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District 3142
Perfect
Governor’s Monthly Letter
Issue - 10 | April 2019 | RY 2018-19
Maternal & Child Health
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From the Aisle Seat
THE RELENTLESS MARCH
District Governor Dr. Ashes’ OCVs have been a relentless marathon covering all clubs in Dist.3142.
Towards the end of March 2019, as the countdown began, I noted that the last 3 OCVs of the year
represented an unusual troika. Two relatively new clubs, RC Mumbra Kausa and RC Mumbra Elite,
followed by the Governor’s Home Club, RC Thane Hills.
I requested DG Ashes to allow me to accompany him for the two OCVs in Mumbra which were
scheduled for the same day and he readily acquiesced.
During the ride to Mumbra, like election campaigners before polling day, we were apprehensive
about the turnout at Mumbra-Kausa. The club has been facing teething problems since its birth.
However, on arrival at their meeting venue, we were pleasantly surprised to see the room full of
members. During the course of the discussions, we were informed that their President-elect had
backed out citing personal reasons. DG Ashes refused to accept the situation and insisted that
members must rise up to take responsibility. In a second surprise, Sheikh Taslim Ahemed raised his
hand. This was the first time I saw an OCV bringing about instant results.
RC Mumbra-Elite was a different cup of ‘paya soup’ altogether. The OCV, conducted with flair and
elegance, was a show of renewed confidence. President Shami and Club Secretary Rafia have
succeeded in keeping their flock together & President-Elect Nadeem is all set to be a ‘Smart’ President.
The OCV at RC Thane Hills on the 30th of March was a unique ‘homecoming’, with many Hillers
wondering how a ‘ghar ka DG’ would conduct the proceedings. President Nilesh and Club Secretary
Govind will vouch for the fact that the OCV was conducted in all earnest- Closed Door Meeting,
followed by Club Assembly and then the General Meeting attended by nearly 150 Rotarians, Anns,
Rotaractors and District dignitaries including DGE Dr. Mohan.
No surprises there! After all, there was so much to celebrate!
- Sharath Ail
Editor
GOVERNOR’S PUBLICATION TEAM -
DIST. GOVERNOR
DIST. SECY. (PUBLICATIONS)
DR. ASHES GANGULY
KAILASH JETHANI
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Governor’s Monthly Letter
EXEC. EDITOR - GML SHARATH AIL
SPOUSES’ CORNER - GML NANDITA GANGULY
DESIGN & CREATIVES SHIRISH SONGADKAR
ASSOCIATE EDITOR AMOL DHARME All Editorial and Advertising matter should be submitted to
Rtn. Sharath Ail, GML Editor
GML CONTENT - ENGLISH KUMAR DESHPANDE by email to publicationsperfect@gmail.com
GML CONTENT - MARATHI SHIRISH DESHPANDE Published by: Dist. Governor, RI Dist. 3142, Dr. Ashes Ganguly
GML CONTENT - HINDI PRAMOD MISHRA For Private Circulation Only
ROTARY INTL. NEWS SRIJIT POOTHEN Printed by: Online Prints, Thane
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT AJAY JHALANI All rights to accept publishing contributions in part or full rests with the Editorial Board.
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DG’S MESSAGE
Dear Rotarians,
The month of March had its focus towards completion of the remaining OCVs
and I have been able to complete 92 OCVs including my home club RC Thane Hills.
In the month of March we have witnessed a few important milestones for Foundation activities for the
first time in the District. TRF Trustee Chair Ron Burton & Jetta visited RID 3142 on 9th March 2019 &
joined us in the noble initiative of the TRF - CSR Conclave where we were in a position to host more
than two dozen CSR representatives at the Conclave. 3 CSR experts delivered speeches to motivate
Rotarians and shared their insights on ways to channel funds from the corporates.
We are pleased to announce that we have received USD 250,000 from M/s. ATOS for construction of
shelters to for the flood-affected people in Kerala. All the formalities of District grants have been
completed and for the first time there are 17 clubs participating in our District, a historic number since
the inception of RID 3142. As a result the District has already crossed the Half -Million Dollar mark in
TRF giving.
