West Springfield Rotary Club helps change lives of 50 Indian women

Date: 7/7/2010

July 7, 2010

By Katelyn Gendron

Reminder Assistant Editor

WEST SPRINGFIELD -- Owning a cow in today's industrialized society may not seem like a top priority for many; however, for women in India, a cow is the difference between poverty and plenty.

Robert MacDonald of West Springfield, a board member of the town's Rotary Club, enlisted the help of his fellow Rotarians to change the lives of 50 women in Shimoga, India. The club, along with the help of its counterpart in Shimoga, has financed one cow for each woman via the Rotary International Foundation's Matching Grants Program at a cost of approximately $17,000.

"These women do not have any marketable vocational skills or an education, MacDonald said, adding that owning a cow elevates a woman's status in the home and in the community at large.

"It helps to alleviate some of the poverty and allows the women to be self-employed," he continued. "They increase their status by being able to provide for their children. It really boosts their self-esteem."

When asked why the West Springfield Rotary Club has taken up this cause for the second consecutive year, member Noreen Tassinari said, "Serving the needs throughout the world, be it a cow [or otherwise], is the mission of Rotary International."

She noted the cows are "specifically bred to yield a high quantity of milk, so the benefits last for years to come."

"It's a sustainable project that has such a great effect on the community," MacDonald said.