New 'Happy Villages' initiative to reach 100,000 lives

Chennai:

Over 100,000 underprivileged people in 100 villages of five districts will have something to smile for as Rotary International plans to launch a major initiative to change their lives.

Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Rotary foundation chairman Wilfrid J Wilkinson along with Rotary International director P T Prabhakar and Rotary district governor V Raja Sreenivasan said that the ‘Happy Villages’ initiative will target five districts of the state.

Sreenivasan said Rotary has identified five districts – Chennai, Kanchipuram, Vellore,  Tiruivanamalai and Thiruvallur and is initially starting with a fund of Rs five crore.

“We are also trying to rope in the state government as well as corporates. District 3230 has 117 clubs. Each club will adopt a village and try to provide basic amenities like drinking water, sanitation, health facilities, literacy and vocational training for the villagers.

“We may require funds more than Rs 50 crore and we will launch a fundraiser on October 5-7 at Besant Nagar Beach through a food festival,” said Sreenivasan.

“We are also targeting the funds from members of parliament and MLAs and some have backed our initiative,” said Prabhakar.

The project will be officially launched within a month and Rotary International is trying to have Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa inaugurate it.

Wilkinson, who is on his 21^st visit to India, hailed the initiative and said Rotary Foundation will also back it. He said India is the third biggest contributor to Rotary Foundation just behind US and Japan. “The contribution of India last year to the foundation was $15 million,” he said.