Rotaract News - July 2019

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Inside 30 Assam Rotaractors hit bull’s eye on menstrual hygiene 36 The game of books 46 #Elevate Rotaract - FAQs

8

A Rotaractor rocks the Hamburg Convention

you for a wonderful 24 Thank year, Rotaractors

12

Embrace both success and failure: Pandya to Rotaractors

create 26 Rotaractors green hubs in Madurai

16

Captured Moments from Hamburg

On the cover: Chris Wells, founding President of RAC Market Harborough, England and present DRR of RID 1070, addressing a plenary session at the Hamburg Convention.

40 On a solo trip across Pondicherry JULY 2019

ROTARACT NEWS 3

RI Director Bharat Pandya (Zones 4 & 7) RI Director Kamal Sanghvi (Zones 5 & 6) District Rotaract Representatives 2019–20 Zone 4, 5, 6 & 7 3000

Harish Vasan

3011

Arpit Mehra

3012

Mudita Khurana

3030

Shantanu Agrawal

3060

Chintan Shah

3070

Shveta Thakur

3120

Kushagra Bansal

3141

Kushal Bhuva

3150

Vinod Kumar

3190

Shashi Kumar M

3201

S Ajai

3240

Deepjyoti Das

3262

Chinmoy Gayan

3291

Soumyadeb Barman

Rotaract News 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 3rd 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 To join a Rotaract club, start your own, or learn how to get involved, visit www.rotary.org/rotaract.

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Ask us at rotaract@rotary.org.

Published by Rotary News Trust from Dugar Towers, 3rd Flr, 34, Marshalls Road, Egmore, Chennai 600 008.

The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Editor or Trustees of Rotary News Trust (RNT) or Rotary International (RI). No liability can be accepted for any loss arising from editorial or advertisement content. Contributions – original content – is welcome but the Editor reserves the right to edit for clarity or length. Content can be reproduced, but with permission from RNT.

Editor’s Note

Hamburg Convention celebrates youth leadership

I

remember vividly how at the Seoul Convention in 2016, addressing the South Asia Reception, incoming RI President John Germ had struck a mellow note by saying that he had just addressed a meeting of Rotaractors and he didn’t have very cheerful news to share. “They told me that they don’t believe Rotary respects them as individuals or as an organisation and only looks at them as labour, not as equals. We should be embarrassed that they feel this way about us.” When asked what Rotarians should do to change this feeling, the chorus was: “‘Treat us as equals.’

And we should do that because this organisation will help us to grow and prosper.”

Cut down to June 2019 and the Hamburg Convention, and those of you who were there or read about the Rotaract preconvention, Inspiration Lounge, etc on the RI website, have cause for cheer. You should be pleased as punch that all the senior leaders, beginning with RI President Barry Rassin, incoming President Mark Maloney, RIPN Holger Knaack and Trustee Chair Brenda Cressey,

made it a point to welcome Rotaractors to the convention, praised their energy, enthusiasm and passion, and stressed the need for Rotarians to guide, mentor and include Rotaractors in their important activities, including service projects.

This is the seventh edition of Rotaract News that we are bringing out, and while doing so my team put its searchlight on Rotaractors’ activities in India. We were amazed to find the kind of great work you do through service projects — particularly those related to sanitation and menstrual hygiene and spending time with the elderly in homes for senior citizens. This is a definite signal that today’s youth are neither selfish nor self-centred, as is often erroneously believed. Through your projects, through your involvement, you show that you do care. Yes, you may be spending a lot of time on your mobile phones, and apps such as Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, etc, but when you find a connect with a group such as Rotaract, your engagement and involvement are praiseworthy.

And yet, as the cover story of this issue highlights, Chris Wells, DRR of RI District 1070, told a Convention plenary session how depression is spreading its tentacles on the youth across the world. Relating his own experience of depression after graduation, he said: “Food had lost its taste, music its joy and the world its colour; I felt like I was losing myself.” So many youngsters in their 20s were battling depression and isolation, which was ironic in an age of instant and speedy communication. A recent study had shown that despite “being young, successful and busy, a generation empowered by the Internet was plagued by loneliness,” added Wells.

But “magic” happened when he was introduced to a Rotarian; a Rotaract club was formed, service projects mushroomed and his life found a meaning. The Hamburg Convention was full of cheerful stories of youth leadership, and as such stories were told, a burst of energy and passion filled the hall. There was music, there was dancing, and definite signs that the winds of change that RI leadership has been talking about, have arrived.

Rasheeda Bhagat JULY 2019

ROTARACT NEWS 5

Message from the

RI Director

One-to-One

I am pleased to share some thoughts with Rotaractors through Rotaract News.

This is a historical moment in Rotary’s history.

With the passing of the COL Rotaract resolution, Rotaract now has a different and elevated status; as a partner and not just another programme of Rotary.

Rotaract is the future of Rotary.

As the new Rotary-Rotaract year begins I would like to tell you that as Rotaract leaders you must think differently. Think newer, bolder thoughts to manage your clubs, develop your leadership abilities and work with the community. In leadership, timing is crucial. When you move is as important as What you do. Your special year is around the corner; seize the moment. There is a wick within you waiting to become the light. Let your inner flame burn brightly.

Light the Flame and Lead The Way. But remember one thing. Thinking is good. It plays an important role in success. It helps you strategise. But just thinking will not bring you success. The difference between the thinker who succeeds and the thinker who doesn’t is this — the thinker who succeeds also ACTS. Now is the time for action.

Do you want to lose weight? Then get on the treadmill — Act. Do you want to gain wealth? Then save your money and invest — Act.

You want your club to be vibrant? Then reach out for new members and bring them in — Act. You want your club to be effective — concentrate on the twin pillars, leadership and service — Act. I am happy to share with you that all District Rotaract Representatives of Zones 4, 5, 6, 7 will be attending and participating in the Rotary Zone Institute at Indore from Dec 6–8, 2019. Get in touch with your district governor to take this zone initiative forward and ensure your presence. Rotaract News is slowly but surely making its own place as a magazine of substance and good content. Do make best use of it. Compliments to outgoing RI Director C Basker and Editor Rasheeda Bhagat for this initiative and bringing out a high quality ‘first-of-its-kind’ Rotaract magazine.

I see joint meetings and activities between Rotaract and Rotary as a good way forward for both. I have a sense that this is the shape of our future. Focus your energy on your priorities, on what you want to achieve. You will succeed beyond your imagination.

Madhavi joins me in conveying best wishes to all Rotaractors of our Zones for 2019–20.

Be the Torchbearers as Rotary Connects the World.

Bharat Pandya RI Director, Zones 4 and 7 6 ROTARACT NEWS JULY 2019

Message from the

RI Director I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot, together we can do great things.

— Mother Teressa

Dear Rotaractors, We are so proud that in India Rotaractors are passionately involved in becoming agents of change through community service projects.

Ever since its inception Rotary has embraced, accepted and excelled in diversity; be it diversity of nationality or profession. They add a very valuable aspect to this diversity though synergy between youth and leadership, which infuses dynamism into Rotary’s community service efforts. The Rotaractors’ involvement and exposure in such life-changing initiatives also help them personally as they undergo transition into responsible adults, torchbearers and model citizens of the country. Every positive action, every positive step helps build our great nation bit-by-bit.

Every day I come across individual Rotaractors who are not only experts in their fields but also do all they can for a better world. I encourage all of you to think big and beyond your club and grab the opportunity provided by Rotaract to be a change agent and find creative solutions.

I find Rotaractors eager to understand different perspectives and to experience new things. And almost all of them talk about gaining new skills through Rotaract. In addition to leadership, Rotaract offers instructions in life skills that universities don’t teach. Many Rotaractors say they’ve learnt to speak in public thanks to their Rotaract experience; and, like Rotarians, Rotaractors find their membership has led to friendship with people from a variety of backgrounds and life experiences.

Here are the three things you will experience in Rotaract: • Through friendships and networking with fellow Rotaractors, you will feel valuable.

• From participating in service activities, you’ll feel joyful.

• From being a club leader, you’ll feel competent.

There is a saying that “the longest distance we have to travel is the connection between our head and our heart.” When these emotions (feelings of being valuable, competent, and joyful) resonate with the Rotary belief of ‘service above self’, then you become passionate. When you are passionate, you are powerful enough to move from hesitation to action.

We are but a small flicker of a candle that reflects the genuine, broad-spectrum light that Rotary shines around the world. I challenge each of you and your club to be the light… not just a flicker but a beacon of light. With vision, creative thinking, enthusiasm, risk-taking, continuity and service, your club has the potential to be that beacon. Shine brightly because when you shine brightly, the whole world feels the light of your service.

