18th Jun '14: "BE ALERT" - AN ESSENTIAL MEDICAL HANDBOOK

Health is wealth, and it is frightening to experience a threat to one's own or a loved one's health. Sponsored by IWCBB, promoted by District 314, under District Chairman Himadri Nanavati, in association with the Patient Safety Alliance, the "Be Alert" handbook has all the information you need to safely take you through such stressful times.

Zonal Coordinator Mita Sheth's publishing efforts ensure that the language is non technical and easy to understand. Detailing all your rights as a patient, tips to safeguard yourself against medical errors, and information on common procedures, this handbook is definitely a keeper. Although we hope you have little reason to ever need it, it's one of those things which are better to have and not need, than need and not have.

1st Jul '14: ANNAPOORNA DIWAS

We are off to a great start to the year, by distributing food to 4000 children at Michael High School, Kurla village, Mumbai. DG Ajay Gupta and Rotarians accompanied us, as this was in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Bombay Bayview.

Annapoorna diwas was also celebrated at various other locations, like Happy Home and School for the Blind, Sangopita, outside TATA Memorial Hospital, to name a few. A total of 7000 people were fed this day. This has been marked as a monthly recurring activity, on the first of each month, for the duration of this presidential term.

1st Jul '14: IT EDUCATION for GIRLS

A professional computer education is given to underprivileged girls at Softpro Computer Education, to help them get gainful employment so that they can eventually stand on their own feet. A new batch of 20 students started on the 1st of July.

6th Jul '14: SHUDHU TABLETS

Distribution of 150 boxes of Shudhu water purification tablets, at Sahapravaas Prathisthan's 8th free medical camp held at Shivprangan, Karav, Wangani. Podar Hospital provided the doctors, Vidyanand Labs sponsored the medicines and IWCBB contributed the tablets for purifying drinking water.

The medical camp was specifically for detection and prevention of monsoon related illnesses, many of which spread through contaminated drinking water.

12th Jul '14: Joint Projects with the Rotary Club of Bombay Bayview

TOILET BLOCKS at NERUL and BADLAPUR

Both places cater to the underprivileged rural children of Maharashtra. In earlier years, we had constructed toilet blocks at Sahapravaas Pratisthan (Badlapur) and Adivasi Ashramshala (Nerul). This year we constructed more of these essential hygiene facilities. These blocks are near the dormitories where the existing facilities were inadequate.

SANGOPITA - BADLAPUR

Sangopita offers lifetime residential care to the severely mentally disabled from the impoverished strata of society. Play is deemed essential for the normal and dynamic development of the disabled. So, along with our Rotary Club, we have setup a recreational space for them that includes a moon rocker and a bowling alley. This will channel the energy of mentally challenged children into productive means, and significantly reduce violent behavior.

In addition to the recreation area, we provided a meeting room as well, so that the families of the disabled can meet and discuss issues in a private space.

We are also giving them solar lamps in and around the campus. This ties in very well with our theme of "Light the Path".

12th August '14: BLOOD DRIVE @ CHURCHGATE STATION

We held a blood collection drive at Churchgate Station, in collaboration with Nair Hospital on 12th August, from 10 am to 6pm. By noon we had already collected 25 units and people were lined up to give more. A total of 125 bottles of blood were collected this day, with which Nair Hospital will be able to help many people. IWCBB members Krishna, Meghna, Mallika and Reepa's presence and assistance was much appreciated!

15th August @ GEETANAGAR

INDEPENDENCE DAY

A Flag Hoisting ceremony was held at Geetanagar, to celebrate India's Independence Day. Snacks were provided to over 200 children who attended the flag hoisting and sang the national anthem.

ANAEMIA PREVENTION CAMP

The Anaemia Detection and Treatment camps are a bi-annual event on Inner Wheel Bombay Bayview's calendar since its inception, one of which was held after the flag hoisting on Independence Day. This time a dietician was also invited, to speak to the children about healthy eating habits and the critical role of a good diet in staying healthy. A big thank you to our member Meghna Sanghvi for coordinating with Cumbala Hill Hospital to arrange the dietician's visit.

