Rotary News - January 2016

RotaryNews India

January 2016

Vol.66, Issue 7

Annual Subscription Rs.420

@NewsRotary

Rotary Institute Jaipur

T

he two men who pulled off the spectacular Jaipur Institute — RI Director Manoj Desai and Institute Chair Ashok Gupta. “As RIDE, he asked me to chair this Institute and the planning began right then with friends who have creative ideas. The local Rotarians worked very hard, and after delegating a task, I gave the people in charge total freedom,” says Gupta.

Picture by Rasheeda Bhagat

Contents 28 Prepare the fireworks for TRF Centennial As the Rotary Foundation turns 100, its incoming Chair Kalyan Banerjee unveils some plans for next year.

38 WinS and Literacy will transform India

12 A treat for senses & sensibility

Right from washing hands in schools and homes to the intricacies of e-learning … it was all there at the session on WinS and literacy.

For the 900-plus delegates who attended the Jaipur Institute, it was a time for celebration and also introspection.

47 Snippets Some lighter moments from the Jaipur Institute.

52 How an RI President is selected PRID PC Thomas, who was on the Nominating Committee, shares the intricacies involved in the procedure.

70 Rotarians to the rescue in Chennai Rotary’s tremendous networking power and smart use of the social media proved a great boon in providing quick relief to flood-hit Chennaites.

77 A wildlife odyssey Photographing wildlife at the Jim Corbett National Park.

18 RI President’s Report Card K R Ravindran does some plain talking at Jaipur aimed at DGs, RCs, RRFCs, RPICs et al.

84 Binging can’t be reward for workouts Regular exercise doesn’t mean you can eat what you want.

58 Mending Little Hearts

21 Two Indian RI Presidents decorated with Crystals

On the cover: A Rajasthani folk dance performance at the Rotary Institute, Jaipur.

A heartwarming story of D 3240’s battle to save children with heart diseases.

LETTERS RI at Evanston I am a Rotarian since 12 years and am highly impressed with your visit to Evanston, the headquarters of Rotary International.

The article A taste of RI at Evanston is extremely descriptive and informative. It is an eye-opener for the readers who haven’t yet visited Evanston. Similarly your article The Lion … in his RI den is also very well written and educative.

Rtn Om Prakash Sahgal RC Bombay Midcity-D 3140 The content of Rotary News is very interesting.

The articles A taste of RI at Evanston and Salaam

Family Matters RI Director Manoj Desai’s editorial Family Matters was impressive. His narration about how a family nurtures children and stays with the members in any situation, reiterates the immense power of family. Yes, I am blessed with a perfect family and an additional gift of extended family — Rotary!

Rtn G Karthikeyan RC Mannargudi-D 2981

Gift to the world The various articles of Rotary News are fantastic. The words of RI President in his message, “We cannot fight violence with violence, but when we fight it with education, with understanding and with peace, we can truly be a gift to the world,” are very true.

Rtn D Suresh Kumar RC Rayachoty-D 3160

Captivating Stories The December issue contains as usual captivating articles, the best of which is your write-up on Vintage Rotarians. It is amazing that at the age of 100, Rtn Ramgopal Mehra desires to regularly attend weekly meetings of his club, RC Bombay Midtown. His record of hundred per cent attendance throughout the year 2014–15 is great 4 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

Chennai portraying the torrential Chennai rains, with supporting pictures, were well written. Live long … die strong for the senior Rotarians gives interesting tips to hold up the candle of good health. Rtn Ramgopal Mehra (Vintage Rotarians) inspired the readers to continue with “service above self” life-long.

The editorial in the November issue, Magic of collaboration and camaraderie, gives a good message for Rotarians. Communion is an extraordinarily intense relationship. That intensity must exist between two minds, the editor and reader, a Rotary club president and his/her team, at the same level; otherwise, communion becomes merely verbal or superficial. With rapid urbanisation, everybody wants to live a more secure life; therefore, there is more competition than ever before and feeling of camaraderie is becoming as difficult as ever.

Rtn KMK Murthy RC Kalamassery-D 3201

news to all of us. That he never attempted to become a president or get any posts in Rotary is laudable. His concern that present day Rotarians join Rotary more to improve their business interest rather than make good friends and provide service, is disturbing.

Your article Salaam Chennai gave the readers an insight on the sufferings experienced by the people of Chennai.

The student community was also able to find many ways to help the affected people. The part played by the Rotary clubs, Rotarians, Rotaractors and Interactors throughout Tamil Nadu has been significant. Hats off to all of them for their spirit of service!

I appeal to you that when you and your team work so hard to present a good publication with great diversity, please ensure that the magazine is delivered regularly during the first week of every month. We have to wait every month for 10–15 days to get the magazine. In our present era, nothing is impossible. Thank you, Rasheeda Bhagat, for bringing such inspirational news and valuable content. Wish you and your team a very happy new year.

May everyday of the New Year glow with good cheers and happiness!

Rtn R Srinivasan RC Madurai Midtown-D 3000 The article on Rtn Ramgopal Mehra was truly vintage and inspiring. His candid statement — ‘Rotary First’ has to be followed. I reckon he is one of the only Rotarians who is completing a centenary of living. Let’s salute him and his

LETTERS indomitable spirit in business, life and Rotary. The article on Leelaben was also very thought-provoking.

Rtn S Natanagopal RC Madurai West-D 3000

efforts to present a valuable and extremely interesting magazine.

Rtn Dr Dikshit RC Patan-D 3051

It was a pleasure going through the December issue.

I sincerely hope that the article Vintage Rotarians inspires some Rotarians who blame their old age for not attending the club meetings.

PDG Dr Shirish Sheth RI District 3140

Raja Saboo - an inspiration

I was very happy to receive my copy of Rotary News.

Moreover, I was pleasantly surprised to read the article on Grooming leaders by Selvi. It was covered in an excellent manner. On behalf of RC Mangalore, Interact Club of Sharadha Vidyaniketan School and its Principal and management, I thank you.

Rtn Vinod D’Souza RC Mangalore-D 3180 I am a regular reader of Rotary News for the past many years. The changes that you have made in various aspects of the magazine are noteworthy. The most significant change I noticed is the abundance of Rotary information. I love reading articles related to Rotary dignitaries on diverse topics. You have a wonderful team and I congratulate you and your team for putting in their best

In 1978, I was pinned by PRIP Rajendra K Saboo, who was the Governor of RI District 3090 at that time. In 1990, as a GSE member, I again met Raja Saboo at the RI office at Evanston. I was so motivated by him that I initiated a new club — RC Nabha Greater.

Rtn Ashok Jindal RC Nabha Greater-D 3090

Twinkle in the eyes of Leelaben Twinkle in the eyes of Leelaben (Dec ‘15 issue) is a classic example as to how TRF funds can be effectively utilised for tribal development and women’s empowerment. It is gratifying to note that the lift irrigation system built out of TRF funds has transformed a poor village, and the venture has arrested the migration of labourers to cities, allowed multiple cropping, enriched the soil through natural fertilisers, trained villagers in modern farm techniques, and empowered women like Leelaben. I congratulate RC Baroda Metro and you for publishing such a success story for other Rotary clubs and Rotarians to ponder over.

Rtn K Rajamohan Rao RC Surathkal-D 3180

Salaam Chennai How very true is the statement in the editorial, “Your passion and dedication can take not only you but also others to great heights.” I have personally experienced this and can vouch 100 per cent for this statement.

Your immediate coverage of the floods in Chennai makes me feel proud to be a fellow Rotarian. But please don’t forget Cuddalore, where our Rotarians have done very commendable service.

The cover page of the December issue — Doing good with TRF — where both the current and the incoming Chair are all smiles, gives us a feeling that, “We are in safe hands.”

Looking at RI Director Manoj Desai with the Dholak is great! Honouring unsung heroes was another piece that touched my heart, so did Leelaben and what she has done for the tribal fellow citizens.

Unless you bring their stories to us, we would be blind to such good acts! These people inspire us to do still better work on our part. Thank you Rasheeda!

Your team is doing wonderfully well. Let me take this opportunity to wish you and everyone at Rotary News Trust a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Rtn Nan Narayenen, RC Madurai West-D 3000

We welcome your feedback. Write to the Editor: rotarynews@rosaonline.org; rushbhagat@gmail.com JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 5

Board of Permanent Trustees

Governors’ Council RI Dist 2981

DG

Dr Gunasekaran Chinnathambi

RI Dist 2982

DG

R Vasu

RI Dist 3000

DG

R Theenachandran

RI Dist 3011

DG

Sudhir Mangla

RI Dist 3012

DG

Jitender Kumar Gaur

RI Dist 3020

DG

M Jagadeeswara Rao

RI Dist 3030

DG

Dr Nikhil Arvind Kibe

RI Dist 3040

DG

Sanjeev Gupta

RI Dist 3051

DG

C A Lalit Sharma

RI Dist 3052

DG

Pradhuman Kumar Patni

RI Dist 3053

DG

Anil Beniwal

RI Dist 3060

DG

Parag Sheth

RI Dist 3070

DG

Kuldip Kumar Dhir

RI Dist 3080

DG

David Joseph Hilton

RI Dist 3090

DG

Dharam Vir Garg

RI Dist 3100

DG

Suneel Kumar Gupta

RI Dist 3110

DG

Sharat Chandra

RI Dist 3120

DG

Ved Prakash

RI Dist 3131

DG

Subodh Mukund Joshi

RI Dist 3132

DG

Dr Deepak Prabhakar Pophale

RI Dist 3140

DG

Subhash Kulkarni

RI Dist 3150

DG

Gopinath Reddy Vedire

RI Dist 3160

DG

Dr Gautam R Jahagirdar

RI Dist 3170

DG

Shrinivas Ramkrishna Malu

RI Dist 3180

DG

Dr A Bharathesh

RI Dist 3190

DG

K P Nagesh

RI Dist 3201

DG

Kamlesh V Raheja

RI Dist 3202

DG

George Sundararaj

RI Dist 3211

DG

C Luke

RI Dist 3212

DG

J Navamani

RI Dist 3230

DG

C R Raju

RI Dist 3240

DG

Chandu Kumar Agarwal

RI Dist 3250

DG

Dr Bindu Singh

RI Dist 3261

DG

Rakesh Dave

RI Dist 3262

DG

Sibabrata Dash

RI Dist 3291

DG

Jhulan Basu

PRIP PRIP PRID PRID PRID PRID PRID PRID PRID RID

Rajendra K Saboo Kalyan Banerjee Sudarshan Agarwal Panduranga Setty Sushil Gupta Ashok Mahajan Yash Pal Das Shekhar Mehta P T Prabhakhar Dr Manoj D Desai

RI Dist 3080 RI Dist 3060 RI Dist 3011 RI Dist 3190 RI Dist 3011 RI Dist 3140 RI Dist 3080 RI Dist 3291 RI Dist 3230 RI Dist 3060

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (In addition to Board of Permanent Trustees)

DG Chandu Kumar Agarwal

RI Dist 3240

Chair - Governors Council

DG C R Raju

RI Dist 3230

Secretary - Governors Council

DG Subodh Mukund Joshi

RI Dist 3131

Secretary - Executive Committee

DG Dr Gautam R Jahagirdar

RI Dist 3160

Treasurer - Executive Committee

DG Sudhir Mangla

RI Dist 3011

Member - Advisory Committee

ROTARY NEWS / ROTARY SAMACHAR Editor: Rasheeda Bhagat Senior Assistant Editor: Jaishree Padmanabhan Send all correspondence and subscriptions to ROTARY NEWS TRUST 3rd Floor, Dugar Towers, 34 Marshalls Road Egmore, Chennai 600 008, India.

Phone : 044 42145666 e-mail : rotarynews@rosaonline.org Website : www.rotarynewsonline.org

An appeal In view of the unprecedented havoc caused in Chennai and tens of thousands of people losing their homes and livelihoods, Rotary has rushed relief, beginning with food, provisions and clothes to thousands of people. Now it is time for rehabilitation. A Committee has been formed to overlook this. Many Rotarians from across India, some even from the UK, have asked how they can help. Your contributions can be sent by Cheque drawn in favour of RI District 3230 (2015-16) Flood Relief Fund or by direct transfer (Details on page 10).

This issue has additional 8 pages to cover the Jaipur Institute in detail. Coverage continues in the next issue.

From th e E d i t or ’s Desk

Gender sensitivity at Jaipur

F

irst of all a very happy New Year to all of you and your families from the RNT Team.

When you attend an event in Jaipur, India’s Pink City, you expect colour and spectacle, grandeur and glamour, folk music and dance in the finest and fanciest costumes that their royal Rajasthani heritage allows the artistes. But what I was not prepared for at the Rotary Institute, Jaipur, which greeted all the delegates with the traditional Padharo Mhaare Des welcome, was the grace, elan and finesse with which the entire six-day event was planned and executed. Each delegate entering the inaugural session at the Birla auditorium was welcomed with a colourful bandhni chunni; at the Bardia Villa, the men got a colourful safa and the women vibrant pink stoles. The vintage car rally, the polo match, the colourful extravaganza at the City Palace, and of course the delectable cuisine — the sheer variety and the challenge of serving it piping hot at 10 deg C was commendable —, not to mention the two welcome kits packed with goodies bang on Christmas eve!

The Institute had its share of interesting speakers, but what registered and reverberated the most and warmed my heart was an iconic Rotary event, focused on training and creating leaders of tomorrow, having such a strong focus on the girl child.

Addressing the meet, Princess Diya Kumari, a BJP MLA in the Rajasthan Assembly, appealed to Rotary to support her endeavour to combat female foeticide in Rajasthan. And in an evocative dance performance at the inaugural session, the young dancers made a poignant and passionate plea to the community to allow the girl child to live, telling the parents that she will surely make them proud. Outside the main hall, impressive posters had been put up to celebrate the girl child, and also warn against child marriage, trafficking in women and the dangers of sexual violence against women. In one poster against female foeticide, the little girl says: Khushi ke geet gaati hu; Ghar ki raunak badhati hu;

Mat maro muje; Mei peedhiya aage badhati hu. (I sing songs of joy; I light up your home; Don’t kill me; I take forward generations.”) Another one in the womb tells her pregnant mother: “Don’t kill me on somebody’s instigation.”

India cannot afford to ignore the gender discrimination and insensitivities which are so rampant in our society, particularly in the Hindi heartland. Our sex ratio has consistently fallen over centuries to hit a low of 928 women for every 1,000 men in 1991, before improving slightly to 933 (2001) and 940 (2011). But Rajasthan’s sex ratio is lower at 928. It was worse at 910 in 1991, and 922 in 2001. But what is worrying is that the child sex ratio (0–6 years) has registered an alarming fall from 909 in 2001 to 883 in 2011, strongly indicating female foeticide. This is well below the Indian average of 915 in 2011; here too the picture is grim — our overall child sex ratio has fallen from 927 in 2001 to 915 in 2011.

Surprisingly, a developed State like Gujarat is worse than Rajasthan, having a sex ratio of 918. But what takes the cake is our Capital Delhi, where the sex ratio is at a pathetic 866, though it has improved from 821 in 2001. But Kerala (1084), Tamil Nadu (996) and Andhra Pradesh (993), give us reason for hope. From Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen to many other distinguished writers, researchers and media publications, articles have been written about the millions of missing Indian women/girls over the decades. It is difficult to digest the fact that a country that has traditionally put its women on the pedestal has also killed millions of them. But what is impossible to come to terms with is how affluent India kills its daughters. Full marks to the Jaipur Institute for highlighting this abominable blot on our social fabric.

Rasheeda Bhagat

JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 7

President Dear Fellow Rotarians, There is a story told in my Hindu tradition of two sages, Shaunaka and Abhipratari. They were worshippers of Prana, the wind god.

One day, the two men were about to sit down to lunch when a poor student knocked on their door, asking for food.

“No, boy, do not bother us at this hour,” was the reply. The student was surprised but very hungry, so he persisted.

“Tell me, honoured sirs, which deity do you worship?”

“Prana, the wind god,” they answered impatiently.

“Do you not know that the world begins and ends with wind, and that wind pervades the entire universe?”

The two sages were by now very irritated by their impertinent guest.

“Of course we know it!” they replied.

“Well, then,” continued the student, “if Prana pervades the universe, then he pervades me also, since I am but a part of the universe. He is also in this hungry body, which stands before you begging for a bite to eat! And so in denying food to me, you deny it to the very deity whom you say you serve.”

The sages realised that the student spoke the truth and invited him to enter and share their meal. For they understood, at that moment, that by opening the door to one who sought their help, they were not only serving that individual — but reaching towards a larger goal.

Our experience of Rotary is, for the most part, based in our own communities. We meet every week in our clubs, in the same places, with the same familiar friends. While almost all of us are involved in some way or the other in international service, the Rotary we see and share from day-to-day feels very local. It can be easy to lose sight of the larger picture — of what our service truly means.

Every impact you have as a Rotarian, individually and through your club, is multiplied by the power of our numbers. When you feed one person who is hungry, when you educate one person who is illiterate, when you protect one child from disease, the impact may seem small. It is anything but. For it is only through the power of numbers, through the power of our individual actions and gifts, that we can have the impact we seek: to truly Be a Gift to the World.

KR Ravindran President, Rotary International 8 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

Speaks

W

elcome to 2016! Sharmishtha joins me in wishing you and your family the very best. During Jaipur Institute, we celebrated as a family. There was participation of all districts as well as neighbouring countries. Their presence and whole-hearted participation proved that Peace is Possible. Kudos to chairman Ashok Gupta and his team for giving us such a wonderful Institute.

New year resolution Let me come to the point — this month is now designated for Vocational Service. I have expressed my views on this subject earlier so without repeating that, I reiterate the importance of vocational service. Our unique feature is our classification system. It helps us to have members from different classifications, which gives the club its Diversity, and much needed Value.

Another point I would like to make is value of VTT in place of GSE. The needs are many in all developing countries. Why are we not taking advantage of this just like GSE? Rotary can do wonders with VTT. Please read the article in the December issue of Rotary News on my club’s project at Katarvad village. This has changed lives of the villagers, all of them tribals.

Rotary changes lives! If all Rotarians focus on their vocations and provide some free service, we can change many lives. This is the reason why in the 21st century, engagement is a better word than only attendance. Am I expecting too much? Not really friends. After doing so many free operations for polio affected, I wonder…

• Can’t educationists take care of children of slums in their own areas?

• Can’t chartered accountants be serving on 3H cadre and make an impact through vigilant stewardship?

• Can’t engineers be available for disaster management and rehabilitation?

• Can’t journalists make changing lives through Rotary the talk of the town?

• Can’t our peace scholars prove peace is possible?

• Can’t those in IT make an impact through media, particularly social media?

• Can’t industrialists make a model for CSR usage through Rotary and help WinS and Literacy?

Friends, it is not difficult. Just take the first step by promising yourself — that you will give 10 per cent of your expertise for society! Hope is alive because you choose to spare a few minutes to read my views and many of you send feedback every month!

Manoj Desai Director, Rotary International

Providing

Service

An appeal from District 3230 Governor C R Raju T

he District is faced with a natural calamity of huge proportions and I am happy to report that relief and succour has been provided

by Rotarians, Anns, Annets and Rotaractors who have been collecting relief material, organising community kitchens, overseeing operations and distributing food and other material for over a fortnight.

Now is the time for Rotarians to rise to the occasion and provide further relief to the needy.

We have met the Chennai Corporation Commissioner, who has appreciated our help in distributing the much needed Revival Kits to the beneficiaries. He says over 2 lakh such kits are required. We have set up a large facility to organise, pack and distribute 50,000 Revival Kits directly to the beneficiaries under D 3230’s Revive Chennai Programme.

Helping hands: Revive Chennai Programme Chairman Muthu Palaniappan (Left) and RC Madras Central President Ravi We’re also tying up with EQUITAS, one of Kumar distributing shelter kits. the largest Microfinance companies, to take care of the logistics in distribution. The News 7 Tamil For Foreign remittances (under FCRA rules) Channel is partnering with us.

