Daijiworld News Network - Mangalore (VM)
Mangalore, Mar 5: Lions Club International will pool in funds to the tune of Rs 300 crore for India's development in the next three years.
This funding would be utilized for development initiatives, said Lions Club International president Dr Ashok Mehta on Saturday, March 4 here in the city.
The mission of the club is to eradicate blindness in the world by 2015 towards which a ten years project –from 2005 to 2015- has been chalked out. The club has spent $200 million during the last one decade on development projects. It has once again given a fresh call to collect $200 million, which will be over by 2008. A sum of $30 million has already been accumulated, Mehta informed.
The slogan for the year is 'Passion to Excel' and Lions Club is dedicated to its objective of providing value-added education to children. Keeping this objective in mind 30,000 teachers in the country have been enrolled for a special training.
Under the supervision of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Lions Club has conducted 9 million surgeries, built 650 hospitals and five international schools exclusively for the blind. A total of 66 million blind were treated through free eye check-up camps, Mehta said. A total of three million eye surgeries have been conducted in India itself, he added. In collaboration with United Nations International Children's Cultural Educational Fund (UNICEF), Lions has established two significant orphanages at Afghanistan and at Africa. Meanwhile, much emphasis is being given to value-based education in India, Mehta informed.
Lions International has stretched itself in 197 nations across the world. There are 45,000 Lions Clubs with 1.3 million members. The club has a total of 751 district governors. The 89th annual international convention will be held at Boston in July, which will witness 30,000 delegates, Mehta informed.
Lions District 324-D5 governor Kripa Amar Alva, Kurian John, Udayshankar Shet and Kumble Narasimha Prabhu were present at the press meet.