Seeds of love -- Rotary reports from Mapusa

----------------------------------------------------------
Archives:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/goa-net/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Goanet2003/
----------------------------------------------------------

SEEDS OF LOVE

The Theme for the year 2002 to 2003 is "Sow the Seeds of Love". The
Rotary Club of Mapusa as taken up a number of activities to do its
 bit.


NOW THE LAME CAN WALK..


Why should a person walk with crutches when other persons, who have
 had one of their legs amputated, can walk, act in TV serials and
 even dance as comfortably as people with both legs intact? Should
 poverty hold them down? Does no one love them enough to buy them a
 Jaipur foot? No one should ask these questions in Mapusa. Any one
 in Mapusa who needs a Jaipur foot, and cannot afford to pay for it,
 can contact Rtn. Mangesh Kulkarni at the Rotary Club of Mapusa. We
 care. We sow the seeds of love. We provide the Jaipur foot where
 needed.


There is no question of putting the foot in the mouth by making such
 a tall claim. When project funds to finance the Jaipur foot were
 exhausted, Mangesh made an appeal. Club members immediately
 offerred to pay for one Jaipur foot or more. They paid for eighteen
 sets within 15 days. Each Jaipur foot costs Rs. 2000/-. To each
 beneficiary it is worth its volume in gold. It weighs very little
 and hence it is far superior to a wooden foot. It is custom - made
 to order. Even from a short distance it is difficult to tell which
 foot is yours and which is from Jaipur. Even child amputees have
 been fitted with this wonder prosthesis, with the logistical
 support of the Rotary Club of Kolhapur - Maharashtra.


The sponsors this month include DGE Dilip Salgaokar, Charter
 President Suresh Amonkar, President Mahendra Gupta, President -
 elect Avadhut Pokle, Past Presidents and members Rozendo Mendonsa,
 Rajiv Neogi, Shripad Neogi, Sharadkumar Rao, Pamela Cabral, Subhas
 Walawalkar, Viraj Paraz, Lucindo faria, Prakash Verlekar, Tulio
 D'Souza and Krishna Morajkar.


The check-up, assessment and fitting of the Jaipur foot is done at
 Goa Medical College & Hospital, Bambolim - Goa, the oldest medical
 college in Asia.


AND THE BLIND CAN SEE


Cataracts cause curable blindness. All it needs is an intra ocular
 lens transplant, an operation similar to replacing the lens in an
 auto-focus camera. Yes, this service is available free in Goa
 Government-run hospital. The hitch for many is that they cannot
 afford the lens, and the medicines. Always willing to help, Rotary
 Club of Mapusa obtained a "Matching Grant" project for providing
 the lens and medicines to those who remained blind because cannot
 afford the cost. Between September to December 2002, a hundred
 persons have used this facility at Asilo Hospital, Mapusa. Nine
 hundred more persons will see the sunrise and enjoy life's beauty
 before this project is over. This act will touch the lives of
 thousands of people associated with these lucky thousand
 beneficiaries. Once the backlog is over, the government programme
 will be able to fund the few cases of cataracts that crop up each
 year.


The surgery for 10L transplant at Asilo Hospital is done by Dr.
 Victor Fernandes at an average rate of five transplants per week.
 It is expected that other doctors will join in this effort.


This programme is co-ordinated by the President - elect Rtn Avadhut
 Pokle (Ph. 2250065)


IMPROVING THEIR FACE VALUE


There is nothing more pleasing than a smile on a child's face. Those
 with cleft lips and dental deformities often suffer because they
 cannot smile, or are teased when they do. Rotary Club of Mapusa
 decided to put a smile back on the faces of some of these
 unfortunate children. It decided to add power to the bite of other
 children and their parents as well.


