Meet Your Governors

Dinesh Mehta
Steel maker, RC Thane Lake City, RID 3142

A Rotary centre in Thane

A Rotary Knowledge Enhancement and Faculty Centre will be built in Thane to train Rotarians through a CSR grant (₹75–80 lakh) by Raymond Lifestyle. “The 4,000 sqft building will have a 200 seat-­auditorium, a boardroom and skilling centre. While the Thane municipality has given land on lease, three clubs will build the edifice,” says Dinesh Mehta. With 115 clubs having 4,100 Rotarians, he is aiming for a 10 per cent net membership growth.

Out of 500 paediatric heart surgeries planned, “we have completed 150 till now funded by a mix of CSR ($100,000) funds and two GGs of over $140,000.” His clubs donated 200 computers to eight municipality schools (Goldman Sachs’ CSR: ₹1.6 crore) in partnership with RC Bangalore West.

Free dinner is provided to over 450 patients and their attendants at the Tata Memorial Hospital. “­Project Annapurna has benefitted over 50,000 needy people so far this year.” For TRF, he aims to collect $2 million. Having joined Rotary in 2001, Mehta enjoys doing community service as “I want to give back to society by sparing time, effort and donating for noble causes,” he smiles.

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Rajpal Singh
Machinery supply, RC Saharanpur, RID 3080

Medical projects aplenty

Abunch of medical projects are underway across ­Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, parts of ­Uttarakhand, Punjab and Haryana. While artificial limbs are being distributed to over 200 amputees (GG: ₹30 lakh), a mammography van will screen over 500 women for breast and cervical cancer, thanks to Tera Hi Tera Mission Hospital.

HPV vaccinations were given to 1,000 school girls (GG: ₹25 lakh), and “another 500 will benefit from this drive against cervical cancer,” says Rajpal Singh. Cleft lip and palate procedure was done on 40 children so far, and “we will reach out to 100 more in a tie-up with both Smile, an NGO, and a Dehradun hospital.”

Four paediatric heart surgeries (GG: ₹40 lakh) have been done this year. Pink toilet blocks are built at 170 government girls’ schools with the CSR partners Jaquar and Kajaria. While 200 new Rotarians have already joined, “we will add 150 more to our strength of 4,370,” he added.

Two clubs have been chartered and three more will be added, taking the total number of clubs to 116 in the district. His TRF target is $500,000. He joined Rotary in 1991 “drawn by its charity and networking.”

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Meerankhan Saleem
Gold jewellery, RC Nagercoil Town, RID 3212

Toilets for govt schools

 Not one to hanker after big posts or rewards, Meerankhan Saleem is quite content “to work silently, doing social service for the underprivileged.” Having 4,750 Rotarians across 120 clubs, he aims at a 10 per cent net membership growth, and will charter six more clubs. Four have already been formed under his watch.

Thirteen toilet blocks are under construction at government schools (K A Latex’s CSR grant: ₹60 lakh); 17 dialysis machines are being distributed to four hospitals (GG: ₹1.5 crore); and 500 hi-tech robotic limbs imported from Germany were fitted on leg amputees (district grant: ₹2.5 crore). “One of my priority areas is environment, and our clubs have planted over two lakh saplings so far this year. We will present electric autos to 25 needy people (GG: ₹1 crore) as part of our efforts to reduce carbon emission and ensure livelihood to poor youth,” he explains. Saleem has collected over half of the targeted $1.2 million TRF funds.

He joined Rotary in 2006 to enjoy fellowship, but over the years “I got motivated to do service. If my health is good and God willing, I will continue my work for humanitarian causes,” he adds.

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M Venkateswara Rao
Paediatrician, RC Vizianagaram, RID 3020

Three human milk banks

Instead of starting new clubs, retaining the existing 82 clubs in the district “will be a challenge as two of them were terminated due to low membership. While I have inducted 250 new Rotarians, a number of old members had quit, hence I aim at a net gain of 100 taking the membership to 5,000 by June 30,” says Venkateswara Rao.

HPV vaccinations are being given to 5,000 girls (9–14 years) under a GG project worth $380,000, “though our target is to cover 10,000 adolescent girls this year. RC Anakapalle is doing 1,000 free cataract surgeries (GG: $30,000) with the help of Merchant Association Eye Hospital; and over 100 health camps were done by clubs, and 200 more such NCD camps will be held,” he says.

At least three human milk banks will be set up at hospitals in Vizag, Rajahmundry and Kakinada, “for which we are scouting for CSR partners.” He and his wife Dr ­Padmakumari, district general secretary, have pledged to become AKS couple in three years. His TRF-giving target is $750,000. Rao joined Rotary in 2000, thanks to his doctor friend Maturu Satish, to expand his charity.

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