Remember: “In helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us.”

Kamal Sanghvi RI Director, Zones 5 and 6 JULY 2019

ROTARACT NEWS 7

A Rotaractor rocks the Hamburg Convention Rasheeda Bhagat

8 ROTARACT NEWS JULY 2019

F RI President Barry Rassin, Esther and DRR Chris Wells, at a Rotaract Conference in the UK last year, with RIBI Rotaract Liaison Jim Davies (L) and RID Brian Stoyel (R).

or justifiable reasons, one of the highlights of the Hamburg Convention was celebrating youth leadership and exploring the energy, passion and dynamism of youth to make the world a better place, in the process, bringing down the average age of Rotarians.

So when RI President Barry Rassin invited Chris Wells, the founding past president of the Rotaract Club of Market Harborough, England, and the present DRR of RI District 1070, to make a presentation at a plenary session at Hamburg, “this was easily among the top scariest things” he had ever done, including sky diving, said Wells. But at the same time, it was a also a dream come true for him to address such a distinguished assembly of Rotarians.

Once the palpitations had abated, he did “what most people do; and that is to turn to the Internet.” But when the Net threw up all kinds of irrelevant stuff — including a lot of material on “The Lord of the Rings, I went to the Internet of people.”

The person he turned to for help for his keynote address was Jim Davies from RC Market Harborough, presently RIBI Rotaract Liaison, who was in the first place responsible for Wells joining Rotaract in 2015.

S

triking a poignant note in an address filled with a lot of jumping and darting across the dais, hooting,

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JULY 2019

ROTARACT NEWS 9

A generation empowered by the Net, yet lonely S

triking a serious note in his address packed with fun and laughter, RID 1070 DRR Chris Wells told the Hamburg Convention delegates that though at the beginning of his talk he had referred to his feeling alone and lost after completing his education as “angst, what I actually had was depression. I had all of the things you hear about depression... food had lost its taste, music its joy and the world its colour and it was really scary. I felt like I was losing myself. This is far too common for a lot of people in their 20s. It is ironic that in an age of such open and wide communication, there

10 ROTARACT NEWS JULY 2019

are increasing reports about people feeling isolated. And at tricky times like these it is very difficult to find reasons to keep going or find people to reach out to.”

Quoting a recent study, Wells said that loneliness was linked to many life setbacks for Millennials who were suffering from this social isolation.

It was an irony that despite “being young, successful and busy, a generation empowered by the Internet was plagued by loneliness,” it said.

Wells made it clear that “Rotary isn’t there to cure depression and people suffering from it should not feel shy to reach out to get medical and professional help. It can be so

dangerous if left unattended. But for me Rotaract really filled in some of those dark and empty spaces inside me.”

He added that he felt most fortunate that Rotary and Rotaract embraced him and “I am here today. It’s amazing. Imagine there are so many people across the world waiting for something like Rotary and Rotaract to give their life direction and make such a difference.”

(When he isn’t Rotaracting, Chris works for the non-profit Go Make A Difference which shares and develops effective thinking tools to under 25.)

laughter and fun, Wells said that in 2015, he was in a situation quite common for a lot of people in their 20s.

He had graduated and had a media degree but he was feeling a bit lost and wondering about life and its very purpose. He had got an education, and then would come work, followed by taxes and then death. “Fortunately, a colleague noticed my angst and introduced me to a Rotarian (Jim Davies).

I met him and asked him what does Rotary actually do? Eventually we decided to form a Rotaract club together even though I wasn’t sure what one actually was!�

Wells said that in 2015, District 1070 had only “12 Rotaractors across three clubs in a district that’s about 9,000 sq km. Back in the 1990s there were thousands of Rotaractors in that district and now there were only 12.�

Though this was the situation in many parts of England, the new club “started acquiring members by just grabbing friends, and telling them

you’re one of us now! Even though we didn’t know exactly what we were doing, we met up anyway‌�

Now of course he knows the answer to that question on what Rotary does: “Dogoodery, of course,� he beams!

Once the club had started, slowly magic happened; they “started doing stuff, lots of stuff, such as tinned food collection, quizzes, fundraising events, etc.� Other clubs started forming across the district and they all started growing. “We were doing great stuff for good causes and naturally we

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were having fun while doing it. That I believe is the core of what the Rotary collective does.�

The crux of Wells’ message was that his Rotaract club achieved a lot because “we were working along with Rotarians; we were in constant communication, were totally involved and moving towards the common goal of dogoodery!�

While the Rotarians helped the Rotaractors in overcoming many hiccups along the way in formulating and executing their projects, and of course answering all their “non-Googleable questions�, there was help flowing in the reverse direction too. The Rotaractors helped those of the Rotarians who were not as well-versed in technology; taught them how to use the social media for advertising and to open up new doors of communication. “We realised that it is this ability to work and develop together in total fellowship that can make this dogoodery much better!� „ JULY 2019

ROTARACT NEWS 11

Embrace both success and failure: Pandya to Rotaractors Team Rotaract News

T

he atmosphere was abuzz with excitement. The robust cheering came from the young Rotaractors of RI District 3141 participating in the Rotaract District Training Assembly.

For the Rotaractors it was an occasion to enjoy fellowship, learn and get recognition.

Addressing a hall full of enthusiastic Rotaractors RI Director Bharat Pandya said. “We are at an exciting time in Rotaract history and in the Rotary-Rotaract relationship. The intent of the Rotaract enactment passed by COL 2019 enabling Rotaract clubs to be members of Rotary International is to elevate the status of Rotaract as young partners of Rotary and also to give impetus to the Rotaract movement.”

12 ROTARACT NEWS JULY 2019

He encouraged Rotaractors to begin the Grow Rotaract initiative by focusing on increasing Rotaract membership, forming new clubs and sharing benefits of Rotaract with other youth in the community.

Earlier, presenting awards for good performance in 2018–19 he congratulated outgoing DRR Hansika Shahani for the good work done, and conveyed his best wishes to incoming DRR Kushal Bhuva for a great year ahead.

“Our world today is a better place than yesteryears but we tend to focus only on the negative. And we complain and blame the system. Who makes the system? Who will change it? It is you and I. We are the system and only we can change it. We have to begin with

ourselves,” said Pandya. Through Rotaract, he added, they had the opportunity to embrace the change by developing and fulfilling their leadership potential.

Elaborating, he said: ‘You must strive for excellence. Often we are content with mediocrity; the “Chalta hai” attitude has to change. We have to strive for excellence. Excellence is not being the best, but trying your best, whether in studies, profession, work or Rotaract. Each one of you must do the best you can.”

He urged them to focus on 3 Cs: * Commitment: Identifying the right thing to do and then doing it despite challenges and hurdles.

Commitment transforms a promise into reality.

Above: RI Director Bharat Pandya speaking at the Rotaract District Training Assembly. DRR Kushal Bhuva is also present; Below: RID Pandya with PDG Prafull Sharma and other Rotarians and Rotaractors.

JULY 2019

ROTARACT NEWS 13

RID Pandya with DRR Kushal Bhuva (fifth from left), DG Harjit Singh Talwar, his wife Romi and PDG Prafull Sharma.

* Competence: To achieve anything worthwhile we have to be competent at what we do. Competence requires a set of skills and this DTA will provide you with those skills. * Confidence: This allows you to stabilise and stretch your limits.

Confidence provides you with the momentum to succeed in whatever you do.

When it is our time to give, we must plant trees and gardens whose fruits we may never eat, but which ZLOO EHQH¿W JHQHUDWLRQV

Pandya urged the young gathering to be prepared to embrace both success and failure. “We cannot be successful all the time. Success and failure are two sides of the same coin. When

to come.

RID Pandya with IPDRR Hansika Shahani, DRR Kushal Bhuva, PDRR Om Chawla and other Rotaractors. PDG Prafull Sharma is on the right.

14 ROTARACT NEWS JULY 2019

successful, enjoy your success. But if you allow it to go to your head, you are on the way to failure. Failure is a natural phenomenon. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson. Failure has to be a stepping stone to success.”

Also, one has to focus on integrity. Integrity in action and deeds is important and necessary to make a mark in one’s chosen field. Integrity is crucial to Rotary and Rotaract “because our work, our resources, our reputation and our good name depends on trust and integrity.

