walking the ramp and the talent rounds were easy. But the Rotaract quiz and rapid-fire round were difficult.” All the stars aligned in the final Q&A round for
Finding the right way to join a Rotary club isn’t as easy as a ramp walk. But, I have been lucky as my district has invited me to join Rotary
Rachel “because I spoke clearly about what I felt. As a psychologist, I believe that if you care for others a bit more than for yourself the world will then be a better place.” For an active Rotaractor like her, Rotasia “was all about meeting old friends and making new ones.” She looks forward to her journey in Rotary too, but “there is a perception gap that needs to be addressed first.” Most of the time
Rotaractors don’t understand how to join a Rotary club. “Finding the right way to join a Rotary club isn’t as easy as a ramp walk. But, I have been lucky that my district has invited me to join Rotary,” she adds. Rotasia 2019 Goa will be hosting Rotasia 2019, though it has to face a stiff bidding challenge from Mysore and Chennai, all of which had come up with concessional offers on food, accommodation and grand venues. However, Goa won the bid to host the offer being a zero pay for DRRs if they registered a minimum of 25 Rotaractors from their districts. “I think that helped them win the bid plus their presentation was fantastic,” adds Joshi. Designed by Krishnapratheesh S APRIL 2018
ROTARACT NEWS 21
Happiness Hours with children V Muthukumaran
S
preading cheer among orphans and underprivileged children over the last four years, Happiness Hour is an ambitious
22 ROTARACT NEWS APRIL 2018
project initiated by RAC Kishinchand Chellaram College in Mumbai, D 3141. It has got a global momentum now with 170 clubs from 61 districts of 32 countries taking up this service.
Every year, since 2006, the second Monday of November is observed as World Orphans Day. Rotaractors around the world visit orphanages on this day to spend an hour — the “Happiness Hour” — with the inmates and engage them in fun, sports and other activities that remain etched in their memory for a long time. “We have forged a strong bond with clubs in Nigeria,
Canada and the US where too Rotaractors celebrate the Happiness Hour by visiting shelter homes for destitute children to mark the World Orphans Day,” says Dharmil Shah, President, RAC Kishinchand Chellaram College. On November 13, 2017, a team of 15 Rotaractors spent a memorable day with 40 children of the Vatsalya Foundation. The club donated `8,000 for a special lunch for the inmates to mark the celebration. “We played a number of games like football, badminton and performed a magic show to entertain the children. Through our activities, we bring smiles on the faces of these children and create a sense of belonging for them,” explains Shah. Four years ago, the club began the project with just 25 clubs from
across the world, but by November 2016, the network had grown to 103 clubs. “We communicate with our global teams through e-mail, social media and over phone. Over the past years, the Rotaractors have reached out to at least 8,000 children, spending time with them and entertaining them,” he adds. The resources required for this Happiness Hour project are raised through membership fees and donations, he points out. The Rotaractors select an orphanage well in advance before their scheduled visit. “We look forward to implement the project on a much bigger scale in 2018, thanks to its rising visibility among global Rotaractors,” he says. Designed by L Gunasekaran APRIL 2018
ROTARACT NEWS 23
A true Jalsa at RID 3250 Rotaract Conference Team Rotaract News
24 RRO ROTARY OTA ARY R RY N NEWS EWSS MARCH MA M A AR RC CH H 2018 20 8
J
alsa, the 32nd annual Rotaract District Conference of D 3250, was organised with a lot of funfare at Ranchi in January. Hosted by the Rotaract Club of Ranchi City under the chairmanship of Rtr Rahul Rajgadia, the two-day conference was a celebration of 50 years of doing good to society and serving humanity. Despite the harsh winter, Jalsa was attended by 300 delegates, including Rotaractors from District 3250 and other districts, PDRRs, Rotarians, Interactors and other guests. DG Vivek Kumar addressed
DRR Vaibhav Thakur, DRS Hamza Hashmi with Rotaractors.
the conference on the essence of leadership and the value of doing good work in the community. The DG launched District RYLA for Rotaractors at Bodhgaya and the District IDYE programme. Rtr Rohan Agarwal and DRS Hamza Hashmi launched the Rotary and Rotaract District sports meet. There were business sessions conducted by PDGs. DRR Elect Anmol Singha unveiled his theme “Transforming lives Together”. The event was marked by a lot of fun; there was the Masquerade Night with cultural presentation by various clubs, a rocking performance by the Parth band and live Dhol performance was done too. The cherry on the cake were a bonfire and fireworks.
