Women-centric initiatives
Dental surgeon
RC Aroor Satellite City, RID 3211
Doing long-term sustainable projects is her top priority; “I have urged all the 162 clubs (5,276 members) to take up service initiatives that will live on for years to come,” says Tina. The district theme, ‘Create your own legacy’ is reflected in the flagship Project Oppol (elder sister) which has seven verticals, all being women-centric initiatives.
Project Asha, under Oppol, will screen around 75,000 women for breast cancer through the AI-powered thermalytix mammography. “This technique enables radiation-free, non- invasive and affordable screening of large communities. We are doing this through a GG valued at $50,000,” she says. There are six more Oppol verticals — Abhaya (building homes and one-stop centres); Vidya (education); Janani (mother and child care, smart angandwadis); Shreya (economic independence); Nirmala (building toilets and water ATMs); and Bhumika (environmental protection).
Twenty panchayats will be made sanitary pads- free with the distribution of 75,000 eco-friendly menstrual cups, each costing ₹200, by the district clubs. Around 3,000 bicycles, sponsored by club members, will be given to school girls (₹80 lakh). Each club will be doing around 8–10 medical camps, reaching out to thousands. For TRF-giving, her target is $1 million. She wants to induct 1,000 new members and charter 10 clubs.
Tina joined Rotary in 1998 as it promoted friendship and shaped her leadership traits. She is inspired by her husband Antoney’s work as a Rotarian.
Medical Mission at Gwalior
Academician
RC Ajmer, RID 3053
As a young girl, Nisha was influenced by her father Shivraj Singh Gaur, an 82-year-old Rotarian from RC Kota. “He has put in 44 years of active Rotary service, and held key posts in the district Rotary. He is my role model,” says Nisha, whose husband Amarpal Singh Shekhawat is also a Rotarian.
She has lined up two GG projects — donation of 1,600 bench-desks to 30 government schools (GG: ₹50 lakh) in Jodhpur and Ajmer; and providing medical equipment (₹26 lakh) to the neonatal ward of MG Hospital, Jodhpur. In the last week of March, a seven-day mega medical mission will be organised at Shivpuri by RC Gwalior in partnership with RID 3080, and the state government. RC Bhiwadi will do a Happy School project (CSR funds: ₹1 lakh) benefitting 1,500 students.
Nisha aims at a net growth of 15 per cent members from a base of 3,400 in 77 clubs. Since July, 50 small projects in mother and child care, health, and literacy areas, worth ₹6–7 lakh in all, have been done. “We have collected 3,500 units of blood, and planted 10,000 saplings under ongoing activities.”
For TRF-giving, her target is $260,000. After being a Rotaractor (1990–93), Nisha joined Rotary in 2007.
Focus on mammography buses
Metal fabrication
RC Latur Mid-Town, RID 3132
To optimise the functioning of Rotary in the district, Sudhir Lature does not want clubs with less than 26 members. He wants the Rotarians to choose a club closer to their home, and has directed each club to have at least five women members. “At present, women constitute 16 per cent of our count, and I want to push it to 20 per cent by June-end. I will add 500 new members and charter 25 new clubs in my tenure,” he says. Currently, there are 4,240 members in 103 clubs.
To increase cancer detection, five more mammography buses (GG: $300,000) will join the existing three mobile clinics in March, all of “which will help screen two lakh women in remote villages.” For newborns, three human milk banks will be set up (GG: $150,000) at the government hospitals in Solapur, Nanded and Ambajogai. “Projects to promote 100 Happy Schools (GG: $200,000) in the government sector, will be done. We will set up four farm equipment banks (GG: $100,000) in Aknuj, Chakur, Jalna and Shirdi to benefit farmers,” he says. He will induct 250 Rotaractors (490 members now) and add 10 new clubs to the existing 34 Rotaract clubs.
To achieve the TRF target of $1 million, several Rotary Runs were held at many places in November with the help of 2,000 Rotarians and 3,000 public volunteers.
Lature joined Rotary in 2011.
A mix of medical, water projects
Dams and canals
RC Chanakya, RID 3250
DG Namrata is doing a mix of medical and water projects benefitting large segments of people. First in the list is the setting up of three blood banks (GG: ₹144 lakh) at government hospitals in Buxar, Muzaffarpur and a private nursing home in Patna. “The GG is in the pipeline, and will be okayed soon,” she says. This will be followed by installing two dialysis machines (GG: $20,000) at the GH, Ranchi, and a charity hospital in Motihari, Bihar.
Around 250 Tulu motor pumps will be installed (GG: ₹60 lakh) at Goh village in Aurangabad district, Bihar, to meet the drinking water and irrigation needs of villagers. In a major initiative, seven derelict ponds near Patna will be rejuvenated through CSR funds. High-tech equipment (CSR funds: $225,000) will be donated to the Government Mental Hospital, Ranchi.
Namrata’s TRF-giving target is $500,000. With 4,700 members in 120 clubs, she is aiming for 20 per cent net membership growth, and 10 new clubs. She joined Rotary in 2008 with the purpose of “making a tangible difference to communities, even while growing as a leader professionally and in personal terms,” she smiles.