A "Cleft - Lip Inspection and Dental Check-up Camp" was organized at
 Shri Shantadurg Vidyalaya, Pirna on 14 December, 2002. The Rotary
 Club of Dharwad - Central roped in doctors from SDM College of
 Dental Sciences & Hospital, Dharwad - Karnataka, to assist our club
 in conducting the programme. Fourteen doctors took the train to Goa
 to implement this project under the auspices of "The Smile Train"
 New York (USA). More than 350 patients were checked up and given
 preliminary treatment or advice. Five children with cleft lips or
 defective jaws have been identified for free surgery at Dharwad
 this month. The patient and one escort will also receive free
 boarding & lodging. They can smile away in the New Year 2003


This programme is co-ordinated by Rtn Sudhir Revankar Ph 2298079.


THE BEAUTY INSIDE


A neat, clean, freshly painted surrounding gives you a sense of
 well-being. This ambience is all the more important when you are
 sick. Realising this, the Rotary Club of Mapusa readily agreed to
 do the internal painting at Asilo Hospital, Mapusa, the common
 man's hospital.


Patients who undergo Cataract Surgery use the operation theatre and
 the Ophthalmology Ward. Naturally, we wanted the beneficiaries of
 the Matching Grants project and others to have a clean, hygeinic
 ambience. The Siolim Hall came next and the staircase followed. The
 doctors who operate, and the nurses who assist, also need clean
 surroundings, so their rooms and changing rooms received a coat of
 fresh paint. We are gender sensitive and female Medical Ward
 received the painters attention. If your heart feels faint, do not
 worry: even the ICCU has been painted anew. Only the blind would
 not have noticed the transplant project continues, with a fresh new
 look round it.


This programme is co-ordinated by Rtn. A. Pokle.


YOU CAN BREATHE EASY


Rotary Volunteer Dr. P.K. Vedanthan came all the way from USA to
 conduct a workshop on "Asthma" in Mapusa. Forty participants,
 including doctors, benefitted from the expertise and experience of
 Dr. Vedanthan at Mapusa Residency on 08 December, 2002. The
 participants were given a full check up, a dossier prepared for
 each one of them and the line of treatment was suggested to them.
 In addition, the participants were briefed on asthma management
 through Yoga by Dr. Ghanekar and through diet control by Dr.
 Anarga.


This progremme was co-ordinated by Dr. Digamber Naik and Dr. Abilio
 Gonsalves

Editorial :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Home Truths

There are two types of people, introverts and extroverts. The
 introverts are shy, soft - spoken and generally stay at home except
 when forced to venture out for work or due to some other
 compulsions. The extroverts are bolder, more mobile and far more
 talkative. They like to see people and places. They like to be seen
 with important people at important places. They do a lot of good.
 Even if the motivation for doing good is the desire to be seen as
 one who does good deeds, it is still good. Others benefit from
 their good deeds. The world is a better place because of these
 deeds. Little acts of kindness done by many at the same time at one
 place have a force multiplier effect.

One of the great discoveries of recent agricultural survey in India
 was that 70% of the farmers grow food crops for their own
 consumption and only 30% have a surplus to sell. Yet, if these 70%
 farmers were to stop growing crops, the remaining 30% would never
 be able to feed the whole nation. We would all starve within a few
 years. The love of oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.
 Still, the love of self is no sin at all. In fact, it is the
 foundation for the love of others. The good book therefore commands
 us to "Love your neighbour as you love yourself".

The call of Rotary International this year is to sustain and
 increase club membership. We need to infuse new blood to rejuvenate
 our club. We need to raise a new crop of leaders. Many hands make
 light work. With the District Governor elect being chosen from our
 midst, we have responsibility to taken our service to greater
 heights. From there we must take off to celebrate the first
 centenary of Rotary International. So while you "Sow the seeds of
 love" this year, remember to sow some at your home turf.

Rtn Miguel Braganza
Editor.

------------------------------------------

WANT TO check out which mailing lists you could subscribe to? Send a blank 
email message to goanet-request-fkB0aodkGtPQT0dZR+AlfA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
========================================================================