Designed by L Gunasekaran MARCH MAR M AR RCH CH 2018 2201 018 ROTARY 0 ROT TA AR RY NEWS RY NEWS NE W 25 5
Happy to R
y Birthday otaract
Mitty Chang inspires
Rotaractors V Muthukumaran
A Mitty Chang with DRR Vaibhav Thankur (standing), Rotaractors Gautham Sharma and Anmol Verma.
five-day interaction with Rtn Mitty Chang, a member of the Rotary International’s Rotaract Interact Committee and IPP of the Rotary eClub of Silicon Valley, D 5170, gave DRR Vaibhav Thakur a good understanding of how global Rotary works and the need for Rotaractors to graduate to the next level in the Rotary family. He was in Delhi to attend the District Conference of D 3250 titled Sitarey. DG Vivek Kumar, D 3250, had assigned Thakur and DRS Hamza Hashmi to look after the chief guest from California, US, who was on a maiden visit to India. Right from receiving Mitty at the Delhi Airport and throughout his 5-day stay, “I along with Hamza had a range of discussion with our guest. Our talk centred on how to promote Rotaractors in Rotary clubs. Mitty was enthusiastic and interested in knowing
the Rotarians in India and their club activities,” says Thakur. Mitty is all for youth exchange programmes and said Rotaractors can give their innovative ideas to promote such events in Rotary clubs. “Another idea that propped up was how the services of DRRs can be effectively utilised by the clubs and in what way the RI Board can mediate on this issue.”
Amazing sights, diversity Following a morning visit to the Taj Mahal in Agra, Mitty was taken on a whirlwind tour of the National Capital Region which further kindled his curiosity to know more about India. His tour included the Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Jama Masjid, Connaught Place and the Dilli Haat. He remarked that Indian Rotaractors have many avenues to excel as there are opportunities
At a sweet shop.
Standing from L: Rtr Abhinay Bharti, DRR Vaibhav Thakur and Rtr Amandeep Singh Jassal. Seated from L: District Rotaract Trainer Rahul Rajgadia, Rtr Ayush Shaswat, DRS Hamza Hashmi, Mitty Chang, Rtrs Saurabh Srivastava and Shanu Srivastava.
galore for them to take up community projects. While the average age of Rotarians in the US is around 60–65, Indian clubs have many young members and Rotaractors need to be part of mainstream activities of Rotary clubs, according to Mitty.
DRS Hamza found a “caring, enthusiastic and great mentor in him, who is passionate and dedicated towards youth and their development.” Listening to his speech at the DisCon, he says, “we all were mesmerised by his thoughts on the future of Rotary. His vision will make a difference in
Mitty Chang takes a cycle rickshaw ride with DRS Hamza Hashmi.
Rotary in coming times.” They shared project activities like International RYLA, Toronto Convention and the idea of organising a multi-district youth exchange in India.
Rotary hostels During their interactions, Mitty mooted the idea of Rotary hostels for Rotaractors who are studying away from their homes. Such a boarding facility will develop bonding and create a platform for developing leadership skills in young minds he says. Besides chartering two Rotaract clubs, Mitty has served as DRR and has shared his inputs on attracting young professionals to Rotary with Rotarians in the US, Canada, Portugal, Thailand, Australia, Brazil and Korea. Getting to know a Rotarian like Mitty, “gave me a new perspective on Rotary International. His urgency to plan for Rotary in the next 30 years when Rotaractors will be at the helm instilled in me a new passion towards the organisation,” says Thakur.
