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Steve was asked to fill in
for the scheduled guest
speaker, Gary Switzer, who
was ailing and unable to be
here today. Gary will
reschedule with a new date
and time, which will be
announced in the upcoming
speakers section.
 Steve,
presented a video he
produced, showing a group of
Rotarians including Max and
Ruth Howell himself, his son
Brian as well as supporters
of Rotary Clubs from our
District 6380 who traveled
together to India through
Calcutta and ending up in
Dhanbad. The purpose of the
journey was to assist at a
limb camp in Dhanbad and
show support for to the
local the Rotary Club of
Dhanbad that received
financial aid from our
Sunrise Club, Ridgetown
Club, District 6380 and a
matching grant from Rotary
International. The group was
also given the opportunity
to observe corrective
surgery in an OR. The
corrective surgeries were
preformed by several of the
local doctors, many of which
are Rotarians and offered
their time and expertise
free of charge. The
surgeries are required in
many cases simple to
straighten a severely
malformed limb enough to
apply a brace. At the limb
camp polio victims where
measured for braces,
prosthesis or crutches and
in some cases, all of those
appliances
According to Sample survey
conducted by the Government
of India , there are 6
million people suffering
from loco-motor disabilities
in India . Of these about
one million people have lost
their limbs and four million
suffer from polio . The
yearly increase in the
population of amputees in
India was around 40000 .
The
survey also reveals that
most of the handicapped in
India are below the the
poverty line. Indeed ,
disability and poverty often
compliment and compound each
other. The problem is
further complicated by the
lack of education. In this
background, the Rotary club
of Dhanbad endeavors to
provide appropriate, simple,
and humane relief under
which limbs, calipers,
appliance, polio corrective
surgery etc easily and free
of cost .
The
Rotary Club of Dhanbad
conducted a similar Jaipur
Limb Camp in November 2002
in the city of Dhanbad under
Matching Grant No. 17047 .
The Limbs provided to the
handicapped would be worn
out by now as they have a
life span of 3 to 4 yrs and
would hence require
replacement thereby
providing Continuity, a key
factor of all Rotary
Projects.
Also
this camp would be a kick
off to permanent Jaipur Limb
Facility, which the Rotary
Club of Dhanbad is setting
up in Dhanbad and which will
provide sustainability.
What
is already being done to
respond to the need(s)?
In 2002 Rotary club of
Dhanbad had provided 1000
limbs/calipers under
matching grant No.17047 .
Now these limbs require
replacement and also new
cases have come since 2002 .
There were no avenue or
organization addressing the
need in the community at
that time .
What
resources are available
locally to help meet the
needs(s)?
There was no organization
available locally at present
to address this need . The
nearest facility to address
the need of the poor miners
who have been disabled or
the children who are polio
affected is nearly 450 miles
away.
What
opportunities for projects
did you identify?
The
Objective of the camp and
opportunity available to
Rotary is to provide
physical, economic and
social rehabilitation of the
physically handicapped and
polio affected children,
enabling them to regain
their self respect and human
dignity, also to become
normal and useful member of
their family and community
at large .
Nicole
thanked Steve for the
Dhanbad, India Video
Presentation today. Seeing
where our Funds to Rotary
International go, in a show
like this, makes us proud to
be Rotarians. Thank you for
this reminder, Steve.
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