Focus on retention, branding
Bariatric surgeon, RC Mulund Hill View RID 3141
Every year around 1,000 new members join, but 800–900 of them quit Rotary. “We are focused on retention with three unique programmes,” says Dr Manish Motwani. Rotary Verified Business, a form of certification, was issued to 330 corporates, small businesses and traders as “mutual promotion so that we grow through visibility in the market.” The citations will be given to 2,500 entities this year.
Secondly, Rotary Internship Employment Programme (RIEP) offers 3–6 months training to Annets and Rotaractors who will be absorbed by firms owned by Rotarians. “Currently, 80 interns are being trained, and it will reach 500 shortly,” says Motwani. Every club does a monthly fireside meeting to foster bonding among members. With 6,800 members across 121 clubs, Motwani is aiming for a 15 per cent net membership growth. “I am keen on adding more members to the existing 121 clubs.” With headcount at 6,800, he will charter five new clubs.
Through a GG+CSR mix, Rotary Heart and Multispecialty Hospital, Deonar (₹18 crore); Rotary Eye Hospital, Mulund (₹5.6 crore); and Rotary Heart Hospital (₹4.7 crore) at the KHM Hospital, Kandivali, will all be inaugurated in the next three months. Around one lakh HPV vaccination and one lakh screenings for breast-cum-cervical cancer will be done. Twenty- five Palghar villages (CSR+GG: ₹20 crore) will be transformed into model habitats, while 40 RI dispensaries will be set up in underserved areas.
For TRF-giving, he is confident of crossing $7.5 million. Motwani joined Rotary in 2001 inspired by his father, Ramesh Motwani, a Rotarian, and PRID Ashok Mahajan.
Medical projects galore
Builder, RC Shri Jagannath Dham RID 3262
A clutch of medical projects including distribution of aids and crutches to rural beneficiaries has lifted the public image of Rotary in remote corners of Odisha, says Manoj Tripathy. “We have lined up GG projects that offer healthcare to the villagers. While a diagnostic centre (GG: $56,000) is coming up at Puri, a Rotary Eye Hospital (GG: $90,000) was set up by RC Barbil in Keonjhar district. Another eye hospital (GG: $66,000) will be inaugurated at Jaleswar in Balasore district, and RC Bhubaneswar Metro will be donating high-tech equipment (GG: $44,000) to the Pipili Health Centre, a charitable hospital offering treatment for spinal cord injuries.”
The district has 4,600 members in 125 clubs, and 422 members have been added already, and 78 more will join. Out of the targeted 10 new clubs, four were already chartered.” He has distributed Apollo and Utkal health cards to district Rotarians which will enable them to undergo regular medical check-up.
In a mega distribution drive by all the clubs, wet grinders, tricycles, wheelchairs, hearing aids and artificial limbs were given to over 1,000 women across Odisha. Similarly, at special camps in Nayagarh, Ganjam, Gajapati and Berhampur districts, artificial limbs, hearing aids, white canes and wheelchairs were given to 1,250 beneficiaries. His TRF-giving target is $500,000. He joined Rotary in 2002, influenced by club member Dipankar Das Gupta, a general surgeon.
Betting on quality members
Perfumery, RC Kabani Valley-Mananthavady, RID 3204
A nine-machine dialysis centre will be set up at the St Joseph’s Mission Hospital, Mananthavady, a small taluk in the Wayanad district of Kerala, through a GG project worth ₹70 lakh. “The dialysis centre will offer free sessions to the underprivileged. Others will get subsidised rates,” says Bijosh Manuel. RC Kalpetta will soon flag off a blood collection van (GG: ₹40 lakh) that will serve local hospitals and clinics.
With 3,200 Rotarians across 91 clubs, Manuel wants to induct at least 800 new members and charter 18–20 new clubs. “We are into a stabilisation mode. I have asked clubs to verify the genuineness of new members before inducting them as we only want those who are in sync with Rotary ideals and can remain with us for long. We do not want to add members jut for the sake of numbers,” he explains.
Around 3–4 GG projects worth $40,000 each are in the drafting stage as “clubs normally speed-up their service activity in the last six months of the year.”
Manuel wants to double the number of Rotaractors to 500 members by forming 20 new Rotaract clubs by June 30. “From this year on, we are giving a new thrust to Rotaract which will be strengthened by expanding its base.” His target for TRF-giving is $360,000.
He joined Rotary in 2008 as “I had wanted to network with like-minded people and enjoy their fellowship,” he smiles.
GG projects for eye care
Chartered accountant
RC Bareilly, RID 3110
Having been a Rotaractor in his college days in the late 1980s, Rajen Vidyarthi is motivated by the “act of reaching out to the needy, and this service-minded approach inspires me to be active in Rotary over all these years,” he recalls.
With 3,760 members across 144 clubs in western UP and parts of Uttarakhand, he wants to cross the 4,000 number and charter six more clubs. He had already formed nine new clubs so far. Eye surgery equipment (GG: $32,000) was donated to the Government Hospital, Aligarh; “and medical equipment projects worth $100,000 through GGs are in the planning stage.” Project Siksha Uday has distributed 25,000 school bags to government school students; while Project Jyoti Uday has conducted 60 eye check-up camps for school children till now, and 40 more such camps will be held reaching out to over one lakh beneficiaries in rural and urban schools this year. Till now, 40,000 spectacles were distributed.
In a bid to promote inclusivity, a sports meet for special children was hosted by RC Agra Royal and saw 250 participants. Around 100 girls were given HPV vaccination against cervical cancer at special camps held at private clinics, and “we will reach out to 500 more girls by June-end,” says Vidyarthi.
His TRF-giving target is $500,000. He has been a Rotarian since 1999. “I was drawn by fellowship and service, the twin pillars of Rotary,” he adds.