A project a day to celebrate Rotaract week Rasheeda Bhagat
T
o celebrate the World Rotaract Week (Mar 12–18), the Rotaract Club of Sidhpur, D 3054, in partnership with the Rotary Club Sidhpur, launched new projects and concepts on every day of the week. On the first day, the Rotaractors and Rotarians wished the children who appeared for the SSC and HSC examinations by distributing chocolates and stationery to them. On the second day a blood donation camp was organised with the theme ‘Donate blood, save lives’ and 61 bottles of blood were collected. The third day was reserved for spreading cheer among the children of
an orphanage run by the Mangal Jivan Trust in the town by organising a dinner for them. The fourth day was marked for adult literacy, and there was a visit to the literacy centre run by the Rotaract and Interact clubs of Sidhpur. “Eight illiterate women who had joined this centre can now read and write,” says Dr Jayesh Suthar, former president of RC Sidhpur. On the fifth day, two events were held; the first being a mock drill, organised in partnership with government officials, on what to do in the immediate aftermath of an earthquake as Gujarat is an earthquake-prone region. The same day, banners depicting the correct method of handwashing, were distributed to all the government primary schools in Sidhpur. The next day was reserved for birds and under the ‘Save the Birds’ initiative, water pots for birds were distributed to homes and shops. On the final day of the week fruits were distributed to the occupants of the Civil Hospital. APRIL 2018
ROTARACT NEWS 31
A keenly contested inter-college debate V Muthukumaran
F
or two decades, the annual Inter-college Debate organised by RC Delhi South, (D 3011), is a rage among the college students at the national capital and by jointly
322 RRO ROTARACT ROT OT TARA TARA ARA AR AC CT T NEW NEWS N EWS APRIL APR APR RILL 2018 20 8 201 20
hosting the event, the Rotaractors of Delhi South too have earned a reputation for organising such keenly fought competitions for young intellectuals. Elite colleges across disciplines like engineering, medical, management, law, humanities and the sciences were invited for the two-day debate at the India Habitat Centre which got 56 participants from 28 institutions. “The idea is to set a benchmark in conducting activities for empowerment of the youth, in such a way that the youngsters not only enjoy taking part but also learn a great deal from it,” says Commander Pradeep Bahri, Secretary RC Delhi South. The debate has won the South Asian Rotaract People Choice Award for the most “Outstanding Project”
in the avenue of Professional Development in South Asia. On the first day, the preliminary round, two parallel sessions were held on the topic “Artificial intelligence will surpass human intelligence”. At the end of the first day, eight teams from Hindu College, Hans Raj College, IGNOU, Jamia Millia Islamia, Shivaji College, PGDAV Morning College, Jaypee Institute of Information Technology and Jesus and Mary College were selected for the final as they displayed oratorical skills of the highest order. The eight teams could not relax as they were given the debate topic for the final — “Cryptocurrency — the future or a farce” — at the end of the day and had less than 24 hours to prepare for the fierce contest. The finalists debated with vehemence and conviction with their perspective clearly spelt out. Citing reasons supported with real life examples they justified their stand.
The winners receiving the trophy.
They parried interjections with counter-arguments. “We were like proud parents, looking at the outcome of our fruits of labour,” recalls Bahri. A three-member jury of Professor Anita Tripathy Lal from FORE School of Management; Economics HOD Saurabh Malhotra from Presidium School; and Assistant Professor Monica Chaudhary from Jaypee Institute of IT guided the contestants on the right path which led to an interesting tussle of evenly-matched brains.
