Rotaractors strive for a clean, green Sangli
Clean and green Sangli city is the motto of RAC Krishna Valley, D 3170, which have Rotaractors stretching their limbs and sweating it out to make “every nook and corner of our city look spic and span,” says Rtr Kunal Khandekar, the Club President. In a major drive, around 35 Rotaractors cleaned the premises of Chattrapati Shivaji stadium and sprayed pesticide which was appreciated by the locals.
Besides the clean-up work, they have taken up greening the city in a big way. At an open theatre Khulenatyagruha, the club has planted 50 saplings which were covered with tree guards for protection. “We have a target of planting two lakh saplings this year to realise our mission of a beautiful city,” says Khandekar. And their parent RC Krishna Valley is ready to pitch in to help Rotaractors if “we make such a request. The Rotarians are very cooperative and some have donated to our projects in the absence of sponsors.”
Science Buddy
In order to demystify science, Rotaractors hold experimental demos in the classes at government schools in Sangli district. Three five-member teams visit schools across the villages to hold 90-minute experiments to invoke curiosity among students. “We target 50 schools reaching out to 2,000 children with the Science Buddy project,” he explains, and is confident that his “well-organised teams will generate interest among students.”
On the healthcare front, they have formed cohesive two-member teams which fan out to cover all the 200 plus government schools in the district and teach hygiene practices under the Arogya Shastra Project. “Last year, we covered 114 schools in the district and those left out will be attended to by our teams.” The club has tied up with Asmi, an NGO, which provides the fuel cost for the Rotaractors who had to travel long distances in reaching out to schools. “We ensure that a duo covers at least two schools a day. But travelling between schools covering 50–60 km a day on a difficult terrain with film projectors and other equipment is a big task,” says Khandekar.
An energetic club
Praising the Rotaractors of Krishna Valley, DRR Nishita Vyankatesh Pednekar says, “they are an energetic and enthusiastic lot. Last year (2017–18) alone, the club has completed over 400 projects across all the four avenues of service.” District 3170 has 42 Rotaract clubs with over 1,000 Rotaractors and the contributions of the Sangli group will make it to the top league, she says.n
