RID 3120 promotes skills and strength
When RI District 3120 launched Adhaar in January, it was a deliberate push to turn potential into livelihood. Focused on skill development, vocational exposure and women’s empowerment, the initiative quickly found traction across clubs.
“We arranged factory visits for our Rotaractors. A plastics recycling unit in Varanasi gave them a real-world understanding of sustainable industry practices,” says DRR Mahi Bhan. The project translated learning into opportunity. Women’s empowerment workshops covered tailoring, handicrafts, personal grooming and computer skills, while distribution drives in sewa bastis enabled self- employment. “Some clubs provided sewing machines; others distributed beads, threads and craft essentials. The idea was simple — help women to start earning,” she adds.
Running parallel is Project Shakti, a district-wide effort anchored in the theme ‘From Awareness to Action, From Fear to Freedom.’ Through self-defence programmes conducted in schools, colleges and institutions, Rotaractors are building confidence and resilience among both men and women. The goal is clear: “safer, stronger and more self-reliant communities.”
With 49 Rotaract clubs — 40 of them actively engaged in service — the district’s energy is evident in its diversity of initiatives. One standout example is the Rotaract Club of Panini Kanya Vidyalaya in Varanasi, chartered earlier this year. Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Banaras Shine, the club comprises 15 young girls from a gurukul-style institution rooted in Arya Vedic traditions.
“While these students are nurtured in a deeply traditional environment, we are consciously working to bridge the gap between tradition and modernity. Through this club, we want to expose them to leadership traits and encourage their participation in community service initiatives,” she says.
The institution itself made headlines in February 2026, setting a Eurasia World Record by creating 5,555 unique paintings of ‘Om’. During her visit, Mahi also installed a sanitary napkin vending machine on campus, part of a larger district effort that has covered 30 schools so far.
In another initiative titled ‘Paint your imagination,’ RID 3120, along with the Deeva Foundation, conducted an art competition for 250 schoolchildren at the Shastri Ghat in Varanasi. While younger participants explored environmental themes, senior students reflected on Unity in Diversity, capturing India’s cultural harmony through art.
Under Prakriti Bandhan, the district’s environment committee led by its chair Kushagra Mishra, executed a mega plantation drive. Its key initiatives included ‘Green Gifting drives’ where herbal plants were distributed to the public at many locations with a message to them to nourish the plants; ‘Roots in Schools’ which helped create medicinal and herbal gardens in schools with the involvement of students; and ‘One Home, One Plant’ where Rotaractors were urged to plant at least a plant at their homes. “This project saw overwhelming participation.”
The Satkar Summit in Lucknow brought together over 180 Rotaractors from 22 states and 28 districts for a three-day cultural and business exchange. Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brijesh Pathak’s visit added to the significance of the event. “We wanted delegates to experience both opportunity and heritage — from business exchanges to darshan at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. It made the summit truly memorable,” says Mahi.
On National Youth Day (Jan 12), the district channelled its intellectual energy through Rotaract Sansad, an online elocution and talk series. “Experts from defence, medicine and law shared insight that broadened our perspectives. It was an enlightening experience for all participants,” says coordinator Kamadeshwar Singh.