Hindu College emerged the winner bagging a prize money of `30,000, while Hans Raj College (1st runner-up, `20,000) and PGDAV Morning College (2nd runner-up, `15,000) gave a tough fight to the title winners. Rohan Misra from Hindu College was chosen as the Best Speaker (`5,000) and Vanshika Koul from Shivaji College as the Best Interjector (`5,000)
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50 projects in 32 hours V Muthukumaran
F
ive-month-old Rotaract Club of Kalimati Jamshedpur, D 3250, had a roaring start with an event symbolically titled Grand 3250 — taking up 50 projects covering all the four avenues of service in 32 hours — with guidance from their parent Rotary Club of Jamshedpur Dalma. What is more, around 10 per cent of these projects constituted internetbased contests involving Rotaractors from Brazil,
3344 ROT ROTARACT R RO OTARA OT AR A RA R RAC ACT CT N NEWS NE NEW EW EW WSS APRIL APR AP A PR PRIL IL 2018 2018
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Italy, the UAE, Bhutan, Nepal and India. Feeling jubilant after the success of 3250, Amandeep Singh Jassal, President of the Rotaract
club, says a 16-member team had fanned out to a number of places in and around Jamshedpur and handpicked areas such as Ghatsila, a small town, and Musadani, a village, for implementing a host of service projects. “Tree plantation, women literacy, visit to slum areas, classes for the poor were taken up by our Rotaractors
with the support of 35 volunteers from the local communities.” The Rotaractors planted over 120 saplings in Musadani village and in another village Moharada, they gave motivational talks to 30 women on issues relating to hygiene and the importance of sending their children to school. They also taught basic functional literacy for children in the locality. Members from Rotaract Club of Mrs KMPM Vocational
Left: A Rotaractor feeding a physically-challenged person. Below: Children exhibiting the paper bags they learnt to make from the Rotaractors.
College too joined the team in their social outreach projects. A boost to public image “We donated blankets, clothes, first aid kits and few of our Rotaractors registered themselves for organ donation. All these
Rotaractors with children from an orphanage.
activities have boosted our image among the people in Jamshedpur.” The Rotaract team visited an old-age home, orphanages and a Cheshire Home for the differently-abled and interacted with inmates; offering them loads of goodies. The Rotaractors mobilised funds among themselves for the ‘Grand 3250’, their maiden venture on a global scale. “We will organise the event on a much larger scale next year with sponsors and resources from our parent Rotary club,” says Roshan Agarwal, Vice-President of the Rotaract club. Online events It was a global networking in the cyberspace with at least 150 Rotaractors from 18 foreign districts taking part in stimulating contests like online quiz, “heritography”, poster competition, DRR theme photography, online
poetry, online letterhead exchange and online greeting exchange. “Over 110 foreign Rotaractors took part in the online quiz. Besides, 400 Rotaractors from the Indian districts took part in the internet-based contests,” says Jassal. Having won
laurels in a short time, the Rotaractors are confident they would make a much greater social impact next year. The first edition of the Grand 3250 had “positively touched the lives of over 120 beneficiaries in and around Jamshedpur,” adds Jassal. APRIL 2018
ROTARACT NEWS 35
5,¶V 5RWDUDFW ,QWHUDFW &RPPLWWHH 0HHWLQJ Karthik Kittu
36 ROTARACT NEWS APRIL 2018
I
t was a proud moment for me to represent Rotary India at the Rotary International Rotaract and Interact Committee (2017–18) at the RI Headquarters in Evanston. The committee comprises 12 members — six Rotarians and six Rotaractors — from various countries.
From being a shy Rotaractor in 2001–02 to being the President of RAC SBMJC, managing over 360 people, my first stint at management and leadership; serving as President of Rotaract Bangalore South to heading District 3190 as DRR, leading over 40 club presidents and
2,000 Rotaractors; Secretary for the Asian Level Rotaract Heads Meet in 2009; Group Study Exchange member to District 5100, US; addressing the Rotaract Preconvention in New Orleans; Charter President of the Rotaract South Asia Multi-district Information Organisation (RSAMDIO) interacting with more than 50,000 Rotaractors across Asia; Chairman of the 2016 Rotaract Zone Institute; and now being a Member of the Rotary International Rotaract and Interact Committee — it has been an awesome journey trudged hard but with lot of valuable lessons learnt along the way.