My heartfelt gratitude to Poonam, Sarita Saboo, Meena Mehra, Smeeta Jhunjhunwala, Sanju, Vibha, Munazza, Smita Parikh, Nayna, Roopali Samant, Khatiza, Tanvi and Hetal for their generous donations. Their confirmation came within minutes of my sending out the message asking for help, demonstrating the big hearts and helping hands of IWCBB's members!

20th August '14: SHRADDHANAND MAHILASHRAM

Shraddhanand Mahilashram is a shelter that houses, feeds, educates and nurtures the orphaned and destitute girls, children and physically and mentally challenged kids who have nowhere else to go. They are also recognized by CARA (Central Adoption & Resource Authority) under license No.RIPA-9/2011 and almost 3000 children have been adopted into families in India and abroad.

Boys aged 6 and above are sent to a separate shelter, while girls can remain till the age of 25. All are educated, either in-house or sent to schools and colleges in the vicinity, given vocational training and even sent to work from here, should they get suitable jobs. They are also coached in many co-curricular activities such as music, dance and sports. Educational tours, in-house competions and workshops on handicrafts, ceramic painting and mehendi are organized for them. The institution strives to make them independent and should appropriate proposals come along, even arranges their wedding! To date 250 girls have been settled into family life from here. The superintendent, Mrs. Sindhu Nambiar has left her own daughter in her mother's care and is de-facto mother to the 200 children living here.

There are nurses, caretakers and visiting doctors, who together look after the inmates. Children with special needs and multiple disabilities are given physiotherapy to overcome their delayed physical milestones. The Ashramkanyas are grouped in houses and housemothers supervise their day to day activities. Qualified social workers nurture their educational & emotional needs.

IWCBB contributed to this effort in a small way, by donating mattresses to the institution and stationery packs to the children. We treated them to evening snacks and spent the evening chatting with the staff. It was a touching experience. All we saw were satisfied smiles on the faces of everyone there, staff and children alike. As we were leaving, a few girls came back from their college and seemed like they were truly coming back home, and not to some institution. The way these kids are looked after has to be seen to be believed! We plan on doing many more projects with them and hope more members take the opportunity to see what amazing work is done at this wonderful home-away-from-home.

29th August '14: NATIONAL SPORTS DAY

Mr Mir Ranjan Negi (of Chak De India fame) invited children from the different schools of Mumbai, to meet at Don Bosco school grounds, on the occasion of National Sports Day. 29th August also happens to be the birthday of national hockey player Dhyanchand.

After organising the kids into age-wise groups (under 12, under 14, under 16) and by gender, he made them play football, hockey and basketball. IWCBB sponsored the prizes - all winning team members were awarded college satchels branded with our name and the occasion.

It was very enthusistic environment, vibrant with young energy. A spirit of friendly, yet competitive, sportsmanship permeated Don Bosco. We are proud to be associated with Mr Negi in his endeavours.

3rd & 31st August '14: MEDICAL CAMPS @ GEETANAGAR

It was a very required medical camp that was held in Geetanagar on Sunday, 3rd August. Around 200 people attended the camp. This monsoon season brings all kinds of viral as well as water borne diseases, and we were able to help 200 peopl either suffering from such illnesses or proactively seeking to avoid such diseases in their families. We gave free medicine to the former and free water purification tablets to all. Another such much needed follow-up camp was held on Sunday, 31st of August, on the other side of Geetanagar. The turnout was more than a 150 people, despite very heavy rains. Once again, we gave them free medicines, along with water purification tablets as well as iron supplements for those childen who were diagnosed as anaemic during the 15th August anaemia prevention camp. Sufficient quantities of free medicines and water purification tablets were provided to last a month, so as to cover the monsoon season. Many thanks to IWCBB member Samina Khorakiwalla for these medical camps!

1st Sept '14: EQUIPMENT FOR NAIR HOSPITAL

An audiometer and a water purification machine for Nair Hospital, jointly sponsored by Inner Wheel Clubs of Bombay Bayview and Hanging Garden, were installed today. Both were very much required, but most donors prefer to sponsor life saving equipment. So the Inner Wheel Clubs of Bombay Bayview and Hanging Garden stepped in to fill this gap. Prevention is always better than a cure, and following this belief we decided to contribute towards these two pieces of non life saving, but urgently needed, equipment.

12th Sept '14: RUBELLA VACCINATION CAMP @ S.N.D.T.

