ROTARY DREAM TEAM - INDIA 2008

Worldwide Coverage of WHAT WE DID on the NID

2008-04-15T00:11:00.000-07:00

Just heard from one of our Team Members, Greg Jones, who sent the following link to let everyone know what we were doing in India and what kind of an impact we, along with thousands of other volunteers had on finally reaching the goal of a polio-free world. Please visit the link and read about our activities.
http://www.rotary.org/en/MediaAndNews/News/Pages/080411_news_india_polio.aspx

Below is what Greg sent along for information regarding the cases of polio in India:

Last year, Uttar Pradesh not only accounted for nearly 40 percent of India’s 864 polio cases but more than a quarter of those worldwide.
If current trends continue, however, India’s most populous state will no longer qualify as the “poliovirus capital of the world,” as some health experts have called it.
Eighty percent of Uttar Pradesh’s 339 polio cases occurred in the Muslim community in 2007. But a Rotary-led initiative helped drop that rate to 30 percent of 20 cases during the first three months of 2008.
Overseeing the state’s effort to end polio is the Ulema Committee for Polio Eradication, established by Rotary International in July 2007. (Ulemas are leading Muslim legal experts in Islamic law.) Nearly 200 Muslim clerics and school representatives at the meeting received a booklet published by India’s National PolioPlus Committee, which linked polio immunization to the duties of parents as explained in the Quran. The booklet also listed the names and phone numbers of Ulema committee members who could be contacted to clear up any misconceptions about the polio vaccine.
Since that meeting, committee members have visited districts in Uttar Pradesh that reported large numbers of polio cases and convinced parents that the polio vaccine was safe and not contrary to Islam.
“The ulemas have done a remarkable job in making the polio program acceptable to hitherto ignorant Muslim parents,” said RI Director Ashok Mahajan, chair of the committee, at a meeting of the executive committee in January. “We want to spread the message of good health through the ulemas, who are so much revered in the Muslim community.”
“Misconceptions and rumors that were widespread in the community against polio have almost been removed, due to the efforts of the Ulema committee, and we will continue with our efforts until polio is eradicated,” said committee member Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali, president of the Ulema Council of India. “Our religion is not against immunization. Even the Saudi Arabian government has issued a directive that pilgrims visiting Mecca and Medina along with their children should carry polio vaccination certificates.”
In February, The Rotary Foundation awarded US$5.65 million to the World Health Organization and UNICEF for social mobilization activities and operational support focused on more than 4,300 high-risk communities in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The Foundation disbursed the funds from the $100 million challenge grant for polio eradication it had received from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
“Rotary’s Ulema committee is a very positive development,” said Ananth Mishra, health minister for Uttar Pradesh. “Eradication of polio is possible due to the pioneering efforts of organizations like Rotary, and more NGOs [nongovernmental organizations] should pitch in to mobilize the masses to achieve such health goals.”
Thanks, Greg, for sharing this information!

Local News Coverage

2008-04-11T06:47:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in some coverage in our local newspapers, please click on any (or perhaps ALL) of the links below. We will try to include other links as they become available.

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080320/GJNEWS03/825382376/-1/SanNews1404

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080313/GJNEWS03/302430277/-1/SanNews1405

http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080313/GJNEWS03/822008065/-1/SanNews1405

HOW DID IT FEEL???

2008-03-14T06:33:00.000-07:00

Upon my return from leading a group of fifty-four Rotarians and Friends of Rotary, from seven different countries, half-way around the world to India, I was met by a number of friends who asked, “How does it feel to have returned to India on your seventh trip?” “How does it feel to be home?” “How does it feel to travel to and witness what is no less than a paradox in society?” “How does it feel to be a part of Rotary International’s only corporate project – the eradication of polio in the world?” “How does it feel to have left your family, your job, your colleagues, your friends, your community to participate in a nationwide effort, with some 250,000 other volunteers, giving two drops at a time of life-saving polio vaccine, which may save the life of one child?”

Perhaps an underlying question which tacitly lingers just below the surface in the minds of many is, “Why did you do this?”

Nearly eight years ago, my wife, Jane and I traveled to Baltimore, where we attended a leadership conference for Rotarians in the northeastern United States. While there, each of us sat in on general plenary sessions, as well as numerous break-out discussion groups. One in particular remains in my mind, quite vividly. It was a breakfast meeting, sort of a round-table discussion. The topic was “Children at Risk”. The moderator of the session was a friend, G. Holger Hansen, a past District Governor for Rotary, from Pennsylvania. My first impression, when considering the topic, was to think we were going to be talking about youth in our society who are troubled within their families, their schools, their communities, and who unless intervening measures were taken, might well fall into a life of crime. This was not the topic at hand.

“Hogie”, as he was called, told us about a trip he was planning in January 2001, where he and other Rotarians would be traveling to India to participate in a National Immunization Day – where literally millions of children, under the age of five years, would receive polio vaccine, and all in a single day! It was at this point that my mind began to wander a bit. I remembered the mother of one of my father’s secretaries who was confined to an iron lung, to assist her in her breathing, as she was a victim of polio. I remembered a classmate in Portland, who had been stricken with the horror of paralysis and the inability to breathe. I remember the daughter of a friend of my parents who struggled to walk, because she had deformed legs, ankles and feet, and could barely stand without the assistance of a mother’s helping hand or a pair of wooden crutches. I remembered that as kids, we were not allowed to go swimming at the Boys’ Club or the YMCA, or drink from a public water fountain, for fear of contracting polio.

All the way home at the end of that weekend in Baltimore, Jane heard me say many times, “All I want for Christmas is to be able to travel to India to immunize kids against polio!” I told that to Jane, to my mother, to my daughter and son-in-law, and made up my mind that if it were at all possible, that I would be a part of that gathered force to work together to rid the world of polio. Christmas came and my wish came true. My family made it possible for me to purchase the ticket and pay for my hotels and my meals and the folks in my office agreed to cover for me during my two-week absence. To say that I was grateful would be a gross understatement.

As time neared, I asked my colleagues if there was anything in particular they might want me to purchase for them and bring home from India. There were trinkets and jewelry, clothing and carpets, but one request stood prominently before all others. One of the women in my office said, “Elias, don’t bring back anything for me, but sometime on that day, pause for a moment, as you squeeze two drops from the vial of vaccine onto the tongue of one of the children and think of me.” This comment stopped me for a moment and moved me at the same time.

A few weeks later, I was standing in the school yard of one of the grade schools in the oldest section of Delhi, facing dozens of children who were lined up awaiting their vaccine. As each child advanced and announced his or her name, or when a parent of an older sister or brother proudly presented a younger sibling for his or her drops, the exercise of administering the drops of life-saving serum became almost routine, almost monotonous. But something changed. As a young Muslim woman came forward to the head of the line, holding a tiny package in her arms, she looked at me from behind the burkha, which covered all but her eyes, and I guess determined it would be alright for her to entrust her most precious possession – her infant daughter, to me. At that moment, when I squeezed two tiny droplets into the mouth of her baby, I paused and looked up to the sky and thought for a few moments about my friend. My quiet thoughts were shattered by the crying of this tiny baby, who did not particularly care for the flavor of the drops, but who I am sure preferred her mother’s milk. I took a few moments and tried to calm the baby, by humming a soft tune, and when she stopped her crying, I gently passed her back to her mother. The woman, once again, looked at me and simply nodded in silence – a gesture of gratitude. But it was I who was most grateful for the opportunity I had just experienced, of knowing that through the generosity of Rotarians throughout the world, I might have served as the delivery boy for vaccinating this child – that I might have saved this tiny infant from the horrors of this crippling disease.

Seven years later, I still feel an enormous gratitude for the opportunity which first presented itself to me in January 2001. Knowing that somehow I was a part of a greater effort, not only to assist in the immunization of millions of children against polio, but to hopefully contribute to a greater understanding between cultures, which eventually will lead to a lasting peace in this world – for this I feel most grateful, I feel blessed, I feel humbled. Why did I do this? Perhaps the paperweight that sits on my desk, which shares a thought of Mahatma Gandhi, states it best: Be the change you wish to see in the world.

Pre-NID and NID photos with music (2/9-2/10/08)

2008-03-06T08:09:00.000-08:00

Well, this will be a first, if I am successful in adding this 5-minute video to the BLOG. This is a series of photos, taken by several members of the ROTARY DREAM TEAM - INDIA 2008, of the activities for the day prior to the National Immunization Day against polio in India. At the pre-NID rally, we were greeted by the local and regional chief medical examiners, as well as local Rotarians and more than one hundred students from the Rotary Public School in Gurgaon. Together, we marched through Sohna, with loud speakers and banners, announcing the NID for the following day - February 10. We did our best to get out the word and to urge everyone to bring children under the age of five years to receive the polio vaccine from Rotarians and other volunteers.

Hope you are moved by this presentation - made possible by DGE Brad Jett from District 7780.

TUESDAY means TURBANS!!! (Feb. 12, 2008)

2008-03-05T11:15:00.000-08:00

When we arose this morning, there were a number of things we needed to complete before the end of the day. First of all, the wheelchair and the commode had arrived from Delhi, and several of us were going to be leaving for Nusera to deliver these items. Finishing touches needed to be put on the "work project" in Chahalka village, as we were going to be leaving the following morning for the travel portion of our experience. The unveiling of the total project would take place in mid-afternoon, with a ceremony at the schoolyard adjacent to the training centre and the day-care centre.

The majority of the team members ventured back to Chahalka for completing the work projects and even adding a few more, before we would sign off on our part of the project. Painting was to be completed, both inside and outside the buildings; the mural in the day-care centre was to be completed, including the painting of the floral design created by one of the local schoolgirls - that serving as a border to the mural design (that included, of course, the ROTARY WHEEL!); parts of the wall along the street that bordered the "green space" inside the walls which we had been building for the past several days also required painting. The banner needed to be hung and prominently displayed in front of the training centre. In addition, since there were extra bricks and sand and mortar and crushed stone, a few of the team members, principally Rick Mutchler, determined that if we were to create a "French drain" around the perimeter of the community well, any spillage would simply seep into the ground and be dissipated into the earth or if a great deal of water spilled, it would drain over into the drainage system we had created the previous year. The ditch was dug, then lined with crushed stone and then the sides were faced with bricks and mortar. The new drainage ditch already lessened the amount of standing water which will bring about a total drying of the area, and make it more healthful. Also, due to the fact of an excess of bricks, Ramish and a few of our team members built not one but two sets of stairs for the women and girls to be able to access the top of the community water supply (the well cover) without having to hoist themselves up and jump down. We were able to have one of the panchayat call to a young girl who walked in a stately manner to the bottom of the steps, carrying her water jug on her head, and then climb up the steps! Life in this tiny poor village of Chahalka are slowly improving, provided by the members of the team.

