An article on GOLDEN JUBILEE year
The Club Executive Committee was installed in July 2017. In view of the magnitude of responsibility the milestone year entailed, Past District Chairmen and Past Presidents were elected to the Governing Body. President – PDC G Rashmi Samaram, Secretary – PDC J Maniprabha, Vice President – PDC A Nookaratnam, Treasurer – PDC G SakalaNiyanta, ISO – PDC Vijayasree Gupta, Editor – PDC D Balasundari, Immediate Past President – B Nagaprasuna, Directors – PDC Y Manjula, PP Y Nirmala, PP B Sujatha, PP B Sunanda and PP K Rani Sivaji. Certain mega projects were identified and undertaken as jubilee projects.
To improve self-defence tactics, vocational skill and education of women in society, the club organised major awareness programs with the support of the Police Force and four other organisations. The week-long effort was a grand success. The booklet on education printed on this occasion was distributed to all the participants. The importance of driving license and vehicle insurance, the necessity of wearing helmets without which one is prone to accidents when driving two wheelers was propagated by conducting an Awareness Rally on the subject. 150 women in the age group of 18-60 participated enthusiastically. Young women were specially cautioned as they were a constant source of anxiety to their parents when driving the vehicles. Organisations like MahilaMitra and Top Gear helped in promoting the rally. Free Eye Check Up Campaign was conducted in which 22,000 students from 105 schools have been examined and spectacles donated to the prescribed. In December,
10,360 students have been checked in 50 schools and 1285 spectacles purveyed. The young were educated on how malnutrition and poor health have an adverse effect on their sight. This admirable project got the full backing of the VMC and Zilla Parishad Patashala. The ZP Chairman, the Collector, the Commissioner and other stalwarts of society took part in the program. IWC of Vijayawada in its golden jubilee year has taken up the challenge to upgrade 10 Municipal Schools to Happy Schools. 3 schools have already been upgraded and the 4th will be inaugurated on 9th February by Association President Patricia Hilton.
Work on the remaining 6 will take off from 9th February as well. Improvements include repair and reconstruction of compound walls, toilet rooms, water tanks, school ground levelling, tree plantation in the premises, provision of clean drinking water through water purifiers, furnishing the library with required books, supplying cupboards, benches, desks, chairs for the school staff, sports equipment, education kits, school bags, shoes and socks to the students. These conveniences make them into Happy Schools. This program is conducted with due permission from the Education Department. Vijayawada Collector, Commissioner, Officers from the Education Department have participated in the inauguration of Happy Schools and motivated both the Inner Wheel members as well as the school staff and students. Our members who have sponsored the Happy Schools Project have been richly rewarded with the happy smiles of the children and teachers.
On International Inner Wheel Day, 60 nurses were honoured, for their noble service. A historic event for the club indeed! Senior nurses of government hospitals and 3 private hospitals were identified and recognised. Chelsea Miller a student of University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service was invited for an interactive session with local college students. The cultural differences between the two countries was discussed besides other interesting topics.
Students were educated on Eye Donation and competitions were conducted to create awareness about it. International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer was observed by conducting art competition for students on environment protection. In this context Project Tree Plantation is carried on regularly. On International Literacy Day, 19 teachers were selected and presented with the ‘National Builder Award’. The implication of this award is that besides imparting education, the teachers must build the character of the students by inculcating good values in the children and moulding them into responsible citizens.
An old age home has been adopted and every month the daily necessities are given to the inmates. Clothes, blankets and medicines are also being distributed and our members are spending quality time with the senior citizens to keep them in good cheer. IWC of Vijayawada along with Swachh Andhra Mission participated in the Swachh Bharat Program by conducting Awareness Programs on cleanliness, maintenance of toilet rooms, sanitary facilities, dignity of labour etc.
Adoption of orphanages and celebrating Friendship Day, birthdays, national and cultural festivals with the orphans and giving them gifts is yet another fine project. To care for them and share time with them is truly humanitarian. On Children’s Day, 200 new-born infants in government hospitals were given towels, clothes and soaps. The young mothers were advised to strictly follow the doctor’s directions and not senseless superstitions. All the Golden Jubilee Projects are receiving excellent media coverage in newspapers and are also being telecast in news channels.