Rtn Muthu Palaniappan (98410 72520) and his team Please instruct your banker to remit the amount in USD are coordinating this initiative. The cost of one kit is Rs to JP Morgan Chase Bank, 270 Park Avenue, New 3,300 ($ 50). Total funding required is Rs 16.5 crore or $ York, NY-10017, USA. Swift Code: CHAS US33 2.5 million. Each contribution of Rs 3,300 ($50) will make Credit to Account 001-1395969 of Canara Bank, International Division, Mumbai, India. a difference to one family.

I request your help to mobilise funds and identify donors SWIFT CODE: CNRBINBBBID for funds or material for this noble task. Contributions will For final credit to Canara Bank, T Nagar Branch, Chennai. be individually acknowledged. The team is already coorBeneficiary details: RI District 3230 ROTARY CENdinating with various vendors to source the material. The TENARY CHARITABLE TRUST A/c No. 0917201009086 donors will get acknowledgement with photos of recipients. With instruction to send SWIFT MT 103 To Canara Bank, ForEach kit will have the Rotary and the Theme logos, and eign Department, CNRBINBBMFD donor Rotary Clubs/Corporates can add their own logo as All donations will be duly acknowledged. appropriate.

Information regarding contributions may be sent Next, we plan to rehabilitate and restore lost livelihoods. to: District Secretariat: RI District 3230, No. 6/2, South Avenue, Srinagar Colony, Saidapet, Chennai – 600 015, Contributions can be sent by cheques drawn in favour of Tamil Nadu, India.

RI District 3230 (2015–16) Flood Relief Fund, or sent by direct transfer to Bank A/c. No.1651155000040284, Support required: Karur Vysya Bank, Saidapet Branch; IFSC Code: Clubs wishing to help are requested to join the District’s Revive KVBL0001651 MICR Code: 600053046 Chennai programme. They can directly distribute kits to or beneficiaries.

Rotary District Charitable Trust; Bank A/c No. Rotary leaders can forward these details to their contacts to 1651155000034621, Karur Vysya Bank, Saidapet support this initiative. Organisations or NGOs with substantial Branch, IFSC Code: KVBL0001651 MICR Code: funding contribution can be co-branded for this initiative.

600053046.

Send communications to revivechennairi3230@gmail.com IT deduction 80G is available for this donation.

Let us join hands and put our best foot forward to mitigate Please send Name, Address and Pan no. the suffering of the poor and the needy. Be a Gift to the World.

10 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

Let’s end polio forever T

he Commonwealth Heads of Government Meet (CHOGM) 2015 on the theme — Adding global value — was hosted and chaired by Prime Minister of Malta, Joseph Muscat, in the last week of November at Malta. The event brought together the Commonwealth governments to discuss programmes for continued universal commitment to effect a positive influence on important global issues.

At the press conference held to highlight the progress of eradication of polio, RI President K R Ravindran joined UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and

Polio eradication requires limited investment, but yields infinite returns.

L to R: RI President K R Ravindran, Commonwealth Secretary General Baroness Patricia Scotland, Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Prime Minister of Malta Joseph Muscat.

Prime Ministers of Australia, Nigeria and Pakistan and Foreign Ministers from Nigeria, Canada and Britain in committing to end polio.

The UN Secretary General cited three reasons for the success of polio eradication; the primary one being the work done by Rotary International whose convention he had attended, witnessing firsthand the excellent work done.

Excerpts from RI President Ravindran’s remarks at the press conference: I thank Prime Minister Joseph Muscat for the great initiative he has taken and am gratified by the abundance of support promised by the Commonwealth leaders towards our common cause — eradication of polio.

In 1988, inspired by the work of Rotary volunteers, the governments of the world made a promise to eradicate polio. Today, that work is known as the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which I am here to represent — a partnership between Rotary and WHO,

UNICEF, US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and national governments and agencies.

Polio cases are at historic lows, but the need for vigilance is greater than ever. We are playing for stakes that are incredibly high, and our target is microscopically small. Until we find every last poliovirus, and vaccinate every last child, our immunisation, surveillance, monitoring, staffing and infrastructure must be robustly maintained.

We face a funding gap of $ 1.5 billion to reach our shared goal: a world forever free of polio and a financial investment quickly recovered. Eliminating a disease completely is the ultimate in sustainable development: a limited investment that yields infinite returns.

The true cost of polio is measured not in dollars, but in lives. Let us seize this opportunity and rise to our responsibility of protecting all children — our children — forever. It’s one of the greatest gifts we will leave for this world.

JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 11

ROTARY INSTITUTE

- JAIPUR

A treat for

senses & sensibility Rasheeda Bhagat

For the 900-plus delegates who attended the Jaipur Institute, it was a time for celebration and also introspection.

RI President K R Ravindran and spouse Vanathy arrive at the inaugural of the Rotary Institute in a vintage car.

1122 RROTARY OTA O OT TA T AR RYY N NEW NE NEWS EWS JANUARY EW JJAN JA A AN NUA UAR U AR A Y 2016 20 016 166

A

t the colourful Rotary Institute in Jaipur, India’s Pink City, Institute Chair and PDG Ashok Gupta and RI Director Manoj Desai had on offer a complete treat for the senses … of sight, taste, hearing, touch and smell. Petals from fresh and fragrant flowers decoratively lined up the corridors of the venues at which different events were organised, beginning with the glamorous and historic City Palace.

Whether folk dances or fashion shows, folk music and peppy Bollywood numbers that had Rotary leaders led

by RI President K R Ravindran, General Secretary John Hewko, and Desai, burning the floor with some innovative moves, the 900-plus delegates must have returned home thoroughly entertained. Not to mention the two huge pink bags filled with goodies … “gifts galore,” as put by incoming TRF Trustee Chair Kalyan Banerjee.

But when a pinch of grace is added to generosity, you get a surprise little edible gift delivered every evening to your room… pista-elaichi til papdi, Gujarati Khakras and Ghevar, the Rajasthani sweet delicacy.

Add to this senior RI leaders led by President K R Ravindran brought to the Institute venue, the Birla auditorium, in a vintage car rally, and a golf tournament between a local team and RI President’s team, followed by two enchanting evenings in seductively lit up palaces with the

finest of traditional Rajasthani and Gujarati food, and you get a complete picture of the spectacle.

But lest you think it was all colour, finery and fluff, or “sound and fury signifying nothing,” let’s come to the innovative ideas and serious and solid business that was conducted at the Jaipur Institute.

My Voice My Vote One of the most notable of these was the My Voice My Vote initiative, specially conceived by Desai “to keep a close watch on the changing trends and find out first hand what our Rotarians and their leaders in the Districts want.” Through electronic voting metres specially acquired from Mumbai, 272 participating PDGs voted on burning questions and tricky issues exercising the Rotary world in India.

These pertained to the DGN Pilot, election complaints, attendance requirements, innovations and above all membership, and how to attract young members or Gen-next.

Later Desai said, “In an era, when a smart phone lasts only for six months or so, and things get outdated so fast, we cannot continue with age-old practices and have to keep track of changing trends and innovate accordingly.”

He has promised the participants that their views will be taken seriously and if they want changes which are for the good of Rotary, “they will be carried out during my term as RID. That is my promise to you.”

Addressing the inaugural session, he said 900-plus registrations showed the tremendous faith Rotarians had placed “in Ashok (Gupta) and his team.”

At the last Institute held in Jaipur, which was in 1995, exactly 20 years ago, “I was sitting as a rookie on the last

When a smart phone lasts only for six months, and things get outdated so fast, we can’t continue with age-old practices and have to innovate.

JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 13

Many delegates heaved a sigh of relief that instead of the same old video introductions of Rotary leaders, they were treated to 90-second video clips on projects.

row, and the Convenor then was Kalyanda. So I thought let’s go back to Jaipur.” Of course another strong reason was Gupta, who is the Vice Chancellor of the IIS University, and is known for his tremendous organisational capabilities.

The RI Director said that his strategic planning and Vision 20:20 seminars in districts where he held “troika meetings” (with the DG, DGE and DGN), had been “highly successful.” Earlier that morning, after the Vision 20:20 session, votes were taken on 5 core values and the number one selected was service, followed by integrity.

Report card on membership, TRF, WinS “You also voted for projects over politics,” and agreed that strategic planning will definitely give India a better public image. Already, over 3,800 new members had been added, and this amounted to a fourth of the world figures on new members till date. He congratulated PDGs Vijay Jalan, Basker, Bharat Pandya and the membership team and the present DGs for this feat.

On the Foundation front, India stood at the fourth place and all attempts should be made for the third slot, Desai said. “In annual giving, we are on par with last year, but on polio we have given more this year till now.” He patted the RRFCs and the DGs for creating a new milestone this year — 14 Arch Klumph Society members, and 308 major donors.

On public image, he said Rotary was now capturing the minds and hearts of the community through “innovative ideas and fantastic projects.” District 3140 DG

(From Right) RI President K R Ravindran, PRIP Rajendra K Saboo, TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta.

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Subhash Kulkarni had entered into an agreement with the Indian Railways for cleaning up Mumbai’s platforms.

District 3131, had built over 1,000 toilets blocks under WinS in 6 months, “and have signed an agreement with the zilla parishads to build 10,000 toilet blocks.”

Desai said keeping in mind Rotary’s profile in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka, he had chosen the theme of this Institute as Dare, Care and Share. “We all reach out where no one else dares to go and make a difference in people’s lives. There are phenomenal examples, as you saw in the 90-second videos presented.”

The videos presented included postearthquake relief and rehabilitation in Gujarat; tackling post-Tsunami challenges in Sri Lanka; building schools after floods in Uttarakhand, and more recently, building homes and schools in Nepal after the earthquake.

Rasheeda Bhagat

Dare, Care and Share

(From Left) RI President K R Ravindran, PRIP Rajendra K Saboo, PRIP Kalyan Banerjee.

90-second videos For the next three days, 19 video clips titled KISS (Keep it short and simple), and each only 90 seconds, were screened, a couple before the beginning of each session.

Those earning accolades included WinS by District 3262,

Most of us have spent our time in hotels and airplanes, our diary is not set by geography or convenience, we simply go where Rotary needs us.

Malawi Medical Mission by D 3080, TB Bhagao by D 3140, and Happy Schools by D 3261.

Many delegates heaved a sigh of relief that instead of the same old video introductions of Rotary leaders who really don’t need introductions, they were treated to these crisply made visual delights.

Providing a bird’s eye view of recent Rotary initiatives in India, Desai said Rotary has wholeheartedly joined the Swachh Bharat initiative and committed to the Government to build 10,000 toilet blocks in the first year.

“We’ve also committed to HRD Minister Smriti Irani to send 1 lakh children back to schools. Chairmen for the three initiatives — Trustee Sushil Gupta for WinS; PRID Shekhar Mehta for Literacy and PRID Yash Pal Das for the Uttarakhand schools — had to be applauded for their leadership and passion, he added.

Of course, Rotary in India couldn’t have managed all this and more without the “wisdom and guidance of our two PRIPs Rajendra K Saboo and Kalyan Banerjee.

I salute them for inspiring us in different ways of caring, and assure them that Rotary’s Rapid Response will be started this year.”

Rotarians believed in sharing what they had and had taken the initiative to partner with Corporates to use effectively their CSR funds. A few examples were JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 15

Thumbs up for the organiser I

f the majority of the 900-odd delegates at the Jaipur Institute were overwhelmed by not only the colour and sparkle of the Jaipur Institute, but also its meticulous planning and execution, the credit goes to Institute Chairman Ashok Gupta.

So how did he swing this mega event so beautifully?

“The moment I was asked by Manoj Desai, when he was RID-elect, I started planning with a group of friends who have creative ideas.

Desai came to Jaipur many times and we had many committee meetings, but ultimately the local Rotarians worked very hard,” he says.

But as was amply evident, Gupta admits that the biggest support base and strength “that led to the successful culmination of this event were my colleagues and students at the IIS University (of which he is the Vice Chancellor.” None of the programmes, including the fashion show or colourful cultural events, were presented by professionals. Everything was done by our students.” Incidentally, all 5,000 of his students are Rotaractors.

College buses — 27 of them — were pressed into service to transport the delegates, but what stood out was the thought that went into making special wooden step-ins to facilitate the non-College age group to get in and out of the buses without too much trouble!

Problems such as vehicles not allowed right inside the city palace, where the opening night

I was relaxed because I had delegated responsibilities to my teams; I gave them total freedom but said give everything a personalised touch.

Institute Chair Ashok Gupta and RI Director Manoj Desai.

dinner was hosted along with a spectacular fashion show, were sorted out thanks to Princess Diya Kumari being Gupta’s close friend. What came in for special mention all the time was the delicious food … its quality and sheer variety. While the focus was naturally on Rajasthani and Gujarati food, “we made sure that even South Indian and other food items were included so that everybody felt they had something from their region,” said Gupta.

Looking at his relaxed body language — Gupta was rarely seen rushing anywhere or agitated — nobody would have guessed he had been sleeping barely 4-5 hours every night. When I point it out, he grins: “I was relaxed because I had delegated responsibilities to various teams; I gave them a rough idea but said you have total freedom to do it the way you want … only give everything a personalised touch.”

L to R: PRIDs Ashok Mahajan and Sudarshan Agarwal, PRIP Rajendra K Saboo, TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta and PRID Y P Das along with delegates at a session.

TCS pitching in Rs 2 crore for several initiatives in District 3131; the Bajaj Group donating money for WinS; a meaningful literacy partnership with Magsaysay awardee Shanta Sinha.

Rotary has already begun a new initiative called ‘preferred partners,’ he said, adding, “under Ravindran’s leadership we have done a lot and everyone will remember his as the year of change, courage and conviction.”

Rotary in India unique

Addressing the inaugural session Ravindran thanked the organisers and participants for making him feel at home; “coming to India is anyway half home for me.” But more important, “there is nowhere in the world where Rotary happens the way it does here, and where senior Rotary leaders play such a critical role in the Rotary projects.”

While under Banerjee and PRID Mehta’s leadership, 60,000 adults had been made literate and 25,000 children are going back to school; PRID Das had himself made numerous trips to Uttarakhand where 25 schools had been completed.

While Trustee Gupta led the WinS initiative from the front, PRIP Saboo, “who should have retired 25 years ago, and his good lady (Usha Saboo), go to the most desolate places in the world” for their medical camps. What stumped him was how on earth they managed food in African countries “being such staunch vegetarians.”

“But this is what makes our region so rich, so good. Most of us have spent our time in hotels and airplanes, our diary is not set by geography or convenience, we simply go where Rotary needs us and where we can do our best,” he added.

Pictures by K Vishwanathan Piping hot masala chai and fresh bhel puri to beat the chill.

Designed by Krishnapratheesh JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 17

RI President’s

Report Card Rasheeda Bhagat K R Ravindran does some plain talking at Jaipur aimed at DGs, RCs, RRFCs, RPICs, et al.

A

t the Jaipur Institute, amidst all the colour and dazzle, glitter, grace and glamour, RI President K R Ravindran struck a serious note at the outset by presenting his halfyearly report that detailed a serious dent in RI spends, and warned Govp ernors to be timely in submitting their accounts. th eir ei ir ac acco coun untts. ts

After his nomination and acceptance, once things began to sink in, he realised that “unlike politicians I’d have to deliver on the promises I had made — meritocracy in appointments, cutting costs and adding value to Rotary y membership.” p The ggood news is that from last year itself he started cutting costs. cu u ttttin t iinn g co cost stss . “As st As President-elect P re resi side si dent de nt -ee le lect ctt From right: RI President K R Ravindran and RI General Secretary John Hewko.

I came in almost $200,000 below budget. So I can now ask others to cut costs too.”

This year, half way into his term, Ravindran is at only 27 per cent of his budget. “The (Seoul) Convention is coming g and costs may y ggo up, p but I’m pretty certain that I’ll come in well under unde un derr bu de bbudget.” udg d et e .”

Some cost saving measures *

Board meet days reduced from 5 to 3, but an extra meeting added to “better evaluate our performance.” * Spouse travel no longer sponsored

by RI; directors on boards of corporates don’t get this perk, so why should Rotarians pay us to take our spouses to Board meets, asks Ravindran. * President’s Reps will no longer get visa, parking or other fees, for which last year RI spent $93,000.

They’ll get return tickets and that’s it; “if you don’t want the job, we’ll find someone else to do it.”

Crème de la crème Top professionals on RI panels: Peter R Kyle has a background in corporate law. Oversaw privatisation and financial sector reform in the World Bank. He continued his Rotary experience by involvement in Alumni activities, was co-chair of Peace Symposiums and is current Chair of the Rotary Peace Centers Committee.

John C Matthews has HR and risk management experience working at Costco. He has served as President of Costco Foundation.

Jeroen van der Veer of Den Haag, Netherlands, is the former CEO of Royal Dutch Shell and Vice Chair of Unilever. He is the Chair of Philips, ING Group, and a government institute on promoting and founding technical colleges in the Netherlands.

Thomas J Wilford, with a background in management information systems and finance, was CEO of the $1 billion J A and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation, a Managing Partner with Ernst & Young.

Meritocracy Selection committees have been set up for appointments to various posts and the “basket opened up to attract professionally qualified people. I started with training leaders and then Trustees.” For Trustees, he only defined the regions from where they should come. “This is the single most important thing that an RI President does; and I was accused of abdicating my responsibility. I said if this abdication is for the good of Rotary, so be it.

I don’t want to cling on to that power.

The Trustees, the selection committee came up with, are excellent, and will do good for Rotary,” he said.

Ravindran added that Presidentelect John Germ had gone a step ahead, and in the July issue of The Rotarian, vacancies for various committees such as finance, audit, etc had been announced. “You don’t need anyone’s recommendation; you just apply.”

Professionalising Rotary’s management The result was 900 applications for 120 jobs; “this way we are getting the cream of the Rotary world.” Some of the committees have the most talented from the American corporate world and top professionals from Wall Street (see Box). “And that’s what I ask of you as leaders of your districts. Don’t appoint your friends to committees just because they are friends or helped you win an election. Make them your advisors, invite them home, give them food or drinks, but don’t put them into slots just because they supported you, because ultimately you are destroying yourself.” He too had been accused of “discarding” his friends, but if “my friends wanted me as President just to support them, they aren’t even my friends.”

The worst way to cut costs is by cutting staff salaries or increments. They are the ones to deliver; if you demoralise them, nothing will happen.

Horses for courses This English phrase should always be kept in mind, Ravindran said, giving the example of a Rotarian who was sent to a top US District. “He is a good man and would have done well in some districts, but there he was totally out of place. He not only ruins the conference; he also destroys the name of your country. Because people will ask, ‘Is this the best material that India can send?’ You must think of that when you say give him a chance.”

Returning to cost cutting, the RI President said that having cut costs at the top leadership level, it was possible to seek RI staff’s help to cut costs. Fortunately, RI General Secretary John Hewko was “extremely proactive and carries the baton on my behalf.” The worst way to cut costs is by cutting staff salaries or increments. “That is nonsense. Because people who run companies know that if you want to deliver, they are the people who’ll do it. You come up with the vision, but they implement it, so if you demoralise them, nothing will happen. And it is very small savings.”

So after assuring the staff that their salaries will not be cut, and in consultation with them, all contracts are being re-negotiated “to try and find savings from a pencil upwards JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 19

to software. And I am pretty sure that this year our staff will bring in substantial savings, well in excess of $1 or 2 million.

Giving an example of cost cutting, Ravindran said he wanted Stanford University to do a course for RI on managing non-profits, including the responsibilities of RI Directors. The price quoted was $100,000 “which we can’t afford. So we went to Kelloggs (North Western University) and others and while Kelloggs and another one quoted $50,000, the third quoted $25,000. RI returned to Kelloggs with an offer of $25,000; I said at the most they can say no, and we’ll come away after a free cup of coffee!”

Surprisingly, two weeks later, Kelloggs agreed to $25,000. By a sheer coincidence he met its top honcho a few days later, and he said: “So you are the guys who made us come down to $25,000.

We’re happy , ppy to work with Rotary now and in the future. I know that John Germ is also moving in the same direction.”

Governors cost RI $10.5 million every year, and RCs, RRFCs, RPICs, etc $2.4 million; that has been slashed by two thirds.

But, warned Ravindran, all these savings did not mean extra money; “we are on a hand-to-mouth existence; don’t mix up between TRF and RI money!

At RI we need funds to modernise and upgrade.” If he had his way, membership dues would be hiked to $100 from the present $57, even if membership dips a little. “We’ll have quality members and enough money to give you for the service that you look for.”

