Vanmathi’s Story: Skills are the Key to Success

Emerging from formal education at the age of 22, Vanmathi found herself struggling to find employment. Vanmathi was a bright girl and not uneducated; after finishing 12th Standard at a girls’ government school in Ambattur, she completed a 4-year BE course at Veltech College, Avadi. Despite this, Vanmathi struggled to access the job market as she lacked practical skills and experience. Her father works as a driver and her mother is a housewife, while her older brother works for a small company in Chennai. Her family’s financial situation meant that skills training courses were out of reach for Vanmathi.

By sheer fortune, a friend came to Vanmathi’s aid by recommending Sevalaya’s Community College in Ambattur. Vanmathi’s friend had recently completed a Tally course there, and conveyed Sevalaya’s provision of free practical skills training to her. Soon enough, by November 2017, Vanmathi herself had enrolled onto Sevalaya’s 4.5 month E-publishing course. Sevalaya’s Community College equipped her not only with publishing skills, but with a chance to take Spoken English and yoga classes alongside other young people in a similar position. Speaking of her experience at the Community College, Vanmathi expressed that ‘it became like a family to me’.

Now, having started an internship at Flatirons Jouve in Chennai, Vanmathi has secured her place in the job market. This internship, organised by Sevalaya’s Community College, is the start of a prosperous working life for her – one that she hopes will fulfil her lifelong ambition of being able to support her family. Vanmathi’s story is a perfect example of how practical skills training can transform a life – Sevalaya is immensely proud to have supported Vanmathi and wishes her all the best for the future.

Sangeetha's Story: an empowered entrepreneur

Sangeetha lives with her mother, father and her younger sister. She dreamt of a career in the fashion industry but, when her father had an accident, she had to drop out of her BBA beacause of financial difficulty. The family were forced to sell many of their possessions to send their youngest daughter to College, because, as a young woman in the workplace, many were attempting to exploit her.

Sangeetha took a year out, then did a short fashion design course, but was unsure where to go next; she knew she would need practical skills, not just a degree, to get her into a decent job. Her father’s physiotherapist recommended Sevelaya Community College in Ambattur. Here, she was able to join a free course in Tally, which were previously not an option for Sangeetha as Tally courses can costs between Rs. 25 to 30 thousand. Armed with her new skills, she is now in her final year of BBA correspondance and has a CCO role at LE Service Centre.

When speaking of her 4 months at Sevalaya, the 21 year old expressed how it was so much more than a Tally course. Students are taught typing, spoken English and yoga, as well as the practical training; Sangeetha explains this made her feel a much more confident in herself. In her own words: ‘I wouldn’t even mind coming to class on Sundays!’ She still aspires to get involved with business and fashion, ultimately opening her own boutique. Sevalaya wishes Sangeetha every success and is excited to see what else the future holds for this talented young woman.

Alumni: Manickam's Story

As a child P Manickam (name changed) was brought to Swami Vivekananda Boys Home in May 2015, after being referred by District Child Protection Officer, M S Syed Rawoof. He enrolled in Sevalaya’s Mahakavi Bharathiyar Community College, and was trained in A/C and refrigeration.

A Std IX drop-out and in conflict with law, P Manickam came from a broken home and his mother was the sole bread winner. When he came to Sevalaya he was an addict of paan and other tobacco products. It was difficult to handle his tantrums in the hostel, as he was finding it difficult to get rid of his habits. He would get into altercations with his room-mates, and his personality was very different from other boys. Care was taken to ensure that his habits did not spread to other boys staying in the hostel; the matrons in the hostel monitored his well-being throughout the day. Regular counselling was given to him by a professional at the hostel, which thankfully made a great impact in his life. Constant monitoring and mentoring worked wonders for P Manickam, who was then sent for a one month intern-ship in Control Engineering, Guindy. After completing his intern-ship he was placed in a public sector undertaking, where he is now a trainee service engineer.

Sevalaya has turned Manickam’s life around for the better. We wish Manickam all the best in life.

Manickam's story is one of the many success stories from Sevalaya alumni who continue to highly achieve in their lives and various pursuits after leaving, all while keeping a close bond with Sevalaya and its community.