Over to Evanston The Rotaract Interact Committee meeting was held in December at the Board Room on the 18th Floor of the RI Headquarters at the One Rotary Center, Evanston, Illinois. Co-chairs Tommie Buscemi (USA) and Laura Verdegaal (the Netherlands) called the meeting to order. The meet began with a welcome address by RI Director Gerard Allonneau, the Liaison Director for the Committee. The RI Secretariat was represented by Adam Doty, Manager Programmes for Young Leaders, and its Senior Supervisor Jessie Dunbar-Bickmore. Doty briefed us on updates from RI General Secretary John Hewko, followed by Jessie briefing us on updates from the Secretariat. We then started our first discussion — the 2018 Rotaract Preconvention programme. Just before lunch we proceeded to visit the Rotary Hall of Honour, followed by a group photograph of the Committee and a visit to the Arch C Klumph Society. Post-lunch we watched on Virtual Reality a gripping video of polioaffected children in India and how they are medically treated. For my fellow committee members, it was a moving experience. Being from Members of the RI Rotaract - Interact Committee
APRIL 2018
ROTARACT NEWS 37
Getting a feel of the RI President's office at the RI Headquarters.
India and having seen it at close quarters, it was great to be a vital part of the discussion on improvements for addressing the issue. I also shared my experience on how we go out and administer polio drops and persuade people not to miss out the NIDs. We then discussed about Rotaract exhibits for the 2018 International Convention in Toronto, a possible Interact Preconvention event and a Committee Alumni gathering. This 38 ROTARACT NEWS APRIL 2018
Karthik Kittu with past RI Vice President Jennifer Jones.
was followed by a presentation on the Peace-building Summit at the convention by Past RI Vice President Jennifer Jones, and an open house on Rotaractors’ involvement in peace-building endeavours. The next day we planned the itinerary for Rotaract’s 50th anniversary celebrations and held discussions on the district and regional training formats. The final draft of our recommendations will be submitted to
the RI Board of Directors. We were pleasantly surprised when incoming Trustee Chair Ron Burton dropped in at lunch. We wrapped up our meeting with a quick tour of the 18th Floor and RI President Ian Riseley’s office. The highlight, however, was visiting the historic Room No 711 which has been recreated on the ground floor. It houses some rare artifacts, photographs and documents from the first
Rotary office. Rotary was founded on February 23, 1905, in Room No 711 at Chicago’s Unity Building when four friends — a lawyer Paul Harris, mining engineer Gustave Loehr, coal dealer Sylvester Schiele and merchant tailor Hiram Shorey — met to create the world’s first Rotary club.
The author is a member of RI Rotaract-Interact Committee. APRIL 2018
ROTARACT NEWS 39
Rotaractors create a niche in Mulund V Muthukumaran
I
t has been an exciting threeyear-old journey for Rotaractors of RAC Mumbai Mulund East, D 3141, for being a community-based club; they meet, plan and execute projects only in the weekends. “All the 35 members come from varying backgrounds and professions and we meet on the premises of our parent club, the Rotary Club of Mumbai Mulund East, to chalk out our programmes,” says Krutika Mhaddalkar, President of the Rotaract club. They engage the four Interact clubs in all their project activities meant for students and the youth. In March, the Rotaractors take up their signature project Drug Mukth (avoid drugs) at four schools in Mulund through the Interactors. “We have made a 12-minute docufilm on de-addiction which are
40 ROTARACT NEWS APRIL 2018
being screened in our sessions at two private and two slum schools in the locality. The entire film is scripted, shot and edited by the Rotaractors with myself taking up the cinematography,” says Krutika. Once in three months, the Rotaract club ropes in Interactors for major projects being done along with their parent Rotary.
