Meet Your Governors

Dialysis units at hospitals

Clubs have been told to do a “proper needs assessment before taking up a service pro-ject so that we don’t waste our scarce resources,” says Tushar Shah. On top of his priority list is the setting up of dialysis centres in Nadiad, Rajkot, Surat and Anand through a global grant of ₹1.4 crore.

Shah has given a directed gift of $15,000 for doing 1,000 cataract surgeries (GG: ₹50 lakh) at the Rotary Eye Hospital, Navsari. “Our target is 18,000 surgeries,” he says. The district clubs are putting up basic facilities at 100 adopted villages over the years. “We will be rejuvenating 15 derelict lakes and ponds, each costing ₹20 lakh.”

Around 35 avoidable blindness camps will be held at the adopted villages, and surgery is being done for those who need it. “Happy Schools are also a work in progress at the villages.” Shah is focused on 100 per cent TRF-giving by Rotarians, and his target is $1.5 million for the year. He joined Rotary in 2008 attracted by its youth exchange programmes and service outreach.

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Rahat camps boost morale

The 100-day Rahat medical camps and job fairs will boost the public image of Rotary in Madhya Pradesh, says Anish Malik. With 98 clubs having 2,350 Rotarians, “I am aiming for a 10 per cent net membership growth and to charter 10 new clubs,” he says.

A clutch of medical projects — an ENT centre (GG: ₹40 lakh); dialysis unit (five machines) at a trust hospital (GG: ₹40 lakh); and diagnostic centre (GG: ₹55 lakh) in Sagar — will be inaugurated shortly. “We will hold around 8–10 Rahat camps, each benefitting over a lakh people, mostly villagers. Two job fairs will be held in Bhopal and Indore,” he says. On July 1, at a mega camp, the district collected over 1,355 units of blood. Clubs are into awareness drives on organ donation at schools, colleges and public institutions.

He aims to collect $250,000 for TRF. Malik was a member of a Leo club, the youth wing of Lions, till 2001, before he joined Rotary in 2009. “I had an eventful Rotaract stint from 1991-93, and was inducted into Rotary by my friend Manoj Chandak,” he says.

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A global RYE conclave

RIPE Mário de Camargo was the chief guest at a two-day global Rotary Youth Exchange (Sep 28–29) meet attended by 125 delegates including 33 RYE students. “Over the last 10 years, I was involved in RYE programmes as this activity has shaped my life. I joined Rotary in 2001 inspired by my father late ­Amolak Singh Khurana,” recalls Rajinder Singh. As a boy, he accompanied his father and enjoyed Rotary programmes and fellowship.

With 100 clubs and over 5,600 Rotarians across the ­­Vidarbha- Khandesh regions of Maharashtra and Nashik, “we will add 500 new members and charter 10 new clubs.” A dialysis unit (five machines) was set up at a trust hospital in ­Malegaon (GG: ₹45 lakh), while a GG worth ₹50 lakh is under process for an eye hospital attached to the Bapji Jeevandeep Multispeciality Hospital, Chalisgaon.

Singh is confident of doing 8—9 GG projects and 10 CSR-India grant projects this year. For TRF-giving, his target is $600,000. “Over the years, I made a lot of friends in Rotary, which keep me ticking and ­motivated, thanks to fellowship,” he says.

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Water bodies being restored

As a graduate fellowship awardee (1979-80) of TRF, “I was inspired to serve the community as a Rotarian,” says Raja Govindasamy. He wants to add 500 new members and charter 12 new clubs, taking the total number to around 6,700 and 160 respectively. He is keen to add at least 250 women members, raising their strength to over 1,000 by June 2025.

On his priority list is the rejuvenation of 100 water bodies across the eight revenue districts (₹5 crore). RC Dindigul Queencity will vaccinate 500 girls against cervical cancer (GG: $30,000); 100 handwash stations (CSR grant: ₹50 lakh) will be installed at government schools; Project Uzhavar Sandai (farmers’ market) will provide financial literacy and medical camps for 1,000 farmers and Farm Management seminars will be held for farmers. The APJAK Academy, a district initiative, will equip 5,000 students with life skills.

Yathumanaval (She is all) sessions will be held for over 1,000 school, college girls. His TRF-giving target is $1 million.

Govindasamy joined Rotary in 2001 inspired by its motto to serve the poor and needy in local communities.