Trekking for a cause
We are happy that our efforts have helped save 17 little children so far,” says Bhuvan Raghavendra Yadalam, charter president of RAC Banashankari, RID 3191. The club has been organising a fundraiser annual event, MegaTrek, since 2016, a year after it was chartered. Treks are organised to hills around Bengaluru for an entry fee of ₹349. The funds raised from the event is given to the Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology, Bengaluru, to support neonatal heart surgeries.
“MegaTrek isn’t just a trekking extravaganza; it blends adventure with philanthropy,” says Anuja Torvi, the club’s past president and project coordinator.
“We have raised ₹3.5 lakh in our seven editions of the event and this has helped sponsor cardiac surgeries for 17 infants,” says Yadalam. Every year 1,000–1,100 youngsters participate in the trek. “Most of them are college students who love adventure. Rotaractors also participate in large numbers.”
During the seventh edition of the MegaTrek this year, 700 participants from RACs Jyoti Nivas Collage, BIT, BMSCE, Jain Evening College and Bhuvaneshwari Nagar were taken to the Kunagalu Hills, Ramanagara.
The club has also created records through this event. “We got a place in the India Book of Records in 2017 when we organised the MegaTrek for 2,100 people to the Madugiri Betta in Tumkur district. It is a single hill and the second largest monolith in Asia,” he says. Another record was created with the Asia Book of Records in the event’s third edition when 2,509 youngsters trekked to the Handigundi Betta in Ramanagara, 50km from Bengaluru. “It is a rocky trail with some muddy interventions.”
Buses are arranged to transport the trekkers to the starting point of the chosen venue; Rotaract volunteers and NCC cadets assist in making the trek comfortable and memorable for the participants. Breakfast and lunch are also provided.
Recalling the trek to Hutridurga Betta, Yadalam says that the MegaTrek programme has made the hill so popular that the state tourism department has added it to its visit list. It was built by Kempegowda in the 16th century and it was also the military bastion of Tipu Sultan against the British. “We had to cross through seven forts and this excited the trekkers. Soon photographs of the hill was trending on social media and it became popular.” Other iconic locations included AG Hills and Kootgal Betta. “The emphasis is on easy grade trekking and we choose places which are largely unexplored,” he says.
Skill a Week
For the last three years the Rotaractors have undertaken an inititative, Skill a Week, at a government school in Bilekahalli on the suburbs of the city. The aim is to empower students with essential lifeskills beyond the academic curriculum.
“We have adopted the school and extend all possible support for the children studying here. We have given them our used laptops when we go for an advanced system,” says Yadalam. Through Skill a Week, students are introduced to a diverse array of skills including dance, public speaking, self defence, financial literacy, art and craft, and more. Each week the focus is on one skill, providing hands-on training and theoretical knowledge to the enthusiastic learners. “We focus on students of Class 9–10. Those of us good in subjects such as science and math teach them their lessons. We also teach them simple coding.”
The Rotaractors focus all their educational initiatives on this school to ensure continuity with the students.