Bag for Life project Bundles of old newspapers are brought from homes and a 12-member team of Rotaractors convert them into ecofriendly paper bags which are then given free to retailers, street vendors and fruit sellers. “We learnt the art of making paper bags through YouTube and while giving these bags, we tell the
recipients the need for an eco-friendly lifestyle by avoiding plastic carry bags and other non-bio items which pollute the environment.” With good response for this ongoing project, the Rotaractors are enthused and motivated to sustain their anti-plastic campaign by spreading the message through the circulation of paper bags in and around Mulund. Rarely used clothes in good condition are pooled in from different households and distributed to slum
dwellers, Adivasis and underprivileged families during the weekends by 15–16 Rotaractors taking to the field work under the Helping Hand project. To ensure menstrual hygiene among school and college-going girls, the club has installed a sanitary napkin machine at ITI Girls College in Thane to begin with. “The hygiene project is still on the drawing board. We have a target of installing at least 20 more
Rotarians and Rotaractors celebrate the Kite Festival with children.
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A Rotaractor promotes use of paper bags to a colony resident.
vending machines in the near future,” she reveals.
Good rapport Their parent club makes sure that “all the resources are available to Rotaractors which is one of the main reasons for resounding success of the commu-
nity projects so far.” This year, they have done two health camps and one eye check-up camp in association with RC Mumbai Mulund East. “We have given 26 spectacles and 18 patients were selected for free cataract operations at Bacchu Ali Eye Hospital in Parel,” Krutika says.
A Rotaractor donates clothes to a woman. 42 ROTARACT NEWS APRIL 2018
Kite Festival What has been an eye-opener was the grandeur of the Kite Festival held on Makar Sankranti day at Sambaji Garden in Mulund with over 280 registrations and more specifically, youth from underprivileged families taking part in the competitive sport. “We are truly overwhelmed by the grand success of the kite festival and quite happy that Rotaractors are making an impact in the lives of the disadvantaged youth in the neighbourhood,” she adds. They make it a habit to visit Samirthan Mission Ashram, an orphanage at Vikhroli East, once in two months where, apart from sumptuous lunch for the inmates, the Rotaractors engage them with games and fun workshops. Tree plantation, book donation, beach clean-up at Badar, once in three months with other Rotaract clubs, and Mahadaan, the once-in-a-year blood donation camp by all the Rotaractors of Mumbai, are some of the other notable projects that have made Rotaractors a household name in the Mulund neighbourhood. Designed by N Krishnamurthy
50 years of Rotaract commemorated on a stamp Kiran Zehra
From left: RSA Chief Coordinator Rtn Hemang Jangla, DRR Om Chawla, PRID Ashok Mahajan, DGN Harjit Talwar and RSA Avenue Chair Rajindra Unnikrishnan.