Leaving them with a final thought, the RID said, “When you have made your mark on the world, remember that in the ultimate analysis, we all are merely temporary custodians of our wealth and our resources. The best use of wealth is to share it with those less fortunate. “Baatney se Badhta hain” (By sharing anything, you increase it). I believe that we all have from time to time eaten the fruit from trees we did not plant. When it is our time to give, we must plant trees and gardens whose fruits we may never eat, but which will benefit generations to come. This is your responsibility; a responsibility that I hope you will shoulder in time.”

“Go forth and embark on your Rotaract journey of connecting to the world,” he added.

Services on the go Jaishree

W

e wanted more from our Rotaract membership… a bonding beyond our club and service beyond our boundaries. Basically, we wanted to connect with a larger group of like-minded people,” says Anamika, President of the newlychartered RAC Shivalik Rangers, sponsored by RC Chandigarh Shivalik, RI District 3080.

This thought process of Anamika and her team resulted in a ‘fellowship drive’ by five members of the club across five States over three days. The team kickstarted the project after distributing meals to 100 underprivileged people, in association with RAC Chandigarh Shivalik. They associated with one club in each zone to execute a welfare activity in the region.

The Yamuna Path behind the Gurudwara Paonta Sahib got a

facelift as the team, along with RAC Rainbow Paonta Sahib, decorated the walls with graffiti depicting messages of peace and harmony. At Roorkee, the Rotaractors tied up with RAC Roorkee Midtown and transformed into ‘Traffic Marshalls’ to help the police regulate traffic at various busy junctions in the city.

At Yamuna Nagar, the youngsters promoted the age-old and forgotten method of writing letters and posting them, along with the members of RAC Yamuna Nagar Rivera. The final stopover was at Chandigarh where a session on mental health awareness was organised in association with RAC Silvercity. Psychologists delivered lectures on how to identify and manage different forms of mental illness. “The workshop was aimed at children and we conducted

Sahib ow Paonta b in a R d n ers a alik Rang by them.

RAC Shiv designed f i o it ff rs ra to g c rt Rotara walls spo flags. The exchange

a guided-survey through which we identified few children who needed psychological help,” says Anamika.

At the end of three days, the participants had rich memories and anecdotes to share with their club members and “we are happy that we could make more new friends, gain more knowledge and understand people’s needs better.”

The club is regularly providing notebooks, storybooks and other stationery items for schoolchildren residing in the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir. “We have collaborated with the Jammu and Kashmir Study Centre which is in touch with the Indian Army. So through them we reach the study material to the students.” The contributions made to the Sunshine collection at the end of the club meetings every month is used to buy stationery.

The Wishes for Warriors has been a well-appreciated gesture of the club, she says.

“We sent rakhis and gifts for soldiers posted at the DBO (Daulat Beg Oldie) in the Ladakh region and postcards for naval cadets at the Eastern Naval Command in Visakhapatnam. We even got acknowledgement from the soldiers.”

The Rotaractors have also renovated a school with fresh paint and provided some school supplies. The club, just ten months old, has a strong social media presence as they regularly post their projects on YouTube and Facebook for better reach and visibility.

JULY 2019 ROTARACT NEWS

15

Captured Moments from Hamburg Ashima Agarwal

M

oin, Moin, as the people of Hamburg say. And “Aloha Rotary” were the parting words as I hugged and said goodbye to my new friends and some old bonds in the Rotaract Pre-convention.

Being a part of the Pre-con I was not only encouraged to make new friends from all around the world, but also had an opportunity to learn more about Rotaract, and above all, I captured every moment and was inspired to learn and understand how the entire world is celebrating

Rotaract in diverse ways.

The journey began with a proposal from our Rotary Coordinators Rajendra Rai and Ashok Gupta of Zones 4 and 6A, and Zone 5 who, at the training workshop Spoorthy held early this year, that they will sponsor the air fare of the Best DRR in their zones to attend the Convention. Soon, this thought changed into a plan and I was selected as the best DRR for Zone 4 and 6A. In no time everything worked out and I was there, standing at the

I was not only encouraged to make new friends from around the world, but also had an opportunity to learn more about Rotaract.

16 ROTARACT NEWS JULY 2019

DRR Ashima Agarwal with RI President Barry Rassin.

Hamburg Messe, lugging my bags and holding enthusiasm in my heart.

And everywhere I turned, all I could see were Rotary flags; the airport had Rotary advertisements, 7 out of 10 people I saw had Rotary badges around their necks and it was an exhilarating experience.

I felt connected and at home in that city. I stayed at a hostel organised by Rotary. I made friends from all over the world, and within a few minutes I was in a group where people from Jamaica, Germany, Spain and Mexico, all came in one frame. This

was the best part of the pre-con where Rotaractors from different religions and diverse views came down under one umbrella and spoke one language — the language of Rotary — making new bonds, uniting nations and living up to the Rotaract motto — Fellowship through Service.

The opening ceremony of the Pre-con was witnessed by more than 1,000 Rotaractors from all over the world. This time we had a special dedicated table with an Indian flag. This was the first convention with maximum Rotaractors

With Karthik Kittu (R), Member, RI’s Rotaract and Interact Committee, RID 3232 DRR Girish Easwaran and other Indian delegates.

from India. During the roll call, picking up the Indian flag and cheering for our country made us feel so proud and gave us goosebumps.

During the general session we waved our national flag with pride as our part of the world has the maximum number of Rotaract clubs. Around 1,064 Rotaract clubs were opened in the year 2018–19 out of which

India was the highest contributor by chartering 414 clubs in one year and US, came second with 98 clubs during the year.

That really made us so proud and energised.

The breakout sessions provided answers to several of my unanswered questions about Rotaract.

I understood more about TRF, Foundation grants, Rotaract and Rotary connect, DRR training

and Rotaract Outstanding Project awards.

Another lesson from the pre-convention was that it’s not always how much you do but how well you do it that matters.

There were some brilliant projects displayed in a glittering space titled ‘House of Friendship (HOF)’. It was a massive and grand exhibition where stalls

With incoming RI President Mark Maloney.

were set up to display major change- making projects, to make the world aware about the contributions and the good that Rotary and Rotaract are doing to make the world a better place.

This experience was unique, and all I have to say before I conclude my thoughts, is that one should visit at least one Rotary Convention in their Rotaract Journey.

It will be an experience worth remembering, worth sharing and it will inspire you to do much better service projects. To be inspired is great but to inspire someone with your experience and bring a positive change in their life is incredible.

And I am now eagerly waiting to see you in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 2020 where we will greet each other with an Aloha.

Until then, Namaste.

The writer is DRR of RID 3011.

JULY 2019

ROTARACT NEWS 17

Hamburg… here I come Girish Easwaran Opportunity does not knock; it presents itself when you beat down the door.

F

DRR Girish Easwaran with RID C Basker at the Hamburg Convention.

18 ROTARACT NEWS JULY 2019

ebruary 24, 2019, marks one of the most important days of my Rotaract tenure as a DRR. An email trail was sent by PDG Rajendra Rai, RID 3190, directing us to present our achievements for the Rotary year 18–19 which in turn would earn us the pride of representing India at the RI Convention held at Hamburg, Germany.

Fulfilling all the criteria set by the nominating team, I presented my year’s achievements to them and was super excited when I received an email stating that I was adjudged as the best DRR of Zone 5. From being a green Rotaractor to heading a Rotaract club and becoming a DRR of the world’s largest district did not happen in a jiff.

Hailing from a family with minimal monetary support, 11 years of tireless toil, success, failures, setbacks have all definitely taught me the most important life lessons. Meeting fellow Rotaractors from across the globe at the convention and listening to Rotary leaders on their views about the movement was indeed an exhilarating experience.

DRRs Girish Easwaran, Ashima Agarwal (extreme R) and RI Rotaract and Interact Committee Member Karthik Kittu (third from L) with other delegates.

The inaugural address by RI President Barry Rassin and the speech

by Christian Sewing, CEO of the Deutsche Bank, were outstanding.

The flag march was a visual treat.

The House of Friendship was a huge resource for various project ideas that I have shared with my home district.

I am glad that I got an opportunity yet again to represent my district at the 2019–20 convention in Honolulu, Hawaai.

My sincerest thanks to RI Director C Basker, Rotary Coordinator Rajendra Rai and Karthik Kittu, RI’s Rotaract and Interact Committee Member.

The moral and monetary support given by my home district 3232,

by Rotarians, Rotaractors and my friends, will always be remembered and I promise to keep the flag of RID 3232 flying high in the years to come.

DRR Girish Easwaran with Nepal Rotaractors.

The writer is DRR, RID 3232.

JULY 2019

ROTARACT NEWS 19

Glimpses from the

Rotary Hamburg Convention

RI President Barry Rassin and Esther with Bahamian entertainer Julien Believe.