Community service projects are going on in full swing with very high effectiveness in the District &
the clubs. As we enter the last quarter of the Perfect Year, I request every club to show their
benevolence and support the initiatives of Rotary International and contribute towards The
Foundation as best as you can to keep the flag of RID 3142 flying high.
March was Water & Sanitation Month there are plenty of projects & initiatives either through WINS
and the construction of Check-Dams along with installations of borewell pumps at various locations
in the District. April is designated as Maternal & Child Health Month. This issue carries a very moving
article on the successful Paediatric Cardiac Surgeries that our district has sponsored this year.
In the midst of all the good tidings, we also received the sad news of the demise of one of the stalwarts
of Rotary in our part of the world, the Perfect Rotarian, Governor’s Special Aide, Past President
Mohan Gupte, former Mayor of Thane. May his soul rest in peace. We stand by the Gupte family in
their time of grief.
Yours in Rotary,
Get Set for ...
PERFECT SHUKRIYA
DG Dr. Ashes Ganguly 22nd June 2019
2018-19 District Governor, Dist. 3142 at Hotel Four Points by Sheraton
Vashi, Navi Mumbai
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FIRST LADY’S MESSAGE
ANADHIKA SAMRTI
(perfect meeting in Sanskrit)
“A Very Happy New Year to most of us who are celebration this month as the beginning of a
new year full of health, wealth and prosperity”
How important is the health of humans?
We are not able to comprehend or understand this until the doctors tell us in stern voice that there is
something wrong in our body which we have taken so much for granted.
Imagine if our mothers were not in the best of health and then imagine if our own offspring are also not
keeping well, don’t we become literally mad and totally upset? Of course we do. This is because they are our
own flesh and blood, now imagine if every house hold has one sick person then what happens. Prosperity,
productivity and Progress all comes to a halt. That is why big social organisations have given more
importance to health. WHO is a perfect example. But then great organisations and NGOs also came to a
conclusion that maternal and children’s health also needs to be given equal importance as they symbolise
they healthy nation that we are.
A Mother, if she is healthy, is a symbol of wealth because she can look after the family and help them to
achieve their dreams. Imagine a family with a mother who is in bed, the whole family’s emotions all go for a
toss and the bond that binds the family together goes missing.
Keeping all these in mind NGOs all over the world have given more importance towards maternal and child
health care. Rotary has this great immunisation drive for children where they have nearly eradicated polio
and are now trying to eradicate some more diseases.
We have our own dedicated Rotarians from different clubs who have contributed in guarding the health of
both mother and child. Some projects have been spoken of and some haven’t but isn’t it fantastic to see
children and mothers healthy? Isn’t it a proud feeling when we have neighbouring countries approaching
our district and Rotarians for paediatric surgeries? Yes it’s a proud moment for all of us, for the kind of work
we are doing.
A big thanks goes to the doctors and the Rotarians, Anns, Interactors and Annets who have dedicated
themselves for this noble cause.
Let us all dedicate ourselves this month to the health of mother and child.
The health of a mother and child is a more telling measure of a nation’s state than any economic indicators.
Be blessed
Your friend
Nandita
See you all
on 22nd June, 2019
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The Perfect TRF - CSR Conclave
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Date : 10 March, 2019 Venue : Satkar Residency, Thane Host Club : RC Thane Lake City
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The Perfect TRF - CSR Conclave
For the first time since its formation, Dist. 3142, organised a unique TRF-CSR Conclave with leading lights from
Rotary getting together with heads of CSR cells from top companies in India. This innovative exercise was the
brainchild of Perfect DG Dr. Ashes Ganguly, who has been mindful of the potential of Corporate Social
Responsibility funding for projects with social impact.
The event was graced by the presence of TRF Trustee Chair PRIP Ron Burton and his charming wife Jetta.
Mr. Nixon Joseph, President SBI Foundation, Ms. Radha Sule, Tata Capital and Mr. Nasir Shaikh, ATOS India
gave the audience a perspective of their organisations’ areas of focus, the key considerations for qualifying a NGO
for partnering with the corporates and the experience of working with Rotary International. The briefing by Mr.
Nasir Shaikh touched upon very latest initiative of Rotary International which was about CSR Grants, a tri-partite
joint venture between TRF, the Corporate and the individual Rotary Clubs.
