From the President’s desk…
Dear Friends,
Rotary Club of Bombay Mid-Town is in its 50th year. To become President of this prestigious Club, especially in this year, is indeed a privilege. It is also humbling when I look at the past presidents who’ve served our Rotary Club.
As I write this message, I cannot help but think of one of Warren Buffet’s quotes. He said, “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone else planted a tree long ago.” So, it would only be fair that we do a bit of planting ourselves. We as Rotarians, based on this quote, act not only by choosing to be a member of this Club but also by contributing time and money to our Clubs causes.
Having said that, under the leadership of Manoj Jalan, what a wonderful year we have had! We have undertaken many meaningful projects, but, to both Manoj and I, the most important thing is that we added 12 new members to our Club. New members bring with them energy and enthusiasm galore, and this year, some of our relatively new members have taken up leadership roles in the Clubs activities and for this, I am grateful and proud.
We kick off this year with Hindi comedy play “Wrong Number” on the 4th August. The Rotary Club of Bombay Mid-Town will be hosting the event in association with the Inner Wheel Club. I am grateful to Mrs. Asha Singh, President of the Inner Wheel Club, for her support. Vice President Abuzar Zakir, IPP Manoj Jalan and Fellowship Committee Chairmen Mohan Lalwani and Rahul Mehta continue to work tirelessly to plan this and the many upcoming events and I am extremely thankful for that.
Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan is a mission we, as proud Indians, need to fulfill. For this, with efforts from Yogesh Pandya, our Club aims to undertake a global grant for building 450 toilets. Yes, it is a tall order, but I am sure that a Club like ours would have no issues raising funds for such a high impact project. Availability of drinking water is expected to be a huge problem in the near future. Unfortunately, today, many villages and communities in India struggle to gain access to this basic necessity. Along with Nirbhay Jain, Founder and Chairman of SKS Chakshu Foundation, our Club will do a drinking water project, thanks to their generous donation.
As a doctor I feel privileged to be able to help an individual while doing what I have been trained to do. This year, like in the last 15 years, we will do the plastic surgery camp and also try to close funding for two years of this project by way of a global grant. We will also do a cataract surgery project and perform between 100-200 surgeries in South Mumbai. The surgeries will be performed by me and volunteer ophthalmologists. Since this project will be held close to where most of the members live and work, the Board of Directors hope that members will come and take part in large numbers and see for themselves how they are changing lives. As part of the project, patients will undergo eye examinations, cataract surgeries, and will also be provided with medications post-surgery and glasses, six weeks after surgery. I am happy to announce that we have already received funding for a 100 surgeries for this project.
The Rotary Club of Bombay Mid-Town will continue to support its partners for many years like the ISKON Midday Meal Program, Naseoh and the Kamla Mehta School for the blind. Abuzar Zakir, who is also the Chairman of the Medical Camps Committee, is also in talks with the district to plan a very big camp for the Mumbai Police. I sincerely hope that this camp fructifies.
I would like to thank Manoj and Sonali for the immense support shown to me. I would also like to thank the Board of Directors. Finally, a big thank you to Raju and Sushma Barwale, my parents, and my wife Sarika for all the help and support.
I know that with all your encouragement we will have a great year ahead and will continue with all our social endeavors.
Yours in Rotary,
Pres. Rtn. Dr. Deepak Garg
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