The Rotary Club of Sleaford Kesteven joined other clubs in the District in donating money to the Jaipur Limb Project in India.  The idea is to provide modern prosthetic limbs to the local people to improve and enhance their way of life.  The Club was one of 11 in the District to join the organiser – the Rotary Club of Oadby – in a Limb Camp Project.  An astonishing £19,173.88 was raised (In fact £23,800 was required and the difference was made up by two other UK Districts).  Instead of the original plan to have one mega-camp for 600 people, the organisers in India decided that it would be more satisfactory to have 4 camps each dealing with 100+ recipients.  These camps were held in the state of Kerala in southwest India over last winter.

“This was one of the most thrilling experiences in my 70 year old life and 26 years in Rotary,” said Rotarian peter Johnson.  “I could feel the pain of the people who did not have the fortune of walking without support.  I went into the lives of their families and understood how painful it was to live without limbs, especially for those in their younger ages.  Rotary alone can do such acts of kindness without any other vested interests.”

One of the recipients was an 80 year old gentleman.  “Many years of my crippled life have been useless and my wife has had to feed me while I remained as a burden to my family.  Now that I have got new legs, I can work in spite of my old age.  I will work hard for the rest of my life and make my wife rest.”

To me Rotary Jaipur Limb gives life and hope,” said District Governor Scaria Jose, the Limb Camp Co-ordinator in Indian Sub-continent.  “The benefit of this project is that you transform the lives of people immediately!  You see the result instantly!  Children who came crawling on the floor just walk!  Mothers who came here sitting on chairs move around and there are many other such examples!  I express my sincere thanks to you for all your support!”