Six Steps to Make a Difference!

As Rotarians we face with numerous issues and problems around our neighbourhood, in our community, and unlike 80 percent of the people who would like to crib and complain, or blame the people, the municipal corporation or the government for not doing anything about it.   

But fortunately, you as a Rotarian, belong to that 20 percent class of people, who are happier, who know that any problem is just a mere challenge, and is a situation which can be tackled effectively.

You are the person who is a professional and a leader in your business or vocation and know that you can bring about this change.  You are that 20 percent of the confident community leader, as a Rotarian, who knows that everything is possible.

How one goes about this?
The moment you discover a community issue that needs to be tackled immediately, stop for a while, and write down :

How can I change this situation and transform the lives of the people affected by it?  Simple. As a leader in your business or profession this is a normal management challenge and you handle those situations normally like any manager would do to find out the process involved. This is just like any other project.  Draw out the matrix for

•         WHAT the problem is? Define it. How bad the situation is. What is the source of the issue? What specific problems it is causing to the community?

•         WHO would benefit? Talk to the people, and find out what would make them happier. What change they would need? What are their specific requirements?

•         WHICH are the specific resources that you would need for the project?  Money, human resources, cooperation of the community and other stakeholders? Identify them and list that out. And most significant aspect is the knowledge, skills and expertise that you as a Rotarian, and a leader of your business can bring on to the table.

•         Ask other Rotarians in the Club how they can contribute. What are the key skills they can deploy to bring about this change.

•         WHEN: The timeline. To execute any plan, one needs very specific timeline to implement the project. List out the step-by-step process involved.

•         ACT NOW.  That is the mantra. The ultimate success of any project or plan is to start. Go ahead and just do it.

(c) CJSingh / September 14, 2015

Rotarians gift life to farmer’s son from Uttrakhand

Today, the club gave a warm send off to Mahinder (17), who was successfully operated on 1st July under the deft hands of Dr. T.S. Mahant, Executive Director CTVS, Fortis Hospital. 

This was the 559th heart surgery that the Club completed since 1999 when the project to save the lives of children suffering from congenital cardiac disease was initiated, informed Club President D.P. Singh, and till date 560 children have begun new life under the project. 

Mahinder came to the city with his elder brother and uncle for further check up about six months back.  Son of a farmer, Prem Lal, from village Lundra of tehsil Chamoli in Uttrakhand, the family was in for a shock when they learnt about his critical heart condition at PGI. 

The estimated expenditure was Rs.2.75 lakh, which his family could not support.  Stranded and suffering in serai in PGI, they were looking for help when a journalist from Dainik Bhaskar learnt about his plight and published a story. 

Past Rotary International President Rajendra K. Saboo noticed it and informed the club functionaries.  Rtn. Mona Khattar, club secretary, got in touch with the child, had his tests done and on 1st July, the deft hands of Dr. T.S. Mahant, Executive Director and cardiovascular surgeon, at Fortis Hospital, successfully operated and replaced his two defective heart valves, giving a new lease of life to Mahinder. 

At the Rotary House, Mahinder and his brother Om Parkash were all smiles.  Mahinder wanted to go back home and resume his class 10th studies. 

PP Baldev Agarwal, co-chair of Rotary Heartline Project said that club is grateful to all Rotarians, their family members and philanthropists who continue to support the Club's efforts to save the lives of these children. He reiterated that the club had committed way back in 1999 not to let any child die for want of money. 

Club Secretary Rtn Mona Khattar who had been looking after Mahinder and personally taking care of his needs, felt satisfied and joyous to see Mahinder hale and hearty from his earlier pale and sick condition when she saw him for the first time. 

Vocational Awards for Do Gooders

Two teachers honoured for Rotary International Literacy Mission Certificate of Honour

Rotary Club of Chandigarh honoured five citizens for going beyond the call of their duty to serve the people.

Mayor of Chandigarh Smt Poonam Sharma gave away the awards to the five citizens and commended Rotary for recognizing the contribution of ordinary citizens to the society.

She said that she would not only would seek Rotary’s help in honouring the mothers of baby girls, promoting literacy, and participate in ‘swachh bharat abhiyaan’, but would also join hands with them in the humanitarian work that the Rotary is doing.

Mayor Poonam Sharma presented the Certificate of Honour from Rotary International Literacy Mission to Varinder Kumar and Gurmeet Kaur, teachers of the Government Model Senior Secondary School for their contribution to promotion of literacy.

Vocational Awards were given to Alka Bhalla, Teacher of St. Stephen’s School, Togan; Jyoti Parkash, the office clerk at PGIMER; and Mehar Singh, dresser in the Institute of Health,Panjab University, Chandigarh.

Rotary Club Chandigarh gifts life to 7 children from Rwanda

Seven children from Rwanda returned to their home with new lease of life thanks to you, the Rotarian friends in our Rotary Club of Chandigarh, who have always been like angels standing by them to take care of them.




This was the last of the promised 30 surgeries that Past Rotary International President Rajendra K. Saboo had made to the Government of Rwanda on one of his earlier intercontinental medicare missions to the country.

 

District Governor of Rotary District 9150 from Rwanda Jean Runuya, Past RI President Rajendra K. Saboo and Usha Saboo, alongwith other members of the Club gave a touching farewell to these seven children at the Rotary House here today.

Jean Runuya profusely expressed his country’s gratitude to the Rotary Club of Chandigarh and team of doctors under Dr. T.S. Mahant, for saving the lives of these children. It is heartening to see how parents handover their little children to the Rotarians with great hope and expectation, to travel to distant land and await their safe return.

Prof. Paramjit Singh, President of the Club informed that one boy and six girls aged between 11 and 16t years, accompanied with Dr. Rutare Samuel and male nurse Heshima Christophe, reached the city on 30th January this year, suffering from various congenital cardiac disorders, and were operated at the Fortis Hospital Mohali.

Dr. T.S. Mahant, Executive Director, CTVS, Fortis Hospital Mohali. who led the team of surgeons, said that the children suffered from serious condition called rheumatic heart disease which often requires repair or replacement of heart valves.  Such children can’t play, walk or do normal activities due to breathlessness, chest pain, heart palpitations, etc. The valve-replacement surgeries were long and complicated yet successful and we are happy that these children would be able to lead happy and healthy lives.







Heartline Project chairs Sukhjit Singh Gill and Mona Khattar added that children have recovered well and Rotaractors of the club had also taken to the city for an outing last week and entertained them.

Rajendra K. Saboo informed that the Club had been able to save 546 lives of the children, which included several children from abroad, since India is at a stage when it can give back to the world its knowledge and expertise.

All this had been made possible from the donations by individuals and organizations to support the cost of the surgery which is shared by the Club’s partner hospitals, PGIMER and the Fortis Hospital Mohali.

Out of the 546 children saved under the project, there had been 30 children from Rwanda, 15 each from Malawi and Nepal, 34 from Pakistan, 7 from Uganda, 5 from Nigeria, two from Afghanistan, and one from Iraq.