Page 55 - EducationWorld Oct 2021

tion with donations from friends and holds. He also signed a collaboration
family. agreement with the government of
Future plans. Encouraged by the en- Uganda for RI’s India chapter to con-
thusiam of children in neighbouring struct an eye hospital, and provide
villages to enrol in Maitreyo Paath- free-of-charge heart surgeries for
shaala, Baishya has expansion plans 100 Ugandan children in India.
to include a new school building. History. An alum of St. Xavier’s
“We are currently running classes College, Kolkata and a chartered
in a revamped cow shed. A proper accountant, cost accountant and
school for our children will add value company secretary, Mehta is the
to our ecosystem and we have begun promoter-chairman of the Kolkata-
fund-raising for the project,” he says. based Skyline Group with interests in
God speed! real estate, and director of Opera-
Baishali Mukherjee (Kolkata) tion Eyesight Universal (India), a
Canada-based company. An active
Rotary International Rotarian since 1985, Mehta has led
Baishya: education & electricity solution several initiatives in India and South
president Asia, in particular the Saving Little
of the West Bengal University of Hearts project, which has facilitated
Technology employed with Tata over 1,500 heavily subsidised life-
Consultancy Services since 2018, olkata-based businessman saving heart surgeries for children.
Baishya started volunteering for SHEKHAR MEHTA is the Direct talk. “I am privileged to lead
community service projects while in Knewly appointed president Rotary’s global network of 1.2 mil-
college. In 2018, he chanced upon a of the Chicago (USA)-based Rotary lion volunteer-members dedicated
Facebook post on the deprivations International (RI, estb.1905) — the to improving lives and bringing posi-
of the Birhor tribe. Following further well-known international public hu- tive, lasting change to disadvantaged
research, he discovered the tribe is manitarian service organisation with communities around the world. I
classified under 75 known Primitive a membership of 1.2 million in 200 began community service way back
Vulnerable Tribal Groups of India, countries. Mehta is the fourth Indian in 1985 with the Rotary Club of
and one of three settled in West Ben- president of the apex-level RI. Kolkata. While eradication of polio
gal’s Purulia district. Moved by their Newspeg. In July soon after taking and maintaining India’s polio-free
abject poverty, Baishya promoted charge as president, Mehta made status remains our most successful
Maitreyo Foundation in 2019. his first overseas trip to Nigeria and campaign, we have launched several
Direct talk. “MF was established to Uganda to inspect a slew of projects other projects in preventive health-
empower illiterate Birhor adults sponsored by RI for the education of care, maternal and child health,
with sustainable development skills girl children from low-income house- clean water and sanitation, environ-
and to bridge the learning gaps of Mehta: girl children focus ment, primary education and adult
their children, who usually drop out literacy, poverty reduction, peace
of government school by class IV. and conflict resolution. We have also
Maitreyo Paathshala has designed an provided financial aid to continue
innovative curriculum that encour- the education of several children who
ages creativity, critical thinking lost their parents to Covid-19,” says
and develops children’s life skills. Mehta.
To deliver the curriculum, we have Future plans. Mehta has a clear
appointed two local teachers to agenda for 2021-22. “I want my
teach English, Bengali, maths and fellow Rotarians around the world
Olchiki — the local tribal dialect — as to focus their efforts on empower-
also poetry, drawing, dance, karate, ing girl children and ensuring their
farming, fishing, and environment access to education, resources,
studies. Moreover, all children are services, and opportunities so that
provided free-of-charge nutritious future generations of women develop
mid-day meals made from locally the knowledge and skills they need to
available ingredients,” says Baishya, succeed,” says Mehta.
who is currently funding the annual Wind beneath your wings!
budget (Rs.1.2 lakh) of the founda- Autar Nehru (Delhi)

OCTOBER 2021 EDUCATIONWORLD 55