Doing amazing work through our Foundation

Rotarians in our zones, and the entire Rotary world, can be proud that The Rotary Foundation, built through your contributions, is helping improve the lives of thousands of people in communities across the globe. It has got consistently top ranking from Charity Navigator. It is a matter of pride for our zone that in the last few years we have emerged as Number Two in giving to our Foundation. And after “receiving” for years, India is now a “giving” country to the Foundation; last year, we gave more than we received!

This should be a matter of joy for us, as the fact that Indian Rotarians are now teaming up with clubs outside India to do global grants in their countries. For a moment, pause to think of the phenomenal work that has been made possible in so many communities in Rotary’s focus areas such as health and nutrition, water and sanitation, increased economic activity, promotion of peace, and best of all, literacy and education, because of the work that Rotarians do through Foundation grants. Rotarians have excelled in reaching emergency aid to victims of natural disaster, through their immediate and generous contribution, or building low-cost shelters such as those we did in Gujarat after the devastating earthquake of 2001, in Kerala and Karnataka recently, and so many other places.

Over 102 years of the existence of The Rotary Foundation, just think of the smiles you have brought to the faces of distressed and displaced people, the tears you have wiped of thousands and thousands… the very thought should light up your minds and hearts.

By your generosity and the thousands of volunteer hours you have put in over the years, the Rotary wheel, our logo, stands proudly embedded in colonies we have built in Gujarat, Maharashtra (after the Latur earthquake), etc. Through our numerous projects we have made a dent in reducing poverty and disease, improving sanitation, the crucial factors that reduce conflict and give lasting peace a better chance, another major focus area of our Foundation. And we have helped make India polio-free!

I thank you for your generosity and urge you to continue giving to TRF. After all, the Indian ethos is to care and share whatever we have. We’ve seen our parents do it; let’s follow their great example.

Kamal Sanghvi
RI Director, 2019-21