Mission

அறம் செய விரும்பு Enjoy giving alms.

"அன்ன சத்திரம் ஆயிரம் வைத்தல் ஆலயம்பதி னாயிரம் நாட்டல்,

அன்ன யாவினும் புண்ணியம் கோடி ஆங்கோர் ஏழைக் கெழுத்தறி வித்தல்"

 "Giving education to poor children is the biggest help that a person can do for the mankind"

-Poet Subramanya Bharathiyar-

My Profile:
My long time dream of helping my village school came true this year through my children. I born and raised in this small village Kakkalani. Since my dad ran a small shop I know all the people not only from this village and also from the neighboring villages. I got my primary education from this village's only school, Aided Primary School which is within few yard from my home is about 100 years old.  I went to Thevur High School for my middle and high school education about 3 miles east of Kakkalani. After I passed S.S.L.C I went to AVVM Sri Pushpam College, Poondi for college education.

After I graduated from the college (B.Sc.) I went to Bombay for job where my brother was already living there. While I was working there I further educated Diploma in Computer Management (D.C.M) and I also obtained Post Graduate Degree (M.A) in History from Madras University by correspondence education.

After I married my wife I migrated to United States of America. Now I am living with my three children in the USA.

Mission:
I always wanted to do something for my village particularly in the educational field which will help many village kids' life and their family.  My children here in the USA enjoying so many facilities and things in abundance without knowing the value and scarcity in our villages. When we visited first time (after 10 years) India after I migrated to USA, I took my children to Kakkalani village and show them my childhood school and the people whom I grow with. They felt very sympathetic to the village kids and wanted to help them - I was so happy and device a plan to implement in a way it will be usefull for the village school as well as my children.

One of my children's school Principal in the USA accepted to recognise the project under their community service program. In April 2009 we collected information, pictures and videos form Kakkalani through my college mate Mr. S. Gunasekaran, Kumbakonam and my childhood friend Mr. S. Rajendran from Kakkalani and we did some research on the web and submitted the report to the school Principal in USA. He was pleased and approved the project. Kakkalani school was in very bad shape (see pictures in this section) and it needed our help very badly! It was a timely help for the school. In 2005 Chitra was one of top three raised most money for Katrina Relief fund in her school - so she had little experience. We organised some fundraising sale in July 2009 donating varity of items from our business. Also we appealed our friends and families in the USA. We collected about 40% of required funds from the public and other 60% were funded by our family. In the meantime we contacted the school correspondent  Mr. T. Rengarajan and Mr. R Rajendran, Head Master to get the permission and approval and they agreed to accept our help.

My cousin Mr. P. Jayabal, Chennai was most instrumental of this project's success who I can trust to carryout our project. He made few trips to Kakkalani to construct the new toilet building, refurbhising the school building, buying games, sports items, school supplies, computer etc.  On our 2nd trip to India on July 28, 2009 we all went to the school and we successfully completed our dream project and handed over to the school management. We also fulfilled the school request of having a secured computer room and we just helped and sent the fund in September 2009.

There is one more request from the school is pending to make a movable partition to separate each classes can have a little privacy while they are teaching kids.  We promised to provide this partition within this school year!

We are very happy for successfully accomplished our mission. My children learned all together new lessons, experience, joy of sharing with others and have a taste of pleasure in giving needy people.

So our family motto is: அறம் செய விரும்பு Enjoy giving alms.

Other information about this project, please see our "Mission Accomplished" section of this Blog.

Ravi

Mission Accomplished - India Kakkalani Village School Project

Mission Accomplished - India Project village (Kakkalani) School July 2009.

Thank you!

We just returned from India after completing our India school project. It was a wonderful and unforgettable experience with the village (Kakkalani) people and school children. Our little help brought so much happiness and joy to the children and the village people. We are very happy and proud that we accomplished most of the things the school needed and the help we given will be benefited to the village children many years to come with the help of our friends and familes of the People of America.