This was followed by a very stimulating panel discussion between TRF Trustee Gulam Vahanwaty, PRID Ashok
Mahajan and RIDE Dr. Bharat Pandya. The discussion, moderated by Forum Leader DGE Dr. Mohan
Chandavarkar, touched upon the possibilities of corporates coming together for working with TRF through CSR
Grants, and also covered the large scale projects already delivered by Rotary through partnering with Corporates
through CSR funding. There was a special mention of the partnership of Birla Foundation and efforts of Smt
Rajashri Birla.
Chief Guest Ron Burton enthused the audience with his talk on The Rotary Foundation’s 6 areas of focus and
possible simplification of the same to stay relevant, achieve the community services with ease and align with CSR
target areas of the Corporates largely to attract the large CSR funds.
More than 100 Rotary delegates and heads of CSR departments from 25 companies attended the conclave. DG
Shashi Sharma of Dist. 3141 showed his solidarity with Dist. 3142 by his presence along with other Rotarians from
Mumbai. The conclave provided a platform for the individual Rotarians to network directly with CSR Heads and
get more insights with respect to community service projects planned by their Clubs.
The conclave was hosted by RC Thane Lake City led by Convenor PP Dinesh Mehta, Co-convenor PP Vinit
Shah & Avenue Chair - CSR, PP Nilesh Likhite.
Report by : AC - CSR, PP Nilesh Likhite
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OCVs held in March 2019
OCV of RC Thane Hills OCV of RC Thane Greenspans
OCV of RC Ambarnath West OCV of RC Badlapur OCV of RC Diva Thane
OCV of RC Dombivli Downtown OCVs of RC Bhiwandi Rural & Bhiwandi BKC
In March, 20 Clubs had their OCV thus taking the total to 92 OCVs so
far. The Clubs which had their OCVs in February are: Dombivli
Downtown, Thane Greenspans, Palava, Dombivli Premium, Young
Dombivli, Diva Thane, Ambarnath West, Titwala, Ambernath Star
City, Murbad Taluka, Thane Angels, Seawoods Grand, Bhiwandi
BKC, Bhiwandi Rural, Thane Creekside, Thane Harbour, Mumbra
Elite, Mumbra Kausa, Badlapur and Thane Hills.
Highlights of the OCVs were :
1. At RC Dombivli Downtown, DG Dr Ashes praised the Club for the
big projects done by them and recommended some unique ways to
increase Membership & Foundation contributions. He was impressed
with the work done by the Club’s Rotaract and Interact Clubs.
2. DG Dr Ashes appreciated RC Thane Greenspans for achieving 43%
increase in membership (21 to 30). The Club has so far contributed USD
5500 to TRF through a unique Fund collection drive.
3. RC Badlapur inducted 5 members on the day of OCV.
4. RC Thane Hills, DG’s Home Club had their OCV on 30th March.
The Club has contributed USD 60000 to TRF & added 5 new members.
Report by : Dr Jaydip K. Sensarma, District Secretary
OCV of RC Mumbra Kausa
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Perfect Job Fair
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Date : 28 March, 2019 Venue : TMA Hall, Wagle Estate, Thane Host Club : RC Thane
BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA IN ROTARY-ROTARACT MOVEMENT
As often endorsed by RI President Barry Rassin, Rotaract is a high priority area for Rotary this year. In tune
with this, DG Ashes wanted to do something special, in addition to regular Rotaract activities to boost the
morale of Rotaractors. That is how the idea of providing jobs to Rotaractors, as also other youth, came up.
It was decided to arrange for job interviews for eligible youths and the concept of “PERFECT JOB FAIR’
developed. The idea was to invite only those companies who want to recruit candidates. Placement agencies
were not invited. Genesis HR Consultants, our advisors for this project, liaised with prospective employers
and brought them in.
District Governor Dr. Ashes was present to encourage the Rotaractors and engage with the prospective
employers to ensure that the event proved to be truly productive, as shown by the following highlights:
• 22 Companies from 15 sectors participated • 300 Candidates were interviewed
• 15 Candidates secured Jobs offers • 173 candidates were shortlisted for final/next interview
‘Perfect Job Fair’ has shown the way forward. It will ensure that Rotaractors get better career opportunities and
simultaneously inculcate in them a sense of belonging and attachment with the Rotary movement.
