Rotaract projects create positive vibes

Despite resource and fund constraints, RAC MNM Jain Engineering College, RID 3232, is doing impactful projects that have received good feedback from the neighbourhood. In Project Ramble all the 150 Rotaractors took out an anti-drug awareness rally for around 1.5km from the college campus to Thoraipakkam signal junction, a busy traffic hub, with banners and posters sensitising people against drug addiction.

Speaking about the rally, club president Azhagu Rajesh says, “at the traffic junction we divided into four teams and approached the commuters, pedestrians and motorists with a message, Say No to Drugs. Around 60 people were coaxed to take anti-drug pledge individually by our Rotaract teams.”

Project Freedom Carnival created a festival ambience for 1,500 disabled children and adults, who arrived at the college from different parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. “The cultural fest offered them a platform to exhibit their talent in dance, music and other stage performances. We had put up over 10 game stalls that engaged them in fun activities,” says Rajesh. Buses were arranged to transport special children and disabled from their special homes to the venue. The major highlights of Freedom Carnival were the expert sessions which counselled the parents of the disabled on how to take care of them, taught simple yoga postures, and laughter therapy for children to keep them in good spirits.

Project Freedom Carnival created a festival ambience for 1,500 disabled children and adults, who arrived at the college from different parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. The cultural fest offered them a platform to exhibit their talent.

Doing his fourth year, BE (Computer Science), Rajesh was an Interactor at Sri Sankara Vidyashram in his school days. “But as an Interactor, I could do only 2–3 events in a year as the scope was limited. Now, after taking over as Rotaract club president, I have so far done 44 projects this year.”

Best Presentation Award

At the RID 3232’s Group Rotaract Meet held at Anna University, Chennai, in December, “I gave a presentation on the half-yearly projects of our club which bagged the Best Presentation Award at the event. This is in contrast to my school days, where due to stage fear I could not present my views boldly to a large gathering, though I had lot of friends then.”

Recently, the club members had volunteered at Project Aasan in which their parent Rotary, RC Adyar, honoured 120 government school teachers with certificates and mementos. “We learnt a number of things including crowd management, logistics and other issues related to a Rotary event in this project.” Most of the service projects are being done with the help of college management and private sponsors. “Our projects are done on shoestring budgets as funding is a challenge. Project Ramble was sponsored by our college. While for Freedom Carnival our college provided food and the venue, the events and other fun games were sponsored by an NGO, along with a few private firms,” explains Rajesh.

After completing his engineering course, “I want to be a mentor to my club and like to remain a Rotaractor as long as possible. I am not thinking of becoming a Rotarian anytime soon,” he smiles.