Neonatal, dialysis units at hospitals
Geriatric physician
RC Margao Midtown, RID 3170
This Rotary year (2026–27) is the last one for RID 3170, after which it will be split into two districts — RIDs 3171 and 3172. “As I want to create a strong foundation for the upcoming new districts, 30–40 new clubs will be formed across all formats to diversify membership,” says Dr Lenny da Costa. Rotaract clubs will be doubled to 200, he adds.
With 146 Rotary clubs having 6,750 members, “we will touch one million lives through service projects worth ₹100 crore across RI’s focus areas.” Apart from a neonatal ICU at a Nigerian hospital (GG: $90,000), da Costa will be setting up 4–5 such NICUs (each GG: $40,000-$50,000) at various hospitals in RID 3170. “Our clubs will be doing around 30 GG projects, including 30 dialysis centres ($50,000 each).”
Around 2,000 smart classrooms will be installed at government/aided schools (CSR grants: ₹1 lakh each); and 20 STEM Labs for students will be set up with two GGs: $80,000. “We’ll be doing five Happy Schools through CSR grants, and are in the process of identifying the beneficiary schools,” says da Costa. For TRF-giving, his target is $3 million.
He joined Rotary in 2008. “Rotary is a de-stressor for me, and through my Rotary membership, I can touch the lives of people across the world,” he smiles.
Focus on waste management
Textbook publisher
RC Coimbatore Texcity, RID 3206
Instead of adding new clubs, “my focus is on increasing the number of Rotarians as there are a number of small clubs with 20–25 members, and they will be strengthened. My target is to induct around 1,000 new Rotarians in my tenure,” says Maruti. On July1 there were 77 clubs with 3,500 Rotarians in the district.
A solid waste management plant (GG: ₹1 crore) will be set up at Thondamuthur, a village panchayat near Coimbatore. “After the project feedback, we will install a biochar plant near the same village, for which a urvey is going on to determine its GG value,” he says. All the district clubs will be involved in organising a mega road safety awareness campaign across Tamil Nadu through rallies, seminars, events at schools, colleges, street plays, and leveraging the digital media to spread the message across the state. “The road safety campaign costing ₹1.5 crore will be funded by private sponsorships and donors.”
Environment-related projects and outreach initiatives will be done at 100 adopted villages through CSR grants (each village: ₹30 lakh). “We will sensitise the rural people on adopting an eco-friendly lifestyle that preserves our biodiversity through multiple events.” Maruti is confident of raising $1.4 million for TRF.
He became a Rotarian in 2004. “I feel motivated seeing the smiles of the beneficiaries.” His long-term aim is to “be a grassroots Rotarian to serve the needy at all time,” he adds.
100 govt schools being adopted
Academician
RC Allahabad Royals, RID 3120
Every Rotary club in the district will adopt a government school in eastern UP to do several educational projects. “We are working on a number of school projects which are in drafting stage. At least 100 government schools will have smart classes (CSR grants + club donations: ₹3–5 lakh each). Also, desk-benches are being given to schools, benefitting at least 5,000 children, at a cost of ₹25 lakh, funded by CSR grants and member contributions,” says Poonam Gulati.
RID 3120 had 100 clubs with 4,265 Rotarians on July 1, and Poonam aims to form 10–12 new clubs and induct at least 1,000 new members during her tenure. A Rotary Blood Bank will be inaugurated (GG: ₹45 lakh) at a government hospital in Gorakhpur, while a mammography van flagged off by her home club (GG: ₹65 lakh) will be screening 20,000 rural women for breast and cervical cancer.
In the first week of July, push carts (₹9,000 each) were donated to 110 vegetable sellers in Prayagraj “which will enhance their retail business.” During the district membership seminar in Varanasi in August, “we donated more than 1,000 bicycles to girls and boys from remote villages so that they don’t drop out of schools.” More than 10,000 saplings will be planted in major cities and small towns including Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Ballia, Mirzapur and Jaunpur.
Poonam will raise $600,000 for TRF. She joined Rotary in 2013 “as it inspires selfless service turning good intentions into organised, practical action,” she smiles.
A Rotary hospital in Samana
Chartered accountant
RC Samana, RID 3090
Ever since Amit Singla joined Rotary in 1996, “the networking with friends and like-minded professionals, and working hard to boost the public image of the organisation have been a rewarding experience for me,” he says. He aims to start 25 new clubs with a net membership growth of 600, thus increasing the headcount to 3,600 by June next year. The district had 160 clubs on July 1.
A multispecialty hospital will be built in Samana in three years through a mix of GG (₹2–3 crore) and a combination of donors, global partners and CSR grants valued at ₹6 crore. “We are still working on the modalities of this mega project for which ₹4 crore will be invested during my tenure,” says Singla. Next on the checklist is a dental hospital with a path lab (GG: ₹1 crore) in Sunam. “We will set up a dialysis centre with 4–5 machines (GG: ₹1 crore) at the Government Civil Hospital, Dhuri; and a solar plant will be installed at a school for the blind and the speech-impaired (GG: ₹50 lakh) in Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan.
More than 100 medical camps will be held across Punjab, Rajasthan and Haryana to benefit 10,000 people. For TRF-giving, he aims to mobilise $1.2 million from the clubs. On his three decades journey in Rotary so far, he says, “I am happy to strike new friendships across the state and beyond.”