RC Thane, led by President Ajay Kelkar did an excellent job organising the programme.
Report by
Anand Ghate
District Secretary, Thrust Areas
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Perfect Clubs at Work
‘Rotary Thane Shree’
RC Badlapur organized ‘Rotary
Thane Shree’, a Body Building
rd
championship on 3 March 2019
in association with Indian
Bodybuilding Federation.
‘Aai Mahotsav’
RC Dombivli Downtown organised its signature project ‘Aai Mahotsav’ on 16th March 2019.
"Swami tinhi jagacha, aai vina bhikari". This Marathi saying means, “The Master of all the worlds, without his
mother, is a beggar”.
RC Dombivli Downtown has been hosting this event, in memory of Mrs Rita Paul, a pillar of the Don Bosco
Group of schools, for the past 12 years. The club celebrates motherhood by felicitating mothers who have faced
& overcome great difficulties to give their children a better life. Rotarian Paul Parappilly and Dr Arun Patil are
the guides and mentors for this project.
The nominations are invited from all over Maharashtra through newspaper advertisements and Whatsapp
messages. 35 applications were received. After a rigorous selection process, the 9 women chosen for the awards
were Meena Godvinde, Asha Shinde, Prathibha Irrakshetty, Vanita Chowgule, Indutai Amrutkar, Anita
Bhosale, Ranjana Rithe, Jijabai Pathir & Vidya Patankar.
Well known social worker Mr. Sakharam Bhoir graced the occasion as Chief Guest. Over 400 people attended.11
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DHANYA JATRA
RC Dombivli Saudamini organised a ‘Dhanya Jatra’ on 15th March 2019, to encourage farmers from the
Satpura mountain range. About 15 farmers participated with their produce ranging from Rice, Jowar Dals,
Bagar, spices, garlic, poha, lentils for sprouts, condiments like papad, roasted corns, and other millets. These
farmers came from remote corners of Nandurbar district, where till recently there was no electricity or proper
roads. ‘Dhanya Yatra’ presented them with opportunities to display and sell their wares in city like Mumbai.
There were also 21 other stalls put by women entrepreneurs displaying a wide range of household articles. The
exhibition was inaugurated by Smt. Sudhatai Mhaiskar, a noted philanthropist from Dombivli. Also present on
the occasion were Mr Gajanan Dange CEO of Yojak, Mr Apte and Mr Mahesh Chavan CEO of REEDS . The hall
was buzzing with shoppers and in no time the farm products were sold out. The highlight of this exhibition was
‘Ambadi Juice’ made out of the flowers of ‘Ambadi Plant’, a refreshing drink that left everyone wanting more
and more. ‘Dhanya Jatra’ was a very enriching experience for all concerned.
Project Cost : Rs. 55,000/- Beneficiaries : 25 Rotarian Man Hours : 400
GRAND FASHION SHOW
RC Dombivli Saudamini organised their annual fund-raising programm ‘The Grand Fashion Show’“ on 23rd
March 2019 from 4 pm onwards at Ballroom Palazzo, Kalyan.
First Lady of our Dist. 3142, Nandita Ganguly was the Chief guest for the function. Participants were divided
into three age groups between 18 and 80. The theme of this year’s show was “colours of India, “ with
participants displaying attires of different states of India. The judges, Mrs. Sujata Marathe, Mrs. Milan
Sarpotdhar and Nandita Ganguly had a tough time judging the participants.
The interludes between rounds saw a magical display of solo and group dance by winners of Dance
competition for school children. Five prizes in each category and special prizes for individual appeal were
given out on this occasion. Special prizes were also awarded to participants who have been part of this show in
the past.
The Fashion Show was preceded by 2 days of dedicated grooming sessions, conducted by choreographer Ms.
Sandhya Lad who also adjudged the participants for individual appeal.12
Perfect Clubs at Work
RC Diva Thane organised a Blood donation & Health checkup camp on
23rd march 2019 in association with Nahar multispeciality Hospital,
Dombivli & Chidanand Blood Bank Dombivli. The project was held on
the eve of 389th Birth anniversary of Chhattrapati Shree Shivaji
Maharaj. 44 units of blood were collected & 52 people availed of the
guidance of doctors present.
