Conducting operations Building toilets The Rotary South Community Hall has been a Rotary brand ambassador for 25 years.
Grown significantly in membership (207 now) since its inception in 1980 (20 members then), Rotary Club of Tirupur South has extended its community projects in all avenues of service. Starting from adopting Government schools and gifting uniforms and stationery items; building a fully equipped mortuary, visitor’s hall, parking lot, supplying cots and beds in wards and installing ACs in operation theatres in the Tirupur Government General Hospital; building a hostel for orphans in Poondi; conducting health camps in schools and constructing a compound wall for the Nanjappa Government Boys Higher Secondary School, the Club has played a meaningful role in the community’s welfare.
The Club, in partnership with the company Interplast-Germany, and the Tirupur General Hospital, conducted maxillofacial and plastic surgeries for three years at a cost of Rs 2.5 crore. “I remember a burns’ victim being operated at all the three camps. Her limbs had melted into her body and she waited for three years to embrace her child,” recalls RC Tirupur South President B Elangkumaran.
Able Leadership
D3202 Governor K Sridharan Nambiar is a result-oriented man, driving his team to achieve more in terms of membership development, new clubs formation, contributing to TRF and taking up global grants projects. “I am planning to add 20 new clubs and have already chartered 10, with one e-club in Ajman (UAE), formed by RC Nilambur,” he says.
His plan to build 100 toilets for girls in both government and government-aided schools across his district comes with a condition. “All the 101 clubs in D3202 should contribute Rs 75,000 each to TRF for getting sanction from the district. This project will definitely stop girl students from dropping out of schools, and thus aid in Rotary’s literacy mission.”
Ongoing projects
Highlighting the major projects, Elangkumaran and club secretary Manoharan passionately explained that the Rotary South Community Hall is one of their significant projects, and being an important landmark in Tirupur, has enhanced Rotary’s image for 25 long years.
People in Tirupur now have the option of cremating their dead relatives in a eco-friendly and cost-effective manner, thanks to the Rotary Tirupur South Electric Crematorium.“A regular cremation would cost Rs 8,000–10,000 which includes fire-wood, ambulance, other expenses and bribe. But here there is no bribe, the charges are very nominal and as no firewood is used, there is no pollution. A provision for maintaining the ashes of cremated bodies for 6 months, as per individual beliefs, is also undertaken here,” says Ravi, the crematorium manager.
In 2000, Tirupur Corporation and RC Tirupur South signed an MoU to build this crematorium. The Corporation provided land while Rotary Tirupur South Electric Crematorium Trust took care of the construction and maintenance. Rtn N K Nandhagopal, a member of the Club and Managing Director of Chennai Silks, contributed Rs 25 lakh towards construction. Rotary International funded Rs 30 lakh for the purchase of a second burner and two ambulances.
With an ISO certification (first in Tamil Nadu) for compliance of environmental and quality management systems, the crematorium has state-of-the-art equipment (two burners that can cremate 24 bodies per day, four vans for transporting the bodies and a prayer hall). “It acts as a model crematorium visited by many government bodies and NGOs. The bodies of unidentified people, orphans and the deprived are cremated here. The Kulanthaivelu Nachiammal Trust, a Chennai Silks Trust initiative, funds these cremations,” says the President. So far 38,000 bodies have been cremated.
PRIP Kalyan Banerjee, who recently inaugurated two visitors’ halls, lauded the efforts of the Club.
Within the premises of the Perumanallur Panchayat is an exclusive women’s Vocational Training Centre, which imparts tailoring and computer skills for the underprivileged women. “A course completion certificate is issued to all the participants. These job-oriented courses have brought livelihood and confidence in their lives,” said Manoharan.
Rotary South Nursery and Primary School was started in 2003 with one staff and seven students, through the Rotary South Educational Trust. Now there are 384 students and 14 staff members, and classes range from Pre KG to class 5, with plans to expand further. “With no donation and very nominal fees and students selected on merit, there is a big demand for admissions, ” says the President.
In association with the Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority the Club conducts Yoga Competition for students.
Project SIVA (Save India Volunteers Amalgamation), a joint venture of Rotary Tirupur South and Tirupur North, conducted an elocution and essay writing competition for 93 government and government-aided schools, and 30 winners (mostly girls) were taken to Delhi where they attended a Parliament session. “This power-packed tour was a distant dream that came true for these young people from poor families,” added Project Chairman Rtn V Muthusamy.
