Random Musings

The Rotary year starts in July, and goes upto June. In other words, each new President and his Board take over in July, and are in office upto June of next year, and then a new team comes in.

For the present team, then, its hardly been about 11 days of official existence as a team, and already several interesting projects have already taken place.

Our Club has adopted one of the Municipal Schools in our city, where 6000 students study. We have recently distributes close to 800 sets of uniforms, a similar number of school bags, shoes and books, to the younger students. While this may seem mundane to many, I would like to clarify that a large majority of these children come from very poor families. Conditions at home are such that inspite of free education at the school, they cannot afford books or bags, and then on account of missing such requirements of school, they are not drawn to attend school itself. With the result that they end up on the streets, doing odd jobs, or begging, or whatever. The effort of distributing these basic necessities acts as a huge motivator for the children and their parents, to ensure the attendance at school. The joy on the faces of the kids, and their warm “thanks” were a sight to behold.

We have also started working closely this year, with the All India Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. One of the projects already underway there, was to provide a printing press, to train physically challenged persons, on the same, and thereby get them to be trained for a new vocation.

A much more ambitious project getting underway, is the provision of a van that will serve two purposes. One of the purpose will be to provide offsite support for mending and repairs of equipment for physically challenged persons. The other dual purpose that the van will serve, will be to bring physically challenged persons to the Institute for any specific needs that they may have (and which many of them have, every once in a while).

Many other projects are on the anvil, as regards the AIIPMR.

One of our Rotarian members had the previlege of being a part of a team of around 16 persons that went from India to a small town in Central Africa, where the conditions were far worse than those in India. Utter poverty, abject medical infrastructure and lack of medical personnel greeted them there. There, in the course of a few days, the team has completed close to 800 cataract operations, and virtually given new sight to those individuals.

I am so proud to be associated with this movement called Rotary, and also very happy to be a part of this specific club. When we see and experience the joy on some of the lesser previleged sections of society with a little effort from our sides, we can understand the extent of opportunity that we have to make a difference to people’s lives.

Anyone wishing to participate in cash or kind, for such good causes is welcome to post a comment and let me know.