This photo won the Annual Photo Contest conducted by The Rotarian . It depicts the flow of humanity during the Pandharpur Wari pilgrimage.
Picture by Santosh Kale, Rotary Club of Shirol, RID 3170.
12 India gets fourth RI President (2021–22)
PRID Shekhar Mehta has been selected by the Nominating Committee as RIPN.
14 RC Solapur’s tiffin-meal project completes 12 years
A hot and nutritious meal is delivered everyday in tiffin boxes to elderly citizens in Solapur.
24 A special event by RC Nagpur for special children
Valentine’s Day is much more special for the differently-abled children in Nagpur.
30 Stop NCD — Rotary’s project for Positive Health
Rotary’s new initiative that addresses non-communicable diseases among Indians.
32 Take out your SUVs, travel to villages
DG Deepak Gupta shares his plans this year for District 3012.
36 Embrace both success and failure: Pandya to Rotaractors
RID Bharat Pandya gives a pep talk to Rotaractors at the Rotaract District Assembly.
38 Leprosy patients get Rotary care
A roti maker and a washing machine make life easy for inmates of Leprosy Mission Hospital.
42 Little England of British India
An interesting tale about the Kolar Gold Fields of Karnataka.
the cover: The beneficiaries of the tiffin-meal project of RC Solapur. Picture by Rasheeda Bhagat.
LETTERS
Sudarshan’s legacy lives on It
was good to read the obit on PRID Sudarshan Agarwal, an epitome of kindness and simplicity. Though he held a high constitutional post, he implemented the FourWay-Test, proving his attachment to Rotary.
The story of a legend was narrated well by Rotary legends PRIPs Rajendra Saboo, K R Ravindran and PRID Sushil Gupta.
RI Director Kamal Sanghvi has stressed on attracting new members and providing them opportunities to develop skilled
workforce in Rotary. The Bone Bank set up by RC Madras Central is a commendable step, which can be used to treat patients affected by bone cancer or accident victims.
Naveen R Garg
RC Sunam — RID 3090
Thanks for your obit article on PRID
Sudarshan Agarwal –Agarwal’s legacy will live on . Along with other members of RC Ranipur, I had received him at Haridwar station, while he was on his way to Dehradun
Thoughtful messages from RIDs
Iamdelighted to note two responses from Rotarians from Ghana and Pakistan in the Letters section appreciating the ideas of RI President Mark Maloney. PRIP Barry Rassin’s idea of increasing the membership with representation from all professional categories is good.
The Editor’s Note reflecting the noble deeds of late Sudarshan Agarwal is impressive and I am sure the good he did won’t be interred with his bones. The messages from RIDs are meaningful with spotlight on changing trends, inducting a friend and membership retention, all of which are challenging tasks.
Indian Rotarians are proud to read about our service-minded doctors’ mission to Africa which is praised
to become Uttaranchal Governor. Calling himself ‘a professional beggar’ he appealed for donations for opening Him Jyoti School. On our request he later inaugurated our medical centre to serve the villagers. His ideals and passion will motivate
by all. Glad to know TRF collection soared to $331.9 million by May-end.
The heartening story of PRIP K R Ravindran in Rotary, the knight in shining armour is interesting and his statement “I am what I am today, because of Rotary” shows his affection to the organisation.
The picture pages Memories from Hamburg and Club Matters are superb. A generation empowered by the Net, yet lonely; Rotary partners to save infants with birth defects, On a solo trip to Pondicherry by Kiran Zehra; and Restoring eyesight for Gambian children are worth reading. On the racks is useful. Thanks to the Editor and her team for a power-packed issue of Rotary News once again.
Philip Mulappone M T
RC Trivandrum Suburban — RID 3211
Rotarians to serve the community.
T D Bhatia
RC Delhi Mayur
Vihar — RID 3012
Thanks
to PRIP
Rajendra Saboo and Editor Rasheeda Bhagat for the obit of our leader PRID Agarwal. There is so much to learn from him; even while serving the high post of Governor, he made such great efforts to give quality education to needy girls; he was truly a social reformer.
Pradeep Koottala
RC Alleppey
Greater — RID 3211
Noteworthy global grant projects
Thearticle Chennai gets a Bone Bank made me feel proud about Rotary’s wok. We are aware of blood and eye banks, but this type of bone bank is new to us.
RC Madras Central took up this challenge and the bones from braindead persons being harvested at this facility are used in spine, hip and knee surgeries for patients affected by bone cancer. It is good to note that the bone bank was made possible through the support of a global grant involving the Rotary Clubs of Cataraqui Kingston, Nipigon, Kampala North, Sunrise Kampala and TRF.
In the July issue, I found a useful information about global grants. Rotary gifts a new operation theatre tells us about another global grant
project for the treatment of poor children at the Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Hospital in Bhagola, Haryana.
I am proud to note that nearly 85 per cent of the project cost out of $413,068 was supported by RC Fort Wayne, US, RID 6540, the global partner of RC Faridabad. The hospital treats children free of cost; this project shows how Rotary connects the world.
N Jagatheesan
RC Eluru — RID 3020
Rich, interesting content
Reading Rotary News each month is an absolute pleasure, specially the Editorial by Rasheeda Bhagat which is on current issues and Rotary projects. The July issue has rich content; the colourful pictures of RI President Mark Maloney and Gay, matched with impressive content, makes the magazine readable. RID Bharat Pandya’s message to Rotarians to become torchbearers and inspire others to serve is timely. TRF Trustee Gulam Vahanvaty talks of the mismatch in how the corporates want their funds to be spent through CSR and the community needs assessments that Rotary need to do. Understanding this may eliminate rejection of global grants. TRF should allow CSR funds straight for the projects through a simple mechanism, so that the clubs can do wonders in the community.
Next year, we will have six women on the RI Board; a great move towards women’s empowerment. The projects — “Greening the Earth” by Karnataka Rotarians; and Keeping the beat going from my home club, RC Jaipur Bapu Nagar, RID 3054, are really significant.
PC Sanghi, RC Jaipur Bapu Nagar — RID 3054
LETTERS
Onceagain, the July issue was an interesting one. RI President Mark Maloney has taken over and truly Rotary will connect the world. A bunch of fresh, energised leaders is all set to take Rotary to greater heights.
The interview with TRF Trustee Gulam Vahanvaty was inspiring with enchanting anecdotes. PRIP Barry Rassin’s words of appreciation for South Asian Rotarians will encourage the new leaders. Memorable Moments from Hamburg was exhilarating.
Rtn Arun Oommen RC Cochin West — RID 3201
Wooing youth to Rotary
TheJuly Editorial was superb.
The way you supplemented the Editorial with narratives from the articles was great to read. Two articles and the Editorial reflect positive changes in Rotary, and you have won the admiration of Rotarians in India and South Asia too. Your analysis of issues plaguing Rotary in India are valuable.
PRIP Rassin’s expectation from South Asia is a clarion call that has to be answered by all of us. He praises South Asia for fastest growing membership and being the second largest contributor to TRF, and emphasises the importance Rotaractors; Johns Hopkins’ statistics on Rotary’s volunteer hours and its financial worth will inspire many youth to serve humanity.
Arun Kumar Dash RC Baripada — RID 3262
My congrats to Sheela Nambiar for The Mind-Body connection in exercise, where she says “all fitness activities have a mind-body connection. This is more palpable when one focuses on the activity in hand, is open
to learning and understanding and is conscious and mindful.” An excellent view that needs to be endorsed.
A S Iyer, RC Erode North — RID 3202
Let’s celebrate Rotary’s 100 years in India
TheJuly issue was interesting to read with an excellent Editorial along with other great news around the nation and abroad. Let’s celebrate Rotary’s 100 years in India by RID Sanghvi touched the heart. This milestone is really a proud moment for all Rotarians in India, so let’s celebrate this huge milestone.
It is worth recalling the great journey of Service above Self, which was started 100 years ago for the betterment of mankind. We are carrying the proud legacy of that with dedication.
Ashim Bhattacharjee, RC Green Land Silchar — RID 3240
Withits global presence and having a diverse membership, Rotary should promote yoga and spiritual practices reaching out to citizens of the world. By doing so, we will be saving many people from diseases, contributing to their wellbeing. I do hope my views will reach top leaders of Rotary for timely action.
Jagdish J Malu, RC Gulbarga Suncity — RID 3160
TRF
Trustee Chair Gary C K Huang’s message is thoughtprovoking with motivating words for Rotarians to share their feedback, opinions and project ideas on his Facebook page. His write-up inspires Rotarians to give useful suggestions.
M V Subramanyam RC Proddatur — RID 3160
We welcome your feedback. Write to the Editor: rotarynews@rosaonline.org; rushbhagat@gmail.com Click on Rotary News Plus in our website www.rotarynewsonline.org to read about more Rotary projects.
Introduce your family to Rotary
Dear fellow Rotarians and members of the family of Rotary,
Here in the United States, another summer is winding down. And for the Maloney family, every summer ends with a return to my hometown of Ridgway, Illinois, for the annual Popcorn Day festival, where I am honoured to serve as the “Popcorn King,” the master of ceremonies for the day’s events.
Regardless of the season, every family has its own traditions. I would like to suggest a new one for yours: Find an opportunity to introduce your family to Rotary. One of my family’s traditions is to take our daughters and grandsons to the Rotary International Convention. The 2020 convention in Honolulu will be a wonderful way to introduce your children and grandchildren to the internationality of Rotary. We are planning many family-oriented events for everyone to enjoy.
Any time is a fabulous time to bring family members on a Rotary service project or to a fundraising event. But perhaps you have not seen many family-friendly events at your club. That is precisely why one of my top priorities this year is to make most Rotary events welcoming to family members.
We must foster a culture where Rotary does not compete with family, but complements it. We should never expect our members to choose between the two. That means being realistic in our expectations,
considerate in our scheduling, and welcoming of children at Rotary events on every level.
Often, the young professionals that Rotary needs to attract in order to remain a dynamic 21st century service organisation are the very people who have the greatest family responsibilities. We must not keep these prospective young members away from their families by holding events on evenings and weekends at which their children are not welcome.
For too long, we have closed the doors of many Rotary events to children and sometimes even spouses. What wasted opportunities these are! Every chance we have to pass on the gift of Rotary to young people. We must take it if we are going to grow Rotary and ensure that the next generation is fully engaged in our mission.
So let us open our doors and do it in a fun way, with opportunities that make our children and grandchildren want to learn more about Interact, Rotaract, and Rotary membership. Start small if you must — perhaps by holding some of your meetings at more family-friendly times — but think about how you can continue these kinds of events for years to come.
Bringing children to Rotary events is not just fun; it also exposes them to the world! Make this a memorable year for your family — and an unforgettable year for the ever-expanding family of Rotary as Rotary Connects the World
Mark Daniel Maloney President, Rotary International
Exemplary team work helps a club sustain a project for 12 years
In countries like India, which are not welfare states in the true meaning of the word, unlike, say, the Nordic ones, that take total care of the medical, nutritional and housing needs of their senior citizens, helping the elderly to live with dignity is a huge challenge. Many Rotary clubs in India are doing their mite in helping the elderly in a variety of ways. Even more heartening, I have found our Rotaractors excelling in visiting homes for the elderly and entertaining them through music, dance and games and taking them for fun outings. But what is apparently the first-of-its-kind in terms of passion, dedication, meticulous planning and execution and above all sustainability, a factor the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation never tire of repeating, is the daily tiffin meal service for 100 elders launched by the Rotary Club of Solapur 12 years ago. And in these 12 years, hold your breath, come rain or shine, curfew or communal tension, or an odd beneficiary being in a hospital, not a single meal in the project named Annapurna has remained undelivered on a single day. Do the math and you get a mind-blowing number — a single club delivering through 4,380 days (or 12 years) 438,000 tiffins, spending `1.44 crore. And without a single global grant! All this money has been raised by RC Solapur with generous contributions from the local community and beyond. The freshlycooked hot, tasty and nutritious meals are delivered to the elders, all above 65, who were meticulously
chosen after thorough research. They were once upon a time self-sufficient and led a life of dignity, but now have no one to ensure them a healthy meal every day. The tiffin carrier is reached to them day after day to a point very close to their homes in an auto rickshaw which makes nine stops along a 14 km-route in the city.
Indian Rotary clubs are only too familiar with any number of stories on how projects, some of them really good, started by one president, are not continued the next year when a new bunch of leaders take charge of the club. It is natural for the new leader to bring in his/her own ideas, but the community’s longstanding needs can be served only through continuing projects. And this can happen only when successive club presidents take ownership of an iconic or vintage project of the club. In Solapur, I found not only past presidents but also past district governors displaying pride in this project. And the committee members of Annapurna never tired of telling me how each president saw to it that he collected money during his year for Annapurna in such a way that he left behind a neat surplus for his successor.
Read the cover story of this issue to experience the pride that this bunch of Rotarians from Solapur have for their beloved project and discover the pains they take to ensure that a fresh, tasty and quality meal reaches their 100 elderly friends day after day, year after year.
Rasheeda Bhagat
Governors Council
RI Dist 2981 DG N Manimaran
RI Dist 2982 DG Natesan A K
RI Dist 3000 DG Dr A Zameer Pasha
RI Dist 3011 DG Suresh Bhasin
RI Dist 3012 DG Deepak Gupta
RI Dist 3020 DG M Veerabhadra Reddy
RI Dist 3030 DG Rajendra Madhukar Bhamre
RI Dist 3040 DG Dhiran Datta
RI Dist 3053 DG Harish Kumar Gaur
RI Dist 3054 DG Bina Ashish Desai
RI Dist 3060 DG Anish Shah
RI Dist 3070 DG Sunil Nagpal
RI Dist 3080 DG Jitendra Dhingra
RI Dist 3090 DG Rajeev Garg
RI Dist 3100 DG Hari Gupta
RI Dist 3110 DG Kishor Katru
RI Dist 3120 DG Sanjay Agrawal
RI Dist 3131 DG Ravee Dhotre
RI Dist 3132 DG Suhas Laxmanrao Vaidya
RI Dist 3141 DG Harjit Singh Talwar
RI Dist 3142 DG Dr Mohan Chandavarkar
RI Dist 3150 DG Pandi Sivannarayana Rao
RI Dist 3160 DG Nayan S Patil
RI Dist 3170 DG Dr Girish R Masurkar
RI Dist 3181 DG Joseph Mathew
RI Dist 3182 DG Ramesh B N
RI Dist 3190 DG Dr Sameer Hariani
RI Dist 3201 DG R Madhav Chandran
RI Dist 3202 DG A Karthikeyan
RI Dist 3211 DG Shirish Kesavan
RI Dist 3212 DG S Sheik Saleem
RI Dist 3231 DG Sridar Balaraman
RI Dist 3232 DG G Chandramohan
RI Dist 3240 DG Dr Debasish Das
RI Dist 3250 DG Gopal Khemka
RI Dist 3261 DG Ranjeet S Saini
RI Dist 3262 DG Debasish Mishra
RI Dist 3291 DG Ajay Agarwal
Printed by P T Prabhakar at Rasi Graphics Pvt Ltd, 40, Peters Road, Royapettah, Chennai - 600 014, India, and published by P T Prabhakar on behalf of Rotary News Trust from Dugar Towers, 3rd Flr, 34, Marshalls Road, Egmore, Chennai 600 008. Editor: Rasheeda Bhagat.
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 –originalcontent– are welcomebuttheEditorreserves the right to edit for clarity or length. Content can be reproduced,butwithpermissionfromRNT.
Message from
Theeconomy in our subcontinent is vitally linked with the monsoon because of our water resources. At times the monsoon unleashes its fury and then we have calamities like floods. This monsoon season, there have been floods in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Bihar and the North-East. These have caused devastation in many parts. To their credit, Rotarians have risen to the occasion, responded with relief material, shelter kits, food, clothing, medicines. I commend the Rotarians, clubs and districts who have done much to provide succour to the affected people.
Once the floods recede, rehabilitation can begin. Let us put our efforts into helping the affected people get back to normalcy. Rotary can adopt schools in the affected areas and begin rebuilding them into Happy Schools. I appeal to all Rotarians to contribute generously towards this effort to rebuild both the lives of the affected, and the schools in the affected areas.
September is Basic Education and Literacy Month. Nelson Mandela rightly said, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” For young minds, education is the key to unlock the doors to their future. I commend Rotarians and clubs for the outstanding work they do in the field of education, whether it is providing e-learning facilities, making Happy Schools, providing opportunity for marginalised population to send their children to schools, offering scholarships or vocational training and skill development to young adults.
This is the need of the hour, especially for the girl child. I believe that the best ornament for a girl is a good education. This is a powerful tool in her hands that has the potential to transform not just her life but the lives of entire families. If you educate a boy you educate one person, if you educate a girl you educate a family and by ripple effect an entire village/ community. Let us redouble our efforts to make our country and our zones 100 per cent literate in the coming years. Ensuring quality education is the most important thing we can do for future generations. That will allow us and them to fulfill the dream for a better world. Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do. Do your best.
Enjoy Rotary, Enjoy Yourself.
Dr Bharat Pandya RI Director, 2019–21
RI Directors
Importance of Education
My dear Rotarians, Kofi Anan says, “Literacy is the road to human progress and the means through which every man, woman and child can realise his or her full potential.”
Worldwide, 67 million children have no access to education, and over 775 million people, over 15 years, are illiterate. Rotary understands this and our members support educational projects that provide technology, teacher training, vocational training, student meal programmes and low-cost textbooks to communities. Our goal is to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education and increase adult literacy.
Educate the girl child: If you really want to empower societies, reduce poverty, improve basic hygiene and healthcare, address population explosion, and fight high rates of infant and maternal mortality, the answer is to educate girls. The old adage holds good: If you educate a man, you educate a person; if you educate a woman, the entire family gets educated.
RILM-TEACH: Rotary in India, through the Rotary India Literacy Mission, has embarked upon one of the most comprehensive programmes
on Total Literacy and Quality Education. This mission wishes to achieve the literacy goals through its comprehensive programme called T-E-A-C-H: T–Teacher Support; E–E-learning; A–Adult Literacy; C–Child Development; and H–Happy School; Each of these programmes with specific focus is interlinked with the others in objective and content, accompanied with improvement in learning outcome of primary education and spread of adult literacy.
