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Businesswire

Rotary International President-elect Mark Maloney Visited India

by businesswireindia.com

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Business Wire India

Rotary members across India were excited to host Rotary International President-elect Mark Maloney and his wife Gay on their four-day visit to the country.

Mr. Maloney, an attorney from Decatur, Alabama, USA and member of Rotary since 1980, will serve as President of Rotary International in 2019-2020.

Maloney had an action-packed itinerary which included meetings with Rotary members and visits to multiple projects undertaken by the Rotary clubs in India that improve lives and bring positive, lasting change.

On his first day, Mr. Maloney and his wife visited the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) Museum in Mumbai to officially inaugurate the Rotary Club of Bombay’s solar powered illumination of the museum’s façade and lawns. He also saw firsthand the Green Initiatives supported by the Rotary Club of Bombay that help reduce the CSMVS’s carbon footprint. Since 2015, the club has provided 48 photovoltaic rooftop panels, 100 solar panels, rainwater harvesting and wastewater treatment.

The next day, Mr. Maloney witnessed the 7 horse races part of the ‘Race for Humanity’ fundraising initiative for the Rotary Foundation by the Rotary clubs in the Mumbai and Thane regions at the eminent Mahalaxmi Race Course in Mumbai. The funds raised will be used for providing new facilities at the Masina Hospital, carrying out paediatric heart surgeries, providing shelters to the flood ravaged victims in Kerala, a super speciality medical facility in Thane, organ and skin donation, safe drinking water projects across rural Maharashtra and cochlear implant surgeries.

On day three, he visited the pediatric wing at the Wockhardt Hospital, one of the five specialty hospitals where Rotary clubs have supported more than 1500 heart surgeries for infants of ‘deserving’ (below-poverty-line) parents over the past five years and approximately 1000 more heart surgeries this year. Since paediatric cardiac surgeries are amongst the most complex procedures, The Rotary District has tied up with 5 speciality hospitals. The hospitals have a super-speciality cardio-vascular unit with the dedicated operation theatres and Doctors and nursing staff for whom Service is above Self. 
 
Mr. Maloney also discussed Rotary’s continued support of polio immunization campaigns to ensure that India remains polio-free. In India, Rotary has actively been involved in social mobilization and advocacy, working with community and religious leaders to reach every child with the polio vaccine. Rotary clubs in India have contributed INR 1.77 billion (US$24.3 million) to support the polio eradication effort. Rotary members worldwide have contributed more than INR 130 billion (US$1.8 billion) and countless volunteer hours to help protect more than 2.5 billion children in 122 countries from polio.

The commitment of the Rotary members to provide access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene education in schools was another topic that was greatly discussed keeping in mind the 37.7 million Indians are affected by waterborne diseases every year. He was also taken through the progress of the ‘Water Project’ by the Rotary Club of Bombay which aims to provide clean and safe drinking water to 75 villages in Maharashtra. The Rotary Foundation has spent INR 1.5 billion (US$ 22.1 million) towards WASH in Schools which has provided 1.5 million children with access to clean drinking water and improved sanitation facilities in schools. Rotary has also provided INR 503 million (US $7 million) to improve educational facilities. Source: Businesswire
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