LN-4 Artificial Hand Camp at Achalpur Meena and I visited her native place Achalpur last September for a short stay. I had not visited the Rotary Club, Achalpur (RID 3030) for many years and therefore thought “Why not?” So Meena’s cousin Suresh Deshmukh and I attended their weekly meeting. I presented our LN-4 project to the Achalpur Rotarians and got them sufficiently interested to hold such a camp. Their President Rtn Mahendra Agarwal, Secretary Rtn Dhananjay Nakil and Director Medical Projects Rtn Dr Rajendra Bhansali with some others took interest, did publicity work and finally the camp was held last week on 20-21 February 2016 together with a Jaipur Foot Camp sponsored by a youth organization from Raipur, M.P. The LN-4 team from our club (Rtns Shabbir Jamnagarwala and Pradeep Munot, with our expert Nitin Kundale) came to Badnera by train on 20th (Rtn Rajesh Gupta came the next day), to be received by the Achalpur Rotarians and taken to a newly constructed hotel at Achalpur (the quality of which was vouched for by Shabbir). Meena and I were undecided about joining the camp because two of her brothers from the US and their wives were staying with us. Finally however we decided to go but had to fly to Nagpur and drive down from there to Achalpur. On Saturday the 20th, Pradeep, Shabbir and Nitin familiarized some 15 members of RC Achalpur and 12 NSS student-volunteers from the local college about the entire process concerning the LN-4 project using a PPT presentation, orientation and training. This was preceded by the visit of Pradeep, Shabbir, Nitin and the three local Rotarians named above to Meena’s ancestral home for lunch. As remarked by Pradeep “Royal hospitality in the majestic Deshmukh Wada was a grand experience. Thanks to Meenatai Latey’s cousin Suresh ji and niece Madhuri ji, we enjoyed a lavish varhadi pahunchar” (= hospitality of Vidarbha). Next day (21st) the camp started at about 10 a.m. Rajesh had also arrived by then. Registration of 70+ possible beneficiaries was recorded but of these a total of only 35 were found to be eligible to receive the arm. Almost all of the people were victims of agriculture related accidents. A live demonstration of the entire process was given by Nitin, Rajesh, Pradeep, Shabbir and Anil to the volunteers and the host Rotarians. Anil also requested the Rotarians to be in constant attendance throughout the camp to participate in the entire process first-hand, so that next time they can do the camp on their own or with another club from their District. We recount here the experience of just one beneficiary: Ms Neha Rathi, a young and dynamic bank officer from Nagpur. She had lost her hand several years ago in an accident. She had earlier visited a camp where a prosthesis was given to her. She however found it heavy, cumbersome and of no use; she discarded it and resigned to her fate of living with only one hand. After our LN-4 camp was announced, her uncle Rtn Malu from Achalpur told her about it; but she was skeptical: “Mama ji, it’s enough now” she said. Finally, upon his insistence she reluctantly came to Achalpur. Very happy with the new hand, she herself offered to speak before a video camera. So charged is she now to spread LN-4 to this part of our State that she has decided to organise an LN-4 camp at Nagpur. Quite a few of the hopefuls did not have hand below the elbow; eight cases of short residual stump were identified. Their measurements were taken by the team from Raipur and they will get the LN-4 hand with an extension. The camp aroused great interest in the general public and the elite. The local MLA Mr Bachhu Kadu, the Zilla Parishad chairman Mrs Aruna Rajendra Gorle and the local media visited the camp. Many of the beneficiaries gladly expressed their gratitude saying that they will use the hand which is light and that they are saved the hardship and trouble of going far away to get a hand. An eye and organ donation awareness presentation was also made by Pradeep and Shabbir to the Rotarians, Inner Wheel members, medical professionals and other citizens of Achalpur late in the evening of the 21st. All in all, it was a satisfying project, although the turnout could have been larger. We also thank our new friends, the Achalpur Rotarians for their cooperation and interest.