THE ROTATOR - Issue 19

Happy reading!
Your Rotator Team 2025–26

Empowering Young Minds to Embrace Healthy Living

The Rotary Club of Bangalore (RCB), in collaboration with the ‘Karnataka Endocrine Society (KES)’launched its wellness awareness initiative “Hormones in Harmony for a Healthy Life” with the first session titled “Live Life in Style – The Healthy Way” on 4th November 2025.The program was held for 180 Class X
students of Bagalakunte Government High School.
The engaging sessions, led by endocrinologists Dr. Praveen Ramachandra (SPARSH Hospital & DiaPlus Clinic) and Dr. Ganavi Y. P. (Ramaiah Medical College), highlighted the importance of balanced nutrition, regular exercise, outdoor play, adequate sleep, and reduced screen time.

Through interactive discussions and smart board presentations, the students learned practical ways to build healthy habits and maintain physical and emotional well-being.
The students actively participated in the discussions, sharing their own experiences and ideas on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The initiative received positive feedback from students and teachers alike, and the Headmaster, Mr. Venugopal, suggested conducting more sessions so that more students are empowered with the knowledge and skills necessary to make informed choices about their health and well-being.
Special thanks to Dr. Rajeshwari, President of KES and Mr. Joseph from Chilume NGO for their support in organizing this informative session. Rotarians Nita Roy, Gertrude D’Souza, Anju Agadi, and Sowmya P. R. attended the session, encouraging the young participants toward a healthier future.

-Rtns Nita Roy & Anju Agadi 

ShieldHer’s 52nd Session: Breaking Barriers with Awareness and Inclusion

The 52nd session of ShieldHer: United Against Cervical Cancer, organised by the Rotary Club of Bangalore in collaboration with KSC-AGOI on Tuesday Oct. 28, 2025, marked a truly inspiring milestone at the Oceanik Institute of Higher Education, Bengaluru, a college dedicated to differently abled, singleparent,
and orphan students from underprivileged backgrounds.

• Over 70% of the participants were hearing-impaired, yet the session proved that awareness knows no barriers. With the remarkable support of interpreter Ms. Anesa, communication flowed seamlessly with translation in sign language, making the discussions inclusive, interactive, and deeply engaging.
• Dr. Punyashree R. M (Associate Consultant, Gynaecologic Oncology, Fortis Hospitals, Bengaluru) conducted two consecutive sessions for the PUC and Degree students , one for 70 girls, focusing on cervical cancer and menstrual health, and another for 87 boys, highlighting HPV-related cancers in men and the importance of vaccination. With 18 faculty and staff members joining in, the event not only educated but empowered proving that when awareness is made accessible, it truly transforms lives.

Heartfelt thanks to the management of Oceanik Institute especially Prof. Shobha K. M .(Principal & Founder), Ms. Sharanya V (Vice Principal), and Dr. Ashok Kumar Govindaraju (CSR Head) for their extraordinary support and coordination.

– Rtns Nita Roy and Sowmya PR

ShieldHer – 2nd Screening Camp: Translating Awareness into Action

Building on the momentum of its’ awareness journey, the ShieldHer initiative took another step forward with the second free cervical and breast cancer screening camp held on November 7, 2025, at Christ University, Kengeri Campus, Bengaluru. Organized by the Rotary Club of Bangalore (District 3192) and
Association of Gynaeoncologists of India, Karnataka State Chapter in collaboration with Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology and Christ University, the camp translated awareness into tangible action, empowering women through access to preventive healthcare.

A total of 67 women participated in this screening camp in the privacy of the mobile Cancer detection bus. All of them underwent breast examinations, whilst 53 women who were eligible, did the Pap smear tests for cervical cancer screening, reflecting growing trust and participation in preventive initiatives. Surprisingly, it was the first time all these women underwent Pap smear testing for cervical cancer.
The program witnessed seamless coordination and expert care from Dr. Seela Mathew (Chief Medical Officer, Christ Univ, Kengeri) and the Kidwai medical team, with Dr. Vaishnavi and Dr. Vishaka conducting the clinical examinations. True to her word, Dr. Shobha K.
(President KSC-AGOI & Prof and Head, Gynae-Oncology, Kidwai) fulfilled her commitment made during a previous awareness session at Christ University by bringing this screening to reality. Appreciation is also extended to Rtn. Anju Agadi and Rtn. Gertrude Dsouza for their continued support.
ShieldHer continues to reinforce its mission, early detection is not merely protection, it is empowerment.

