Life & Style | People
Serving the Lions Club for three decades
Since 1979, Suresh Bhonsle and his wife Shobha have been active members of the Lions Club in India, which is part of Lions Clubs International, the world's largest volunteer service organisation.
- By Qadijah S. Irshad, Freelance Writer
- Published: 00:06 June 27, 2008
Since 1979, Suresh Bhonsle and his wife Shobha have
been active members of the Lions Club in India, which
is part of Lions Clubs International, the world's largest volunteer service organisation with clubs all over the world. Together they initiated, organised and collected funds for community projects.
All through their service-oriented journey, they've never wondered about which project needed their support because incidents always cropped up, like two cases in which patients suffered due to the high cost of a CT scan and the lack of hospitals offering them. One involved a stranger who pawned her thaali (Indian marital cord) to raise money for a CT scan for her husband.
"We were shocked," says Shobha, who was in Dubai with Suresh recently. "To remove the thaali while the husband is still alive is considered sacrilege."
The other involved Anusha, daughter of their friends Raji and Krishnan. "In the '80s, there was only one CT scanner in India, at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi.
We all lived in Pune and Anusha couldn't get the scan she needed. She was barely 10 when she passed away; she was the same age as our own daughter, Reshma," says Shobha.
Suresh and Shobha realised that a free CT scan centre would help save many lives. So they established one at the Sancheti Hospital in Pune the same year Anusha passed away. It is run by volunteers and more than 5,000 patients have received free scans.
Suresh, who is the zone chairman of the Lions Club, says that he and his wife come from families which believed in helping others. "My father had nine siblings and many nieces and nephews. Being the eldest, he shouldered most of the family responsibility.
This meant everything from looking out for their welfare to paying school fees when needed. He was service-minded, and he inspired me."
Shobha was also influenced by her father, who was
a police officer during the British rule in India. "My father used to say that if you want to do something, do it as a team rather than by yourself."
So when Suresh and Shobha married in 1973, they
decided to devote time to community service. Even after having children Reshma and Ashutosh, they maintained a balance between family and community life.
"My husband has always devoted time to family and Lions Club," says Shobha. "Although he had to manage his own printing press, he found time to help others. We have imbued our children with the selfless qualities of social service."
True to the Lions Club oath of spending their "time, talent and treasure for a cause", the Bhonsles have spent 29 years lending a helping hand to the less fortunate. They have also been involved with initiatives like free cataract hospitals, family planning support groups, offering free counselling and gynaecological check-ups, and free dental and eye check-ups. They also helped launch Jala Dindi, the movement to fight water pollution.
Asked what they derive from doing good, the Bhonsles say, "It's the satisfaction of knowing that you have helped in some little way to make this earth a better place."
– Qadijah S. Irshad, a freelance writer based in Sharjah
More from People
More from Life & Style
The complete magazine
Life & Style editor's choice
-
Ten simple ways to love yourself
Just a few small changes to your day can make a big difference
-
Style story: Make waves with beachwear
Life's a beach in this summer's gorgeous new swimwear
-
2012 Ford Focus: Smashingly good
The all-new Focus turned Imran Malik Hulk-green with rage at one point