On this Friday in September, Zone 1 held a Rubella vaccination camp at S.N.D.T. where we vaccinated 500 girls against this virus. German measles, as it is commonly known, is quite a dangerous infection to contract during pregnancy, as it results in genetic defects, miscarriage or still births. The response was so overwhelming that even the college staff were pleasantly surprised. We did an informative orientation for the girls, before administering the vaccines.

27th Sept '14: Prayaas - Our Annual Fund Raiser

The amazing synergy that comes to life when IWCBB members all pull together was so clearly evident at the South Side lounge of the World Trade Centre last Saturday! The stalls were decked with the colorful clothes, gift items, home & personal accessories, diwali knick knacks and delicious food on offer. Our Prayaas team, attired in their orange outfits were looking awesome, taking charge and totally organised, when District Chairman Himadri Nanavati arrived to inaugurate our fund raiser.

What followed was unabated shopping, and the ringing of metaphorical cash registers! Our Rotarians were heartwarmingly supportive of their better halves shopping sprees, and cutely carried their shopping bags. Stree Shakti was truly honoured and celebrated during this auspicious Navratri Season! ;-)

Our Rotaract children were part of it too, playing caterers, comedians and singers, among a variety of roles. They demonstrated perseverance and creativity, confidently handling everything that came their way. A big round of applause to Rotaract President Siddhant Makhija, Urvi Mody and their whole team - they were the true stars of this event! We were so proud to see them display a dignity in any labour they were called upon to perform. A few mothers were overheard exhorting their children to join the Rotaract Club!

We promised you an awesome Season 4 of Prayaas, and we are happy to say we delivered! General sentiments, of Zone & District, visitors & exhibitors alike, were that of delight, appreciation and joy. DC Himadri Nanavati summed it up best, when she told us, "Congratulations Bayview! You did it again!"

A heartfelt thank you to all who helped make this Prayaas even more khaas! Special mention must be made of IWCBB members Sangita Zaveri, IPP Nimisha Mirani, Sarita Malhotra, Sonia Gupta and Tejal Damani, who ensured this event was a smashing success!

30th Sept '14: INNERWHEEL FOREST

The forest cover across our planet is decreasing at an alarming rate. We may feel some of the effects of that in our lifetime, but it is our future generations that will suffer the worst impact. District Chairman Himadri Nanavati has addressed this threat to our children and their children, through the District project of "Innerwheel Forest". All the IW Clubs of District 314 contributed to the planting of trees in Kandivali. IWCBB made the largest single comtribution to this project close to our District Chairman's heart, by sponsoring 250 of the 1100 trees planted in this phase of greening the city.

1st Oct '14: DESKTOP PC For HANDICAPPED

Thanks to an anonymous sponsor, IWCBB was able to assist The Fellowship of the Physically Handicapped (at Haji Ali) with a much needed desktop PC.

PHOOLJHADI PARTIES

5th Oct '14: SUNSHINE AT SAKSHAM, SION

A joint project with President Sita, we utilised our sunshine money to supply bedsheets and rations to 110 differently abled people at Sion. We are grateful to Sanju and Vibha for their contributions.

11th Oct '14: DIWALI PARTIES

Celebrating Diwali with the Geetanagar and Khel Khel Mein children at 11:30 am, and the Umerkhadi kids at 5:00 pm is how we spent this day. Thank you, Preyal for your gift of smiles and happiness during this festival of lights.

16th Oct '14: GIFT HAMPERS for CANCER PATIENTS

This Deepavali, IWCBB brought a little light into the lives of the in-patients of Tata Cancer Hospital, by distributing diyas, crockery and cutlery in little festive hampers.

18th Oct '14: SHRADDHANAND MAHILASHRAM LUNCH

A very generous donor, who would like to remain anonymous, sponsored lunch and a gift of formal kurtis with gift hampers for the girls residing at Shraddhanand Mahilashram, Matunga. A magician was also called in to entertain the in-mates.

20th Oct '14: BAL ASHRAM CHAAT PARTY

A chaat party, with fun, food and festive gift hampers is what IWCBB threw for the 50 children of the Bal Ashram at Dadar. The kids had a wonderful time watching the magic show, ate bhel to their heart's content and were delighted to receive their individual gifts. Sponsored by Anuja Shah, it was a evening that the kids and adults enjoyed equally!