Alumni: Narmatha's Story

Narmatha Inbaraj gained a medical degree from Davao Medical School Foundation Philippines in 2017, making her the first Sevalaya alumnus to become a doctor. She completed her schooling at Sevalaya in 2012. She sat the FMG exam conducted by the Medical Council of India and waited to complete a year’s practical training before embarking on her dream career of being a doctor. This is no mean feat considering her underprivileged background - her mother worked as a vegetable vendor but always determined that her daughter would succeed as a doctor. Narmatha, though bright, could not secure a medical seat after completing XII and instead went to the Philippines to study medicine. Stepping out from a village background to a different place where she could communicate only in English was a big challenge. “The exposure I got at Sevalaya and the participation in various extra-curricular activities helped me. Whenever I felt down, the words of Vivekananda installed through the years in school helped me to regain confidence and overcome all obstacles”, she observed. Before starting her practical training, she volunteered to teach biology to students of
the Higher Secondary classes at Sevalaya and share her experiences. After a year-long training period, she has agreed to serve as a doctor in Sevalaya’s Medical Centre.

Narmatha's story is one of the many success stories from Sevalaya alumni who continue to highly achieve in their lives and various pursuits after leaving, all while keeping a close bond with Sevalaya and its community.

Alumni: G Kavitha's Story

G Kavitha, a Std XII student, was declared district champion with three golds – in 200 Metre sprint, Long jump and Triple jump. Previously she had been interested in sports, but she never realized her potential untill the Sevalaya sports department and Physical Instructor spotted her talents. Subsequently, Sevalaya staff motivated Kavitha by encouraging her to follow a strict exercise regime, and showing her videos of famous Indian and International sports stars and their achievements. Kavitha’s commitment to her training resulted in a succession of medals in 2016 - she won a medal for every event in which she competed. She was later declared the champion in her age category at the Sports Development Authority of Tamilnadu (SDAT) tournament in Thiruvallur. Now, Kavitha has set her eyes on a sub 24 second 200 metre race.

Apart from the training regimen of a minimum of two hours per day, Sevalaya provides her with nutritious food, and sports gear with spikes and jerseys. Coming from an underprivileged background has not limited Kavitha’s success, thanks to the complete backing of her parents and support from the training staff at Sevalaya.

G Kavitha's story is one of the many success stories from Sevalaya alumni who continue to highly achieve in their lives and various pursuits after leaving, all while keeping a close bond with Sevalaya and its community.

Alumni: Ashok's Story

Ashok Shankar was born in a poor agriculture coolie family in a village near Sevalaya. His parents didn’t have the means to send him to school and educate him. Without the timely intervention of Sevalaya, Ashok would have ended up as a child labourer. However he took Std X and Std XII Board exams at Sevalaya School and scored very high marks. He achieved second position in the school in 12th grade, scoring 1098 out of 1200. His Maths teacher, who in spite of being sick, came to school and took classes so that his students didn’t suffer, inspired Ashook to be a dedicated student and aim high - thus he scored 199 out of 200 in Maths. This impressive score enabled him to get a place in Anna University in the merit list to study electronics and communication engineering.
Ashok was deeply moved by Swami Vivekananda’s teachings and started reading more about him in Sevalaya’s library. He understood the power of meditation and he says that helped him in developing a good memory.

He did well in Anna University, completing the course with good scores. He got his first job in Lionbridge technologies and started making small contributions to Sevalaya, while taking an active part in Alumni association. After a year, he got an offer from Cognizant Technology Solutions (CTS). When he got his first salary, he donated the entire amount to Sevalaya. Part of his generous donation will support the education of children who are facing the same position he did. A inspiring instance of what goes around comes around.

Ashok's story is one of the many success stories from Sevalaya alumni who continue to highly achieve in their lives and various pursuits after leaving, all while keeping a close bond with Sevalaya and its community.

Alumni: Devi's Story

Rare are the people who come from impoverished families, yet manage to always find hope, gather strength, and overcome their difficult circumstances. In Sevalaya, we find many such children who have grown successfully and inspired others to do the same.

