ROTARY CLUB OF CALCUTTA METROPOLITAN
The Rotary Club of Calcutta Metropolitan has completed 36 glorious years of service. The Club was chartered on 17.6.1986 under the Founder President Late Virendra Sood. The Club focus was since the birth of the Club to bring smiles and comfort to thousands of underprivileged through various service projects in our country and abroad. Our Service activities ensured have that we are in the top league of select few Clubs in India primarily due to the dedication of the members, if not whole of Rotary world.
The salient features of some of our pilot ongoing projects, those which matters most to the community are as under:
- PHYSICALLY & MENTALLY CHALLENGED: This project covers FREE Artificial Limbs and Calipers under “LEG FOR LEGLESS”, Rehabilitation of Post-Polio Survivors and Rehabilitation of Cerebral Palsy Children. Our Leg for Legless project is continuing since birth of our Club i.e. 35 years in association with Mahavir Seva Sadan. Months of January and August every year at Mahavir Seva Sadan are sponsored by us for providing free artificial Limbs, calipers to Polio victims, prosthetics hand and scholarships to the physically challenged persons to take their life forward and also distributing wheel chairs and tricycles in need.
Apart from doing camps in several parts of the India, we also held camps in Nepal and Malaysia. We constantly doing Grant projects with several clubs in USA, Canada, Singapore and Malaysia and now even China and Japan, amongst others. The value of these projects comes to US$ 5,03,001 which comes to INR 3.50 crore in current Indian value with the help from Rotary International, various Districts of Rotary International, Partners both from International and Indian Rotary Clubs throughout the world. This is one of our Flagship projects of the club. The plus point of this project is that not only are the artificial limbs given free of cost but we also guarantee lifelong maintenance and replacement to the beneficiaries.
GG# 19-80213 for USD 1,07,144 for Rehabilitation of Cerebral Palsy (CP) children with international partner RC of Moorpark, USA is being continued during the year. The necessary equipment’s were installed and commissioned at Mahavir Seva Sadan. This project is mainly to address the sufferings of those who are Physically and Mentally Challenged because of diseases like Polio, Cerebral Palsy and Accident. This project is carried in association with Mahavir Seva Sadan.
- DARKNESS UNTO LIGHT-EYE CARE: The Club has always been very concerned about visual care. We have conducted several free camps for Cataract operations and Phacoemulsification (Phaco) surgeries to more than 20,000 beneficiaries. We were actively involved for establishment of Erhlo Rotary Eye Clinic with equipment at Auchi, Nigeria and helped trained the doctors. We are again introduced Phaco surgeries for the first time RID-3291.
Our PP Dr Rtn Neeraja Rateria has conducted more than 25,000 Free Eye Surgeries. We have so far done under various Grants both with Rotary International and Rotary Clubs throughout the world to the tune of US$ 4,70,451, the value of which comes to approx. INR 2.15 crores.
- ORGANIC FARMING: In Rotary International District-3291, we were the first to bring concept of Organic Farming. The Phase-I & II covered at Duttapukur village in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal. These projects were done under Global Grants, which values comes to US$ 1,88,748 which comes to INR 1.20 crores.
350 Acres, 6 Villages over 700 farmers and their families. The Farmers community is immensely benefitted by switching over to Organic Farming in terms of increase in productivity, higher value organic products, less use of chemicals and soil longevity.
- MOTHER & CHILD HEALTH CARE: Although we are not directly involved with hospital activities but providing them with Medical equipment and Workshops (CME update of USG) for Doctors and Nurses at “MATRI BHAVAN HOSPITAL” has played a very significant role for the development of Doctors particularly Nurses as Vocational Training. This way they are serving the patients with more care.
This project was done under Global Grants with Rotary International and International Rotary Clubs from USA involving US$ 1,80,199 which comes to INR1.25 crores.
- 3-H PROJECT: The Rotary Club of Calcutta Metropolitan holds the unique distinction of implementing two back-to-back mega Integrated Community Development projects under The Rotary Foundation’s 3 H (Health, Hunger & Humanity) projects of $325,000 and $ 330,000 respectively. This project earned the Club a place in TRF’s Hall of Fame.