Value to Rotarians The RI President reminded DGs that RI spent $10.5 million annually on them and they had to deliver. All Board members were measured by KPI (key performance indicators) on membership and TRF goals, youth exchange programmes and visits to districts. “Manoj (Desai) is far ahead of all the other Directors in this.”

Now that the RI Board was being evaluated every three months, “there is no place to hide. They have to deliver.

And I expect them to chase their governors to do so and the governors to work with their presidents in the same way. The thinking on the top should trickle down to the bottom like a well-oiled machine.”

He also warned DGs about submitting accounts, of which one copy goes to RI. Those who default on this will “not be eligible for assignments, or any Rotary awards.

My advice to governors

is if you raise money from anybody for anything, consolidate and present your accounts … we are watching. You have to give accounts to the Rotarians for all the money you’ve raised from the public.”

Coming to RCs, RRFCs, RPICs, etc, these cost the RI exchequer $ 2.4 million a year. “We’ve reduced this by two thirds because we now bring them only for the first year of training.

Letters have gone out to them saying if you don’t hit your numbers, you will be changed, even those appointed for three years. So we are working to ensure that your money is being utilised to the optimum.”

To those complaining that the $57 RI dues are too high, Ravindran reiterated that “if they can’t afford this much, they belong to the category Rotary serves. If you can’t afford $57 dollars a year, I don’t think you should be in Rotary.”

Having said that, he added that actually the cost of Rotary goes up because of DGs and club presidents; “you have PETS, pre-PETS, pre-prePETS, District election, Treasurer election and so many other meetings.

All these are not prescribed by RI. You get to a point when people don’t want to become presidents because there are so many district meetings and they have a job or profession. This is something governors need to watch.”

The Board is now looking at transformational issues, and electronic voting with no hanky-panky was one of them, he concluded.

Pictures by K Vishwanathan Designed by N Krishnamurthy

Two Indian RI Presidents decorated with Crystals Rasheeda Bhagat

“

“

A

little before the Jaipur Institute was being wrapped up, RI President K R Ravindran sprang a surprise. Briskly walking up to the podium, he made an announcement about the two senior Indian Rotary leaders he admired — Past RI Presidents Rajendra K Saboo and Kalyan Banerjee, “who have been striding this land and these zones really like lions.”

On behalf of RI and the RI President’s office, he presented them with crystals “we normally reserve for heads of States. I think these people are higher than any heads of States.”

Coming down from the stage to decorate them, he said, “Raja Saboo in my view is the tallest Rotarian; don’t go by his 5ft-something height.” If at all he had a fault, it was preventing Ravindran from being “a billionaire. He pulled me out of my business to do all this Rotary stuff, otherwise I would have been a very rich man.” But he added, he was “richer in heart now.” Saboo was not only a principled man who walked his talk, even 25 years after his presidency, he continued to be active “when I am hoping to retire in June 2016. Imagine the kind of conviction he has for the work he does. Of course he is nothing without the good lady beside him, who I refer to as the Mother Teresa of Rotary — Usha Saboo.”

Ravindran revealed that a few years ago, when he was dining with both of them and Usha Saboo, his

Ravi said that I was a man

of few words; today I have lost even those few words.

– Kalyan Banerjee putting in his name for the RI presidency was discussed and they advised him to wait for a year. “She listened to them, and said: ‘Ravi, put your name in now, this year.’ And both these gentlemen kept quiet.” And of course, he won!

Man of vision

Kalyan Banerjee, said Ravindran, is a man of great vision.

“He doesn’t speak much; I sit on the Board with him. When he leans forward, people listen. He has got a vision and an ability to empower people who want to work for him; he has done it in his company (United Phosphorous), and he has done in Rotary. (PRID) Shekhar Mehta works the way he does (in literacy) only because of Kalyan’s vision.”

An overwhelmed Saboo, cleared the lumpp in his throat and was able to say little beyond, “Thank you Ravi, this gift of friendship is truly a gift to the world. God bless you.”

Equally emotional, Banerjee added, “Well, Ravi said that I was a man of few words; today I have lost even those few words.” But this “amazing” honour made him even more proud at that moment to be a Rotarian from India and Asia, “as I stand with two of the giants of Rotary in our part of the world, and you are our strength.”

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A wish list from

Raja Saboo Rasheeda Bhagat The Past RI President tells 900-odd Rotarians how to dream and aim high.

W

hen asked too spell out his vision for Rotary during the Vision 20:20 Strategic Planning lanning Seminar at the Jaipur Institute, e, PRIP Raja Saboo said he wanted to present not his vision statement but his wish-list.

While the term m 20:20 could be interpreted in many any different ways, he would take it as the year 2020.

“And for me, 2020 20 is coming up so fast. When I think in terms of whether I’ll be still around, you can bet I will,” he said, amidst thunderous underous applause.

If he was required uired to justify this wish, he’d do so by going back to one of his medical missions ns in Africa where an old man was being operated for cataract.

“A reporter asked why are you doing surgery on a man who is 104 years old.

Why are you wasting ng your money?”

Will I still be around in 2020?

You can bet I will be around!

And I want to see Rotary beyond that!

22 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY UARY 2016

Saboo told him it was a good question deserving an answer which would be got from the old man. “But before that let me tell you we will not refuse cataract surgery to anyone who comes to us.”

The question was put to the old man through an interpreter and he said for last 25–30 years he had not seen the calendar. “He also said that the world had given him so much that before he departed from this world, he wanted to see that world once again. Then I could see the tears trickling down the cheeks of that reporter.”

But “with me, it’s a different case.

I have been seeing Rotary all these years and I want to continue to see it.

Until 2020. But that’s not the ultimate, I want to see it beyond that also; 2020 is not my ultimate goal!”

Nobel Peace by 2020 Saboo said he firmly believed that by 2020, actually a year earlier and by 2019, “hopefully we will have a poliofree world. But by 2020, my vision or wish is that Rotary International will get the Nobel Peace prize. Because you and Rotary deserve that, and because no organisation has achieved such a goal.”

50 Districts His next wish was that by 2020, Rotary India would have 50 Districts. “Shekhar Mehta talked about the possibility of getting 55 Districts. But I think we can certainly get 50, though not 55.”

I wish each Rotary District from India will participate in medical missions in Africa or India, being involved in some hands-on activity.

Once this happens South Asian Rotarians’ voice will be heard much better at RI. “It is not the RI Directors from India who are going to reach the voice of South Asia to Rotary International. It will be voice of the 50 people going to the COL and no Board can ever ignore the voice of 50 people in the Council.”

The Past RI President said that he had done nine or 10 COLs, where “we first had 25, then 30, 31, 32 people.

Nobody bothers about it. We are also known for bickering and politicking in our districts. But the only way we can raise our image and be heard by the Rotary world is when we have 50 districts. And I assure you that once that happens you will have two permanent seats on the RI Board and your voice will certainly be heard at the RI. How you achieve it, you will have to figure out.”

Sort out election issues But, warned Saboo, Indian Rotarians would also have to figure out “how you can reduce election issues in your districts. As though becoming the District Governor or the RI Director is the last word in Rotary.”

His vision or dream was also related to a literate India. Under PRIP Kalyan Banerjee and PRID Shekhar Mehta’s leadership, attempts were being made to work for a literate India by 2017. “I know that we will not be able to achieve total literacy by 2017. But I know that by 2020 Rotary would have made a serious and significant impact on illiteracy in India and will be recognised as one of the agencies that brought that significant achievement in the country.”

Another item on his wish-list was Swachh Bharat, of which Rotary’s WinS was an important component. Rotary had undertaken to build 10,000 toilet blocks in Government schools each year, “and if we continue that, we would have covered 40,000 schools by 2020. Just imagine the impact we will make.”

Rapid Relief Response But one of his most precious dreams, for which he sought the attention of RI Director Manoj Desai, was to start working on Rotary’s rapid relief response.

Every year, this region was seeing one natural disaster, if not two or three. “But we don’t have that ability to immediately send relief to the distressed people. We are good at rehabilitation, but now the time has come to develop the manpower, material and resources that are necessary for such an immediate response.”

Medical Missions Another wish was that each Rotary District from India would have JANUARY 2016 R ROTARY NEWS 23

members participating in medical missions either in Africa or within India.

“And I do hope that each one of us is involved in some hands-on activity.

Be a volunteer if you are not a doctor.”

Saboo said that while popular topics of discussion among Rotarians were issues such as membership or elections, “can we think that every Rotarian who has been Governor and

above in protocol will give 10 days in a year to do hands-on service? Just imagine the impact this will create.

Extend yourselves in service, dirty your hands … don’t just be a serviceman sitting on the table. This way you will enhance Rotary’s image.”

He also urged Rotarians to give their time in training young leaders through as many RYLA events as possible. And

I wish we Rotarians on our own develop a code of conduct on how we behave and think in terms of high ethical standards in our lives.

Extend yourselves in service, dirty your hands… don’t just be a serviceman sitting on the table. then some day in the near future, “we can have a Rotary leadership seminar every year along the lines done by the Hindustan Times, India Today etc. We can do this under the Rotary News Trust, perhaps in Delhi, and get the cream of the country’s leadership at the highest level … industry, business and different professions and even bring in people through video conferencing from around the world. Just imagine where this will take the image of Rotary.”

Saboo added that he was also looking at Rotary picking up another disease that it can eliminate by 2020.

“Let’s not forget that measles immunisation in South India was the forerunner to polio; if you work on this you’ll be able to add your tag to this disease along with polio.”

He concluded with the best of them all: “I also wish that we Rotarians on our own, and not imposed by the RI Board, develop a code of conduct for ourselves … how we behave and think in terms of high ethical standards in our businesses, professions, relationships and friendships.”

As Edmund Hillary said, he added, “it is not mountains we conquer, but ourselves.”

Pictures by K Vishwanathan Designed by N Krishnamurthy

24 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

Towards a clear Rotary Vision Rasheeda Bhagat

I

n a conversation PRID Shekar Mehta, who is the Chairman of the RI strategic planning committee, and RI Director Manoj Desai, demystified at the Jaipur Institute all things related to Vision 20:20 and Strategic Planning.

purpose and one big audacious project that can lift up the organisation in a big way. Polio has happened; what next?

Indian Rotarians are geared up for WinS and literacy but not everywhere. So we need a clear vision and what to focus on next.

Shekhar Mehta: What is Vision 20:20?

SM: So what is strategic planning?

Manoj Desai: In ophthalmology this refers to perfectly clear vision.

Wherever we go people are asking us what after polio? So when I say Vision 20:20, it refers not only to clear vision but also to long term planning with a clear vision. And its three vital components are value,

MD: This is for where we wish to be in 3–5 years. This is the first attempt in Rotary India for such a vision plan. RI President K R Ravindran and President Elect John Germ too liked and encouraged the idea and we changed from the Foundation seminar to the Vision 20:20 seminar.

From Left: PRID Shekhar Mehta, PRID Panduranga Setty, RI Director Manoj Desai.

SM: I thought I was the chairman of the strategic plan committee! But anyway, tell us what do you do when you visit the districts where these seminars are held?

MD: I am adding accountability to my job as RI Director. Instead of when and if invited, I visit all the districts, where a Troika meet is held with the DG, DGE and DGN, each for 30 minutes and then a joint meet to chart out a plan for the district.

If we see the last five years’ achievements in the districts, we find a zigzag pattern. I’ve found that our individual and group behaviour is not the same. If we look at individual professionals, the graph in our careers is a continuous high.

But when so many brilliant professionals

steadily. At the club level too, at Rotary Club Central, benchmark your goals. My request to incoming DGs is that if you don’t have a strategic plan, go and make it, put it up on your website. And the same goes for clubs. In two to three years I promise you will see a huge difference.

PRID Shekhar Mehta.

come together why should it not be the same for Rotary?

SM: That is what the strategic plans committee expects everyone to do.

The RI strategic plan is different from that of the clubs or districts. But how many people are aware that their district has a strategic plan? I can see 10 hands going up. We can’t have zigzag patterns with priorities changing. So how to develop a district or club strategic plan is the question.

Districts will have to chalk out their priorities over the next 3-5 years and ask is there an action plan?

An implementation plan? Have you identified where the resources will come from? If you do, document that and let the people know. If the membership is now 3,000 and in the next three years you want it to be 4,000, what will be the pegs on which this will be marked? Similarly on TRF and WinS goals, as well as literacy… how many people do you want to empower? If all this is documented, that is your strategic plan, and you need to sync that with the umbrella strategic plan of RI. Once you have such a plan, there will be no zigzag on your performance charts and you will move forward

As individual professionals, the graph in our careers is a continuous high. But with so many brilliant professionals, why should it not be the same for Rotary?

26 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

MD: Our four major verticals are to support and strengthen clubs, focus and increase service, improve our public image, and the fourth and most important one is financial discipline.

At the October RI Board meeting we have decided that all the Governors are expected to submit audited accounts… let me repeat, independently audited accounts, of money received during their term. It may be for TRF, conference, Foundation schemes or whatever money that comes from RI. And every three months. By Sep 30, if you haven’t submitted these accounts, you will receive a notice from the RI General Secretary John Hewko, and two things will happen; the rest of the money won’t come and you will not get any assignments till you clear this.

SM: Ravindran (RI President) was mentioning that at the Rotary International level, he, John Germ (RIPE) and Ian Riseley (RIPN) are absolutely in tune with their thoughts and processes.

Just imagine if the same thing can happen at the District and club levels the results will be phenomenal. This is our great opportunity. People are leading by example, right at the top and they are setting benchmarks. So DGs, DGEs and DGNs, please discuss this among yourselves. If you work like this, it will mark a sea change in the way we approach our outlook. Think not of your year alone but the next three, five or even 10 years, if you have the ability to do so.

So Manoj, how many Districts have you visited so far, and how many you plan to visit this year?

MD: Sixteen so far; all 36 by the end of this (Rotary) year.

If Governors don’t submit accounts, the rest of the money won’t come and you will not get any assignments.

Director. It is time we had two permanent directors, but that cannot happen by wishful thinking.

RI Director Manoj Desai.

SM And the next year?

MD: All of them again.

SM: This man has some energy, this is not only quite a task, but it also requires meticulous and structured planning. So a lot of sightseeing on the side, I suppose!

MD: Hardly anything have I seen.

SM: India is doing pretty well as far as membership, Foundation and public

image are concerned. Don’t go by the polio ads; meet any Government officials anywhere in India and they are aware of the work Rotary has done as far as polio is concerned. But the question is are we being represented well in the world of Rotary? Do we get our voices heard well at the COL? The answer is No. So is there something you can do about it? There are 25,000 or maybe 35,000 Rotarians in Brazil and they have always had an RID. From India we have 1.58 lakh Rotarians and we still have only one

We deserve to have 55 people representing us at the COL; if you had so many people, we would certainly have two Directors from India.

MD: I hope, not ‘permanent’!

SM: Well, okay, I’ll say a permanent seat for a director. But this is possible only by you. We have so many large districts. We deserve to have 55 if not 60 people representing us at the COL, and if you had so many people there, we would certainly have two directors. And going by the contributions we make and the projects we do, we also need two trustees on TRF. So we have to work towards bifurcation of the districts.

Also a question is soon going to come up at the next Council meet.

What after polio? That was the question we discussed after the last strategic planning meeting. Is there going to be a single project that RI will take up or will we focus on all six core areas that we have. This is also something that you need to think of not only at the district but also the clubs level. If an opinion comes bottom upwards, we will get to know the feel of the Rotarians.

So let South Asia get its voice heard!

Pictures by K Vishwanathan JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 27

Prepare the fireworks for

TRF Centennial Rasheeda Bhagat

This Foundation works in every country of the world in every aspect of human life … health, education, hunger, home and human development.

W

e are just six months away from setting off the fireworks to celebrate the century of one of the greatest Foundations that exists on earth today,” said PRIP and incoming TRF Trustee Chair Kalyan Banerjee, addressing the Jaipur Institute on Doing good in the world.

Rotarians have ample cause to be proud of TRF; “after all which other Foundation is 100 years old, works in every country of the world, takes care of, or tries to, all aspects of human life, whether it is health, education, hunger, home or human development. We leave out nothing.”

Even though TRF ranks among the top five in the world, in its global impact, both short and long term, it probably outdoes all other Foundations in the world, said Banerjee. “Which other Foundation has brought our world on the brink, the very cusp, of getting rid of one of the world’s deadliest diseases, one which has lasted for almost 6,000 years? Which other Foundation works hand-in-hand with governments, individuals, corporates, NGOs, with anyone and everyone to make one fifth of the world fully literate, safe and healthy,” he asked.

Reaching out Banerjee said TRF was unique in that “it asks for our money, demands our time, exercises our imagination to fully utilise and stretch our resources to do good for people, solving problems that don’t really concern us directly.”

For example, polio doesn’t really threaten Rotarians’ families, nor do they have problems in sending their children to the best 28 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

schools. “Each of us has enough water in our homes for all our needs, and a little more to water our gardens/flower pots as well. So why do we all feel so excited and elated when we spend our money to look after people who don’t have all this,” he asked.

The obvious answer was the happiness it brought them to help others. Banerjee related a World War II story as told

by Past RI President Bob R Barth (1993–94) about an event he had attended in Germany in the early 1950s. Those were uncertain times and young Europeans had gathered to talk about their future, and speaker after speaker talked about the meaninglessness of their lives, when they knew that all that they had … homes, careers, families … could be destroyed at any time by forces totally beyond their control. So why marry, why have children, why raise families if everything could vanish and be destroyed in a flash, they asked.

Which other Foundation has brought our world on the cusp of getting rid of one of its deadliest diseases, one which has lasted for almost 6,000 years?

A Nazi prisoner One of the attendees at that seminar was Professor Victor Frankel, a Jewish psychiatrist, who had survived four years at a Nazi concentration camp. He was asked the purpose of life and Frankel replied that at that camp he had spent four years not knowing if that day would be his last, and he’d be sent to the gas chambers the next morning. “But after a few days of feeling hopeless, I took to comforting other people in the camp, people who were sick, had lost their loved ones, or knew they had little hope. Then it hit me like a flash. I really saw that life itself has no meaning or purpose unless you care for someone and make him value his own life so he wants to live on.”

Relating this story, Barth added, “I think that’s why we all love Rotary. It is Rotary which often gives us a

reason to exist, to look forward to tomorrow. Just as Swami Vivekanand said, they only are alive who live for others.

The rest are more dead than alive.”

This principle, embedded in Indian culture and ancient values, was also the Rotary principle. He was happy that RI President K R Ravindran in his “highly acclaimed speech” at the World Parliament on Religions had talked in detail about Vivekanand. The latter’s guru, Ramakrishna Paramhams, had said that when you serve mankind you serve the almighty better.

“Someone had once said that in Rotary, serving mankind is our business.” This year is the 99th year of TRF and the TRF annual fundraising goal is $130 million and total fundraising goal $220 million. Along with President-elect John Germ, TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta and senior RI staff, some months ago “we thought the next year’s target needs to be something that brings out the best in us in our Centennial year.”

No figure or target was too high, said the incoming Trustee Chair, and referred to a poem which had been handed out in the welcome kit. “Challenges are high, dreams are now. The world out there is waiting for you.

Dare to dream, dare to fly. No goal is too distant, no star is too high.”

Start planning for TRF Centennial Urging the assembled Rotary leaders to start planning for the TRF Centennial and make an early start, Banerjee said JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 29

Soch me badlav When you ask me for my vision, I try to imagine the vision of other countries, their problems and how to manage them.

“So when you ask me for my vision, I try to imagine the vision of other countries, their problems and how to manage them … systematically, cogently and of course successfully. It’s going to take some doing, but with a bunch of committed Trustees, who are also visionaries, I hope we’ll find more solutions more quickly.”

Reiterating his favourite phrase: ‘One size does not fit all,’ he added that our main challenge is to bring about soch me badlav (change our mindset), as Amitabh Bachchan says in the ad to promote agriculture.

On his vision for TRF’s 100th year, incoming Trustee Chair Kalyan Banerjee said different countries would look at it differently.