One of our members Charu Shah, who attended the phooljhadi party had this to say about her experience: "Words cannot describe the feeling of happiness and fulfillment that you feel on seeing the joy and excitement on the face of the little girls for trivial things, like magic show, bhel puri and phooljhadi which we take for granted. It taught us to value little things and being forever greatful."

21st Oct '14: BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS @ KHEL KHEL MEIN

Inspired by the very fun Phooljhadi Parties this Diwali, IWCBB member Tejal Damani decided to give one final Phooljhadi Party of her own. In celebration of her son's birthday, she held a Diwali party for the children of the Khel Khel Mein centre at Kurla. The magician was called once more, McDonald's meals were on the menu, and there was a little return gift for every child. A wonderfully giving and very fun way to mark her son's birthday, indeed!

20th and 22nd Oct '14: ANAEMIA CAMPS

Anaemia camps were conducted at Bandra and Bharatpur respectively. 70 children were tested, 20 were found to be anaemic and were provided iron supplements. All of them were given deworming tablets as well. We are grateful to IWCBB member Samina for both these camps.

28th Oct '14: SELF DEFENSE WORKSHOP

A self defense workshop was held at Shraddhanand Mahilashram to help keep safe the young women housed there. 40 girls very enthusiastically learnt to defend themselves against physical attacks. The superintendent of this home for young girls asked for us to conduct another one of these empowering workshops, and expressed her desire to personally participate in the next one.

29th Oct '14: MICRO CREDIT SCHEME

District 314's Micro Credit Scheme is designed to empower women by helping them get economically self-reliant. It achieves this objective by extending returnable credit to needy women, so that they can start a small home based business or acquire some income generating skill. IWCBB participated in this District project by extending credit to them in the form of a cheque of Rs. 10,000 to two women, to start their own business.

13th November '14: 1st C.C. EVENT

On this merry Thursday, IWCBB took a 100 children, from Naunihal, Dev Kripa Mandal, and Centre for Study of Social Change (CSSC), to a fun filled evening at the Borivali Mela (funfair). They enjoyed the rides and games from 6 tp 8pm, after which we shared dinner boxes with them all.

Their carefree enjoyment made our smiles that much wider, especially when one of the children told us how he roamed the fair grounds, wishing he could go inside and sample the wares. It was the first time he was enjoying all the funfair had to offer, and his happiness was quite apparent. The icing on the cake was when he called it the best day of his life - it's moments such as these that make all we do here at IWCBB so worthwhile!

14th November '14: 2nd C.C. EVENT

IWCBB celebrated Children's Day with the little angels at Priyanz, the centre for Autistic and Down's Syndrome children. We took along their favourite foods, and gifts of a desktop, laptop and microwave oven. We played, ate, sang and danced with them, and we are yet trying to decide who had a better time - them or us!

13th November '14: SELF DEFENSE WORKSHOP

One of our favourite ongoing projects is the Self Defense classes, held for young girls with the objective of empowering them. To this end we hold a series on workshops through the year, one of which was held at the Centre for Study of Social Change (CSSC) at Bandra East. 56 girls spent the afternoon with the good folks of Saahas Self Defense, learning to defend themselves.

17th November '14: SELF DEFENSE WORKSHOP

700 female students of Michael High School, Kurla, will learn the art of self defense over the next two weeks, starting 17th November! We hope the seven workshops, between 17th Nov and 5th December, will go a long way in empowering these girls, and give them the confidence to fend for themselves in the world outside.

10th January '15: INTERNATIONAL INNERWHEEL DAY

In celebration of the 91st International Innerwheel Day, we distributed biscuits to 280 children from Muktangan.

11th January '15: INDRA DHANUSH - ART COMPETITION

On 11th January, we organised an art camp for 125 underprivileged children from 4 different NGOs; Helping hand, Khel Khel Mein, Angel Express and Balanand. ?Once the children assembled in the amphitheater at Kamla Nehru Park we distributed an art kit, biscuits and chocolates to each of them . They were asked to make a drawing on the topic swachh bharat. We were happy to receive extremely innovative and creative entries. While the judges were making a decision for the winners the children were entertained by a captivating magic show. We also distributed snack boxes so they could fill their stomachs while they watched the performance. 3 prizes and 2 consolation prizes were given to the winners.