Following the "christening" of the new stairs, we then adjourned to the schoolyard, where hundreds and hundreds of grade school children awaited our arrival. The children had been gathered (350 of them with only 3 teachers!) to sit on the ground and attend a very important event. There were two parts to this event - one was the official acknowledgment by the members of the panchayat of the work we had completed to benefit their village. The other was the disposition of thousands of tiny gifts we had all brought with us to pass on to the children of the village. We have been working to try to convince children to remain in school, to convince parents that in the long run, it is better to have their children educated than to let them roam aimlessly through the streets and alleys of the village. We wanted to share this by rewarding those who DO stay in school with recognition of their accomplishments. Each teacher was asked to provide the names and ages of the top three students in his classes, so they could be publicly recognized, not only by us, but in front of their peers, to receive gifts which they could and can use for their education.

The three teachers for the students in the school maintained a tight reign over their charges, and the old-fashioned stick kept the children in line - at least most of the time. The ceremony began with the most senior member of the panchayat addressing the crowd, speaking through an antiquated and crackling public address system. He spoke and then Sanjiv translated from Hindi into English, so that the members of our team could understand the comments being made. This gentleman first spoke of how the team from 2007 had come to the village and had rescued the water supply that was deteriorating by the day, through mixture of waste water in with the clean drinking water. The team had come and through the construction of two washing platforms, which had been piped with water, and had proper drainage for the waste water to be eliminated from the area, slowly the drinking water supply cleared itself to a state of safe potability. He was most grateful for this effort.

He went on to talk about the team for this year and how with over fifty people, including several youngsters, we were able to transform derelict buildings into two viable resources for the village - one, a vocational and computer training centre, and the other with the painting of the wonderful mural on the wall, into a day-care centre, where mothers could bring their tiny children and leave them in a safe environment, while they went about their chores or actually enrolled in courses of study to better their own lives, through education.

Once he had concluded with his remarks, he called his "lieutenant" (also named Elias) to assist him. As the highest sign of respect and honor, the panchayat had decided that each male member of our team should receive a turban, one which was personally tied onto our heads. The fabric used was most colorful, and the process took a few minutes. Elias seemed to be very pleased to be able to place a turban on the head of another Elias. The honor was all mine! What a wonderful expression of respect and gratitude shown for all of the members of our team. Each of the women and girls also received an honor - the presentation of colorful scarves to each one, to use for head covering, but more important to remain as a lasting memory of how the people of the village of Chahalka appreciated the efforts made by each of us on their behalf. Rotary International Director, Kjell-Ake Akesson and I had the privilege of being seated in a place of honor throughout the ceremonies, and to oversee the passing on of gifts to the children. As mentioned before, the top three students in the classes from several schools which serve the community, received prizes - book bags filled with pens, pencils, writing tablets, crayons, marking pens, and so much more. Our team had taken seriously the charge that they were to bring lots of "goodies' to be given to the children of the village, and my recollection is that if counted individually, we brought some 20,000 items! Obviously, it was impossible to recognize each and every student. One comment that RI Director Akesson made was the observation that in many cases, the top students were the young girls, and it is hoped that by recognizing these girls, the parents and the panchayat will see to it that the girl children will receive the same opportunities as the boys for receiving an education.

With the turbaning ceremony concluded, the scene turned quickly to chaos, once the magic word CANDY was mentioned. The children literally stormed the front of the venue, reaching out to grab one or two pieces of candy out of the many carton boxes we had brought with us. The smart policy was to have us leave and return to our buses, and to allow the teachers and the members of the panchayat handle the distribution. Walking back to our buses, most of us had mixed feelings about leaving. For most, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. For some, we will be returning to Chahalka in the coming year, hopefully with either a Matching Grant or better yet, a 3-H Grant to help fund the construction of sanitary enhancement facilities (toilet blocks) in several locations in the village. There is a desperate need for improvement in sanitation, and we have the capability of raising the necessary funds, as well as the ability to help construct these facilities in the coming year. Bidding farewell to some of the villagers who had made a deep impression upon us, and upon whom some of us had made a lasting impression, was difficult to say the least.

I had boarded the bus, and we were about to leave, when I looked out the window and saw my friend, Ramish the brick mason looking around him with concern on his face. I got off the bus and called to him. When he heard my voice, he came toward me. He extended his hand to me and I took his hand in mine... we shook hands and I noticed his eyes filled with tears. I drew him closer to me and opened my arms to him, whereupon he clung to me, sobbing against my chest. We stood there, still for a few moments, until he had regained his composure, and then I said, "Ramish, it is time for us to leave." He dropped his gaze and then turned and walked away, still with tears streaming down his cheeks. We have promised to return and we will.

We followed this year's theme - Rotary Shares, but more important, we made a positive difference in the lives of the people of Chahalka, by Making Dreams Real! For this, we are most thankful.

Post-trip Interview - February 25, 2008

2008-02-28T02:59:00.000-08:00

A day or two before leaving on this most amazing trip, I was invited to be interviewed on the local FOX NEWS affiliate in Portland, Maine - with connections to WLOB radio (FM 96.3 and AM 1310). Both Ray Richardson and Ted Talbot were very interested in the work we were carrying out - not only with the National Immunization Day against polio (NID) on February 10, but also with respect to the work project we had would undertake in the village of Chahalka. That interview is posted on an earlier entry.

They were gracious enough to invite me to return for an extensive interview following the trip, and I did so on February 25. Click on this link to access that interview:

http://www.myfoxmaine.com/myfox/pages/ContentDetail?contentId=5628438

We truly appreciate the support we have received from FOX NEWS 23 in Maine, in helping to spread the word throughout southern Maine and New Hampshire with respect to WHO Rotary International is... WHAT Rotary International does... and how together, one tiny step at a time, we WILL eradicate polio from the face of the earth, and also help to achieve a lasting world peace, through greater understanding.

The Empty Chair - February 12, 2008

2008-02-26T00:20:00.000-08:00

As you have previously read from Mark Brown, on the day of the NID (February 10) several members of our TEAM were dispensing vaccine drops in the village of Nusera - on the outskirts of Sohna. While there, they came across a family, the dad, Zahid Hussin and his wife Hussan Buseri, and their children. They have a fourteen year old son, Igbal Buseri, who has been confined to sitting in a chair - a hard wooden chair, for the better part of his life. He is crippled and paralyzed and sits day after day in his chair. When visiting with the family, members of the TEAM, Jerry and Joanne Larson from Nipigon, Ontario and Tom and Shirley McCaughey from Newfoundland (don't forget the accent is on the last syllable!) spent a good deal of time talking with then, with the help of an interpreter. They looked at this boys contorted body and his withered limbs and learned that he had been in this condition for several years, and the family feared that he had contracted polio. To compound the situation, the same family's youngest child, Sakil Khan (a boy of about two years) had signs that he, too had been stricken with this horrific disease. His tiny leg had withered and simply hung down - lifeless.

As is the nature of Rotarians, the group assured the family that somehow they would see to it that Igbal (the fourteen year old) would have a wheelchair, but more important, the group would also provide him with a commode. You see, when Igbal has to void or move his bowels, he is picked up and carried to the edge of the street where he relieves himself. If nobody is available to assist him, Igbal simply is forced to relieve himself while sitting in the same chair that he calls his "home". We, in western and supposedly more civilized countries, are so blessed and so often take for granted, that we are able to take care of our personal toilet activities, by entering a bathroom, closing the door to provide privacy, and using a flush toilet and being able to wash our hands in a proper sink with running (and safe) water. In this village, as in so many others throughout India (and I might add, in the cities, as well) practice is to go to the curb, relieve oneself and move on. Someone often comes and pushes the excrement into a ditch, which runs along the curb, collecting waste from the general populace, where it flows very often into nearby rivers and streams. A breeding ground for water-borne diseases? You bet!

Well, by the time the group left Igbal and his family, they had promised to look into medical care for the family and the rest of those who live in the village, as well as providing the wheel chair and the commode. Within minutes back on the bus, the TEAM members had already raised the necessary funds to pay for the wheelchair and the commode. Now, it was only arranging for the purchase of these items that stood in the way of the TEAM delivering on their promise!

When we all arrived back at the farm, these folks shared their stories with the rest of us, and we all felt a sense of urgency in making this happen. Sanjiv arranged that someone from the Rotary Club of Delhi-West would purchase the items and get them delivered to the farm within the next 24 hours. Since Jill Wooolacott was to leave the following day, it was arranged that whoever was driving out to the farm to pick her up to take her to the airport to fly back to Australia, would bring the wheelchair and the commode to the farm for us to deliver. As it happened, although there was a huge traffic snarl en route from Delhi to the farm, and Jill (I believe this is correct) had to ride on the back of a motorbike to be taken down to the car that was tied up in traffic - the chair and the commode finally arrived.

On the following morning, Logan Roberts, Cari Roberts, Anna Looby, Sarah and Jake Mutchler and I placed some GOODBYE POLIO... THANKS ROTARY bumper stickers on the metal sides of the wheelchair, while Cari exclaimed, "Now THERE is a pimped out wheelchair!" A group was gathered who would deliver the items to Igbal and his family, and I was privileged to go along on the trip.

We drove for about an hour to the village and then walked through the streets and alleys to the house. With us was a medical officer from the area, upon we relied to possibly make a positive diagnosis not only for Ikbal, but also his little brother. We included Audrey Athavale in the group to provide interpreter's skills. R I Director Kjell-Ake Akesson also was a part of this group. Naturally, with all of us walking through the streets, we caused quite a stir and again, served as the Pied Pipers of Nusera! We arrived at the home, only to see Igbal sitting in his hard wooden chair in the sunlight. His father was called, as well as his mother (who remained in the shadows with her face covered). It appeared that perhaps Igbal may have recognized Joanne Larson and Shirley McCaughey, who had been with him a couple of days prior. There was a hint of a smile on his face.

Logan Roberts and Jake Mutchler wheeled the chair and carried the commode to the front and set up both. With some effort, we helped lift Igbal into the wheelchair and to prop him up with a soft hand knit blanket behind his hunched back. Shirley McCaughey had also brought along a new, clean, soft tee-shirt which she was able to pull down over his head and cover his bent body.

The medical officer who had accompanied us examined Igbal and pronounced his diagnosis that this young lad suffered from Muscular Dystrophy, rather than polio. Although this is somewhat a relief, the child's suffering nevertheless rendered him relatively helpless. By providing him a commode, we hopefully restored some of his dignity. By providing him a wheelchair, we gave him mobility and within only a few minutes, Igbal had disappeared, as some of his friends had wheeled him away in his new "chariot" to explore the streets and back alleys of his village - something that he could only have done by being carried by an adult, and which would undoubtedly fall low on the priority list for his family.

With respect to his little brother, Sakil, the medical officer examined him and diagnosed him as a definite victim of polio. HE informed us that custom is to wait for a couple of years before performing any corrective surgery to determine just how debilitating the polio would be on the child. He did, however, assure us that he would personally monitor this case and arrange for regular check-ups and eventual surgery for the child. Additionally, he assured us that he would arrange for more regular visits by a medical officer in the future to this village, to provide well-care and basic treatments for the people of Nusera.