One such person is R. Devi, a daughter of migrant construction labourers. Joining the police force has been her dream ever since childhood. Devi came to Sevalaya School in Std. III; she was a quiet, determined and a hard-working girl with a flair for mathematics. She passed class X with 80%, scoring 100 in Mathematics. Devi went on to choose bio maths and passed Std XII securing 77%. Through Sevalaya she gained a scholarship in Murugappa polytechnic college and completed her diploma in Computer Science. This helped her get a job in a leading BPO. Furthermore, having a great passion for sports, Ms Devi has won several prizes. She never gave up on her dream of becoming a police officer, in fact this ambition became stronger every day. She filled the required forms from the Central Reserve Police Force and vigorously practiced for the physical fitness tests. She took the tests in 2011, however was unable to attain a merit seat. But she never gave up. Persistently, she tried again and finally got through in 2013. Once a shy girl, who struggled with communication, Devi can now speak three languages, Tamil, English and Hindi.

R. Devi's story is one of the many success stories from Sevalaya alumni who continue to highly achieve in their lives and various pursuits after leaving, all while keeping a close bond with Sevalaya and its community.

Alumni: V Tamilarasi's Story

V Tamilarasi approached Sevalaya for guidance in pursuing her career, after finishing her school final at Govt High school. Under guidance from Sevalaya, she joined the Computer course (MS Office, and desktop skills) at Sevalaya’s community college. She was the first in her family to attend school.
After completing the short time course in November 2015, she went to an interview conducted by Cafe Coffee at Sevalaya campus. Instantly she was selected, and asked to report to Mylapore office, in the city, for training. After successfully completing her training, she was posted to Thirumazhisai (Bangalore Chennai highway). Her entire family was very happy. Sevalaya feels immensely proud of her success: despite being from a rural background, she has been able to secure a honourable career.

V Tamilarasi's story is one of the many success stories from Sevalaya alumni who continue to highly achieve in their lives and various pursuits after leaving, all while keeping a close bond with Sevalaya and its community.

Alumni: Ilayaraaja's Story

Ilayaraaja's father passed away when he was very young and his mother sold peanuts in Thirunindravur railway station. Unable to educate him, his mother left Ilayaraja at Sevalaya when he was a small boy. Here, he completed his schooling successfully and went on to complete his higher studies in Computer Science with the help of Sevalaya. Today, Ilayaraja is a globe-trotting software engineer in a leading IT firm abroad. After he expressed his eagerness to contribute back to the community which raised him, Ilayaraaja became one of the trustees. Whenever he is in India, he spends all his weekend with the children, thus providing a living role model for the Sevalaya children.

Ilayaraaja's story is one of the many success stories from Sevalaya alumni who continue to highly achieve in their lives and various pursuits after leaving, all while keeping a close bond with Sevalaya and its community.

Alumni: Radha's Story

Radha, a girl from a poor family, studied in Sevalaya School from 6th to 12th. She also successfully completed the beautician course at Sevalaya’s Community College. Now she has become a self-made entrepreneur, opening a beauty parlour in her village Kavanur. Meanwhile, her husband is engaged in agriculture, cultivating and selling jasmine flowers in the market every day. Radha’s parlour was inaugurated by V Muralidharan on 10th February 2016. Radha and her husband were particularly grateful to Sevalaya for its supporting her throughout. Therefore they appreciated Mr V Muralidharan’s blessing.

Radha's story is one of the many success stories from Sevalaya alumni who continue to highly achieve in their lives and various pursuits after leaving, all while keeping a close bond with Sevalaya and its community.

Alumni: Mahalakshmi's Story

Mahalakshmi was admitted to Sevalaya by her distant relatives, after losing her parents at a very young age. At Sevalaya Mahalakshmi completed her higher secondary and Sevalaya supported her pursuit of a Diploma in Nursing in Gandhi Gram University. Sevalaya conducted the wedding of Mahalakshmi and Mr. Raja, son of Pichaimuthu and Veluthai of Karur District, in a beautiful traditional ceremony on 20/02/2011. A large number of donors and well wishers besides the residents of Sevalaya Homes were personally present and blessed the couple and their marriage.

