Udaan: A flight towards community empowerment

Udaan, a flagship district project of RID 3142, aims to uplift a less privileged settlement of around 60 families located on the outskirts of Kalamboli in Raigad district near Navi Mumbai. “This community has existed for over 200 years but has seen very little development. In fact, they got access to water and electricity only a couple of years ago,” says Ramiya Pillai, the District Avenue chair in charge of this project. The families, primarily daily wage earners, live with minimal resources and opportunities.

All Rotaract clubs have pledged their support, contributing in various ways to transform this community through a year-long initiative designed to improve their quality of life.  “We will be focussing on key areas such as literacy, skill development and health awareness,” adds Ramiya.

The first phase of Udaan began with a menstrual hygiene management (MHM) drive targeting women and adolescent girls. Volunteers from RAC Saraswati College of Engineering conducted MHM awareness sessions in two phases, and distributed packs of biodegradable sanitary pads to them. “We were surprised to find that most women and girls had never used sanitary napkins and were hesitant to discuss menstrual health.”

Two Rotaract clubs — RACs Navi Mumbai Industrial Area and Navi Mumbai Nexus — distributed home-cooked meals to the families. The Rotaractors spoke to the people about hygiene and sanitation.

Under the literacy initiative, volunteers from the district Rotaract clubs visit the settlement on weekends to teach basic literacy to children and functional literacy to adults. “We distributed alphabet and math books, notebooks and stationery to the children. The goal is to teach them to read, write their names, and perform simple maths — skills that can make a significant difference even if they do not continue formal education,”says Ramiya.

The village school, located a 10–15 minute walk away, offers classes up to Class 4. However, frequent absenteeism among children is a challenge, often requiring the teacher to visit their homes to encourage attendance. “Despite this, our weekend classes have seen a positive response,” she smiles.

A dental camp was organised to address oral health issues offering tooth extractions and fillings. For more complex cases, the patients were referred to a local dental clinic where treatments are provided at subsidised rates.

Next on the agenda is a medical camp. The district is also planning to construct community restrooms with help from Rotary clubs.