BABY.... It's COLD Outside!!!!

Can hardly wait to get out of this deep freeze we keep getting plunged into here in northern New England. The roller-coaster ride we have been experiencing here has not confirmed global warming.  Thus far, in the month of January, we have awakened to morning temperatures (Not counting for wind-chill) of MINUS 24 degrees on three different days and MINUS 23 degrees on a fourth.  This is not to say there have not also been some weird swings in temperatures, representing I guess, the January Thaw - but those were short-lived.

 

Packing has begun in earnest and once I get the "shrink-wrap" bags and stuff them with team shirts and work gloves, and vacuum seal them, I might actually be able to pack a couple of pairs of shorts, jeans, a few tee shirts, some underwear and some socks!  Last year, almost the entire bag was taken up with "team" stuff with hardly enough room for my own clothing.

 

People have asked me, "So Elias, if there is no longer Polio in India, then why are you still traveling there?"  There are several answers: 

 

1)  Yes, India was declared polio-free in January 2014 and Certified polio-free in March or April of the same year.  However, it is still necessary to remain vigilant and to sponsor National Immunization Days (NIDs) where the entire country's population of children less than five years of age are given the polio vaccine.  Unfortunately, this year, the timing did not coordinate with our travel dates - maybe next year!  We SHOULD be celebrating the success of Rotary International in this effort, along with the CDC and WHO and the GATES Foundation. 

 

2) This is not the only reason we travel to India.  For the past eight years, we have gathered teams of Rotarians from all over the world to not only fund but also to help construct water catchment dams in very arid regions of Rajasthan and the Punjab.  When the monsoons come to India, huge rivers of water flood the plains and the water simply runs off and/or evaporates.  With the construction of water catchment dams along the dried up "river" beds, carved out by the floods from the monsoons.  Thus far, we have constructed one reservoir and eight dams.  This year, we will construct our widest dam - some 325 feet across!

 

3) While we are at the construction site, we live in tents, right near the dam sites, and thereby, are able to interact with the locals.  People from the villages near the dam sites invite us into their homes, serve us tea, bring us to their schools, help to celebrate with the puja (prayer) service which begins every project, and are otherwise very encouraged that people "from seven seas away" have the interest and take the time to come to improve the lives of those living nearby.  THIS is perhaps the most important reason for returning year after year.

 

 

 

 

After all, when one looks into the history of Rotary, one realizes there is a central theme which has been the strongest thread woven into the fabric of ROTARY - and that is SERVICE ABOVE SELF.  Each year, the Rotary International President gets to choose a "theme" for that particular year of service.  Again, however, that common thread weaves its way through the years.  This year, R.I. President, and good friend from Australia, Ian Riseley, chose his theme, which is shown below:  Rotary Making A Difference.

 

Each of us has paid for our own travel to India, we have agreed to serve others through the dam building project, and we have signed on to MAKING A DIFFERENCE!!!