Note From President Shernaz Vakil
NEW BEGINNINGS
Saturday, June 11 will be a very special day for us at RCB this year.
Not only would we be inaugurating some of the final 12 villages in our Integrated Village Development initiative, but we would also be honouring one of our most committed Rotarians at Talwada doctor PP Dr. Rumi Jehangir as well as Dr. Anil Deshpande.
The inauguration of the Bhakta Adarsh villages at Sawade and Gadhade are the result of the concerted efforts of the Project Chirag team together with the support received from the Bhakta family through PP Preeti Mehta.
Once again, we would have provided help to over 2000 rural citizens. In Sawade, We have provided
2 solar-powered lift irrigation systems of 12.5 HP and 10HP which draw water from the River Deherja to farmlands of 9 villages in Sawade. This would provide access to year-round irrigation for over 80 acres of farmlands. This also provides access to domestic water for the hamlets.
A 1HP solar pumping system provides access to drinking water Guravpada, while Guravpada, and Kobadpada have received
ultrafiltration units for community filtration. 7 hamlets in Sawade have received individual filters as they have access to perennial borewells and ‘houds’ constructed under this project, providing clean and pure drinking water to all.
An assembly hall has been reconstructed with a 3.2KW off-grid solar system for the Computer Lab & Digital technology such as computers and Smart TVs for the Computer Lab at the Kobadpada ZP School, providing access to engaged, digital learning to 274 students.
350W solar system for the ICDS will provide access to lights, a fan, and a projector/TV point for the ICDS centres in Guravpada and Kobadpada.
In Gadade, we have:
The constructed and developed a novel Bhakta Women’s Livelihood Centre, an entirely solarpowered [8 KW] centre of 400 sq. ft. that can provide training and a livelihood opportunity to the over 100 women in the village. They will have access to sewing machines, computers, agro-ancillary machinery and, above all, an opportunity to become empowered and
productive members of their community; the change makers, one would say, laying the foundation for the future of the young women of the village.
In the afternoon at Talwada, as we honour our dearest PP Rumi, we acknowledge his lifetime of service to the villagers around Talwada and the thousands of operations that he has completed over the years.
We will name the operating theatres after this compassionate and dedicated doctor.
In addition, we will acknowledge and felicitate Dr. Deshpande for his years of service to the villagers of the area.
I urge all Rotarians and especially new members to join us on Saturday and to be part of two very special projects of our Club.
— President Shernaz Vakil