Prominent among those help is school building renovation and painting, new Toilet building for boys and girls, File cabinet, new Desktop Computer with multifunction Printer,new Gate for school compound, about 40 reading glasses for elderly poor people in the village, school supplies and some sports and game items. Village people and school childen were so happy to receive all items donated to the school. We arrived Kakkalani village on July 27, 2009. On July 28th Chitra, Suhatra and Kanakapriya of USA along with school children cleaned the school building inside and outside. Then they did many activities with the school children through out the day are Yoga, Sing a long, discussion etc. Please see the pictures posted at Slide Show section.

During the function Subhatra and Kanakapriya performed Indian classical dance "Bharatanatyam" for the village people. Our family was honored by the village people with garland, shiled and many shawls with gratitude! They also presented a sheild to BHS for their help and support for this project. Also, they sent a translated Tamil classic (lierature) "Thirukural" written 2000 years ago, to each school of ours in the USA. We have a great satisfaction of helping needy children and we are committed to upgrade this school as and when it needed!

We wanted to thanks to the Principal, BHS, CT,  Mr. Mathivanan, Officer for Aided Primary Schools, Kilvelur, Mr. R. Rajendran, Head Master, Kakkalani, Mr. T. Rengarajan,School Correspondent, Kakkalni and all who attend the function and well wishers of Kakkalani.

Once again thanks to all of your help on our India School (Kakkalani)Project.

Sincerely,

Chitra, Subha, Priya and our family

Our thoughts and wishes!

We wish other to follow this example to help their village in anyway they want and anything they can afford! Our ideas and experience will be shared! Your feedback may be sent to help2jc@gmail.com and will be appreciated.

ஏழை எளிய மக்களின் வரி பணத்தில் நாம் கல்வி பெற்று வெளிநாடுகளில் சௌகரியமாக வாழும்பொழுது, நாம் வளர்ந்த இடத்தையும் அவர்களால் நாம் அடைந்த பயனையும் மறக்காமல் நம்மால் முடிந்த அளவுக்கு நம் ஊருக்கு உதவ வேண்டும். 'தானுண்ட நீரைத் தலையாலே தான் தருதல் போல'
We been educated by poor people's tax money and been comfortably living abroad or in other places. It is our duty to help our village back home without forgetting them. You don’t have to be rich to help poor but if you have a big heart you can help! A small amount of our money and little effort will give lots of comfort and pride to our village people .

School Kids gathered under tree shade

Kids from USA teaching Yoga

School Kids with kids from USA

New Book case cum Safe steel Almirah

New Computer for the School and with District Educational officer.

New Bath Room Facility for the school.

After Renovation 2009

Before Renovation - Kakkalani School

Kakkalani

Village Kakkalani

Kakkalani – Ka=Forest, Kalani=Paddy field or Farmland. Village is full of green trees and farmlands.


Legend about Kakkalani: Kakkalani village is a donation of (60 Veli) lands to 60 families by the Chola king in Tamil Nadu, India. Few centuries ago one of the Chola Prince had killed a cat or calf.  Killing certain animal is considered  big sin in those days! To resolve the sin he build a temple and donated 60 Veli (1 veli = about 6.66 acre) lands to 60 families! This village total area is about 400 acres = 60 Veli!

Kakkalani is a small remote Tamil village surrounded by paddy fields in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, India.  About 25 miles away from coastal town Nagapattinam. About 550 families live there and are composed of small farmers and agricultural laborers. In this village, there is a small elementary school that provides an education to the village children from 1st to 5th grade. Total students in this village school are about 125 with 3/4 teachers. A local sponsor manages the school with assistance from the state government.

Nearest town is Thiruvarur and is about 7 miles from Kakkalani. Nearest Raliway station is Adiyakkamangalam about 2 miles. There are 3 major temples are there (1) Sivan Koil (2) Mariamman Koil (3) Perumal Koil and many Pillaiyar koils are there in the village. There are many water ponds are there will be dried during the summer. There is a River called Kaduvaiyar running through the Kakkalani village and finally ends at Bay of Bengal sea at Nagapattinam. This river and many water canals are major part of irrigational system and supply water to paddy fields and other crops.

During the summer time river is almost dry and water will be found under the sand or some may be at the deepest places of the river. It is a good place for passing time or play Kabadi on the golden sand. This is almost a beach for the villagers!

=We just started this blog. More infos and photos will be added and will be fine tuned progressively -Ravi