A live music band plays the best of Abba’s unforgettable numbers.

20 ROTARACT NEWS JULY 2019

Mitty Chang, Co-chair, RI Rotaract and Interact Committee.

RIPE Mark Maloney and Gay promoting the Honolulu Convention.

RIPN Holger Knaack (R) Left: A delegate with a baby in a pram at the House of Friendship.

JULY 2019

ROTARACT NEWS 21

DRR Chris Wells, RID 1070, England, delivers a session on growing Rotary and Rotaract through ‘doogoodery’.

RI President Barry Rassin takes a selfie at the Rotaract Pre-convention.

Rotaractors at the Pre-convention event.

22 ROTARACT NEWS JULY 2019

A section of the audience.

Focus on women’s wellness Jaishree

Rotaractors at the women’s wellness camp.

T

he Rotaractors of RAC Satana Baglan, RID 3030, organised a mammography and cervical cancer screening camp for women in the villages around Satana in Nashik district. The

club had the support of their parent Rotary, RC Satana Baglan and the camp was conducted at the Chaitanya Hospital for three days.

“Majority of the women in these rural belts are illiterate and hardly any of the

villagers are aware of breast cancer or cervical cancer.

In fact, we had to break through their inhibitions and draw them to the camp,” said Akshada Suryawanshi, President of the Rotaract club.

The parent club had arranged for the mammography van and “this was the first time such an attempt has been made in Satana,” she said.

Around 500 women were screened.

The club members took out a rally to spread awareness about the cancer conditions, with the van colourfully decorated riding through the streets and lanes attracting attention. Oncologists delivered special lectures on the subject and drove home, among the public, the need for early diagnosis for successful cure of the disease.

JULY 2019 ROTARACT NEWS

23

Thank you for a wonderful year,

Rotaractors Barry Rassin

RI President Barry Rassin takes a selfie with Rotaractors in London.

24 ROTARACT NEWS JULY 2019

RI President Barry Rassin (centre) with Rotaractors in Mozambique.

T

ime has really flown by.

As the Rotary year draws to a close, I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on all that we’ve accomplished together.

When I started my year as president of Rotary, I set a number of goals that I hoped Rotary clubs all over the world would strive to achieve. One significant goal was important, but simple: double Rotaract.

I realise that was quite a lot to ask clubs. But there’s a reason why I didn’t ask Rotary clubs to simply grow Rotaract. I chose the goal of doubling Rotaract because it gave us something specific to reach for, and I believed that whatever we managed to accomplish this year would still be significant.

And we have done exactly that.

Since July 1, 2018, we have started 1,148 new Rotaract clubs around the world (as of June 24), with 24,254 new Rotaractors. These numbers are growing every day. I am so

impressed by this growth. In the process, we raised awareness among Rotarians of the power and potential of Rotaract. In addition, we have also worked to increase engagement and gather feedback from Rotaractors.

Last, but certainly not least, an important piece of legislation was approved during the Council on Legislation that now includes Rotaract clubs as a membership type of Rotary International. I championed this item because I believed it was the best way to make Rotaractors

I am so glad I got to meet so many of you. You have all truly inspired and motivated me throughout the year.

our equal partners in service. This will also help lay the foundation for emphasising and growing Rotaract as a critical part of Rotary, while still allowing for the unique experience that Rotaract clubs provide.

To Rotaractors around the world: I am so glad I got to meet so many of you. You have all truly inspired and motivated me throughout the year.

I travelled to over 55 countries in the last year and everywhere I went, I was met with the same level of energy and enthusiasm. I will always look back fondly on this year, including all the selfies we took together.

And to those of you I didn’t get the chance to meet, I hope our paths cross someday. Thank you for all that you do and all that I hope you continue to do, as you continue on your journey as a part of the family of Rotary. Most importantly, thank you for being the inspiration.

The writer is RI President, 2018–19.

JULY 2019

ROTARACT NEWS 25

Rotaractors create

green hubs in Madurai Kiran Zehra

H

aving created a green thicket over a 3,000 sq ft of land and taken up the feeding of birds and pets during summer, the Rotaractors of RID 3000 are now being called “green warriors,” says DRR Lokesh Kumar. “We realised

26 ROTARACT NEWS JULY 2019

that the city’s green cover is disappearing at an alarming rate as 100-year-old trees are being felled in seconds.

We wanted to find a solution to this ecological mess in Madurai.”

After a lot of research and mentoring from DG R V N Kannan, Rotary

Club of Madurai Nextgen President E R K Vignesh Babu and his team, including its Secretary A Ganesh and DRCC K Vikranth, had a number of brainstorming sessions on the efforts they need to take to save the forests that are being depleted. They came to

know about Dr Akira Miyawaki, a Japanese botanist and a specialist in the restoration of natural vegetation on degraded land. He had found that the tabunoki trees had protected Japan’s coastline during the 2011 tsunami (whereas the large tracts

DG R V N Kannan with Rotaractors.

of pine forests, a nonindigenous species, had failed). This led to the Green Tide Embankment spearheaded by the botanist creating a forest with 40 million trees that will grow in 20 years.

The Miyawaki method of afforestation involves planting different types of native trees close together in a small pit.

Since the Rotaractors did not know much about the native trees, they created a register on local species with their special features.

Rtr K Sakthivel who worked on the species parameter says, “we had to plan and plant saplings of trees that grow up to 50 feet, beside those that grow only up to 20 feet.

Smaller fruit-bearing trees like pomegranate and guava that need more nourishment were planted beside neem, jamun and JULY 2019

ROTARACT NEWS 27

ste.

ble wa

ll it up

oil to fi

the s Digging

kadamba that take time to grow and need little care.”

This method will help the shorter fruit-bearing trees to grow under the shade of towering trees.

District Rotaract Secretary Siva Sankaran, who worked on the soil suitability, says “it was a hectic task, and yet a fun-filled experience as we learnt something new that we can replicate in smaller spaces like our own fields and backyards to create our own

wit

green canopy.” Based on the Miyawaki method, a series of huge pits were dug and filled with biodegradable substances like wood, coconut husk and palms to a depth of one foot.

Red soil was piled above the layer, watered and left to set for three days. The layers above this were filled with vegetable waste, fallen leaves and cow dung.

With the help of Interactors, over 300 saplings were planted in 3,000 sq

With the help of Interactors, over 300 saplings were planted in 3,000 sq ft of land at the Sundaram Park in Madurai, at a cost of `1.1 lakh.

28 ROTARACT NEWS JULY 2019

grada h biode

ft of land at Sundaram Park, Madurai, at a cost of `1.1 lakh. Once in two weeks, Rotaractors take up maintenance work at this land. “Every Rotaractor gets a chance to do groundwork.

This project has become a huge success that whenever there is a photo shoot or we are facing a camera, we say ‘TREES’ to invoke a smile in us,” says DRR Kumar.

Rotaractors are also providing food and water to birds, animals on their terrace, balconies and in the backyards of their homes this summer. And they take to social media to spread the message Thaagam Theerpoma (Let’s quench thirst), a project that has engaged over 40 clubs in the district with all Rotaractors chipping in their bit to reach out to the winged creatures.

A mock Indian Parliament for Rotaractors Team Rotaract News

O

n the birth anniversary of the Father of Indian Constitution, Dr B R Ambedkar, Rotaract District 3141 organised a simulation of the Indian Parliament dubbed Model Indian Parliamentary Session on April 14, 2019. The event was co-hosted by the Indian Institute of Democratic Leadership at the Indian School of Management and Entrepreneurship (ISME).

The main aim was to create an awareness on the functioning of the Indian Parliament and to highlight its importance in our democratic polity.

It also created an awareness regarding the role of youth in the process of nation-building and democracy.

After registration came an informal lobbying from members of different groups divided into political parties, namely, the Rightist, the Left wing, the Centrist, the Backward Class and the Independents. The Speaker of the House was Devendra Pai, a professor and course director at the Indian Institute of Democratic Leadership.

The event was judged by Rtns Rupen Doshi and Ashish Chavan.

The House session commenced with the presentation of the bill “The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019” by the ruling party followed by a series of questions and answers and heated debates and arguments. After a second informal lobbying, the bill was passed by a good majority.

This was followed by Question Hour where a few questions were asked by the opposition MPs to the government. The last session witnessed presentation of a resolution for declaring a particular country a terrorist state which was proposed by the Home Minister followed by arguments and counter-arguments.

At the end, the ruling party withdrew the resolution from the table of the House.

The session ended with felicitation of the host clubs, HoDs from the ISME, judges, guests and winners of the event. DG Shashikumar Sharma, and DGN Sunil Mehra were present on the occasion along with a few senior Rotarians and district officials.

