Mahadan project sets a global record
Ever since the global blood donation campaign, Mahadan, was conceived and launched 10 years ago by SEARIC MDIO, a resource centre for Rotaractors that covers 45 RI districts across nine countries in South East Asia, the project has become “a passionate movement for Rotaract clubs that not only saves countless lives, but also boosts the public image of Rotary across the world,” says IPDRR Aman Khan, RID 3040, and a global coordinator, Mahadan 10.0.
Over the decade around 10 lakh units of blood was collected by Rotaract clubs during special camps held on World Rotaract Week (March 10–16) in which “Rotary clubs and Rotarians also pitch in to donate blood. This quantity of blood (10 lakh units) would save not less than 30 lakh lives around the world. Each unit of blood saves three lives as components like plasma, white blood cells and platelets are separated, and delivered through blood banks,” explains Khan.
On the latest Mahadan drive, “we have set new benchmarks in service as we collected over 78,570 units of blood across the world, that would save 235,000 lives, thanks to the efforts of 1,000-plus Rotary and Rotaract clubs across 37 RI districts.” The clubs were supported by local NGOs and corporates in their Mahadan camps.
At RID 3040 consisting of Madha Pradesh and eastern Gujarat, over 35 Rotaract clubs hosted Mahadan camps under the leadership of DRR Nikunj Goydani and District Rotaract secretary Tanzeela Sheikh. “While we had a symbolic target of 3,040 units, we ended up collecting over 3,500 units of blood,” says Khan. “More than just a blood donation drive, Mahadan has become a global movement of hope, unity and service, mobilising changemakers across borders,” says DRR Goydani. This time around, an exclusive website (www.mahadan10.com) was designed by its global secretary Saurabh Nayak “for effective coordination, reporting and data collection across the RI districts,” says the DRR.
The Mahadan website has all the information about the donors and NGOs, and “will be a useful databank for patients and hospitals who can access it anytime and find the list of donors and blood banks in their locations,” says Aman Khan. RID 3040 launched a Mahadan anthem, composed and produced by RID 3120 Rotaractors, that was uploaded on over 50 music streaming platforms, “thus turning out to be a rallying jingle for the noble cause and inspiring thousands in the mission to save lives,” he says.
With the efforts of DRRs and Mahadan ambassadors across the world, “the Rotaractors had mobilised thousands of donors and spread awareness on a global scale like never before,” says Goydani. RID 3040 team will be submitting the Mahadan 10.0 reports collated from around the world to international Book of Records with the aim to create the record as one of the largest global blood donation drives.
