The world is slowly going forward towards total eradication of polio and in India we thought that our work was nearly over few years ago. But the work now continues in another sphere, which is stopping the spread of Covid 19.
During our fight against Polio we witnessed the tremendous capacity the Rotarians have to inspire and create change.
As Rotary members we know who we are. Our mission is clear. Help in delivering good health to citizens.
Everyone of us burns with the inner fire of unbreakable will to serve humanity. No cold can touch our heart. No deluge can dampen our purpose because we know we are alive every moment for a purpose that is bigger than ourselves.
Every time I attend a Rotary Institute I refresh my memories about Rotarians who helped us to craft and preserve the story of Rotary worldwide.
Our Rotary membership is composed of thousands of volunteers, hailing from North, South, East and West of India and everywhere in between – each with unique aspirations ranging from healthcare to education technology. We are united by a shared passion to create change in our communities.
Now the Government of India may again call upon us to assist them in the Covid vaccination drive which is launching on January 16th.
I was invited to attend a meeting with the Government officials where many other NGOs were present and at the end of the session it was clear that the Government wants us to be battle ready and when called upon, enter the arena without a delay of even one day.
Senior Rotary leaders in India have formed a task force for assisting the Government during the vaccination programme and we have to be ready to move in when we were asked to be the partners in this programme.
This task force will guide every Rotary District Leader all over India in working with the local healthcare officials.
The supply chain for vaccines including transportation, storage, handling and other logistics have been taken care by the Government.
What we may be asked to do initially is to create awareness among the public about the vaccine and remove any misconceptions that they have about the vaccine.
We faced similar situation during the polio NIDs and we know how to handle objections and questions without offending those who have genuine or imaginary notions about the vaccine.
The District Governors must now vitalize their team in the district, identify Rotarians who are Doctors, those who manage or own hospitals, those who have access to cold storage facilities, those who can roll up their sleeves and make sure that when the vaccines are rolled out, it reaches the intended beneficiaries.
Yes, we will need volunteers who can tap into the resources of big organisations in your area and use their infrastructure if need arises.
Of course we will have to raise funds for this and the details of how to send your contributions will be informed as and when the situation arises.
The Rotary movement is built on your passion to step up and change history.
When I meet you and talk, you give me hope. You, the leaders of Rotary in your district are taking the baton. You know that you can’t just rest on the accomplishments of the past. You stand on the shoulders of those who came before, but you now know that it is your turn to do the work.”
And it’s the same passion that I hope you all feel right now when I say that in our fight against Covid 19, your leadership counts in making India bounce back to normalcy.
We have seen people known to us leave us during the past year because of this deadly disease. We cannot afford to lose any more now that the vaccine is here.
It doesn’t take much to get started. We can find inspiration just by learning from and listening to each other. Our task is to be fully knowledgeable on how to assist the Government in taking the programme forward.
Get your act together. Let us get out there when called for. I can’t wait to see what we can accomplish.
During our fight against polio, we came together and created a lasting reminder that when ordinary people come together, they can do something powerful, they can change history.
We know who we are and our purpose in life. It is service and today again we may have that challenge thrown to us by the Government and we must be ready.
We will work together and show that no pandemic is too big for Rotarians in India to handle.