Flamingos, special children, women police… Mumbai Rotarians serve them all

When members of the Rotary Club of Bombay Bay View, RID 3141, found that the breathtaking sight of flamingos wading through the mangroves in Navi Mumbai was marred by a startling reality… the ecosystem that attracts and sustains these beautiful winged creatures being choked with plastic waste and debris that was thrown indiscriminately here, they decided to act.

“The contrast between the beautiful sight of the flamingos and the filthy plastic waste was a grim reminder to us about the crass ­indifference of so many human beings to the environment, and the urgent need to do something to take remedial action,” says Rackhee Mehta, secretary of the club.

To set matters right and reverse the damage, the club put together a group of dedicated volunteers, including club members, to make a concerted effort to restore the mangroves. “Armed with gloves and determination, we participated in a massive clean-up drive, removing heaps of plastic, discarded waste, and other pollutants suffocating this delicate habitat. Our commitment didn’t stop at manual effort — we also made a financial contribution to an NGO working on conservation and sustenance of wetlands, ensuring long-term impact,” she says.

This project gets particular significance as in recent times Mumbai has seen unprecedented flooding following heavy rains due to indiscriminate construction and other man-made action that have choked up the metro’s crucial drainage systems.

For the core team of this club, this project is important because “we all know that environmental responsibility is not a choice — it is a necessity. And that mangroves act as natural shields, protecting coastal cities from floods while providing a crucial breeding ground for countless species of birds, including flamingos. However, relentless pollution and indiscriminate action such as dumping plastic waste to choke these precious ecosystems threaten their survival,” she says, adding, “every discarded plastic bag, bottle, or wrapper finds its way back to us — through polluted waters, dwindling wildlife, and an unliveable future.”

The way forward, believe these Rotarians, is community-driven clean-up efforts, sustainable waste management and conducting awareness campaigns among different groups across the city. “The oceans and their ecosystems reflect our action — what we give, they return. The time to act is now. Let’s stand up for nature before it’s too late,” adds club member Vidya Moorjani.

Embracing orphan children

In another project that is close to the members’ hearts, the club, which has formed a partnership with the Nandadeep Orphanage, has been consistently supporting this orphanage, which houses 45 children. During the Covid pandemic, while doing humanitarian service, the club discovered this orphanage which was found struggling to meet the basic needs of the children.

The club’s leadership team decided to step in to address the urgent needs of the inmates for groceries and other essentials. “What began as a simple act of support evolved into a deep partnership as we connected with the children and witnessed their resilience,” says club president Rajni Barasia.

Witnessing first-hand the dedication and hard work done by Dr Ketan Soni, trustee and ­caretaker, the club expanded its support to include monthly contributions for rent, groceries, electricity bills, caretaker salaries, clothing, and other necessities. This NGO Foundation provides shelter, food and education by enrolling into schools orphaned and street children, offering them a chance for a better future.

Keeping in mind their mental well-being too, the club engaged a psychiatrist to assess the children and the members found to their relief that the children were happy, had a stable mental outlook and were progressing well.

For visually-challenged children

In yet another meaningful project to empower visually-challenged students, the club members are helping a visually-impaired banker Anil Divate who has dedicated his life to helping others. “Despite his own challenges, Diwate supports 26 blind students pursuing higher education in Dombivli. He is just giving back to the community the kindness that he had received in his youth, which helped him to get an education and a career,” says Rajni.

She explains that the help extended by the club to this endeavour includes personalised cupboards for each student, five new laptops, tables and chairs to give them a comfortable environment to study. Under its ongoing programme titled Annapoorna, monthly groceries are made available to the students to ensure they get adequate nutrition. “For this initiative, benefitting 26 students, the Rotarians raised and invested ₹4.5 lakh.”

Helping women police

The club members have also embraced a project to provide safe and private space for women police officers in Railways and vulnerable children at the Churchgate Railway Station in Mumbai. The initiative was inaugurated by Railways Police Commissioner Ravindra Shisve who appreciated this critical facility and assured the club members of full support.

Rackhee explains that this project was done at the request of the local Railway police who underlined the urgent need for getting a secure environment for women officers and a safe refuge for lost or distressed children at railway stations. This private space has been a big help for women police to rest and change their clothes in the privacy of a safe, clean place.

The private space set up by the club at the Churchgate Railway Station is a big help for women police to rest and change their clothes in the privacy of a safe, clean place.

Also, because of this station being a terminus for the local trains, quite a few runaway or destitute girls, who come to Mumbai from other cities with dreams in their eyes, only to find out they have been cheated, get stranded here. Such girls used to be taken to the nearby Railway Police station, but it was a very difficult task for the police to get them to open up and talk or give information in a police station environment. Railway Police chief Shisve had a vision that if a safe and secure permanent structure could be created at the Churchgate Railway Station, where space was available, these girls could be helped. They would open up and speak the truth and they could be made comfortable while they waited for somebody from either their families or an NGO to pick them up.

As an open space was available the club helped to convert it into a comfortable resting place with insulated corrugated sheets, providing “fans, a proper functioning washroom and water connection. We are happy that the women constables use this regularly and it has also become a safe shelter for lost or vulnerable children, offering them protection until they are reunited with their families or assisted by NGOs. Children are now using this space regularly,” she adds.

The Rotarians spent around ₹2.7 lakh for this protective shelter.