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Media Talks Vasavi Trust, a registered trust, wishes to assist deserving students from indigent circumstances, who find it difficult to pursue even primary education. Vasavi Trust was founded by V.R. Vasudevan IRSS. The trust is registered and approved by Income Tax department. Donation to the trust is exempted U/S 80 G. So far about 200 students have benefited through the Trust's efforts. MYLAPORE TIMES DATED MARCH 29-APRIL 4 2003 Vasavi Trust is making an effort towards conservation and environment protection. The trust appeals to parents of school children, not to throw away used notebooks, which still have unused pages in them. The trust will segregate the pages, rebind unused sheets and distribute them to needy children. DONATE USED TOYS & EXTEND HELP TO NEEDY CHILDREN Vasavi trust based in Mylapore has been active for 10 years serving the cause of Education for needy children. The trust has adopted balwadis at Nattan Thottam at mylapore and has been improving the conditions there for the welfare of children in the age group 1 to 5 years. The trust intends to provide toys for these children particularly toys promoting learning skills. So it wants Mylaporeans to contribute used toys to be given to these children. Used children's clothes can also be donated. MYLAPORE TIMES DATED 21.02.05 & APOLLO TIMES Dated 28.04.05 MEDICAL CAMP To commemorate its 10th year of service Vasavi Trust a non-profit organization conducted a medical camp at the Balwadi at Nattan Thottam Mylapore. About 80 Children in the age group of 1 ½ to 5 years and their mothers were screened by medical unit of the Perambur Sai Samaj on April 11. Medicines and nutritional supplements were distributed to the needy. Patients with serious ailments were referred to the specialists. VASAVI FOR EDUCATION "If your child wants to pursue education but is unable to do so due to lack of money, books or clothes; knock at our doors we will help you in some way or the other", assure members of the Vasavi Trust. They collect educative toys, books or used clothes for children and distribute them to those in need free of cost.The thrust area of the trust is to support education mainly for children from very poor families who do not get assistance from any other source. The objective is to inculcate the importance of basic education and training among children who have no access to proper education. The trust has received a lot of applications seeking funds for tuition fees, uniforms and books from children all over Tamil Nadu. They scrutinize the applications and help deserving students to pursue their studies. The trust has also rendered support to technical and computer education by providing expensive technical books to needy students on returnable basis so that more such students can be helped. They are proud to say that a handicapped boy from a slum in the neighbourhood, whose parents were illiterate street vendors, has completed his B.Com with their help. Balwadis in that locality were adopted by them as they were in crying need for improvement. Vasudevan's main aim was to bring an improvement in the lives of children attending these balwadis. Here children under the age of 5 are taken care of. The conditions of the floor and the building were so appalling that Vasudevan immediately took up the job of laying new flooring for them. For the comfort of the children there, the trust has provided lights and fans. They are also planning to provide clean drinking water and toilet facilities in the balwadis. But are unable to carry it out as they lack funds and support, voiced one of the trust members. They try to help schools who are in need of help. For instance a nearby Corporation school conducts special classes for children of class X after school hours. As the students become tired after a long day with studies, they are unable to concentrate. So the trust provided snacks and tea to children of the corporation school.They have also installed an aqua guard to meet the drinking water need of the children of Karpagavalli Vidhyalaya at Mylapore. The members are very particular about awareness of environment conservation. They try to propagate the concept of zero garbage to the kids. The ambition of the trust, which was declared a public charitable trust in 1999 is to bring about improvement in the society however small it may be. Its openhanded activities are continuing with greater vigour year after year. The mission is "To spread love and happiness among all, especially children who need them most". Any help to sustain the efforts of Vasavi Trust is welcome. FOSTERING EDUCATION OF CHILDREN "India is a land of plenty but in spite of it, the country faces a number of problems because of its unbridled population," says V.R. Vasudevan who has been closely associated with the Family Planning Association of India (FPAI) for the past 25 years. This exuberant 62 year-old man who took up voluntary retirement from the Railways is into a lot of social activities. He recently participated in an event of FPAI, which lent a helping hand to the Tsunami victims of