Rotary Club Of Lagos Island Reiterates Its Commitment To Service

...Aas Rtn Vipul Agrawal gets inducted as 4th President 

RCLI President: Mr Vipul Agarwal, District Governor RI 9110 : Dr. Jide Akeredolu, Immediate Past President: Mr RK Gulati, President Elect (2020-21) Mr. Sanjay Srivastava and Chartered President : Mr Vipul Garg and all BOD Members Of Rotary Club of Lagos Island

At a simple but elegant ceremony at the Lagoon Conference Centre, Rotarian Vipul Agrawal was inducted as the 4th President of the Rotary Club of Lagos Island [RCLI]. As simple as it was, it still turned out to be a status statement flavoured with cultural variety show. 

Rotarian Agrawal took over the mantle from outgoing President Rotarian Rajkumar Gulati. Speaking on the occasion Rotarian President Agrawal stated – “I am humbled by the trust and responsibility reposed in me by our members. I am also humbled and excited by the vast canvas of opportunities to do service for our communities that await us. We will strive to do our best to make a difference in life for the less privileged in the communities we live in”

Rotarian Vipul Agrawal is a leading building industry professional and a senior member of the Lafarge Nigeria management team. His gracious wife Rotarian Poonam Agrawal is also an active member of RCLI with a passion for conserving the environment and habitat.

The event was attended by the DG of Rotary district 9110 Rotarian JideAkeredolu and other members of the district leadership team, business and community leaders, industrialists, VIP’s and members of RCLI.

The installation presented an opportunity for the past executive to give a rundown of some of the projects that the club has achieved in recent times. According to the new President of the club, “RCLI is one of the youngest Rotary Clubs in Nigeria but with an impressive list of achievements.  Since its first year of inception, it has had the largest number of lady members in Africa. Its service projects have focused on 5 key areas being: Vision 2020 – Free cataract Eye Surgeries for the needy in both Lagos and Kano in association with Geeta Ashram Lekki.

“We have had blood donation Camps, almost 2 camps every month to encourage the habit of blood donation and provide a much deficient medical resource that saves lives!  With 1,200 pints collected in 2018-19, the highest voluntary blood collection by any Social Service Organization in Nigeria at RCLI, we are helping to create a large pool of regular donors so that a good level of reserve can be kept in the Blood Bank. Frequent camps are helping to replenish fresh blood in the Blood Bank. This is the No. 1 Club for Blood Donation.

“On schools rehabilitation, we have adopted 2 schools in Lagos Island in an under privileged area: Teslim Elias Model Primary and Union Baptist schools. We fully refurbished their toilet block and plan to continue with other schools. We have created Community Projects that provide food, beverages, clothing and footwear to the needy, indigent and particularly at Leprosy hospices. Polio eradication programme – donation of refrigerators for keeping polio vaccines safe and donation of footwear for aid workers. Sensitizing the communities, volunteers, youngsters and students for eradication of Polio is bringing Nigeria close to getting declared Polio Free by WHO.

“We have also created sanitation and hygiene outreach projects including health education and distribution of sanitary napkins for girls at schools and building toilets in schools, with vocational training and artificial limb replacement initiatives with leading partners.

The district team and Rotary members wished the team well in their efforts to do more among the communities and among the needy in Lagos, and across Nigeria.

The District Governor of Rotary district 9110 Rotarian JideAkeredolu who witnessed the event, commended the smooth handling of baton from one President to another. He said, “that is the beauty of power transfer in Rotary club,” however, that the work of the past president is not done yet . He cited the case of past presidents in other clubs not supporting their new president. “But in Rotary, there is nothing like that. We have a triangular leadership whereby the past president Rotarian Rajkumar Gulati, the new President Rotarian Vipul Agrawal and the next President for year 2020-21 Mr. Sanjay Srivastava, will have to work together.”

He urged the new President that he should think outside the box as he takes over because in a year from now, he would have to come out to reel out the projects that he would have accomplished. He mentioned some of the core prejocts of the District of which he hopes that the club lend to, project which bother on cervical cancer and other health challenges.

The new president thanked the DG, he thanked the club members who have deemed it fit for him to be their president. He concluded that the focus of the club remains to enhance humanity.  

The night was not all about speeches alone; there was the cutting of the cake which came with much fun and laughter, also the introduction of new members, and raffle tickets with lucky winners that emerged for the night. There was also the caring for the environment- The Trashion  show, with members and children wearing stuffs that have been recycled on the runway! And the evening was wrapped up with drinks and dinner.