15th January '15: MAHA SURYA KUMBH - SOLAR COOKING

On the day of Makar Sakrant, the Maha Surya Kumbh event introduced not just all the young minds gathered there, but all of us to the inexhaustible alternate fuel that is solar energy. Giving them a first-hand experience of solar cooking, using a self- assembled Solar Cooker, this Zone 2 event, led by Mumbai eClub Cybercity was held at Patwardhan Park in Bandra. It was an awesome, energising and inspiring event indeed. 1500 school kids gathered and organised themselves in an orderly array, to harness solar energy and cook their favourite Maggi Noodles.

The event was graced by our Honorable Governor of Maharshtra and Honorable Energy Minister.
After the cooking and enjoying their self made Maggi Noodles, the students lent a helping hand to clean the park of all wrappers and disposable crockery, and restore the park to its pristine state prior to event. Double lessons learnt - green energy, clean energy and Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan! Jai Ho!!

20th January '15: WATER COOLER FOR NASEOH

IWCBB sponsored a water cooler for the National Centre for the Handicapped (NASEOH) in Chembur.

21st January '15: DISTRICT WATER PROJECT

Today was the inauguration of the District's project at Wada. IWCBB ontributed Rs. 50,000/- towards the drinking water facilities put in place by DC Himadri Nanavati.

Literacy Committee member Nimisha Mirani and Zonal Coordinator Mita Sheth represented our club at the event.

Update: On 25th April, we received a confirmation that these water tanks were up and running, helping the people of Wada during these hot summer months.

22nd January '15: SELF DEFENSE WORKSHOP @ WADA

Our regular team was sent to conduct yet another self defense workshop for 150 girls at Wada - IWCBB continues to empower the fairer sex!

13th February '15: CANCER SURVIVOR DAY @ TATA HOSPITAL

IWCBB and NGO VCARE commemorated the triumphant struggle of those who fought cancer and survived on the 13th of Feb. On Cancer Survivor Day, those who have fought and won against this deadly disease shared their experiences with the current in-patients at the Tata Hospital in Parel. Victories were shared and celebrated by survivors, spirits were lifted and pepped up for those currently fighting their own battle and bagpacks were distributed by IWCBB.

16th February '15: EQUIPMENT DONATION TO MUMBAI MOBILE CRECHES

Mumbai Mobile Creches take care of the children of workers at various construction sites around the city. IWCBB donated much needed kitchen equipment at their location within a Bombay Central construction site. Sanju Jhunjhunwala also gifted them a CD player, to help this NGO entertain the kids at this home-away-from-home for these little ones, from the ages of a few months to 14 years. We spent time with the kids there and distributed snacks as well. Thank you Mitali, for pointing out this wonderful opportunity for us!

17th February '15: SHIKSHANGRAM, LONAVLA

An anonymous sponsor decided to celebrate Annapoorna Diwas in place of Valentine's Day, by distributing snacks and sweets to the children of Shikshangram in Lonavla. We had a wonderfully satisfying time, eating and chatting with the kids.

28th February '15: WOMEN'S DAY CELEBRATION AT GEETANAGAR

IWCBB celebrated Women's Day with the mothers and female relatives of the children studying at Geetanagar. We had very educative talks and discussions on their social and legal rights, as well as on health, hygiene and diet awareness with more than 150 ladies there. A staircase we constructed for the Geetanagar church was also "opened" for use by the children, allowing them to safely access the space upstairs. After sharing evening snacks and gifting every attendee a saree, we wound up this very satisfying celebration of women and their place in our society.

1st March '15: CHECK DAM - A ZONE 1 PROJECT

IWCBB, along with other Zone 1 clubs, contributed to the Check Dam Project, which was inauguarted by District Chairman Himadri Nanavati. Situated in Talasari Taluka, this rain water harvesting project is a boon to the local farmers, allowing them to grow one additional crop per year. It also provides safe, clean and hygienic drinking water to the residents all year round. This effort will go a long way in touching people's lives and we are happy to be a part of this visionary initiative.