Before leaving, I spoke directly (through the medical officer) to Igbal's father. I said that true to the word of the Rotarians who had visited his home only two days previous, we were good to our word. We had returned and provided his son, Igbal, with a wheelchair and a commode. I said we had met our obligation and our challenge. I then challenged the father to promise that now that his son was "mobile" that he would arrange to have a boy in the village attend to Igbal and to push him to and from school - that he would promise to have his son receive the education provided to all of the village children. The doctor translated for me, and the father paused for a very long time before answering. The doctor informed me that Muslims do not make promises lightly. He went on to explain both to us as well as to the father that when a Muslim man makes a promise, he KEEPS that promise, no matter what. After more thought, the father reached out his hand to me, took my hand in his, and said that he promised that Igbal would receive all the education he could. That one moment was one of the most touching and humbling moments of my life - that this farmer with six or seven children, who barely eeks out a living to provide for his family, who has not one but two of his children who are afflicted with some sort of paralysis, had agreed, had promised to make sure his son would be taken to school. His son, Igbal would no longer be confined to a life in a hard wooden chair. This chair would remain empty!

Some of our team departs - February 11, 2008

2008-02-25T13:00:00.000-08:00

Much to our sadness and great loss, several of the team members depart today - from England, Mark Little, Ray Sykes, Chris and Hilary King (she reminded me that she does NOT spell it the way the junior senator from New York does!) and Didier Fosse from France are returning to their homes and back to the normal grind of true Rotarians. To witness this very diverse group of fifty-four people, ranging in age from eleven to seventy-three years, from six countries (and seven if you count Ireland separately from the others in the UK) with differing levels of experience in and with Rotary, and how we all came together, set to work hard the day of the NID, to finally push polio out of India, and then to work at the village of Chahalka in transforming two parts of a large, decaying building into a viable vocational and computer training centre and also a day-care centre, the evolution was absolutely amazing - could this be what I have long termed THE MAGIC OF ROTARY???

Mark Little was almost immediately up on the ladders, both inside and outside the larger part of the building, slapping paint on the walls, to bring it from a dingy dank set of rooms into an inviting environment. Didier Fosse and Hilary King were right along with Mark, as well as Liam and Clare Dunne and Audrey and Ann Marie Athavale.

If you check out this photo, you can see the building (or blank canvas) in the background that would be the focus of our collective attention for the week when we were working there.

It truly was pretty awful - cold concrete that had not received any prime coat of paint or any attention for several years, and in just a few days, not only were the interior walls and ceilings, doors, trim, windows, etc. all painted several coats of freshening cover, but the exterior was treated in like manner. However, the greatest transformation was what occurred in the other end of the building, where the day-care center is to be located.

Under the guidance of Mark Brown from Newfoundland (accent is on the LAST syllable!) and Ray Sykes from England, a wall was primed and then a mural was first drawn out and then painted by several of the team members. Even some of the local children ventured inside and befriended Cari Roberts and Anna Looby (both from Chaska, Minnesota) who were painting the animals and flowers on the mural. Our hostess, Jyotsna Saran put the finishing touches on the butterfly, and one of the local children actually drew some flowers and leaves to act as a border on either side of the mural.

You can see from these photos that a tremendous effort was launched and so much appreciated by the other members of the TEAM, but more importantly by the villagers.

Outside, another totally different mission was not only POSSIBLE, but was being accomplished. Ramish, my friend the brick mason from last year, was leading us all in the creation of a brick wall to surround the yard for both of the centers. The object, according to those who had designed the plan was to enhance the yard area to be one which is special - one which is not only attractive but inviting, and one which when entered would set the students a bit apart from their friends in the village - THEY were taking advantage of a wonderful opportunity, to become trained in computer literacy and to enjoy the chance to perhaps attain an entry-level position with one of the IT companies in nearby Gurgaon. During the week on the job, we must have moved about ten thousand bricks - one at a time, passed by hand from one person on the line to the next. Sometimes, we even realized we had been a bit overzealous, and had to re-pass bricks back to the pile where we had begun. The following photos show the results of our efforts...

Suffice it to say, that even with the WALL WATCHERS, we accomplished what we set out to do - transform a decrepit building into something for which the villagers can be proud and through the use of which will improve their lives greatly.

Later that same day.... February 10, 2008

2008-02-25T10:23:00.000-08:00

Following all of the day's activities surrounding the National Immunization Day (NID) we all gathered back in Sohna, near the hospital, and re-boarded our buses to be driven back to Sanjiv and Jyotsna's farm. This is where we had been enjoying all of our meals for the past several days, and would for a few more. Today, at least in the evening, would be an even more exciting event - we would be helping Sanjiv and Jyotsna celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary!!!

Several of us had agreed to participate in a "talent" show in honor of the "newlyweds" and this was all led by my dear friend, and fellow Rotarian from Norwich, England - Mark Little.

In the past, Mark and his crew have provided limitless entertainment to our groups and this was to be no exception. With the assistance from Ray Sykes, Mark conducted "man in the street" interviews, jokes telling, recitations of various bits of homespun poetry, and then he served as Master of Ceremonies and introduced us to several acts. Entertainers included Lynn Freshman, Ken Hiller, Anna Looby, Pallavi Saran-Mathur, Past District Governor Ramesh from the Delhi-West Rotary Club, and several others, including myself. When I was called upon to perform, I requested that everyone in attendance rise and join me in singing the National Anthem of India, and the result was very moving. Generally, when one hears the Indian National Anthem, it is not sung with great gusto, but that was NOT the case that evening! Following the "talent", we all enjoyed joining in some dancing, led by the two celebrants, and this went on for nearly a half-hour. We were treated to a wonderful meal, several courses of food prepared by Sandhu and the rest of the crew. Although it was a long day, it was a wonderful way to cap off the day of great accomplishments!

The previous evening, Pallavi entertained us and held us spellbound while she danced four suites of classical Indian dancing. Hopefully, you will be able to gain some idea as to her performance by clicking on this link: It is a very large file and takes a bit of time to complete the BUFFERING, but be patient and wait til the buffering is completed and then sit back and enjoy the performance!

If viewing that short clip of Pallavi's incredible talent does not intoxicate you with the magic of India, nothing will... She is a gifted young woman who interprets the classical stories and legends of Hindu mythology, and has danced for audiences throughout India, as well as in Maine, New Hampshire, California and at the Nehru Center in London.

TODAY’S THE DAY!!!

2008-02-22T06:47:00.000-08:00

Up bright and early, and down to our respective hotel dining rooms to enjoy breakfast before setting out in the buses to go back down into Sohna to the central location from where we would disburse to various locations throughout the area. We were dropped off from the buses and then walked through streets and alleyways until we reached the area where local officials, including the district collector and what would be referred to as the town council had gathered to await the arrival of our team. Our presence and participation in this N.I.D. could be considered “huge” by the locals. Imagine that over fifty people from six countries had left their homes and families to travel at their own expense, to join hundreds of thousands of other volunteers to provide drops of oral polio vaccine to well over one hundred and fifty million children, and all in one day!

I was introduced to the district collector and together, he and I cut the ribbon to officially open that distribution center. I was then invited to go inside a reception area, where we were to discuss the local efforts and how measures could improve. I had been requested to be rather stern with him and the rest of the council members, as there had been a few cases of polio diagnosed within the last twelve months, and there is a great concern that pockets of population, especially in Uttar Pradesh, were in danger of showing new cases of polio. Actually, in January of this year, one little boy of about fifteen months had been diagnosed as having polio.

After reviewing the policy of the village council, and the program to make sure all children were reached and vaccinated, it seemed to me that my expression of concern was not reaching the district collector and the members of the council. Finally, while sitting there, I happened to think of my six-year old grandson, “J.T.” I asked if the district collector had any children. He told me he had two young boys. I expressed my concern that with only one or two plane trips, children from this area could travel to countries which had been polio-free for decades and bring with them the virus to infect children who had not yet been immunized. Without appearing to be too critical, I assured the district collector that I would personally hold him responsible if any children were to be diagnosed with polio in our country. I encouraged him to enlist the help of whatever number of volunteers he needed to get the job done – to finally eliminate polio from the area. He agreed with what I described as my concerns and consulted with the other members of the village council attending this meeting and together they reassured me that they would do “whatever it takes!” I thanked all of them for their understanding of the gravity of the situation and their promises to take the steps necessary to ensure that all children would be immunized and, further that their villages would be polio-free in 2008 and beyond.

Once we had concluded our meeting, and shared tea and snacks (there is almost always tea served) we disbursed into several small groups throughout that village, and several of us walked quite a distance to various distribution centers, where we dispensed the polio vaccine drops to the children under the age of five years who lived in the various neighborhoods. Along with us was a young girl – a Muslim, of about seventeen years. She was a member of the Interact Club in her town, and served as our translator. In addition, her father was with us and directed us to the various locations where the polio vaccine would be made available to the local children. We walked briskly from place to place, undeterred by the occasional water buffalo wandering aimlessly in the alleys, or the children who were playing marbles or the several youngsters who were relieving themselves on the side of the alleys. We eventually reached the girl’s village and again, wended our way through the narrow alleys (almost pathways) to the distribution centers. We even climbed a few flights of stairs to reach some of the “roof-top” distribution centers. There were always local men and women volunteers who were dispensing the vaccine, but they were so pleased to have us arrive and to assist them – giving the drops, marking the tiny fingers of those children who had received them with a purple marker (much the same as what was used in Iraq, following the free elections there) and moving onto the next child. The tiniest of infants up to children of five years were brought to the distribution centers by sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers and grandparents.

At one point, we had finished our work and walked out into the commercial area of the town, on a main thoroughfare. We located yet another booth where drops of vaccine were being dispensed and so we stopped to lend a hand. The young man at the booth indicated they had not been very busy. Well, Jill Woolacott (a tiny lady from Australia who was a part of our TEAM) was not about to let that situation continue. Each time she saw a woman walking by, carrying a tiny child, Jill took it upon herself to go out into the street, call to the woman and ask that she come back to have her baby vaccinated! Now THIS is ROTARY IN ACTION! Some of the other folks in the group joined Jill in her efforts to attract more “business” and pursued some people quite a distance before getting them to turn around and return to the distribution booth to have their children receive the drops of life. We were undaunted in our efforts. One of the village council members had joined us in the first half-dozen booths we visited. When it was time to move on to other locations, he arranged for two vehicles to pick us up and drive us there, since it would be a few kilometers away from where we were at the time.

Once we had visited all of the booths in our area, we were invited by our young Interact translator to join her and her father at their home in the village for some (you guessed it) tea and snacks! We were welcomed into their home and sat looking at the many Muslim characters painted on canvas and carved into leather framed and hanging above the doors into the living quarters. We had a delightful visit with them, learning that the girl was pursuing pre-medical examinations for college and that she wished to remain in India for her education and to return to her village to treat those with medical needs in the future.

We parted company with the father, and the young girl accompanied us back to the village, where we were to meet with all of the other members of our team who had traveled about a half-hour from the place we had all begun. When we arrived back in town, the buses were waiting, and several members of our team were being interviewed by local radio and television stations. One of them introduced me as the team leader, and I was also interviewed. We boarded our buses and drove back to Sanjiv’s farm, where we were to spend the late afternoon and evening, helping Sanjiv and Jyotsna celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary, along with several members of the Rotary Club of Delhi-West, and other friends. Up to now, it HAD been a very good day!

