Gift of Knowledge Project revisited

President S K Duggal, Rtn. K K Gupta and Rtn. A P Singh visited the YTTS Centre at Mauli Jagran to interact with the children and their parents on Saturday 13th September 2008.
The teachers and the office bearers of partner organisation YTTS were also present on the occasion. Parents were complimented on their resolve to get their children better education and take advantage of the project by improving on their performance in studies.
President S K Duggal distributed hygiene kits to all the children. A talk on health and maintaining good hygiene was delivered by Dr. Ms. Chhaya after the meeting. It was encouraging to see the enthusiasm of the children although they face compelling circumstances at homes.
There are two batches of children benefitting from this project, one at YTTS, Mauli Jagran and the other at Hans Raj Public School, Panchkula.
This project was started to provide additional coaching to the bright but poor students from class 9 so that they score good marks and are able to get into good professional colleges after plus two. It is heartening to see that most of the students taking advantage of this project are girls.
We are grateful to Rtn. K K Gupta for religiously working for the success of the project.

Rotary Open Hearts

In 2005-06, thanks to our twin city partner, Rotary Club of Lake Success Gold Coast, New York, USA, and especially Rotarian Ravishankar Bhooplapur, our Club started a project under the Rotary Foundation's Matching Grants, the Rotary Open Hearts to provide free surgery to 18 children from Pakistan.
Over these past years, the children have come and have been successfully treated at our partner hospitals, PGI, Chandigarh, and the Fortis Hospital Mohali.
On 16th September 2008, the eighteenth child, a fourteen year old boy, Neelkanth, son of Shri Das Pitambar of Sanghar, Pakistan, was operated by Dr. T.S. Mahant, at Fortis Hospital.
As these children have returned home with their parents to start life afresh, a unique bond of friendship and affection has been created between these families and Rotarians across the border, that would, insha allah, further strengthen the bonding between the two countries.
The words of one of the children from Pakistan, that "Pakistan gave them birth, and India has given them life", still rings loud and clear that speaks volume for the success of the bridges of goodwill, understanding, and friendship that have been created.

Another sight restored

Dharmender's world had shattered when a steel bar hit his left eye, dislocating the eye lens, at the factory he was working in. He belonged to Bihar and had migrated to Buddewal near Ludhiana in search of work where he started working and earned about USD70 per month. The only child of the family and only earning hand, was rushed to several local doctors but to no avail. Ultimately, his uncle, who rushed from Bihar, took him to PGIMER, where he was operated on 16th September at the Advance Eye Care Centre by Dr. Vaishali Gupta, under Rotary Gift of Sight project.
Dharmender is on his way to recovery. He would be able to retain 6x18 vision in his left eye with the help of spectacles, and be able to work.