Asha Kiran: This September, let each Rotarian pledge to send back outof-school children to schools under the Asha Kiran programme. Under this programme, children from vulnerable communities, who have never been to school, dropped out from school, been irregular in attending school, or have lagged behind, are mainstreamed/ regularised ensuring their retention in schools after the required orientation. The objective is to facilitate these children’s access to mainstream Statefunded primary/elementary schools. Sending a child back to school costs `2,500 a year.
Remember one child, one teacher, one book, one pen… can change the world.
Kamal Sanghvi RI Director, 2019–21
Board of Permanent Trustees & Executive Committee
PRIP Rajendra K Saboo RI Dist 3080
PRIP Kalyan Banerjee RI Dist 3060
PRID Panduranga Setty RI Dist 3190
PRID Sushil Gupta RI Dist 3011
PRID Ashok Mahajan RI Dist 3141
PRID Yash Pal Das RI Dist 3080
PRID Shekhar Mehta RI Dist 3291
PRID P T Prabhakar RI Dist 3232
PRID Dr Manoj D Desai RI Dist 3060
PRID C Basker RI Dist 3000
TRF Trustee Gulam A Vahanvaty RI Dist 3141
RID Dr Bharat Pandya RI Dist 3141
RID Kamal Sanghvi RI Dist 3250
Executive Committee Members (2019–20)
DG Deepak Gupta RI Dist 3012
Chair – Governors Council
DG Nayan Patil RI Dist 3160
Secretary – Governors Council
DG Dhiran Datta RI Dist 3040
Secretary – Executive Committee
DG Ajay Agarwal RI Dist 3291
Treasurer – Executive Committee
DG Rajendra Madhukar Bhamre RI Dist 3030
Member – Advisory Committee
NEWS / ROTARY SAMACHAR Editor Rasheeda Bhagat Senior Assistant Editor Jaishree Padmanabhan Now share articles from rotarynewsonline.org on WhatsApp. ROTARY NEWS TRUST 3rd Floor, Dugar Towers, 34 Marshalls Road, Egmore Chennai 600 008, India. Phone : 044 42145666
NiveshGuru, a one-stop solution for all your investment needs.
Shekhar Mehta selected
2021–22 Rotary International Pre
esident
Shekhar Mehta of Rotary Club of Calcutta-Mahanagar, RID 3291, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2021–22. He will be declared the president-nominee on Oct 1 if no challenging candidates have been suggested.
Mehta acknowledges that current membership trends are a challenge and says that membership development should be Rotary’s highest priority. He believes that focusing on regional plans, successfully transitioning Rotaractors into Rotary clubs, and increasing diversity and female members could yield a five per cent net growth in membership each year.
“A major brainstorming is needed to find effective solutions suited to different areas of the world,” he says, adding that regional ethos and culture have to be taken into account to find localised solutions, as “one size does not fit all.” He believes Rotary can extend to new geographical areas and countries.
As a strong proponent of Rotary’s strategic plan, Mehta says he will encourage clubs to use action plans and reinforce the core values of Rotary.
Mehta says Rotary needs to become more contemporary and adaptable by focusing on partnerships with governments and corporations, expanding partnerships with organisations that specialise in Rotary’s areas of focus, and investing in technology.
Mehta is chair of the Skyline Group, a real estate development company he founded. He is also a director of Operation Eyesight Universal (India), a Canadabased organisation.
He has been actively involved in disaster response and is a trustee of ShelterBox, UK. After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, he helped build nearly 500 homes for families affected by the disaster.
Mehta pioneered a programme that has performed more than 1,500 life-changing
heart surgeries in South Asia. He is also the architect of the TEACH programme which promotes literacy throughout India and has reached thousands of schools.
A Rotary member since 1984, Mehta has served Rotary as director, member or chair of several committees, zone coordinator, training leader, member of The Rotary Foundation Cadre of Technical Advisers, and district governor. He is also the chair of Rotary Foundation (India).
Mehta has received Rotary’s Service Above Self Award and The Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service Awards.
He and his wife, Rashi, are Major Donors and members of the Bequest Society.
The members of the Nominating Committee for the 2021–22 President of Rotary International are: Mikael Ahlberg, Ölands Södra, Sweden; Bernhard Baumgartner, Kitzbühel, Austria; Gerson Gonçalves, Londrina-Norte, Pr., Brazil; Serge Gouteyron, Valenciennes-Denain aérodrome, Nord, France; Mary Beth Growney Selene, Madison West TowneMiddleton, Wisconsin, USA; Allan O Jagger, Halifax, W Yorks., England; Masahiro Kuroda, Hachinohe South, Aomori, Japan; Hsiu-Ming (Frederick) Lin, Taipei Tungteh, Taiwan; Larry A Lunsford (secretary), Kansas City-Plaza, Missouri, USA; Anne L Matthews (chair), Columbia East, South Carolina, USA; Ekkehart Pandel, Bückeburg, Germany; P T Prabhakar, Madras Central, Tamil Nadu, India; José Antonio Salazar Cruz, Bogotá Occidente, Cund., Colombia; M K Panduranga Setty, Bangaluru, Karnataka, India; Steven A Snyder, Auburn, California, USA; Yoshimasa Watanabe, Kojima, Okayama, Japan; and SangKoo Yun, Sae Hanyang, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
RC Solapur’s tiffin-meal project completes 12 years
Rasheeda Bhagat
Rotarians of RC Solapur with the elderly beneficiaries of the tiffin-meal project.
Twelve years ago, in 2007, Raj Miniyar, who was elected President of the Rotary Club of Solapur, RI District 3132, one of the older and larger clubs in the State of Maharashtra and located in a city famous for its handloom and powerloom products as well as the beedi industry, thought of a small, but novel, project. Inspired by his guru, who ran a similar project for his students in religious studies, the incoming president suggested to his club that it provide a free wholesome meal delivered to the house of 25 elderly beneficiaries every day.
“I wanted to do it for one year, but my club’s Board was so supportive that they said let us do it for 100 people, and for not one, but a minimum of three years,” Miniyar smiles as he relates to me the incredible story of the free meal project the club named Annapurna. On Aug 4, it completed 12 years. And in these 12 years, he points out, “we have not missed delivering the tiffin box (packed with a freshly-cooked, hot and wholesome meal) to any of our 100 beneficiaries on a single day.”
If you do the math, the numbers are mind-boggling — and President of the club B S Mundada sums it up for you — a single club has delivered over 4,380 days (or 12 years) 438,000 tiffins, without missing a single day, spending ` 1.44 crore. And all this money has been raised by RC Solapur, with generous contributions from the community in Solapur and beyond.
Come rain, shine, curfew or hospital
On a lovely cloudy morning I set out to examine the critical components of this project which has been meticulously planned by the club’s committee and efficiently executed by its key
members through a level of personal involvement that leaves you stunned.
The 100 beneficiaries, all above 65, and not having any means or family members willing to support them, are served by a dedicated autorickshaw driver Jagdish Hiremath. As he drives me to the first stop — there are nine in all over a 14 km route — where Hiremath will deliver the freshlypacked meal boxes to a group of beneficiaries, I meet Shoba Dixit, Anant Redekar, Balu Jagtar, Ratnabai and others. They are wearing not only bright smiles and clean clothes, they look both cheerful and healthy. Project Chairman Jayesh Patel reels out interesting facts. For instance, in 2009, when Solapur was under curfew for a few days, the Rotarians got special permission from the city’s Police Commissioner to allow the Rotary Annapurna auto to ply on the streets to deliver the tiffins.
Another Committee member, Sandeep Jhaveri, explains how when they went to the RTO (Regional Transport Officer) to get the required permission to put the title Rotary Annapurna Yojana, on the auto, “it was readily given. When the RTO gave us the receipt and we gave the money, he refused to take it, saying that this would be his personal contribution to our wonderful project!”
Not only that, as the scheme was widely publicised by the local media over the years, the Mayor of Solapur, while buying Diwali gifts for his councillors, slashed that budget into half, reserving the other half for the Annapurna elders. And he does this every Diwali. Even when a beneficiary is admitted to a hospital for an ailment, her dabba doesn’t stop; “we reach it to the hospital till she is there.”
Maintaining quality
Almost from the beginning, this project has caught the imagination of the
Rotarians. Maintaining the highest quality for the food sent to the beneficiaries is a passion with them and they take care of the minutest detail required to assure this. Each day, the auto packed with tiffin boxes, halts at the retail shop for household goods owned and run by another committee member Khushal Dedhiya, which is midway on the 9-point, 14 km route.
Dedhiya picks up one or two tiffin boxes at random, weighs them to check on the quantity, and tastes the food from them to ensure that no short cut has been taken on either count. Each day, the meal, prepared by the female members of a self-help group (SHG), includes chappatis, vegetables, rice and dhal and the menu for each day is different. On festival days, the beneficiaries get a sweet dish. During Navratri or other festivals, when fasting is observed, the elders are given fruits.
A meticulous record has been maintained over 12 long years of the menu, complaints if any and other details. As in any tiffin system, two sets of tiffin boxes are given, and sometimes the tiffin which is returned, comes with a note.
Says Chandrika Chauhan, whose NGO Udyog Vardhini has organised
Clockwise: Autorickshaw driver Jagdish Hiremath delivers piping hot meals to women as Rotarians look on; Freshly packed food delivered to elderly women; PRIP Rajendra Saboo interacting with the Rotarians during his visit there; PRIP Kalyan Banerjee tasting the meal prepared at the Annapurna Yojana kitchen.
this SHG: “Sometimes the note says why don’t you give us non-veg food at least once a week; or make the food more oily or spicy, etc. We tell them it will be only vegetarian food, and that the doctors, under whose consultation the spice and oil levels and other nutrients are maintained, rule out spicy and oily food for your age group!”
But when a note said more than once that both the dhal and the vegetables were watery, the Rotarians played detective, only to uncover the traditional rivalry between a motherin-law and a daughter-in-law. As the food is delivered to a point very close to where the beneficiaries live, a woman was picking up the tiffin for her mother-in-law every day. Out of spite, she used to remove part of the dhal and vegetables and add water to fill up the container. “We arranged to deliver the dabba to the older woman’s doorstep and also counselled the young woman that look, because you are not taking care of your motherin-law we are helping her with this food, and warned her not to do this,” says Dedhiya.
Another poignant incident that Jhaveri relates is about a tiffin which would go missing one day but mysteriously reappear the next. The Rotarians investigated this incident by following the tiffin trail physically and found that when the auto driver went to a particular house to deliver a tiffin, a little girl would appear and take away one from the basket. “We followed her and found she had an old sick grandma who badly needed this food. So we included her in our list.”
Community involvement
But apart from the Rotarians’ dedication and the incredible fact that one club president after another has taken ownership of Annapurna and
kept it running so efficiently for 12 years, what is heartwarming is the help from non-Rotarians and random people. The tiffin boxes were readily given by the local steel merchants’ association on appeal from the Rotarians. Khushal Dedhiya distinctly remembers the day a client of his came to the store and while the food was being checked for quality and the Rotarians were talking about the scheme, while settling the bill, gave an additional amount of ` 4,765, which was then the cost for sponsoring one tiffin for a year. “His total purchase was only for ` 110, but he voluntarily paid the additional amount of ` 4,765,” he smiles.
Initially, one meal used to cost `13, now the cost has gone up to `29, and the annual cost of sponsoring a meal is ` 8,100.
Another time, a person in Mumbai watched a news clipping about this project on Doordarshan and spontaneously made out a cheque for ` 5,000 and simply addressed it to ‘Annapurna project, President, Rotary Club of Solapur, Solapur’ and posted it. “And we got the cheque,” grins Kishor Chandan, who was then president, adding, “the postman came looking for me and asked is this for you, and I said yes!”
Annapurna has so many interesting anecdotes attached to it. Once a businessman gave ` 5,000 as donation for this scheme, and immediately after that he got a huge contract, and was so moved by it that every month for the last 10 years he has been giving a cheque of ` 5,000 for it, even though he has moved out of Solapur now.
A Rotarian, who has left Rotary and now lives in the US, regularly collects money for Annapurna and sends it to the club. Also, after seeing on Facebook the Rotary Annapurna Yojana scheme page, with pictures,
Food being prepared in the kitchen; and the beneficiaries.
strangers ask for the bank details of the Rotary Community Welfare Trust of the club which runs this scheme and do an online transfer. The donors get tax exemption under 80G.
And of course, Rotarians continue to support this scheme which is very close to their heart. The previous day, I see PDG Zubin Amaria handing over a cheque for `8,100 to a committee member. All the PDGs from the district have supported this scheme. PDG Rajiv Pradhan recalls that when it was first mooted by Miniyar in 2007 “I was a little sceptical that we would be able to sustain 100 tiffins a day for long, but am delighted to note that it is only gathering more strength with the passage of time. Past RI Presidents Rajendra Saboo and Kalyan Banerjee have visited this project, seen the kitchen where the food is prepared, tasted it and have been very impressed with it.”
Adds Chandan, “Both said this project should be featured in Rotary News , and from that day we are waiting for your visit!”
The beneficiaries
On how the beneficiaries are selected, Miniyar says that initially the club
got professional help from the principal of a college for social work. “The students did a detailed survey based on our criteria — the minimum age should be 65, there should be no one to take care of them, the beneficiaries shouldn’t be beggars but those who had once earned their livelihood but were no longer in a position to earn enough to survive.”
The college gave them 400 names; “we categorised the people; the Rotarians physically visited and interviewed all of them and we chose the most needy 100,” he adds.
Over the years, some 27–28 beneficiaries have passed away and new people have been added from the waiting list with the club, to keep the total number at 100.
I ask the committee members the secret behind keeping this scheme going for 12 long years as many clubs struggle to sustain a project once a club president and other officers change. The Rotarians grin and Chandan says, “In fact every incoming and serving president strives to ensure that he collects more money for Annapurna than is required for the year, so he can leave behind a surplus or a cushion for the next president!”
The Self-help group
Initially the contract was given to a local restaurant run by a publicspirited woman and she agreed to do it at the cost price of ` 13, which included delivery. But after a year she told the Rotarians that it was not feasible to sustain it and so they approached Chandrika. That was 11 years ago; “impulsively I said yes, but then got nervous. It is not easy to prepare 100 meals with the kind of strict quality specifications that the Rotarians demanded,” she says. But the enterprising woman started the experiment straightaway “as I had
Humney do-chaar husbands ko peeta hei!
Thetrickle-down effect that a scheme like Annapurna can have in the case for women’s empowerment is obvious when you visit the spanking clean kitchen where the SHG members prepared the meals. Chandrika Chauhan, who runs the NGO Udyog Vardhini, which has now mobilised 8,000 workers, says that all her women members work only in two sectors — food and tailoring. “I have found that when a woman is in huge distress, her mental make-up is not conducive to learning anything new. But there are two skills that she already has — to cook food and to sew… she knows some form of tailoring. So we just train them on variety and quality.”
Each woman takes home about `7,000 a month, is given clothes, and `400 for a child’s education. In most cases the husbands are
either unemployed or alcohol addicts. “The household runs only on her income.” So is wife-bashing common, I ask Chandrika. “Oh yes, but it has reduced a lot now. One, because the woman is now economically independent; and two, because we have beaten up some of those men,” she says with a straight face.
To my incredulous look, she grins and says: “Yes, madam, in a few cases, I have myself gone to the homes where the man used to beat his wife. I go with some six women, and first of all greet him, calling him my son-in-law. And then warn him, that this woman is my daughter and if you beat her, we will thrash you. And we have physically beaten a few men and now the message has gone down that if husbands beat their wives, we will not remain silent,” says the feisty woman.
to give the Rotarians a sample on the third day!” She hired an acharya or food expert, her women watched him like hawks, “how much water and spices he added, the weight of the dish after it was cooked etc and we did it!”
She adds proudly: “Now, after 11 years, this SHG with 15 members prepares 2,000 meals a day, for factory and office workers and others. And they are also making masalas, papads, pickles etc for the export market.”
Adds Patel, “And Chandrika has gi ven Rota ry credit for the increase i n livelihood of these women ; in their pamphlet brought out to ce le brate a milestone, the y have sa id that they reached this position thanks to Rotar y. ”
Chandrika Chauhan of the NGO Udyog Vardhini oversees her team preparing food for the Rotary Annapurna Yojana project.
Chandan adds that at regular intervals the elderly beneficiaries are taken for outings; “we hire buses and along with our Anns and Annettes take them out, mainly to pilgrim sites. And you won’t believe it; but at popular destinations such as Pandharpur, where pilgrims have to wait in long queues for two hours, these people are treated like VIPs and are given entry in two minutes!”
He adds that an annual medical check-up is also done for the elders and follow-up action is taken, with the Rotarians helping out with
m edication
And on ever y anniversar y of this scheme on Aug 4 a “ s hahi bho j an is or g anised for the whole g roup. It’s a f est i ve occas i on; our Anns we l come t h em wi t h an ar ti an d w e ser v e t h em
a grand meal,” says Club Secretary Sunil Maheshwari.
Adds Miniyar, “Actually, everyday, the food they get is so tasty, that I often feel it is tastier than my home food, and often ask for a dabba and take it home after paying for it.”
Adds Mundada, the Club President, “The crucial point is that we have never run out of money for this project, showing that for good work there is never any dearth of money in Rotary.” He adds that every year the elders are given two sets of clothes and every four years a new set of utensils.
Repl i cat i on
District (3132) has started it, but gives only 25 meals a day. RC Latur also had replicated it but with a change; they send the tiffins to patients in a hospital. In Solapur city itself, a voluntary organisation, the Lokmangal Institute, is also doing a similar project. “They have said RC Solapur has inspired us and they give tiffins to 200 people. Another Rotary club has also contacted us for some details,” says Jhaveri.
