Takhel, a small village just 9km from East Imphal, Manipur, now has a new public toilet complex, thanks to the initiative of the Rotary Club of Imphal, RID 3240. “The RCC in Takhel mooted the idea, as the village lacked a common facility. Every household has a toilet at home, but there was none in the public space,” notes N Muhindro Singh, the club’s president-elect.
The facility has been built in the bustling community market area and will benefit the 1,500 villagers who frequent it daily. With one unit each for men and women, an overhead tank for running water, and dedicated caretakers — a man and a woman employed by the RCC — maintenance has been taken care of. The ₹1.21 lakh project was supported through district grants.
This 53-year-old club, with 113 members, has been consistently making a difference through innovative community projects. Among its most impactful initiatives is the Rotary Egg Bank, launched in 2021. Every month, 1,680 eggs are supplied to three homes for girl children, ensuring that each child gets four eggs a week. “The eggs are sourced from local poultry farmers, so the project also supports their livelihood. It is our gift to our loving girl children, to help them stay healthy and strong,” says club president Digel Singh.
For over five decades, the club’s annual painting competition is eagerly awaited by schoolchildren in Imphal. “The topic is announced on the spot, and it’s amazing to see the creative talent and social awareness the children bring to their artwork,” he says. The event takes place at the club’s Rotary Bhavan in Mantripukhri, Imphal East, and continues to inspire young minds year after year.
In addition to these, the club regularly donates wheelchairs and hearing aids, and offers scholarships to deserving students from less privileged families. At the start of this Rotary year, members planted over 100 fruit-bearing saplings in the Sajiwa Central Jail complex as part of their greening mission. Blood donation camps are also organised in collaboration with the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal.
A unique signature project of the club is celebration of the World Plastic Surgery Day (July 15). Since 2013, the club has sponsored reconstructive surgeries for individuals with deformities, while also providing them with livelihood tools to start afresh. This year’s gifts included sewing machines for two women, a welding kit for a burn injury survivor, electric saw sets for two accident survivors, and educational aids and uniforms for four children who had undergone reconstructive surgery at a relief camp.
“Every project, big or small, is a step towards making our community stronger and more hopeful,” says Muhindro Singh.