-Rtns Dr. Nita Roy and Dr. Sowmya PR

Celebrating Karnataka’s Spirit: RCB marks Rajyotsava with culture, art, and Craft.

RCB celebrated Karnataka Rajyotsava with grandeur and pride, its venue adorned in the vibrant hues of red and yellow, colours that symbolise the spirit of Kannada pride. The celebration paid tribute to the State’s rich artistic heritage and the indomitable courage of its people, with a narration tracing Karnataka’s glory through history and a stirring skit depicting the valour of a woman warrior.
Among the distinguished uests was Vinay Prasanth of Tamaala, an award-winning ODOP empanelled social arts organisation that works to empower rural and tribal artisans across India. In his address, Mr Prasanth highlighted that India boasts over 450 visual arts and craft forms, excluding apparel and handloom traditions. He emphasised that indigenous art and craft are inherently sustainable both in their materials and in their methods of production. “The materials artisans use are those normally discarded by nature,” he explained. “What we today call ‘upcycled’, ‘recycled’, or ‘ca rbon-credit-friendly’ practices have existed in India for millennia.”

Reflecting on the pandemic’s impact, Mr Prasanth noted that while reverse migration brought many artisans back to their native villages, they often found themselves without sustainable livelihoods. “Our cultural heritage defines who we are,” he said. “It connects us to our roots and reminds us of the creative spirit that has sustained our communities for centuries.” Citing data, he observed that while agriculture supports 18 to 20 crore livelihoods, India’s art and craft sector sustains five crore livelihoods, with one crore artisans holding government-issued artisan cards. Yet, awareness of indigenous crafts remains dismally low, largely because such traditions find little place in formal education. “Our indigenous arts have not evolved as much as they could whether in design innovation or in adapting to urban consumer needs,” he remarked.
Tamaala, he shared, currently collaborates with 150 indigenous artisans and four NGOs, representing around 450 artisans in total. In Karnataka, their initiatives span several crafts: Bidriware in Bidar, Chittara painting, pottery in Ramanagara, terracotta innovation in Chikkaballapur, and rosewood inlay in Mysuru. Notably, only four families in Koppal continue the legacy of Kinhal art, while about a thousand families in Channapatna sustain the wooden-toy tradition — even though both crafts originated around the same period.

A master potter has been engaged to train young apprentices in a craft that boasts a 400-year-old heritage, though modern lifestyle changes, such as the shift from clay pots to refrigerators for storing water, have diminished its demand.
Artisans often depend on the festival season from Ganesh Chaturthi to Deepavali for most of their income, remaining largely idle for the rest of the year. This economic uncertainty continues to fuel migration from vi Ilagesto cities.
The cultural segment of the event, anchored by Rtn Anand Bindagi, celebrated the Karnataka theme with great fervour. Historical icons Madakari Nayaka, the valiant 18th-century ruler of Chitradurga, and Onake Obavva, the courageous woman who single-handedly repelled Hyder Ali’s soldiers, were honoured in a grand procession accompanied by the heralding of trumpets and rhythmic drums.
Women draped in red sarees bearing lamps and men wearing red-and-yellow Kannada shawls rendered D. S. Karki’s evocative song “Hachevu Kannadada Deepa” (“We Have Lit the Lamp of Kannada”). A skit vividly reenacted Obavva’s legendary act of bravery, set to the classic song “Kannada Nadina Veera Ramaniya” from the film Nagarahavu.
Ann Shalini Prabhu narrated the journey of Karnataka from its formation in 1956 as Mysore State to its renaming in 1973 as Karnataka celebrating its eight Jnanpith awardees, literary luminaries like Shri D. V. Gundappa and Shri S. L Bhyrappa, Booker Prize winner MS Bhanu Mustaq, visionary engineer and statesman Sir M. Visvesvaraya, and the beloved icon of Kannada cinema, Dr Rajkumar. Incidentally, the speaker of the day, Mr Vinay Prasanth, is the great grand nephew of Sir M Visvesvaraya.
The celebration at RCB was more than a commemoration, it was a reminder of Karnataka’s living legacy. As Mr Vinay Prasanth underscored, sustaining indigenous crafts is not merely about preserving tradition but about shaping livelihoods and cultural identity. The red and yellow festoons of the day symbolised not only pride in Karnataka’s past but also hope for a vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable future.