(For details of this project contact one of the committee members — Sandeep Jhaveri at sandson1972@ gmail.com or Jayesh Patel at
On other clubs have not the Rotarians said that some has indeed RC Wai, in the same RI 9823562303.)
On why other Rotary clubs have not replicated this project, the Rotarians said that some replication has indeed happened. RC Wai, in the same RI
Members of RC Solapur (from right) Khushal Dedhiya, Jayesh Patel and Raj Miniyar interacting with the beneficiaries.
Pictures by Rasheeda Bhaga t Des ig ne d b y N Kr i s h namurt hy
A cyanide dump at KGF becomes a thanks to Rotary
A view of interlocked trenches with tree saplings on top of cyanide dump.
Afirst-timer to the Kolar Gold Fields (KGF), 100 km to the east of Bengaluru, can easily be deceived by the grandeur of the whole scene — a series of hillocks made of mud, rock, slime and chemicals, notably cyanide — as it creates the illusion of natural formations. Which they are not. These 15-odd cyanide dumps rising over 200–250 ft high in the heart of KGF at Bangarapet taluk of Kolar district are slurry deposits, which over the decades have taken a heavy toll on the lives of the locals.
After the rocks with layers of gold strips were dug out, they were crushed to powder at the crusher houses and a mix of chemicals with cyanide was added to it to separate gold from other
V Muthukumaran
minerals. The resultant slime residue — the powdered rock with water — is then deposited as slurry waste in large dumps across the underground mines since the 1880s. This has now taken the shape of toxic hillocks. Enter RC Bangalore Orchards, RID 3190, in August 2017, and within two years of their green drive, “the largest dump has seen a drastic reduction in the emission of cyanide dust which the air carries to wreak havoc in our lives, causing irreparable damage to our health through respiratory illness, eye irritation and skin diseases,” says N Ramakrishna, a member of RC Kolar Gold Fields.
One of the architects behind the greening of cyanide dump project, Neil Michael Joseph, Chairman, Hasiru
(green in Kannada) Committee of RC Bangalore Orchards, was not disappointed when “a lab official in Kolar town dismissed outright the possibility of growing trees (or any sort of vegetation, for that matter) on the toxic mound.” He said that the “soil sample did not support the growth of anything and hence, was not conducive for any vegetation. But we did not lose hope,” says Joseph.
It was the then Deputy Conservator of Forests Srinivasa Rao, Karnataka, who came out with the innovation of ‘interlocked trenches’ on the soil which led the rainwater to percolate down, allowing the surface to retain moisture, thus cooling the air system. “His path-breaking idea led us to take up
green hill,
plantation on the slurry dump and soon, the fine cyanide dust was arrested by the green cover, instead of being blown away causing health problems to the KGF residents,” says D Ravishankar, former president, RC Bangalore Orchards.
Now that Rotary has adopted this cyanide dump, spread over 40 hectares, the residents are relieved, because “in windy times (July-August), the cyanide air used to waft across from the dumps in such great force that even breathing was a difficulty,” recalls Ramakrishna. Many families were affected by asthma, lung infection and silicosis and “we had to shell out huge amounts for our medical bills.”
Residents used to wear face masks three years ago to “protect us from the harmful effect of the cyanide-mixed air. With Rotarians growing trees on the dump, there is nearly 90 per cent change in the air composition. Before this green project, cyanide air has claimed many lives as poor families can’t afford treatment,” said P Magendran, a casual employee at a local corporate.
Scientific
plantations
of compost manure transported from Bengaluru, have all gone into the afforestation project on the cyanide dump in the last two years. While trees such as pongamia, mahogany, bamboo, rakthachandana, peepul, neem, Singapore cherry, rain tree and gulmohar line up the trenches, forest grass fills up rest of the space. On the trench mound, cactus and shrubs that need little moisture were lined up to complete the three-layered protective shield against the rise of the cyanide dust.
While the club has contributed `30 lakh, and had managed the logistics and transportation cost, “the Forest Department has provided the labour, seedlings and the machinery to execute the plantations on top of the dumpsite,” says Joseph. His company, Baghirathi Travels, is an active partner in the afforestation drive which benefitted around 1.65 lakh residents of KGF.
A British-era school revamped
Over 14,000 trenches, 55,000 saplings, three lakh seed balls and 700 tonnes
A hardcore Rotarian and a cricket buff, Joseph turns nostalgic with fond memories as we entered the BGML English Higher Primary School (Parkinson Memorial School) situated in Kolar Town. The picturesque school also accommodates a high school (Lindsay Memorial).
“I am an alumnus of this school which our club adopted in 2007 and since then, we have rebuilt a toilet block (gendersegregated) through a global grant, planted trees, gave sports equipment, dual desks and relayed the tiles of the classrooms.” Ramesh Chari, a member, has sponsored the tiles.
Another big project was rebuilding the Central Hall, which had almost collapsed. “We rebuilt it in 2008–09 in partnership with KGF Schools Foundation, an alumni group, at a cost of `45 lakh,” says Joseph. Apart from this, the club has spent `15 lakh on other reconstructions at the school.
Pictures by V Muthukumaran
RC Bangalore Orchards past president D Ravishankar along with (from left) K S Govindaraj, Prakash Hegde, Neil Michael Joseph and Ramesh Chari.
A special event by RC Nagpur for special children
Rasheeda Bhagat
For the last 11 years Rotary Club of Nagpur, RI District 3030, has been making Feb 14, Valentine’s Day, very special for some 800-odd specially-abled children in an attempt to spread joy and cheer in their lives, says Kapil Bahri, immediate Past President of the club.
“Aptly named Udaan, which translates to taking a flight, this event helps these special children to soar above their day-to-day mundane challenges.”
This project is so very special to the entire club that “many of our members keep the entire day free for this event and take immense joy in serving these children and assisting them in various activities. Once they have experienced the joy of bringing smile on the faces of these lovely children, it addicts them to a life of service,” he adds. Last year 10-year-old Gaurav
Gaurav Thakur (L) interacting with another participant.
Thakur (in long red shirt), who has a mental disability, won the hearts of the Rotarians by his cheerful disposition. “Ever smiling, he made us realise what happiness is” said a member of the club.
An arduous process
RID 3030 DGE Shabbir Shakir, a member of this club, who like all other members of RC Nagpur is very proud of this signature project, says it is not an easy task to get these children together and bring them to this event, so help from the schools for special children, particularly their teachers, is crucial. Planning for this festival of joy begins two months earlier, as over 800 special children — physically or mentally disabled — from various schools across Nagpur district in Maharashtra, have to be gathered for a full day of sports, cultural activities and music.
“More than 150 teachers from their respective schools join the children to
help and assist these children in their activities. The affection, care and the pain taken by these teachers need to be seen to be believed and to understand the full impact of the service they render,” he says.
Elaborating on the detailed planning required to give these children unlimited joy, he says first of all this activity has to be approved by the Social Welfare Department which lays down strict guidelines to be followed. Next the Rotarians approach the schools that have specially-abled children across Nagpur district and seek the permission of both the school authorities as well as the parents to take their children for the activities planned.
“Based on the activities planned for that year, the schools identify the children who will participate in Udaan. We always endeavour to get children from as many schools as possible so that we can offer them a joyous experience,” says Bahri.
Wholehearted Rotaract participation
Acknowledging the immense role played by the district’s Rotaractors, Shakir says, “they are very enthusiastic, come from 6 to 7 Rotaract clubs and are of great support to us because so many technicalities are involved in organising this event, beginning with permissions from both the government and the schools and the children from as many as 38 schools have to be brought here.”
Endorsing the support of Rotaractors, Bahri adds, “The implementation and success of this annual event is possible only because of the support by our Rotaractors. These youngsters from various colleges look forward to this opportunity of service and are ever willing and ready to support us in this event in every manner possible. It is remarkable to see the compassion in these bright, young students.”
Each year a different activity is chosen by the organising team and this year Zumba, a fitness programme, was chosen and the children were trained for over two weeks. “It was a beautiful spectacle to see 845 children performing Zumba for 45 minutes; and this went into the Limca Book of Records,” adds the DGE.
After registration the Rotarians serve a delicious breakfast to all the children, teachers and the support staff. The children are then divided into groups according to the activities/dance they would perform or the game they’d play. And if you have seen and felt sorry for hundreds of children, who wait patiently out in the sun to receive a Rotary dignitary for a big event planned in their school, RC Nagpur doesn’t put you through that. Udaan was held at the Mankapur Indoor Stadium, a swank air-conditioned sports facility.
Participants performing Zumba dance.
Cricket match for blind children
This year, a cricket match was conducted for the blind children in the group, using balls with sound specially designed for them. Volleyball, handball, wheelchair races, carrom and chess were other games that were organised.
“The children really enjoyed playing musical chairs, a simple activity for us but a great challenge for the mentally or physically deficient. The enthusiasm and participation in these events brought tears to the eyes of many and each smile on the face of a child etched a memory of a lifetime,” says Bahri.
After a round of games, the children were served a sumptuous lunch, sponsored by a leading hotelier of the city, Hotel Centre Point. Every year the children are served their breakfast and lunch and helped and monitored in various activities by about 100 Rotarians and their Anns and 100 Rotaractors.
After a brief rest following lunch, a fresh set of lighter activities begin, and after the prize distribution ceremony, it is music time for them. “So intense is the response to music that it becomes very difficult to convince the children to leave when it’s time to return home. Having spent the day so closely involved with these children from breakfast to fun to games it becomes extremely heartbreaking for us also to let them go. We have to remind ourselves that next year again we shall have another soul-satisfying journey with these kids,” he adds.
The entire event costs about `7 lakh. Bahri adds that this has now become such a popular event in Nagpur that the local community also pitches in with support, both financially and otherwise. Both corporates and philanthropic individuals also contribute for it.
Designed by N Krishnamurthy
Stop NCD — Rotary’s project for Positive Health
RI Directors Kamal Sanghvi and Dr Bharat Pandya have started a new initiative — Project Positive Health - Stop NCD — for our zones.
India is facing an NCD epidemic responsible for 60 per cent of deaths. Indians are genetically and culturally prone to developing non-communicable diseases or NCDs, which are a major cause of premature deaths. Improper lifestyle and food habits contribute to the rise in NCDs among Indians. High-calorie food, rich in salt, oil and sugar kills many times more people than terrorism does. The four common NCDs are — diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, cerebrovascular accident (stroke) and chronic kidney disease (CKD).
A National Committee has been set up to take the ‘Stop NCD’ project forward. A three-pronged approach is needed:
1. Know your numbers campaign
Every Rotary club should take up a campaign that exhorts every adult to know his three main
Team Rotary News
health numbers — weight, BP and blood sugar. Clubs must hold ‘Know your Numbers’ camps to monitor the weight, BP and blood sugar regularly in people. These
camps are inexpensive and easy to organise.
During these camps, health literature pertaining to importance of having the right numbers — BP measuring 120/80, BMI less than 25, fasting blood sugar less than 100 and post-lunch sugar less than 140 must be emphasised. Distribute brochures containing simple tips to control diabetes, BP, heart disease, stroke and kidney failure. Distribute brochures on healthy diet and lifestyle measures. A health talk or a panel discussion on FAQs on NCDs can be done at the camps. It has been decided to have common pan-India dates for four health camps by all the clubs, besides the regular camps and awareness programmes. The
National Committee Members
Name of NCMRI District NumberContact Numbers
Dr E K Sagadhevan3202, 3000, 32329994477725
Dr Sushil Khurana3011, 3012, 31009810056308
Dr Indumati Gopinathan3141 & 31429820031371
Dr K Ravi Appaji3181, 3182, 319098805 61430
Dr K Vijayakumar32129443161102, 9025162113
Dr Sayantan Gupta3240 & 32919734184165
Dr R Bharat 3250 9934320311
Ashok Singh3030, 3261, 32629861010130
Dr Zamin Hussain 3040 & 3053 9827316646
Dr Mohan Prasad G V3020, 3150, 31609849082522
Jayprakash Vyas 3054 9824012876
dates for the pan-India camps and awareness programmes are:
Sep 29, 2019, Sunday — World Heart Day
Nov 14, 2019, Thursday — World Diabetes Day
Feb 23, 2020, Sunday — Rotary’s Anniversary
April 7, 2020, Tuesday — World Health Day
2. Spreading awareness
Two-pronged approach — Awareness among Rotarians and community; Awareness in schools and colleges. Awareness campaigns with talks, videos, pamphlets and brochures.
Schools and colleges should be targeted to address obesity in youth. While it is not easy to change adult behaviour, it is easier to change behaviour in children and young adults. An
Doing good with TRF help
Enhancing healthcare facilities
Team Rotary News
Rotary Club of Vapi, RID 3060, recently upgraded facilities at the operation theatre of the Haria Rotary Hospital in the city. Medical equipment such as neurosurgical operating microscope, operating
awareness campaign in schools and colleges and via social media is an important thrust area of this project. Involvement of Rotaract is important. Rotaract clubs can help in the social media campaign and spread awareness in schools and colleges. The tagline for the campaign is ‘Ek Chammach Kum, Char Kadam Aage’ . It means one spoon less of salt, oil and sugar and 30 minutes of exercise daily.
3. Advocacy role
ing food labeling especially salt and energy content, statutory warnings on unhealthy foods similar to cigarettes, restrictions on advertising of junk food.
Rotary, along with other NGOs, can form an advocacy group which can push the agenda of NCD control and the narrative on healthy living to take center stage with the government. Advocacy can be by ensur-
Rotary has rolled out the Project Positive Health - Stop NCD and made it a pan India initiative to promote positive health among people. This is a very doable project. It is low cost and can be continued over a long period of time.
PRIP Kalyan Banerjee hands over the healthcare equipment to the Haria Rotary Hospital in the presence of DRFC Ashish Ajmera, IPDG Pinky Patel and RC Vapi President (2018–19) Ketan Patel.
drill, defibrillators, ECG machines, a CR system, tonometer, syringes and infusion pumps, worth $85,123, were funded through a global grant. Contributions included a Term Gift of $30,000 from Girdharilal Modi,
a member of RC Mumbai Downtown Sealand, RID 3142; DDF of $16,000; RC Vapi’s share of $16,186 and the balance from TRF. The hospital is run by the club under its Rotary Charitable Trust.
PRIP Kalyan Banerjee
handed over the equipment recently to the hospital administration in the presence of the then DG Pinky Patel, DRFC Ashish Ajmera and PDG Ashis Roy, Club President Ketan Patel and Secretary Rakesh Patwari.
Take out your SUVs, travel to villages
Rasheeda Bhagat
How well this governor had prepared for his crucial year at the helm of District 3012 was amply evident at the installation ceremony of Deepak Gupta. The pomp and show, the music and dance, the glamour and glitter associated with a DG’s installation in an Indian Rotary district were all present of course.
But what really caught the eye was his video presentation of the preparations he has made for the last several months to decide on the kind of service projects the clubs in his district should do. “For the last one year I have been going around to assess the needs of the community, and believe me, we don’t have to go too far. Step 20 or 30 km away from the NCR (National Capital Region) and you will see the kind of problems that people face. Friends, all of us have SUVs, it’s time to take them out and visit the villages as there are so many needs there ,” Gupta said, addressing a glittering installation ceremony in Gurgaon.
The mistake many clubs were making in the district, he added, was thinking that “we can do all our work in the NCR. But I found that if we go barely 200 to 300 metres away from the highway, life changes. During this year, let us all resolve to step out of our comfort zone, assess the needs of the people and try to solve their problems.”
Importance of collaboration
Stressing the importance of collaboration and partnerships, Gupta said that he has already forged a collaboration with Ekad Learning, which works in the area of literacy and education. “We wanted to see the possibility of working together, without collaboration it is not easy to do big projects. So choose your focus areas, meet the local people. Only when you are physically present in the field, the local people will take your seriously. There is no problem we cannot solve but you have to hold discussion with the local community, assess their needs and then address them. In business, it is said without your presence on the seat, no business can be done and the same is true for social service. It can’t be done by words or remote control.”
Urging all his club presidents, secretaries and other officers to share ideas of service projects with him, and to explore the possibility of getting together with other clubs to do larger projects, the DG said, “You cannot imagine how many children, women and elderly out there are waiting for your helping hand. And we are so lucky that destiny has given us this opportunity to be of help to the less fortunate. Go to hospitals, village schools, work for poor farmers, do whatever you feel connected with but step out and do it.”
He added that no project is too small; and no project in Rotary has
hit a roadblock for want of money. “If anything has remained incomplete, it is because we have stayed in our comfort zone; so let’s get out of it and act.”
Dream project
Gupta said his dream project, for which he had got inspiration from the Him Jyoti School for underprivileged girls built by PRID Sudarshan Agarwal in Dehradun, was a residential school for 300
poor children. Two Rotarians from RID 3012 Sanjay Arora and Sachin Gupta were helping him get the land, governments sanctions etc for this project. “It’s a project for Rs.35 to 40 crore but I don’t mind becoming like Sudarshan Agarwal, who used to call himself an international, professional beggar. I will knock on every door to realise my dream to have such a school in our district.”
Gupta added that another project he wanted to do during this year was a mobile eye clinic. “When I went around to several villages to prepare for this year, I found that in many villages there wasn’t a single doctor. And these are not very far from the NCR; they are within 50 km. “When we used to go and get cataract surgery done through medical camps, 80-year-old men used to come and touch our feet pleading with us to get their vision alright.
Do we want to live in such a society where elderly men have to touch our feet to get a cataract operation done. Let’s make mobile vans to give this facility to people.”
Yet another project he was enthused about was the pink taxi project, where taxis would be given
to women; another was to set up a defibrillator, similar to the one he had seen at an overseas airport, inside a court in Sonipat.
Earlier, when we did cataract surgery camps, 80-year-old men used to touch our feet pleading with us to get their vision alright. Do we want to live in such a society where elderly people touch our feet for just a cataract operation?