US American Rotarians could move to a higher level of giving … “half to one million dollars, and then link it to maximum tax benefits” which are possible in the US. And then extend TRF support to projects in Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala or Panamas; “places close to you which you can visit easily and see what they’ve done with your money.”

Africa African Rotarians would hope for greater support from TRF “because in your country the needs seem never to cease; actually, they are increasing.” As many African Rotarians were also part of the government, now that polio had been done with, they could look at malaria or the ever-rising tuberculosis.

South Asia Rotarians in South Asia — India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka — have come together to do many things — literacy, safe water, TB prevention. In the last, DG Subhash Kulkarni was doing “tremendous work,” getting another District involved too.

An affair to remember TRF Centennial Convention would be held in Atlanta, and “I hope many of you will be there. It will be an affair to remember, I promise you that.” Promotion committee members and PDGs Ashish Roy and Vinay Kulkarni were coaxing more people to attend it.

A highlight of that Convention would be a Peace Symposium with a difference. Along with the Jimmy Carter Peace Foundation headquartered in Atlanta, and the City Council of Atlanta, TRF was trying to rope in a few Nobel Peace Laureates for that conference. “We are still working on it; if that happens, it will be an event you may never see again.”

Another aspect of his vision was “how do we make it a year which is special and stands out. Can every club everywhere take up a project to enhance its community, a project that is known, seen and appreciated? The size or amount doesn’t matter; what matters is that it makes a difference,” Banerjee said.

Whether it is inculcating a traffic sense in the young, sinking tube wells in drought-prone areas, helping children of farmers who have committed suicide, “you have to move quickly to see how you can mitigate their suffering and trauma. So let each club have a Centennial project that leaves a mark, makes an impact. If we do that, we’ll make our Centennial a very special year,” he added.

Incoming TRF Trustee Chair Kalyan Banerjee and TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta.

the goal for India this year was $27 million. He hoped in the coming year Indian Rotarians would raise the Indian per capita average of giving to $100. “I know this is a challenging goal, but I am available and totally at your disposal to help you achieve it. We will need all hands on deck for this.”

I hope many of you will be there at the Atlanta Centennial Convention. It will be an affair to remember, I promise you that.

He also cautioned districts to sort out stewardship issues (misuse of TRF grants); those with Pakistan had been resolved with the help of the Pakistani delegates at Jaipur. “I thank them for this. Some Indian districts too have got involved in this issue. Let me tell you that on issues of stewardship, the Trustees will come down like a ton of bricks whenever required.”

As the Centennial approached, the Trustees were looking at two things — building low cost shelters using global grants, and reviewing Rotary peace scholarships.

Peace scholarships being reviewed After 17–18 years of awarding peace scholarships the question begging an answer was if “our peace programmes are really helping to promote peace or promote only more peace scholars! Does the process need to be reviewed and reset? These are important issues, given the tremendous donor support for it from all over the world.”

Wrapping up his vision for TRF’s Centennial, an animated Banerjee told the 900-odd delegates: “This is what we are and this is what we do. So get set, go home and get the fireworks ready. We are going to make it a year mankind will remember forever.”

Pictures by K Vishwanathan Designed by Krishnapratheesh JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 31

Jaipur moments

Dhol baje: RI President K R Ravindran, Institute Chair Ashok Gupta and Sharmishtha Desai in a drumming mood.

Happy Birthday: Sharmishtha Desai claims the first dance with RI Director Manoj Desai, the birthday boy.

Pappad and more: D 3000 PDG C Basker having a tete-a-tete with D 3230 PDG ISAK Nazar.

Solidarity: PRIP Rajendra K Saboo seems to be assuring incoming Trustee Chair of TRF Kalyan Banerjee of all possible support next year.

Dilli talk: TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta (right) with PDG Vinod Bansal.

San Diego beckons: Spouses of incoming Governors practice dance moves for the International Assembly.

Bansuri time: RI Director Manoj Krishna ... err ... Desai strikes a Krishna pose.

Guru and sishya: D 3230 DG C R Raju with his District trainer and PDG Krishnan V Chari.

Grace personified: Sharmishtha Desai, a trained Bharatanatyam dancer, leads the dance at the Bardia Villa.

That’s so funny: Seoul Convention Committee member and PRID Sangkoo Yun shares a lighter moment with Margarita Hewko.

Selfie time: Two Taiwanese delegates capture themselves dressed in Rajasthani finery.

Treasure trove: Shanthi Raju (spouse of DG C R Raju) is all eyes as Rotary’s first lady Vanathy Ravindran rummages in her hand bag.

A royal ride: RI Director Manoj Desai accompanied

by Sharmishtha Desai and son Sapan Desai arrive at the inaugural in a vintage car.

A majestic moment: RI General Secretary John Hewko and spouse Margarita Hewko share a moment with the decorated elephant.

Two visionaries: PRIP Rajendra K Saboo engages Sandra Shroff, Vice-Chairman of UPL Ltd., in a conversation.

Gangnam style: RI President K R Ravindran and RI Director Manoj Desai present their own version of the famous Korean dance.

Kem chho!: D 3060 DG Parag Sheth (left) with PDG Ashok Panjwani and Meera Panjwani

Beyond literacy: PRID and RILM Chair Shekhar Mehta and spouse Rashi Mehta.

Pictures by K Vishwanathan and Rasheeda Bhagat Designed by Krishnapratheesh

WinS and Literacy will transform India Jaishree Right from washing hands in schools and homes to the intricacies of e-learning … it was all there at the session on WinS and literacy.

M

oderating ng the session Swachh Bharat, arat, Sakshar Bharat, Samriddha Bharat, arat, PRIP Rajendra K Saboo lamented ed that even educated people are careless reless about keeping their surroundings ngs clean. Relating an incident wheree a Rotarian at an airport thoughtlessly ssly dropped a chocolate wrapper on n the floor, and when another person picked it up to throw it in the dustbin, n, without any show of remorse, he mocked ocked at the latter’s sensitivity advising g him to let it be as it is the job of the cleaner! Though these are governmentt schemes, the total success depends on the involvement of each individual. l.

Talking on n hygiene practices in schools, PRID and WinS Committee Chair Sushil Gupta upta said it is important that we change ange the mindset of people to make these programmes successful. uccessful.

While Rotarians ans are doing a commendable mendable job in constructing ting toilets in schools, “after a couple of years, s, when you visit the school, chool, you’ll find them in a dysfunctional ional state. That is why I insist on encourouraging behavioural ral change among ng students.” Group up hand washing, an important commponent of WinS, nS, 38 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

Once they are used to clean toilets and clean habits in the school, they will insist that at home; this will put an end to open defecation.

– Sushil Gupta

should be actively encouraged; it will protect children from diseases, reduce absenteeism and enhance literacy in schools. Rotary clubs must ensure that children take home the message of cleanliness and hygiene. “Once they are used to clean toilets and clean habits in the school, they will insist that at home; this will put an end to open defecation.”

At the Chennai Declaration Rotary had planned to take up 10,000 schools a year for two years, “but now Saboo is saying that he wishes to see 40,000 schools strengthened under WinS by 2020.” The programme is in place in 4,000 schools so far. Gupta complimented the performance of the South Zone, with special recognition for District 3211 for adopting 1,001 schools.

He also praised Districts 3131, 3250, 3262, 3240, 3291, 3011 and 3012 for their efforts.

On funding for WinS, Gupta said each school needs Rs 5–7 lakh and several CSR partnerships are coming through. World Vision has agreed to partner with Rotary for 1,000 schools “and they will match dollar to dollar, and also have their boots on the ground.”

At the session, Saboo also pointed to Schedule VII of the Companies Act that lists CSR activities. As this includes sanitation activities pertaining to Swachh Bharat, it will be easy for Rotary to rope in CSR funds. He cited an instance of his hometown Chandigarh where 40 schools have been adopted for WinS activities with CSR tie-up.

PRID and RILM Chair Shekhar Mehta with PRIP Kalyan Banerjee.

It may look disjointed now, but in the next three years WinS and Literacy will come together as a whole. .

– Shekhar Mehta

Sakshar Bharat “Do I have two hours?” asked PRID and Rotary India Literacy Mission Chair Shekhar Mehta and the session moderator Saboo said, “Instead of hours you can reduce it to minutes.”

“TEACH has been the buzz word,” said Mehta summing up the various literacy programmes done pan India. The Asha Kiran programme, sending at least one child back to school through a donation of Rs 2,100, was a tremendous success and 32,000 children have been sponsorsed so far.

The most arduous task is persuading a beggar to send his child to school because the child himself will be earning Rs 3,000–4,000 and the parents will not want to lose that money. “It’s a tough job; but we have to do that for one lakh children.” Ninety three NGOs have joined hands with Rotary in this programme.

Talking about adult literacy, he said that school students were given teaching aids and asked to teach one

adult each. “Each one had an interesting experience to relate.”

One child said it took him seven days to teach his aunt to hold the pencil, and he then understood how much effort his teacher puts in to teach him.

“While distributing the study kits to some children, I asked whom they will teach. One said, ‘ammi ko padhaungi,’ another ‘apni phuppi ko padhaungi.’

In many instances, even the parents of these children are illiterate,” said Mehta.

JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 39

PRIP Rajendra K Saboo with PRID and WinS Committee Chair Sushil Gupta.

E-learning On E-learning, he said that in the next six months, rural schools of West Bengal, among other States, will have 250 smart classes. Learning will be so much fun and children will want to go to school. For instance, while learning about blood flow in the body, they can actually see on the screen blood flowing through all parts of the body and even get a detailed commentary on what is happening elsewhere in the body. A tie-up with hardware and software vendors brought down the cost of the e-learning kit from Rs 1.25 lakh to just Rs 30,000. Gujarat (D 3060) has crossed its initial target of 10,000 schools and gone on to do 23,000 schools for e-learning.

“We are lagging behind in Teacher Support, but with partnerships with corporates such as the British Council, Macmillan, Coca Cola, Aircel and other NGOs, we will make good progress.”

He complimented the Inner Wheel clubs for their involvement in the Happy Schools programme and sponsoring the education of over 6,000 underprivileged children. It costs about Rs 5 lakh to transform a school into a Happy one.

He thanked the Inner Wheel “for taking 40 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

I have to be careful when I’m near Kalyanda, for next year he is going to be the Trustee Chair of TRF; he is brimming with new ideas and if he asks me is it possible, I can’t say no.

– Rajendra K Saboo up this project and yet not asking for any funding from RILM.” Saboo commended PRIP Kalyan Banerjee for initiating the Total Literacy project during his presidential year and said that it is going to be a one-off, significant and successful programme of Rotary. “I have to be careful when I am near Kalyanda now, for next year he is going to be the Chairman of the Foundation and as he is brimming with new ideas and vision, if he asks me is it possible, somehow I can’t say no,” he said.

Wrapping up the session Mehta interconnected all the aspects of RILM

and WinS saying that it starts from child development and ensures that every child is retained in the Happy School where WinS is in place. “It may look disjointed now, but in the next three years all these will come together as a whole.”

Saboo concluded with an expression of interest to attend adult literacy class for “my grandson wants me to write business letters to him and he says, ‘Dada, your letters are too long for me.’ So I want to learn email, etc.” .Pictures by K Vishwanathan

Foundation Banquet

L to R: PRIP Rajendra K Saboo, PRIP Kalyan Banerjee, Vanathy and RI President K R Ravindran.

TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta and Vinita Gupta with RI Director Manoj Desai.

PRIP Kalyan Banerjee with RI General Secretary John Hewko.

Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat

STAR PERFORMERS Zone 4 Trophy

RI District

IPDG

Highest Total Contribution to TRF

3140

Ajay Gupta

Highest contribution to Annual Fund

3140

Ajay Gupta

Highest contribution to Endowment Fund

3140

Ajay Gupta

Highest Per Capita Giving to Annual Fund

3060

Ashish Ajmera

Highest contribution to Polio Fund

3010

Sanjay Khanna

Donor

Trophy

IPDG

Dist.

Usha and Raja Saboo Trophy

Highest Giving to Annual Fund

Manjunath Shetty

3190

Binota and Kalyan Banerjee Trophy

Highest Giving to Endowment Fund

G V Mohan Prasad

3020

Nitish Laharry Trophy

Highest Total Contribution to TRF

Ajay Gupta

3140

Special Award

Highest All India Polio Fund Contribution to TRF

Sridharan Nambiar

3202

AKS AWARDS

RI District

IPDG

3131

Vivek Aranha

3140

Ajay Gupta

3202

Sridharan Nambiar

3030

Dattatraya Deshmukh

3190

Manjunath Shetty

AKS Member Suresh Poddar (left) with TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta.

Graduation Ceremony for Governors Elect.

D 3250 PDG Sanjay Khemka receiving an award.

OF ZONES 4, 5 & 6A Zones 5 Trophy

RI District

IPDG

Highest Total Contribution to TRF

3190

Manjunath Shetty

Highest contribution to Annual Fund

3190

Manjunath Shetty

Highest contribution to Endowment Fund

3020

G V Mohan Prasad

Highest Per Capita Giving to Annual Fund

3220

Gowri Rajan

Highest contribution to Polio Fund

3202

Sridharan Nambiar

Zones 6A Trophy

RI District

IPDG

Highest Total Contribution to TRF

3250

Sanjay Khemka

Highest contribution to Annual Fund

3250

Sanjay Khemka

Highest contribution to Endowment Fund

3250

Sanjay Khemka

Highest Per Capita Giving to Annual Fund

3250

Sanjay Khemka

Highest Membership Award to Zone 5

A colourful

extravaganza with a message Jaishree

T

rue to the Marwari phrase, Padharo Mhaare Desh (Welcome to my land), which is also the Jaipur Institute theme, the organisers — Institute Chair Ashok Gupta and RI Director Manoj Desai — left no stone unturned to extend a warm welcome and unveil a memorable Institute at the Pink City. Be it the series of serious, thought-provoking Rotary sessions or the vibrant, colourful shows, all the events were crafted

O ri Chiraya

and designed with just one goal — to provide wholesome entertainment for the delegates.

Music, dance and Polo At the inaugural session, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt held the audience spell-bound under his mohana veena recital of his grammy-winning piece, ‘A meeting by the river’ and a simple, eloquent number, ‘I love my India,’ which he had performed

at Dallas on an invitation from Eric Clapton.

The Institute exhibited sensitivity for the girl child and focussed on eliminating female foeticide, rampant in the region, and encouraging women empowerment. A group of dancers performed to the tunes of ‘O ri Chiraya,’ of Satyamev Jayate fame, which dealt with the critical issue of female foeticide in India.

The song, dedicated to all those girls

Rasheeda Bhagat

Promoting the next Rotary Institute.

The Institute exhibited sensitivity for the girl child and focussed on eliminating female foeticide and empowering women.

Veena recital by Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.

who did not have a chance to live in this world, would have touched a raw chord in the hearts of the delegates.

The paintings outside the auditorium also centred around the same theme.

Rotary’s magic wand will help address the injustice being done against girls and women and help them find their wings to fulfill their dreams.

A thoughtfully chosen video of Declan Galbraith’s powerful song, ‘Tell me why,’ filled the auditorium and as the little boy soulfully tried to get answers to ‘why we let the forests burn’ or ‘the ocean die’ and do we have to waste our life ‘in a world full

of war,’ the audience was silent, probably searching for the answers within themselves.

A special Polo exhibition match was played between the RI President’s team and the Rajasthan Polo Club team. The delegates were treated to a breathtaking riding skill display by the riders of the 61st Cavalry Regiment of the Indian Army, believed to be the only mounted cavalry unit in the world.

The gates of the pink-hued City Palace, the residence of the Jaipur Royalty, were thrown open to the delegates, taking them on a historical journey on the Royal family through a son et lumiere show, followed by a well-choreographed fashion show and dance by the students of IIS University. Incidentally, Princess Diya Kumari who was one of the speakers at the Institute, is a Rotarian and a brand ambassador for ‘Save the Girl Child’ campaign. She appealed to the Rotary leaders to step up their fight against female foeticide like how they had done for polio eradication.

Rajasthani extravaganza Saving the best for the last, Bardia Villa was a dreamland showcasing a microcosm of the pulsating and colourful Rajasthan. Men were welcomed with the traditional red turbans and women with pink stoles.

The brightly lit lawn, a kaleidoscope of colours, had the delegates excited with its variety of activities — a Haat Bazaar offering a wide spectrum of the desert’s handicrafts, Rajasthani folk music and dance, and joy ride on camel carts. To beat the biting cold, the Chaiwalas on their decorated bicycles serving spicy delights and 46 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

Polo Match.

masala chai in earthen cups were a godsend.

Folk dancers dressed in their traditional finery set the stage on fire performing the ghoomer, kalbelia and the terah taali dances. Last but not the least, RI President K R Ravindran and Vanathy, RI Director Manoj Desai and Sharmishta, along with other Rotarians, shook a leg to Gangnam style to promote the Seoul Convention. And it was, most certainly, an evening to remember!

Helping Chennai Among the serious business that was conducted at the Institute was an appeal to help the flood-afflicted in Chennai by donating shelter kits, each costing Rs 3,300. While PDG Suresh Poddar announced 100 kits, Districts 3190 announced 300 kits,

Districts 3060, 3240, 3150, 3170 100 each. When TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta announced 100 kits on behalf of D 3011, PRID Shekhar Mehta, who was moderating said, “And Sushilji will match another 100 kits,” adding with a smile, “Itna toh hak banta hei! (I can take this much liberty with him!)”

Dazzling Dubai Announcing Dubai as the venue for the next Institute, RID Manoj Desai and his Dubai team, led by PDG Raja Seenivasan (Institute Chair), regaled the audience by turning up on the stage dressed as Arab Sheikhs, with their spouses donning the hijab, that too pink!

The delegates also got a packet of delicious dates to take home!

Pictures by K Vishwanathan

Snippets When RI President was not recognised!

RI President K R Ravindran related an interesting story on how he paid a price for “listening to my wife as all Indian and other husbands do.” Travelling to Europe on a business trip, he had decided to have a Rotary-free weekend. To his bad luck, a Rotary club meet was on in his hotel and spouse Vanathy persuaded him to attend it.

At first the waiter stopped him; later the Club President came out and said “fellowship is over, dinner is over, the speech is about to begin but you don’t understand the language.”

“Drawing myself up to my full height, I gave him my visiting card, but without reading it he put it in his pocket, and repeated his earlier words.” Later, he wondered of two possible outcomes; either the man saw the card and “died of heart attack” or his “wife sent his shirt to the laundry

with the card in it. As for me, I will never listen to my wife again!”

Returning “refreshed, rejuvenated” “What an institute it has been so far … colour, grandeur, gifts galore. But much more, the fellowship of outstanding quality, programmes that have been so meaningful, futuristic. So much thought has gone into each programme,” commented PRIP Kalyan Banerjee, while delivering a talk on “Doing good in the world” at the Jaipur Rotary Institute. And then he added, with his typical wry sense of humour: “Yesterday a politician didn’t turn up, and that was good, because we had more time to talk about Rotary!”

He added that a few years ago, there was “some talk of Institutes going out of sync with the real Rotary world.

RI President K R Ravindran and PRIP Rajendra K Saboo.

JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 47

Promoting the Kolkata Presidential Conference - Sholay style!

But Manoj (Desai) and Institute Chair Ashok Gupta have proved them wrong.”

He was “very happy” to be there, not because he was incoming Trustee Chair of TRF, “nor because this is my zone and home, and all of you are my friends. But because of what we have gained. We are ready to work for Rotary recharged, refreshed, rejuvenated.”

Can listen to Saboo whenever and forever PRIP Kalyan Banerjee ended his speech at the Institute’s inaugural thus: “And now I am going to stop, Past Presidents of Rotary tend not to stop even if they’ve finished their term a long time back. The one exception to this is of Past President Rajendra K Saboo. You and I can listen to him whenever and forever … and now let’s do that.”

Hardcore Rotarians or insomniacs?

Complimenting the early birds who were in time for a session, Rajendra K Saboo observed wryly: “either you must be hardcore and passionate Rotarians or you must be suffering from insomnia, and thought you could sleep here!”

Past RI Presidents tend not to stop even if they’ve finished a long time back. The one exception is Raja Saboo. You and I can listen to him whenever and forever.

