Other Projects

Alcohol De-Addiction Centre For Vaidu Community

Rotary Club of Bombay and Rotary Club of Addiction Prevention started a new initiative on July 13th,
2022, for tribals of Vaidu community in Jogeshwari and Marol.

The Tribal Upliftment Committee of RCB is starting a Group Counselling Centre in cooperation with Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) and Al-anon Anonymous organisation.

The 13.5 lakh Vaidu tribal population live in pockets of Jogeshwari and Aarey Colony. Of these, 40% females and 90% males are trapped in alcohol addiction.

The Alcohol Deaddiction Centre will take both men and women through the recovery process and teach their family members how to care for the addict, as we believe that addiction is a disease and not a choice.

127 women, eager to know the details, attended the opening ceremony. Many volunteers from the community came forward to help this initiative. We thank their leader, Ms. Durga Vadilu, for mobilising her community. The Balwadi filled with community members until there were curious women standing outside the room too. RCB organised snack boxes for
everyone.

Our Club has been working in the Vaidu community for a year to improve literacy level among kids and women but upliftment in a real sense will happen once the community comes out of the shackles of addiction.

Vaidu women to graduate from ALP this month: A hundred Vaidu women from Jogeshwari and Marol will graduate from RCB’s Adult Literacy Programme this month. Here are some of the people we helped.

51-year-old Sunita Gosavi is a grandmother. She learned how to writer her name in English and Marathi and scored more than 60%. She also enjoys ALP class because it makes her feel seen.

62-year-old Durgavva Shivaralu stays with her mentally disabled son. She is a beggar and manages with whatever she gets through that. She wanted to learn how to write her name and signature. She wants to be a vegetable seller or tea
vendor.

51-year-old Kattava Gudilu sells odds and ends like rubber bands, hairbands, stationery etc. She attends ALP classes even though it means she loses out on half a day of earnings. She is now able to read headlines and understand social updates. She is also better able to manage her own accounts.

39-year-old Shevanti Surve lost her job during the Covid lockdown period and is now jobless. She has attended all ALP classes and learned how to read and write. She has also been instrumental in encouraging her friends to do the same. She is now looking for a job and is confident that she will be successful. Through the classes, she has developed leadership skills.