RID 3012 DG Deepak Gupta
From PHF to Major Donors Looking at Distict Trainer and PDG Mukesh Arneja, Gupta said, “There was once upon a time in 2007–08, when we went around searching for PHF members, but today so many Rotarians from our district have come forward to become Major Donors by donating $10,000 to TRF on the first day of the new Rotary year. And that too voluntarily; I did not have to call them.” The major donors who were recognised at the meeting handed over their cheques in favour of TRF to Trustee Gulam Vahanvaty.
Presenting his own TRF contribution through a cheque for $30,000, Gupta said this would take his total contributions to the Foundation to
DG Deepak Gupta (R) with RC Bangalore Orchards past president D Ravishankar and Paola, and TRF Trustee Gulam Vahanvaty. PDGs J K Gaur, Rupak Jain, Ramesh Aggarwal, Sharat Jain and Subhash Jain are also seen.
Incoming governor Deepak Gupta and his wife Reena, and IPDG Subhash Jain and his wife Babita being felicitated.
$107,000. “I will try to complete my giving and become an AKS member by the end of this year,” the DG promised.
Expressing his happiness at the contributions to TRF that poured in at the governor’s installation ceremony, Vahanvaty said he was most happy to know that a Rotarian from RID 3012, Amita Mohindru and Mohindru had pledged to become AKS members. “Amita took the decision to do so after listening to (former) President of RC Bangalore Orchards D Ravishankar’s motivating speech at an earlier event in Delhi,” he said.
I have done much better than Shah Jahan. What purpose has the Taj Mahal served, apart from creating shaan (grandeur)? Has it done any service to anyone? In what Paola and I have done, there is both shaan and seva (service)!
Rtn D Ravishankar
Complimenting Gupta for planning so many good projects even before his installation, he said that he had seen his “commitment and passion, whenever the DGEs were called for meetings. Gupta has so much knowledge and he was so outspoken and never hesitated to put forth his view. I would urge all DGs to continue to be vocal about what you feel inside. That is very important.”
About the education and healthcare projects Gupta had announced that evening, Vahanvaty told the gathering, “But he can’t do all this alone. Everybody assembled here must give him support. Only teamwork can turn our dreams into reality.”
He requested all DGs that “while we concentrate on endowments let us not forget the annual fund. We need to give money to all TRF funds.”
Also, talking about the need to do larger projects with large grants, the Trustee said that TRF was in the final stage of finalising the fine print on bids for large grants — whether these would be half a million or $450,000, was being decided. To be implemented from July 1, 2020, details would be disclosed much earlier.
Later at a Q and A session, when asked by Gupta that instead of creating a Taj Mahal for his wife Paola, just as Emperor Shah Jahan had done, why had Ravishankar pledged Rs.100 crore to TRF, the donor said in his inimitable style: “Excuse me for saying this; I know you Delhiites love the Taj Mahal, but I believe I have done much better than Shah Jahan. What purpose has it served, apart from creating the shaan (grandeur) of a majestic building? Has it done any service to anyone? By contributing to TRF, Paola and I have together tried to build a Taj Mahal in some 230 countries, because that is where the TRF money goes. So in what we have done, there is both shaan and seva (service)!”
Next Gupta congratulated Amita on “not taking even five minutes to decide to become an AKS member” after listening to Paola and Ravishankar. Asked what is the one thing she would like to change in society, she said, “In our country we have very rich and very poor people; I think all of us should work to bridge that gap.”
Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat
Embrace both success and failure: Pandya to Rotaractors
Team Rotary News
The 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.”
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.
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.
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.”
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 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.”
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.
RID Pandya with IPDRR Hansika Shahani, DRR Kushal Bhuva, PDRR Om Chawla and other Rotaractors. PDG Prafull Sharma is on the right.
RI Director Bharat Pandya speaking at the Rotaract District Training Assembly. DRR Kushal Bhuva is also present.
Leprosy patients get Rotary care
Kiran Zehra
She was only 20 when Ram Kali, from a remote village in Bihar, began experiencing numbness in her hands and feet. Her husband took her to the local hospital. When they confirmed it was leprosy, her husband left her at the hospital and never returned. She spent three days on the streets. Her feet dropped and fingers clawed. A stranger brought her to The Leprosy Mission Hospital (TLM) at Naini in Prayagraj (formerly Allahabad) where corrective surgeries were performed
on her feet and hands. “They couldn’t correct the deformities in my hands as the disease had progressed too far. But they cared for me and provided nutritious food, lodging and healthcare free of charge.”
The hospital is supported by RC Allahabad Elite, RID 3120. It serves around 450 people a day, offering general medicine, surgical services, ophthalmology, dermatology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and provision of footwear and assistive devices. They also have a 150-bed in-patient facility named Snehalaya,
a residence for leprosy patients who have nowhere to go.
“Those with disabilities from the disease face extreme stigma from the community. Leprosy is curable, but changing people’s mentality is difficult,” says Ritesh Singh, past president of the club. TLM caters to patients from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. The club recently donated an automatic chapati making machine worth `2.36 lakh in the presence of PRID C Basker. “It makes 800 rotis an hour, enough to feed 400 people on the campus,” adds Singh.
RC Allahabad Elite’s past president Ritesh Singh (extreme right) and President Poonam Ray at the inauguration of roti maker at the Leprosy Mission Hospital.
Ram Kali who has been living on the campus for over 40 years now says, “If I wasn’t here, nobody would have taken care of me and I’d
probably be on the streets begging. But here, I have everything. I don’t need anything else.” Singh says that inside the walls of TLM, leprosy
patients find hope. “Children with clawed fingers and patches on their skin, young amputees and elderly patients are taken care of by a community of doctors and nurses that truly empathises with them. Our club is proud to associate with them and help them improve lives.”
A request was made by the hospital for a commercial washing machine in order to hygienically wash and dry patients’ clothes. PRID Basker immediately offered to help. His club RC Karur, RID 3000, together with RC Allahabad Elite recently installed a washing unit costing ` 6.68 lakh and it was inaugurated by IPDG Stuti Agarwal, in the presence of 21 members from RC Karur. Poonam Ray, President of RC Allahabad Elite, thanked PRID Basker for the facility.
Rotary News is now printed in Nepal
Around 5,000 Rotarians from 119 Rotary clubs in Nepal, RID 3292, can now enjoy reading Rotary News regularly as the magazine is now being printed in Kathmandu. This was made possible thanks to the relentless efforts of DG Kiran Lal Shrestha, who was helped by several Rotarians in Nepal. The first issue of the magazine was released at the District Membership and Public Image seminar in Kathmandu in August, where 400 delegates from 90 Rotary clubs participated.
IPDG Stuti Agarwal and Club President Poonam Ray, along with members of RCs Karur and Allahabad Elite, at the inauguration of washing machine.
DG Kiran Lal Shrestha and other past governors of RID 3292 at the launch of Rotary News magazine in Nepal. PDG Swapan Choudhury (fifth from L), RID 3240, is also in the picture.
A Global Grant to save children’s lives
Team Rotary News
The Touching Little Hearts — a paediatric cardiac surgery initiative — begun in 2012–13 in RID 3140 by PDG Dr Bal Inamdar has saved over 2,000 little lives so far. Rotary clubs across the district have sponsored around 1,000 surgeries at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital (KDAH) during the first year, after which five more hospitals in Mumbai were added in the last four years. It continues to touch a chord in many Rotarians in RIDs 3141 and 3142.
More recently, the project has attracted the support of a global grant with Rotary Clubs of Mumbai West Coast, Deonar and Bombay Bandra of RID 3141, international sponsors
RID Bharat Pandya interacting with PDG Bal Inamdar and other Rotarians as he visits little Rudra Galande at the hospital ward.
RC Walsall and RID 1210, England, and TRF. A grant of $69,500 will support 50 paediatric heart surgeries. Part of the grant will assist in conducting rural camps to screen for congenital heart defects in children, and provide corrective treatment for them at the KDAH, said PDG Inamdar who is the brain behind the global grant.
RI Director Bharat Pandya handed over the first cheque to KDAH for the surgery of eight-month-old Rudra Galande suffering from pulmonary atresia, a condition that requires urgent surgical intervention. His parents, being farm labourers from a remote village near Nanded, could not afford the expensive surgical
correction. They profusely thanked Dr Pandya for saving their son. The child may have to undergo a series of surgeries to correct the birth defect. Dr Pandya appreciated the enormous philanthropic work done by Rotarians of both the districts and underlined the necessity for collaboration of Rotary clubs worldwide to better lives of the underprivileged. “Support the Foundation so that more and more such large projects can be implemented to benefit communities,” he said to the Rotarians present at the KDAH. Dr Suresh Rao, Dr Santosh Shetty and Narayanan from the hospital thanked the Rotarians for their significant support over the years.
First cheque for the Touching Little Hearts project being handed over to Dr Suresh Rao of KDAH.
Treating squint eye in Mauritius Team
Twenty-eight patients were surgically corrected for squint eye in Mauritius, thanks to the Rotarian ophthalmologists from RC Thane, RID 3142. “It all began when Dr Harsha Phatak, an ophthalmologist and a member of RC Phoenix, Mauritius, on a visit to our club recently, discussed about the large number of children suffering from squint eye syndrome in Mauritius. They needed corrective surgery, but the country did not have qualified surgeons to treat them,” said the club’s former President Ajay Kelkar. Squint eye or Strabismus is a deviation of the eye axis. The visual disorder can be corrected by wearing specially designed spectacles or through a surgery.
Kelkar set the ball rolling and formed a team of two ophthalmologists — Dr Atul Seth and Dr Siddharth Kesarwani; and four volunteers — Anand Kale, his wife
Rotary News
From L: Dr Atul Seth, Dr Siddharth Kesarwani and members of RC Phoenix, Mauritius.
Kalyani Kale, Smita Mahajan and Kelkar himself. Coordinating with members of RC Phoenix, the team performed 28 surgeries and treated 175 children with squint eye at the Subramania Bharathi Government Hospital in Moka, Mauritius.
The project cost `45 lakh. “It gave a whole new fillip to us as it enjoyed
Rotary-CSR project creates Happy Schools in Gorakhpur
It was a Rotary-CSR gift for over 2,400 students, 60 per cent of whom are girls from underprivileged families, at the 10 government schools in
Gorakhpur, UP, when they got a host of new facilities to make classroom learning interesting.
Thanks to the CSR fund of $30,000 from
wide coverage in the media. This also broke the general belief among people there that squint eye treatment will lead to loss of sight,” said Kelkar. The local Rotary club had to break the taboo through intensive campaigning prior to the camp. It is a three-year endeavour and the club intends to follow it up till 2020–21.
Toyo Engineering Corporation, Japan, which is setting up a fertiliser factory in Gorakhpur, and an equivalent grant by TRF and RC Rapid City, South Dakota, US, RID 5610, the mega project got an initial corpus of $60,128 and it was implemented by
RC Gorakhpur, RID 3120, under the Happy School programme.
The clubs provided desks, benches, toilet blocks, handwash stations, ceiling fans for classrooms and RO units for drinking water, besides laying electrical wiring. Smart Classes for e-learning were also designed at the schools to usher in modern pedagogy and make classroom an interesting place for students.
Following the implementation of the project, the schools have reported more than 10 per cent jump in new admissions, said Project Coordinator M P Kandoi.
Members of RC Gorakhpur with students in one of the government schools.
Little England of British India
V Muthukumaran
Did you know that Kolar Gold Fields, around 100 km to the east of Bengaluru, was the second town after Tokyo in Asia to get electricity in 1902? And still has the longest passenger train in the world (over 20 coaches), Swarna Express running to Bengaluru; and probably, the first private company to hire an organised workforce in India.
Until the dawn of the 19th century, the vast expanse of Mysore region was shared between Tipu Sultan and the Wodeyar dynasty. “With the death of their arch enemy Tipu Sultan at Srirangapatna in 1799, the British consolidated the region into a single entity and gave it to the Wodeyars. They ruled the territory as an obedient vassal of the East India Company ever since,” recalls S Srikumar, a
journalist and a PhD holder on Kolar Gold Fields.
Following reports of gold sighting on the rocky terrains of Kolar and travellers, migrants pocketing the yellow metal found literally rolling on the surface, “a survey by John Warren detailed the presence of this mineral in a landmark publication Asiatic Journal 1804.”
The gold rush
Many unscientific means were adopted to dig out gold by the Englishmen till the 1860s, as they were excited by the prospect of hitting a treasure trove. In 1865, a young army soldier Michael Fitzgerald Lavelle, through a scientific approach, found that gold was present in great abundance at Kolar and applied for a mining lease from the Mysore King Wodeyar.
KGF Club House still retains its colonial ambience.
By special arrangement
“But hamstrung by lack of resources and technical inputs, he sold the mining rights to George de la Poer Beresford, an Army major and a wealthy man who also worked as a government contractor, in mid-1870s,” says Srikumar.
In 1876, Beresford formed a syndicate of wealthy Englishmen and roped in Arbuthnot & Co, a mercantile
bank from Madras, for a joint effort to extract gold from earth. From then on, he became a major stakeholder in John Taylor & Sons, which took up the massive operation of shifting men, material and resources to formally kick off the Gold Rush in 1880. “It may sound intriguing that the English company was allowed to operate till 1956, well after Independence, as PM Jawaharlal Nehru requested John Taylors to run the gold mines as they have got the expertise in this business,” he adds.
Labour crisis
In its heydays, from 1900s to 1940s, the second deepest gold mines in the world had over 40 shafts that went down 3–4 km underneath with a ‘honeycomb web’ of tunnels running to over 1,400 km in all. “The mining operation came to a halt in 2001 when rising labour cost, unviable technology and low returns on investments made the venture a loss-making enterprise,” says D Ravishankar, past president, RC Bangalore Orchards, RID 3190.
KGF had around 10 running shafts when it was shut down. The government started a new company Bharat Earth Movers Ltd (BEML) to accommodate
thousands of workers who were left in the lurch after Bharat Gold Mines (BGML) was shut down for good.
A native of Kolar Town, Rtn Neil Michael Joseph from RC Bangalore Orchards can’t help but turn nostalgic over the happy times when thousands of Britons made Kolar their home. “Even during peak summer, the average temperature didn’t exceed 32 degree Celsius in those times. With abundant tree cover and a cool weather throughout the year, Englishmen brought their families here for a secure job at the mines,” he reminisces.
While the Britons took up managerial and supervisory jobs at the gold mines, the labour came from the Madras province, and comprised mostly Tamils. A series of colonial homes with the tell-tale signs of a large British settlement in Kolar evokes an aura of mystic charm. “Kolar was called the Little England of India then and with the Gold Rush, many Englishmen were only too eager to settle here and have a share of this gold pie,” says Joseph.
Pictures by V Muthukumaran
Designed by Krishnapratheesh S
A rusting mining shaft under lock.
A cylindrical water tank constructed by the British.
New Directors and Trustees take office
The RI Board of Directors has 19 members — RI president, president-elect and 17 directors, who were nominated by their zones and elected at the RI Convention. The Board manages Rotary International affairs and funds in accordance with the RI Constitution and Bylaws. Nine new directors and the president-elect took office on July 1.
Tony (James Anthony) Black, RC Dunoon, Scotland
James Anthony Black is a veterinary surgeon who ran his own practice covering western Scotland’s Cowal peninsula before retiring in 2008. He has served on the boards of numerous sporting organisations.
Since joining Rotary in 1982, Black has served as RIBI’s youth activities chair and RI Youth Exchange Committee Chair. Black volunteered during an NID in India in 2012. He has served Rotary as Public Image Resource Group coordinator, vice-chair of the CoL Review Committee, and training leader, which he says was one of his most memorable experiences in the organisation. “You’ve got people from all over the world,” he says. “It was phenomenal having them all talking to each other — it gave me such a buzz.”
Black and his wife, Elspeth, who is also a Rotarian, are Bequest Society members.
Mário César Martins de Camargo RC Santo André, Brazil
Mário César Martins de Camargo was president of Gráfica Bandeirantes and is now a consultant to the print industry in
Brazil. He serves on the board of Casa da Esperança (House of Hope), a hospital sponsored by his club since 1953.
A Rotarian since 1980, de Camargo was TRF Trustee in 2015–19. He and his wife, Denise, are Major Donors and Benefactors of TRF.
Jan Lucas Ket, RC Purmerend
The Netherlands
Jan Lucas Ket retired in 2011 from Waterland Hospital in Purmerend, where he had been a paediatrician for 30 years — treating 20,000 children and one baby gorilla — and served as chair of the hospital’s medical staff. He is now vice-president of the Waterland School for Music.
Ket coordinated logistics for a package grant scholarship awarded to an Indian sanitation official to study at the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education in the Netherlands. A Rotarian since 1988, Ket has been a member of TRF’s Cadre of Technical Advisers and a lecturer on Rotary’s role in preventive healthcare for mothers and children at various international conferences. During his year as club president, he co-founded RC Jihlava, Czech Republic.
Ket and his wife, Milou, have hosted RYE students and GSE members. They are Major Donors, Benefactors and Bequest Society members.
Kyun Kim, RC Busan-Dongrae, Korea
Kyun Kim is owner and executive chairman of a chemical products enterprise. He joined Rotary in 1993. “When I first became club president, I thought that was the most I could give to Rotary, so that year I gave Rotary all I had. But that experience opened my eyes to the bigger service of Rotary, and I saw that I could do much more,” says Kim.
As district governor, Kim inducted 1,439 new Rotarians, the most of any Korean district for 2011–12. He has served as ARPIC and member of the board for The Rotary Korea , the regional Rotary magazine. Kim received the Service Above Self Award in 2014. He and his wife, Hye-Suk, are AKS Chair’s Circle members .
Floyd A Lancia, RC Anthony Wayne (Fort Wayne), Indiana
Floyd Lancia began his professional life in education, first as a secondary school teacher and band director, and later as a school superintendent. He spent the second part of his career on his real estate development and construction business, which he has since sold. He has served on the boards of several organisations, including the
Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne and the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society.
Lancia joined Rotary in 1970 and spearheaded TRF grant projects that have provided free eye surgeries in Nicaragua and clean water for communities in Mexico. He is a recipient of TRF’s Citation for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service Award, and the RI’s Service Above Self Award. He and his wife, Betty Lou, are members of the AKS and Bequest Society and sponsors of Rotary Peace Fellows.