– Kalyan Banerjee

Sholay at Jaipur This is not Rotary…

As the vote of thanks was being delivered by PDG Ajay Kala, the delegates made a beeline to the Exit door; an angry Saboo went up on stage and admonished them. “Sit down. Is this what you have imbibed from Rotary? After such a world class inaugural session, shouldn’t we have the courtesy and discipline to extend our compliments to the organisers? Is this how we Rotarians set an example for others to follow?” There was complete silence and nobody moved until the end.

48 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

PRID Shekhar Mehta held the audience’s attention as he came up on stage as Gabbar Singh, his belt doubled up as a whip in his hand. “Arrey oh Samba … kitne aadmi ne register kiya?” and Samba aka PDG Rajani Mukherjee replies, “Sarkar, sirf do sau.” This famous scene from Sholay came alive to promote the Literacy and WinS Presidential Conference to be held in Kolkata from March 11–16. RI Director Manoj Desai donned Thakur’s role!

Compiled by Jaishree and Rasheeda Bhagat

Meet your Governors Jaishree

The new-gen Governor Dharam Vir Garg, Lawyer, RC Bhawanigarh, D 3090

Membership, his highlight Jagadeeswara Rao Maddu, Distributors of laminates and plywoods, RC Vizag South, D 3020

I

am probably the youngest Governor. At the Chennai Institute and San Diego, other Rotarians mistook me for a Rotaractor,” says 37-year-old Dharam Vir Garg. He began his Rotary journey as a Rotaractor, served as DRR in 1999, GSE team member in 2001 and charter president in 2005. “Bhawanigarh is a beautiful town and I want to bring more people into Rotary,” says the DG whose focus is on imparting Rotary knowledge to the masses so that, “it will trigger Rotary interest in them and they will work for the community. No need to guide them to serve the community then.” He is concentrating on bringing in young people, and thereby change people’s mindset that Rotary is for the aged. Promoting blood donations is his other focus as his District lags behind in blood banks.

Although his is a “remote district with small towns” he is happy to have added seven per cent to the 2,050 members and two new clubs to the existing 78. His goal is seven new clubs and 12–15 per cent increase in membership, contribute $1 lakh to TRF. He plans to achieve this through a cycle rally fund-raiser where he along with 17 Rotarians will pedal through the District raising funds and creating Rotary awareness, and at the end of the rally, auction the cycles at the District Conference. “I share a good rapport with my team; they make Rotary fun intertwining fellowship with service,” he says.

W

e have inducted 480 new members, chartered two new clubs, and contributed $4 lakh to TRF and will surpass the District highest — $5 lakh — by the year end,” says an excited Jagadeeswara Rao. He has established 101 Interact, 26 Rotaract clubs and 36 RCCs. He has lined up construction of two blood banks and two crematoriums, and considerable number of artificial limb fitment and polio corrective surgery camps for the year.

A person who was denied membership twice, and lucky the third time in 1999 when his auditor inducted him into his club, Rao has accomplished well in Rotary with an impressive dedication earning him outstanding president award among others. A lover of children, he had done some child-centric service projects for his club. On the WinS front, though the demise of WinS Coordinator PDG Surya Rao was a setback, he is confident that his team will accomplish the programme in 100 schools.

JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 49

Throwing light on Rabies, his focus

R Theenachandran, Agro-chemicals exporter, RC Madurai Metro, D 3000 K Vishwanathan

Gunasekaran Chinnathambi, Paediatrician, RC Thanjavur, D 2981

The silver jubilee governor

T

A

Rotarian of 25 years, he is happy that RI Director Manoj Desai during his recent visit lauded his District as a model district. “We don’t have any election issues and our college of governors share a good rapport,” says DG Gunasekaran Chinnathambi, the first Governor of the bifurcated District from D 2980. Happy with the participation of his 104 clubs, he highlights his District’s achievements: a $2 lakh contribution towards Polio Fund; 3 new Rotary clubs; and 250 new members so far this year.

His guest lectures on polio in Rotary meetings helped him become a Rotarian and “I cherish every moment in Rotary as it helped to develop my organisational capacity and leadership skills, which would not have been possible as an individual,” he says. His focus this year also includes promoting rabies awareness among people and vaccinating dogs against the disease, with assistance from the visiting 30-member team of Rabies Mission Trust, England. “Stray dog menace is a huge issue in our region and nearly 200 dog-bite cases are reported every day.”

50 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

aking on the mantle when the District is celebrating its 25th year, Theenachandran is keyed up with several activities that will make the year memorable — the significant one being the human-chain formation of the letter ‘L,’ denoting Rotary’s commitment to total literacy, by 14,000 Rotaractors which was presided over by RI President K R Ravindran. “Besides inspiring youngsters to work for the cause, the event has made Rotary visible among the public,” he says. Three things are close to the DG’s heart: to augment the District’s giving to TRF — he has set a target of $500,000 and has collected $300,000, the highest so far from the District; his next priority is enhancing Rotary’s public image — besides the above mentioned mammoth programme, he has lined up a mega Rotary Day which will see participation of over 5,000 non-Rotary elites of the District; and thirdly, he is all set to revive the Rotary Youth Exchange programme. He aims at a 12 per cent increase in membership and form ten new clubs particularly in the unrepresented areas. He is confident that he can achieve all this with his “Utopians” — that is how he calls his core team. His signature project aims at facilitating healthcare for the mentally challenged.

A Rotarian since 1994, Theenachandran believes in the policy that “if you become a Rotarian with material expectations from Rotary, you’ll be disappointed.

Everything fell in place for me. Long ago, I had decided that I will not want to become a Governor until I turn 60.

Today at the very age, I am one.”

Continuity - his buzzword

From dormant to active

Shrinavas Ramkrishna Malu, Industrial tools distributor, RC Kolhapur City, D 3170

C A Lalit Sharma, Auditing and Project consultant, RC Ahmedabad North, D 3051

I

want to continue the signature projects of my clubs such as plastic surgery, artificial limbs distribution, establishment of physiotherapy and vocational training centres and replicate them in all other regions of my District comprising parts of three States — Maharashtra, Karnataka and UT of Goa,” says Shrinivas Malu. Many clubs are doing such projects for the past 15–20 years and they will extend their expertise to other clubs too.

He encourages creativity and innovation in the District and has named his team, ‘the changemakers.’ E-learning is another focus area. He wants his club presidents to tie-up with the government in promoting e-learning in schools. He plans to extend the facility to 210 schools in Kolhapur in collaboration with the Zilla Parishads which has Rs 70 lakh earmarked for the project; and an arrangement with D 3131 to use the CSR funds of Tata Technologies will enable 100 schools in Maharashtra with e-learning facilities.

Malu was invited to be a Rotarian by his client in 1986 and he cherishes his governorship year as the best moment of his life. With his District strength of 5,200 Rotarians, he is confident of contributing $1 million to TRF. He aims to introduce 50 major donors including 11 from RC Belgaum which is celebrating its platinum jubilee year. He is happy that five global grants have been sanctioned for activities such as distribution of wheel chairs, school desks, water purifiers, e-learning and toilet block construction in schools.

F

or a person who was dormant for the initial nine years after joining Rotary in 1990 except paying his dues promptly, Lalit Sharma says he has progressed well as a Rotarian and is satisfied with his District’s performance now, despite the slow progress the team is making at the Rotary Club Central. So what transformed him into an active Rotarian? “My being in charge of a booth during an NID at Ahmedabad changed my perception of Rotary forever. Working at the ground level I understood what huge service Rotary renders to mankind. And then there was no looking back.”

Sharma is keen on improving the District’s giving to TRF by promoting Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY) and the Foundation’s Benefactor scheme. “We are ready with $50,000 already from RC Gandhidham’s 50 Rotarians contributing to the Endowment Fund.” He plans to bring in 500 new members by encouraging Each One Bring One concept. “My year is well planned; I had a meeting with my batch club presidents last year where we drew the blueprint of the activities for the year and that includes various community projects too.” Women empowerment, mobility aids for the orthopaedically challenged are his focus activities.

The District had a fund-raiser garbha performance which helped to send 700 children back to school.

JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 51

How an

RI President

is selected

Pervez Bhagat

Rasheeda Bhagat

A

s Rotarians, have you ever wondered at the nitty-gritty involved in electing a Rotary International President?

To get the answers I travelled to Ooty to quiz PRID P C Thomas, who was one of the 17 members on the 2015–16 Nominating Committee for RI President.

When Rotary News requested him for an interview, he first got the okay from RI General Secretary John Hewko to divulge certain details.

PRID P C Thomas

So how and why was he selected on the committee that finally zeroed in on Ian Riseley?

“Well, you write and express your desire. Normally every year we have one person from India from one of the Zones, and we have maintained our representation by rotation. Last year it was PRID Sushil Gupta and before that PRID Panduranga Setty.” Only past RIDs can be on that committee, unless a Zone does not have one. Then a PDG can be chosen.

The usual norm for the 17 members to be selected from 34 RI zones is that even-numbered zones, and

Presidential candidates The candidates in the race for the RI Presidency — all of them have to be past RI Directors — have to submit a 300-word statement outlining their vision and goals for Rotary. The RI Board also frames 3–5 questions that the candidates have to answer in writing.

The meeting to zero in on the winner normally lasts from the morning to evening. “The entire process has undergone many interesting changes.

The first was when I was a member for the first time in 2004, when William Boyd was selected as RI President. At that time, there was no interview, no presentations. The contenders were not present; and after going through the CVs and discussions the committee would do the balloting,” says Thomas.

The next time he was on the nominating committee was in August 2009 when Kalyan Banerjee was a contender. It didn’t help the candidate that the Council on Legislation, akin to the Parliament of Rotary, had decided that all the zones would be represented that

year. So there were 34 people on the committee; but later it was decided this was not wise, as it pushed up the cost and made consensus more difficult.

So how was Banerjee selected; did he remember the salient features?

“No, we’re not supposed to discuss the nitty gritty outside; I cannot divulge that,” he smiles.

His closest competitor …. I try my luck. tive!

Again, it’s a negative!

But what he does divulge is that all ear were asked to the candidates that year o clip about their give a 15-minute video nd then there was vision and mission, and the usual secret ballot..

Interesting aspectt An interesting aspect of the RI President’s election is that once the votes are cast, and the winner decided, whether by a narrow margin or a big one, the Chairman announces the he name and asks now that the person had ad been selected by a clear majority, “should hould the committee announce it was as unanimous; and we all say yes! Even en if one may have voted x, y or z!”

The six candidatess shortlisted were from Brazil, Australia, many and Africa, Spain, Germany Mexico. andidates Till 2009–10, candidates tions, and sent video presentations, gain changed then the COL once again the rules. This time the candidates were asked to submit mit their CVs, a mission-vision statement atement and answer on email a few specific questions asked by the RI Board.

On the rotation off RI Presidents from different regionss of the Rotary world, Thomas says, “Though there are no written laws on this, it goes by convention. And it is largely the US and then non-US — Asia, Europe, South America.” Also, o, as the two last RI Presidents — Gary Huang and K R Ravindran were ere from Asia, Asia will now have too wait its turn.

“Next one, I suppose will be either a South American or a European.”

RIPN Ian Riseley

No female contender This time there were 10 contenders, but for the first time it was decided that the list should be pared down to six “finalists,” and the committee members voted by email to bring down the number to six. There were no contenders from the US as RIPE John Germ had already been elected. Or Asia either; “as it would be a waste; nobody will jump into the fray.” There wasn’t a single woman in the 10, though the Chairman of the Committee was a woman — Anne L Matthews — but

Rasheeda Bhagat

odd-numbered zones elect a member in alternate years for this committee; and vice versa. But neither the president, president-elect, nor any past president is eligible to be a member.

Sometimes, if more than two PRIDs from a zone express the desire to be on the committee, “the member and alternate member of the committee shall be elected in a ballot-by-mail,” say the rules. This year, there were only 16 members, as one of the two Japanese members on the committee fell ill and could not attend the meet at Evanston.

Normally there are four members from the US and two from Japan, but only 12 members are required for a quorum.

On the day of reckoning, which is always the first Monday in August, the nominating committee elects one of its members as chairman, and one as secretary. Then there is a 30-minute interview with the six finalists who came down to Evanston for the first time this year.

Thomas feels that Rotary is not too far from the time it will have a female RI President. Also, till date RI has had only one African President — Jonathan B Majiyagbe, from Nigeria.

For the first time all the six candidates were present in Evanston and available for interviews lasting not more than 30 minutes. The questions included what would be his major thrust area for Rotary if selected, his broad vision for the organisation, what he would do to achieve total eradication of polio, and other questions related to RI and TRF.

Qualities that count Obviously the first and most important quality required to serve as RI President is leadership skills, “and your communication skills and personality have to be good too. But leadership skills are very important, because people should accept you as their leader.

We also look for non-controversial candidates,” adds Thomas.

He says that over the years three major changes have evolved in the

Of course, Riseley was very happy as this time it was very keenly contested between three people. methodology of electing RI Presidents.

“And I was there (on the committee) for all three! The first time there was no interview, and we only went through the candidates’ CVs. The second time there were video presentations and the third time there was voting and elimination; earlier there was no elimination or shortlisting and all the contenders were considered.”

This time the contenders were asked to be personally available. Earlier, once the name was finalised, the Chairman of the committee would call the person and say: “We are happy to select you,” and then seek his consent. Once he agreed, all the members congratulated

In 2009, when Kalyan Banerjee was a contender, the COL getting representation on the committee from all 34 zones didn’t help the contenders.

him on the phone. But this time, since the RI President Nominee Ian Riseley was available in Evanston, his consent was sought and given.

How did Riseley react? “I think he was expecting it; we could see it on his face. Of course he was very happy as this time it was very keenly contested between three people. I would say it was just touch and go between two people,” says Thomas. He adds that an added advantage for Riseley was that his wife is a DG, which was “surprising as in Australia there haven’t been too many women DGs. It showed that his is an active Rotary family.”

So how important was the interview?

“Very important … everybody on that list of six was closely known to me.... But things change when somebody sits as a candidate before you and you assess how he conducts himself. I might have had 10 dinners or 20 lunches with any candidate, but this assessment is totally different,” he says.

So how far does he think is Rotary from electing a woman RI President?

“Not very far … there are three or four past women Directors …

I don’t want to take names … who are capable. I believe it will be soon, very soon, because to become an RID also requires similar qualities that an RI President needs.”

Thomas adds that this time the committee members have signed a resolution that this procedure of personal interview should be made permanent. First the RI board will take a call on this and then it will go to the COL for an okay.

Designed by N Krishnamurthy

54 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

RISAO welcomes New Regional Head Team Rotary News K Vishwanathan

T

he Rotary International South Asia Office (RISAO) has announced the appointment of Dr Rajeev Ranjan as the new Regional Head with effect from January 1, 2016.

Vinod K Bhola has tendered his resignation from the post after a glorious run of over 20 years. He began his career in RISAO on May 1, 1995 as Manager after taking voluntary retirement from the Indian Army in the rank of a Brigadier. Highlights of his military career include being Deputy Military Secretary to the President of India, Head of the Management faculty at the Army War College, Mhow and Deputy President of the Services Selection Board, Bhopal. Bhola is a Paul Harris Fellow. He and his wife, Neeru, have a

Vinod Bhola being honoured by RI President K R Ravindran, RI Director Manoj Desai at the Jaipur Institute; also seen Institute Chair PDG Ashok Gupta.

son who is a commercial pilot and are blessed with two grandsons.

Dr Ranjan is a Science and Law graduate from Delhi University, and

RI General Secretary John Hewko with RISAO’s New Regional Head Rajeev Ranjan (right).

an MBA with specialisation in HR and Organisational Behaviour. He is also a PhD in Human Resource Management. He joins with a rich and varied management experience of over 28 years across Corporate and NGO sectors. His prior designation was Vice President, Human Resources at Reliance Foundation.

Ranjan has had an illustrious career in the HR field in reputed organisations such as SAIL, CARE-India, SOS Children’s Villages of India and Room to Read.

He has previously worked at the RISAO from 2000 to 2007, in charge of Club and District Support for five years and then as Assistant Manager for two years. On the personal front, Ranjan’s wife, Simmi is a school teacher. They are blessed with two sons; Nalin, a Computer Engineer at Microsoft and Amit, a second-year student specialising in Environmental Engineering.

JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 55

WinS in full swing...

Jaishree The WinS Committee meet at Chennai unravelled the progress made in 8 Districts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

WinS Zonal Coordinator I SAK Nazar, WinS Committee Chair and TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta and PRID P T Prabhakar.

A

s WinS Committee Chair Sushil Gupta entered the hall, PDG Benjamin Cherian asked, “What have you brought from Delhi?” Pat came his reply: “Sunshine,” amidst peals of laughter from the delegates who had gathered at Chennai, braving torrential rains that ransacked the capital. PRID P T Prabhakar said, “I admire your courage for coming here despite such bad weather.

Even Sushilji’s family was anxious about his trip here.”

Thus began the WinS Committee Meet to review the progress made by each Rotary District.

Gupta’s perseverance was instrumental in TRF adopting the WASH in Schools Target Challenge as a pilot programme in India, Kenya, Guatemala, Honduras and Belize from January 2016 to July 2018, said Prabhakar.

District 3211 stole the limelight at the Meet completing its target 1,001 schools and more. The District WinS Chair Thomas Vavanikunnel detailed his district’s work which

56 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

included awareness rallies and essay/art competitions by children to propagate hand washing and hygiene practices, global grant collaboration with D 1870, W Germany, and a special bulletin giving updates and best practices on WinS which was circulated among Rotary clubs and about 45 lakh students from 12,600 schools across the State participating in the district’s Global Hand Wash Day. DRFC Muthupalaniappan of D 3230 said that all Rotary clubs were allocated a school for implementing WinS at a plan outlay of $1.14 million and a Global Grant aid has been sought for construction of toilets. As DG C R Raju is an architect, his team takes care of the designing and costing of the toilets. District WinS Chair P Madhusudhan (D 3201) said that manpower shortage is a huge problem and school authorities are requesting Rotary to provide manpower too. His clubs adopt schools which have a PTA, and a PTA member is included as honorary Rotarian of

the club for effective implementation of the WinS programme.

PDG Sivagnanaselvam (D 2982) said that his District has formed permanent committees involving the PTA, the sponsoring Rotary club and school administration and has established a corpus at the school for sustenance of the programme. “Clubs must ensure sufficiency of water in schools for WinS to be effective,” he said. His District has come out with Front row from left: District WinS Chair P Madhusudhan, WinS Coordinator V Rajkumar and DG Kamlesh Raheja (D 3201). easy-to-construct toilet blocks costing Back row from left: DRFC Muthu Palaniappan and DG C R Raju (D 3230).

Rs 1.72 lakh each, inclusive of overhead and septic tanks. These are fabricated with a cement press board and will last for at least 15 were: Activate the school management committees years, he said. DG Navamani (D 3212) said his district has (SMCs); create the capacity and move out of the school once things are in place; “Attend the Presidential Conimplemented WinS in 300 out of the target 410 schools, ference at Kolkata where you will get an opportunity to and this has prompted the Director of Sarva Siksha talk to Rotary leaders regarding Global Grant sanctions.”

Abhiyan to instruct the implementation of this programme Rotary’s WinS counterpart, UNICEF, was represented in Kanyakumari in tandem with Rotary clubs. “We will be by its WASH specialist Arun Gopal and State Head Job able to cover 600–700 schools then … and a Global Grant Zacharia. “I like the idea of singing during group hand is also in the pipeline,” he said. wash as suggested by Sushilji,” said Zacharia and also WinS Chair and TRF Trustee Sushil Gupta apprecirecommended promoting Bal Sansads (student cabinets), ated the efforts of the southern districts and appealed to along the lines of schools in North India, where students the coordinators to promptly report the work done to the help in implementing hygiene behaviour among their Committee. “You do all the good work but you do not report it.” Stressing on the Unified District Information school mates. He highlighted the fact that the SMCs receive System for Education (UDISE) codes, he said, “Please Rs 25,000 annually from the Government for welfare send me the UDISE numbers of the schools where WinS programmes but the money is returned unutilised. “You has been implemented within a week. I have 2,500 schools can discuss with the school authorities and make use of from your region, but only 1,001 schools are with UDISE these funds,” he said. Making note of the first bio-toilet in codes (that of D 3211). Include the number of students schools in Tamil Nadu installed by RC Coimbatore North in each school and your project outlay in your reports.”

