Transforming schools in the North-East
In a far-reaching initiative aimed to revamp schools across North-East India and motivate school children, Rotaract District 3240 Literacy Committee Chairman Tushar Jalan and Rtr Chandan Sarkar launched Padhega India, Badhega India, a flagship project, across all the eight NE States and some parts of North Bengal in the month of September, the World Literacy Month.
With a long-term vision of doing impactful projects for Happy Schools based on Rotary India Literacy Mission (RILM), they designed various projects related to schools and students. “Each club had to take up at least a project across three main categories and complete them all within 35 days,” says Jalan. He made sure that all the 15 participating clubs entered into tie-ups with their parent Rotary or got a corporate sponsor to implement the project.
Across the North-East, over 250 Rotaractors were involved in completing 45 projects to improve infrastructure in schools. Five schools got sturdy washbasins and handwash solutions including soap to inculcate good sanitation practices among students at an overall cost of Rs,2.5 lakh. While two schools were provided with a projector and smart screen each under the e-learning programme at a total cost of ₹80,000 and eight schools were given a range of sports equipment worth ₹70,000.
High-tech water purifiers were donated to seven schools. “We had set up two libraries in government high schools and uniforms and footwear were given to students in one school. We took up wall painting, tree planting and other aesthetic work at five schools, besides holding Swachh Bharat camps in four schools,” explains Jalan, a DRR-Nominee (2020–21).
Awards & honours
State Builder Awards were presented to 12 teachers of government schools for their contribution in moulding children for over 25 years.
For their “tireless efforts and passionate execution of this pan district project”, RACs Silchar, Dimapur and Siliguri Greater were felicitated with DLCC Awards. DLCC Citation Awards were presented to RACs Asansol and Women’s College Silchar, and RACs Malda and Guwahati Luit, Jalan’s home club, received the DLCC Recognition Awards for completing the Happy Schools projects on time.