Bharat S Pandya, RC Borivli, India
Bharat Pandya is a practising general and laparoscopic surgeon. He and his wife, Madhavi, a gynaecologist, own a private hospital in Mumbai. He is a fellow of the International College of Surgeons and has served on the board of the Jan Shikshan Sansthan vocational training institute, sponsored by the Indian government.
Pandya joined Rotary in 1989. During his year as governor of RID 3140, his district contributed over $2 million to TRF, making it the top contributor worldwide for 2006–07. He has led numerous projects, including water and sanitation projects funded by TRF grants that installed check dams so that villagers need not walk long distances to collect water.
Pandya has served as regional RI membership coordinator, training leader and member of Rotary’s Membership and Convention Promotion Committees and India PolioPlus Committee. He has received RI’s Service Above Self Award and TRF’s Citation for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service Award. He and Madhavi are Level-2 Major Donors to the Foundation.
Kamal Sanghvi, RC Dhanbad, India
A graduate of Kasturba Medical College in Manipal, with a degree in pharmaceutical sciences, Kamal Sanghvi is managing director of a family-owned banking, financing and construction conglomerate.
Sanghvi joined Rotary in 1991 and has served RI as training leader, committee member and RIPR. He helped establish 28 vocational training centres for women and coordinated 11 polio corrective surgery camps that treated thousands of patients. Sanghvi says one of his proudest achievements was leading a Rotary initiative that helped 200 Pakistani children get heart surgeries in India.
He has received the Service Above Self Award and TRF’s Citation for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service Award. He and his wife, Sonal, who is also a Rotarian, are Major Donors and Bequest Society members.
Johrita Solari, RC Anaheim, California
Johrita Solari is board chair and chief visionary officer of Solari Enterprises Inc, a property management company specialising in affordable rental housing. The company, which she co-founded with her husband, Bruce, was inspired by Rotary’s guiding ethical principles. “The Four-Way-Test hangs in our lobby, and every team member sees it as they come into work,” Johrita says.
She joined Rotary in 1993. As governor of District 5320, she organised that district’s first million-dollar dinner fundraiser for TRF and helped it become the second known district consisting of 100 per cent Paul Harris Fellow clubs. She has served on the
committee for the Foundation’s Peace Major Gifts Initiative.
The Solaris are members of the same Rotary club and are Paul Harris Fellows, Major Donors and AKS members. During Solari’s second year as director, her daughter Gianna will serve as a district governor, making it the first time in Rotary history that a mother and daughter have served in these two leadership roles simultaneously.
Stephanie A Urchick, RC McMurray Pennsylvania
Stephanie Urchick is partner and COO of Doctors at Work LLC, a consulting and training company. A Rotarian since 1991, Urchick first joined the home club of PRIP Chuck Keller, who served as her mentor. A student of several Slavic languages, she has mentored new Rotarians in Ukraine and coordinated a grant project in Poland.
Urchick has served TRF trustee and chair of the RI Strategic Planning Committee and the Foundation’s Centennial Celebration Committee. She is a Major Donor and Bequest Society member.
The Trustees of The Rotary Foundation manage the business of the Foundation. The RIPE nominates the trustees, who are elected by the RI Board to four-year terms. The trustee chair-elect and four new trustees took office on July 1.
K R Ravindran, Chair-elect 2019–20 RC Colombo, Sri Lanka
K R Ravindran is a third-generation Rotarian, joining Rotary at age 21. As RI President in 2015–16, he introduced the
Rotary Global Rewards programme and led a delegation of about 9,000 Rotarians to the Vatican for an audience with Pope Francis at St Peter’s Square.
Ravindran was the first president of the Sri Lanka Anti-Narcotics Association, which today is the leading agency fighting drug addiction in Sri Lanka. He headed a national committee consisting of Rotary, his country’s health ministry and UNICEF for eradication of polio, and worked closely with UNICEF to negotiate a ceasefire in the civil war with the northern militants to facilitate NIDs. Sri Lanka became the first country in South Asia to become polio-free. He also headed a Rotary project to build 25 modern schools across the country to replace those destroyed by the 2004 tsunami at a cost of over $12 million.
He is recipient of TRF’s Citation for Meritorious Service, Distinguished Service Award and Service Award for a Polio-free World. His country conferred on him the title of “Jewel of Sri Lanka” and released a postage stamp in his honour.
Jorge Aufranc, RC Guatemala Sur, Guatemala
Jorge Aufranc is a chemical engineer and director of Corporación Instatec which designs and builds networking telecom systems. He first saw the power of TRF in 1995, when he led a project to bring clean drinking water to an orphanage using matching grants. Today, he is the primary contact for the $600,000 WinS competitive grant programme in Guatemala, to bring water, sanitation and hygiene to 48 schools in the country.
Aufranc has served Rotary as RI director; founder and president of Rotary en el Corazón de las Americas,
the Rotary regional magazine for Central America; and director of the Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group. He and his wife, Débora, participated in an NID in Moradabad in 2009. He is a Rotary Foundation Benefactor, Major Donor and Bequest Society member, and recipient of the Citation for Meritorious Service.
Hipólito S Ferreira, RC ContagemCidade Industrial, Brazil
Hipólito Ferreira is an engineer and president of a group of engineering and mining companies led by Paineira Engenharia. He is the director of SICEPOT, the State of Minas Gerais Heavy Construction Industry Association.
A Rotarian since 1970, Ferreira has served as RI director, training leader, RRFC, member of the Operations Review Committee, and chair of the Literacy Task Force for Latin America.
Ferreira is recipient of TRF’s Citation for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service Award. His three sons participated in Interact, Rotaract, and Rotary Youth Exchange, and two of them are Rotarians. Ferreira and his wife, Marilene, are Benefactors and Major Donors.
Jennifer E Jones, RC WindsorRoseland, Ontario
Jennifer Jones is president and CEO of Media Street Productions Inc, a television production company in Windsor. She was RI vice-president in 2016–17. She is co-chair of the End Polio Now: Make History Today campaign to raise $150 million. She has been a leader in cultivating experiential fundraising opportunities such as Rotary’s Polio
Golf Day with Jack Nicklaus in Jupiter, Florida, which raised over $5.25 million for polio eradication.
Jennifer has received the Service Above Self Award, Citation for Meritorious Service, YMCA Peace Medallion and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. She was the first Canadian to receive Wayne State University’s Peacemaker of the Year Award.
Jennifer and her husband, Nick Krayacich, are members of AKS, Paul Harris Society and Bequest Society.
Ian H S Riseley, RC Sandringham Australia
While RI President in 2017–18, Ian Riseley challenged every Rotary club to plant one tree per member to increase Rotarian involvement in environmental issues. He estimates at least three times that many were planted, likely upwards of three million trees. “I was really thrilled at the way at which the Rotary world embraced my request,” he says. “Everywhere we went, they were planting trees.”
Riseley is a chartered accountant and principal of Ian Riseley and Co, a firm he established in 1976. His honours include the AusAID Peacebuilder Award from the Australian government in recognition of his work in East Timor, the Medal of the Order of Australia for services to the Australian community, the Distinguished Service Award and the Regional Service Award for a PolioFree World from TRF.
Riseley and his wife, Juliet, a past district governor, are Rotary Foundation Major Donors and Bequest Society members. They live on seven hectares at Moorooduc, where they practice their personal philosophy of sustainable and organic living.
Rotaractors tackle menstrual hygiene issues in Punjab
V Muthukumaran
In a taboo-breaking event, Rotaract Club of Austin Institutes, RID 3070, organised a menstrual hygiene seminar for students of the Government Girls Senior Secondary School at Bal Sarai village in Amritsar. “The idea was to end social embarrassment over menstruation. Girls normally hesitate to discuss freely about pain, cramps and infections with their parents, teachers and friends. Hence, most of them are ignorant about the entire process. We clarified their queries at the interactive session, at the end of which they became comfortable with us,” said IPP Deepika Sharma.
Besides teaching girls and children about Good Touch, Bad Touch , the Rotaractors impressed upon the participants including parents and teachers on the need to use sanitary pads and removing misconceptions related to periods. During weekends, the Rotaract
teams engage rural women on issues of personal hygiene.
The Rotaractors distributed 1,000 sanitary pads to the girls during the session. Project Chair Gurleen Kaur coordinated with the School Principal Narinder Kaur and faculty for the successful conduct of the seminar.
Club Trainer Ajit Paul Singh Naphrey, who is also the Director of Austin Institute of Airhostess Training, Jalandhar, gave valuable tips and suggestions on self-defence and how to guard against stalkers. About 70 girl students along with 30 faculty members benefitted from the MH seminar.
In another initiative, the club distributed 500 sanitary pads, sponsored by IPDG Barjesh Sighal, to needy women at Gandhi Nagar in Jalandhar. As many as 35 Rotaractors were involved in the menstrual hygiene project.
Naphrey, a member of RC Jalandhar Civil Lines, has been the mentor for the Rotaractors ever since the club was formed in Oct 2018. Their flagship project Meri Pehchaan (My identity) imparts functional literacy to women in rural areas near Jalandhar to make them self-reliant and earn a decent livelihood. “We will continue our focus on women’s development as it is close to our heart,” said Club President Ranjit Singh Naphrey.
From this year, the club has taken up the upkeep of a desolate park near Apeejay College. “We will take up the beautification of this green belt by repairing the play equipment, painting the benches and planting saplings. Yoga classes will be conducted for residents for healthy living,” he added. The Rotaract club has applied to the Municipal Corporation for taking up such beautification work at more parks in Jalandhar.
Rotaract Club of Austin Institutes Trainer Ajit Paul Singh Naphrey and Rtr Deepika Sharma (to his right) along with the government school girls.
RC Madras gives to a young archer Kris Chitale Award
Kiran Zehra
With the aim to perpetuate the memory of late Rtn S L Chitale, Rotary Club of Madras, RID 3232, has instituted the Rotary Kris Chitale Young Achievers Award and its first award ceremony was held along with the 91st anniversary event of the club in July. The award was constituted to recognise the decades of community service and philanthropy rendered by the late renowned architect from Chennai.“We decided to honour Chitale with an
award in his name, but were scared if Kris (as he was known to his friends) would turn us down. He surprised us by saying ok, but with few conditions,” said PDG J B Kamdar.
Chitale directed that the award should be given to a child of 14 years or below with a good academic record or contribution to the community. The annual income of the child’s family must not exceed `2 lakh and the parents must not be associated with any Rotary entity. “We will be giving out this award each year, and hope the assistance will
From L: RC Madras Secretary M Sesha Sai, its President Dr Vijaya Bharathi Rangarajan, RID Kamal Sanghvi and PDG J B Kamdar with Rotary Kris Chitale Young Achiever Award winner P V Sai Srinivasan.
help lead the child chosen a step closer to his or her goals,” added Kamdar.
The first Kris Chitale Young Achievers Award, along with a cheque of `2 lakh, was presented to P V Sai Srinivasan, a Class 5 student from Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh. Apart from being a meritorious student, he has won 33 medals in State and national-level archery tournaments. He represented India at the World Indoor Archery Competition 2019 in Wellington, New Zealand. The 12-year-old has entered the Asia Book of Records for shooting
the maximum number of arrows in 15 minutes.
Srinivasan’s mother straightened his coat and decorated him with all the medals he has won to ensure that her son looked like a champion as he went on the stage to receive the award from RI Director Kamal Sanghvi.
“Take care of him, he is a national treasure,” Sanghvi told the mother. Addressing the Rotarians in the hall, he said, “I feel proud of you. It’s not always money that gives you satisfaction. It’s seeing that you’re making a difference in someone’s life.” The boy’s father Gopinath, who runs an Internet centre in Kadapa, expressed his gratitude to the Rotarians and said, “I could hardly manage his school fees and the house rent with my income. I was worried that he would
I feel proud of you. It’s not always money that gives you satisfaction. It’s seeing that you’re in someone’s life.
RI Director Kamal Sanghvi
not be able to go to New Zealand. I would like to thank his coach who never charged a single rupee for his training. This award will inspire him to fulfill his dream to represent India at the Olympics and win a gold medal.”
Club President Dr Vijaya Bharathi Rangarajan said, “Every Rotarian plays a major role in ensuring that we meet our club’s goals. We have done an outstanding job last year and will continue to do the same this year too.” Over the decades, the club has funded a bevy of projects and activities including setting up of Rotary Nagar at Sembakkam, a suburb of Chennai, restoration of water bodies and the launch of the Rotary End Polio Flame in 2014.
Picture by Kiran Zehra
Rotary Garden in Ulhasnagar
Team Rotary News
Rotary Club of Ulhasnagar, RID 3142, recently renovated the Rotary Garden at the Central Hospital in the city under the leadership of Project Chairman Mahendra Khatri. The club installed two benches in the park to help caregivers of patients relax amidst the greenery. The garden wears a fresh paint and new vibrant plants of many hues that could be a feast for the eyes and soothing for the minds of anxious caregivers.
The new garden was formally inaugurated by PDG Dr Chandrashekhar Kolvekar in the presence of Club President Dinesh Dandalia and the club members.
PDG Dr Chandrashekhar Kolvekar (second from L), along with members of RC Ulhasnagar, planting a sapling in the Rotary Garden.
A hat-trick of global grants by RC Hyderabad Deccan
Rotarians of RC Hyderabad Deccan, RID 3150, recently donated a cytometer to the Basavatarakam Indo-American Cancer Hospital and Research Institute in the city. The medical equipment will be used to diagnose ‘acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL)’, blood cancer in common parlance, in children. The hospital treats about 12,000 cancer patients annually. DG (2018–19) Ramesh Vangala inaugurated the facility at the centre.
The project, costing `66 lakh, was executed with support from RC Naperville, RID 6450, USA, and TRF. Uday Pilani, IPP, RC Hyderabad Deccan, said that the
Team Rotary News
From L: Dr Subramanyeshwar Rao, CEO, Basavatarakam Indo-American Cancer Hospital, IPDG Ramesh Vangala, Sribharat, the Hospital’s Trustee, Uday Pilani, IPP, RC Hyderabad Deccan and Anu Khendry, the club’s Director-Service Projects.
cytometer services, which otherwise cost `25,000 for a sitting, will be extended free of charge to children from underprivileged families. It will help doctors to determine the
exact dosage of medication depending on the extent of the disorder in each child.
The facility will also be used by the MNJ Institute of Oncology and Regional Cancer Centre, which is the sole referral hospital that treats leukaemia in children across the States of Telengana, Andhra Pradesh and northern Karnataka.
The centre provides medical oncology and palliative care services free of cost to all patients below poverty line. More than 10,000 new cancer patients are registered every year
and 110,000 patients come for follow-up, totalling to 120,000 patients a year.
“We were on a hat-trick,” said Pilani, adding that this is the club’s third global grant project in the last three years. The first global grant project was a 12-bed dialysis centre costing `1.18 crore at the Mahavir Dialysis Centre and Gurunanak Medical Centre in Secunderabad and its second project upgraded the Rotary Blood Bank at the Challa Hospital in Hyderabad by providing a state-of-art mobile blood collection van at the cost of `68 lakh.
The cytometer to diagnose leukaemia installed at the Basavatarakam Cancer Hospital.
Ni hao, Rotarians!
IA high-five for every effort
hope you are making plans for the upcoming Rotary International Convention. Rotarians who live near the Pacific Ocean are especially excited! Next year’s event is in beautiful Hawaii, and I know everyone is eager to make the journey to that island paradise.
So “give me five” by signing up right now for the Honolulu convention if you haven’t already — and make a plan for how you are going to help The Rotary Foundation reach new heights in 2019-20. We are transforming lives everywhere, and it’s all because of you.
We remind you often about the importance of giving to the Annual Fund. These donations are making the world a better place, not just by helping to end polio now and forever. Your donations make every type of Rotary grant around the world possible.
But many of you don’t know something just as important: Contributing to the Rotary Endowment ensures our future. I hope you will consider creating your own legacy by making a gift to the endowment. The idea behind it is simple and very powerful. Rotary’s Endowment supports Foundation programmes today and into the future.
Mega plantation drive in Dehradun
Team Rotary News
AWe have a goal of $2.025 billion by 2025. We will reach that goal with your support. And once we do, amazing things will be possible. Just by drawing from the annual investment earnings, the Foundation will have about $100 million every year — year after year — for all kinds of life-changing and lifesaving projects. This will be an amazing accomplishment and will truly secure our Foundation long into the future.
This month, I want to give out two very special high-fives. The first goes to the Rotary Club of Taipei Roundtable. Members collected and donated $10,000 to End Polio Now during the installation ceremony for club president Jeff Lin. Then, during a changeover ceremony a few days later, District 3750 in Korea inducted six new Arch Klumph Society members, bringing its total to eight. Congratulations on the outstanding job by new District Governor Yun Young-Jung!
The generosity of Rotarians continues to give my life great joy and purpose, and I hope it does for you as well.
Gary C K Huang Foundation Trustee Chair
mega tree plantation was taken up at the Kusht Ashram and the Government Inter College, Nalapani, by RC Dehradun Central, RID 3080, in which over 300 saplings were planted by volunteers and students. Rotarians also took a pledge to safeguard the plants with regular watering. Club President Lt Col Manoj Gupta, Secretary Raman Vohra and Assistant District Club Trainer Sudhir Jolly among others took an active role in the green drive at the two venues.
Spreading environmental awareness on dizzy heights
Team Rotary News
Two Rotarians from Rotary Club of Cochin Technopolis, RID 3201, Vivek Prasannan and Vinu Joseph recently embarked on a motorcycle journey from Manali to Leh to study the adverse effects of climate change in the trans-Himalayan region. They experienced for themselves the sad reality of climate change affecting the entire Indian subcontinent through summers that are getting harsher and the flooding of rivers during monsoons, said Club President Jayaraj Kulangara.
During their motorcycle ride to Leh in Ladakh, the Rotarians halted at Jispa and Sarchu. Their trip involved the thrilling and scary experience of crossing some of the treacherous mountain passes in the world such as Tanglang La, Khardung La, Chang La, all of them around 17,000–18,000 ft above sea level.