The club also inaugurated a 12 - feet statue of Shivaji Maharaj at SMG
Vidyamandir, Dativali sculpted by Rtn. Sanjay Shingade.
RC Hiranandani Estate kept its promise of donating ICU Bed &
Multipara monitor to the Gynaecology ward Civil Hospital with the
funds raised during HE Rotary Olympics (HERO). On the occasion
of Women’s Day and RCHE’s Charter day on 6th March, the club
handed over the ICU bed & monitor to the Civil hospital.
Project Cost : Rs. 114,552/-
As a part of the Rotary India Literacy Mission (RILM), RC of
Hiranandani Estate sponsored the building cost of a classroom for
Madhyamik Vidyalaya Abitghar Wada, Happy School for Std. 8th,
9th & 10th Adivasi students. Bhoomi pujan was done on the 16th of
Jan. Chief Guest AG Ramesh Patel graced the function held on 30th
March 2019.
Project Cost : Rs. 370,000/-13
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GIFT OF SIGHT
RC Satellite City Navi Mumbai has been working on its flagship Project - Gift of Sight - with many of its
member families contributing their time, money and professional skills to this project. RCSCNM, in association
with its service partner, Freedom For You Foundation, organized checkup camps for visually challenged
children, with the support of Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation. These camps were held regularly on
Tuesdays and Fridays, 1 pm and 3 pm, at Dhrushti Eye Clinic, Vashi. Over 140 children from marginalised
communities in Navi Mumbai, with partial or near blindness were enrolled. Over 90 children were screened
and identified into three categories: 1) 15 children needed surgical treatment 2) 18 children were further
examined to determine the external Low Vision Aids, so that they could continue their education. Such LVA
devices costs approx. Rs 5000/- per child. 3) Children who do not have useful vision will be referred for Virtual
Eye training. A camp focusing on children requiring Low Vision Devices was held in September 2018.
The camp started with an interactive presentation by Dr. Prema Chande, educating the audience about the need
for low vision devices, the extent of the problem worldwide and in India & related issues.
The presentation was followed by examination of the 11 students who had been chosen for further
determination of specific types of Low Vision Devices in previous camps.
Of the children examined, 9 cases were finalized for fitment in near future. In consensus with Dr. Prema
Chande, it was further decided that the club would fund 5 cases and the remaining four will be funded by Lotus
Eye Hospital.
The first two low vision devices were fitted, along with training of the students, parents, RCSCNM volunteers
and about 15 NMMC staff was carried out at Lotus Eye Hospital, Juhu on 14th January 2019. This project is
being carried out in collaboration with Lotus, in terms of expertise and funding.
On Sunday 10th February 2019, Devices distribution and training for remaining students was organized;
Students, parents, NMMC staff, Lotus hospital staff, Freedom for you, Dhrushti Eye Clinic experts and
RCSCNM member families took part in the event.
‘Gift of Sight’ will continue transforming lives of Small visually challenged children.14
KALEIDOSCOPE
THE OTHER MOTTO
During an outing on the Columbia River, Ben Collins, President of the Rotary Club of
Minneapolis, U.S.A. whilst conversing with Seattle Rotarian J.E. Pinkham, spoke about the
proper way to organize a Rotary Club. He mentioned that his club’s adopted principle was
’Service, Not Sel.’ Pinkham invited Rotary Founder, Paul Harris, who was also on the trip,
to join in their conversation. Paul Harris asked Ben Collins to address the 1911, Portland
Convention and the phrase "Service, Not Self" was met with great enthusiasm.
At the 1950 Rotary International Convention in Michigan, Detroit, " Service Above Self"
was officially adopted as one of the two Slogans that would serve as the Official Mottoes of
Rotary. The 1989 Council on Legislation established ‘Service Above Self’, as the principal
motto of Rotary because it best conveyed the philosophy of unselfish volunteer service.
But this Article is about ‘The Other Motto’ and the man who espoused its philosophy. ARTHUR SHELDON
The Man behind the Motto
On a cold winter night in January 2008, two men were invited to join Rotary One, the
Rotary Club of Chicago; two men who would be instrumental in guiding Rotary's Destiny
in its fledgling years. One, of course was Chesley Reynolds Perry who served as General Secretary from 1910 to
1942 and was the Founder-Editor of ‘The Rotarian’. The other was Arthur Frederick Sheldon.