Mahalakshmi's story is one of the many success stories from Sevalaya alumni who continue to highly achieve in their lives and various pursuits after leaving, all while keeping a close bond with Sevalaya and its community.

                                

Plaque With Inscription

Sevalaya, in its continued initiatives in the matter of Rural Development activities, undertook Desilting of 2000 year old pond in Somanathapuram, Uthramerur, Kancheepuram district. Hyundai Glovis supported this project for Sevalaya, as part of their CSR initiative. To make the project much effective and efficacious, Sevalaya resilt the pond and Solar lamps installed around the pond and thus make the area illuminative too.

While undertaking the work, Sevalaya, to the surprise of all, could find a plaque and understand that it assumes greater historical importance.

What we could gather from the facts written in the plaque is that, Uthiramerur had excellent civic amenities during Pallava kingdom. Particularly a famous king from Pallava dynasty had fixed a plaque, in which details of exemplary administration were narrated. From the inscriptions it can be found that the King gave an excellent administration to give all the facilities to the people.

The inscriptions read:  The plaque would have been installed during 894 AD  by Pallava King, Kamba Varman. It was a group called Sankarapadiar who were hereditarily engaged in trading activity (oil merchants).

Sevalaya wishes to acknowledge the help from Thiru Sridharan, a Retired Officer from State Archeology Department. He has helped us in interpreting the inscriptions and given text.

Joy of Giving : The Way of Life

30 years in an organisation’s life is a milestone.

Now is the time to pause, reflect on what Sevalaya has achieved, the impact it has created in 3 decades. Looking back, Sevalaya has been there for the underprivileged section in all stages of life.

Sevalaya provides a secured home for children, providing the basic needs of food, clothing, accommodation,good education and health care all in an atmosphere of love, care and affection.

Sevalaya ‘s main goal is that all opportunities available to the urban, elite children must be opened up for the rural underprivileged children also. Sevalaya has brought the Montessori method of education, hitherto considered to be the privilege of the urban rich, to the rural poor children in Kasuva and surrounding villages in Thiruvallur. There is a marked difference in the learning capabilities and the behaviour of the children in the Montessori section. Awareness sessions on personal health and hygiene, especially for girls, counselling sessions for the adolescent children are regularly conducted. Regular classes for Bharathanatyam and classical Carnatic music are conducted. The Kasuva centre has video conferencing facility and many volunteers who are experts in their respective fields, regularly take classes through V con for the children.

Individual talents of the children are identified and nurtured. The students’ talent in Sports are spotted early and are groomed well. Sevalaya has produced District level players in Athletics, and State level in Hand ball. The children also get an opportunity to explore their creative talents, be it writing stories/ poems, drawing etc. Every month the Joy of giving: the way of life children bring out a manuscript magazine “Vidiyal” (Dawn). Many paintings of the children are also published in the children’s section in the weekly supplement of popular dailies like The Hindu, Dinamani etc.,

After completing school, Sevalaya also takes care of the higher education of its children. For those who are not academically bright, vocational training is provided through the community colleges and the organisation ensures that they are employed and stand on their own feet.

Sevalaya has conducted 3 weddings. The daughters who are married off are happily settled and are in touch with the organisation. Sevalaya participates in their family functions too.

Due to vast improvement in medical technology, longevity of human life has increased giving rise to associated social issues like rise in age related illnesses, need for long term care, increasing costs of health care etc. Sevalaya has stepped in to this area as well. The poor and the destitute old people are given a decent living till the end at the free old age home which provides secured accommodation and takes care of all their personal and health care needs.

Sevalaya also gives a dignified send off to the elders who have passed away in the home. Not just the humans, Sevalaya also has a place for the destitute animals. The gaushala at Sevalaya provides shelter for the dry cows.

From cradle to grave, Sevalaya offers its services to the poor and destitute in all stages of life.

Many a children who have grown up in Sevalaya are now well placed. There has been a paradigm shift in their life style and they have provided a nice home for their children. They have broken the shackle of poverty which bound them and has risen up in life and Sevalaya is happy that it had a role to play in bringing about this positive transformation.

Thanks & Regards,
Sevalaya Murali