On the way they saw heart-breaking sights such as beautiful hill stations and mountain passes destroyed by heavy influx of tourists during summer.
“Though the ride itself was adventurous and extremely challenging, we were thrilled to spread awareness of Rotary at such dizzy heights where we mingled with the local people,” said Prasannan. Added Joseph, “During our interaction with the locals we strived to spread awareness on how citizens need to do their bit in protecting and preserving the environment and minimising the impact of climate change, which is holding out such a threat to our world.”
Rotarians Vivek Prasannan and Vinu Joseph of RC Cochin Technopolis at Leh.
NOW! Subscribe
As
For the Rotary year 2019 – 2020 for Rotary News Print Version & e- Version
Annual Subscription ( India)
Print version ` 420/e-Version ` 360/-
(with effect from July 2019)
Print version e- Version
No. of Copies HindiTamil
For every new member the pro-rata is `35 a month.
Please attach the TYPED list of individual members with their complete address, PIN code, Mobile number and e-mail ID. Intimate language preference (English/Hindi/ Tamil) against each member’s name. Please do not send the Semi-annual Report for address list.
A one-yr-old Rotary club holds mega medical camp
V Muthukumaran
Amega diabetes and eye screening camp at Nadi Medical Centre (NMC) organised by the one-year-old RC Chennai Madhavaram, RID 3232, saw hundreds of elderly people leaving the venue with a smile on their faces, after they were given counselling, treatment and appropriate services by specialists.
All the 14 staff at NMC including nurses, lab technicians, physiotherapists and pharmacists pitched in with their efforts in screening the people who had lined up at this camp. Specialists from RM Diabetes
Education and Research Foundation (RM DERF) and Sankara Nethralaya handled the patients.
Giving an overview of the patients, Vrinda Deepak, IPP, RC Annanagar Madras, and Founder Trustee, RM DERF, said, “for every person detected with high blood sugar, one remains undetected. In fact, those with Type-II diabetes show no symptoms at all, so taking the Glucose Tolerance Test (GTT) is a must for those above 30 years.” Caring for the feet of diabetics is essential to prevent foot ulcers which may lead to amputation.
Though diabetics rely mainly on medicines for sugar control, lifestyle changes were a must to keep it in check, she said. Critical tests like Fasting Blood Sugar, HBA1c (3-month blood sugar average), Doppler and Biothesiometry studies were also conducted, followed by consultations and distribution of footwear at subsidised rates. Vrinda was assisted by Dr Anirudh Deepak from Madhav Diabetes Centre. Coupons were given to avail free consultations with a senior diabetologist later on.
Vision screening was done and eye diseases like cataract,
From R: RC Chennai Madhavaram past president N Jaideep, RID Kamal Sanghvi, PDG J B Kamdar, Marlene Kamdar and RC Madras President Dr Vijaya Bharathi at the Nadi Medical Centre.
cornea damage, retina problems and paediatric issues such as squint eye, double vision and allergy were identified and treated. “Fungus growth and eye watering are common among children due to overexposure to internet and smartphones,” said A Arockiadoss, a counsellor from Sankara Nethralya.
Joseph Bhadrachalam (59), a diabetic, was a relieved man as he a got a list of dos and don’ts, food regimen and lifestyle tips like simple exercises to keep the sugar level in check. “They asked me to drastically reduce my intake of non-veg food which is the main culprit,” he said.
Over 200 patients were screened at the mega camp, of which 185 were identified as diabetic and 78 were referred for further treatment. In the ophthalmic segment, 22 patients were selected for cataract operation, of which 10 would have free procedure at Sankara Nethralaya.
Turning a new leaf
Set up in 2010 by Pushpavati Babulal Kamdar Charitable Trust,
NMC is located on the premises of Nadi Airtechnics owned by PDG J B Kamdar, who proudly showed RI Director Kamal Sanghvi and other Rotarians the specialised wings and labs of this medical centre. “The company has grown and prospered in Madhavaram, an underdeveloped suburb of Chennai, since the1980s. Hence, we decided to give back to society what we gained from it. Besides the Outpatient clinic, the medical centre offers high-tech diagnostic services, doctor consultancy and emergency care,” said Kamdar.
Impressed by the medical camp, Sanghvi said, “Preventive care is the need of the hour and the Nadi centre is doing an excellent job of identifying medical ailments at early stages for prompt treatment and corrective action. ” He was confident that they would follow it up and build upon this successful camp for a much larger and sustained community outreach. The club hopes to organise six similar mega camps in this Rotary year.
The Nadi Centre received not less than 80 patients a day who were either treated at the OPD or availed diagnostic services at nominal charges. “But very soon, we felt the need for a volunteer group who could sensitise the people on issues like health and hygiene; and hold regular medical camps in this vicinity,” said Marlene Kamdar. As there was not a single Rotary club over a 5–6 km radius, Kamdar motivated his employees to come together to form a club and thus was formed RC Chennai Madhavaram in August 2018.
Kamdar was supported by R Ravi Shankar from RC Madras Industrial City and DGN J Sridhar in his efforts to launch a Rotary club in Madhavaram. With 26 members, RC Chennai Madhavaram had its club officers installed on the camp day with S Shankar taking over the mantle from Charter President N Jaideep. The club officers are confident of doubling the membership in the current year.
Pictures by V Muthukumaran
RID Kamal Sanghvi and PDG J B Kamdar along with RC Madras President Dr Vijaya Bharathi, its President-elect Kapil Chitale, RC Chennai Madhavaram President S Shankar, Rtn Vrinda Deepak and Marlene Kamdar at the Nadi clinic.
On Oahu’s South Shore, Diamond Head overlooks
Waikiki Beach and the Pacific Ocean.
Say hello to Honolulu, home to the 2020 Rotary International Convention. And the best way to see this island paradise? Hang with local Rotarians and Rotaractors.
Aloha Rotary
Diana Schoberg
It’s eight in the morning on the island of Oahu, and Waikiki Beach is already bustling. People are clustered in the sunny patches between the shadows of the beachfront hotels: families with toddlers dashing in and out of water; couples drinking coffee; surfers with their kaleidoscopic boards heading out to catch some early waves. Swimmers are bobbing lazily in the foam-flecked ocean or doing laps in the tranquil seas behind the breakwater known as the Waikiki Wall. The stands renting snorkels, canoes, boards, and other ocean gear have begun to open; a catamaran glides back from a morning sail. Yet despite all this activity, the only thing I can hear is the crash of the surf as it breaks upon the shore.
six-year-old daughter, Bea, rolls up her sparkly pink capris and lifts her legs high as she runs through the waves. She turns around every 50 feet to grin at me and my husband, Craig, before she starts running again, daring us to chase her across the warm sand before the waves obliterate her footprints.
This isn’t our family’s first trip to Honolulu. Bea has been asking to move here since we visited three years ago, when she fell in love with the temperate ocean, the golden beaches, and the perfect weather. When she found out we were making a return trip to the island of Oahu, she threw her arms around my left leg and squeezed, peppering my hip with kisses. “You’re the best, best, best, best mom ever!” she shouted. Who was I to disagree?
I’m with my family taking an exploratory stroll before we meet with some new Rotary friends for lunch in Honolulu’s Chinatown. Our
This trip would be a little different. This time, in anticipation of the 2020 Rotary International Convention from June 6 to 10, we were on a scouting mission, and our guides were
local Rotarians who provided us with an insiders’ perspective of this island paradise. I asked them to show us their Honolulu — their environment, their history and their culture. We love the beach, but there are other sides of Hawaii that I don’t want you and your family to miss.
At St Louis School in Honolulu, Bradford Ikemanu Lum sits at the front of a class of fifth-grade boys, pounding a gourd drum called an ipu heke . The boys chant in Hawaiian and dance, practising for a May Day performance. They’re singing a song about põhuehue vines, an indigenous morning glory found on sand dunes, that Hawaiian surfers slapped at the water’s edge to implore the gods for bigger waves. At the end of the song, Lum pounds a sharp staccato as, one
Green sea turtles, called honu in Hawaiian, are a symbol of good luck — and of the 2020 Rotary Convention.
by one, the boys in the front row squat down with their arms spread out wide. They look as if they are riding the waves themselves.
Contrary to the stereotype, hula dancing isn’t about a seductive sway of the hips; the motions go with the words of the songs. To thank them for their performance, Kanoe Cazimero chants and dances the second song of a trilogy about Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire and volcanoes. She moves her arms fluidly up and down to evoke the mountains and the sea. Like Lum, Cazimero is a native Hawaiian and cultural expert; having trained and performed hula since the age of five, she will be organising the entertainment for the Honolulu convention,
which will include a performance by her brother, the singer and musician Robert Cazimero, hailed, along with his late brother Roland, as “a cornerstone of the Hawaiian music scene.”
That the class is learning about Hawaiian culture at all is a drastic change from when Lum and Cazimero were kids. Speaking Hawaiian in schools was banned in 1896, three years after the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii paved the way to annexation of the islands by the United States. As native people were encouraged to assimilate and adopt American ways, Hawaiian culture came to be viewed as backward and exotic. “I hated Hawaiian music; I hated hula; I hated everything Hawaiian,” says
Lum. “It was because of the stigma. I didn’t want to show my Hawaiian-ness because I didn’t want to be shunned by my friends.”
It wasn’t until he was in college, where the only ethnic studies class available was devoted to Hawaii, that Lum began to embrace his native identity. Hawaiian culture experienced a renaissance in the 1970s through the efforts of people like Lum and Cazimero, sparking a renewed interest in the indigenous language, music, and art. In 1978, the State’s constitution was amended to mandate a Hawaiian education programme, as well as recognise Hawaiian as an official language of the State.
When hula class is over, Lum and Cazimero take me to the Queen Emma Summer Palace, where a cool breeze provided royalty a respite from the heat and dust of the city. On this small island, it seems as though everybody knows everybody, and we discover that one of our tour guides is the son of the president-elect of the Rotary Club of Honolulu Pau Hana, where Lum and Cazimero are members. On display is a stunning yellow and red feather cape that belonged to Kamehameha the Great, who united the Hawaiian Islands into one kingdom early in the 19th century. Hawaii had no large mammals, nor precious metals or stones, so feathers were used to display wealth and power. “Bird catchers were really important to the king and queen,” Lum explains. “Hawaiians never killed birds. They would put honey syrup on the trees, the birds would fly in it, and they would pluck the bird feathers.”
Hawaiian culture has some key values, and Lum points out, they dovetail with Rotary’s concept of Service Above Self . The concept of ‘ ohana , or family, is very important, whether that’s your blood family, your work family, or your neighbourhood family.
So is ha‘aha‘a, or humility. And of course there is aloha, which many people recognise as a Hawaiian word for both ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’. But aloha has a much broader meaning, one that encompasses love, peace, compassion, and mercy. It’s so central to Hawaiian culture that the “Aloha Spirit” — defined as “the traits of character that express the charm, warmth, and sincerity of Hawaii’s people” — was codified in Hawaiian law. “ ‘Live aloha’ is something we say all the time,” Cazimero says. “It’s not just a phrase on a t-shirt. It comes from the heart.”
The Hawaiian Islands are such a beautiful place, they have been the setting for many movies and TV shows — and Tony and Joe Gedeon seem to know the location of every one of them. As we drive through East Oahu, the father-son duo, members of the Rotary Club of Waikiki, dazzle us with nuggets from their combined encyclopedic knowledge of Hawaiian pop culture. They point out the filming sites of Magnum P.I., Hawaii Five-0, and the famous beach scene in From Here to Eternity; we see the home of Tom Selleck, the site of the Real World: Hawaii house, and Bruno Mars’ high school.
Our tour culminates in a drive through tropical jungle and a series
Poke (rhymes with OK), diced and marinated raw seafood, is a staple of native Hawaiian cuisine — though its different incarnations come seasoned with a variety of sometimes spicy-hot ingredients.
of hairpin turns to the top of Mount Tantalus, where we delight in the 270-degree perspective of the island (We made the ascent by car; more adventurous visitors may choose to challenge the switchbacks on a bicycle). From the Pu‘u ‘Ualaka‘a lookout, we can see Diamond Head, Punchbowl Crater, and downtown Honolulu — the same view enjoyed by Chad (Elvis Presley) and Maile (Joan Blackman) during their abbreviated picnic in Blue Hawaii. Hungry for a lunch of our own, we head back into town to sample some poke — diced marinated seafood. When you order, remember: Poke rhymes with OK.
Dabbling paddlers prepare to launch their oceangoing outriggers.
We conclude our day with another meal — though with its combination of food and entertainment, a luau is far more than a meal. Hawaiians might host a luau to celebrate a birthday or anniversary the way people in other parts of the country might throw a clambake or a barbecue. The luau we attend is at Paradise Cove at the Ko Olina resort in Kapolei, and we arrive as two men pull a roasted pig out of the imu, a fire pit lined with banana leaves and hot rocks. To work up an appetite, we kick off our flip-flops — slippers
in local parlance — and embark in an outrigger canoe, which has a spar or float (the outrigger) projecting horizontally from the hull to stabilise the boat in the rolling ocean. After some vigorous paddling, we pause to watch a spectacular sunset over the water.
Back on shore, beneath a glowing sky and a crescent moon, we eat a variety of traditional dishes, including the succulent kalua pig — kalua means “baked in an earth oven” — and poi, a purple dish made of taro. As a nod to this traditional family-and-friends luau, the emcee asks who is celebrating birthdays, honeymoons, or anniversaries. We see different styles of dancing from around the Pacific islands, and Bea leaps out of her seat when they ask for volunteers to hula, joining the other keiki (children) as they learn to move their hands to “stir up that bowl of poi ,” “make the motion of the ocean,” and “cast out your fishing pole and reel in your fish.” To the hypnotic beat of island drums, the evening concludes with a man twirling sticks of fire, the audience cheering as he spins and leaps and cartwheels through the magical night.
Iam inside the Honolulu Museum of Art with Tina and Christina Bui. The twin sisters are both studying biology at the University of Hawaii with plans to go to medical school, and they are co-presidents of the University of Hawaii at Manoa Rotaract Club, which they joined after several years in Interact in high school.
The Buis exhibit pretty much every characteristic of identical twins I’ve ever seen or heard: They dress alike — all in black — and talk simultaneously using the same words. Sometimes I feel as if I’m listening in stereo. “I like how quiet it is,” Tina whispers
as we examine the pieces in a room that traces the evolution of Buddhist art. “And the lighting,” Christina finishes. “Because it’s so quiet, you can think to yourself.”
The two young women wanted to show me the museum because it’s a favourite spot they like to visit with friends. As I wander about, I find myself lured into the museum’s Hawaiian room, which focuses less on historical Hawaiian artifacts and more on the way Hawaiian artists make sense of the modern world. The Buis in particular love the portrait gallery, where the juxtaposition of older and modern paintings accentuates the varieties of artistic styles. Interspersed among the indoor, climate-controlled galleries are themed courtyards that are works of art themselves; the Mediterranean courtyard, for instance, with fountains and teal tiles on the walls, and the Chinese courtyard, with a koi pond, provide museum visitors an opportunity to linger outdoors.
Clockwise: Diners enjoy an outdoor meal at the café in the courtyard of the Honolulu Museum of Art; A hula dancer tells a sinuous tale; A Kaka‘ako mural; A sample of aloha “spirits”; Colourful surfboards of varying sizes are an omnipresent reminder of Hawaiian culture; A statue of the legendary surfer Duke Kahanamoku.
Afterward the Buis take me to see some street art in Kaka‘ako, a former industrial neighbourhood about 2 miles from Waikiki now filled with craft breweries, coffee shops, restaurants, and, most famously, murals, making it a place to hang out that’s off the beaten path. “It’s young and open to everyone,” Tina says. Nearly every surface of every wall in the neighbourhood is painted with murals that range from realistic portraits to cartoon “aloha monsters.” We encounter a few tourists taking selfies — and so do we. We can’t resist.
We’re jostling with the other tourists as we listen to an audio tour and meander through the exhibits at the visitors centre at Pearl Harbor National Memorial. But as we reach the point where we stand along the shore and look out at the USS Arizona Memorial, I’m compelled to stop. I remove my headphones and shut my eyes to close off the rest of the world. I want to take a moment and try to fully comprehend the significance of this hallowed site.
This may be Oahu’s top tourist attraction — 2 million people visit the memorial annually — but it’s also the kind of place that can give you goosebumps even as you’re surrounded by strangers. It’s a solemn reminder of the tragedy of war.
But it’s also a symbol of the power of reconciliation. The Rotary clubs of Pearl Harbor and Hiroshima, Japan, formed a sister club relationship in 1982 to turn scars from the war into bonds of peace. Rotarians from the clubs visit each other’s memorial sites and plant peace trees that flourish in the two cities.
The USS Arizona Memorial straddles the submerged hull of the battleship, which sank in nine minutes
The nearly one-mile trail to the summit of Diamond Head is strenuous and steep, but the stunning panoramic views from the platform at the top of the crater are worth the effort.
during the surprise attack of December 7, 1941. The memorial was closed for repairs when my family visited. But it is anticipated to reopen in fall 2019, when visitors will once again be able to walk above the final resting place of the more than 1,000 men who died on the ship.
I wasn’t sure how much my young daughter would understand about all of this. But even Bea was moved by the sacredness of the site, and as we walked out, she held her hand over her heart.
Bea squeals at the waves crashing near the rock she’s perched on, spattering us as tongues of water
lick the shoreline. “Oh yeah, there’s a big one!” she shrieks, beckoning the water. “Come by me!” Meanwhile, Del Green, the 2020 Host Organisation Committee Chair, is pointing out the green sea turtles underwater, backlit as the sun shines behind the waves.
The excitement is contagious, and I scream too as I see an occasional flipper or head peek out of water. “They bring out the child in all of us,” Green admits.
