Swaffham Rotarian's India mission

Four Norfolk Rotarians, including one from Swaffham, will be joining hands with their North American counterparts to help build a day care centre and a facility for vocational studies in a remote north Indian village.

The group, led by Mark Little of Norwich St Edmund Rotary Club, will start work next month on the two projects which will involve the refurbishment of two proposed buildings as well as finding the necessary equipment for the centres in Chahalka, a poor Muslim village of about 500 families.

“To speak of abject poverty when referring to Chahalka is a gross understatement”, said Mark, already a veteran of several aid visits to India. “These people have virtually nothing and, because of its remote location, the Indian Government seems to have passed it by as if it did not exist.”

The team, which will also include Chris and Hilary King from Norwich and Claire Dunn from the Swaffham Club, will also be working with members of the Rotary Club of Delhi West who identified the need and have agreed a budget of £25,000 for the project.

“When the Indian Government sees the success of the project, we hope they will provide funds for the future staffing and running costs of the two schemes”, added Mark.

The aid mission will coincide with one of India's National Immunisation (NID) Days against Polio which is close to being eradicated in India. Polio Eradication has been one of Rotary International's prime projects since 1985, when they pledged to raise £64m to buy vaccine and work with the three major world health organisations.

On February 10, the Norfolk Rotarians will administer thousands of doses of the vaccine as part of the campaign.

“This is my fourth time for this and related work since 2004 and I am delighted our mission coincides with the vaccination day” he said.

The team will fly out to India on February 6.