Arthur Sheldon was the Founder of a Business School in downtown Chicago. By 1908, when Arthur was invited to
join Rotary, the Sheldon School was already a thriving institution with many successful alumni across the USA.
The school taught ‘The Science of Salesmanship’ but in truth, it taught much more. It instilled in its students the
importance of Business Ethics, the surest route to building permanent and profitable patrons. Sheldon himself
had gained a reputation as a lecturer, teacher and an authority on building business and grooming men for
leadership.
In his Membership Acceptance speech, Arthur gave Chicago Rotarians a hint of the philosophy that would
strongly influence Rotary. Two years later at the First Convention of the National Association of the Rotary Clubs
of America, he gave an eloquent speech, embodying a phrase that would be quoted for years to come. The
distinguishing mark of 19th-century commerce, he stated, was Competition and the ‘Dog-eat-Dog’ mentality. The
Doctrine of Trade was ‘Caveat Emptor’ (Let the Buyer Beware). In the 20th Century, he prophesied, the distinctive
characteristic would be Co-operation, for only the “Science of Right Conduct towards others, Pays.” He further
claimed, “Business is the Science of Human Service” and added 'He Profits Most Who Serves His Fellows Best."
At the Portland Convention in 1911, Paul Harris, invited Arthur Sheldon to speak to the Convention. Unable to
attend personally, he submitted a message. When it was read out at the Convention, it left a profound impression
and delegates voted to print it in full in the Convention proceedings. In his Convention message, Arthur Sheldon,
reiterated that Business is the Science of Human Service and refined his earlier slogan to ‘He Profits Most Who
Serves Best.’ Although it was not formally adopted by a Rotary Convention until 1950, this would serve as
Rotary's Motto as well
'He Profits Most Who Serves Best" was modified to " They Profit Most Who Serve Best" in 2004 and to its current
wording " One Profits Most Who Serves Best" in 2010.
Arthur Sheldon would address many more Rotary Conventions in the ensuing years. One of his most notable
talks was at the Edinburgh Convention in 1921, where he gave the Rotary world, a definition of the principle of
Vocational Service. Entitled, ‘The Philosophy of Rotary’, his address had the audience standing and cheering. The
Speech was later printed by RI for distribution to schools and other institutions.
As Chairman of his Club's Membership Committee, he compiled a List of 800 Eligible
Classifications and can thus be regarded as the Creator of the Classification System which
serves Rotary well to date. Arthur Sheldon's contribution to Rotary was unique.
He was, in many ways, one of the ‘First’ men of Rotary.
AT Kumar Deshpande,
Rotary Club of Thane Lake City16
Courtesy : www.rotary.org
Stephanie Woollard went from Down Under to the top of the world
to find out if one person can make a difference
By Diana Schoberg | Photos by Monika Lozinska
The clacking of sewing machines fills the sunlit room until word spreads that the bus has arrived. At that, a dozen women clad
in pink kurtas file into the courtyard of the Seven Women Centerin Kathmandu, Nepal. They smile widely as a group of
Australian women led by a tall blonde enters through the iron gate.
Stephanie Woollard bends down to let Sandhya Khadgi, the center’s bookkeeper and literacy trainer, put a dot of red powder
on her forehead and a red flower petal atop her head in a gesture of welcome. Woollard has arrived with a group of Rotary
members and friends to tour the center that she founded and whose goal is to improve the lives of women in Nepal.
When Woollard, now 34 and a member of the Rotary Club of Melbourne, first met Khadgi, Woollard was a 22-year-old tour
guide with a passion for social justice and a knack for connecting with people. After leading a tour group to Kathmandu in
2006, she stayed an extra week to explore the city’s winding streets and hidden passageways, as tangled as the electrical
wires above them. She soon made friends with shopkeepers, who invited her to tea as she asked them about their lives.
“I’m a very curious person,” she says.
One day, Woollard noticed a woman with dwarfism lugging two heavy bags into a makeshift tin shed constructed of three
walls and a roof. It had no door; on impulse, Woollard followed the woman inside.
