An open cupboard to clothe women and children
Quite often, it comes naturally to women to find simple solutions to major problems. This has been proved once again by members of the all-women Rotary Club of Dindigul Queencity, RID 3000, Tamil Nadu. In a remarkable act of community service, these women Rotarians have placed three open cupboards filled with clothes for women and children at the Dindigul Government Hospital (two) and the Rotary Hall in the city. These cupboards offer free, round-the-clock access to used clothing for those in need. “Ours is an all-women’s club and we felt that if we allow the choice to the women to select the clothes they want, and without their being supervised, it would give them a lot more dignity, than somebody handing out the clothes to them,” says club member Aarthy Mukesh, who edits the club’s bulletin.
When this club, led by president Kavitha Senthilkumar, was looking for a good project to undertake, a club member, Dr Sunita, who is a paediatrician working at this government hospital, told the members that there is a great need of providing decent clothes to women and children. “We all decided that we should do it in a way that does not compromise the dignity of the needy women, who are always hesitant to ask for clothes as it amounts to begging.”
So the idea of the “open cupboard” came up and the club members donated around ₹24,000 to make three wooden cupboards. While seeking the donation of clothes for women and children, including newborn babies, it was made clear “that we will not keep in this cupboard clothes that are torn or in tatters. So once we get clothes, they are inspected, washed/cleaned, neatly folded and packed and only then kept in the cupboard,” she says.
To their pleasant surprise they got so many clothes, and that too in a great condition, that they have plenty of them to meet the need which is great too. “We’ve done this now for a few days, and we find that as soon as the three cupboards are filled, they get empty, because there is such a big need.” The cupboards are immediately re-stocked from the collection which is being kept in a room given by a club member in her house.
Aarthy explains that infant clothes are very handy for the babies who are abandoned at birth for various reasons and end up at the hospital.
Asked if this “open cupboard” is not vulnerable to being raided or misused by anti-social elements who could easily sell the clothes, she says that while in the hospital the onus is on the staff to ensure that the clothes kept in these almirahs are taken only by the genuine users, “at our Rotary centre, where the cupboard is kept in the compound, we have a security person, who ensures that only those who genuinely need the clothes come and take them,” says Kavitha, the club president.
She is happy that this project of the club is such a big hit that everyday the cupboard needs to get restocked. The Interactors at the SBC Academy are also helping the club to collect clothes for these cupboards.
This women’s club has been working with the government hospital and “there is so much need for various things here that the staff members often approach our club for help. “They are now renovating the paediatric ward and asked us if we could do something about the walls. My daughter is an artist and I will ask her to do some decorative work free of cost,” she adds.
At the moment, following an outpouring of support for the ‘open cupboard’ project, there are enough clothes available for the needy women and children. But if anybody wishes to donate clothes for this cause, they can be sent to Kavitha Senthilkumar, Plot No 25, Bairavas Nivas, 5th Main Street, MVM Nagar, Dindigul 624001. Tamil Nadu. Phone: 95667 77496
Queens for Cervi Cure
Another notable project of the club is giving vaccination to girls and young women to prevent cervical cancer. This project is particularly close to the club president Kavitha and secretary Parkavi Santhosh, and they even made the theme of their year Queens year for Cervi Cure.
There were several challenges, with funding being the main one to get the vaccines and the required equipment. But Kavery Hospital, Tirunelveli, came to their rescue by providing the bus for PAP smear tests and free vaccination.
Till now the club has vaccinated about 2,000 girls through camps organised every month under the guidance of club member and gynaecologist Dr Balasundari, Dharshini Hospital. Rotaract students from St Antony’s College for women provide assistance in helping people to fill forms and other logistics at these camps. The vaccine doses were also donated by the Kavery Hospital. “But we need funding for this project as each HPV vaccine costs above ₹3,000. Being an all-women’s club, we have our advantages and disadvantages; unlike many male Rotarians, we women cannot make big donations for any project, and hence are in urgent need of money for this project. We all know that cervical cancer is a big killer of women, and since it is preventable we want to do all that we can, to protect girls and women from this danger,” says Aarthy.
Asked about CSR funding, she said that they do approach corporate for CSR grants and often get funds, but the amount is small, as Dindigul is a comparatively small city and doesn’t have corporate giants. Big money is required as often girls who are 14 and above need three vaccine doses; second one after one month and the third one on the 6th month.
Around 1,000 vaccine shots were given at a camp organised by the club in early March. To spread awareness about the dangers posed by cervical cancer, Dr Balasundari gave lectures at about dozen high schools in the city on how vaccination can protect them from this dangerous cancer.
“Her talks are very effective as she can relate many stories from her personal experience of what the risk of infection and the suffering a woman undergoes once she is diagnosed with cervical cancer.” She herself has handled many such cases in her practice. She emphasises in her talks how the next generation of women can be saved from such suffering if they have adequate protection through vaccination.
In December, to spread awareness on preventing cervical cancer, the club, which was started in 1997 and celebrated its silver jubilee last year, organised a rally in the city in which 200 women rode on two- wheelers carrying messages about the need for vaccination. The club also distributes pamphlets at departmental stores and other public places to increase awareness about the possibility to prevent cervical cancer through vaccination.
An MCom graduate with a PG diploma in Public Relations, Aarthy couldn’t take up a career as she has to raise her children, and occasionally helps her husband in his pharma business. But over the years, as she had a little free time on her hands, she joined Rotary three years ago, “mostly to pass time. But now I have formed such wonderful friendships and discovered the kind of fruitful community welfare work we can do through Rotary. I am still learning, but enjoying the journey,” she beams.
