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This is a beautiful video on how you, as a Rotarian, are impacting the lives of the people around the globe. Must see.

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In case you are unable to see the video, click on the link to the blog and check it out. 

Congratulations. India is Polio Free

WHO takes India's name off polio endemic countries list
India, which has been polio-free for over a year now, was taken off the list of polio endemic countries by the World Health Organisation. This announcement was made by Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad at the polio summit 2012 in New Delhi on 25th February in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Azad said he has received a letter this morning stating that the "WHO has taken India's name off the list of polio endemic countries in view of the remarkable progress that we have made during the past one year."

There were only four countries in the WHO endemic list, including Pakistan, Nigeria and Afghanistan.

After being removed from the list, India will have to remain polio free for the next two years to achieve the polio-free status with concerted efforts and an emergency preparedness and response plan, WHO representative in India Natela Menabde said.

The Prime Minister, while lauding the achievement complimented the government officials and Rotary for this massive success.  Singh said, "This gives us hope that we can finally eradicate polio not only from India but from the face of the earth."

Though many countries have achieved this goal, every country is still under the threat of polio as long as the virus existed, she warned.

Rotarians must keep up extra vigil and continue with vaccination efforts for next two years to ensure that polio virus does not enter the country again. 

Prime Minister opens Polio Summit tomorrow

Prime Minister of India S. Manmohan Singh shall be inaugurating the Polio Summit that opens tomorrow at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
It is for the first time that a joint summit by Government of India and Rotary International is being organised.
This is a significant event for all the Rotarians...and in fact, the entire humanity on this planet.
In India we have just completed one year when not a single polio case has been registered.
Overall, the annual number of polio cases have diminished by more than 99 percent since the initiative was launched by Rotary in 1988, when polio infected about 3,50,000 children every year.
Through Rotary efforts and active participation of the governments around the world, more than two billion children have been immunized in 122 countries, preventing five million cases of paralysis and 2,50,000 deaths.
At this stage, today, we require much more concerted endeavours to keep the status-quo...maintain the zero polio-case level, which alone can ensure a polio-free world for our children.


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Harbhajan Mann's Hearty Gesture

Harbhajan Mann also contributes for one heart surgery

Chandigarh, February 23:  There could not have been a better gift from the star Panjabi actor and singer, Harbhajan Mann, who not only came to perform free of cost for the Heartline Concert organized by Rotaract Club Chandigarh at Panjab University campus yesterday but also made his contribution for one heart surgery under the Rotary Heartline project.

Rotary Heartline project, started in 1999 by Rotary Club of Chandigarh has so far done 400 free heart surgeries for children from economically-challenged background, informed Mrs. Neena Singh, President , Rotary Club of Chandigarh. 

We deeply commend this noble gesture by an artist like Harbhajan Mann  who not only went out of his way to support the cause through his gratis performance but also contributed for the surgery of one child, she added.

Rotaract president Pragya Kapil informed that Rotaract club had been organizing the Heartline Concert to raise funds for and support the Rotary Club Chandigarh’s heartline project since 2005.

The concert began with a ramp walk by Rotaractors of DAV MCM, DAV College and Gian Jyoti Institute of Management, followed by an energetic bhangra performance by the students of Doaba college.

Upcoming artist Vineypal Buttar set the tone of the concert with his recent release dedicated to Sri Guru Gobind Singh, and popular number “Chudail”.

Harbhajan Mann started off with a prayer and moved the audience with his touching songs, “Maanwan, maanwan…”, and “Maan jannat da parchhavan…”, and later made everyone dance to his lilting foot-tapping numbers, “Le gayiaan chain churaake sajjan de akhiyaan…”, “Lalli laal dupatte wali”, and ever-green “Gallan goriyaan…”.

Rtn. Pres Neena Singh, Rtr Pres Pragya, and Harbhajan Mann released the souvenir published by Rotaract Club of Chandigarh, on this occasion. 

Being Human: From Knoxville to Bapudham

US girls gift for children of Bal Bahar school in Bapu Dham

Nicolle from Knoxville, Tennessee, USA was in 9^th standard when accompanied by her sister and Rotarian parents visited Chandigarh to be a part of the team of Rotarians from various countries who visited India to participate in national immunization day for polio.

She was overwhelmed as she went around visiting the slums and Bapu Dham colony. One of the Rotarian couples from the city, Major B.M. Singh and his wife, Kiran, took them to the school and crèche that they were running for the children of the colony.  Nicolle interacted with them as the children sat around on make shift rooms, with no proper kitchen, flooring, or uniforms.

She was moved.  “I became attached to every child, and something inside me was torn and I wanted to do something for these children,” she said.  

“I thought this was a normal reaction that a child from abroad would have looking at the conditions here, and I almost forgot about it,” said Major B.M. Singh, who was surprised to see their commitment. 

However, for Nicolle, and her classmatesit became her life mission.  Being human, was perhaps the only reason that ignited the fire in them. 

Helped by their Rotarian parents, they set up the Interact Club in their school, Webb School of Knoxville, with Nicolle as the first club president.

“Bal Bahar School in Bapu Dham was our first project, and we decided to raise funds. We organized holi, hosted an Indian dinner for the community, published a 2012 calendar also and successfully sold its copies for US$15 each to the people to collect funds,” Nicolle said.

Accompanied by the incoming president elect of Interact Webb School, Isabel, who is currently in 9^th standard, and their respective mothers, brought gifts for the 150 children who study at Bal Bahar, and also presented a cheque of US$ 11,000 to Major B.M. Singh, for the school.

Working for the children of Bal Bahar, had been the most satisfying for us, say Nicolle and Isabel, as they left for Delhi for their onward journey back home.