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Rotary: A unique Service Organization

Rafiq Ahmed Siddique
Rotary International is an organization that consists of more than 32.000 Rotary clubs spread over almost every comer of the world encompassing 168 countries with 1.2 million men and women as its members, known as Rotarians. To be a Rotarian, one must possess a worthy profession or vocation and he or she should bear an image of a leading and honest personality in the society with a good reputation in his area of work and be a community leader. Over and above, he / she ought to believe in the ideal of Service as Service Above Self’ is the motto of our organization.
The mission of Rotary International is to provide service to others, to promote high ethical standards, and to advance world understanding good will, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders. Vision of Rotary is to be universally recognized for its commitment to Service Above Self, to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace.
Rotary’s Menu of Opportunities of Service of Rotary include Children at Risk, Disabled Persons. Health Care, International Understanding and Goodwill. Literacy and Numeracy. Population Issues. Poverty and Hunger. Preserve Planet Earth and Urban Concerns.
Rotary has some Structured Programs like Interact. Rotaract. Rotary' Youth Leadership. Youth Exchange through which we endeavor to build skill, leadership and character of the youth. We also have Rotary Community Coips to develop leadership and extend our services to rural and urban communities through local community leaders.
Apart from its structured programs R.l. has its Special Program- PolioPlus, eradication of polio from the face of the earth which has priority over all other programs until the certification of eradication is achieved.
Rotary is also known for its disaster relief operations and post-disaster rehabilitation work whenever and wherever its service urgently needed like in the aftermath of Tsunami, earth quack in Pakistan and so on. In Bangladesh, like every past calamity. Rotary clubs provided immediate help in cash and kind worth hundreds of thousand of Taka to the flood affected people and later the SIDR affected. Donations were also made to the Chief Advisor’s Relief Fund and the Armed Forces Division’s Disaster Account. Rotarians from abroad also came forward like the Rotarians of Ireland, Britain-RIBI immediately sent 1000 Shelter Boxes worth about Taka Seven crore. Each contained a tent, blankets, utensils cookers and provisions for ten persons to help the homeless to survive six , months until, permanent,. iijTJjng.eim^n^ are .made. These were distributed in the remote areas of Sw'arankhola of Bagerhat and Patharghata of Barguna w'ith assistance of Army. Navy, volunteers of Shelter box. a U.K. based NGO run by Rotarians’ money and under supervision of the Rotarians. Water purifying plants, blankets etc. also sent. More help is on the way for post SIDR rehabilitation. We have already received approval from The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International for rehabilitation projects of the SIDR affected people worth S85,286.
One special characteristic of Rotary is that, we work as pioneers in multifarious areas. Being practical business and professional men. we know we cannot solve all the problems of the world. We take up a needed project, share the idea with other organizations- governmental and non-Govemmental and make them aware of the situation. We all know how Rotary took up the impossible challenge of eradicating Polio from the face of the earth and then built partnership with others as a result of which the world is almost polio free today - less than 2000 attacked year before. It was 350.000 in 1988. It was possible because Rotarians started this Polio eradication project in 1985 and got WHO and others involved in 1988 onwards. Rotary spent more than $500 million so far and will continue spending from The Rotary Foundation.
Besides. Rotary inspired Foundations like Bill and Melinda Gates to come forward with joint venture of $200 million contributions through The Rotary Foundation. In Bangladesh Rotary Foundation spent more than TK-150 crore so far for polio eradication.
Incidentally. Rotary is the first Service organization in the world started by our great visionary leader Paul Haris in 1905. This novel and noble idea soon became popular and other Service organizations like Lions, Kiwanis, Zonta, Junior Chamber etc. followed the suit.
Rotary’s efforts to establish peace in the world is held in high esteem by everybody including the United Nations. Cooperation between Rotary and UN organs likes WHO and UNICEF did many wonderful works including polio eradication. Last UN General Secretary Kofi Annan said. “I want to salute Rotary International for its extraordinary leadership in the light against Polio” and “Rotary’s ability to support the worthiest causes makes Rotary a precious resource” Rotary is helping bring peace in the world in a two pronged strategy. It is trying to bring hope to the distressed by various humanitarian projects to empower them economically and socially as also through educational and cultural programs like Scholarships to study abroad and cultural and educational exchanges like Group Study Exchange Teams. It is also preparing the next generation of leaders to confront challenges to establishment of peace through its two peace studies initiatives the Rotary Centers for International Studies and the Rotary Peace and Conflict Studies program.
Let us now enumerate some such projects that we pioneered in Bangladesh.
The first school for the blind was established by Rotary in 1955
The first bus Passenger shed in Bangladesh near National press club in 1956.
The first cyclone shelters at the costal areas were built by Rotary. In the early seventies Rotary built three model cyclone shelters in the coastal areas of greater Barisal district. In 1991-92 also a big massive multipurpose Rotary Cyclone-cum Rehabilitation Shelter was constructed by the Rotary District in Bangladesh at a cost of about 65 lakhs in collaboration with the Rotarians of home and abroad in a remote village of Bashkhali Upazilla of Chittagong District.