DG Shashikumar Sharma delivering a talk as DGN Sunil Mehra (L) and DRR Hansika Sahani look on.

JULY 2019

ROTARACT NEWS 29

Assam Rotaractors hit bull’s eye on menstrual hygiene V Muthukumaran

A

round 23 per cent of girls, mostly from rural India, drop out of schools after reaching puberty due to lack of menstrual hygiene in public places and institutions, says a UN survey. While a 2014 report by the NGO Dasra titled Spot On! found that nearly 23 million girls quit school annually for want of proper menstrual hygiene facilities which include availability of sanitary napkins and logical awareness of menstruation. After considering this grim scenario, RAC Guwahati Luit, RID 30 ROTARACT NEWS JULY 2019

3240, started its ambitious project We For Her, that involves distribution of sanitary pads to rural girls following a short seminar on menstrual hygiene for the beneficiaries.

DRRE Tushar Jalan, as charter president of the club, found a ready partner in Rtr Pulkit Bansar from RAC Siliguri Greater, RID 3240, to take this project targeting rural school girls to greater heights over the last two years. “Till date, we have given 1.1 lakh sanitary pads to 7,950 girls through a network of 36 clubs from Rotary, Rotaract, Interact and

Inner Wheel organisations across 17 RI districts in India, Nigeria and Bangladesh,” says Jalan.

Project format Every year, on March 8 – International Women’s Day, the Rotaractors, along with a team of doctors, visit rural schools in Guwahati and other North Eastern States and parts of Bengal under RID 3240, to hold a menstrual hygiene seminar for around an hour.

This is followed by distribution of sanitary pads to girl students. “During this seminar, we educate the rural

The project crossed borders to encompass Nigeria and Bangladesh in the second year and “the results were most gratifying for us. We distributed 80,000 pads to over 6,000 rural girls at 47 places across the three countries.”

Funding resources In the last two years, the project has incurred an expenditure of `5.5 lakh for purchasing and distributing the pads. “However, the clubs bear the expenditure related to marketing and publicity material such as posters, besides taking care of the logistics,” explains Jalan.

Jalan has reached an understanding with DGE Subhasish Chatterjee that both the district Rotary and Rotaract clubs would join hands to make We For Her a flagship project in RID 3240 during their tenure in 2020–21.

“I will be taking this project to more Rotaract clubs in other countries to expand our global footprint.”

Awards, recognition

Rotaractors of RAC Guwahati Luit distribute sanitary napkins to schoolgirls.

girls on how and why to use such pads; the ways to dispose them; and give suggestions to improve their hygiene. Qutie often, we find parents attending the sessions bombarding us with questions and thus, the seminar extends to nearly three hours at times,” he explains. While some clubs make it a week-long project, others distribute pads over the year based on their convenience.

Over 30,000 sanitary pads were distributed by 17 clubs of the Rotary family to 1,950 girls across eight RI districts in 2017–18, the first year of We For Her project. The lead club did a sample survey to find out the effect of their project. “We are happy to report that around 1,650 (out of 1,950 beneficiaries) have taken to the habit of using pads regularly even after six months, time till the gifted pads last.”

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal in his congratulatory message said, “it is heartening that a small project started in Assam has now become successful in distributing sanitary pads to scores of underprivileged girls in rural areas of the country and generating awareness at the grassroots about menstrual hygiene.”

Being recognised with the ‘Best Community Service Project Award’ from the Rotaract South Asia MDIO was one of the proud moments for Jalan and his team, while the DG’s Special Award for Outstanding Project (2017–18) at the first year of its execution boosted the morale of the Rotaractors.

The inspirational words from RI President Barry Rassin “on our efforts in raising health and hygiene awareness that impact girls, women and their communities” gave us immense satisfaction that “we are doing good to the society,” adds Jalan.

JULY 2019

ROTARACT NEWS 31

Rotaract Zone Institute 2019 Team Rotaract News

N

early a hundred delegates from 29 Rotary districts across India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka attended the fourday Rotaract Zone Institute at Vapi recently. The event, held at the auditorium of the Rotary Foundation for Education and Learning, was inaugurated

by PRID Manoj Desai in the presence of DG Pinky Patel, IPDG Ruchir Jani, DGE Anish Shah and DGND Santosh Pradhan.

32 ROTARACT NEWS JULY 2019

It was four days of learning, fun and comradeship, said RID 3060 DRR Kushal Shah. V K Madhav Mohan, a member of RC Cochin, guided the delegates on transforming into effective leaders, while Hemang Naik of RC Vapi shed light on the “joy of accepting�. The incoming DRRs and district secretaries were given orientation by past DRRs from various districts.

A session by Amit Mehta, CEO of Maa

Above: DRREs after the convocation ceremony.

Below: A Rotaractor being felicitated with an award by PRIP Kalyan Banerjee (third from L).

PRID Manoj Desai (R) being felicitated by Institute Chairman Ketan Patel.

Foundation, Vapi, on how corporates can join hands with Rotaract for executing projects was received with rapt attention.

“It was an eye-opener for us as it gave us insight into the working of CSR and the vast opportunities that can be tapped jointly by Rotary and organisations for the welfare of communities,” said DRR-elect Chintan Shah.

Rtr Yesha Sheth of RAC Bharuch, RID 3060, spoke on mental health issues and PDRR Shrikant Indani spoke about Rotary-Rotaract relationship.

Rotaract quiz, games, Zumba and yoga sessions made the Institute all the more exciting.

PRIP Kalyan Banerjee presented the graduation certificates for the incoming Rotaract leaders.

The Institute was hosted by RC Vapi under the leadership of its President Ketan Patel who is also a past DRR. JULY 2019

ROTARACT NEWS 33

Rotafest creates a buzz in Bengaluru V Muthukumaran

Participants at the Rotacamp in Kanakapura near Bengaluru.

S

mall projects done with intensity do make an impact and “we will sustain them to enhance the image of Rotaractors in Bengaluru,” says DRR Kiran Raj N, RID 3190. He cites the 4-year-old ‘paper drive’ wherein old newspapers and magazines collected from households are sold at the scrap market to raise funds for orphanages.

Once a year on a Sunday all the district Rotaractors fan out to collected dailies and magazines that are gathering dust on the shelves.

The Rotaract Club of RVCE, one of the largest clubs in Asia with over 2,900 members, has excelled in this project as “they collect anywhere between 15–16 tonnes of paper which are sold to raise money for

Rotaractors with a collection of old newspapers to raise funds for helping orphanages.

34 ROTARACT NEWS JULY 2019

children at orphanages.” Some useful renovation works are done at the special homes for destitute children.

Nele Narendra Home, an orphanage, was one of the beneficiaries of the paper drive this year. However, the talking point in the city is the two-day Rotafest in October which created a buzz among the collegegoers and professionals.

Around 800 students from 50 government schools in and around Bengaluru hogged the limelight on day one of Rotafest. “It is a platform for them to showcase their extracurricular skills as a range of programmes including dance, music and skits were staged by children,” says Raj. The idea behind this is to develop a solid rapport with the school authorities so that the headmasters (or school heads) “call us for doing service projects which we are good at and this live connection is a win-win situation for both the schools and Rotaract clubs.”

College nostalgia The Kuvempu Kalakshetra at the BIT College bristled with high-octave performances on the second day of Rotafest with college students regaling the gathering with dance shows, Bollywood, Western, traditional and folk music, skits, stage plays, beatboxing (use of mouth, lips and throat to mimic a range of sounds) and variety programmes.

“Professionals, Rotarians and non-Rotaractors get a feel of college life that invokes moments of nostalgia in them. In short, Rotafest creates a platform for the professionals and college students to share with the aim of enrolling new Rotaractors,” he explains.

Besides quiz, talent shows, ramp walk and stand-up comedy entertained over 600 Rotaractors from 40 clubs in RID 3190.

Rotacamp Enjoying the nature’s bounty and merrymaking were the key elements during the 3-day Rotacamp at Kanakapura, a scenic suburb in Bengaluru. “Over 125 Rotaractors lived together as a family and we stayed in tents. This is a Nature Adventure Camp and it gave “an opportunity to network, share project ideas and mingle with each

Rotaractors inaugurate the Rotafest. DG Suresh Hari is seen on the left.

other through fun-filled activities including games at the campsite.”

Such outdoor programmes create a strong bond among Rotaractors and hence “it is not surprising that those who graduate from colleges, enrol themselves into community-based Rotaractors in their native places,” explains Raj. A member of Rotaract Bangalore Vijayanagar, the DRR was the lone member of this club when he became its 26th president.

