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