‘Tree bonding’ to save environment
Even before Rotary introduced ‘environment and sustainable development’ as the seventh Area of Focus, Rotaract clubs of RID 3090 were doing Project Vriksha Bandhan (bonding with trees), a campaign to save trees in which a team of Rotaractors ties raakhi threads/strings around trees in the urban and rural areas of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. “Our aim is not only to protect the fragile environment, but also sensitise both the urban citizens and rural people on the need to grow more trees for a sustainable future. Around 100 Rotaractors are involved in tying raakhi threads around tree trunks,” said DRR Sahil Jindal.
The district clubs have conducted 10 medical camps examining over 1,000 patients of varying age groups with the help of doctors from charity and government hospitals. “Over the last five years, our medical camps would have screened 5,000-plus people for chronic ailments, given free consultations and referred seriously ill to hospitals for treatment. We will hold 10 more medical camps in the next six months,” he said.
DRR Jindal has drawn up plans to distribute 5,000 sanitary pads at schools, colleges, urban areas, village community centres and panchayat halls. “We will take up pads distribution from the first week of January and reach our target by June 30.”
Mahadan camps
Ever since late PDRR Sahil Bhateja started the Mahadan drive, blood donation camps, at the South Asia level when he was president of SEARIC MDIO, the district clubs had conducted over 100 camps collecting over 5,000 units of blood in the last 10 years. “This year, we have done five camps collecting over 500 units of blood, and have plans to hold five more in the next six months.”
Fellowship event
DRR Jindal is keen to make the upcoming two-day fellowship event for district Rotaractors, slated for either April or June, a success. Apart from plenary sessions on Rotary-Rotaract issues, “the event will have DJ party and other light entertainments to regale the Rotaractors.” The fellowship gala will be held at Kasauli, a scenic hill resort in Himachal Pradesh. With 22 Rotaract clubs and 500-plus Rotaractors in the district, he is confident of “adding 100 new members and charter 10 new clubs in the next six months.”
During the installation of DRR and his team, DG Sandeep Chauhan urged Jindal to expand the number of Rotaract clubs, and also induct more Rotaractors. “You have to be active, and also contribute to TRF which grants money for global Rotary projects,” said Chauhan addressing the Rotaractors and new office-bearers. “Rotaractors must work in unison with Rotary clubs to make RID 3090 a world class Rotary district in performance metrics.”
Having joined Rotaract 10 years ago, the DRR is keen to promote fellowship among the members “which will attract new Rotaractors as they will be interested in leveraging our network and explore new opportunities for service.” He will be joining RC Mansa Royal in July 2025 “which will help me to scale the ladder in Rotary trough fellowship and service,” said Jindal who runs a retail-cum-wholesale store in Mansa city, and a stock broking firm in Delhi.