“The Rotaract club has to be revived from scratch in 2014 as all its members had quit.

I inducted 30 members during my tenure and now the membership is 65.”

On the funding of Rotaract projects, most of the clubs hold fundraiser events and also get corporate sponsors for their diverse programmes. “Parent Rotary clubs provide both moral and material support for Rotaractors. They ask us to submit proposals listing the ‘why and how’ of the projects if funds are required for the same,” says Nishantha C K, District Rotaract Secretary.

Ever since RI President Barry Rassin (2018–19) urged clubs to strengthen the hands of Rotaractors, “we are happy that more Rotarians are taking part in our regular meets and brainstorming sessions,” she says. The district has around 8,000 Rotaractors in 128 clubs, a mix of both college and community-based ones.

Her club RAC Marathahalli has joined hands with the parent RC Bangalore Midtown to host a walkathon in June to create awareness on skin donation. “We are planning a tie-up with an NGO to hold informal classes and science experiments in government schools which lack lab facilities,” she adds.

JULY 2019

ROTARACT NEWS 35

Wordsworld

The game of books Sandhya Rao Sometimes, films and television can lead you to the magical world of reading.

W

hen Harry Potter (HP) first hit the silver screen back in 2001, writer Suniti Namjoshi said, to my surprise, that she actually preferred the film to the books. By then, readers old and new were consuming the first four books in the series like there had never been books published before. FYI, they were HP and the Philosopher’s Stone (or, HP and the Sorcerer’s Stone as the American version goes, supposedly to make it sound more magical and lighten the seriousness

36 ROTARACT NEWS JULY 2019

implied by ‘philosopher’) in 1997, HP and the Chamber of Secrets in 1998, HP and the Prisoner of Azkaban in 1999 (for I don’t know what reason my favourite), and HP and the Goblet of Fire in 2000.

Wikipedia tells us that the eight films (the last one, The Deathly Hallows, is in two parts) had a combined budget of $1.2 billion and made $7.7 billion ar the box office.

What about the books? Well, they have sold more than 500 million copies in 80 languages worldwide (I have the Hindi version of book — HP aur Paras Patthar — one that has been many years in the perusing and far from completed).

Someone apparently did a study and discovered that the Bible was the most sold book, followed by a book of quotations by Mao Zedong, with the HP series racing in at number three. That’s saying something.

Many of our younger readers may not recall, but HP became something of a style statement back in the day.

Anybody who was anybody took great pride in revealing that their favourite author was J K Rowling even if they were unable to name who came second or third in their list of favourites.

Which naturally brings us to best-selling novelists: no prizes for guessing the topper. It’s none other than the remarkable Agatha Christie whose 85 murder mysteries sold (and continue to sell) something like two billion copies! Her books have been made into TV series and films, but as a diehard Christie fan I’d say nothing equals the impact of her books which are a perfect marriage of impeccable plots and impeccable writing, vividly evocative. Murder on the Orient Express was showing recently, star cast and all, but it can in no way match the novel itself.

Romance writer Barbara Cartland comes next followed by Harold Robbins. Now, when we were growing up back in the sixties and seventies, and if you lived in a sort of average household (by which I mean, not avant garde) you could only read Harold Robbins

undercover. In other words, in bed, hidden beneath a sheet, perhaps by torchlight — for obvious reasons.

And if you read HR, you were ‘big’, sometimes ‘bad’: a bunch of girls in my school were once pulled up at the assembly for daring to read Harold Robbins. With age and some maturity came the realisation that society’s attitude to Robbins was basically conditioning and extreme conservatism.

Belgian-French Georges Simenon comes next and although I know of his popular detective Maigret, this author remains a mystery to me, one that demands to be solved asap. But Danielle Steel, another romance writer, grabbed our imagination differently from Barbara Cartland — she comes next. (Incidentally, although Nicholas Sparks is not on this list, many of his romantic novels have been made into films, including The Notebook, Nights in Rodanthe, and A Walk to Remember.

After Gilbert Patten and Leo Tolstoy comes J K Rowling. It’s clear, then, you need a good, strong story to make a good film or television series and, after seeing the success of The Game of Thrones, I can’t help wondering if Harry Potter might have done even better as a television serial. It took a lot of persuasion from my son and other young friends before I could start watching GoT: somehow this business of fantasy and skin didn’t appeal, let’s be honest. The snatches I saw between other shows on TV presented a rather grim, very cold world. Not my cup of tea.

It was well after Season 7 was released and GoT was properly

digested that I actually started watching it. It was confusing at the start and required some staying power but, not surprisingly, I was soon hooked like millions of other viewers, after acquiring a subscription to Hotstar to actually watch Roar of the Lions (the CSK victory story)!

Then came the Season 8 fiasco, a mishmash of wrapping up exercises in darkness, unfair to all and satisfying none.

But the one thing this bout of binge-watching did was to try and read the books on which GoT is based. Yes, indeed, as the intro to the episodes reminds us, this hugely popular series (bar 8) is based on a series of books by George R R Martin called A Song of Ice and Fire. The first book published in 1996 in this series was called A Game of Thrones (published 1996). It is followed by A Clash of Kings (1998), A Storm of Swords (2000), A Feast for Crows (2005), A Dance with Dragons (2011). The Winds of Winter has been several years in the writing

and will be followed by A Dream of Spring. You’re reading this right.

They haven’t been published as yet, or even written, from all accounts.

George Martin has taken great pains to deny rumours that the books were finished. Why would I sit on them if they were done, he asks.

Further, it appears that he opted out of the writing of the episodes for Season 8, although he did indicate to the GoT team in which direction he would be taking the book series.

Is that the reason the last season was so wobbly? Because I’ve just started reading the first book, and am hooked. And, I’m not exactly a fantasy buff. Apparently the books have so far sold 90 million copies in 47 languages. Does Rowling face serious competition, then? In this case, though, it helps watching the series before launching on the books.

Who’s to say where Martin will take the Stark siblings and John Snow? And, of course, Tyrion Lannister. Will the last two books follow the plot of Season 8? Who knows? Still, it’s nice to know that after so many dire warnings that ‘winter is coming’, we can look forward to A Dream of Spring.

Darkness will surely be dispelled.

Are you listening, George?

The columnist is a children’s writer and senior journalist.

JULY 2019

ROTARACT NEWS 37

Kochi Rotaractors keen on high-visibility projects V Muthukumaran

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espite a troubled past and many hurdles to get things in order, RAC Cochin East, RID 3201, is finally raring to go from this new Rotary year. And its immediate PP Shyam Prakash J is confident that his successor Rasif Jiswan will “take our club to new heights creating a new brand identity of its own.”

Some of the key projects done by the 20-member club have sent positive vibes in the neighbourhood and “people are beginning to take us seriously. It all began with Make a Wig project which reaches out 38 ROTARACT NEWS JULY 2019

to cancer survivors, those with early hair loss and bald-headed people,” says Prakash. The club joined hands with three entities — Estilo, a unisex salon; Uniclt, a youth group from Kozhikode; and RAC Calicut Central — to launch a mega hair donation campaign across Kochi. While Uniclt made and distributed the wigs, Rotaractors went about creating awareness and sensitising college-goers, youth and the public to donate hair to create wig for cancer survivors. “We met student unions in colleges, radio jockeys

at FM stations; and posted cryptic messages on Instagram and social media urging people to donate hair without reservations,” he explains.

And their fieldwork paid off as they had received around 120 donations from groups, institutions and individuals across Kerala.

Most of the donated hair was sent to the Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, Cochin Cancer Research Centre and government hospitals.

Creating gender sensitivity among schoolchildren, the

‘Good Touch, Bad Touch’ sessions have struck a chord among students of government schools at Edappally, a city neighbourhood. Rtr Nila Panicker is carrying the project on her shoulders right from day one and so far, her team has sensitised around 180 students, boys and girls, on dealing with such gender-specific issues.

Another pet project, Save Water campaign, has created an impact with Rotaractors pasting stickers at handwash stations in 20 hotels in the city. “We drive home the message through postings

on social media including Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram so that there is all-round effort to preserve this scarce resource,” says Prakash.

Project funds

If Rotaractors can pay the annual district due of `150 , “we can easily pay `150 a month to fund our club projects and activities,” he says.

Moreover, with good support from their parent RC Cochin East which has a large number of former Rotaractors, “we don’t think hard to fund our events and projects.”