12th March '15: WATER HARVESTING @ KHOSTE VILLAGE, VIKRAMGADH

IWCBB contributed half the cost of the water harvesting project at Khoste village in Vikramgadh. Spearheaded by Rotary Club of Bombay Central, this project is designed to provide clean drinking water to 450 inhabitants of the village, along with their cattle. At a one-time nominal cost of barely Rs 900/- per head, we are in a position to provide this basic human necessity for these villagers over the next 20 years!! What an ROI, sirji!!

19th March '15: VISIT TO THE LADIES' WING OF BYCULLA JAIL

IWCs of Bombay Bayview, Bombay South, Nariman Point and Hanging Garden visited the ladies' wing of Byculla Jail this fine Thursday morning. The NGO Dev Kripa Mandal set up the visit and handled all the necessary govt. permissions. We all interacted with the inmates, to understand their thought process and their perceptions of life now, as well as their future plans. We played games, shared snacks and discussed their dreams. We chatted and laughed, and distributed prizes to game winners and toiletries and biscuits to all.

This visit really got us thinking about our own lives and our values, and made us appreciate the smallest things in life which we often take for granted. The most enriching experience of this visit was singing "Itni Shakti" with the nuns of Dev Kripa Mandal and the inmates of the jail. We all returned with a mixed bag of emotions - overwhelmed, introspective, humbled, disheartened to see certain individuals in such a bleak setup yet uplifted by their courage and undying spirit.

15th April '15: SEWING MACHINES - DEV KRIPA MANDAL

IWCBB sponsored sewing machines for the non profit social organisation -Dev Kripa Mandal. On this day, we also distributed certificates to those who successfully completed the tailoring, beautician and computer courses.

18th April '15: PATIENT SAFETY AWARENESS (PSA) SEMINAR

Over 80 senior citizens attended the Patient Safety Awareness seminar conducted at the Malabar Hill Club this Saturday at 5pm. "Be Alert" handbooks, prepared by the District and partially sponsored by IWCBB at the beginning of this presidency, were distributed to all attendees. The informative event was much appreciated by all who attended. Many thanks to ZC Mita Sheth from IWCBB for organising this event!

19th April '15: HYDERABAD

IWCBB arranged for a medical camp, along with distribution of deworming, water purification, iron and folic acid tablets at the bastis of Jubilee Hills in Hyderabad. More than 60 families consulted with the team of senior doctors who comprised the medical team. Counselling was also made available and few families availed themselves of those services too.

This project was conducted in conjunction with the NGO Divya Disha. Heartfelt thanks to Sonal Punatar for coordinating this event.

29th April '15: KHARADI VILLAGE, SHAHPUR

Inner Wheel Club of Bombay Bayview sponsored playground equipment and an e-learning installation for the school at Kharadi village in Shahpur. Fans and tubelights for every classroom was sponsored by us too. The most amazing part of this school is the superb artwork that covered every visible wall of this school!!

2nd May '15: FELLOWSHIP OF THE PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED (FPH)

IWCBB donated 2 personal computers, along with a printer, to FPH at Worli. This will be utilised to impart vocational training to the physically challenged, which will open up employment opportunities for them in the future.

9th May '15: UMBRELLAS FOR STREET VENDORS

Street vendors bear the brunt of the heat and risk dehydrration in the hot summer months. To alleviate their suffering we distributed umbrellas to few street vendors on August Kranti Marg and on Grant Road. Emblazoned with the IWCBB, these umbrellas protect them and their wares from direct sunlight while spreading awareness about out club.

19th April '15: ART of LIVING @ GEETANAGAR

Art of Living classes for kids - Bal Chetna Shivir - were held for 5 days at Geetanagar. 75 kids attended this course. On the last day, we distributed gifts and snacks to the kids and tok them for a fun outing.

23rd May '15: KEWNALE VILLAGE WELL

We are one of the main donors in the construction of a well in Kewnale village with Rotary club of Shivaji Park under Rotary International Global Grant. This village, in Mokhada area of Jhawar district (near Wada, on the old Bombay Nashik Road) didn't have any water facilities for the summer months and the villagers have had to go to far off places for their daily requirements of water. In constructing this well, we help the Kewnale residents obtain this very basic human necessity in their own village.

23rd May '15: SWARG YATRA VEHICLE in VADIYA VILLAGE

IWCBB donated a Swarg Yatra vehicle to Vadiya village near Rajkot, to enable transport of their dear departed to the crematorium. Before this, the villagers had great difficulty in transporting bodies in the rain or harsh sunlight.

