Mumbai Rotarians help tribals of Palghar

Whether it is enhancing farmers’ income in tribal villages, ­providing wells in villages where women earlier had to walk across several km to carry water over their heads, giving modern ­educational aids to children in rural schools, or organising group ­weddings for ­Adivasis, the Rotary Club of Bombay Bay View, RID 3141, has done it all.

Chartered in 2002, this club with over 150 members has implemented many impactful projects in several tribal villages in the Vikramgad, Dahanu and Talasari areas of Palghar district in ­Maharashtra, near Mumbai, to bring about a meaningful difference in the lives of Adivasi children and adults.

Club president Rajni Barasia, who has been heading community service projects of the club for almost a decade, says one of the most satisfying projects they have done is providing wells in villages in this area where the water, in available water sources, normally dries up between January and May. Till the monsoon rains recharge these sources, women earlier had to trudge along, sometimes over hilly terrain, at least a couple of km to fetch water for their household needs.

Playground equipment ₹9.75 lakh, 15 zilla parishad schools

She explains how last year the club constructed a well for the 85 families of Kaspada village, which is about three hours’ drive from Mumbai. “These people were facing water shortage from February to June (till the monsoon rains arrive) and the women spent a lot of time in getting the required water for their homes,” says Rajni.

Getting labour (shramdaan) from the locals, and armed with the required funds of ₹6.5 lakh, which is on the higher side but needed as this is a hilly terrain and the digging has to be deeper to find a water source, the club constructed a well. Thanks to this well, the villagers were able to tide over the drought months, and “with a reliable water source around the year, the families can have now kitchen gardens, enhancing their nutrition and food security. The project has significantly improved health, hygiene, and overall quality of life for the community, freeing up time for the women for other productive activities,” she adds.

Thanks to the success of that project, one more well has been constructed this year in another village, and one more will come up in December, “as my donor has given us money for two wells. More water is required as there is paddy cultivation in that area.” Till now, adds club secretary Rackhee Mehta, 10 wells have been built, and all of them are yielding water during the drought months too, which is a big boon for the women. “In return for the ­shramdaan from the villagers for constructing wells, we give them kesar mango saplings in exchange,” she adds.

The cost for putting up a well ranges from ₹4 to 6.5 lakh, being on the higher side if the terrain is mountainous. Asked how they raise money, Rajni smiles and says, “All our club members are very passionate when it comes to any project related to water and we’ve never faced dearth of funding for water-related projects.”

26 smart classrooms in 21 zilla parishad schools. ₹14.25 lakh

Augmenting farmer’s income is always on their minds, says Rajni. Asked if they see agri distress and have heard cases of farmers’ suicides in this drought-prone belt of Maharashtra which is infamous for farmers’ suicides, she says, “No, we haven’t heard of any farmers committing suicide in the areas we have been working. But there is certainly need and scope for improving the income of farmers. Right now, most farmers go in for one crop — mainly rice, and that too using traditional methods of farming. So now we are in a discussion with NGOs who are working in the agri sector about the possibility of holding farming classes or training sessions in these Adivasi villages. We want to give them information and knowledge about modern farming practices that can increase their income.”

To help low-income and marginal farmers, the club has distributed about 2,000 kesar mango and other saplings to the farmers to improve their income from their farms, and also improve nutritional levels by consuming this nutritious fruit.

Another donor, who has contributed over ₹3 lakh, has requested them to also give out 1,000 kesar mango saplings to small farmers in 24 blocks in five districts of Gujarat which has been done. “The aim is not only to promote environmental sustainability and support local ecosystems, while also providing economic opportunities through mango cultivation, but also to make a contribution to fighting the malnutrition among the tribal population in some villages.”

The club has also done projects related to education, handing over playground equipment worth ₹9.75 lakh in 15 zilla parishad schools. In July, through the project titled ‘Fit and fun’, these equipment were given to schools in the remote areas of Dahanu and Talasari taluks in Palghar, benefiting over 2,050 underprivileged tribal students. The aim of this project “is to encourage outdoor activities, support physical well-being, and foster holistic development in students,” Rajni adds.

2,000 kesar mango saplings in Palghar villages; 1,000 saplings, five districts in Gujarat

In another project 26 smart classrooms were gifted to 21 zilla parishad schools and a community library with digital learning tools was set up. In this project, valued at ₹14.25 lakh, 26 classrooms were equipped with 50” smart TVs, e-learning software kits, etc to address the challenge of a disproportionate teacher-student ratio that afflicts most of rural India, and to also “foster a more interactive and engaging learning environment for the children,” says Rackhee.

“In addition, we have distributed, over the last eight years, around 300 bicycles to students who come from far-flung areas, so that they can spend less time on walking to the school and devote more time to learning,” she adds.

Giving out solar lights in areas where electric supply is erratic is another project; “in some villages, many homes have no lights, and this helps them illuminate three light bulbs.”

And a fan too, I hope, I ask? Rajni responds, “You’ll be surprised; most homes have no fans, so when ­somebody asks for a fan, we never say ‘no’. We somehow find the funds!”

Saving a fun project for the last, the club has also organised a group marriage for some 35 tribal couples. As a gift, the newlyweds are given ­several household items. “For doing so, we reach out also to members outside our club. When I told my ­sister-in-law, a member of RC ­Mumbai Royales, that we needed to collect some money to give household items to these newlywed couples, she put it out on their WhatsApp group. There was instant response; people were actually fighting to give money; somebody wanted to give utensils, another wanted to buy the grocery kits, and so on,” laughs Rajni.

She relates an incident when a Mumbai Royales member went out shopping to buy the gifts for the newlywed couples. Apparently, the husband also accompanied her; “we had given her a list of items we needed, but she insisted on buying much more, saying now that my husband is here, he will pay for everything, so I am going to buy much more! It is so heartening for us to hear such stories, as there are so many good people out there to help a good cause!”

Rackhee says that one woman gave 25 sets of imitation jewellery which all the brides wore, and they were all looking so pretty.

The president adds that the Inner Wheel Club is also helping them; “our motto is that kahi se bhi paisa aaye, kaam toh karna hi hei (Let the money come from anywhere; we have to do our service projects).”