A health ambassador
Global healthcare
RC Bangalore, RID 3192
As president of Alliance for Health Promotion, Geneva, that works closely with the WHO, Elizabeth Cherian is keen to rope in multiple stakeholders in Rotary projects “so that we do impactful service with better reach among communities,” says this grassroots health ambassador.
With 3,700-plus Rotarians in 94 clubs, her aim is to induct 1,000 new members. “We’ve inducted 520 new members already. Rotary needs passionate and committed people. My priority is to strengthen existing clubs, with efforts to add at least 20 new clubs,” she explains. Twelve new clubs were formed already with a minimum of 20–25 members each. She is focused on chartering 9–10 cause-based, satellite clubs, “for in this metro city, an IT hub, young professionals find it difficult to attend regular, weekly meetings. Satellite clubs with flexibility offer the right platform.” Already four such clubs have been chartered.
Some of the big-ticket GG projects are: RC Bangalore West will support eye surgeries (GG: $100,000) at city hospitals; RC Bengaluru Orion Gateway will flag off mobile cancer screening unit (GG: $89,000); and RC Bangalore North will set up a dialysis ward ($89,000) at a charitable hospital. On the CSR front, high-tech equipment to Sri Madhusudan Sai Hospital (₹2.53 crore) from Rotary Manyata; a greenfield school with RO plant at Ramanagara (₹3.5 crore) and heart surgeries (₹60 lakh) by RC Indiranagar, are among the corporate-funded projects worth $1.6 million. For TRF-giving, the target is $3 million.
Elizabeth joined Rotary in 2001 after “I found that my services can be bigger, better and more impactful through RI with the involvement of professionals and business leaders.”
Focus on school toilet blocks
Real estate finance
RC Vellore Mid-Town, RID 3231
Education at the government rural schools is “good with efficient teachers, but they lack basic amenities like sanitation and classroom facilities. I will be focusing on building and renovating toilet blocks and installing handwash stations in rural schools across my district,” says V Suresh.
With 3,700 Rotarians in 98 clubs, he wants to add 1,000 new members and charter 10 new clubs by June 30. Gender-segregated toilet blocks will be built at the Government Primary School, Tiruvallur (CSR: ₹15 lakh), and two government high schools in Vandavasi (GG: ₹30 lakh) and Ambur (GG: ₹25 lakh). Around 25 toilet blocks will be renovated at primary and high schools through a district grant of ₹30 lakh.
On the medical front, three dialysis machines (GG: ₹30 lakh) will be installed at the Jain Dialysis Centre, Tiruvallur; while a mammography bus (GG: ₹1.6 crore), which was flagged off by RI director M Muruganandam, will screen rural women for breast cancer at mobile camps by RC Gudiyatham.
Around 500 eye check-up camps were done by the clubs, especially in remote villages, and “by year-end we will complete 750.” His target for TRF-giving is $200,000. He joined the home club in 2011, inspired by the polio eradication efforts of Rotary.
Rotary is all over Mysuru
Fragrance chemicals
RC Mysore Mid-Town, RID 3181
When 9-year-old Basamma got her sight after a free cornea transplant surgery, “she came out with a broad smile, euphoric to see the world for the first time. That incident, over 20 years ago, changed my perspective of life, making me take an active role in Rotary projects,” recalls Ramakrishna.
He is confident of adding 500 new members, having inducted 318 already, and form at least 10 new clubs to add to the existing number if 4,000 Rotarians in 91 clubs. A human milk bank (CSR grant: ₹40 lakh) was inaugurated at the Cheluvamba Hospital, Mysuru, to take care of 3,500 babies delivered each year here; around 1,000 eye surgeries (GG: ₹41 lakh) will be done by RC Ivory City Mysuru; laparoscopic equipment will be donated (GG: ₹52 lakh) to Vivekananda Memorial Hospital, Mysuru; and surgery equipment (GG: ₹31 lakh) will be given to the Government Eye Hospital, Sullia.
Smart boards (each ₹1 lakh) are being installed at 86 government schools; and two pink toilets (CSR grant: ₹20 lakh) will come up at Chamarajanagar and Gundlupet in a couple of months. He aims to collect $1 million for TRF. Ramakrishna enjoys doing service projects, “as I have many special Rotary moments.” When he joined Rotary in 1986, there were just four clubs in Mysuru, “now we have 23 clubs, and Rotary is on a tremendous growth path across our district,” he says.
New cardiac unit at Rotary Hospital
Academician
RC Rohtak, RID 3011
Having joined Rotary in 2008, “it has been an amazing journey in service and fellowship for me as the organisation has taught me so many life principles,” says Ravinder Gugnani. “Of all the qualities, being compassionate towards the less privileged is the key takeaway for me.”
Gugnani has already inducted 600 new members; his target is 1,200 Rotarians for this year. At present, there are 5,800 members across 143 clubs in the national capital region. He has adopted the mantra of RI Director K P Nagesh: ‘10-20-30’ in chartering new clubs across Rotary-Rotaract- Interact families. “So far I have formed nine clubs, and will fulfil our objective well before June 30.” A cardiac unit (CSR fund+GG: $1 million) will be set up at the Rotary Hospital, Faridabad. RI President Francesco Arezzo inaugurated the Prem Sagar Goel Heart Centre at the Rotary Hospital, Gurugram, in November.
RC Delhi Southend Next is doing 200 paediatric heart surgeries (GG: ₹1.25 crore); district clubs are distributing 200 smart glasses to visually challenged people identified by the National Association of the Blind, and 1,000 bicycle are being given to girl children at government schools (both CSR grant: ₹1 crore). Two Happy Schools are being done at the Govt Senior Secondary School, Faridabad (CSR: $50,000) and Govt Primary School, Gurugram (CSR: $35,000). He has set a TRF-giving target of $4 million, and is confident of meeting this “challenging target”.