(D 3201), he explained that various other types of toilets He suggested that clubs should put together a song simcan be constructed based on locally available material. ilar to that of Districts 3011 and 3012 for the group hand PDG Cherian suggested that a short film contest washing exercise. “It begins … Hum haath saaf karenge. among visual media students be initiated to develop films Rather than making it a mundane activity, this will ensure showcasing hand washing and hygiene practices for school the group hand washing is a fun activity among students and children, and Rotary clubs can choose the best and screen will develop a team spirit.” Other points Gupta highlighted those in schools.

Gupta rolled out some more ideas: Start a Facebook page or a Whatsapp group where clubs can post their work on WinS to motivate other Rotarians. “You can build all the toilets in the world, but nothing can happen without behavioural modification among people.

Students are the best social agents who can encourage their family and surroundings to follow best hygiene practices. Install group hand wash stations in addition to building toilets in schools,” were his parting words, before heading to Trivandrum to participate in a massive group hand wash programme organised at a school by DG C Luke (D 3211).

Pictures by Jaishree

Creating a song for group hand washing makes it a fun activity among students developing a team spirit.

JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 57

Doing good with TRF help

Mending Little Hearts Rasheeda Bhagat

A heartwarming story of RID 3240’s battle to save children with heart diseases.

Afghan baby Aisha battles for her life.

D

oing good in the world comes with its share of disappointments. For the team of Rotarians from RI District 3240, such a disappointment came on December 15, when they lost little Aisha, the 20-monthold Afghan girl, who was born with not one or two, but four holes in the heart. The highly complicated six-hour long surgery required to fix her little heart was done at The Mission Hospital in Durgapur in West Bengal, by a team of four doctors led by its Chairman Dr Satyajit Bose, a cardiac surgeon himself.

How Aisha, an orphan child who had lost her father in the violence of daily life in conflict-ravaged Afghanistan, was able to reach this Indian hospital, with ample hope in her little heart, is a poignant story. And, “the magic of collaboration you have dealt with in the November 58 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

issue of Rotary News,” says D 3240 PDG Ashok Kumar Agarwal, the brain behind organising four sizable Global Grants. These enabled the surgery of 200-plus poor children from his District, and four children from Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“In this story of collaboration, four countries and three continents came together to help Aisha, who had a very complicated heart problem,” he says. The international partner for the Global Grant through which Aisha’s surgery was done in Durgapur is RC Ayr from District 9550 in Australia. The airfare for the child and her uncle was borne by RC La Jolla Golden Triangle, San Diego, USA (D 5340) and the surgery was done at Durgapur in RI District 3240 in India.

Why Aisha’s story is compelling to relate is because, forget money, so much meticulous planning and

co-ordination across continents, time and effort first to get the child and uncle to Durgapur from Kabul, and then overcoming the language barrier, were involved in handling this little girl’s case.

A project begins But first the story of what these Rotarians have appropriately named ‘Heart to Heart’ project began. It all started in 2008–09 when eight children from the District requiring heart surgery were operated in Delhi. In 2009–10, when Ajit Irom became DG of D 3240, his club RC Imphal formed a partnership with RC Asansol and both the clubs raised funds from local resources and 27 operations were done at The Mission Hospital, Durgapur.

That year Gaurang Desai, a health care professional himself, was the An Indian child undergoes successful heart surgery. president of RC Asansol, and he negotiated with Dr Satyan Bose, who headed The Mission Hospital to reduce the price of surgery “as it was required for A moving documentary, aptly titled Heart to Heart very poor children, most of them with congenital was made and went on to win the silver lotus award from heart defects. In one shot and within 10 minutes he the President of India. agreed to bring down the cost, then to just Rs 60,000, Meanwhile, Agarwal, as the DGE, visited the hospital for an operation which would cost paying-patients and “was really moved by the work that was being done; Rs 1.5–2 lakh,” recalls Desai.

22 children were operated.”

Lady luck smiles

This project has granted a new life to children who would have otherwise died a premature death. Most of them are now going to school and living a healthy normal life.

So as DG-elect when he attended the International Assembly in January 2010, he tried to forge international partnerships with DGEs from other countries. He didn’t find too much interest until the last day, when he met Dr Hong, the DGE from South Korea. “He showed interest but when he sought details, we had a huge problem — the language barrier.” As he was cursing his bad luck, suddenly a woman appeared from nowhere and asked if she could help. “I told her I need an — English-Korean translator. And she said I am one! I couldn’t have been luckier.”

Thus materialised their first Global Grant for $70,000 with District 3620 (Korea). With this money, including funds raised from their own district, 56 children were operated.

The next year Meggin Sullivan of RC Vista, USA (D 5340), showed interest in the project, “she worked like a person possessed, and got the support of her club and six other clubs. Another TRF Global Grant of $55,000 JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 59

results and we did 47 surgeries with this money and another 16 with the funds we raised,” says Agarwal.

Next, the Australians of D 9550 came forward to help and the $60,000 dollars raised helped many more children. When Dr Hong invited Agarwal to Korea for a conference and he showed a moving video of the free operations being done for poor children from his district, the Koreans came forward to help more — yet another Global Grant of $80,000.

Of course, adds Agarwal, for all four Global Grants, his District (3240) has contributed $20,000, $10,000, $15,000 and $20,000.

He adds that this project has granted a new life to many young children, “who would have otherwise died a premature death. Most of these children are now going to school and living a healthy normal life.”

From across the border Of the 200-plus children, many have come from Pakistan, and Aisha was from Afghanistan. Now three more Pakistan children need heart surgery. The responsibility of working out the logistics and handling tricky visa and police reporting issues (Indians and Pakistanis visiting the other country need to report to police stations!) are being handled by Desai. “This is not easy; a lot of legalities and formalities are involved, but Rotarians in Delhi (PDG Mukesh Arneja organises their stay in

Treating Pakistani children is not easy; a lot of legalities and formalities are involved, but Rotarians in Delhi and Kolkata help.

60 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

Delhi before reaching Durgapur) and Kolkata help too,” says Desai.

A heartbreak When I interviewed Desai in the first week of December, little Aisha was fighting for her life. He was hopeful that she would be “off the ventilator on December 8, and is scheduled to go back home on December 17. Their tickets are booked, but we will allow them to leave only if the doctor is satisfied with her progress. Otherwise we will extend her stay. They came from Kabul by flight to Delhi and are going back through the same route.”

The Rotarians’ heartbreak at the loss of Aisha’s life would be that much greater because they had really struggled to break the language barrier. When I asked for an interview with the uncle, Desai said, “That is the biggest problem; he speaks only Pashtun and we had to first get hold of some kabuliwalas to communicate with him. The uncle was totally zapped when he came here; he had not seen such a big hospital in his life.” Next they got hold of a couple of students from Afghanistan who were studying in a Dhanbad college, and these students would make the one-hour bus journey to Durgapur to break the communication barrier.”

Anyway, while Aisha could not be saved, the Rotarians will continue to try and save more lives. “We are expecting three more children from Karachi, and PDG Faiz Kidwai is in touch with us and we are trying to organise their visa,” adds Desai.

Designed by Krishnapratheesh

CONVENTION

MESSAGE FROM THE FOUNDATION CHAIR

Seoul natural

Cowboy Logic — and the Code of the West

C

W

ith more than 25 million people living in and around Seoul, you might think it will be difficult to find green space when you’re visiting for the 2016 Rotary International Convention from May 28 to June 1. But Koreans are nature-loving people and they have created numerous escapes from the pavement jungle to hike, bike, swim and sail.

The broad Han River, which runs through Seoul, provides an easily accessible respite. Ride a bike along the wide trails that hug the river, or hop on a ferry or rent a boat for a leisurely cruise. The parks along the Han range from manicured gardens to wetlands, with spectacular views of the river and the skyline.

For a piece of history visit Bugaksan Mountain, which rises behind the presidential residence, the Blue House.

The trail was closed for 40 years after North Korean commandos climbed the mountain in an attempt to assassinate the South Korean president and was reopened in 2006.

Seoul Olympic Park (pictured above) remains a popular destination. This is no small city park; it houses six stadiums and a huge wooded area. An outdoor art gallery holds more than 200 sculptures.

If you’re traveling with kids, stop at Seoul Children’s Grand Park, which houses a zoo, a botanic garden, a water playground, a musical fountain and an amusement park — everything to keep the little ones entertained for the day.

– Susie Ma Register for the 2016 RI Convention in Seoul at www.riconvention.org.

owboy Logic,” as sung by Michael Martin Murphey, has been one of my favourite songs for many years because of its happy music and thoughtful lyrics. It has relevance to Rotary because of its emphasis on honesty and hard work, but I did not fully appreciate its application to our organisation until I read Cowboy Ethics by Jim Owen.

Jim was aware that the unwritten Code of the West was a powerful and positive force shaping the ethical behaviour of cowboys in the Western states of the USA, and he distilled the code into 10 guiding principles. They are succinctly and aptly stated, and they align closely with The Four-Way Test, one of the hallmarks of Rotary.

Three of the principles are particularly applicable to the PolioPlus programme. In the 30 years since the programme was launched, Rotarians have remained steadfastly committed to the goal of polio eradication, even though it has taken much longer and been more expensive than anyone originally imagined. But we stuck with it, and now the goal of ending polio is clearly in sight. Along the way, we have fulfilled three of the principles of the Code of the West: “Do what has to be done,” “When you make a promise, keep it,” and “Always finish what you start.”

Two other principles have special relevance for The Rotary Foundation as a whole: “Take pride in your work” and “Ride for the brand.” Through their support of Foundation programmes, from the first ambassadorial scholarships in 1948 to newer initiatives such as the Rotary Peace Centres and the Future Vision plan, Rotarians have truly made the world a better place. And because Rotarians have “ridden for the brand ” through their creative work and generous contributions, these programmes have been highly successful, enhancing members’ ability to take pride in their work. Therefore, I do not need to ask Rotarians for their loyalty to the Foundation. Instead, I want to thank them for their amazing loyalty!

Ray Klinginsmith Foundation Trustee Chair JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 61

PRID Shekhar Mehta Chairman, Rotary India Literacy Mission

LITERACY FOCUS

RILM Partners with Coca Cola, Credai, Suprajit Engineering Limited & State Bank of India to fund more than 100 Happy Schools.

646 Happy Schools have been undertaken and more are happening...

T

he project will focus on improving the infrastructural facilities mentioned below to transform 50 government schools in the above mentioned areas. z Painted and well maintained school buildings and walls z Creating awareness about hand washing and installing hand washing station z Safe and adequate drinking water for both students and teachers. z Library in schools with more than 200 students z Footwear for every child z Benches and desks for better student-teacher interaction z Well maintained space for teaching staff z Play material according to age and gender The campaign funds are with Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) who is one of the funding partners for this project. CAF along with Aircel had 62 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

Rotary India Literacy Mission joined hands with NDTV-Coca Cola’s “Support My School” campaign along with Aircel to fund more than 50 Happy Schools in Coimbatore, Chennai and Pondicherry.

PRIP Kalyan Banerjee and PRID and RILM Chair Shekhar Mehta handed over a cheque for 50 schools to Actor Ranveer Singh, Cricketer Sourav Ganguly and Vikram Chandra, CEO-NDTV at a function in Mumbai on November 29, 2015.

made a field visit to the schools in Chennai, Coimbatore and Pondicherry and have finalised 32 schools in Chennai, 8 in Coimbatore and 10 in Pondicherry. The MoU between RI Dist 3230 Rotary Centenary Charitable Trust and CAF has already been signed.

The campaign will be completed over a period of one year, including social mobilisation, implementing activities and dedication. Total Beneficiaries: 20,939 students in 32 government schools in Chennai,

Tamil Nadu. Number of Boys: 6,216 and Girls: 13,613.

District 3190 is a pioneering district when it comes to Happy Schools and corporate funders of this area are giving serious thought to spend their CSR funds on building Happy Schools, as CREDAI, Suprajit Engineering Limited and State Bank of India partner with RILM to transform 50 schools into Happy Schools.

CREDAI, Bangalore is sponsoring 22 Happy Schools in District

Association of Inner Wheel Clubs in India

T

he Association of Inner Wheel Clubs in India are leaders in making Happy Schools. Around 70 Happy Schools have been undertaken by them, with more in the pipeline. IWC Bhopal, D 304, announced the completion of their first Happy School. IWC Khadki, D 313, completed 5 and 18 more are in the pipeline. IWC Pune Midtown completed 3 schools and IWC Pune Uptown inaugurated another Happy School in D 313. D 312 has completed 14 schools, along with D 318, D 316, D 298 who have completed 10 schools cumulatively.

A Happy School undertaken by IWC Vizianagaram.

A Happy School undertaken by IWC Bhopal.

3190, out of which the 8th school will be completed soon. The total project cost of 22 schools being funded by CREDAI is Rs 96 lakh. Suprajit Engineering Limited, Bangalore, is also funding 10 schools to be transformed into Happy Schools in District 3190, valuing about Rs 31 lakh. State Bank of India has partnered with RC Bangalore to provide funds for 18 Happy Schools, of which 8 are completed.

Children are the future of the nation, and investments in their upbringing are investments in the nation’s future. Several studies in India have revealed that lack of basic amenities like toilets, access to water and basic infrastructure creates an unwelcoming and non-conducive environment in government schools, leading to high rates of absenteeism, which results in children dropping out of school. It is the girl child who

is affected the most by lack of such infrastructure. As they enter adolescence, they are often forced to stay at home because there are no separate toilets for girls in rural schools.

Thus to help tackle this problem Rotary India Literacy Mission has embarked upon a journey of creating 1,000 Happy schools across India this year. Over the last one year more than 646 Happy Schools have come up all over India from our goal.

JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 63

Asha Kiran … the numbers keep swelling, have crossed 26,000

A

sha Kiran continues to be the focus area of the T-E-A-C-H programme. Having got the commitments, we are waiting for Rotarians, Inner Wheel Clubs to send in the fund. We have received commitments to send 26,000 children back to school from Rotarians pan India, along with financial contribution for 5,000 children, and the following steps are being taken: z Call for proposal advertisements were placed through www.devnetjobsindia.org. Ninety four NGOs from 15 States namely Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telengana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal have sent in their proposals, to take care of more than 50,000 children. These proposals are being scanned for further dialogue and MoUs are being drafted. z On receiving the NGO proposal, due diligence is being done by the RILM office. z After completion of vetting of the proposal, onsite field visits will be made by RILM office. Twenty six NGOs have been visited. At some places these NGOs are also being visited by Rotarians and Inner Wheel members. z During the field visit the areas that are being looked into are:

Legal status of the organisation.

Organisation infrastructure and leadership structure.

Past/Current donor feedback of the organisation.

NGO Visit in Bihar.

64 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

z

z

z z

z

z

Interaction with the proposed Asha Kiran children.

Experience in the relevant field.

Getting the DGs/DLCCs/District Literacy Chairs/ Rotarians/RILM involved from the districts, where the chosen NGO is working, requesting deployment of Rotarians/IWC members to conduct child approval screening process. This experience has been good. The selection procedure is under guidelines of the RILM criteria: Children are between 7-14, never been to school; not attended school for over 45 days; laggard children, who do not study in their age-appropriate class.

The MoU is then sent to the National Committee Members for their approval.

RILM enters into a MoU with the partnering NGO. After approval from the National Committee Members, RILM will send a letter to the NGO, asking for dates of child approval screening process.

On completion of the screening procedure, the NGO is provided with a Child Profile Format, which should be filled for all the screened children.

The Child Profile Format should be as per RILM criteria, with comments mentioned in prescibed format. A final list of approved children is to be sent

by NGO for funds disbursal after uploading the profiles of approved children, in 4 phases. 25% at the time of admission at the Asha Kiran Centre; 25% after 3 months at the centre with at least 75% attendance. A progress report has to be uploaded by the NGO every 3 months for fund disbursal; 25% when the child gets enrolled in a State funded/aided school and has 50% attendance; 25% on completion of 3 months of formal school in a State funded/aided school with at least 75% attendance. Monitoring report has to be submitted and uploaded on RILM website. z The local Rotary clubs in the vicinity of the NGO will be requested to monitor the performance of the child by visiting the centres. These clubs might not have sponsored these children but they will oversee the programme, just like some children that they have sponsored in some other part of the country is being supervised by others.

RIPE John Germ & Judy help sort books to create 100 libraries

A

t the ‘Book Sorting Day’ event held in Rotary Sadan, Kolkata on December 10, in honour of RIPE John Germ’s visit to the city, District 3291, made a commitment to set up 100 libraries across West Bengal benefitting 10,000 students. Germ volunteered in sorting the books received as per classes I to VII.

Children being screened at Lucknow, UP. z

The NGO should conduct daily classes for the children and provide a bridge course along with the following: Motivate them to attend class regularly.

Motivate them to go to State funded schools over a period of time.

Community mobilisation of the parents and other stakeholders to send the children to school.

Make learning interesting and attractive.

Ensure that their attendance is regular both at the centre and once they enroll in State funded schools.

Maintain a progress report of every child in a predetermined format.

Every donor can track the progress of the child they have sponsored by logging into www.rotaryteach.org.

We have already put names of 1,000 children who can be tracked as per donor’s name. The total list of children being undertaken by the programme is available at the website; however their pictures are not available due to vulnerability issues.

The process is time consuming and extreme care is being taken to make the procedure as transparent as possible. Many of you have made contributions, however you have to wait till sometime, for the procedure to be completed. We hope to achieve the commitment made soon.

z

z

RIPE John Germ and Judy with RILM Chair Shekhar Mehta.

The day began with a flurry of activities as 100 volunteers registered for the job. The books were unpacked and sorted into G-R-0-W-B-Y sections, each letter denoting colour codes for specific class.

About 45,000 books were segregated, labelled, packed into boxes as per language and class and readied for library set up. The clubs that donated books on this day were: RCs Calcutta South City Tower, Calcutta Harmony, Kabitirtha Calcutta, Calcutta Victoria, Salt lake Metropolitan Kolkata, Calcutta Suncity, Salt Lake City Calcutta, Calcutta Megacity.

JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 65

D 3211 strikes gold with

WinS Jaishree

District 3211 is making waves with its trendsetting adoption of 1,111 schools for Rotary’s WinS initiative.

N

ow my parents also clean their hands like me before and after eating, after using the toilet and my four-year-old sister insists that I wash my hands everytime I sit to eat,” says Ananthu (8), a Class 3 student of the Government Higher Secondary School, near Kottayam in Kerala. The school is adopted by RC Kottayam East under the WinS programme.

“Thanks to the hygiene education given in our school by doctors, my classmates and I understand the importance of menstrual hygiene,” says Pavithra of Class 10 in the Cotton Hills Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Trivandrum. “I am very comfortable now to use the toilet in school; it’s very clean,” comments Raji (Class 6) of Kowdiar Government High School.

“During the WinS orientation meet, when we told the WinS Committee Chair Sushil Gupta that our District will adopt 1,001 schools, people were sceptical; many thought that our target is too high and unreachable. But today my team’s enthusiasm is so much that they have collectively identified 1,111 schools to incorporate Rotary’s WASH in Schools (WinS) programme across the District,” says DG C Luke, District 3211. “Initially, our members thought

66 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

A handwash demo by school students flanked by DG C Luke (far left) and Rtn Krishnan Nair, President - RC Trivandrum South (far right).

that we had to construct toilet blocks in so many schools and when I clarified that it is not necessarily about toilet construction, but more about creating hygiene awareness among students, all clubs became enthusiastic.”

The win-win strategy Based on the UNICEF-recommended three-star approach, the segregated target comprises 750 one-star, 200 twostar and 51 three-star schools. Each club was alloted ten schools — at least one school in 3-star category where the club constructs toilets in addition to maintaining the

“The awareness among children has already brought in change in the community; they have carried the hygiene message to their friends and family.” – Jayakala, PTA President

existing ones and imparting hygiene lessons to students; two schools in 2-star and six in 1-star category.

Luke has stressed on WinS as the District project and clubs direct all their activities on enhancing the sanitation and hygiene conditions in schools. He works in tandem with the incoming DG John Daniel to ensure continuity. Hygiene advocacy in the form of leaflets, videos, awareness classes by resource persons such as public health officials and doctors are carried out by the clubs to ensure that children take home the message. Cleaning materials are provided to schools to help maintain clean toilets.