PRE-N.I.D. RALLY IN SOHNA

2008-02-22T06:20:00.000-08:00

Following lunch at Sanjiv’s farm, we boarded the six buses, now displaying special banners created for our ROTARY DREAM TEAM – INDIA 2008, showing the Rotary Wheel, this year’s theme – ROTARY SHARES, along with the flags of the six nations (plus India) participating in this year’s work project – Canada, England, France, Australia, Sweden, the United States and India. We drove out of the farm area, and turned onto the serpent-like road, which we would descend following dozens of heavy-duty trucks, donkey carts, motorcycles, cars – you name it! We were on our way to join others at the local medical center to kick off the rally to raise the awareness about the National Immunization Day (N.I.D.) which was scheduled for the following morning.

When we arrived at the hospital, we were welcomed by a number of dignitaries, including the chief medical officer of the entire area. He had visited the farm the previous evening to share with us the latest statistics regarding polio in India and the world.

This gentleman is a functionary of the World Health Organization, with whom Rotary and the local governments cooperate in our efforts to eradicate polio from the world. We all sat for the opening ceremony (and did I say that NOBODY does ceremony like they are done in India???) and were officially greeted by the Chief Medical Officer and Rotarians from Gurgaon – a city of approximately 1.2 million, which has four Rotary Clubs and is the closest area where there are Rotary Clubs. Many were presented with bouquets of flowers – another Indian tradition, and several, including myself, were invited to address the gathering.

Joining us for this rally were about one hundred students from the ROTARY INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF GURGAON, who were dressed in their uniforms, and wearing yellow POLIO PLUS baseball-type caps, emblazoned with the Rotary emblem. I had the pleasure of visiting this school five years ago, and was so impressed by the students, as well as the fact that approximately one-half of the students come from families living way below the poverty level, but who are able to attend the school because of the generosity of Rotarians in the area who have established a substantial scholarship program. In addition, a relatively high percentage of students are victims of polio, being forced to get around in wheelchairs or by using crutches. Some of the students carried banners announcing the N.I.D. on the 10th, and all displayed an incredible level of enthusiasm for the rally.

Once the speeches were concluded, we gathered at the gate to the hospital and proceeded to march along behind the students for a few kilometers around Sohna. I was pleased to see that a few of the Rotarians from the Delhi-West Club had made the effort to drive the two hours from the city out to Sohna to meet our team and to be a part of the pre-N.I.D. rally. One of those Rotarians is a victim of polio and each year he heartily endorses the efforts of fellow club members and of Rotary International, by participating in the N.I.D. programs every time.

We marched along the streets of Sohna, waving at the children and the shopkeepers, dodging puddles in our way, as well as the occasional “deposit” left by the cows and the water buffaloes, who roam the streets foraging for hay or straw or any other morsels they can find. The entire “march” lasted about an hour, and we returned to the buses to travel back up “Switch-back Mountain” to the farm.

We enjoyed another fine selection of local dishes at dinner and listened to Sanjiv while he described the activities for the next morning – the National Immunization Day. Our team, along with probably two hundred thousand other volunteers and paid medical staffers throughout the country would all work together to make sure the children under the age of five would receive their “Drops of Life” before the end of the day.

Not only would the sun come out tomorrow, but also it would be a VERY GOOD DAY. We would each have the opportunity to place two drops of vaccine on the tongues of children, ensuring that at least THEY would be saved from the crippling, debilitating ravages of polio.

WORK, WALK-ABOUT & WAGERS…

2008-02-22T01:18:00.000-08:00

Breakfast was prepared at the farm, placed into thermal packs and then delivered to us on the buses, along with water and apple juice. It consisted of rotis (the flat bread cooked by our Sandu and Rajendra and the rest of the staff brought on by Sanjiv, especially for preparing the meals for our group. It was tasty, quick and we were able to finish it in order to maximize the time we could work on the projects we had begun the previous day.

Some of us set out to work on the walls, some painting the exterior of the soon-to-be computer and vocational training center, others worked on the mural, others passing bricks our to the street area where the watering trough was well underway. Tom Hanna, Chris King, Don MacGarry, Peter Ivy and a few others chose to take on this project as their own. The group created quite a spectacle for the men who sat on litter-type beds and smoked their hookahs, as they basked in the sun and “observed”. “It’s a cultural thing, and we should not let it bother us”. It is our hope that eventually men, women and children will take enough interest in what we are doing to actually offer to lend a helping hand, rather than to be the official sidewalk observers, and Saturday morning quarterbacks!

Kjell-Ake was pleased for me to take him around the entire site, seeing what we had accomplished with our small but devoted team of 2007, but then, he immediately joined the brick line, passing several hundred bricks along to those working outside the wall. It did not take too long before Judith Reardon (our official cheer-leading, HIGH-FIVE GORGEOUS GRANDMA) had cajoled some of the young boys and teenagers to join in the brick line, and it was good to see that Kjell-Ake had one young lad on each side of him, passing on the bricks. Mark Little from Norwich, England and Audrey Athavale, joined by Liam Dunne teetered on bamboo ladders up against the outside walls, wielding their paintbrushes and rollers (many of which were brought to our project by Mark Little and Susan Wischhusen) to bathe the exterior in a warm yellow-orange finish. The outside areas, where we were building the walls, is to be landscaped and made a special “green” area, where upon entering, the students, as well as the tiny tots, will be able to experience something very special – again boosting their morale and self-esteem and possibly acting as an encouragement to remain in school and to strive to take classes in this training center or to have the mothers of tiny children to bring them to the day-care center where they will enjoy tender, loving care. In the meanwhile, the moms will be able to learn stitchery, weaving and cosmetology, thereby being able to augment the family income. Little by little, our team seems to be making connections with the villagers, and when some have wanted to take a break from their labor, a few at a time have wandered up the main street (?) of Chahalka, stopping at the local tailor shop – the young man has a treadle sewing machine, a few bolts of cloth, but from those basics is able to stitch just about anything from the traditional salwar kameez to a proper dress shirt for men. Next to the tailor’s shop is another gentleman who sells table cloths and head coverings. On the other side of the tailor shop is the local medical dispensary, which is tended to by someone who comes by twice each week, and then is visited by a physician once a week. Upstairs over the dispensary, three of us climbed very steep and uneven stairs, to get to another shop – more of a storage room for one of the other shops below, where we found some scarves to purchase. I noticed a young woman - possibly a girl of fifteen or sixteen, who was nursing her baby. She sat serenely on a bed, her head covering lightly draped over her shoulder and just covering the baby’s face. She seemed oblivious to the bit of commotion we caused by invading her private space and the shop of her family. The baby had fallen asleep and she passed him on to one of her younger sisters. I walked out onto the balcony of this room, and had a bird’s eye view of our project below and across the road. Carefully draped over the railing of the balcony was a POLIO PLUS banner, announcing the National Immunization Day scheduled for February 10th.

We departed this shop and descended the stairs, where the shopkeeper on the other side of the tailor’s space (these are all ten feet by fifteen feet in size) had been found and had opened his shop. I had purchased a woven square cloth the previous year (white with red design) and was looking to purchase another similar cloth this year. Last year, two of the men had attempted to instruct me in the way to create a headdress from the cloth, but I had failed miserably. I was hoping for another more successful attempt this year. He showed me cloth after cloth, each time taking one down from a rudimentary clothing rack, created by suspending a bamboo stick from two pieces of twine from eye bolts in the ceiling, then displaying his wares from hangars hooked over this bamboo pole. One after another was NOT what I was hoping to find. One of the ladies who was walking along with me – Aruna Khoushik, is a native of India, now living in Ontario, and she was very helpful by providing interpretation and translation between the shopkeeper and me. I described the cloth as one similar to what Yassar Arafat often wore as a head covering. Ahhhhhhhhh…. Now he understood. Just as he was looking, I spied what appeared to be a similar cloth, only woven in green rather than red. When I pointed it out to the shopkeeper, he smiled, took it down from the hangar and shook it with a snap or two, creating a dust cloud which would put the cartoon character Pigpen from Charlie Brown to shame! We haggled over the price for a few minutes, with me telling him that I had paid seventy-five rupees for the red and white cloth the year before, while he wanted two hundred rupees. Finally, he looked as if he actually may have recognized me or remembered my purchase from the previous year. He said to Aruna in Hindi, “He paid seventy-five rupees last year because he purchased THREE such cloths and I gave him a discount!” He HAD remembered. We “discussed” price for a few more minutes and finally settled on the seventy-five rupees. Such a bargain!

From that shop, we wandered up the road and at the top of the hill was a man about twenty-five years of age, tending to his cart with a stack of egg crates (each holding three dozen eggs) and perhaps eight layers high. He was cooking an omelet and we stopped to watch him. He had chopped up some red onion, cilantro, green peppers and some chili peppers, and stirred that into the egg mixture. He was cooking in an iron skillet over a flame produced by a sort of camp-stove contraption, fueled by bottled propane. The omelet appeared to be half-cooked, when he placed two pieces of toasted bread into the middle of the pan, allowing the concoction to fry a bit longer, and then he folded each side in toward the center, folded the entire thing in half creating what he called “omelet sandwich”. If I had not recently eaten my lunch, I would have been happy to purchase one of these sandwiches.

We walked further along, peeking inside the open entrances of the various homes, watching the tiny children who were either playing in the street – some pushing tiny carts on long sticks, crashing them into one another, as all kids will do. Add to that the sheer fascination and amazement with us, exhibited on the faces of women and children (the men were all down at the work site, sitting on the wall and observing us) and we almost created a parade, with me leading the group as the Pied Piper of Chahalka!

After about an hour, we returned back to the work site to pass more bricks in the brick line and to work on building the wall around the outside of the training center and the day-care center. The team worked for the remainder of the morning and piled back onto the six small buses for a ride back to Sanjiv’s farm for lunch. Overall, we had accomplished a substantial amount of work – raising the wall several score of bricks, establishing better relations with some of the villagers, and contributing a bit to the local economy.

FIRST FULL DAY OF WORK @ CHAHALKA - February 8, 2008

2008-02-14T21:20:00.000-08:00

Not necessarily bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, we strolled to our buses and boarded them. Some had slept soundly, most slept intermittently, while others did not sleep at all. We were met by our buses (our driver is Ajit) and driven back to the farm for breakfast before going to the village to being our work project. It was still VERY cold in the morning, but we shivered through breakfast in the outdoor breakfast tent erected just for our group’s meals. We once more boarded the buses and were driven through the back paths and over the craggy terrain to Chahalka. None of the other members of the team had been with me the prior year when we funded and constructed two washing platforms for the women and girls to wash their linens, clothes, dishes and water buffalos at the central well. How gratifying it was for me to see that all of them were using the washing platforms, rather than the well cover as they had in the past – thereby polluting their own drinking water supply. It seemed that some of the villagers actually recognized me and came to greet our team. We were divided up into groups – some for painting and others four outside construction and masonry.