I
n 2016 when Sachin Tendulkar was honoured with a commemorative stamp after his final test match at the Wankhede Stadium, watching him from the audience was DRR Om Chawla, who knew exactly what he wanted to do to celebrate the 50 years of Rotaract. “Commemorative Rotaract stamps have been on my mind ever since and as DRR when
I shared this idea with my team members, they readily agreed,” he says. So in association with the postal department, Rotaract D 3141 issued three commemorative stamps to mark Rotaract’s golden jubilee. The stamps were released by PRID Ashok Mahajan and DGN Harjit Talwar, D 3141, in December last year at the district carnival dubbed RED. Lauding
the Rotaractors, Mahajan said, “Rotaractors are propelled by compassion and always do what is needed. The Indian Postal Stamp released to celebrate the golden jubilee year is a barometer to gauge the enthusiasm and sincerity of our youth. Well done, Rotaractors.” The Rotaract stamps have three unique designs — the District Rotaract logo, the 50 years of Rotaract logo and the district theme ‘Strive to achieve.’ They come in miniature sheets, each with 12 stamps. DRR Om Chawla, who designed the stamps, said, “When we enter Rotaract, we are seeds and blossom into flowers over the years; keeping that in mind I chose the flower design.” Rtr Kushal Bhuva said: “We are delighted to put more than a digital footprint for our anniversary on an Indian postal stamp.” Since Rotaract needs more recognition in the region “a stamp was a unique and cool idea. It’s not just a stamp, it’s a Rotaract stamp,” he added. The stamp series has been given unique postal codes and will be available with the DRR. You can also mail to contact.3141@gmail. com for a collector’s assemblage at a cost of `300 per sheet. APRIL 2018
ROTARACT NEWS 43
Hosur Rotaractors host Trisports V Muthukumaran
H
ow can Rotaractors help the government in implementing youth welfare and sports? Well, P Balakrishna Reddy, Tamil Nadu Minister for Youth Welfare, is all for Rotary playing an active role in supporting sports and welfare initiatives of the State for grooming a vibrant future generation. Speaking at the inauguration of Trisports, a two-day event of D 2982 held in Hosur, to celebrate Rotaract’s golden jubilee, he recalled Rotary’s humanitarian projects and said, “The government needs the support of Rotaractors for its various projects including sports events.” DG Dharmesh Patel, D 2982, urged the Rotaractors to organise more such events to mark the golden jubilee of the Rotaract movement. The Trisports had three activities — 30 km cycling; 44 ROTARACT NEWS APRIL 2018
50 m swimming; and 7 km running, said DRR D Praveen Kumar, who had designed and structured this competition with the primary aim to create awareness on air pollution. Over 3,000 people across 13 to 60 years of age from Namakkal, Villupuram, Salem, Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu converged at the venue. More than 20 Rotaract clubs from the district, international cyclists, runners from Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Palakkad and swimmers from various districts of Karnataka such as Tumkur and Mandya competed in the various events. The first three prizes comprised a cash prize of `10,000, `7,000 and `5,000, along with mementos. Local legislator Y Prakash, DRCC K Hari Krishnan, and senior police officers were also present at the inaugural. While the Rotary Club of Hosur Midtown extended support to Rotaractors, “we mobilised around `7 lakh through
references given by Rotarians for organising the event,” said Praveen Kumar. Greening project
In another project related to anti-pollution, he said they had planted 70,000 grown trees (4 ft tall) across the district and “we are well within our target of planting 1.25 lakh new trees this year.” In all tree planting drives,
Rotaractors had partnered with Rotary clubs to make the event grander, drawing the participation of the entire neighbourhood.
Designed by L Gunasekaran
APRIL 2018
ROTARACT NEWS 45
Providing food to the hungry in
/XGKLDQD V Muthukumaran
W
hile travelling in Ludhiana on a dreary day, DRR Nitika Pahwa, D 3070, was caught off-guard by a group of children begging on the streets. They immediately started to badger her for money or whatever she could part with. “I told them that I am ready to give them fruits and not money. And I was moved by the way they ate the fruits given to them,� recalls Nitika. This incident planted the idea in her head of doing something to address
46 ROT ROTARACT CT NEW NEWSS APRIL APPR A PRIL IL 2018 2201 018 18
the hunger of street children, who are forced to beg for their food. She shared this incident with other Rotaractors and the new year was ushered in with a project against hunger, named Annapurna. The aim was to feed the street children in and around Ludhiana by identifying localities
Club President Himanshi Joshi provides food to a family.