Australia- Bangladesh Cyclone Education Project at Cox's Bazar is a unique endeavor of its kind to generate awareness against natural calamities in the costal areas.
• The First Cancer Detection Center in the country was also built by the Rotarian of the Rotary club of Dhaka.
• Pioneering Projects, each costing at least $ 0.5 million, from the Rotary Foundation that showed the path in the respective areas:
— The Inland Fisheries Project in Comilla,
— Livestock and poultry project in Mymensingh,
— Concentrated Language Encounter Project (CLE). a novel non- formal literacy curricula conducted with the Education Ministry was also new eye opening venture.
— Rotary low cost shelters donated to the homeless in Bangladesh.
— An Arsenic Mitigation project has just been completed which would benefit more than 41.000 households 250.000 Foundation. In addition to this, during this year we got approval for more
— Rotary’s massive cataract operation campaign in the seventies and eighties was the fore runner of such grass root level efforts in this area.
— The first five National Immunization Days were possible due to financial support of Rotary' Foundation which resulted in Bangladesh’s being polio free between 2001 to 2006 when unfortunately a few imported cases reirrupted. However, it is now under control.
One novel project - distribution of 4000 school bags containing educational equipments, books and an umbrella for poor meritorious student was taken up this year under a Matching Grant of The Rotary Foundation with support from a large number clubs from U.S. The project cost TK-32 lac. 15 such Matching Grants worth more than $360,000.00 have been approved by the Foundation so far this year including arsenic free tube wells worth $87596.00.SIDR rehabilitation projects worth $85286 etc.
Although it is not possible to enumerate types and magnitude of service rendered by individual Rotary clubs in Bangladesh. I would like to cite some examples to let you understand Rotary better.
Nurse's dormitory and Library at Chandraghona Christian Hospital. Physiotherapy Centre & Hospital at Sylhet, Hospital and Health Centre at Jessore, The Leprosy Centre at Narayangonj, Weekly Dispensary for children al Chandpur. Eye and Diabetic Hospitals with assistance from Rotarians of Bangladesh in some areas of the country including Chandpur, Comilla. Sherpur etc. are some of the major
Projects of Rotary service in health sector in Bangladesh. Thanks to Rotary Club of Dhaka North, a new full-fledged eye hospital is coming up in Kustia right at this moment.
Besides, Rotary in Bangladesh regularly organizes Eye, Dental and Goitre Camps, Only through Rotary more than 25,000 cataract operations in average per year performed every year in the country involving a fund of more than 100 crores Taka. The limb camps al Khulna and Lalmonirhat to provide artificial limbs to the handicapped persons is a unique and different type of community project done by Rotary.
Cleft Lip operation of poor children is a relatively new project of Rotary which is bringing much needed sun shine to lives of scores of children specially, the girl children. Rotary club of Agrabad is leading the way in this respect.
Rotary club of Motijhil started free distribution of Wheel Chairs to the physically challenged a few years back in collaboration with Wheel Chair Foundation. This Rotary year Rotary club of Dhaka distributed 240 wheel chairs to the nook and corner of the country.
RC Dhaka North West donated two costly Dialysis machines this year to Kidney Hospital earmarked for the poor patients. Chittagong Ocean Blue arranged donation of Water purifying plants after SIDR.
Rotary clubs have many projects in empowering the poor with interest free Micro credit, distribution of live stocks including a novel project of Goat Bank where one she-goat is handed over to a destitute woman and she is given the ownership when she would hand over one new bom she-goat to the Bank to be handed over to another destitute woman. RC Dhaka Midtown has such projects.
Rotary District also has a project named Combat Hunger where revolving loans are given to clubs to successfully run income generating ventures by the poor.
Rotary clubs also run schools in many areas of the country . Environment protection has always been a priority in Rotary. Massive tree plantation, providing fuel efficient stoves (CHULAS), helping harness bio gas are a few example.
Finally. I would draw your kind attention to the unique characteristic of Rotary' that distinguishes Rotary from other reputed Service organizations. Object of Rotary stipulates that we take our profession and vocation as an opportunity to serve the society through upholding high ethical standards in our business and profession as also doing something extra beyond the strict measure of duty or obligation. We believe that w hether it is in a developing country like ours or the highly competitive economies dominated by corporate entities, ethical and humane approach from the business and professional people can benefit mankind more than just spending money on humanitarian grounds. It also ensures each member's hand-on personal involvement in helping others everyday, every hour. Our world leader R.I.President Wilf also said, just sharing some disposable money with the needy is not enough. We must also share our time, talent, energy and expertise to help the less fortunate. We should also share our passion for service, compassion and love for human being and also money, he said. He so rightly chose Rotary Shares as his theme of the year. And he believes:
Rotary' shares because Rotary cares
Rotary shares because Rotary know the needs
Rotary shares because Rotary' believes in the motto of Service above Self.
Author is Rotary's District Governor