Rotary gifts toilet block to a government school
RC Madras Magnum, RID 3232, recently dedicated a toilet block for boys in a government school in Chennai through its Madras Magnum Trust. The project, inaugurated by DG Dr N Nandakumar, will benefit 650 boys and 25 teachers in the co-educational school which was established in 1904. Akshay Patwari was the project chairman. “Last year during our visit to the school we found that the girls’ toilets were in good shape but the boys’ toilet block was totally unusable. We immediately volunteered to help,” says Gaurav Jain, the club’s chairman, public relations. The construction was begun last year under the club’s flagship project Shiksha aur Suraksha which focuses on building infrastructure in schools for the less privileged.
The club, chartered in 2014, has executed over 55 projects “worth ₹1 crore raised from friends, family, corporates and connects from our social outreach programmes.”
Children’s carnival
The club has been organising carnivals for children every year with contributions from club members and other philanthropists. The surplus funds are used for infrastructure development in schools.
The first carnival was organised in 2017 at the Adyar Cancer Institute to entertain children undergoing cancer treatment. This year on Independence Day the club organised the fourth season of the Magnum Carnival for 1,000 children from orphanages and destitute homes across the city. They were taken to the VGP Marine Kingdom. “Most of them were visiting such a place for the first time and it was gratifying to see the excitement on their faces as they explored the walk-through aquarium which had marine life from across the world including sharks and sting rays.” The club served breakfast and lunch to the young guests, and distributed gifts to them.
“Each year, barring two years when the world was struck by the Covid pandemic, we have been entertaining 1,000- 1,500 children, taking them to amusement parks in the city and it is always magical to see the joy on their faces,” smiles Jain.n
