Rotary Club 25 of Duluth, Minnesota

Project with Hyderabad East Club of India

Report by Dan Bergland, Past President of Club 25

It was in 2001, that five people from India, a GSE – Group Study Exchange team, were with us. They were from the city of Hyderabad, a city of about 6 million people in Southeastern India.
 

While they were here their leader, AMAR PRASAD, from the Rotary Club of Hyderabad East, gave the four Rotary Clubs in the Twin Ports an opportunity to join their club in a project to equip schools near Hyderabad with desks, chairs, tables, blackboards, fans and clocks. Our clubs responded with each club giving $500, with their club adding $1,000 for a total of $3,000.
 

While they were here they learned that my wife, Marj, and I were planning a trip to India. They insisted gracefully that we make sure to include Hyderabad on our schedule, which we did. Greeted at the airport with flowers for Marj, they insisted we were their guests, arranging lodging at a nice hotel, taking us into their homes. We visited in the home of Dr. Ramesh who was on the GSE team and was our house guest while here. We also visited the home of Deepa, a lovely woman in the film and TV industry of Hyderabad. While there we with her extended family of about 50 people celebrated one of the high festivals of her Hindu religious traditions, with three priest present to conduct the services at their large family altar.
 

One of the highlights was the tour they took us on, to see the schools that needed the equipment we were helping them to purchase. Students sat on the floor, writing on their laps. Funding is simply unavailable for chairs, desks, etc., in these small impoverished villages outside Hyderabad. BARE ROOMS WITH NO EQUIPMENT.
 

Since that visit our project has been turned into reality.
The children now have desks and a presentation in our name was made to the school.

All this came about through the friendships developed with a GSE team.  ON BEHALF OF THE ROTARY CLUB OF HYDERABAD EAST, I CONVEY THEIR THANKS TO OUR FOUR CLUBS.  This is another example of what we do internationally to plant the seeds of peace.