Vol. 59 No. 14 • October 3, 2017
Dear friends,
Firstly, heartiest congratulations to our very own member PDG Gulam Vahanvaty on his appointment as Trustee of The Rotary Foundation (TRF).
Gulam, you make us feel so proud. Our best wishes are with you.
The Rotary Foundation has been at the forefront of providing relief and succour to good causes all over the world. Its war on Polio is well documented. It is also a telling statement that eminent Foundations like the Melinda & Bill Gates Foundation place significant amounts of money with the TRF to spread the good work of charity across the world.
I have been personally privileged to have known Gulam for many years. In fact it was he who encouraged us in the nascent stages of Bhavishya Yaan (when he wasn’t a member of our Club) to send in a submission for the prestigious Rotary International Award. The project went on to win this award and the rest as they say, is history.
I was delighted when I heard that Gulam would be interested in taking an active part in R.I. and TRF. And now that he has been bestowed this signal honor, I am sure he will take with him his customary grace and competence to a much larger canvass.
The Gateway had carried a Situations Vacant item where we appealed to members to consider a bright Bhavishya Yaan alumnus for a job. I am very pleased that this has got a positive response. This makes the program an end-to-end effort. From keeping kids in schools, to helping them dream, to holding their hands through college and now getting them jobs. I recall Arun Sanghi telling me that unless we get these kids good jobs our job is incomplete. I am glad the process of making the program even more meaningful has begun.
I appeal to all our members to take BY alumni as Interns and employees wherever they can.