With directions to include only government schools, the District could not bring aided schools under this umbrella; “Now Committee Chair Gupta has agreed to it and we plan to also adopt those schools which are in dire need of hygiene and sanitation. The St Mary’s school with a student strength of 13,000 — the largest in Asia — is one such. Imagine the impact such a programme can make here, percolating down to the larger community,” says Luke.

We were on our way to a government school at Chengannur, where a toilet block and a handwash station constructed by RC Chengannur were dedicated to the students. A grateful school

Children line up for group handwashing at a school.

JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 67

WinS Committee Chair Sushil Gupta celebrating Group Handwashing Day with Rotarians and students of Cotton Hills School at Trivandrum.

Principal thanked the Rotarians. It was heartening to watch Anil Kumar, a class 7 student, present a passionate handwash demo; and more surprising, to note that the children are well informed about Rotary and what the acronym WASH stands for. “The awareness among children has already brought in change in the community; it is good to see that they have carried the hygiene message to their friends and family,” says PTA President Jayakala.

One of the schools at the Angadical village faced a unique competition! “The construction of the Rotary toilet here triggered making of more classrooms by the education department, which got enthused as the toilets were getting constructed and claimed a portion of the area earmarked for a toilet block to build a classroom,” says District WinS Coordinator Thomas Vavanikunnel.

Perhaps that was because the club had invited the local MLA for inaugurating the toilet block.

“We focus on schools by the coastline which are the most vulnerable as the students hail from the fishermen community who have little knowledge about hygiene.”

– PDG R Reghunath

68 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

Global Handwashing Day (GHD) The clubs organised various related programmes in commemoration of the GHD on October 15 to promote this habit. At Trivandrum, special GHD celebrations were scheduled at the Cotton Hills School — Asia’s biggest government-run girls’ school — where Gupta and the Regional WinS Chair PDG ISAK Nazar (D 3230) participated. “The school reverberated with ‘Raise a Hand for Hygiene’ and a cleanliness/hygiene pledge taken by the 7,000 students,” says AG Mathew Varghese. Construction of 12 toilets by RC Trivandrum Metro is underway at this school. “It includes one for the physically challenged too,” says Club President Krishnan Nair. It has a ramp for access and a spacious room with grab bars in place. The club is also renovating the existing toilet structures and installing water tanks.

Three clubs were felicitated by Gupta — RC Kazhakuttom for adopting 104 schools, RCs Chenganaserry and Quilon Cashew City, 80 schools each. President of RC Kazhakuttom Meenakumar says that they will adopt 125 schools by the year-end of which 20 are 2-star and five 3-star category.

PDG Reghunath attributes the success of WinS to a strong PTA in Kerala’s schools and in many instances, Rotarians form part of the PTA to achieve a larger success for WinS. There is this new concept of Mother-PTA in this region and their contribution to the cause is quite valuable. “We focus on schools by the coastline which are the most vulnerable as the students hail from the fishermen community who have little knowledge about hygiene,” he says. Rtn Bernard of RC Neyyatinkara who runs a school on the coastal belt says that his club is taking special efforts to inculcate the habit among his students.

Siga Marketing, 9381475767

Rotarians to the rescue in Chennai G Olivannan Rotary’s tremendous networking power and smart use of the social media

by Rotarians proved a great boon in providing quick and required relief to flood-hit Chennaites.

W

hen Chennai was battered by record rainfall of a century in November-end and December first week, among the first to hit the road with food packets and relief material were Rotarians of District 3230; they were soon joined by others from Tamil Nadu.

On December 1, there was a call from a Rotarian from Ramanathapuram (about 600 km from Chennai) who requested me to help in supplying food to 70 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

500 people stranded at Wall Tax Road.

I put this request on the Whatsapp group of my club — RC Madras North — and particularly drew the attention of PP Sanjay Mehta, who resides in that area, to arrange food packets. Within an hour 500 packets were distributed. By then more calls were coming in requesting for food. We decided to set up a kitchen and prepare food as many hotels were becoming non-operational. I spoke to

our club Trustee-chair Suresh, and other trustees, who spontaneously came on board and gave me a free hand to carry out the flood relief programme.

We spoke to the owner of a marriage hall in Vepery and got their kitchen.

Within an hour, the kitchen was ready and the cooking begun. This was possible thanks to Rtn Panchanathan (RC Madras West). By 3 p.m. 2,000 packets of food were prepared and distributed

At a plush house with a BMW car in flooded West Mambalam, when we asked the man on the terrace if any disadvantaged people in the area needed food, he begged us to give him food, saying they hadn’t eaten for over a day.

in the North Madras area. Rtn Giridhar, residing in Perambur, collected a few hundred packets for distribution at his place. We required another kitchen in their area and by 7 p.m. he connected me to Rtn Sivadasan, who is the secretary of a Trust which runs a wedding hall at Aynavaram. With his help and logistic support, we soon had a kitchen functioning smoothly. Rtn Sankaranarayan of RC Puliyangudi of D 3212 ensured a steady supply of ingredients for cooking.

By the end of the next day, 25,000 food packets had been prepared and distributed at various places such as SIDCO Nagar, Villivakkam, Perambur, Vyasarpadi, Manali, Ennore, Korukkupet, Kondugaiyur and worst-hit areas including Porur, Ramavaram and Pallikaranai.

Our modus operandi was to identify affected places and reach the food packets to unreachable areas through Rotarians, Rotaractors and other volunteers; at

every stage the supply chain was checked and cross-checked to avoid duplication and wastage of material. And we effectively used social media platforms such as Facebook and Whatsapp for quick and optimum results. On a lighter note, I must mention that Nalini, my wife, who always frowns on my spending so much time on Facebook and Twitter, was the first to appreciate the great role they played in our co-ordination and effective relief distribution!

Hundreds of Rotarians’ spouses — particularly Swapna and Shanaz — and their children helped us. On the third day a kitchen at Mandavelli was opened with Rtns Venkatesh and Murali as coordinators, and every day over 3,000 packets were produced here and distributed. On the fifth day, a kitchen at Millers Road was opened. On the sixth day another kitchen at Poovirunthavalli was opened with Rtns Sivakumar, Joseph and Vijayakumar spearheading it. The seventh day saw two more kitchens operational at Kilpauk and Avadi under the leadership of Rtns Pawan, Tamil Selvan, Satish, Elavazhagan, Kasi, Chandra Mohan and Raja Srinivasan.

2.5 lakh food packets In 12 days, Rs 2.5 lakh food packets had been prepared and distributed. In addition, relief materials such as rice, dhal, oil, milk, blankets, bedsheets,

mosquito coils and sanitary napkins worth crores of rupees had been given to the distressed. Many incidents and images will remain etched in my memory; I’ll relate two to illustrate how this catastrophe has taught all of us so much.

One day, while distributing food packets in West Mambalam, we stopped at a plush house with a BMW car parked there, and asked the man on the terrace — the ground floor was flooded — if there were any disadvantaged people in the area who needed food. He said: “We have not eaten for one and half days; I’ll be very happy if you give us some food … actually I am begging you to give us some food.”

That was such a poignant moment.

Rotary’s networking power What amazed us all over again was the networking power of Rotary. While wanting space to set up a kitchen, I called Rtn Latha Rajendran who is in charge of the School for Special Children at MGR’s Ramavaram Gardens to ask if we could use that space for a kitchen. She was so grateful I called because the networks were down, the area was badly flooded and the 125 children there were virtually locked in. The children hadn’t eaten for a day; that was the day water was released from the Chembarambakkam Lake and the whole area was heavily JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 71

flooded. But our youngsters went there with food, first by car, and then by boat, and reached the food packets to the children. And we continued doing that for many days.

Of course we faced several challenges, but every time a Rotarian would pitch in at the right time and help us to take the relief work forward.

For instance, on Day 5, when the gas cylinders were unavailable and cooking came to a grinding halt at all the kitchens, Rtn Ramkumar helped us by supplying cylinders.

DGs Theenachandran, (D 3000) Navamani James (D 3212), George Sundararaj (D 3202) and Kamlesh Raheja (D 3201), along with DGN Gopalakrishnan (D 3000), played a proactive role in getting help from the clubs in their districts. Many PDGs from Tamil Nadu and other places called and extended their support. More than 65 loads of materials were received and distributed in this operation.

Now the bigger challenge is rehabilitation and our focus has shifted in that direction, and we have begun with distribution of shelter kits.

(The writer is Past District Governor, D 3230) 72 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

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

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

Rotary at a glance Rotarians

: 12,25,818*

Clubs

: 34,988*

Districts

: 535*

Rotaractors

: 1,94,028

Clubs

: 8,436

Interactors

: 4,29,203

Clubs

: 18,661

RCC members : 1,97,869 RCC

: 8,603

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

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

2981 2982 3000 3011 3012 3020 3030 3040 3051 3052 3053 3060 3070 3080 3090 3100 3110 3120 3131 3132 3140 3150 3160 3170 3180 3190 3201 3202 3211 3212 3220 3230 3240 3250 3261 3262 3271 3272 3281 3282 3291 3292 Total

104 62 109 64 70 77 93 93 63 66 56 95 109 75 79 84 103 71 123 82 145 95 64 124 140 107 134 132 132 89 72 140 79 91 73 78 50 102 176 122 144 91 4,058

4,494 2,946 4,787 2,763 2,952 4,014 5,097 2,166 2,427 3,378 2,206 3,988 3,144 3,203 2,069 1,972 3,509 2,857 5,455 3,479 7,661 3,423 2,271 5,145 5,865 4,692 5,056 5,076 4,250 3,733 1,985 6,071 2,847 3,528 2,399 2,880 909 1,852 5,117 3,368 3,865 3,262 1,52,161

190 117 386 384 327 229 568 254 172 508 218 346 263 188 100 112 173 261 1,008 339 1,085 294 99 299 282 419 273 280 249 190 249 596 339 601 233 309 124 338 661 277 643 409 14,392

44 37 174 33 48 74 57 38 40 32 15 43 56 50 28 10 47 33 63 49 117 73 9 33 47 80 73 73 9 55 70 143 48 40 15 35 35 24 197 112 49 96 2,404

204 102 349 88 97 297 217 96 122 128 30 98 140 158 36 84 49 48 196 111 361 165 38 254 402 179 96 372 67 164 187 399 125 177 97 62 10 35 79 21 105 96 6,141

RCC

165 37 96 28 52 291 127 134 330 125 90 114 54 98 122 146 71 48 69 95 141 109 80 155 148 43 46 39 119 118 77 294 127 171 42 68 13 35 181 38 541 89 4,966

Source: RI South Asia Office

A Swiss student’s month-long learning experience about Indian medical scene and more.‌

With surgeons after assisting in an appendicitis surgery.

W

hen I applied for the Rotary youth exchange programme, little did I imagine its impact on my life, career and future. At several instances I saw how Rotary continues to rebuild faith in humanity over and over again.

It all started with an exchange year in District 9910 in New Zealand in 2012. Then only 15, I flew from Switzerland to New Zealand, a country I called home within the next year.

I not only discovered completely new sides of me but also found another family and new friends, a second life at the other side of the planet.

During my year there, the district conference was held at Norfolk Island, the home of PDG Lindsay Ford, a man who impressed me with his big heart and humble nature. A few days later,

74 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

he was the guest speaker at my host club, RC Henderson. His talk about how he travelled to India to assist the national polio eradication programme impressed me and planted a seed of fascination for India in my heart.

Returning home to Switzerland I contacted PDG Ford and offered to help with the polio eradication programme in India. He was extremely helpful and put me in touch with PDG P V Purushothaman from D 2982.

I soon realised that my help was not needed as Rotary had already done an amazing job of eradicating polio in India.

This did not reduce my fascination for the country. As I had an ardent interest in pursuing medicine as a career, I wanted to do a study tour of Indian hospitals. Somehow, looking

back, it seems like a miracle to me, PDG Puru put me in touch with PDG S P Balasubramaniam and the idea was born of visiting India, not to help eradicate polio, but to visit hospitals and learn about Indian health care systems.

A few months later, with no idea what to expect, I was standing at the Bangalore airport and was welcomed

by PDG Bala. Thanks to Rotary and the amazing men in District 2982, especially the help of PDGs Puru and Bala and his friends from RC Salem Midtown, I learnt about the health care scenario in India, in a way that no organisation or volunteer programme could have taught me.

I was hosted by different Rotarian families who took me in and cared for me as if I was their own child.

I was surprised by the connections

I was able to build in this short time.

For almost a month I visited hospitals, each for a week, and was hosted in the neighbourhood. Thanks to Bala’s connections and his friends, all doors in the hospitals were opened to me and I saw surgeries, deliveries, emergencies, treatments, laboratories and pharmacies — everything that interested me. Every day was a new chance to learn, not only about injections and sterile handwashing but also about the culture of the Indians in Tamil Nadu.

The best day was by far when I heard that I had passed my entrance exam in Switzerland, got a seat to study medicine at the University of Basel and only a few hours later, I assisted an appendicitis surgery. Words cannot describe how surreal this felt for me.

My visit to India not only gave me the confirmation that medicine is my calling, but also taught me more about myself and a country that’s full of mystery and diversity, and amazingly kindhearted people; Rotarians

I was hosted by different Rotarian families who took me in and cared for me as if I was their own child. I was surprised by the connections I was able to build in this short time.

and non-Rotarians who don’t mind the amount of effort and money they invest to change someone’s life. I left India knowing that I will return one day, to actually practise medicine and learn more.

It was important for me to share this story with you, because it’s proof that you don’t need a programme or instructions from someone to do amazing things in this world. Thanks to the connections of Rotarians all around the world, my summer included hospitals, surgeries and South Indian food and I could not have been happier.

I thank everyone who has helped me make this trip a reality and everyone who helps every day in small or big ways to make the world a better place. I hope that I will be able to do my part one day too.

(Selina Ehrenzeller was hosted

by D 2980 as Rotary Exchange student from Switzerland to do internship in hospitals.)

FUNDS

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Ct: 9841010234 / 9791888762 / 9176008164, 044-42840109 Email:impactconsulting12@gmail.com

JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 75

District Wise TRF Contributions as on November 30, 2015 (in US Dollars)

District Number

APF

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

9,871 28,009 8,273 17,642 1,27,816 68,334 4,845 172 0 0 339 72,081 9,640 22,366 27,625 35,718 18,003 35,393 48,281 22,097 3,19,530 3,518 5,410 1,566 76,967 2,08,122 69,832 20,101 8,513 27,508 1,14,103 33,881 18,508 656 74,285 (6,881) 15,32,124

3220

13,440

3271 3272

12,745 5,707

3281 3282

15,098 34,376

3292 South Asia Total World Total

99,849 17,13,339 3,72,45,386

PolioPlus*

Other Restricted

India 1,366 0 7,450 0 525 0 4,748 530 9,163 50,097 14,225 0 20 45,366 0 0 0 0 0 30,783 0 0 2,188 9,183 397 0 10,084 5,441 0 0 0 0 6,527 6,230 156 0 720 27,817 1,015 0 13,593 19,875 3,000 0 0 0 1,290 20,854 313 447 9,000 75,685 3,013 100 1,521 0 1,000 0 1,159 0 25,075 82,573 0 100 1,300 8,000 0 0 25 12,028 0 61,900 1,18,872 4,57,008 Sri Lanka 9,690 44,959 Pakistan 22,795 989 2,693 0 Bangladesh 0 33,200 0 0 Nepal 1,300 1,80,700 1,55,351 7,16,856 75,69,393 56,41,789

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

Total Endowment Contributions Fund 0 0 0 3,030 0 9,848 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9,258 0 2,000 0 0 3,063 12,500 1,61,515 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 1,000 (308) 11,643 0 0 0 39,000 0 2,52,560

11,238 35,460 8,798 25,950 1,87,075 92,407 50,231 172 0 30,783 339 83,452 10,037 47,149 27,625 37,718 30,761 35,549 79,881 35,612 5,14,513 6,528 5,410 23,710 77,727 2,92,806 72,945 21,621 10,513 28,360 2,33,393 33,981 27,808 656 1,25,338 55,019 23,60,565

7,583

75,671

0 0

36,529 8,400

2,000 2,000

50,298 36,376

0 2,64,143 66,60,251

2,81,849 28,49,689 5,71,16,820

Source: RI South Asia Office

ROTARY CLUB CENTRAL PLAN TOGETHER TRACK PROGRESS ACHIEVE GOALS

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A wildlife odyssey

Pictures and text by M Swaminathan

P

hotographing wildlife in its natural habitat is a tough assignment; and capturing those magnificent creatures in action is even tougher. But though challenging, it can be the most exhilarating experiences ever. Spotting an animal in the wild can be thrilling; and being able to record that moment can be even more thrilling. But you can never be totally prepared for the challenges you will face. Above all, be prepared to wait

long hours for the right moment to happen. And be ready with the correct camera settings, keeping all sound to a minimum while shooting in the wild.

I felt disappointed as I could not spot a single tiger on my first two days of tiresome safari trips across the length and breadth of the Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand, during my recent visit there. My safari guide and driver Shakeel was even more disappointed that he could not show me one.

But patience always pays. As we were

nearing the closing time on the third evening, my guide got a message of a possible tiger sighting at a place a few kilometres from where we were. He literally flew his Maruti Gypsy to reach the spot just in time. To our excitement, we could spot a magnificent two-anda-half-year-old male tiger, Virat. He was in a relaxed mood, resting on the ground, and was luckily at a reasonably close range for my 600 mm telephoto lens. I grabbed as many good shots as possible in the fading evening light.

JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 77

The male tusker walks away after a thorough and enjoyable bath.

My photography guru had warned me before my travel not to go to the Park with the aim to sight and shoot only a tiger.

More than photographing, I enjoyed watching the majestic animal and its every movement. It looked calm and charismatic, bold and beautiful. Despite this being my first tiger

sighting in the wild, I remained calm ‌ what a thrilling experience!

The next magic moment was watching a fully grown male tusker having a great time bathing in the

River Ram Ganga flowing along the Jim Corbett National Park. I watched for over an hour as the tusker sprayed water all over his body, standing, sitting and lying down in the flowing river. He finally left, spotlessly clean.

When you plan a trip to such a Park, naturally the one thing you want to do is get pictures of the tiger, our national animal. But my photography guru had warned me before my travel not to go with such an aim ‌ to sight and shoot only a tiger. He advised me to keep an open mind and look around for many other things. I did just that and got this picture of the spotted deer in action.

Designed by N Krishnamurthy JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 79

A taste of

India’s Scotland – Coorg Vineet R Bhatt

Talacauvery.

Coorg has a unique charm to refresh your senses with its lush foliage, picturesque places and intoxicating aroma from coffee and spice plantations.

T

he rough and tumble of city life was left miles behind in Hyderabad from where my family and I drove down to Coorg (Kodagu) via Manipal. In the cradle of nature, the mood lightens, and you feel re-energised.

Nestling in the hills, the emerald landscapes of Coorg in the southern part of Karnataka is a feast to the eyes. It was a State in its own right until 1956 when it was merged with Karnataka and is home to the unique Kodava race believed to have descended from migrating Persians and Kurds. Its cool climate makes it a favourite for trekking, bird watching and to spend lazy days ambling through the coffee plantations.

As we travelled uphill and into the twilight, it was like entering the doors of heaven; grey clouds pregnant with rain floated over the valley. Vision dulled as we passed through those fleecy layers and cleared again as we came out of them.

80 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

We reached Madikeri, also known as Mercara, the principal town and transport hub, and called up our host, Prabhu, who directed us to take the road towards Kushalnagar and Mysore. We drove about 28 km to reach the circle of Guddehosur town, passing through three other small towns — Suntikoppa, Hoskote and Basavanagudi — and reached Ammangala, Valnoor, our place of stay for the next two days. The terrain is known to have wild elephants wandering in the dark hours.

We were surrounded by acres of coffee plantations and at a point where a lane led to the interiors, Prabhu waited for us on his old Jawa motorcycle. He led us on a 2-km bone-rattling drive that ended in front of a yellow-coloured building. Home stay is a common arrangement in Coorg, and the best way to understand the food and culture of a place.

