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Saturday, January 2, 2016

Flood rehabilitation ~ SYMA at Kottur High School 2016

Dec 2015 would remain etched in the memory of Chennaiites ~ for the devastation that followed incessant rains.  I have earlier posted about the relief works that SYMA did at various places.

After the initial days, we regrouped to strategically do some rehabilitation and we are committed to reaching out the needy utilising all those donations made to us by philanthropists.    Like many other places, Kottur was once a village – TNSC in its wisdom constructed flats in the river bed, since it was the dead-end at that time.  Puram means exterior in Tamil and hence Kotturpuram.  This area was worst affected in 1977 and now too !  In the recent rains, Kottur too was badly affected.   Through Mr SR Ragunathan, Chief Photo editor, The Hindu, we came in contact with the Mrs Kalpana, HM of Chennai High School, at New Street, Kottur.   The teachers here guided by HM displayed great care and concern for the students of this school.  We organised through EMRI [special thanks to Mr B Prabhudoss] counselling for the affected students and provided some relief.

The HM & teachers had identified 83 students as affected – coordinating with them, we arranged to take dress measurements and organised one set of uniform and one colour dress for all of them.  The school management also sought some additional support for 30 families [of their students] badly affected.

Today, we went to the School – handed over the stitched dress material as also family kits that consisted of : kerosene stove; some utensils including tumblers, spoons; 3 kgs of rice; 1 ltr of Goldwinner refined oil; tur dhall; tamarind; red mirchi; tooth paste; soap and cleaning detergents.  Around 20 students only were present today – though we had planned only to handover the material to the school, the HM and her staff organised a small meeting.  We were delighted to hear the confident words of students who despite their hardships were focussed to studying well and progressing in the future. 

The delight on the face of students on seeing the coloured dress – is worth the efforts that volunteers of SYMA have been taking these days.  The rains and devastation certainly were unhappy ones – we as responsible citizens are doing out mire in making the Society a better place – and We feel happy that year 2016 has started in the right earnest for us.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar
Secretary, SYMA

2nd Jan 2016.








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