27th May '15: PROSTHETICS FOR SANTOSH YADAV

IWCBB's most impactful project yet - prosthetics for a young boy, Santosh Yadav. This boy's energy is super contagious; full of a zest for life, despite his handicap, he is an inspiration to all. It is an honour for us to be given a chance to make a difference in this boy's life, a boy who will surely touch many lives in the future.

29th May '15: WISH FULFILLMENT - 3 KIDS

Three terminally ill children had small wishes, which we at IWCBB were happy to fulfill for them. Dolls, cars and kitchen sets - it's a wonder that such small toys can bring so much joy to these little kids who have suffered so much.

1st June '15: ARTIFICIAL EYES for 4 CHILDREN

IWCBB sponsored artificial eyes for 4 little children, so that they can grow up without their disability impacting their social confidence.

11th & 12th June '15: BLOOD COLLECTION CAMPS

A Joint Project by multiple South Bombay Clubs, Blood Collection Drives were held on 2 consecutive days at Churchgate Station (in the common area) and V.T. Station (between platforms 8 & 9) respectively.

We collected 80 units at Churchgate and 101 units at V.T. Station. Rtn PP Pankaj Tanna of Bombay Worli was the point person for this Joint Project.

25th June '15: ANNAPOORNA DIWAS

Over 8000 were fed a hearty meal, at 6 different locations, to celebrate a last bumper Annapoorna Diwas of this presidency! A joint project with our Rotary Club, together we visited Michael High School, Canossa Convent and Happy Home for the Blind.

27th June '15: ELEVATOR FOR OLD AGE HOME

IWCBB's contribution towards the cost of providing an elevator for an old age home in Palghar will make it possible for the elderly residents to freely roam across all floors of the premises. For some of them, it will be the first time they descend from the upper floors they live on, where they have been stranded due to their physical conditions.

Ongoing projects

ANNAPOORNA DIWAS & FOOD SEWA

Monthly: Seeing the tremendous response from members and the extreme satisfaction of treating children to a delicious wholesome meal and seeing their joyful relishment, we will now celebrate Annapoorna Diwas on a monthly basis (1st of each month) for the rest of the year.

Weekly: IWCBB also helps over 600 needy patients and their relatives who are forced to live on the pavements outside TATA hospital by providing nutritious meals every Friday that include fruits, khichdi, roti, biscuits and milk.

A Thank You must go out to Roopali Shah, Sheetal Vidhani, Meena Mehra and Preyal, whose kind donations make these meals possible.

GEETANAGAR BALWADI

We continue to provide nutrion to over a 100 Balwadi children at Geetanagar, in the form of milk and a wholesome breakfast, to motivate attendance and enhance health. A meal rich in proteins and vitamins is essential for their growth, and supplies them with energy to last through the day.

ORGANIC KITCHEN GARDEN at NAUNIHAL

Naunihal is an NGO run shelter for the minor daughters of sex workers in Mumbai's infamous red light district. We trained the staff and inmates of Naunihal to grow vegetables in their own backyard in an ecofriendly way, and continue to support them in their efforts. This helps reduce their food bill and provide fresh healthy produce while helping the ecosystem simultaneously.

KHEL KHEL MEIN - TOY LIBRARY

Khel Khel Mein believes in the philosophy where every smile counts, and are indeed providing these children with additional occasions to smile. We do our bit to keep those smiles coming by helping them with the rent and teachers' salaries. The toy library imparts values and good habits through fun and play, making it a unique learning opportunity for these underserved children.

IT EDUCATION FOR GIRLS

We sponsor professional computer education for underprivileged children at member Poonam Mashru's institute, Softpro Computer Education, with new batches starting at regular intervals. Equipped with such marketable skills, a number of students from the earlier batches have already gotten jobs and begun their careers. It is our fond hope that this qualification will assist all of them to eventually find financial independence.

Members can recommend deserving candidates. To know more, please click here.

SELF DEFENCE CLASSES FOR GIRLS

We have been running self defence classes for under privileged children in Badlapur for just a year but we can already see a marked difference in the children's attitude and confidence levels.

This year we have run these very same workshops at many more locations within and around Mumbai city, and continue to be amazed at the difference these empowering exercises have on the girls who attend them!