Making life throb again

At a limb fitment camp in Gadchiroli, 785km from Nashik, Maharashtra, organised by RID 3030, Ramesh, a 45-year-old man took his first step in years, thanks to his new artificial limb. “Everyone around me applauded. This wasn’t just about walking again, it was about becoming independent again, getting back dignity, and the everyday life most of us take for granted,” he says.

This was one of life-changing moments made possible by the Jaipur Foot Camp, organised by RID 3030 under the leadership of DG Rajinder Singh Khurana. Held over 20 days in Gadchiroli, Gondia and Amravati, rural areas near Pune, these camps provided prosthetic limbs to over 300 people, many of them from tribal and underprivileged communities.

The Gadchiroli camp was spearheaded by RC Nagpur North in collaboration with RC Gadchiroli. In Gondia, the initiative was led by RC Nagpur Down Town, while RC Amravati implemented the Amravati camp.

At the heart of the project’s smooth execution were Jyotika Kapoor (District chair-Jaipur Foot), Rajeev Warbhe (District chair-Tribal Welfare) and Virendra Patrikar (project chair). The initiative was supported by the Mahavir Seva Sadan, which provided technical and medical aid, while the local police in Gadchiroli and Gondia ensured proper logistics. Shri Jalaram Satsang Mandal, Amravati, hosted and supported the Amravati camp with volunteers and infrastructure.

From the solemn inauguration led by DG Khurana, flanked by key dignitaries including the SP of Gadchiroli, to a heartwarming valedictory ceremony in Amravati, every detail of the project was handled with due diligence. The cost of the limb fitment camps was around ₹12–13 lakh. DG Khurana called “this project is Rotary’s Service Above Self in its purest form.”