We’re on Laniakea Beach on Oahu’s North Shore, often called Turtle Beach for the green sea turtles that feed here. The turtles, called honu in Hawaiian, reach lengths of 3 to 4 feet and weigh in at 200 to 500 pounds. You can’t miss them at the Honolulu convention: They’re featured on the convention logo.
An intrepid surfer challenges the waves on a boogie board.
Below: Along with Diamond Head, the lush, corrugated Ko‘olau mountains are one of Oahu’s two national natural landmarks.
We’re midway through our circle tour of the island with Green, a member of the Rotary Club of Downtown Honolulu, and his girlfriend, Diana Doan, who’s a member of the Honolulu Pau Hana club. When they picked us up earlier in the morning, Green and Doan greeted us by kissing our cheeks and putting purple and white flower leis around our necks, a welcome we encounter several times on our trip. Hawaiians seem to give leis whenever they have an excuse: as a greeting, a thank you, or to recognise an achievement — “to share your aloha,” Green says. Lei shops can be found in Chinatown and at the airport, and the adornments can be made with not only flower petals but also nuts, shells — or dollar bills. The host committee, Green says, is planning to have Rotarians help
make the world’s largest lei out of paper money from their countries, with the proceeds to go to End Polio Now.
As we drive from Honolulu, Green explains that people here don’t use the words “east” and “west” as directionals, as they do on the mainland. Instead they reference geographical landmarks: “Diamond Head” for east and “Ewa” (pronounced eh-va, for Ewa Beach) for west. And then there’s mauka and makai, which mean “toward the mountain” and “toward the sea.”
Along the way, we’ve passed so many gorgeous beaches that I’ve run out of colours to describe the water: It’s aqua and shimmering at a lookout past snorkeling hot spot Hanauma Bay — “Whoa, it’s like the water is glitter,” Bea exclaims — and the turquoise of a Blue Hawaiian cocktail at Sandy
The sun sets on a hidden Hawaiian cove; come June, those footprints in the sand could be yours.
Beach Park, famous for its daring, and dangerous, bodysurfing. By the time we reach the Mokupu‘u lighthouse, where visitors can take a short hike up a paved path, I’m asking around for ideas. “Cerulean?” Craig suggests. Between the beaches, we admire the majestic Ko‘olau mountains, verdant cliff faces with wrinkly folds like fingers that have soaked far too long in the tub. It’s just before lunch, and in the midday light the mountains look almost two-dimensional, as if they were a backdrop for a movie (In fact, they were the setting for Jurassic Park , among other films). Even Green, a local, stops midsentence at least three times during the drive to admire them. “Aren’t they beautiful,” he exclaims. We pass a parking barrier painted with the phrase “Aloha is
a lifestyle” — a sentiment the people we’ve met on our trip fully endorse.
After we fly home to wintry Wisconsin and Bea goes back to school, her kindergarten teacher asks her to write in her journal about our trip. This time, it’s not the beaches, the ocean, or the incredible weather she recalls. Instead, she writes about our day hanging out with Del and Diana. Even my six-year-old recognises that, as many natural wonders as the islands have to offer, the best part about a Rotary convention is the people you meet.
She thanks her district’s Rotarians for “trusting a woman to lead them.” And her husband, PDG Ashish Desai takes pride in calling himself the ‘First Gentleman of the District’. Bina Desai, the first woman DG of RID 3054, and a Rotaractor turned Rotarian, thanks him for his “200 per cent support”.
Bina shares a list of warm memories as a Rotarian. When her son Shashwat, recuperating from a ligament tear, had been to Switzerland on a Rotary programme, she was anxious. But “Rotary was there for him and made him feel at home in a foreign land. Rotarians were the first to reach out to the Gujarat earthquake victims and who can forget the intense polio eradication efforts of Rotary. The list is endless. The pin that we wear makes us stand apart,” she says.
Bina is focusing on the Avoidable Blindness project in 1,500 villages in the district. “We have included the ‘one spoon less’ campaign that was recently suggested by RID Bharat Pandya to address increase in non-communicable diseases.” She aims to increase Rotarians’ connections with each other through a special app and a special team is in place to acknowledge their ‘Induction Day’ into Rotary, “just like how we greet them on their birthdays”. ‘Rotary Yellow pages’ is another initiative that enhances connectivity among members.
She plans to increase membership by 10 per cent, but “my focus is on retention. We may get members, but it will mean nothing if we cannot sustain their interest in Rotary,” she says.
On TRF contribution, her target is $5 million. “But it is a big task. Rotarians here believe in doing big projects themselves and I have to work on their mindset to contribute to TRF.”
Bina’s son, Shashwat is a PDRR and a former president of the RSAMDIO, and daughter is member of RAC Kankaria-Ahmedabad.
Meet your Governors
Jaishree
Together we can do more
N Manimaran
Builder, RC Thanjavur South, RID 2981
For a man who “accidentally” got into Rotary in 2005, Manimaran’s love for the organisation has grown over the years to the extent that his “life revolves around Rotary now.” He recalls an occasion where an NRI friend, an Endowment donor of his club, helped a member’s daughter who got stranded in Egypt. She had lost her wallet while visiting the country. “He is based in Dubai but reached the money to her in just two hours. The network of Rotary never stops amazing me,” he says.
The collective work and team spirit are other aspects that Manimaran respects about Rotary. “When a child requires
sponsorship for education, as an individual you have your limitations. But when we pool in funds from Rotary, we can do so much,” he says.
Desilting tanks is his priority and over 100 tanks have been revived so far in the district. The DG is allocating ` 50,000 for his clubs from the DDF exclusively for upgrading school infrastructure. Conducting health camps in rural segments is also on his agenda.
He hopes to contribute $1 million for TRF. On membership, his goal is to introduce 600 new members and 100 women Rotarians.
Encouraging women in Rotary
Pandi Sivanarayana Rao
School Adminstration, RC Guntur Vikas, RID 3150
He is a Rotarian since 2001 and has inspired more members from his family to join Rotary.
Sivanarayana Rao’s wife Annapurna is a member of his club, daughter Ritcha is member of RC Aadarsh and son Tansen, a past DRR, belongs to RC Hyderabad. “He is my general secretary too,” says the proud father.
Rao’s focus is to educate farmers about essential aspects such as government subsidies, improved and modern agricultural techniques through seminars. He has urged his clubs to design projects aimed at women’s empowerment and induct more women Rotarians. “If we want sustainability in our projects, we
need more women. They will see to it that the service projects continue,” he says. He plans to introduce at least 300 women Rotarians.
On membership, he is confident of increasing the strength by 1,000 members. He plans to raise $1 million for TRF.
With the WinS programme being vibrant in the district, the DG says that along with the incoming governors, he aims to improve 1,000 government schools over three years.
His most cherished moment in Rotary was when an old woman blessed him wholeheartedly after regaining her eyesight past a cataract surgery during a camp conducted by his club a few years ago.
Promoting literacy
Gopal Khemka
Healthcare, RC Patna Midtown, RID 3250
He is excited about the varied service projects that his clubs have lined up for the community. “I like the enthusiasm in my Rotarians. Most of our projects centre around school education and sanitation,” says Gopal Khemka. He has inspired all the 102 clubs to install handwash stations in at least two government schools and create at least 100 Happy Schools in the district. He is encouraging inter-club projects worth ` 1 crore, apart from DDF or global grant support. Thirty clubs have together executed ` 60 lakh worth service projects so far, he smiles.
Khemka is encouraging women Rotarians to get involved in club activities in a big way and urging clubs to induct more women
members. His daughterin-law, an oncosurgeon, is also a member of his club. His aim is to increase district membership by 10 per cent and he has announced awards for clubs retaining up to 90 per cent of members.
He is a Rotarian since 1994 and was inspired by his business contacts. Friendship and opportunity to do service on a large scale are what he loves the most about Rotary. His most cherished moment was when he visited a school for the visually-challenged that was being supported by his club and “learnt that all the students who had passed out were wellplaced and doing well in their lives.”
Improving villages is his priority
Rajendra Madhukar Bhamre
Builder, RC Malegaon Midtown, RID 3030
He is a Rotarian since 2004.
“I tried to join Rotary in 1997 but due to some classification issues it got delayed,” says Rajendra Bhamre. He is keen on inducting youngsters below 40 as members and is also urging spouses of Rotarians to take active part in executing service projects. Most of the regions in the district are in rural belt and severely droughthit. So he is focusing on watershed management and village adoption projects. He aims to increase the membership strength by 10 per cent and ensure 100
per cent registration of members in Rotary Central. He wants each club to charter a Rotaract club, adopt one or two villages and install RCCs there.
The DG is unhappy that the district has not performed well in TRF contribution in the last few years, though the target set at the Disha meet is $400,000 this year for the district. “I have been impressing upon every Rotarian to contribute whatever they can for the Foundation during my OCVs,” he says.
Designed by N Krishnamurthy
From RI South Asia Office desk
Benefits of registering in My Rotary Club officers are encouraged to register through My Rotary to access member resources, register for convention, and manage e-mail subscriptions. Club leaders can also set club goals and report achievements via Rotary Club Central; update club membership records and club meeting day/time; submit next year’s officers list by Dec 31; update club member e-mail addresses online and access online Official Directory.
E-clubs and Rotary clubs
The distinction between traditional clubs and e-clubs no longer exists. While references to e-clubs have been removed from Rotary’s constitutional documents, e-clubs may continue to name and promote themselves as Rotary clubs that meet exclusively or primarily online.
To motivate new members, clubs can now cater to issues concerning limited time and long distances; physical meeting location is not a constraint now. Clubs can provide flexibility through actual physical attendance, or over telephone/online/through an online interactive activity. Even though it may not seem significant having these varied meeting options and flexibility, attendance requirements have a huge impact on whether a club is able to induct new members. A good exercise is to interview new members and ask them what they hope to do as a member. This will
provide unbiased information on what the members are looking for while joining Rotary.
Fundraising highlights of 2018–19 India retained its No 2 position amongst the top giving countries worldwide with a contribution of $21.4 million (unaudited figure). Seven Indian districts crossed the $1 million mark in TRF contribution. Also, 100 per cent of clubs from RIDs 2981, 3132, 3142 and 3182 have contributed to TRF. Overall 69 per cent of clubs and 23 per cent Rotarians across India contributed to TRF during the year.
AKS Members from India (2018–19) Asa Singh (RID 3132), Nihchal Irani, Amit Chandra, Taizoon Fakhruddin
Khorakiwala, Vijaylaxmi Poddar, Kishorilal Jhunjhunwala, Jetu Jacques Lalvani from RID 3141, Modern Education Trust (RID 3142), R Theenachandran (RID 3000), Ravindra Reddy Marri (RID 3150), Uday Pilani (RID 3150), D Ravishankar and Ajith Kumar Rai (RID 3190).
District Total Contribution in US$ World wide Rank 2018–19 District Governor
31903,054,3271Suresh Hari S
31412,597,2412Shashi Sharma
30111,513,9049Vinay Bhatia
Over the last few years, Rotary Foundation (India) has witnessed substantial increase in Indian grant payments which meant that we spent the available funds in the RF(I)INR account faster than anticipated. This has resulted in placing grant payment in a queue and were paid on a first-come, first-served basis when additional contributions were made and sufficient funds were available.
31311,388,29015Shailesh Palekar 32321,169,58022Babu Peram 31421,147,02829Ashes Ganguly 32011,033,16136A V Pathy
3060977,03745Pinky Patel
3150848,43754Ramesh Vangala
3170724,28575 Ravikiran Kulkarni
To meet the funding gap, an option is to disburse grant payments from the RF(I)-FCRA account to those entities/clubs that are FCRA registered (and controlled by the concerned Rotary club). We request the FCRA registered entities to share a copy of their FCRA registration /renewal letter with Rotary Foundation (India).
A life beyond
Sandhya Rao
A gift of books opens windows into a world unimagined.
One of the reasons I am a fan of M S Dhoni is that he always speaks about the importance of living in the moment. In the context of his sport, cricket, he always points out that yesterday’s victory or defeat ends with yesterday and who knows what tomorrow will bring. All that matters is being one hundred per cent in the game at this moment. This philosophy lends itself to application in various aspects of life. At the personal level, when I lost my mother recently, one thing that got me through that day was being, willy-nilly, in the moment; and there’s no reason to doubt that this is the experience of many others. It is in the context of bereavement and dealing with raw grief that a dear friend with long years of compassionate practice as a doctor in North Carolina sent me two books: Healing Grief: Reclaiming Life After Any Loss by James Van Praagh and What I Know For Sure by Oprah Winfrey. To refresh your memory, Van Praagh is a clairvoyant and spiritual medium; Oprah is a talk show host, media executive, actor and TV producer. My friend assured me
that both these authors had continued to help her through difficult and confusing periods of loss and grief.
The fact is, self-help books simply do not appeal to me, and these, in a way, are in that category: they purport to help you help yourself, at least in spirit. So it was with a great deal of scepticism that I started reading them. The motivating factor was that they were gifts from an individual whom I love and respect, and who has a scientific temper… she’s a doctor, after all.
For starters, both books are well written. Van Praagh communicates in a direct, simple manner matters that are really quite mind-boggling to comprehend. He talks about connecting with those who have passed on to another world, meaning, people who have died, in order to bring clarity into the worlds of those still living. While some of us take the phenomenon of death as a fact, there
are many who have endless questions about it and the afterlife. Why do we die? What happens after death? Where do we go after we have shaken off our mortal coils? Is my loved one safe out there? These are some of the questions that haunt parents and children and friends who have suffered bereavement. I realised this with greater clarity only after I had myself lost my second parent and begun to feel rudderless, adrift and regretful.
Reading Van Praagh, irrespective of his role as a spiritual medium, has been a calming, enabling experience, insightful yet reassuring. It has also underlined the fact that tragic loss is not necessarily tied only to death, although this may be a dominating feature. It is tied to separation, divorce, the loss of home, a painful illness, midlife crisis, aging, or even the death of pets. While his other books are more about his life and work as a clairvoyant and medium, Healing Grief focuses on the aftermath of loss, discussing feelings in detail and offering guidelines for healing at the end of each section. Although hardcore scientists would pooh pooh the definition, the word déjà vu is generally supposed to describe the feeling of having been somewhere or seen/experienced something before, of something seeming familiar and already known. Most people have had this feeling of déjà vu sometime or the other. Sometimes there’s a rational explanation for this, sometimes there’s not. For instance, you meet someone and instantly connect, almost as though you have known her from before. So, when Van Praagh writes, “From a
spiritual point of view, divorce occurs because karmic obligations between two souls must be met. Souls reincarnate together during a lifetime to fulfill a soul contract”, it makes sense in an intangible way even if you do not believe in karma or soul or reincarnation or god. This will help those going through the painful self-questioning and recrimination that follows divorce or a fallout.
The author asks his father if being old has taught him anything. “Oh, yes,” he replies. “I have had a lot of time to contemplate my life, and I keep thinking over and over again, if I only knew then what I know now. I took life for granted in many ways. One doesn’t realise how precious life is. It all goes by so fast…” When I stop to think, I wonder where all my years went, and how they sped past so swiftly.
The book also asks us to remember that love never dies, fear is an illusion, we never stop learning; you should value every moment and tell those you love what’s in your heart. We cannot control the universe but we can control ourselves, share our tears and laughter. He also suggests some exercises that could help us learn more about ourselves and negotiate grief, because grieve we must.
Oprah Winfrey’s book is more elegant in every way: it’s look, the scope of its ideas, as well as the writing. The book arose from a question she was asked by the Chicago Tribune film critic, Gene Siskel: “Tell me, what do you know
for sure?” Her attempt to answer this question invites us to share her insight from her own life about joy, resilience, connection, gratitude, awe, clarity and power.
As the back cover of the book declares, “I know for sure: Your journey begins with a choice to get up, step out, and live fully.”
Oprah’s book, like Van Praagh’s, resonates with the spirit, but unlike his, resides in this realm. It emerges from her own experiences of growing up in indigent circumstances and making a life for herself despite the odds. “Stop waiting for your husband to say ‘I appreciate you,’” she writes, “your kids to tell you what a great mother you are, a man to whisk you away and marry you, or your best friend to assure you that you’re worth a darn. Look inward — the loving begins with you.” This is exactly what Anita Moorjani, author of Dying to be Me, says in her TEDx talk about her neardeath experience. Her top five lessons about living will surely resonate, even with the sceptics: focus on love and first of all, love yourself; live life fearlessly; embrace humour, laughter and joy; life is a gift; and always be yourself.
The key to any relationship, writes Oprah, is communication. She talks about consciously taking the decision one fine day to be in touch with people in the neighbourhood, a decision that
enabled her to feel she belonged, that she was part of an active and lively community. She too talks about life being a gift and some of the things she delights in doing to celebrate this gift, such as planting vegetables in her garden, reading a great book, sleeping till her body wants to wake up, being still, expressing gratitude…
She often asked herself, in her journal, what she was afraid of: “Over time I realised that while I had often seemed brave on the outside, I had lived much of my inner life in bondage. I was afraid that others wouldn’t like me. I was terrified that if I said no to people, they would reject me. Everything I did, thought, felt, said, or even ate was connected to the fear I carried around with me — and I allowed it to block me from ever knowing who I really was.” It’s true, she says, you don’t have to prove anything to anybody but yourself.
As you read, Oprah forces you to look inward, examine your own life. It’s easier to give up than to persist, but it’s the getting “back on your feet no matter how many times you’ve failed” that’s the true measure of courage. Oprah Winfrey is an international celebrity and therefore it’s all too easy for us to dismiss what she says because we see her as this successful woman. But her journey to where she is now was long, often terrifying, and full of challenges. She started literally at the bottom. Oprah, Van Praagh, Anita… all of them come with amazing stories to share but ultimately they must make us reflect on ourselves, our own lives. That’s the true measure of a good book.
The columnist is a children’s writer and senior journalist.
RC Gandarvakottai
Bharath — RID 3000
Two electric fans and a wall clock were donated to the Mission Mental Health Livelihood Training Centre. The Centre’s District Facilitator Michael Raj, its Executive Member Maruti Mohanraj, former AG Arun Kumar and other Rotarians were present at the event.