The prime focus of promoting 3-H by Rotary International was to encourage Integrated Village Development by providing Literacy, Vocational Training, Health Care, Micro-credit, Water & Sanitation, Tree plantation and Infrastructure to more than 50,000 people of four villages consisting of Joypul, Nabapally, Chaltaberia and Saradapally, North 24 Parganas Kolkata. The success of this project earned the Club another 3H Project in South 24 Parganas to integrate the community in the villages of Piyali, Gourdaha, Begumpur, Sholgowalia and Koloria, which was again implemented These two projects have changed the lives of over a hundred thousand people living below the poverty line.
The success of these projects received wide recognition in the World of Rotary International and served as an example for other clubs to follow.
- PACE LEARNING CENTRE: Although we are providing logistics support to PACE Learning Centre and helping to provide Infrastructure through Global Grants to the said school. A brief about the school. Situated about 45 kilometers outside of Kolkata, Piyali Junction is a community steeped in abject poverty. Here, most live on less than a few 100 Rupees per day. Limited access to potable water, proper sanitation, food, education, and medical care perpetuates the disease, economic stagnation and absence of hope that defines the community. For girls it is worse. Child marriage, forced labour, trafficking, and physical, sexual, and emotional abuse are not the exception; they are the norm. This school is meant for girls and their welfare only.
Presently, more than 230 girls are studying from classes I to XII.
This is again a landmark project in the history of Rotary International, where this is widely circulated as example to other countries how one project can the social life at any place. The school is maintained with International standard. The quality of life both for the girl students and their families improved. Now the girls are not trafficked and their parents started earning through the vocational training provided to them. Care is being taken through vocational training the girls after passing the school can get at the jobs particularly at government.
This is the vision PDG Rtn Deepa Biswas Willingham and implemented tirelessly by PP Jayanta Chatterji to perfection. The above project again comes with several Matching and Global Grants with several International Clubs, Districts of RID, Rotary International, Rotary Members etc contributed and the value comes to USD 8,16,169.
At PLC girls provided free education, meals, dresses etc. The latest addition being the training of the girls from Class 9 to 12 on securing Government jobs, by professionals.
- VOCATIONAL TRAINING: Almost in all of our projects, we are putting emphasis on Vocational Training as Rotary International insists on Sustainability of any project. This will help the beneficiaries to work to sustain his life. They are now getting opportunity to get trained. The results are very positive and encouraging, hence we decided to raise the money to have a proper Vocational Training Centre at PACE Learning Centre at Piyali, including a 5000 sft building for the Centre
This will create opportunities as it will pave way for creating sustainable employment opportunities for the girls of PLC besides neighborhood community. Initially RCCM has tied up with Keertika Academy to provide Vocational Training Opportunities in the area of Nursing, Beautician, House Keeping, Tailoring, Security Services, Front Office Management, Facility Management Services etc.
- COVID PANDEMIC RELIEF: We have adopted to Hospitals to upgrade their facilities by providing equipment worth USD 145,800/- (INR 1.10 Crores) including PSA oxygen units, ventilators, Bipap units, HFNO machines, ABG Units, Monitors, Concentrators etc.
OTHER PROJECTS:
- We have provided State-Of-The-Art Ambulances to various Hospital/Institutions in Kolkata, Bangladesh and Piyali.
- Provided modern medical equipment to Cancer and Cardiac Hospitals for the benefit of the poor.
- Under “GIFT OF LIFE”, we have provided free heart surgeries to the children from India and abroad.
- We have free Pace Makers and Hearing Aids to the needy people as well as in school where needed. We also undertook free Ear Surgeries for the under privileged beneficiaries.
- From time-to-time major Health camps and Awareness program for major ailments were done.
- We also run a Charitable Clinic in Khardah under our umbrella which is doing remarkable business and has the lastest testing facility, amongst its patrons is the Finance Minister of Bengal – Shri Amit Mitra, an Alumni of Duke University, USA.
- Under various Matching/Global Grants, Safe Arsenic-free drinking water in rural homes and low cost of Sanitation units to households in rural West Bengal.
- Micro-credit for rural poor ensuring employment opportunity.
- Medical equipment to reduce Child Morality rate by augmenting of Neonatal machine at ICU of The Institute of Child Health.
- Provided Tube Wells, Toilets at various villages from time to time
- Prisoner Reform program of physiological and social reforms
- Apart from the above, we have done so many small projects like Distribution of books & stationaries, Distribution of Mosquito Nets and the list is endless.
We are always looking forward to joining hands with organizations /individuals with a similar vision. Please do contact us.