The previous year, I worked closely with the local brick mason, Ramish, and he seemed genuinely pleased to see me again, and smiled as he embraced me with a strong hug. Last year, it took about two-and-a-half days for Ramish to invite me to place bricks on the wall we were building, but this year, it was only five minutes before he almost implored me to get to work and start laying bricks. As time passed through the morning, it was not long before Ramish trusted me with using the plumb line to make sure the corners were properly in plumb – front, side and back. This is no small accomplishment, since there is absolutely no consistency or regularity among the bricks. Mortar or masala as the Indians call it, was mixed by two local boys, with reasonable consistency, and everything done using spades and hoes, cutting into the pile of sand with a bag of cement mix dumped on the top of the cone, a hole hollowed out where the water was poured and then mixed. Basin after basin of the masala was carried over by our crew to me, I placed it near Ramish for him to trowel onto the top of the scores of bricks, to lay yet another layer. In the meanwhile, many others went inside the two buildings to paint the walls with a primer coat, in order to prepare for the final colors to be applied. Ceilings, window casings, doors and window frames – all were painted. On the side where the day-care center was to be built, Mark Brown, Ray Sykes and several others worked to draw out the mural pattern of a hillside covered with many different animals, and a sea with whales. Some of the local children joined them by sketching many beautiful flowers and vines on both sides of the mural. The other walls will be painted a solid color, so the tiny young children can really focus on the exciting animals that would now be painted by our team members, including Anna Looby and Cari Roberts from Chaska, Minnesota.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch… (I can’t believe I said that!) several of the team members were gathered in what used to be the dining room at the farm, transforming the space into a ROTARY DEPARTMENT STORE! Our team members had collected and brought literally close to 20,000 gift items, ranging from pencils, bracelets, yo-yos, whistles, Beanie Babies, other stuffed animals, bottles of bubbles, pens, solar calculators, tennis balls, footballs (official kicking balls from the Minnesota Vikings), Frisbees (tiny and regulation size) stickers, soccer balls, baseballs, baseball bats, plastic farm animals and dinosaurs, pens and stickers from various states, pads of paper, computer software programs, coloring books, crayons, canvas tote bags, and did I mention the kitchen sink??? It took nearly two full days for sorting through all of the gifts in order to provide equality for all of the recipients – whether they be teachers to pass on to students who excel or are with special needs, or to the village children. OOPS, I nearly forgot the two bushels of lollipops! The families will probably never forgive us for providing sugar highs to their children (we decided to give those out on the last day, as we are driving on to our next destination!). Tom McCaughey from Newfoundland oversaw this effort, and the sorting group consisted of Kelly Wike, Shirley McCaughey, Karen Teichman and Sarah Mutchler (who brought a youthful perspective to the effort). If I have inadvertently omitted anyone, I apologize.

Back to the farm for lunch and then returning to the work site, we continued to work on well into the afternoon, successfully completing two sections of brick wall, digging out of an area outside the playground wall to creating a footing for construction of a watering trough for the water buffaloes – during drought season, they need water and have up until now entering the playground and drinking from pails of water at the well site, all the while relieving themselves thereby having their waste seep down into the well and polluting the drinking water supply. We had just been successful in the past year of building the washing platforms for the ladies and girls so they would no longer find it necessary to wash dishes and clothes on top of the well and letting their waste water run back into the well.

When we had completed our workday, we returned to the farm for drinks and dinner, and awaited the arrival of my friend, RI Director Kjell-Ake Akesson from Sweden, who had been appointed as the official representative of Rotary and the Rotary Foundation by TRF Chair Bob Scott. Kjell-Ake had been two days in meetings and was anxious to meet his fellow teammates. In addition we were also waiting for the arrival of the Chief Medical Officer for the World Health Organization who oversees the polio eradication effort in this part of India, who would address us about concerns he has for the current conditions and outbreaks of polio in the nearby areas. The area where we are working is very close to Uttar Pradesh, which is one of the sections of India where polio remains endemic. It seems that in many instances the children who are being diagnosed with or are suspected of having contracted polio are Muslims – still the myth exists that the polio eradication program is sterilizing the children, rather than saving them from the ravages of paralysis by polio. Many of the Muslim girl children are immunized, while ignoring the boy children, in the belief that they would be rendered impotent. In years past, it has been through the intervention of Rotary and its members to convey to the imams of the Muslims in India that we are here to immunize and thereby, save their children, rather than sterilizing them. However, the message is not being transmitted into the tiny hamlets or enclaves of Muslims as effectively as we would like.

Being tired (over-tired) and cold and hungry, I am afraid that we may not have presented the best face for the chief medical officer or even the RI Director, upon their arrival, but we were presented with a slide presentation of current conditions in the area, and then treated to another sumptuous dinner. One of the aspects of traveling, particularly in India, is for us westerners to understand and respect the difference in cultural practices – dinner is NOT at 6:00 p.m., but rather extends well into the night and may not even be served until 10:00 p.m. It is not for us to impose our practices on our hosts, but rather for us to adapt as guests of their hospitality and their culture. Slowly, we are getting to that point.

With dinner concluded, we were back in the buses heading for what perhaps might be the first night of chilly but possibly uninterrupted sleep, to have breakfast on Saturday morning prepared at the farm but then delivered to the buses for our consumption and enjoyment. In this way, we would be able to maximize our time working at the site. Although some of our rooms were provided with portable heaters, others had none. Some rooms had showers, others were provided with a large bucket to collect warmish water and then to use the small pitcher to drizzle water over our bodies, soap up and then rinse – for some, their first encounter with BUCKET BATHS.

There was morning and there was evening – the FIRST day, and we saw that it was good.

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT... Feb. 6-7, 2008

2008-02-14T21:18:00.000-08:00

After not too many hours of sleep on Tuesday night, what with last minute packing of another tee-shirt or a few bags of “goodies” to pass on to the children of the village of Chahalka, or something to give to the children when they are brought to the NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION DAY (NID) booths on Sunday, I awoke at about 4:30 on Wednesday morning, to begin the long journey to India. My wife and I packed my suitcases, carry-on, my briefcase with laptop, and then four large cartons into her car to take the first leg of the journey. The carton boxes contained all of the “official” ROTARY DREAM TEAM shirts that had been embroidered with our special logo, and that of the donor of the shirts – TD-Banknorth and the five dozen pair of work gloves donated by Springvale Hardware. We then drove to Sanford, to where our Rotary Club meets every Thursday morning, to meet the other members of my Rotary Club who were a part of the team traveling to India - Richard Bergeron, club president; Lawrence Furbish, chair of the projects committee, Shawn Sullivan, club bulleting editor, as well as maybe two or three Rotarians who might come to see us off and wish us well for our journey. When we arrived in the parking lot, we met up with Marie Bergeron who had just helped her husband unload his bags and “stuff” into the entrance of the Knights of Columbus in Sanford – who own the place where we meet.

There were several other cars and when we entered the building, we found there were about a dozen of our fellow Rotarians who had made the effort to come down to send us off with their good wishes. Among those Rotarians was our assistant district governor, Carolyn Lambert, who had come to offer a prayer for us and to commission us on our mission, on behalf of Rotary and the people of India, whom we would meet in the coming two weeks. Since it also happened to be Ash Wednesday, Carolyn took the time to write a special service for the disposition of ashes (created by the burning the previous year’s palms from Palm Sunday) for those of us on the team, and any other of the Rotarians and friends who wished to receive them. Two of the local newspapers were also represented – The Sanford News and the Journal-Tribune for a few last minute photo ops.

Our driver, Bill from Elite Limousine Service in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, arrived with an oversized van. We loaded our bags and the four carton boxes and with hugs, kisses and a few tears, we boarded our coach and headed out on our drive to Newark Airport. The ride down was pretty uneventful, with one comfort break stop and then back on the road. We managed to arrive in about five hours – Bill is a VERY good driver. He is a part owner of the company and was particularly kind to us when determining our cost for the trip down to Newark and the trip back from Newark to Sanford on February 20. We certainly appreciate all he did for us and we will look forward to seeing him again on the 20th after we land at 5:00 in the morning!

We arrived at the airport and offloaded all of our bags and the cartons of shirts and gloves and proceeded into the Continental terminal to await the arrival of he other members of our DREAM TEAM. With the help of some of the folks in my office, we had bagged up all of the shirts, with names and shirt sizes, as well as one tube each of the Lobsterman’s Balm, donated by Ghisaline Berube of Casco Bay Gardens. This balm is made from all natural products and is a wonderful relief for chapped hands – what we could fully expect from our work project activities over the coming week. We would be carrying rough bricks, basins of concrete mix, basins of sand, digging with pick-axes and spades, painting with rather strong paints on the inside and outside of the two buildings, so the balm was soothing and most welcome.

Slowly over the coming four hours, members of the DREAM TEAM arrived from different Ontario and Newfoundland in Canada, from Alaska, Nevada, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Minnesota and even from Evanston, Illinois. – Rotary International’s headquarters. PDG Kelly Wike had made nametags for everyone of us, and as we sorted out the bags with shirts, we pinned on the badges, and also had a ready supply of GOODBYE POLIO – THANKS ROTARY bumper stickers to place on our luggage. Our ranks swelled considerably and it was time to check in at the ticket counter. When I arrived at the desk, I was told I had a message from two of my team members – Audrey and Ann-Marie Athavale, whose flight had been delayed for hours from Detroit, and we were unsure as to whether they would even arrive in time for our flight. I worked with the ticked agent to ensure they would have two seats on the same flight but the following day, should they not make our flight. Additionally, while I was still at the counter, I received a telephone call from Roger Schulte, informing me that he, Eugene Hernandez and Greg Jones were “stuck” at LAX in California and would undoubtedly miss our flight that evening to Delhi. Fortunately, I was also able to secure three more seats for Flight 82 the next evening. We all processed through the ticketing and on through security and met even more of our teammates on “the other side”. Pam, Sean, Cari and Logan Roberts, Don Fink, Shiva and Aruna Khousik and a few more. Some of us decided to have dinner before boarding the plane, and also visit the duty-free shop to purchase a bottle or two of wine to take with us for our group to enjoy at dinners in the evening. Unfortunately, none of the shops offer wine, so we settled upon joining our dollars or rupees, once we arrived in India to have Sanjiv purchase some cases of wine for us.