Another woman who spoke some English told Woollard that seven disabled women lived in the shed, eking outa livingselling
soaps and candles. In Nepal, many people considera disabilityto be karmic payback for a sin committed in a past life. One of
the women had fallen out of a tree as a child and had never been treated for her injuries; another had hurt her leg and,
because her family didn’t have money for treatment, had to have it amputated. Khadgi — who was one of the women
Woollard met that day — was born with a jaw deformity that she covered with a mask in public.
“When Stephanie walked into the tin shed, I felt so nervous around someone from outside the Nepali community,” Khadgi
says. “In the community, because of the deformity I have, I am shunned.” But she had a feeling Woollard was different.
The Seven Women Center provides a respite from the discrimination and violence many Nepali women face in their personal
lives. The experience haunted Woollard. She called home and asked her mother what to do. “Can one person make a
difference?” she wondered aloud. She decided to use her last AU$200 to find out.
Through the connections she had made in Nepal, Woollard hired two people to teach the seven women to knit handbags,
gloves, and hats. By the time she flew home, they had crafted 12 items, which she stuffed into her suitcase to sell to friends in
Australia. Meanwhile, the women kept on knitting, and Woollard looked for an outlet to sell their work.
A student at La Trobe University in Melbourne at the time, Woollard joined a group focused on fighting human trafficking and
asked the members to host a booth on campus to sell the Nepali women’s products. But sales didn’t go the way she expected.
She began to realize that people saw only the items, not the women behind them. So she started speaking to groups around
campus to drum up interest in the group she now called Seven Women; soon sales reached $800 per week. The proceeds
went back to Nepal where they were invested into more training so the women could make higher quality goods. Soon they
were getting orders from fair-trade outlets across Australia.
The enterprise went through some growing pains. When products weren’t consistent in size, Woollard realized the women
had to learn how to use a ruler. The need to read and fill out order sheets turned into literacy lessons. Trying to find products
that would appeal to the Australian market, Woollard searched the internet for images and, on trips to Nepal, made patterns
on her hotel room floor using material from a wholesale market in Kathmandu. She and the women worked together to come
up with designs that would suit both their skill level and the market’s demand. She wanted it to be their business, not hers.
“All of those things that went wrong, she turned into learning experiences. She’s creative in that way,” says Bob Fels, a
Rotarian from Melbourne. “She got her hands dirty. She was practical. She was driven by wanting to help people. She was
prepared to put herself out.”
The Seven Women Center provides a respite from the clogged streets of Kathmandu. In Kathmandu — which ranks fifth
among the world’s most polluted cities — blaring horns and choking dust fill the air and the crowded streets. The Seven
Women Center provides a respite from all that, as well as from the discrimination and violence many Nepali women face in
their personal lives. “When Steph comes here to visit, we’re excited,” says Anita Kerr, president of Seven Women. “There are
always new things happening. We are growing, and the women are changing. They have more confidence.”
On this July day, the visiting Rotarians’ first stop is the sewing room, where a half-dozen women sit at the machines. They are
only a few of the women who work with the center; most are based at home so they can fit in their sewing or knitting between
taking care of children and other household duties. The women have just completed a large order that they’ve been working
on for months for a French company, a new customer. Now they’re starting on a 10,000-piece order for friendship bracelets17
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Courtesy : www.rotary.org
for a local tour company.
Kerr introduces the women and briefly tells their stories. A 17-year-old girl who used to wash dishes 16 hours a day until her
hands were raw now lives at the center, where she receives an education as well as a stipend that she can send home to her
parents. Eventually, she wants to own a tailor shop. Another woman is a single mother who wouldn’t give up her daughter,
even though girls are seen as a burden in Nepali society. A third makes a three-hour round-trip bus ride to the center every
day because it’s a place where she feels safe and happy after her abusive husband left her for another woman. “I feel like it is
my home,” she says.
A banner hanging on the wall of the sewing room depicts the life cycle of a butterfly: It’s the metaphor the women use to
describe how their lives have changed because of Seven Women. They were caterpillars when they arrived, and the center is
the cocoon that shelters them while they receive training in skills that include hospitality, literacy, and finances. When
they’re earning money, they’re butterflies, able to leave poverty, violence, and oppression behind. And once their
metamorphosis is complete, they can share their skills with others — teaching women back in their villages how to read and
write, continuing to work with Seven Women, or opening their own shops and businesses.