The Rotary club invites Rotaractors for fellowship events, guest lectures and a bunch of Rotarians always make it a point to attend Rotaract meetings. PDRRs Kishore Ranganathan and Hariharan from the parent club have been like

Rtr Nila Sajan Panicker handling a “Good Touch Bad Touch” session at a government school.

mentors to the Rotaractors “offering suggestions and guiding us in many ways.”

Prakash, an employability skills trainer, is the charter member of RAC CMS College of Science and Commerce, Coimbatore.

After completing his masters in social work

(MSW) at Amrita School of Arts and Science, he joined the present club.

Brand image

While he and his team had to struggle to build the club and “put into place a unified entity working with a sense of purpose after it was revived

(From L) RAC Cali cut Centr Keerti Na al IPP Nia ir and its z Ahsan, President RAC Coc Rasif Jisw hin East S an. ecretary

in 2015–16,” Prakash is looking ahead with optimism.

“It is time to create a new brand image for us by taking up community projects in a big way.

People should know what Rotary is all about and only then, we can enrol new members,” says incoming President Rasif Jiswan.

The 45-year-old club with college professors, students and lawyers as members held an enrolment drive on June 23 in the course of a fellowship event presided over by Rotarians.

“We had interactive meets, fun and games, besides ice-breaking sessions. A special talk on what Rotary and Rotaract are doing to the world enabled the 26 participants to understand our global impact. We are hopeful that a good number from this to become Rotaractors,” signs off IPP. JULY 2019 ROTARACT NEWS

39

On a solo trip across

Pondicherry Kiran Zehra

The Matrimandir in Auroville.

C

an I take a photo?” I ask a gypsy man Ranga selling bead necklaces on the Promenade Beach in Pondicherry. Pat comes his response: “How much you give me?”

In awe over his ‘English’ response I smile and say “I buy a necklace from you. Ok?” And then he is all set to face the camera.

He has been selling necklaces “made by my daughter and wife at home,” for two years now. A turquoise bead necklace hung around my neck — proof that the bargain was fulfilled. I enquire him for a good coffee place. Pointing to a street, he says, “Go straight 500 metres, then take left. You get very good coffee at the small coffee shop there. No AC. Ok?” “Ok” Perks of listening to a total stranger — a good coffee at `13.

40 ROTARACT NEWS JULY 2019

While it may seem intimidating at first, travelling alone is a rewarding experience; it pushes you out of your comfort zone and stretches you in ways that companion travel won’t.

With a modest budget, an exotic island such as Bali was definitely off the cards. So, Pondicherry (152 km from Chennai), a town down the highway, worked just fine for a solo trip. A budget friendly Airbnb home (`2670 for two nights) at Auroville — an experimental worship township, near Pondicherry — looked exactly like the pictures put up on the website. The Auroville beach was at a walkable distance and the main town easily accessible through local bus or autorickshaw.

Auroville Everything about this place is intriguing.

Home to over 2,000 people — writers,

artists, doctors, engineers, chefs, farmers and students from more than forty countries, living in a lush green campus, it has no pucca roads or urban buildings — no churches, temples or mosques, not even a police station! You can see sunlight filter through the green canopy as you walk through a mud track to reach the Matrimandir also known as the ‘soul of the city’. The entire green patch is a result of years of meticulous afforestation — three million trees occupy 1,250 acres of land.

It is quite impossible for one to see all of Auroville in a day. Indulge in conversation with a resident and you come to know that it is a selfsustaining community, driven by its own economy. Owned by the Auroville Foundation, over 150 income-generating units like Maroma, a handicraft manufacturing unit,

Auroville Handmade Paper Factory and Auroville Bakery contribute at least a third of their profits to the Foundation. More than a dozen restaurants earn money for the Foundation from 3,000-odd daily visitors.

White town My host, Rekha recommended a Heritage Walk Tour organised by the Pondicherry Tourism Department at White Town, a former French quarter, that has a number of great monuments and brilliant pieces of architecture.

“A great way to explore the architectural beauty of the region at nominal charges. All you’d need is a hat and a bottle of water,” she says, dropping me at the main town in her mini truck post a lunch of eggs and Maggie noodles.

Yuvaraj, the tour guide and a fascinating storyteller, walk me through the bougainvillea-lined streets in laid out grids, with parallel streets cutting across each other at right angles. “This is exactly how it is in the French cities and one could not be at fault if they

A graffiti in one of the walls.

Gypsyman Ranga posing for the camera.

thought they were in Montpellier or Bordeaux,” he says.

Every ‘Rue’ (street in French) is lined with elegant colonial mansions in mustard, grey and pink.. While roaming through the French quarters, travellers can see plenty of quirky urban graffiti on the walls or on an old scooter and in the most unusual places. The walk covers the French neighbourhood — the Dupleix Statue, Old Court building, statue of Jeanne d’Arc, a French military barrack, the Eglise de Notre Dame des Anges (The Church of Our Lady of Angels), French Town Hall, Old French Library turned into a government office, Goubert’s statue, Roman Rolland Library, Old Lighthouse, Asia’s tallest Gandhi statue, and wrapping up with a coffee at Le Café at the old port office.

Some of the cafes in White Town not only serve great food, but also have gorgeous Instagram-worthy interiors.

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ROTARACT NEWS 41

42 ROTARACT NEWS JULY 2019

Most of them serve Ratatouille, gazpacho (soup), fondant au chocolat (French chocolate cake) and Lasagna, a must-try at Pondicherry, and the Gelato in a waffle cone from Gelateria Montecatini Terme is worth a kill. The pricing is easy on the pocket. You could also sit in the balcony in one of the many sea-facing hotels and sip on a Breezer or drink a beer while enjoying the sea breeze and an amazing view of the Bay of Bengal.

The coastline is stunning and each beach in Pondicherry has something different to offer. Also known as Plage Paradiso, the Paradise beach is accessible through a ferry ride from the Chunnambar boathouse at `300. A range of activities such as kayaking, jet skiing to banana boating are lined up here.

Or you could walk on the sunkissed shore, watch the waves, collect seashells or just curl up with your favourite novel.

Looking for mementos to take home for friends and family?

Stop by Jawaharlal Nehru Street for open street shopping or Rue Duplex which has shops selling interesting earthenware and handmade lanterns.The Cotton House at Heritage Town has great outfits at unbelievable prices. The Auroville Boutique on Matrimandir Road also has a good collection of handicrafts. The store has trays made from real leaves, naturally processed jams, scented candles, perfumes and handmade stationery.

It is a magical world out there.

Travelling solo? You still don’t feel alone or lost. It is one of those experiences where you can love your own company. I, for one, got back rejuvenated and refreshed, eagerly awaiting for the next weekend to explore yet another treasure trove that our neighbourhood has to offer.

Pictures by Kiran Zehra Designed by N Krishnamurthy JULY 2019

ROTARACT NEWS 43

Rotaractors engage women on ecology, hygiene V Muthukumaran

T

alking to 27-yearold DRR Ayush Sharma, RID 3054, feels like a stroll through a Rotaract exhibition as he reels out a number of projects that his clubs have taken up with passion. “We have 81 Rotaract clubs spread across parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan, and more than 90 per cent are community-based clubs doing some high-impact projects creating good visibility in the rural areas,” he begins.

One such project is Happy Baby Kit, in which Rotaractors of RAC Mundra present select baby care products such as toiletries, towels and napkins wrapped in a ‘wellness pack’ to the mothers of baby girls at government hospitals and maternity clinics. “We regularly liaise with the hospital officials and they will call us whenever there is need for such baby kits for newborns. Following such requests, the Rotaract teams visit such hospitals in remote

44 ROTARACT NEWS JULY 2019

areas and gift the kits to the mothers,” he explains. So far, the club has given over 750 baby kits in government hospitals.

The DRR is thankful to the shop owners, either Rotarians or a Rotaractor, for giving 20

DRR Ayush Sharma (seated fourth from L) with members of RAC Gandhidham. The club set a record in the India Book of Records for executing the ‘most number of projects in least time.’

per cent discount on the MRP of `550 for each baby kit.

Bleed Green A combo initiative packing two goals in a single project — greening drive and menstrual hygiene, Bleed Green is executed on Sundays at the five Rotaract zones in the district. Here a group of Rotaractors distribute 500 saplings and 500 sanitary pads to rural women in a whirlwind visit to the villages on Sundays over three months. While the saplings are given free by the Forest Department, “we also pay a nominal amount to purchase in bulk quantity from the local nurseries.” Two corporate sponsors — Softy Soft and Royal Group of

Minerals — are taking care of the funding part for this project.

Rotaractors interact with rural women to drive home the messages of adopting best hygiene practices, safeguarding the environment and develop a long-time rapport with project beneficiaries, says Sharma.