We reached the boarding gate and found, once again that we had to get in line to re-check our already checked and re-checked boarding passes, before we could get into another line for boarding. We finally entered the plane – a Boeing 777, which was to be our home for the ensuing fifteen hours. Most of us were seated in the back two sections of economy class, and tried to settle in for a long flight. Soon after we took off (only a few minutes later than scheduled) we experienced some “moderate” turbulence, but once through that, we were offered dinner – as if any of us really needed another meal. In my section of the plane, we had two babies who must have realized some enjoyment from screaming, because they produced a cacophony of yelps and shrieks, punctuated by the percussion section producing kicks to the back of my seat and that of one of my seatmates. One does learn to tune out and to hopefully get some rest during the flight. Following dinner, the lights were dimmed, the shades lowered and with movies and music and games being offered on our personal screens, some watched, some played, and some listened, while others read, wrote or slept. Some of us even sneaked peeks out the windows, watching as the sun set over the jagged mountains of Afghanistan, seeing the moon reflect off the snowcapped mountains of Pakistan or peering into the night and then seeing one and then two and then dozens of tiny lights on the ground below, pointing to remote villages and hamlets or even larger cities. Our pilots finally landed our flying carpet in Delhi, after circling through the foggy night, and when the main cabin doors were opened, many of us experienced the smells of India as they drifted into the cabin. We proceeded through customs and immigration, met at the baggage carousel, visited the restrooms (alone a singular experience) and pushed our carts through the fenced-off area out in the main terminal. We were met by Divan – a representative of High Points Expeditions, and were welcomed with garlands of gold and orange marigolds, counted off to make sure we were all here (did I mention that Audrey and Ann-Marie Athavale actually DID make our flight?) and then moved outside into the chilly night to board our buses, to be driven out to Sohna, to meet at Sanjiv’s farm for a midnight welcoming dinner and then off to our motels for a few hours of sleep.

When we arrived at the farm, we were enveloped in the unusual cold (and some of us were from Canada, Alaska, Maine and Minnesota and thought we knew winter). Bob Weel from Alaska had on only a short-sleeved shirt and was shivering until Sanjiv offered him a fleece vest. We ate a sumptuous meal which we would undoubtedly have enjoyed more had we not been overtired and cold and dreaming of sleep! We were distributed to our two motels in Sohna and urged to try to sleep, as breakfast would be in only about five hours from then. It was a long, long journey with a very short night!

THE MIDNIGHT TRAIN TO GEORGIA??? Feb. 14, 2008

2008-02-13T21:07:00.000-08:00

Somehow, I don't think so!

Today is Valentine's Day, and yesterday in the morning, we departed from our two "motels" in Sohna, determined which bags we were leaving behind in Sanjiv's office in Delhi while we are on the traveling portion of our trip, and then packed the bags we considered a necessity into the smaller buses which had become our homes for the past several days. We then set out for Delhi. We reached the outskirts of Delhi and then proceeded to Qutab Minar ( also Qutub Minar). It was here that we experienced sadness when we had to bid farewell to our faithful and highly skilled (and anything but timid) drivers of the six smaller buses. Our own driver, Ajit, actually had tears in his eyes, when we shook hands with him, hugged him and then handed a small gratuity to him for his efforts in keeping us safe during our frist days of our journey.

Qutab Minar is India's tallest monument (tower) and part of the historical part of Delhi and all of India - it stands 234 feet high, and has been here for hundreds of years. We toured around the site, taking lots of photographs, and learning of the intermingling of Muslim and Hindu architecture. The tower was constructed in stages, the top double tiers having replaced a the tower which was struck by lightning and crumbled. There are other ruins on the grounds, and we climbed through tiny openings onto gardens, noting the architectural elements, such as lotus blossoms, a six-pointed star ( we would refer to as the Star of David) domed ceilings and the like. From Qutub Minar, we then boarded our larger buses and toured around the city, and ventured into the old part of Delhi, ending up at the largerst mosque for a tour. I had hoped that my teammates might be able to experience the thrill of riding in bicycle rickshaws, but our guide advised us that they had been outlawed in the past year - a huge traffic jam and although traffic jams are unavoidable in India, we certainly did not need to add to the confusion and the bottle neck of traffic in that section of the city - across from the Red Fort.

We arrived at the mosque and climbed about fifty stairs to the entrance. While there, we took off our shoes, boots, sandals and socks - entrusting them to the young man outside the gate, and moved forward into the mosque. Already, several men had begun to wash their faces, hands and legs and feet, in preparation for prayer, that was about to occur. Many of us went inside and were startled when the occasisonal errant pigeons would fly out from inside the mosuqe and swoop down nearer to us, departing the building and flying out into the central plaza area staying inside - possibly making a flying deposit while en route.

From here, we rode the buses to a parking area not too far from Connaught Circus (the central business section of the city, and dodged cars, trucks, motorized rickshaws, all the while trying to cross the street in a relatively safe manner to enjoy a South Indian luncheon. The food was wonderful tasting and I am sure many of us tried thongs would never have experienced elsewhere. Following luncheon, many of us who had never changed money over into rupees, at Mr. Singh's money exchange. It was really quite an experience for many of us, as one had to climb halfway up a staircase turning abruptly around to find a ladder behind us which rose to a platform 'office" serving as the money exchange booth. Too intricate and bizarre to describe in words (ph0tos to explain will be forthcoming, when I am able to get onto the internet and upload them).

Following lunch, we ventured to the site where Mahatma Ghandi was creamated - there on the site is an eternal flame and a solid marble table, where thousands of people pass by each and every day to pay their respect and homage to the "great soul' - assassinated just sixty years ago.

A great many of us took time to walk down into the area where we could pause and reflect upon this man who changed the times and was so far ahead of his time, all the while preaching non-violence in every facet of life. In anticipation of the possibility of his assassination, Ghandi wrote specific instructions, that if he should be killed that his killer was NOT to be put to death as a punishment - after all, that would force someone else to kill someone, going against the basic premise of non-violence.

The two buses creaked into back alleys and eventually made it to the parking lot of a Kashmiri emporioum, where we disembarked and went shopping for the first time since our arrival in India. Some purchased carpets or silk wall hangings, clothes, etc. We were then met by Pallavi (Sanjiv's daughter) and were escorted to another restaurant in the Connaught Circus area to have dinner at the Broadway Hotel before our departure later that evening.

Our team was divided up to fill two buses and then rode through the streets to the old train station in Delhi. As my mother would have said, "Now THIS is a happening!" We attempted to remin in the two groups, but often straying. We climbed the dozens of steps, walked to the other side and then descended to the loading platform to await the arrival of our railway coach for our overnight journey to Ranthanbhore. We took up most of the room in two different train cars and were ticketed to sleep on drop-down beds with hard mattresses (?) a couple of coarse stained sheets, a pillow and a blanket. We had thought ( at least some of us) that we might stay up and enjoy story-telling, but we werw all pretty tired and most of us were able to sleep, at least for a few hours. Our guide from High-Points, Bahni, was to wake me up at 4:30 a.m., by calling me on my mobile, and i was to wake up all of the rest of the folks on my car to prepare the to offload our small carry-on bags and ourselves, once we reached Ranthanbhore. We arrived at about 5:30 and walked through the grand old railway station to our buses, where we were driven through the night to Tiger Moon Resort.

We disbursed to rooms in some of the cabins and tents, and then returned to have a wonderful breakfast at 8:00 a.m. While the others are out on a tour of the 1000 year old fort of Ranthanbhore, riding in open jeeps and open trucks, returning for lunch in a couple of hours. In the meanwhile, the manager of the resort and I have gone through the rooming list, so that upon return from their tour, the team members will be able to find their rooms and freshen up before luncheon. This afternoon, we will go out on safari to hopefully see one or more of the tigers on this 392 square kilometer national forest and park. Tomorrow morning, well before dawn, we will have some tea and biscuits, and go out on the prowl to hopefully flush out some tigers before departing to Jaipur in the afternoon.

Our journey on the train was an adventure none will soon forget, from the sites, smells and sounds of the train station, to the rocking of the train cars, and of course, the Indian-style and European style toilets on the train!

A Real Polio Story from the Village of Nusera

2008-02-10T06:25:00.000-08:00

While doing vaccines, three members of our team were invited by Mr. S.K. Kaushik, the person responsible for polio in the area, to visit the home of the latest polio case in this area. Joanne & Jerry Larson and Shirley McCaughey were taken there.

At the home, they met 14 year old IGBAL BUSERI, son of Zahid Hussin and Hussan Buseri. Joanne says they must have known for years that this boys was stricken with this horrible disease. She gave him a tube (package) of crayons which he just rolled in his hands.

They asked if they could take the boy's picture and the Muslim parents said yes - removing the blanket from his legs to show the deformed and twisted legs of this poor child.

Quietly, one of the group said they need a wheelchair for this young boy. Immediately, the polio workers said he really needs a commode. Whenever he needs to use the bathroom, he has to be carried to the street. On the spot, our team members agreed to give him the commode.

In the villages, people use the washroom and the material is dumped into drains running along both sides of the street - just like they did in the old world. There are no sewage systems here.

As Connie Larson said when her mom told her the story, "This will give the boy his dignity back".

It was quite difficult for team members to tell if the boy has any learning difficulties because he has never experienced any stimulation.

Then someone said the other boy - the latest case - is a younger son of the same family. He is 2 years old - SAKIL KHAN. A man carried him into the house and he immediately started crying because of the strangers there. The parents showed the boy's leg - deformed by polio.

The family said the community really needs more medical visits. The doctor does not live in the village and has 15,000 patients to care for so he can only come once a week. The village needs great medical care - Rotary could help if they could change this.

The family wants an operation to help their young child - but they are very very poor and cannot afford treatment. Our team told the family that a doctor has to say that an operation is appropriate - if the doctor says "Yes" - Rotary will see that the surgery gets done.

Before leaving, team members promised to provide a commode and a wheelchair. The family said that would allow him to be wheeled out, see the village, see the shops, and see other people. All he does now is sit in his chair - all day.

Back on the bus, Shirley McCaughey tells the story to the others who were not there to see and people started giving her money. At last count, Shirley collected 9,000 rupee and Jerry has 12,000 rupee - that's about $900 dollars.

The group has already requested the Rotary Club of Delhi-West purchase the commode and wheelchair and if we can, it will be delivered before we leave India.

We are also asking for a medical assessment of the children to determine what should be done.

THIS TRULY IS ROTARY IN ACTION - as next year's theme says, Make Dreams Happen.

A Message from Connie

2008-02-10T06:22:00.000-08:00

Hi from India! This country is more than I could ever have imagined. The most humbling and amazing experience of my life.

Love to Brad, kisses for Valentines. Miss you all - Amanda, Bradley and a special hello to Mom and Dad in Mesa Arizona.

PS - kisses from Baba & Grandpa

International Membership Challenge

2008-02-10T05:20:00.000-08:00

Karen Teichman PDG of District 7370 (Pennsylvania) her District currently has the highest percentage of new members of any District in North America.

Today, she met and challenged Mukesh Arneja, District Governor D3010 who says he will be the highest in the world - to a membership challenge.

RI Director Kjell-Ake Akesson of Sweden will act as the judge.

The District with the highest percentage on June 30, 2008 will present a Paul Harris Fellowship to the other.

Polio Day - Feb 10

2008-02-10T05:01:00.000-08:00

If ever you thought you didn't have enough of the next toy or the newest car or the nice dress in the window - experience a Polio Immunization Day. It is the most amazingly exhilarating and dramatically humbling experience of this person's life. Children with little if anything, dirty hands, dirty feet, runny noses in the arms of mother's with deep concern for the health of their child hurrying to put their child in front of you for those life saving two drops of vaccine.

