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SEEDS OF LOVE The Theme for the year 2002 to 2003 is "Sow the Seeds of Love". The Rotary Club of Mapusa as taken up a number of activities to do its bit. NOW THE LAME CAN WALK.. Why should a person walk with crutches when other persons, who have had one of their legs amputated, can walk, act in TV serials and even dance as comfortably as people with both legs intact? Should poverty hold them down? Does no one love them enough to buy them a Jaipur foot? No one should ask these questions in Mapusa. Any one in Mapusa who needs a Jaipur foot, and cannot afford to pay for it, can contact Rtn. Mangesh Kulkarni at the Rotary Club of Mapusa. We care. We sow the seeds of love. We provide the Jaipur foot where needed. There is no question of putting the foot in the mouth by making such a tall claim. When project funds to finance the Jaipur foot were exhausted, Mangesh made an appeal. Club members immediately offerred to pay for one Jaipur foot or more. They paid for eighteen sets within 15 days. Each Jaipur foot costs Rs. 2000/-. To each beneficiary it is worth its volume in gold. It weighs very little and hence it is far superior to a wooden foot. It is custom - made to order. Even from a short distance it is difficult to tell which foot is yours and which is from Jaipur. Even child amputees have been fitted with this wonder prosthesis, with the logistical support of the Rotary Club of Kolhapur - Maharashtra. The sponsors this month include DGE Dilip Salgaokar, Charter President Suresh Amonkar, President Mahendra Gupta, President - elect Avadhut Pokle, Past Presidents and members Rozendo Mendonsa, Rajiv Neogi, Shripad Neogi, Sharadkumar Rao, Pamela Cabral, Subhas Walawalkar, Viraj Paraz, Lucindo faria, Prakash Verlekar, Tulio D'Souza and Krishna Morajkar. The check-up, assessment and fitting of the Jaipur foot is done at Goa Medical College & Hospital, Bambolim - Goa, the oldest medical college in Asia. AND THE BLIND CAN SEE Cataracts cause curable blindness. All it needs is an intra ocular lens transplant, an operation similar to replacing the lens in an auto-focus camera. Yes, this service is available free in Goa Government-run hospital. The hitch for many is that they cannot afford the lens, and the medicines. Always willing to help, Rotary Club of Mapusa obtained a "Matching Grant" project for providing the lens and medicines to those who remained blind because cannot afford the cost. Between September to December 2002, a hundred persons have used this facility at Asilo Hospital, Mapusa. Nine hundred more persons will see the sunrise and enjoy life's beauty before this project is over. This act will touch the lives of thousands of people associated with these lucky thousand beneficiaries. Once the backlog is over, the government programme will be able to fund the few cases of cataracts that crop up each year. The surgery for 10L transplant at Asilo Hospital is done by Dr. Victor Fernandes at an average rate of five transplants per week. It is expected that other doctors will join in this effort. This programme is co-ordinated by the President - elect Rtn Avadhut Pokle (Ph. 2250065) IMPROVING THEIR FACE VALUE There is nothing more pleasing than a smile on a child's face. Those with cleft lips and dental deformities often suffer because they cannot smile, or are teased when they do. Rotary Club of Mapusa decided to put a smile back on the faces of some of these unfortunate children. It decided to add power to the bite of other children and their parents as well. A "Cleft - Lip Inspection and Dental Check-up Camp" was organized at Shri Shantadurg Vidyalaya, Pirna on 14 December, 2002. The Rotary Club of Dharwad - Central roped in doctors from SDM College of Dental Sciences & Hospital, Dharwad - Karnataka, to assist our club in conducting the programme. Fourteen doctors took the train to Goa to implement this project under the auspices of "The Smile Train" New York (USA). More than 350 patients were checked up and given preliminary treatment or advice. Five children with cleft lips or defective jaws have been identified for free surgery at Dharwad this month. The patient and one escort will also receive free boarding & lodging. They can smile away in the New Year 2003 This programme is co-ordinated by Rtn Sudhir Revankar Ph 2298079. THE BEAUTY INSIDE A neat, clean, freshly painted surrounding gives you a sense of well-being. This ambience is all the more important when you are sick. Realising this, the Rotary Club of Mapusa readily agreed to do the internal painting at Asilo Hospital, Mapusa, the common man's hospital. Patients who undergo Cataract Surgery use the operation theatre and the Ophthalmology Ward. Naturally, we wanted the beneficiaries of the Matching Grants project and others to have a clean, hygeinic ambience. The Siolim Hall came next and the staircase followed. The doctors who operate, and the nurses who assist, also need clean surroundings, so their rooms and changing rooms received a coat of fresh paint. We are gender sensitive and female Medical Ward received the painters attention. If your heart feels faint, do not worry: even the ICCU has been painted anew. Only the blind would not have noticed the transplant project continues, with a fresh new look round it. This programme is co-ordinated by Rtn. A. Pokle. YOU CAN BREATHE EASY Rotary Volunteer Dr. P.K. Vedanthan came all the way from USA to conduct a workshop on "Asthma" in Mapusa. Forty participants, including doctors, benefitted from the expertise and experience of Dr. Vedanthan at Mapusa Residency on 08 December, 2002. The participants were given a full check up, a dossier prepared for each one of them and the line of treatment was suggested to them. In addition, the participants were briefed on asthma management through Yoga by Dr. Ghanekar and through diet control by Dr. Anarga. This progremme was co-ordinated by Dr. Digamber Naik and Dr. Abilio Gonsalves Editorial :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Home Truths There are two types of people, introverts and extroverts. The introverts are shy, soft - spoken and generally stay at home except when forced to venture out for work or due to some other compulsions. The extroverts are bolder, more mobile and far more talkative. They like to see people and places. They like to be seen with important people at important places. They do a lot of good. Even if the motivation for doing good is the desire to be seen as one who does good deeds, it is still good. Others benefit from their good deeds. The world is a better place because of these deeds. Little acts of kindness done by many at the same time at one place have a force multiplier effect. One of the great discoveries of recent agricultural survey in India was that 70% of the farmers grow food crops for their own consumption and only 30% have a surplus to sell. Yet, if these 70% farmers were to stop growing crops, the remaining 30% would never be able to feed the whole nation. We would all starve within a few years. The love of oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance. Still, the love of self is no sin at all. In fact, it is the foundation for the love of others. The good book therefore commands us to "Love your neighbour as you love yourself". The call of Rotary International this year is to sustain and increase club membership. We need to infuse new blood to rejuvenate our club. We need to raise a new crop of leaders. Many hands make light work. With the District Governor elect being chosen from our midst, we have responsibility to taken our service to greater heights. From there we must take off to celebrate the first centenary of Rotary International. So while you "Sow the seeds of love" this year, remember to sow some at your home turf. Rtn Miguel Braganza Editor. ------------------------------------------ WANT TO check out which mailing lists you could subscribe to? Send a blank email message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] ========================================================================