Prabhu’s wife Jhansi served us the typical Coorg coffee to drive away the exhaustion of the long drive and the local cuisine at dinner lifted our spirits further.

Early morning chatter The next morning we woke up to a noisy chattering of insects that began with a solo, rose to a furious crescendo of choral chants in no time and slowly died down a few seconds later; the cycle went on repeatedly. Prabhu explained that the ear-piercing buzz starts late at night carrying on until broad daylight and comes from the winged insects

clutching onto the tree barks. The day had just broken, with dark clouds hanging heavily, and Jhansi was busy milking the cows.

We walked along a narrow mud path through a vast expanse of coffee, orange and pepper plantations interspersed with tall trees festooned with creepers and sat down by the rippling waters of the Cauvery River and later explored the Dubare forest. Prabhu took us for a walk around his coffee estate and introduced us to the art of coffee processing.

At breakfast we were treated to delectable homemade butter and some passion fruit wine he had prepared. As the day progressed, we discovered the secret behind the couple’s vitality and energy — milk and eggs from their cows and hens, and a regular supply of chikoo, oranges, lemons, passion fruit, pepper, vegetables and mushrooms from their sprawling garden. This meant they went to the town market only once a month for their requirement of grains and pulses.

A mini Tibet After a leisurely breakfast, we set out for river rafting along the Cauvery river. The Dubare elephant camp was close by and the best time to experience an elephant safari is early morning which we missed, having arrived late. In the afternoon we were in the golden temple in the Namdroling Monastery at Bylakuppe, a quaint little hamlet near Kushalnagar.

The town houses two Tibetan refugee settlements and has the largest Tibetan population outside Dharamsala.

Buddhist monks were all over the place and the village was colourful with prayer flags fluttering everywhere — on rooftops of houses, shops and on the fields. The spectacular temple has an 18 m high gold-plated Buddha.

There are several meditation halls and we were told that the temple is at its best when it reverberates with gongs, drums and chanting of prayers. We spent considerable time here.

The quiet, pious atmosphere was very calming.

As we travelled uphill, it was like entering the doors of heaven; grey clouds pregnant with rain floated over the valley.

We picked up our stock of coffee, spices, forest honey and several flavours of homemade chocolates not only for ourselves but also for our friends back home.

After a spell of rain, we moved to the Raja’s Seat, known for its sunset view. It was once the favourite recreational place for the kings, a platform from where they used to enjoy the glorious sunsets. Talacauvery was another 40 km away.

Bagamandala (Talacauvery) is the holy place for Kodavas and the birth place of River Cauvery where one can see the influence of Kerala architecture in the temples. Situated at a great height, the entire place seemed suspended in air amidst clouds. The floating and sliding rain clouds were dense and dark, enveloping us and we cut through them without a feel.

The picturesque sight of a white veil of water gushing down the rocks — the Abbey Falls — is a sight to behold.

The next morning it was time to head back to Hyderabad.

Coorg is not a destination to be explored in a hurry. There were many spots we had to give up due to paucity of time and the long distances of travel. One of the places highly recommended by our hosts was Kakkabe, a 90-minute drive from Valnoor; others were Nisargadhama forest park, Harangi reservoir, the Thadiyandamol Hills and Pushpagiri forest for trekking enthusiasts, and to the south of Kodagu, the Irupu Falls and Nagarahole.

Our sojourn was made more memorable by our hosts. Over breakfast and dinner Prabhu regaled us with interesting stories of wild life in the proximity, incidents of marauding elephants and how his banana plantations were once plundered by a maverick pachyderm.

We were treated to scrumptious local preparations of kemb curry, akki roti or rice roti, bamboo shoot curry and fry, nooputtu akin to rice noodles, paput a kind of flattened idly with coconut shreddings, and kadambut or rice balls. We returned rejuvenated!

(The writer is charter president of RC Hyderabad Gachibowli, D 3150.)

The golden Buddha at Bylakuppe.

JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 81

Smart Women manage their money

Stock markets, mutual funds, government bonds, tax returns … these words usually give the jitters to even the most well-informed, financially-independent women.

After all, while earning money is challenging, managing it the right way is not easy either. In their book, ‘Money Smart: The Indian Woman’s Guide To Managing Wealth,’ the authors Reenita Malhotra Hora and Divya Vij guide women on how to make the most of their money by sharing information on wealth management, tips from experts and practical suggestions on saving tax and buying property. An excerpt.

82 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY 2016

I

nvesting is a decision that requires planning. Many first-time investors have major areas of concern that need to be addressed before they can make a commitment. Here we will address some of the frequently asked questions that every first-time investor asks — or should ask.

What kind of investments will ensure that my principal will not be eroded?

Investments in fixed income or debt securities are designed to keep your principal investment safe and grow it to protect against inflation. Purchasing a bond or a debt-based mutual fund is ideal if principal preservation is your goal.

Mind you, in the case of mutual funds, be sure that they are entirely debt-based rather than hybrid (that is, with some proportion of equity).

What kind of returns can I expect from my investments?

Your returns depend entirely upon the interest generated from the assets you decide to invest in. When it comes to debt instruments, bank fixed deposits can earn up to 8 per cent or 9.5 per cent, while mutual funds can go up to 13–14 per cent. The interest rates are determined entirely by the

listed by location and type (that is, whether they are commercial or residential).

With all your assets, regardless of what type they are, resist the tendency to be ‘wedded’ to them. Every year, if not more frequently, you should assess whether it is worthwhile holding on to them or whether it is time to sell.

Always remember to diligently check before investing, especially in property-related matters, to ensure that the papers are okay and there are no defaults.

There are plenty of assets that come with specific tax benefits. You also have the option of opting for investmentrelated financing that provides tax benefits. For example, if you apply for a home loan, you will receive a tax benefit while investing in a piece of property as long as you intend this to be your primary home.

Mutual funds are tax-exempt, as are dividends from fixed income investments.

Before you invest in anything, check with your investment advisor and your tax consultant as to which investments have tax benefits.

Is investing outside the country an option for me?

You are allowed to invest up to the equivalent of US $250,000 in any currency in most countries without RBI approval. There are a few countries, like Pakistan, where you cannot invest without the government’s approval, and Bhutan and Nepal, where you can invest only in Indian rupees. To do this, however, you will need to work with a broker outside the country or invest in global mutual funds.

RBI and will fluctuate over time. In the case of investing in equities, the price of shares depends upon various factors, including the general economic conditions, how well the company is doing and what people think of it despite how well it is actually doing.

How can I predict the future of my investment and its appreciation, especially when it comes to gold and property?

The price of gold fluctuates daily, just as shares do. Keep a watch on this price and read as much as you can about the demand and supply of gold in the financial press.

Property prices vary with regard to the demand and supply of real estate in the particular location. Land has a tendency to rise in price in the long term because as development occurs, land becomes scarce. In cities, there might be fluctuations in prices of flats and sometimes there are market crashes, but in the long term property prices tend to rise. The price of flats may not really fall as such but the comparative appreciation is lower than that of land.

Do your research on areas that have high demand. Property prices will often rise. There are plenty of property sites where you can check the rates online. These are generally

Prices of essential commodities like petrol, vegetables and cooking gas, etc., are going up at an alarming rate.

Will investing help me in planning for this?

Investing will certainly help as the basic aim of saving and investing is to grow your money to counter price inflation.

We all know that prices of commodities are determined by the economics of supply and demand. Generally, when there is a scarcity of goods, their prices will rise. We see this periodically with food, cooking gas, etc. Creating a fiscal buffer through investment will certainly help you deal with this more easily.

Will currency fluctuations affect my investments?

If you are investing in Indian securities, then it should not make much of a difference. However, if you are investing in foreign funds, commodities, or any kind of investment denominated in currencies other than the rupee, then currency fluctuations will certainly affect your investments.

(Excerpted from Money Smart: The Indian Woman’s Guide To Managing Wealth by Reenita Malhotra Hora and Divya Vij; Published by Hachette India; Price: Rs 399.)

By arrangement with Women’s Feature Service JANUARY 2016

ROTARY NEWS 83

Binging can’t be

Your relationship with food determines the quality of your life.

reward for workouts Sheela Nambiar

M

any of us use food as reward.

A reward for exercising regularly! It is almost as if we tell ourselves, “Now that we have sustained a hard workout we can eat whatever we want!” If weight is an issue, then using food as a reward can be your worst mistake.

I’m sure all of us have done it. After a great workout, in a fit of righteousness, we feel like rewarding ourselves — with food. Unfortunately this sense of entitlement can amount to self-sabotage. All that work, counteracted with a poor food choice! Truth is, exercise can never quite counteract the calories consumed. A hard workout can burn about 300–500 caloriesper hour. This is easily compensated for by one small meal, even a ‘healthy’ meal. Food intake therefore needs to be monitored and censored carefully if you want to lose weight or maintain it.

Your relationship with food determines, to a large extent, the quality of your life.

Admittedly, food is a focal point in many lives and a lot happens or does not happen because of it and around it. Some manage to make peace with food, eat, enjoy, celebrate and respect it. Most, however misuse it, have anxiety, hate it, love it, are slaves to it, avoid it, search for it, eat it indiscriminately, hate themselves for it and go through endless cycles of denial, angst and blame.

In our childhood, we are often force-fed. We are rewarded with food for winning, good behavior, staying silent and so on. We are scolded over food. Threatened

with it. Emotionally blackmailed with it. We may then start to relate food as a source of comfort. Or, alternately, we may begin to resent food.

And then, you have those people who’ll tell you, “What is the point of exercising if you can't eat whatever you want?” THAT is exactly the point.

Exercising regularly does not entitle you to eat whatever you want. In fact over time it makes you more conscious and discerning about what you put in your mouth. No doubt, you will, and should, indulge once in a way. The key phrase being ‘once in a way!’

You should eat with pleasure good wholesome food that nourishes you and keeps you energetic. This does not translate to “eat whatever you want, whenever you want.”

I am sure there will be times, when you experiment with a variety of food; sometimes more than you are used to, trying different cuisines, indulging in some sinful treats. Do appreciate and savour such experiments, simply because it is a treat. Not an entitlement, but a treat. By and large however, you should mind what and when you eat because it reflects directly on your energy levels, your ability to work and exercise. If you come back from a holiday a couple of kilos overweight, it is time to cut back and reverse the weight gain at the earliest. Allowing the weight to pile on slowly after every holiday, a little every year is a sure way to watch the widening waistline gather force.

What you should do *

Keep a healthy snack/drink ready to eat immediately after your workout or when you get back from a long day’s work so you

don't have to make difficult food choices when you are ravenous.

That is the worst time to try and decide “what to eat.” * Reward yourself with something other than food, (that is, later, after you have eaten your sensible snack), such as a new dress, a manicure/pedicure or a movie with a friend. * Make time to shop and stock up at least once a week with items of food that are healthy and are easy to cook easily with. For instance, you need to be well stocked with veggies, eggs, fruits, milk, lentils, beans, different kinds of grains and millets such as ragi, jowar and so on. * Plan ahead — prepping for meals well in advance saves time and makes cooking easier. So, if you have chopped frozen veggies in your freezer, it becomes easy to add them to dishes while cooking. Soaking and cooking dried beans and storing them in your fridge for a few days will ensure you throw them into soups and other dishes adding the protein element. * Make and store different dips that you can eat with vegetables. They are an easy, healthy snack.

It’s safe to say that an hour of exercise will never counteract bad eating habits. Diet, and not just exercise, is key to staying within one’s suitable weight. One hour of exercise does not entitle you to eat badly the rest of the twenty-three hours.

(The writer is a fitness and lifestyle consultant.

E-mail: Sheela.nambiar@gmail.com)

Vegetarian delights in Korea Sandeep Narang

I

f you are a traveller packaged in a group tour, your travel agent will certainly fix up the dinners for you at an Indian restaurant. And there are plenty of them! Seoul ranks eighth in the top 25 global cities, so it does not come as a surprise that a quick search on TripAdvisor nets 106 Indian restaurants with ubiquitous names — Taj, Ganga, Om, Bombay Grill, New Delhi, Shanti … with the Jyoti restaurant (www. jyotifood.com), near Sinchon station being ranked #12 of 12,969 listed restaurants.

If you are yearning for that Naan, or missing your postmeal papad, Seoul has it all. And it will all be below $25 per person (probably with a beer thrown in). Almost all Indian restaurants serve North Indian or Punjabi food. Most of them have multiple branches, so check out the one closest to your hotel. Chances are wherever you might be in Seoul, you will not be a few blocks away from Indian food. The Indian restaurants are run either by a Nepali, or a Pakistani capitalising on the brand name India. Some are run by Indians.

Sinchon:

Here’s your daal-roti check area-wise in Seoul:

Temple Food

Gangnam:

A highlight of my visit to Seoul was a dinner hosted by RI Director Sangkoo Yun and his gracious wife, Eun Sun — a Buddhist temple meal at the Baru Gongyang. Korean temple food is a 1,700 years old tradition — to a Buddhist monk, eating is more than enjoying good taste and nutrition; it is also a process of seeking the truth. The food is distinguished by the philosophy that all living things depend on each other for existence. Non-veg ingredients are prohibited, and also banned are pungent vegetables — green onions, garlic and chives. Temple food is naturefriendly, healthy, simple and light, bringing out the natural flavour of the ingredients. The granddaddy of temple food is Sanchon, a decades-old mainstay of Seoul’s tradition-focused Insadong neighbourhood — a must-do vegetarian gastronomical experience.

Baru Gongyang is operated by the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism. Located on the fifth floor of the landmark Templestay Information Centre across the Jogyesa Temple, the place offers the urban diner a superb chance to experience firstclass Buddhist temple food without having to trek to a temple on some distant mountainside. The decor is appropriately Zen, and if you’re lucky you

Itaewon:

Jongno-gu:

Ganga Gangnam (ganga.co.kr), Luna Asia, Durga Agra Indian Dining Restaurant, Ashoka and Chakra (chakra.co.kr) – serves South Indian food too.

Durga (durga.co.kr), Himalayan (himalayanrest. com) – yes, you have to walk up three floors, Taj Palace (tajpalace.co.kr), Om (omfood.kr)

Others:

Namaste (namasterestaurant.co.kr), Manokamna, Amma Shanti (shantifood.com), Taj (taj.co.kr), Everest (everestfood.com)

Tip: Nothing beats the prasadam served free at the Krishna Korea Temple every Sunday at Haebangchon, Noksapyeong (close to Itaewon).

Jeoneun chaeshikjooeeja imnida (I’m a vegetarian) Coming to Korea as a vegetarian is a little disconcerting, the concept is quite foreign to most Koreans. But, relax.

Indian food is not a problem; there are plenty of vegetarian dishes in Indian restaurants: aloo gobi, dal bukhara, palak paneer, samosa, mango lassi…. But if you are one of those who wouldn’t touch a diner that serves meat even with a barge pole, then you have a serious issue.

Kimchi

K

imchi is Korea’s national dish. The Kimchi Field Museum in Seoul has documented 187 varieties of kimchi. Some kimchi facts googled: z

z

z

z

During South Korea’s involvement in the Vietnam War, the government requested American help to ensure that South Korean troops, reportedly “desperate” for the food, could obtain it in the field; South Korean President Park Chung-hee told US President Lyndon B Johnson that kimchi was “vitally important to the morale of Korean troops.”

Kimchi was sent to space on board Soyuz TMA-12 with Yi So-yeon after a multimillion dollar research effort to kill the bacteria and lessen the odour without affecting taste.

South Koreans consume 40 pounds (18 kg) of kimchi per person annually, and many credit their industrious energy, and its impact on their nation’s rapid economic growth, in part to eating the dish.

Kimchi is made of various vegetables and contains a high concentration of dietary fibre while being low in calories. One serving also provides over 50 per cent of the daily recommended amount of Vitamin C and carotene.

may get to sit in the Korean-style floor sitting section. The food here is, simultaneously, a work of art, an act of religious devotion and a gastronomical delight. The food is 100 percent vegetarian. Prices: $20 – $40. Getting there: Exit 2, Jonggak Station, Line 1. Walk 70m to Jogyesa Temple. The Temple Stay Information Centre is across the street.

There are plenty of temple food spots in Seoul (you may even consider temple stay options for lodging).

Check out the website www.happycow.net for veg restaurant options in Seoul or Loving Hut (www.lovinghut.kr), the international chain of vegan restaurants opened by followers of Supreme Master Ching Hai. Oh Se Gae Hyang in Insadong; PLANT in Itaewon; So True in Gangnam-gu and Veggie Holic Bakery (www.veggieholic.co.kr) are few more.

The Store Sajik-dong in Jongno-gu serves only vegetarian

z

z

Health magazine named kimchi in its list of top five ‘World’s Healthiest Foods’ for being rich in vitamins, aiding digestion and even possibly reducing cancer growth.

A study conducted by the Seoul National University found that chicken infected with the H5N1 virus recovered after eating food containing bacteria found in kimchi.

We got Kimchi with every meal, and sometimes we did not even realise it was kimchi!

and vegan Tibetan and Indian style curries and dosa and chai including soy milk options.

If this does not help there are plenty of fruits available or look at opening a Haldiram in Seoul — great business opportunity there. And, of course come loaded with plenty of theplas, acchar, khakara, bhujia, burfi — I will be looking out for you.

At the Seoul Promotion meeting the issue about availability of vegetarian Indian food at the venue, Kintex was discussed at large. The Korean Host Organising Committee has assured that there will be Indian food aplenty, not only for the 4,000 targeted Indian delegates, but also for delegates from other countries who might go in for Indian food.

(The writer is D 3250 PDG and Regional Convention Promotion Coordinator.)

ROTARY GLOBAL REWARDS: THE GOOD YOU DO COMES BACK TO YOU

Presenting a member benefit program too good to keep to yourself. With discounts on travel, hotels, dining, services and more, Rotary Global Rewards is designed to help you get more good work done and build Rotary friendships.

Rotary Global Rewards. It’s our way of giving back to those who give so much.

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Editor: Rasheeda Bhagat.

IN BRIEF

ALISON enriches more Indian brains Sri Lanka’s Special Ambassador The Sri Lankan Government has appointed RI President K R Ravindran as the country’s Special Ambassador and have also released a special commemorative cover and stamp in his honour.

“Tks to my Govt for honoring Rotary with stamp.

It’s because of what so many achieved thru Rty & the lives transformed,” tweeted Ravindran.

New Delhi Ranks Asia’s #1 for shopping New Delhi tops the list of Asian cities for shopping, offering a treasure trove of goods through its blend of traditional markets and glitzy shopping malls, according to a new survey by TripAdvisor.

Bangkok comes second, with its huge variety of shopping options for every lifestyle and budget, from the very high-end to street shopping, wholesale and weekend markets.

Singapore, ranked third in the list, is famous for its retail options across the city, with a plethora of shopping malls that are open till late in the night.

Beijing in China holds the fourth place, followed by Hanoi in Vietnam, Tokyo in Japan, Seoul in South Korea, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Kathmandu in Nepal and Jakarta in Indonesia.

90 ROTARY NEWS JANUARY NOVEMBER 2016 2015

ALISON, the pioneering e-learning organisation offering free Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) world over, recently hosted the Indian Ambassador to Ireland, Radhika Lokesh, at their headquarters in Ireland. Over 690,000 Indians have registered with ALISON and their most popular courses include English (particularly spoken English) and various business and entrepreneurial courses.

No more dengue in Mexico The world’s first dengue vaccine — Dengvaxia — was approved by the Mexican government preventing the mosquito-borne infection that puts half of the world’s population at risk. The injection can thwart all four types of the virus, which has appeared in Portugal, France, Florida and Japan recently and increased the risk of “explosive outbreaks,” according to the World Health Organisation. Created by French drugmaker, Sanofi, Dengvaxia can be used for patients in the age group 9 to 45 years. It took 20 years and around $1.6 billion to create the vaccine for the disease that affects 400 million people annually.

Test tube puppies The world’s first test tube puppies have been born, researchers at the Cornell University, United States said.

The research published in the journal PLoS One says that a surrogate mother gave birth to seven beagle and cross-bred beagle-spaniel puppies using in-vitro fertilisation. The breakthrough could help conserve endangered breeds and also help in the fight against human and animal diseases.

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