While the civic administration is turning a blind eye towards the misery of students of their own schools, these children have got a helping hand from Australia. Saddened to see school children in some of the Pune Municipal Corporation-run schools sitting on the floor, six families from Australia who were on a tour of India have donated 119 benches and books.
These families were in Pune as part of the Rotary Club’s friendship exchange programme in 2009 when they had visited some schools and saw that students have to sit on the floor due to lack of adequate benches.
After going back to Australia, they arranged for 119 benches. For the first time, the Australian Rotary Club donated something to India in kind. Recently, a shipment of the benches and books arrived in India and now these will be given to PMC schools.
Nitin Joshi, past president of Rotary Club of Pune Sports City told dna, “It is a very good gesture shown by the Australian members of Rotary Club to strengthen the relationship between India and Australia. They have arranged for these benches and books through their centre in Australia. For the first time, they have sent such aid in kind to India.”
The six families from Australia were on a tour of India where they visited places like Mumbai, Pune and Aurangabad. During their visit to Pune, they visited various schools to find out how the educational system works here.
“These families stayed at residences of members of Rotary Club of Pune Sports City during their visit to Pune. While they were visiting various places in the city, they also visited schools where they found students sitting on the floor, which saddened them. Therefore, after going back to Australia, they arranged for these benches which are slightly different from the benches that they used in schools. Recently, they sent a shipment to India,” Joshi said.
The Australian members are now looking forward to take the friendship between India and Australia to the next level. Phil Magda, one of the members of Rotary Club who had visited Pune in 2009 told dna, “We are really looking forward to strengthen the bond between the two countries and so for the first time we have sent aid in kind to India. I am looking forward to visit Pune again in the future.”
Now, the Rotary Club of Pune Sports City is in process of having dialogues with municipal authorities to donate these benches to those schools where they are needed the most.
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