Tamilarasan - School Sponsors an Indian child

When Ayton School closed the children were involved in sponsoring a child – Tamilarasan - through “Plan International India.” As this was a long-term project the School Committee decided in 1997 that some Parent Association funds should be used to continue to sponsor Tamilarasan’s education. Each year Robert Campbell receives an update of his progress – reproduced here together with two photographs.

If you would like to know more about "Plan International India" there is a most comprehensive website.

I am sure you are eager to hear about the progress made by Tamilarasan and his family. My name is Padmavathy and I am a community volunteer working in the community of Annai Sathya Nagar, where Tamilarasan lives. I recently visited Tamilarasan's family and spoke with Tamilarasan's mother Krishnaveni. We talked about many things and during our conversation she told me of the changes which had taken place in the last year both for the family and also within the community.

Tamilarasan's progress. Let me start by telling you about Tamilarasan. As you can see from the photograph he is growing up fast and Krishnaveni told me that he enjoys dancing, riding a bicycle and cricket. He says that he would like to be an architect when he grows up. Children know that they play an important part in the family life and are proud of their responsibilities although such tasks can sometimes be very time consuming. Tamilarasan helps his family to fetch water for the house. Tamilarasan is attending the primary school and enjoys being with his friends. He travels by foot and it takes him less than 30 minutes to get there. This year he is in the fifth grade. Over the last year Tamilarasan's performance at school has been average. His favourite lessons at school are mathematics, local language and English.

Strengthening a Friendship. Tamilarasan is able to write his own letters. Tamilarasan and his family are looking forward to strengthening their friendship with you. It gives them a warm feeling to see that you have shown concern for them.

Tamilarasan's Family. There have been no changes to the family living in the household over the last year so Tamilarasan continues to live with the following people:

Krishnaveni, his mother - she works as a maid.
Jayachandran, his father - he works as a construction worker.
Tamilselvan, his brother - he is attending the primary school.

Tamilarasan's health. Krishnaveni told me that fortunately Tamilarasan has been healthy over the last year.

Where Tamilarasan and his family live. The house which Tamilarasan and his family live in is owned in partnership with relatives. The family lives in a small house made of brick with a thatched roof.

Progress and Achievements. In addition to the small daily changes that happen in any family around the world, Tamilarasan and his family together with their friends and neighbours have worked hard over the last year to improve their standard of living. Participating in community meetings and sharing responsibility for carrying out projects is an important role in the community's partnership with PLAN.

All their efforts together with your valuable support have made the following projects possible, projects that will benefit the whole community either now or in the future. The attached photograph illustrates one of these projects.

Medical checkups were being conducted in the neighbourhoods to help people to get checked for their problems relating to dental, opthalogy, gynaecology, AIDS Awareness camps, TB awareness Camps etc. Family members who found suffering from the disease were given treatment and the relevant medicines and nutrition meals. These programs are being conducted in linkage with governmental and other non-governmental organizations.

Children from these neighbourhoods take active part in the evening coaching class conducted by the project. This helps the children to sit and read for an hour more in the nearby schools in a good environment which they cannot afford at their homes. This program is in linkage with the nearby schools. Children who attend these coaching class are being provided with nutritious meals or snacks to stimulate their attendance to the coaching class and also to improve their overall health.

All the children in this community had participated in the educational tours conducted. They were being taken to various places of interest.

Meetings are conducted periodically for the Foster Children and their parents separately to enable them to assemble in one place and discuss about their issues and also about the issues relating to their neighbourhoods.

People of these neighbourhoods were helped to organize themselves into groups and to inculcate the habit of savings, to learn about the banking and also help them to reach sustainability.

Schools nearby this neighbourhood have been helped to construct classrooms, toilets, compound walls, school furniture etc to enable our target neighbourhood children to study in a better environment.

Multi purpose Community halls are constructed in the neighbourhood with participation of the local Community Based Organizations to help the people of the neighbourhood to meet at a common place and discuss. Various programs like Day Care, medical checkups are also being conducted in this hall.

When there is a specific need within a family PLAN will work with them on an individual basis. In the past year Tamilarasan and his family have benefited from the following projects. The attached photograph illustrates one of these projects.

This family had participated in educational inputs like school fees, notebooks, books and uniforms to improve their education. This also helps the children to attend the school without dropout.

I hope that you have enjoyed reading about the changes and improvements that have happened in Tamilarasan's family and community over the last year. They appreciate your support and encouragement and are looking forward to sending you more news next year.