Our first stop today was in the streets of a village. Polio stations were set up and already children had been vaccinated prior to us getting there. Immediately we were poured on by people wanting their children vaccinated. No time to ponder. Just two drops in each child's mouth and a permanent marker on the finger to show they'd been done - an then a treat for each child. Many were things my fellow workers at OCIO donated. The mothers were so happy their child was treated.

One father came back we figure at least 7 to 8 times with children - all under five.

We visited four other stations before finishing at 1250 and heading back to the farm to meet the various teams.

From here I cannot upload pictures but I've taken lots to put up when we find a suitable stations to download so you can see. Many with actual drops being given and more with pictures of the hundreds of children.

We met some amazing Indian Rotarians today - some totally committed citizens of India who are working so hard to improve conditions for the people here. I cannot wait to write more.

I will write more but for now - this has been the trip of a lifetime and one I will speak about for a long long time.

Mark Brown

T-MINUS 25 and counting!!!

2008-02-05T02:17:00.000-08:00

In approximately twenty-five hours, I will join three others from my Rotary Club - Dick Bergeron (president), Lawrence Furbish and Shawn Sullivan, at the location of our regular weekly meetings, and pack up the van to drive to Newark, New Jersey. Hopefully, several members of our Rotary Club and family and friends will be there to "Flag off our group" as they say in India. Each of us, along with all of the other members of our team from the US and Canada will plan to meet in Newark at the Continental Airlines ticket counter mid-afternoon tomorrow.
Over the past two weeks, I have been amazed and humbled by the outpouring of generosity exhibited not only by the members of the ROTARY DREAM TEAM - INDIA 2008, but also from family, friends and total strangers who have heard about our mission and have donated funds or gifts for children, and more. If one were to count up individual gifts, including pencils, pens, note pads, Frisbees, stuffed toys, solar calculators, tee-shirts, book bags, whistles, yo-yos, tiny plastic farm animals and dinosaurs, stickers with smiley faces, stickers with lobsters, pins with lobsters and pine trees and blueberries and apples, and so many more too numerous to list, we would have a total nearing 20,000!!! Once in India, members of the team will gather all of the gifts and sort through them to separate gifts for the little ones, gifts for teenagers, gifts for the women of the village, and make up packets to be distributed later on. I think each of us is taking one suitcase filled with nothing more than gifts!

This morning, I opened an Email from a dear friend, which was entitled, Where He wants me to be. It was a slide show set to the music by ENYA (one of my favorite singing artists) and was very moving. It brought back memories of a previous trip to India, when I was there for six weeks. After the third week, I found I was a bit lonely and began questioning whether or not this was where I was "supposed" to be. I paused a moment or two and prayed that somehow God would show me some kind of sign that I was, in fact, where I was supposed to be right then. A short while later, I arrived at a Rotary district-wide cricket match. As I stepped from the car, and began walking on the grass, a white butterfly with sort of a purplish-blue edge to its wings flew up from the grass and circled my head three times. I looked up and it was gone, but I simply said, "Thanks!" If there is such a thing as coincidence, and I do not think there is, the fact that a friend shared the particular Email with me this morning, reinforces that where I am going and where all of my teammates are going is WHERE HE WANTS US TO GO. There is absollutely no question in my mind that as Rotarians, we ARE doing God's work throughout the world - that one step at a time, and one hand-shake ar a time, and one smile at a time, we WILL achieve better understanding person to person, thereby making the possibility of achieving world peace stronger.

Media publicity for our trip!!!

2008-02-02T19:54:00.000-08:00

As mentioned, there are three Rotarians from District 6400 going on this NID/Chahalka trip. We are from three different Clubs, all on the Canadian side of the border (District 6400 is a dynamic group of 51 Clubs, 10 on the Canadian side - Windsor & Essex County - and the rest on the American side - Detroit, Michigan).
Ann Marie Athavale is from the Rotary Club of Windsor St.Clair; Aruna Koushik is the President of the Rotary Club of Windsor Roseland; and I am the Past President of the Rotary Club of LaSalle-Centennial.
Ann Marie's Club sent out a Press Release to the Windsor Star, giving them information about our trip. The newspaper, in turn, called Aruna for some details. The January 31st. edition of the Windsor Star carried a a six inch, one-column, length piece on the details of the trip, highlighting the positive aspect of the near-eradication of polio. The heading was 'Anti-polio campaign takes Rotarians to India'.
Then, on February 2nd., earlier this afternoon, the local radio station, AM800, called Aruna at home to discuss the impact of the trip. This piece will likely air sometime tomorrow, Sunday. Both these avenues of PR are terrific for Rotary locally, and I'm sure we can build on it when we return after a month with pictures and stories to fill much more than the six inch column!! I look forward to this.

FIVE DAYS AND COUNTING...

2008-02-01T01:26:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that in just a few short days, those of us from the USA and Canada will be traveling toward Newark, New Jersey, where most of us will meet for the very first time at the waiting area near the Continental Airlines ticket counter. Some will have checked bags all the way through from their original points of departure to Delhi, while the majority of us will be checking our luggage through from Newark.

When we meet, we will each get a name tag from Past District Governor Kelly Wike, a team member, who volunteered to make them for us. We will then each get our official shirt and then try to spread out the remaining shirts we will take with us to our counterparts in India, so that nobody will be over the limit for weight of checked bags. Each of us already has bulging suitcases and duffel bags - filled with toys and goodies, educational gifts, bottles of bubbles, Frisbees, pens, pencils, coloring books, and the list goes on and on. How will we EVER cram all of this stuff into the alloted space?

We will then check in and board the aircraft which will be our home for about 17 hours - nearly 15 of which will be in the air! Although we are seated scattered throughout the plane, I am confident that the other passengers on board will know our ROTARY DREAM TEAM - INDIA 2008, within a few hours of our departure!

A few acknowledgments: First - to all those individuals, Clubs and Districts who have contributed funds toward our project, our heartfelt thanks. We have raised well over $50,000 to fund the creation of the ROTARY VOCATIONAL AND COMPUTER TRAINING CENTRE OF CHAHALKA, as well as the ROTARY DAY-CARE CENTRE OF CHAHALKA. (don't try to find it on a map - the closest area nearby is Sohna). Second: to Marge Barker and TD BankNorth of Portland, Maine, thank you for the most generous contribution which paid for our official shirts - they are fantastic and each of us will not only wear them with pride while working on the National Immunization Day against polio in India, but also will cherish the shirt as a reminder for years to come of the wonderful experience we have shared. Third: to Bruce Lamb and Springvale (Maine) Hardware - as in years past, has contributed fifty pair of work gloves for our team to wear to protect our hands from the cuts caused by sand, rocks, and the burning from the toxic concrete mix and the paints we will be using. Fourth: to Ghisaline Berube of Casco Bay Gardens of South Portland, Maine who donated over fifty tubes of LOBSTERMAN'S BALM, which each team member will use and enjoy to take care of chapped and cracked hands. Fifth: to Ray Richardson and Ted Talbott of FOX NEWS 23 - the local affiliate in Portland, Maine for inviting me to join them a few days ago on their morning news show, to share with their viewers and listeners information about our trip. Sixth: to our family, friends, Clubs and Districts - thank you for your support. Each of us has paid for his or her own way on this trip. Each of us will be leaving family for two weeks. Each of us will be absent from work or school for two weeks. We could not do this without the help and support of others.

Finally, to Rotary International for being the most wonderful service organization in the entire world. We have no political or religious agenda. We have one purpose, only, and that is SERVICE TO OTHERS. Thanks to Rotary, millions and millions of children have been immunized against polio throughout the world, and the campaign continues until polio is eradicated from the face of the earth. From Bill and Melinda Gates with their gift of $100 million to the poorest of the poor who can neither read nor write - all have one thing in common and that is the TRUST OF ROTARY INTERNATIONAL to do what is right and to bring about greater understanding among the peoples of the world, one step at a time, so that we will have an impact, we will make a positive difference, and we WILL ACHIEVE WORLD PEACE.

Television Interview

2008-01-30T10:08:00.000-08:00

This morning, I had the pleasure of meeting Ray Richardson and Ted Talbott of the local FOX NEWS affiliate in Portland, Maine, and to share with them and their viewers and listeners some of what we will all be doing once we reach India on February 7th.

If you are interested in viewing the interview, click on this link:

http://www.myfoxmaine.com/myfox/pages/ContentDetail?contentId=5628438

We will be adding more to our BLOG on a regular basis, but suffice it to say that at present, we are all at our respective homes, packing clothes, but mostly goodies to take to the childlren in India to encourage them to get immunized on February 10th at the National Immunization Day and then to help encourage the children of the village of Chahalka to attend school and to remain in school, in order to make a better life for themselves and their families. To say that we are "cranked" about our upcoming journey to the unknown, where we will SHARE ROTARY and MAKE DREAMS REAL, would be an understatement.

On this, the 60th anniversary of the assasination of the father of India, Mahatma Gandhi, it is most appropriate that we pause and remember one of his wise pieces of advice:

BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD.

Newfoundland Rotarians Donate to the Project

2008-01-27T17:48:00.001-08:00

The Fourth Objective of Rotary International is ... "the advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service".

All projects of this nature need funding. Since this project was initiated by Elias Thomas III of the Rotary Club of Sanford-Springvale, Maine USA, he is coordinating project funds. All teams members are asked to do what they can to secure funds to help out. Those of us from Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada decided to let local Rotary Clubs know about our project and if they wished to offer donations, they were encouraged to do so.

While all our clubs have financially supported international projects in the past, to our knowledge, this may be the first time any serving Rotarian from an eastern Newfoundland Rotary Club has physically participated on-site at an International Service Project.

Here are the donations our four Team Members have received - $9,250 in Total:

$500 Rotary Club of AVALON NORTHEAST - in 2005 awarded the Rotary Significant Achievment Award for work on a community park

$300 Rotary Club of WATERFORD VALLEY - known for their work on community hiking trails

$200 Rotary Club of CLARENVILLE - celebrating 30 years in 2008 & known for community hiking trails, work with schools and securing funding for a community marina

$500 Rotary Club of GANDER - this club and its community played a significant role for those stranded after 9/11 - known for work on a community park and trail, home of District Governor Fred Ivany 2002-2003

$500 Rotary Club of ST. JOHN'S - Newfoundland's oldest club establish 23 Nov 1921, home of our District Governor Dennis Knight in 2006-2007 - known for many large community projects and its Christmas Hampers

$1,000 Rotary Club of ST. JOHN'S EAST - 2006 District Award for its work, leader in single fundraiser, established the Rotary Read-Along Program

$5,000 Rotary Club of ST. JOHN'S NORTHWEST - home club of two Dream Team members, awarded Rotary's Significant Achievement Award for community Skateboard Park, known for the Rotary Music Festival, annual Food Drive with a local high school, Janeway Childrens Hostel, Community Housing Inc., The Changing Minds Project and initiated several organizations including United Way, Kidney Foundation and Heart & Stroke Foundation

$500 - Dental and Hearing Crafts Ltd, St. John's

$750 - Personal donation from one of the team members.