Kerr has her own metamorphosis story. When she was in school in her village near the Indian border, she used to wonder what
had happened to girls who stopped coming to class. Then she would see them with babies of their own. In Nepal’s poor
villages, where there are many mouths to feed, children are often married off or sent to monasteries.
One day, she witnessed a girl being pulled off the schoolyard by three men for an arranged marriage. “She looked so scared,”
Kerr remembers. “I felt angry, and I felt pain as well, because it’s not fair that this happens to women.”
Kerr wanted more for her life. When she was 14, she left her family a letter telling them not to look for her and then took the
first bus she saw to a town she had never been to. Fortunately, she met a friendly woman shopkeeper who helped her find a
safe place to stay and a job cooking at a kindergarten. Later, she managed a boutique hotel in Kathmandu, where she was the
only woman employee. “I always felt that there was something big that I was going to do,” Kerr says.
She found that in Seven Women. By 2012, Seven Women’s manufacturing business was running smoothly. While the
organization had originally focused solely on women with disabilities, many other women in desperate situations were
looking for help too. Woollard scouted for a location for a new center and hired Kerr to run it.
“Anita’s an action person, just like me,” Woollard says.
Meanwhile, Woollard herself was at a crossroads. “The joy as an entrepreneur is at the beginning — working with those seven
women to set the thing up and get through challenges together. It had been running for a while, and we’d ironed out the
crises,” she says. “I had been laser focused on Nepal. Now I wanted to learn more about the world and where I could make the
biggest impacts.”
What should she do next? Rotary helped show her the way.18
Rotary International News
A VINE IDEA
Heidi Kühn arrived in Utsunomiya, Japan, in 1975, a
few months after the end of the Vietnam War. She was a
Rotary Youth Exchange student, and what she saw and
experienced in Japan led her to reflect on the post-
World War II reconciliation between that country and
her native United States.
. “‘May the world go from mines to vines.’”
Kühn decided to act on those words and founded a
nonprofit called Roots of Peace that has worked to
remove hundreds of thousands of land mines and other FLUID APPROACH TO WATER
unexploded ordnance from farmland and replace them How Rotary has changed to help people get clean
with productive fields, such as orchards and vineyards. water for longer than just a few years
In Afghanistan, the organization has helped restore The lack of access to clean water, sanitation facilities,
fields in the Shomali Plain north of Kabul, which had and hygiene resources is one of the world’s biggest
been a thriving agricultural region until the Taliban health problems — and one of the hardest to solve. Too
burned vineyards, cut down fruit trees, and laid land often, projects succeeded at first but eventually failed.
mines. Since 2003, Roots of Peace has connected The Rotary Foundation has learned over time that
growers with supermarket chains in India. community engagement is crucial to making long-term
Roots of Peace is also partnering with the Rotary clubs change.
of San Francisco and Bangkok Klongtoey, Thailand, The community should play a part in choosing which
which received a $197,000 global grant from The Rotary problems to address, thinking of the resources it has
Foundation to remove land mines and plant black available, finding solutions, and making a long-term
pepper vines and taro in Vietnam’s Quang Tri maintenance plan.
province, and help farmers market the high-value crop. The Rotary Club of Nakuru, Kenya, the local host club,
now provides materials and teaches families how to
“To me, that was the greatest inspiration, the greatest build their own 10,000-liter tanks. Each family is
moment in my life, to know that we can turn dreams responsible for the labor and maintenance. With a $50
into reality,” Kühn says. “Not just for ourselves, but for investment, a family can collect enough water to get
countless farmers and families around the world.” through the dry season.
To date, the project has funded the construction of more
than 3,000 tanks, bringing clean water to about 28,000
Heidi Kühn, Rotary Club of San Francisco
people. Family members no longer have to walk several
miles per day to collect water, a task that often fell to
women and children.
As owners of the tanks, women are empowered to
reimagine how their households work. And with the
help of microloans they get through the Rotary clubs,
mothers are running small businesses and generating
income instead of fetching water.
“With ownership comes liberation, not just for the
mothers but for their children, who now have the time
to attend school.”
DS Srijit Poothen,
Rotary Club of Dombivli CityYou can also read
