In the year 2018, you must have read about Jayvel, the son of a farmer whose family had hit the road due to drought. He started begging to live. Circumstances worsened when his father died and his mother became addicted to alcohol. At this time Jayvel was introduced to the Suyam Charitable Trust. And after this, his life changed completely. By loan, he was sent to Glander University in the UK as he had exceptional merit in studies. He is currently studying Aircraft Maintenance Engineering in the Philippines.
Jayvel’s story is just one story but there are hundreds of incredible stories that could be written by the efforts of Uma Venkatachalam and her husband Muthuram Narayanaswamy. Business Khabar In a conversation with him, he spoke about his work for the society and the constraints of our education system.
Uma had a childhood in a lower-middle-class family. His aunt, who was a teacher in a government school, helped Uma to progress. When she was 10, she helped to teach the vulnerable children of her aunt’s school.
This journey of Uma started in 1987. She got a scholarship through Ramakrishna Math when she studied in the tenth grade. She explains, “Because of this scholarship, I was able to move forward in life. I had told my family that if I completed all my studies with scholarship then my education would be for society. ” A year later, she visited other schools to teach and took care of patients at the hospital.
Uma wanted to break the myth that people who serve society are either illiterate or have not done anything in life. He continued his studies. And at the same time worked in the blood donation program, taking care of the children living in the streets, Uma helped people in every way. Uma also joined NSS during college days, where she got opportunities to meet many social workers.
She, along with her husband, started the Suyam Charitable Trust in 1999 to encourage street children to pursue education. She says, “I am willing to do anything for education; if this major change happens then everything will change.” Sometime later, during research, Uma learned about the situation of the beggars of the country.
Uma went into traffic signals and slums, understood their situation and started counselling the street children in which she would enlighten the children on the idea of a better life through education. Uma went to many schools for the admission of those children but she felt disappointed. He did not give up and decided to design his own curriculum.
For two decades, Uma and Muthuram have successfully rehabilitated 500 beggar families who are now working with them. Families that had been begging for generations have chosen their new path.
Uma says, “Self learning is the best way to learn. Humans have to understand that being human is the most important. “
Uma is not only a social worker and educationist but she is the real hero of society. His efforts have changed the lives of many people, who used to begging on the streets before. Uma has not only instilled hope in him but has also made him a good person.