RC Delhi Southex — RID 3011
The club members in association with the Interact Club of Ahlcon International School visited a school run by Pragati Kendra, an NGO, at Kailash Colony and distributed clothes, stationery, colourful clays and refreshments to 150 children and 15 women who are being trained in embroidery and stitching.
Club
RC Vedaraniam — RID 2981
IPDG S Piraiyon presented relief material to 35 underprivileged families at the Salt Sathyagraha Memorial Hall. The project cost `10,000 and 25 Rotarians took part in this community project.
RC Vizag Couples — RID 3020
With an aim to enhance the public image of Rotary, the club painted 64 houses on the Hanumanthawaka Junction hill with vibrant colours. Besides, the Rotary name and its logo were painted on hilltop to make them visible from the nearest traffic signal stop. The project cost `2.75 lakh.
Matters
RC Akola Midtown — RID 3030
Notebooks were distributed to students of a Zilla Parishad School at Sonala village by club members. Besides, a blood donation camp was held for thalassaemia children in the presence of DG Rajendra Bhamre. The Anns gifted home-made soaps to couples who donated blood.
RC Indore Meghdoot – RID 3040
In association with RC Indore Uptown, the club planted 200 trees at the Police Training Centre in the city. Additional SP Rajeswari Mohobia, Club President Ghanshyam Singh, PDG Lokendra Papalal and other Rotarians were present.
RC Mandvi — RID 3054
Rotarians fed 100 cows with grass to begin the Rotary year on an auspicious note. In association with students of Mandvi College and S V Arts and Commerce College, they developed a campus garden which will be maintained by the first-year students till they finish their studies.
RC Amreli Gir — RID 3060
A tree plantation drive was held at a school for the hearing and speech-impaired in the town in association with the Interactors. Club President Piyush Ajmera talked to the students on the importance of preserving the ecology.
RC Jammu Midtown — RID 3070
An awareness session on menstrual hygiene was held at a slum colony Sanitary pads were distributed to young girls after the event.
RC Chandigarh — RID 3080
A walkathon for End TB campaign was organised in partnership with the Department of Paediatrics, PGIMER at the Sukhna Lake. The institute’s Director Dr Jagat Ram flagged off the event in which PRIP Rajendra Saboo, Rotaractors, paramedics and students of Bhavan Vidyalaya, besides the public, took part.
RC Sunam — RID 3090
Over 140 saplings were planted at 13 different places including schools, park, industrial areas and other parts of the city by Rotarians who were supported by school students. Club President Yash Pal Mangla and Project Chair Devinder P Singh were present.
RC Mira Road — RID 3141
Sports t-shirts were distributed to students of Grammen Vidyalaya at Mira Gaon. They were encouraged to pursue a sporting activity for physical and mental agility.
Club
RC Ambernath Smart City — RID 3142
Under its Anganwadi Project, the club handed over its first ‘Digital Anganwadi’ near the Shiv Mandir. The project initiated by Club President Dilip Kothavade includes revamping 28 anganwadis in phase-1 by donating mattresses, education charts, dustbins and multimedia speakers, among other facilities.
RC Kadur — RID 3182
In a mega project, the club distributed 300 school bags with stationery items worth `1.5 lakh to children across eight schools in remote villages.
Matters
RC Perumbavoor Central — RID 3201
A ‘Win a Smile’ Project was inaugurated by Club President Eldho T Paul at the Asram Lower Primary School in the town during which dental kits were donated to 250 students. This was followed by oral hygiene sessions to create awareness among students.
RC Tirupur Midtown — RID 3202
More than 2,000 academic books and sports material were donated to three schools at Vellakovil town. Rotarians also planted over 50 saplings on the school campus.
RC Madras Central — RID 3232
An Annettes club was installed by Club President Sanjay Dhurka. During the installation, a video entirely shot and edited by children on water conservation was released. The theme and script were given by Annette Gouri Ravikumar with support from Ann Asha Marina, the District Coordinator.
RC Dimapur — RID 3240
The club planted over 100 saplings of fruit-bearing and ornamental trees to commemorate 114 years of Rotary’s existence. Rotarians along with volunteers took part with enthusiasm and this green drive enhanced the image of Rotary in the locality.
RC Jabalpur South — RID 3261
Rajya Sabha MP and PDG Vivek Tankha was felicitated by the club for his more than three decades of service as Rotarian towards community development.
by V
Compiled
Muthukumaran
Designed by L Gunasekaran
Sleep well... to lose weight!
Sheela Nambiar
No, this is not one of those quick fix “do these six things and you will lose 10 pounds” gimmicks. Here are six practical habits, when followed diligently, will help keep you on track for your weight loss plan and sound sleep at night which will in turn help you lose weight.
Sleep and weight are inextricably related. Without a good night’s seep, the body can’t function optimally the following day. Consistently poor sleep makes one vulnerable to heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, an ageing skin and weight gain. Sleep affects your hunger and appetite by altering the hormones leptin and ghrelin, increasing cravings, especially for sugary
high carb, high fat food, and confuses the body by making it incapable of distinguishing between hunger and fatigue. Poor sleep compromises the decision-making ability in everyday life... from finalising a deal to choosing between a good quality meal and junk food. So getting a good night’s sleep should be top on your priority list.
Here are some simple habits to be followed as your night ritual for better sleep:
Stay moving after dinner for at least 20 minutes
Plan your meals for the next day
Plan your schedule for the next day
Take a warm bath
Write a gratitude journal
Meditate or use a relaxation technique like deep breathing.
Stay moving after dinner
Most people collapse in front of the TV or even head straight to bed soon after dinner. Not the best idea. Instead why not take a walk around the house, take the dog for an outing or do some chores for about 30–60 minutes after dinner to keep your body moving. Even something as simple as cleaning the closet/ pantry, or rearranging your books is sufficient to keep you on your feet and moving. Your blood sugar stays under control when you are active post-meal rather than being sedentary.
Plan your meals for the next day
Meal planning is one of those things that needs a lot of thought and attention and is often disregarded. When you try to plan your meals in the early morning rush, due to shortage of time and the stress factor, you will not make the best choices. It is also likely you may find at the last minute that you do not have necessary ingredients to make the soup or include enough vegetables/fruits for the day.
When meals are planned ahead, even if it means doing basic prep the previous day, it leaves you a lot of time the next day for you to get ready for work or send your children to school.
chopped veggies, stored in separate containers in the freezer, helps ease the morning rush.
Very often the night sleep is affected by anxiety about the next day or even the concern of having to wake up half-an-hour early to prepare a meal. Take the stress out of the morning routine by at least partially preparing the previous night.
Plan your schedule for the next day
and needs to be not more than about 10 minutes according to a study published in Sleep Medicine Reviews by researchers at the University of Texas, Austin. They have analysed several studies done on ‘warm baths before sleep’. A warm bath before bed helps people fall asleep more quickly and sleep deeper.
Write a gratitude journal
Have a plan ready. When will you get to work? When will you cook? When do you plan to exercise? When do you plan to catch up on mails? What will you do with free time?
For example, if you eat oatmeal for breakfast, prepare it by soaking it overnight in a bowl with chopped fruit, some almond milk and leave it in the fridge for the entire family to pick up for breakfast. Just add a handful of seeds/nuts and some date syrup to sweeten, if needed, and breakfast is ready.
Keeping cooked beans in the fridge, ready to throw into a salad, or
Most often we get carried away by the gathering momentum of the day, having no clear agenda in place. Of course, things may not go exactly as planned, but at least you have a plan to stick to with the necessary flexibility as and when necessary.
People who don’t get things done are the ones that drift along with no real strategy in mind. You may get caught unawares over a couple of hours with nothing to do for instance. This is the time you will tend to snack mindlessly. Plan a catch-up with a friend you haven’t seen in a while instead, catch up on your mail, or go for a walk. Have a plan.
Late evening is a good time to ideate for the next day. It could just be a brief note in your ‘reminders’, which you refer to the following day. Doing this gives you a sense of closure for the day gone by with hope and purpose for the next day.
Take a warm bath
Taking a warm bath before bed has been found to be relaxing and beneficial for a good night’s sleep. The drop in body temperature after a warm bath is conducive for good sleep. The bath should be 1–2 hours before sleep
Research from the field of Positive Psychology has shown that writing a gratitude journal every night can improve sleep. Spending just 15 minutes writing down things that you are grateful for through the day is great for good quality sleep. Expressing gratitude, even if only in a journal, is related to having more positive thoughts, and fewer negative ones, especially at bedtime. It prevents ruminating about negative feelings. This in turn is associated with falling asleep faster and sleeping longer and better. Spend a few minutes in bed writing the journal and putting down at least three things you are grateful for every night.
Meditate or use a relaxation technique
Finally, as you lie in bed with your eyes closed, instead of letting your thoughts wander into chaos, get into a mindful, meditative state with deep breathing. Focus on just the breathing. Your mind will tend to wander and thoughts will creep in. Bring the focus gently back to your breath and watch it get deeper and slower. Meditation and mindfulness have been found to reduce stress and deep breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system which calms you down and as a result helps you get a good night’s sleep.
The author is a lifestyle medicine physician and can be contacted at sheela.nambiar@gmail.com. www.drsheelanambiar.com
Rotary News Subscription Remittances
You can pay the Rotary News / Rotary Samachar subscription online
Our Bank details:
Bank : HDFC Bank SB Account
Branch : Egmore, Chennai
A/c Name : Rotary News Trust
A/c No. : 50100213133460
IFSC Code : HDFC0003820
E mail us following details: Name of Club
President/Secretary’s name
Amount/Date of transfer/UTR Number
For physical payment by cheque or cash in bank, write Club Name only without prefixing “Rotary club of”. Eg. Rotary Club of Delhi Central should be written: Delhi Central.
On the racks
Hachette India has come out with a treasure trove of old classics under the category Hachette Essentials, which are collector’s items. Here is a taste of four great and award-winning writers — Thomas Keneally, Margaret Artwood, Alice Walker and Viet Thanh Nguyen, whose immortal works have been freshly published.
The Sympathizer
Author : Viet Thanh Nguyen
Price : `499
trapped into an unhappy marriage. But then she meets a woman who has taken charge of her own destiny and slowly Celie’s transformation begins. A global bestseller, it has inspired generations of readers. This is what the celebrated writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie says about The Color Purple: “A lush celebration of all that it means to be female, to be a black female, and like the best of celebrations, it is an honest one.”
Winner of the 2016 Pulitzer; Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction; Edgar Award for Best Novel, this is a powerful story of love and friendship, and a skilfully written espionage novel. The narrator, a Vietnamese army captain, is a man of divided loyalties, being a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist sleeper agent in America after the end of the Vietnam War. Hailed as a “remarkable debut novel” and “a new classic of war fiction”, The Sympathizer promises exciting reading.
The Color Purple
Author : Alice Walker
Price : `399
Set in the deep American South between the wars, this book relates the powerful and poignant story of Celie, a young black girl, born into poverty and segregation. Raped repeatedly by the man she calls ‘father’, she has two of her children taken away from her and is
Schindler’s Ark
Author : Thomas Keneally
Price : `999
ManyWorld War II turned into an angel of mercy. The book went on to win the Booker Prize. In 1993, when Schindler’s List was made, Oskar Schindler and his wife were named Righteous Among the Nations. The book materialised after Keneally visited in 1980 a luggage store in Beverly Hills, California, looking for a briefcase. The store was run by one of Schindler’s survivors Leopold Pfefferberg. “It was beneath Pfefferberg’s shelf of imported Italian leather goods that I first heard of Oskar Schindler,” writes Keneally. The fascinated man went on to interview 50 of Schindler’s survivors from seven nations, and the result was this gem of a classic.
The Blind Assassin
of us have been deeply moved by Steven Spielberg’s powerful film Schindler’s List, that walked away with as many as seven Oscars in 1994, including best picture, best director, best actor (Liam Neeson) and best supporting actor (Ralph Fienns). That movie was the adaptation of the brilliant book Schindler’s Ark, written by Thomas Keneally, about Oskar Schindler, a heavy-drinking, womanising member of the Nazi party. But under the dark shadow of the Auschwitz concentration camp he risks everything, including his life, to whisk away to safety the Jews working for him. And this too from right under the nose of the dreaded SS in Adolf Hitler’s Germany. It was only in 1982 that Keneally’s book brought to international attention the incredible story of this brave businessman, who
Author : Margaret Artwood Price : `499
Canadian
writer Margaret Artwood is the talented and versatile writer of some 40 works that include fiction, poetry, critical essays, and her books have been published in over 35 countries. The Blind Assassin won the 2000 Booker Prize. It is a remarkable book where Iris Chase, and her sister Laura, grow up motherless in a small town in Southern Ontario. The aging Iris recalls her life’s events and relationships, including her unhappy marriage to Toronto businessman Richard Griffen. Artwood is a remarkable storyteller and critics have lauded this book for the many layers hidden in its pages, which readers have to peel off one by one.
Compiled by Rasheeda Bhagat
From dingy movie halls to plush multiplexes
TCA Srinivasa Raghavan
Life, over 60-odd years, takes curious turns. When I finished school in 1967, I had no idea what I was going to do in college. It was the sheerest accident that I joined the honours course in Economics in Delhi University. Then, when I finished my Masters course there, I again had no idea what I was going to do next and took the first decent job offered to me as the economics editor of an MNC publishing company. That palled in a few years and I took the first decent job — at least according to me — that came my way. In 1980 I became a journalist. My father was very disappointed after I told him I reviewed English films for the newspaper. I will never forget the look of pain on his face. He was speechless with anger, which was just as well.
But I count those six movie critic months amongst the best in my life. I used to go to very spiffy little theatres for special showings at ten in the morning, yes 10 am. It was my
In Madras, there was a theatre where women would sit separately in a small section. Calcutta was better. Some of its theatres had bars attached to them.
version of going to office. During the interval they gave us sandwiches and beer. Those little theatres were a revelation. Until then all I had seen were the smelly hellholes that were Indian movie halls. They were dumps. Yet we went. The trick was to look steadfastly up at the screen, and never down because the floor was often full of litter and cigarette butts. On one famous occasion, my friend, who was scrabbling around for a dropped coin, found a set of female undergarments.
Another time, in the late 1960s, in Delhi’s oldest hall, we heard an old man tell his grandson who wanted to relieve himself, to do it under the seat. We left, thereupon. In Madras, there was a theatre where women would sit separately in a small section. Once the lights came on, a black curtain would be drawn so that the females were segregated. Calcutta was better. Some of its theatres had bars attached to them. Then there were the Services cinemas, at least in Delhi. They were simply large sheds with asbestos roofs and iron benches. In the Delhi heat, you got roasted, both from the top and the bottom.
There was also a thriving black market. Knowing an usher was a status symbol because he could always get you in for a price. In fact, some ushers in some theatres in Delhi would let in half a dozen people without tickets and then collect the money halfway through the film.
Yet we went because the movies made up for the theatre experience, including one where you had to carry your own chair in from the lot lying outside. That was for the better tickets. For the Janata Class, there were bricks — which had to be put back on the way out.
In those days the government fixed the price of entry in three or four or five slabs — front row, middle row, rear, balcony, dress circle and, of course, in a few blessed places, the boxes where you could, if she agreed, take your girlfriend.
In one theatre in Delhi there was a row with just two seats. It always commanded a premium because the ushers would buy up those seats for every show in the not-unfulfilled hope that an amorous couple would be willing to pay three times the price. But that wasn’t why we went, week after week, year after year. Before TV there was no other entertainment and place for romance.
Now most of the old movie halls have been knocked down, giving way to offices, malls and hotels. No one has mourned their passing. In their place have come smaller but plusher halls, many of them in multiplexes, which, I must admit, are far better than those smoke-filled, hot, sweaty and smelly glorified sheds of the past. Not just that: thanks to the Internet, Facebook and Twitter, everyone has become a movie critic.
In Brief
Pictures of Jupiter causes stir on social media
NASA’s Juno spacecraft orbiting our solar system’s largest planet has been sending countless breathtaking picture of Jupiter, giving researchers and space enthusiasts an unprecedented look at the mysterious planet. The most recent picture has caused a stir on social media with hundreds of people tweeting about the animal, people and objects they see lurking in the planet’s swirling clouds.
Physicist bakes loaf of bread using 4,500-yearold yeast from Egyptian pottery
An American physicist, Seamus Blackley, wanted to find out how different a bread that has ingredients from thousands of years ago would taste while compared to a slice bought at the supermarket. He baked some bread using 4,500-year-old yeast that was collected from ancient Egyptian relics. According to Blackley’s taste test, the bread from back then tastes even better than today’s.
Indian farmer wins `29 crore in UAE lottery
After failing to find a job in Dubai, Vilas Rikkala, a paddy farmer from Hyderabad, returned home with raffle tickets worth `20,000, and ended up winning over $4 million in the Big Ticket Dubai raffle. Rikkala had earlier been employed in Dubai as a driver. He borrowed `20,000 from his wife to buy three tickets under his name.
Duke of Edinburgh worshipped as God in Vanuatu village
Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, is worshipped as god in the island-nation of Vanuatu in the South Pacific ocean. Followers of the Prince Philip Movement believe the Duke descended from one of their spirit ancestors and some are convinced the cyclone that ravaged the Pacific nation in March was nature’s dramatic curtain raiser to his arrival in 2016.
Japan to create human-rodent hybrids for organ transplant
Japan Government’s Science Ministry has granted scientists permission for research to create animal-human hybrids whose organs can be harvested for people to use. Japanese stem cell scientist Hiromitsu Nakauchi, who is leading researchers at the University of Tokyo and Stanford, plans to place human cells inside mouse and rat embryos and develop animal-human hybrids with organs that can be transplanted into human patients.
Compiled by Kiran Zehra; Designed by Krishnapratheesh S
Regn. No. TN/CCN/360/2018-2020
Licensed to post WPP No.TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP-431/2018-2020
Total number of pages in this monthly issue, including cover, 84. Price: `35
Registered with Registrar of News Papers for India 3880/57 Rotary News Published on 1st of every month