Pudunedukuppam and Pazhanedukuppam about 70 km from Chennai. Here FPAI had arranged through Meenakshi Amman Musical Society & Bharathiyar Tamizh Sangam, Houston, U.S., new fiberglass boats and fishing nets. Being the great grandson of the educationalist, Pennathur Subramaniam, who is the founder of the P.S. High School in Mylapore, his mission is to improve the quality of education especially among poor children. To instill moral values and civic education in children, every year he delivers lectures at the P.S.High School (North). He also arranges for speeches by eminent speakers. "Children who excel in academics and sports are awarded a number of prizes and scholarships but there are very few who encourage children to take up social causes, so I have created a small corpus fund for outstanding N.S.S. volunteers and scouts / guides of each year for the P.S. group of Schools," he said. He also offered his services as an honorary consultant Engineer to the Ramakrishna Boys Home, Mylapore. Attracted by some of the policies of Tambras such as "We should mingle with every section of the society with a feeling of oneness", he joined the association in 2000 and has been working in the Mylapore unit. He is ably supported by his wife in all his endeavors. Together they took up a project of providing general education to the vidyarthis of the Veda patasala at Mylapore. The idea was to ensure that when they complete the Vedic education, they are also equipped with basic knowledge of Tamil, English, Maths, Science, History and Geography up to X std under non-formal system. Thus they wanted to help the vidyarthis to equip themselves to meet their basic needs and face the challenges of the new millennium. "This will also serve twin objectives of preserving the Vedic schools, from being closed forever, and at the same time provide quality education, without extravagant expenses. This effort will ensure opportunity for proper education to the most indigent students among the so-called forward communities who otherwise do not get any support from the Government or other sources," says Vasudevan. But they could not continue this service due to lack of support from the Patasala administration. Vasudevan's interest also spills over to carnatic music, religion and art. He has deep-rooted faith in the Ramayana and is now trying to delve deep into it. A series of Sri A.V.Narasimhachari's books on Ramayana of 1911 edition occupy a major part of his bookshelf. About his future service to the society he claimed: "I want to help poor and destitute children to grow to be useful citizens." MYLAPOREANS' TRUST FOR LESS PRIVILEGED CHILDREN The Vasavi Trust was founded by V.R.Vasudevan, who took voluntary retirement from the southern Railways where he was Cheif Materials Manager. The Trust has made considerable headway in providing education through non-formal system to children who are deprived of regular education, owing to economic or family circumstances. The trust was created out of the personal savings of Vasudevan, the Managing Trustee, in 1994. It was declared a Public charity Trust in May 1999, duly incorporating the clauses in conformity with those governing Public Charitable Trusts. A handicapped boy from a slum in the neighbourhood, whose parents are illiterate street vendors, was helped by the Trust. He is now a B.Com graduate, and is doing C.A. He is also gainfully employed and his family is enjoying a higher standard of living. Other children in the family, following his example have completed their education and are getting employed," says Vasudevan. MYLAPORE TIMES DATED MARCH 2001 What peoples say about the Trust VHS (Voluntary Health Services) Chennai thanked Vasavi Trust for their timely help to a poor lady and for meeting her medical expenses. Voluntary Health Services Chennai 16-12-1999 WORLD VISION Awarded to Mr. V.R. Vasudevan in appreciation of an outstanding contribution to nation building and helping needy boys and girls towards a better future. Dr. Jayakumar Christian National Director I would like to thank Vasavi Trust for the timely help. Because of that only I am able to finish my Diploma and B.E in Electronic and Communication Engineering with first class. K. Sathish Kumar, JAIGOPAL GARODIA NATIONAL HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL " VASAVI TRUST" has been helping Education of P S Sathish Kumar who is now studying in standard IX Section 'O' of Jaigopal Garodia National Higher Secondary School, Tambaram, Chennai-59 for the past two years. His father P Subramani hailing from a very poor family and who works as a Casual Laborer would not have continued the Education of their children but for the timely support rendered by VASAVI TRUST. Headmaster VASAVI TRUST has been helping education of K. Hemalatha and E. Praveen Kumar who are now studying in Standard II of Brindavan Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Triplicane, Chennai 600 005 for the past three years. We, the mothers Selvi and Shanthi are from very poor family and would not have continued the education of their children, but for the support rendered by VASAVI TRUST. |