Posted on Jun 28, 2017
Rotary Club of New Berin, New Berlin Rotary, Erica Moranski
 
East meets West in New Berlin
 
By Rotarian Erica Moranski
 
Meet Rotarian Reji Chacko and his wife, Shoba. My husband, Jeff, and I had the distinct pleasure of hosting Reji and Shoba for a week in our home as part of District 6270's 2017 Friendship Exchange. 
 
Reji and Shoba were part of a group of 10 couples from India who visited southeastern Wisconsin in May. All attended the District 6270 Conference, held in Milwaukee. Many of the couples went on to attend the National Convention in Atlanta. Although Reji and Shoba are seasoned travelers, this was their first trip to America. 
 
Reji Chacko is a 30+ year member, past president, and Paul Harris Fellow. Reji belongs to the Rotary Club of Cochin. Founded in 1936, it is the oldest club in District 3201. Cochin is in the State of Kerala, the southernmost state in India. Reji and Shoba are passionate about service, and Rotary is very much part of their daily lives. 
 
A retired business owner, Reji is also an avid sports enthusiast; cricket is his passion. He currently is chairman of the International Fellowship of Cricket Loving Rotarians (IFCR) for district 3201, and has been conducting inter-club cricket tournaments in Rotary for the last 28 years. 
 
Rotary has made a significant impact on the lives of many in India. Polio eradication efforts in India started in 1995, and have had a huge impact on the culture there. Currently India is polio free, much in part due to Rotary’s campaign and immunization support.
 
Service projects for the Rotary Club of Cochin include providing a free meal weekly at a local school, running free eye and dental clinics, providing free heart surgeries, funding plumbing projects in schools, and so much more. Many of its members are Paul Harris Fellows.
 
It was such a pleasure to share our home with this remarkable couple. Reji and Shoba enjoyed all that Milwaukee has to offer. However, one of the highlights of their visit was visiting Rotary, International's headquarters in Evanston, Ill. 
 
We are very excited for our January visit to India to learn much more about Rotary in India as well as experiencing the Indian culture.