where they are found in large numbers. The RAC Government College for Girls took up this initiative and all its 50 members joined it — either individually or in groups — with the goal of making the city hunger-free. “We found out that most people who beg want to work to make a living, but can't find jobs. Some of them have children who also beg for food which is really sad. They accost us, seeking alms, telling us that they have not eaten for days,” she adds. The Rotaractors either provide food from their homes or buy it from local restaurants or dhabas to give these people, who are mostly women and children. Taking a cue from the club, the Rotary clubs of Ludhiana North and Palanpur have taken up the distribution of food packets to the needy. “In all, nearly 300 Rotaractors in our district are involved in this project on a daily basis. Money is collected by groups or
sourced from the parent Rotary club for buying food from hotels. We strictly provide food and not money to these people,” explains Nitika. Till the first week of February, the Rotaractors had reached out to 150 hungry people in the city and “the plan is to tie up with three gurudwaras which will prepare food in their langars (community kitchens) and give them to Rotaractors at a concessional rate,” says Himanshi Joshi, President, RAC Government College for Girls. The food prepared at the langars will be taken and distributed to the slums and areas where it is most needed, she says. The saddest part is that the beneficiaries with their untidy look, disheveled hair and torn clothes are living on the fringes of society as nobody is there to help them or provide them with a decent livelihood, she adds. Designed by N Krishnamurthy APRIL 2018
ROTARACT NEWS 47
A Himalayan push for literacy V Muthukumaran
H
appy schools create the right environment for children to become great citizens and achieve bigger things in life. Under the TEACH initiative of the Rotary India Literacy Mission, RAC Chandigarh Himalayan, D 3080, adopts schools lacking in basic facilities such as sanitation, furniture and books, and convert them into happy centres of learning.
In the last two years, six schools in slum areas were adopted and completely transformed; the club has a target of transforming five schools this Rotary year. “We put our hearts out in making each school a happier place which the children deserve and will cherish,” says Club President Priya Krishnan. The club holds fundraisers such as Pirates of the City, a treasure hunt game and Salsa Slam,
a dance workshop, to take care of their financial needs for the Happy School projects. “Last November, we organised the Pirates of the City event, netting `1.5 lakh. Most of our fundraiser events are planned much in advance with our team working in full force,” she says. With a total of 700-plus students in their adopted schools, the club holds a number of contests and promotes
Rotaractors with children at the adopted school. 48 ROTARACT NEWS APRIL 2018
A Rotaractor entertains children.
sports to make formal education a balanced mix of classroom learning and extra-curricular activities. Having identified 150 adult illiterates in the two slum colonies through a survey, the club has successfully roped in 60 of them for literacy classes. “We hold street plays and regular campaigns to inspire adult illiterates to attend our literacy classes.” The club has joined hands with the NGOs Jan Shiksha Sansthan and Arpan to take up the literacy challenge in the slums of Chandigarh. “While the funds and venue for teaching are provided by the Sansthan, the Rotaractors are trained by Arpan on the prescribed syllabus,” says Project Director Rtr Sapna Devi. The Rotaractors also encourage illiterate adults to enrol in the literacy programmes being held by the Sansthan as part of the government initiative. “However, for the government sponsored skill development classes one should have passed Class 5 to become eligible,” says Devi. Further, APRIL 2018
ROTARACT NEWS 49
the club has tied up with Infosys which will hold a workshop for Rotaractors to equip them with teaching skills for adult literacy classes. In order to expand their literacy reach, the club survey is now being extended to nearby villages such as Maloya and Dhanas.
Tweaking ‘Back to School’ During the survey, the Rotaractors were surprised to find out that there were no school dropouts as the midday meal programme is popular in these areas. “We are now preparing to teach schoolgoing children below 18 years from underprivileged families
who can’t support their wards financially,” explains Devi, adding that “the experience of being trained to educate adults and children is new to us and we are getting into the groove.” Out of its total membership of 709, the club has roped in 180 Rotaractors for its literacy programmes.
Other projects With the idea of instilling compassion towards other beings, Project Animal Welfare led by Rtr Ananta Kant is focused on the adoption of street dogs. The club organises animal welfare campaigns and through public demos explain how people are making lives miserable for animals. RAC Chandigarh Himalayan has made it a ritual to spend time with children of an orphanage every year during Christmas. Dressed up as Santa Claus, the Rotaractors entertain the children and shower them with goodies. Designed by N Krishnamurthy 50 ROTARACT NEWS APRIL 2018
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