Dial a Santa Claus - Khardanda Crèche, Bal Asha, Pragati Kendra

This year members decided to become Santa Claus for children at ‘Khardanda Crèche’, ‘Pragati Kendra’ and ‘Bal Asha’. It was a heart touching event when our club members Vinayak, Uma, Chandrika, Varsha, Sunita, Rashmi & S Venkateswaran with his daughter, Sneha visited Nirmala Niwas, Khardanda, a Crèche’ looking after the children from six months to six years of Slum Area women workers (house maids, fisherwomen & street vendors). The children were very happy to see Santa and to receive gifts, sweets and balloons from the hands of Santa Claus. The administrative staff of the crèche’ was very much thrilled watching children’s delighted faces. Rtn. Varsha in the costume of Santa and other members spent two hours playing with the children. Sister Almeida & Machado of the crèche’ thanked our Club for noble activity and wished that we keep such loving ties with the children in future.

Then our club members visited ‘Bal Asha’, an orphanage at Mahalaxmi. Members were very happy to meet the children. Our club has donated floor mats requested by the orphanage. The staff thanked the club members for their gratitude.

On 30th December, 2011, Our club members celebrated Christmas Party with the children of ‘Pragati Kendra’, a school for mentally challenged and slow learner children from slum area. The children presented a variety show entertainment program which was heart touching and was applauded by the club members. Rtn. Uma narrated the story of Santa Claus. She mentioned that as Santa cannot visit all children, he has asked us, Rotarians to visit you and distribute sweets and toys. This message from Santa thrilled the children and they enjoyed the event by shaking hands again and again with our club members. This was an extremely heart touching experience and will stay in the memory of club members for a long time.

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Scholarship Study Books, Work Books Distribution at Abhinav School, Dadar

This year our focus is on youth, developing new generation. Club has gone all out to reach needy students and help them in pursuing their dreams.

Abhinav Prathamik School (Shishuvihar) is educating the children from slum areas of Wadala, Dharavi & Dadar. Our club has been supporting Shishuvihar by distributing uniforms, notebooks, and other education material. We have been conducting regular Dental check up camps for these children, also conducting drawing completions to encourage the talent.

Abhinav Prathamik School requested the club to support them with education material particularly for the aspiring scholarship students. Our club distributed scholarship study books, workbooks & Notebooks on 21st November, 2011 to 35 students. The school authorities appreciated the support & encouragement given by Rotary Club of Mumbai Mahim. WE wish all the students good luck in their endeavor.

Rtns. Sandhya, Vinayak, Pratibha and IPP Vidya actively participated in the function.

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Educational Material and Notebooks Distribution at Sarswati School, Dadar

The staff at Sarswati School at Dadar is very active and puts in lot of effort to help needy students get the right kind of attention and motivate them to do better. The Government is helping them by subsidizing fees. But that’s not enough; students need Note Books, Maps etc which their parents cannot afford.

Mahim Club strongly believes in educating the youth for a better India tomorrow. When we received the request for Note Books and Maps in Marathi, all members unanimously agreed to go ahead.

The function was conducted on 12th October, 2011. As it was a weekday, only Rtns. Sandhya, Pratibha, Rashmi and Vinayak attended the same. All of them could witness the joy in the eyes of students and this was more than a return gift!

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Note Book Distribution at Andhra School

Education is both the means as well as the end to a better life: means, because it empowers an individual to earn his/her livelihood and the end because it increases one's awareness on a range of issues – from healthcare to appropriate social behaviour to understanding one's rights - and in the process evolve as a better citizen.

In India lot of children go to school but leave them half way because their parents are unable to provide them required educational material such as books, notebooks, pens, pencils etc. We at Rotary Club of Mumbai, Mahim take every opportunity to help such needy students.

Through the dedicated effort and benevolence of our Rotarians Kishore and Varsha, our club distributed notebooks to around 500 needy children (6 notebooks per child) at Andhra School, Wadala on 10th September.

By these actions we are continuing our effort in area of Literacy Promotion and Education to a wide section of society who will be the responsible Citizens of the future.

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Independence Day Celebration

The Independence Day of India is celebrated on the fifteenth of August to commemorate its independence from British rule and its birth as a sovereign nation in 1947.

WE sponsor and celebrate Independence Day at Pragati Kendra, school for physically challenged students. It gives all of us immense pleasure to witness happiness and urge to perform exhibited by the students.

The Principal had invited very unique chief guest, Ruchi, a student from same school. Today she is attending regular college only because of her will, hard work and support from her parents, teachers and friends. She spoke with conviction and has become inspiration to all students. Her mother advised parents present in the audience on how to encourage the children to lead normal, independent life. In true sense it was Independence Day celebration. Students sang, performed and also narrated stories of struggle for independence. The physically challenged children truly demonstrated that one can get independence from many physical and mental limitations that confront us.

President Suryakumar spoke in Marathi and assured continuous support from our club. IPP Vidya, PP Prakash, Rtn. Shobha also participated in the celebration.

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Uniform Distribution at Seva Bharati School, Matunga

For any Nation to progress it is imperative that citizens are literate. In developed nations, the majority of the population over the age of 17 possesses basic literacy skills in reading and writing, the rate of literacy in developing nations is much lower. This lack of widespread literacy hinders the further development of such nations. Indian Government does give lot of emphasis on education.

Lot of effort is put in to push children to schools. But still lot of hurdles like ill health, under nourishment, not having proper clothes exist and that shows direct effect on attendance in school.

At RCMM we decided to provide school uniforms for poor students with intentions of improving student’s attendance, building their self esteem and providing them a better opportunity to complete school.

Seva Bharati School at Matunga has Jr. and Sr. KG classes with about 105 children (equal distribution between boys and girls) of House Servants. Rtns. Sandhya, Pratibha, Seema and Vanaja visited Seva Bharati on 9th July for Uniform Distribution. Children were very happy to receive the uniforms and thanked Rotarians again and again. Trustees of school Mrs. Thatte and Mrs. Pendharkar were also present. All children sang together poem very happily. Trustees took an opportunity to felicitate Rotarians. Overall it was very heart feeling experience.

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