President Amy Chipman, Past-President John Curran, and Rob Chatfield shared impressions of their India 3H trip where they deepened our Club’s relationship with the Rotary Club of Coimbatore Texcity. A highlight of the trip was the dedication of a water filter in Narasipuram, a rural village near the Ghats Mountains in western India. Portland’s 3H project contributed $1,000 for the filter that was installed by the Coimbatore Texcity club in the village school.
A portion of the water filter cost was provided by a bequest from George Crockett. The Coimbatore Club contributed $60,000 for an expansion of the school that is underway. In honor of George’s contribution, the cricket field at the school will be named after him.
Coimbatore is located on the banks of the Noyyal River and surrounded by the Western Ghats. It’s the 16th largest urban area in India with a population of about 1.8 million. The primary industries are textiles, software, and pump manufacturing supported by a significant amount of engineering and accounting firms. John pointed out that the international service work in India is much different from experiences in the Dominican Republic. “In the DR, work is very much hands-on,” he said. “In India, there is plenty of help and it’s less hands-on, but more money.”
In addition to the water filter, the team also explored potential collaboration with the Coimbatore Rotarians and the Coimbatore government on prosthetics and hearing. The Coimbatore club has purchased a large 3-D printer. The Portland team brought two examples of 3D printed devices to share. The team also took 50 hearing aids which were given to audiologists to distribute through the local government center for the underserved in the community. The local center arranged for every recipient to be present to meet the Portland Rotarians. John also noted that “photo ops are a big deal in India. It’s part of their saying thank you. Gratitude is really palpable here.”
Portland Rotary increased its international service work with a partnership with Coimbatore Texcity Rotary through a global grant application with Coimbatore Texcity as the host club and Portland the international partner. The grant was approved and will provide equipment to outfit a clinic dedicated to providing more advanced eye care to the poor, beyond the screenings and cataract surgeries they do now. Glaucoma, retinopathy and ocular trauma will all be services this grant helps to provide. During their trip, the team toured one of the Eye Serve screening camps, a project that has already screened 40,000 people in this effort.
The team also shared a variety of fellowship and learning opportunities with their Coimbatore hosts: they attended a wedding reception, a District conference, and a stream of elaborate meals. President Amy spoke at the Coimbatore club, where two Rotarians made $1,000 donations to our club’s work.
