RC SPIC Nagar celebrates golden jubilee
Artificial limbs, callipers and crutches were given to 110 amputees, mostly diabetic patients and accident victims, by PRIP Shekhar Mehta, in the presence of DG V R Muthu and past district governors, as part of the events to mark the golden jubilee year of RC SPIC Nagar, RID 3212. During his interaction with the beneficiaries, Mehta was saddened to learn that polio survivors are eking out a tough life in villages around Thoothukudi, a southern coastal district of Tamil Nadu.
S Sheik Saleem and B Arumugapandian, S R Ramakrishnan, director, SPIC Group, and RC SPIC Nagar president Arun Jeyakumar are also in the picture.
He advised the club to start its own limb manufacturing and distribution centre, instead of having tie-ups with partner clubs for this legacy project “which we have been doing since 2015. All those who got artificial limbs were given either callipers or crutches,” says Arun Jeyakumar, club president. The club has been regularly distributing callipers since 1990, he adds. “Till date, we would have given around 250 prosthetic limbs at special camps held in partnership with RC Coimbatore Midtown. This year, we have tied up with RC Tirupur East for limb distribution.” After talking with 25 polio survivors, Mehta urged the club “to identify such patients across villages, so that custom designed callipers can be distributed to them.”
Following a suggestion from Mehta to take up a survey on adult literacy in Thoothukudi, “we have contacted the district education officials, who have assured to support our efforts to create a database on adult illiterates.”
Landmark projects
In 2012, the club adopted 30 rural students from three government schools and is meeting their monthly needs, including food, clothing, toiletries and school-related essentials such as books, stationery and uniforms. “During festivals like Diwali and Pongal, we give them new clothes and sweets, and engage them in fun activities.”
So far, 89 free paediatric cardiac surgeries have been done under Project Golden Heart Camp for which they have tied up with Apollo Children’s Hospital, Chennai. “Till now, seven cardiac camps have screened 450 children. This year, 23 children had undergone surgery and five more are awaiting their turn.” Around 600 college students have benefitted from 10 residential RYLAs and around 140 college students from each of the 80 RYLAs held in colleges. Two Interact clubs — at Sri Kamakshi Vidyalaya Matric HS School and SPIC Nagar HS School — and a Rotaract Club of SPIC Nagar were sponsored by the club. Celebrating its silver jubilee year, the Interactors at Sri Kamakshi Vidyalaya are active with a number of initiatives. “Our Interactors have taken up WinS projects, installed a smart class, mini libraries in classes and provide support to Rotary projects,” says G Meenakumari, school principal and Interact coordinator.
The club’s participation in district projects such as Vignana Ratham, a science expo van, benefitted 5,000 students; Project Punch had held seven workshops on spoken English for 740 B Ed trainees; and Project Kalam has given career counselling to 1,400-plus students of Classes 10–12 so far. “We will have the first session of Project Yadhumanaval (she is all) shortly,” says Jeyakumar.
Mehta and Muthu distributed sewing machines and a tricycle to various beneficiaries, and computers were given to the Government HS School in Aathoor village. Furniture and cooking utensils were donated to five anganwadis in nearby villages; and grocery items were given to five orphanages as part of golden jubilee events. PDGs V Shanmugam, Arumugapandian, Chinnadurai Abdullah, Sheik Saleem, PNB Murugadoss, K Vijayakumar, DGE Muthiah Pillai, and DGND Dhinesh Babu were present. SPIC group director S R Ramakrishnan was the guest of honour.
The 28-member club was chartered on Jan 21, 1974. SPIC Group and AM Foundation led by their chairman Ashwin C Muthiah are liberal in their CSR grants and donations in funding the club projects, adds Jeyakumar.