Suggested Gifts for the Children

2008-01-27T17:26:00.001-08:00

Elias and Sanjiv suggested bringing items to India for village children that arouse curiosity and create enthusiasm to learn more and study more. As well, items to encourage the children to participate in the National Immunization Day on February 10, 2008.

NEW IDEAS
I spoke with my Club President, Gail Gosse who visited India through work a couple of years ago. She said "Talc" is highly valued as it is very expensive in India.

Another item that might be a good gift is wind up flashlights and radios (dynamo). No batteries are required.

I also spoke with Murali Prabhakar who is originally from India and has children aged 9 and 12. He suggested any computer software that has a learning component such as Typing Tutor or similar job based software. He also cautioned us to be sure any gifts do not interfere with cultural beliefs. Murali thinks Solar Calculators are a good choice.

NATIONAL IMMUNIZATION DAY
Enough cheap give-aways for general distribution to about 1000 pre-school children. About 20 items for each team member.

DAY CARE
We are trying to contribute to the betterment of the children's Day Care Centre by encouraging pre-school children (under 5) to spend more time there. We need about 50 take home gifts for individual children as well as common learning toys and games that are not too dependent on prior knowledge of English.

The Rotary Club of Delhi-West has 50 stuffed toys they will take to the Day Care. As well, Karen Teichman and Walt Lutz of District 7370 have over 100 stuffed animals.

OLDER CHILDREN
About 500 children 12 years of age and above attend the school adjacent to the computer centre. Common educational toys and games as well as computer games for the learning centre will be useful. Anything that arouses their curiosity and enthusiasm to learn more; study more.

This age group does study Englaish as a subject , at which they do very poorly because they have no exposure to the language other than at school! They are familiar with written English but may not be able to understand spoken English because of the unfamiliar accents etc.

Most important are gifts to encourage children to attend school regularly and to arose curiosity in studies. In addition, gifts for individuals for the top 5 scorers in each class at the school (about 50 items in total). These prizes can be announced while we are there and awarded to the students after their scores come in following the next exams.

The suggest the following types of items:

solar calculators (small) - highly recommended
educational toys
educational games
trinkets like bracelets, rings or earrings
unusual pencils, pens or erasers
pins of all sorts are cherished

Obviously we have to carry all these items and our luggage weights are limited to 40 pounds. If each one of us take a few things, we will be able to meet the needs.

Cost of Building Materials for Rotary Vocational & Computer Training Center of Chahalka

2008-01-27T17:08:00.000-08:00

The purpose of the Learning Centre is to create an environment where young people from the village and surrounding area can come and learn basic computer skills. It will also house training of the women of the village in sewing and weaving so they can earn great income for their families and allow the children to attend school regularly.

The anticipated cost to refurbish the old buildings for both the Learning Centre and Day Care is about $50,000 USD. We have reached our financial goal. The monies will flow through the Rotary Club of Sanford-Springvale to The Rotary Foundation and then to India.

Our Rotarian friends in India will purchase the items needed for the village including:

New windows, doors, screening and irong grating for the windows
Concrete mix
Lumber
Paint
classroom furniture including chairs and bafricating kits for desks
blackboard and associated materials
computers
specific items to repair the rooms and buildings for external repair and painting
waterproofing the terrace

For the electrical needs:

6 light points including light fitting
2 fan points including fans
15 of the 5 ampere sockets
2 of the 15 ampere sockets
1 telephone point
wiring for the ten computers

Specific furniture items:

Teacher's chair
5 computer tables
20 chairs for students
6 foot by 3 foot cupboard
8 foot by 4 foot pinup board
4 foot by 3 foot blackboard

Specific equipment includes:

Generator - silent diesel GenSet 20 KVA for power outages
10 computers ( AMD 3600 )
10 monitors ( 17 inch )
one printer
one UPS (uninterruptible power supply)

We are providing the operational costs for the Learning Centre for one year for:

$7,895 computer teacher salary
$3,158 computer assistant salary
$ 789 each for two security guards to provide 24 hour security of the premises
$ 789 for a cleaner salary
$7,684 for diesel for the electric generator approx. 8 hours per day
$1,055 to cover inflation & USD drop vs Indian Rupee.

$22,160 Total for the Learning Centre

2008-01-26T16:46:00.000-08:00

Hey, I'm on. Now I just have to start packing!

My Reasons For Coming

2008-01-26T15:45:00.000-08:00

Hello, I am the son of a Rotarian, and I am going on the trip to India this February. I have traveled to other countries in the past and that alone is an interest to me. Additionally, being in India for National Immunization Day seems like a good idea. The most important thing I expect out of this trip is the experience that is rewarded. In the future, I will be able to look back on this and remark on how fortunate I am to be part of this great trip.

Comments from ANOTHER Team member

2008-01-25T08:14:00.000-08:00

Hi! My name is Logan Roberts. I am 12 years old and I go to Chaska Middle School West. When I hear my parents talk about India it just reminds me of how great of a trip this is going to be. I really want to go to India because it is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

I wish to learn about other people’s lifestyles. Think I can bring the people diversity and hope of a better place. As a young person on this trip I think that the Indian children will be able to connect with me more than the adults. I can bring the team members excitement and laughter. To prepare I have watched Indian movies, tried on Indian clothes and talked with an Indian Rotary Youth Exchange student. Thank you.

Comments from another Team Member - Cari Roberts

2008-01-25T08:13:00.000-08:00

My name is Cari Roberts, and I am 11 years old. I am a student at Chaska Middle School West. When I found out that my parents were considering going to India is was incredibly happy. Going to a country in Asia has always been my dream. I know we will have fun in India, but I will also learn a lot from the hard work that we are going to be doing. Learning so much about how other people live, makes me appreciate how I live.

During this trip I expect to learn about polio and how it affects people. I am sure that children in India can learn from my brother and I, how to use a computer, and basic information about the U.S. Being a young women going to India, people going along with me can learn that anyone who is young can do the same things that older people can do.

To prepare myself to travel to India I have had to spend many hours thinking about what I need to bring along. We have visited the global market downtown. My parents and brother have bought clothes for when we are there. On the other hand, I found clothes at our local Target. Our whole family has been meeting with Maya. Maya is an exchange student from India, and she has been giving us advice on what to bring and what to expect. Maya has also taught us how to cook curry and roti. We cook Indian food every now and than. The food is spicy, but I am used to it. That means that I will not starve when we have to eat in India. Over all I am probably the most excited person going out of my family. My mom is all worried because she does not know what to expect. I am all right with not know what will happen, so for right now, I am ready to travel to India.

Thoughts from one of the DREAM TEAM members

2008-01-17T10:32:00.000-08:00

Since 1979, Rotarians have been the active soldiers in the war against Polio. As a Rotarian I knew I wanted to take part in the battle. When the opportunity to join a team traveling to India presented itself I accepted the offer and became part of “The Dream Team 2008”.

The Dream Team is comprised of over 50 Rotarians and Friends of Rotary, from five countries and is a diverse group of individuals with one common goal, to see a day when our world will be free of Polio. We each fundraised and will reach our combined goal of $50,000. for our project prior to departing for India.

Our mission is multi-faceted. Our first and foremost service is to be part of National Immunization Day where we will immunize about (1,000) one thousand children under the age of five. Our second goal is to complete the Rotary Computer and Vocational Centre in Chalhalka, as well as the ROTARY DAY-CARE CENTRE OF CHAHALKA.

Administering those two drops of life to the children will truly be one of my life’s most heartfelt experiences. I know one day that Rotary will eradicate Polio and even though four countries including Nigeria, India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, are still considered polio-endemic the dedication and determination of Rotarians prevail.

Following the National Immunization Day, our team will head west of Delhi to a poor village of about 500 families, Chahalka. Chalhalka’s water supply was a polluted ,dirty, stinking, breeding ground for water bourne diseases and mosquitoes until 2007, when Rotarians led by Past District Governor Elias Thomas, of Maine, helped to return the water to a safe status. This year, Rotarians will improve the quality of life for residents in this remote village through education and vocational training.

The impoverished families in Chahalka cannot always see the value in education (even though it is provided for free). Youngsters often are needed to work to help subsidize the fainly. So our “Dream Team” again led by Elias Thomas will establish the Rotary Centre for Computer and Vocational Training. This center will benefit the entire village. Young school dropouts will be taught computer skills, enabling them to apply for entry level jobs in India’s burgeoning IT industry. We hope this will also encourage younger children to stay in school and learn valuable skills.

Simultaneously, we will provide vocational training including tailoring and weaving to the housewives. This will give them the opportunity to generate additional income for their families which hopefully, will make it possible for their children to stay in school.

So on February 6th I will embark on a great life experience. I have received all my immunizations and will taking my anti-malaria medication which, my doctor tells me gives you night terrors. I will leave from Newark carrying Club and District banners, educational toys and gifts and some 15 hours later arrive in New Delhi.

Many people have asked me why I am doing this. The answer is simple…I am doing this because I’m a Rotarian!

~Susan Wischhusen Rotary Club of Shirley and the Mastics

It's That Time of Year, Again...

2008-01-14T11:39:00.000-08:00

In just about three weeks, I will again be returning to India. This year, I have the honor of leading over 50 Rotarians and Friends of Rotary to India for two purposes: First, we will participate in the National Immunization Day (NID) on Sunday, February 10, 2008, where we will join tens of thousands of other volunteers, some from hospitals, some from the government, some from the United Nations and the World Health Organizations, and many from Rotary Clubs throughout India and the rest of the world. In one day, it will be our task to immunize all children in the country under the age of five against this crippling disease. As many of you know already, Rotary challenged itself more than twenty years ago to eradicate polio from the face of the earth, and about 99% of polio has been eliminated from all but four countries in the world, where the virus remains indigenous. Second, we will gather in an abjectly poor village, about fifty kilometers west of New Delhi, where we will work as common laborers, along with local Rotarians, to create the ROTARY VOCATIONAL AND COMPUTER TRAINING CENTRE OF CHAHALKA, as well as the ROTARY DAY CARE CENTRE OF CHAHALKA.

The village of Chahalka is a tiny Muslim village, tucked away in the barren territory situated near the foothills of the Aravali Mountain range. In a previous trip to Chahalka, it is difficult to imagine survival in this desolate area. When we worked in the village this past year, we helped to restore the potability of the village's water supply, which up until the time we built two washing platforms, the women and girls were doing their daily washing on top of the huge well tile, with all of the waste water pouring right back down through the hole through which they had drawn the "clean" water in the first place!

Our team is comprised of Rotarians and Friends of Rotary from five countries ~ USA, Canada, England, Australia and Sweden. Two Rotarians are bringing their children, ages ranging from 12 to 17. What an amazing experience it will be for these young people, and for us who are a bit older to witness how each evolves through working in a totally Muslim village, where up until very recently, the villagers had not even experienced "white westerners"!

We will endeavor to keep a journal, with many contributing to it, throughout the journey, and to provide as much of the fabric of the culture to our friends at home, as possible. You are welcome to comment and to communicate to us through our email addresses. Mine is as follows: eliasthomasiii@hotmail.com

Thanks for your interest.