In India, the Lions Clubs have an aggregate membership of over 145,000 persons, many of whom are well-established business leaders. Though corporate support for the service clubs' activities in the country may not be much to speak about, the very presence of so many business leaders in the clubs' activities makes a good case for strong corporate support for the clubs' developmental programmes in future.

Lions Clubs in India work very closely with LCIF. Recently, the Foundation issued an emergency grant of $10,000 to provideimmediate assistance to the earthquake affected victims at Chamoli in the Garhwal region of Uttar Pradesh. Further, to strengthen the clubs' presence in India, the president elect of Lions Clubs International, James Ervin visited Delhi recently to inaugurate the Lions India Office, and to assess the progress of various Lions' projects in India. Ervin, a businessman, is a strong proponent of NGO-corporate-government partnership in social development activities.

Lions Clubs International through its Foundation has played a key role in initiating and monitoring `reversible and curable blindness' programmes in India. Under the `Sight First' programme, the Lions Clubs International had earmarked $12 million for undertaking prevention of avoidable blindness in the country. As per estimates, of the 38 million blind people in the world, nearly 12 million are in India. More than 80 per cent of the blindness is due to cataract, which is curable by a simple operation.

Under the `Sight First' programme, 23 Lionshospitals across the country, notably Lions Arvind Institute of Community Ophthamology (LAICO), Madurai, Lions Karnavati Eye Hospital, Ahmedabad, Lions KG Eye Hospital, Coimbatore, and Lions Hospital and Research Centre, New Delhi, have been treating curable blindness.

Ervin says that similar programmes in other spheres can be initiated in India with corporate support. ``We believe that most organisations wish to pursue good corporate citizenship,'' he says.

``Corporate organisations have the moral responsibility and obligation to improve the quality of life of their surrounding community,'' he adds.``By getting the governments and corporate organisations to work with us, we can accomplish very challenging tasks in community development,'' says Ervin. ``Corporate organisations believe that engaging their employees in social development activities will promote the self-development of their employees, which will have a positive reflection on their business,'' says he.

Naresh Aggarwal, internationaldirector of the Lions Clubs International, says that the``Kellog Foundation is contributing in a major way in social development programmes in India.''

``We have been able to accomplish tasks which government found difficult to realise. NGOs and governments must come together. Financial support and technical expertise will aid in community development,'' says heRohit C Mehta, former chairman of FICCI and currently national coordinator of Sight First Program in India, says the Lions Clubs have benefited immensely by the support extended by the House of Tatas. ``Lions Clubs with the support of the House of Tatas undertook a programme called Lions Quest in the municipal schools in Mumbai,'' says he.

Mehta is himself is a businessman. He is chairman of Rohit Mills Ltd, Rajesh Malleables Ltd and Rampion Eyetech Pvt. Ltd. He was also chairman of Indian Cotton Mills Federations, chairman of Gujarat State Export Corporation Ltd, and chairman of Gujarat Narmada Fertilizers Co. Ltd. Says Ervin, ``Lions Quest wasjudged the best programme for drug and violence prevention in the US. This programme is unique in that teachers, parents and students work together in this programme.''

``This has had a positive effect on the lives of millions in the US,'' he says. Says Mehta, ``We have already conducted similar programmes in Gujarat and parts of south India.'' says he.