RYLA events Besides the regular conclaves such as District Rotaract Assembly and District Rotaract Conference, “our RYLAs are a grand affair with 150–170 Rotaractors taking part in each event. We have had four RYLAs in 2018–19 and all of them were funded by our parent Rotary clubs,” says the DRR.

A member of RAC Gandhidham, Ayush Sharma was an active Interactor during his school days in Kolkata.

“While pursuing MBA degree at DG Vaishnav College in Chennai (2010–13), I was drawn into many Rotaract projects that were carried out

by RID 3230 with the guidance of Rotary clubs,” says this Haryanvi youth.

He will be joining RC Gandhidham in 2019–20 as a dual member and “am looking forward to further expand my Rotary activities. As Rotaract representative of RID 3054, I am happy that all our projects are carried out either through membership fees, donations or from corporate sponsors,” he says.

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ROTARACT NEWS 45

#Elevate Rotaract - FAQs

T

he 2019 Council on Legislation amended the constitutional documents of RI to include Rotaract clubs as a membership type of Rotary International. This action elevates Rotaract and positions Rotary for a future that is innovative, inclusive, and adapting to the world around us. It recognises that Rotarians and Rotaractors make individual contributions and have different membership experiences, but serve side-by-side in a shared desire to create lasting change — across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.

clubs will enjoy greater support from RI. For the exact text of the enactment, refer to the legislation that was proposed at the 2019 Council. See the version of enactment 19-72 marked “Motion to Amend” at the top. The Council approved this version of the enactment, and all other versions should be disregarded.

What does the vote on Rotaract (enactment 19-72) mean?

RI is composed of its member clubs. This Enactment 19-72 broadens the definition of membership to include both Rotary and Rotaract clubs. It elevates Rotaract clubs by acknowledging them in the RI Constitution and bylaws as a unique membership type within RI. Rotaract clubs will still have their own standard constitution and will remain a separate club membership type from Rotary clubs. But by being recognised in the constitutional documents, Rotaract

How do Rotaractors benefit from this change?

This action shows that RI recognises the unique value Rotaract brings to our organisation.

The enactment will give RI more accurate

information about Rotaractors so it can improve the support and resources that help Rotaract grow. As partners in service, we will be able to better track our impact and expand our reach.

Does this mean Rotaractors automatically become Rotarians?

No. Members of Rotary clubs are Rotarians and members of Rotaract clubs remain Rotaractors.

This enactment will not change the separate identity of Rotaractors.

It simply expands the membership of Rotary International to include

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both Rotary and Rotaract clubs.

Will this change the Rotaract experience?

This enactment will not change the club experience that Rotaractors have.

Rotaract clubs will still be sponsored by Rotary clubs and should maintain their current relationships with their sponsor Rotary clubs. But Rotaractors will have a much closer relationship with RI now that Rotaract clubs are a recognised membership type of RI rather than a Rotary programme.

Does this mean Rotaract clubs will start paying dues to Rotary International?

Not immediately.

According to the current RI Constitution, Rotaract clubs will pay dues as established by the Board.

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The Board will determine at a future time the amount of dues and when they would be collected.

The Board will continue to research the best way to introduce dues. It will consider what amount is fair and what products and services Rotaractors would receive in exchange. Any changes will be implemented gradually.

Are Rotaract clubs still required to be sponsored by a Rotary club?

Yes. Rotaract clubs still need to be sponsored by a Rotary club to be officially recognised by Rotary International.

Sponsorship of Rotaract clubs is mandated by the Board and described in Rotary’s Code of Policies.

Will Rotaractors now be able to use Rotary Foundation funds for their projects?

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No. Only Rotary clubs may apply for global and district grants from the Foundation. The Trustees determine who is eligible to apply for global grants and would carefully review any proposal made to allow Rotaract clubs access to Foundation funds.

The Trustees encourage Rotaract clubs to work with Rotary clubs on global grant projects.

Rotaract clubs can also receive funding from district grants through a Rotary club, and Rotaractors can apply for scholarships and Rotary Peace Fellowships through the Foundation.

Can Rotaract clubs now vote at the Councils or at district conferences?

No. This change does not grant Rotaract clubs a vote at Rotary district conferences or separate representation at the Councils. However, Rotaractors will continue to be encouraged to

Council.

contact their district’s Council representative to express their opinions on issues that will be voted on.

Will Rotaract clubs be counted in Rotary’s overall membership numbers?

No. Rotaract clubs will not be counted in the total number of clubs in a district. Rotarians and Rotaractors will still be counted separately.

Will Rotaractors now automatically receive a copy of a Rotary magazine?

No. Rotarians pay for subscription to the official magazine for their region through the membership dues their clubs pay to RI. However, Rotaractors can subscribe to the digital version of The Rotarian.

Do Rotaractors need to do anything differently now?

This enactment is not meant to change the club experience for Rotaractors. Rotaract club leaders can update their club and member information on the Club Administration page of My Rotary so that RI can learn more about their clubs and support them better. Clubs that have reported their information will be the first to know when new products and services become available. @my.rotary.org JULY 2019 ROTARACT NEWS

47

RAC Austin Institutes President Deepika Sharma with IPDG Barjesh Singhal (right) and Rtn Ajit Paul Singh Naphrey.

Austin Rotaractors take up mega literacy drive V Muthukumaran

B

asic literacy among rural women in Jalandhar has got a major boost with the newly-formed RAC Austin Institutes, RID 3070, taking up a signature drive project titled Meri Pehchaan (My identity) which has earned kudos from DG Barjesh Singhal for “we train women on how to write simple words, read sign boards, get around places to do things with elementary 48 ROTARACT NEWS JULY 2019

skills,” said Deepika Sharma, Club President.

Starting the project on Women’s Day, March 8, the 83-member club has so far covered five villages with their basic literacy drive benefitting over 500 rural women. “We make sure that they are able to read and write their names, instead of affixing just their thumb impressions. Then we teach them simple English words and how

to form and read sentences,” explains Deepika.

During the weekdays, the Rotaractors invite women to their institute and spend few hours teaching alphabets and simple words in English. “On weekends, three teams consisting of 15 members each fan out to rural areas. We visit gurudwaras, village panchayats and public places where we ask women to gather for literacy classes.”

With the help of elementary books and stationery, they get down to work, handholding each trainee during writing sessions.

This is a first-of-its-kind club formed by students of this airhostess training academy in Jalandhar.

“We have taken up Meri Pehchaan as our lifetime project given the mammoth task ahead of us,” she adds. Rtn Ajit Paul Singh Naphrey, Director, Austin Institutes, who is

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JULY 2019

ROTARACT NEWS 49

An adult liter

acy program

also the Project Chairman, has been the motivating force for the Rotaractors.

Caring for birds In a drive to care for the animals and birds, the Rotaractors have donated over 100 clay bowls in residential areas such as Defence Colony, Green Park and Mota Singh Nagar so that they can be filled with water. “We are at peak summer, and this project (Save Birds and Animals) is our effort to quench the thirst of birds, pets and bovines who

me in progre

ss.

are part of eco-system,” says Deepika.

The residents were urged to keep the clay bowls on terraces, balconies and open spaces like courtyards where birds can get water that is so scarce in the summer months.

In another initiative, 30 first-aid boxes were given to cab drivers; 100 pollution masks and 100 gloves were donated to garbage cleaners, conservancy staff of the Corporation, gardeners and parking supervisors to make their work less stressful.

Gesture to athlete Deepika, along with Naphrey, gave `10,000 to Gurvinder Singh, an athlete who won a gold medal in the 100meter sprint at the European Athletics Meet for under-20 held in Kazakhstan recently. “This token amount will encourage him and many such sportsmen to participate in many such international events and bring laurels to the country,” she said.

All-round excellence

50 ROTARACT NEWS JULY 2019

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Within the first few months after they were chartered in October 2018, the club has excelled in all avenues of service including community and vocational activities, says DRR Pardeep Kumar.

Reaching out to rural women in and around Jalandhar with resource material and making them read and write their own names is noteworthy as “it will help them to earn a better livelihood,” he says. Their parent Rotary club, RC Jalandhar Civil Lines, is mentoring the Rotaractors with useful suggestions and tips on expanding their project activities, he adds.

Picture by Rasheeda Bhagat

A panoramic view of the buzzing Hamburg port.

Aloha ROTARY

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Take advantage of the limited-time registration rate of US$395* from 1 to 5 June.

Register at riconvention.org. *Registration must be paid in full between 1 and 5 June 2019 to receive the US$395 rate.

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