Spearheading change in the community, with a focus on students and skill development

Spearheading change in the community, with a focus on students and skill development

In 2017, when E. Marisamy started the Abdul Kalam People Welfare Association at Kannagi Nagar, there were just four students who came to attend the evening tuition classes that were offered. “We were worried that high school students were at the risk of dropping out, and wanted to support their education in some way,” he says, recalling the Association’s beginnings.

Six years later, there are 600 students attending these free evening classes across 12 learning centres at Kannagi Nagar, set up by him under the Muthal Thalaimurai Trust. Mr. Marisamy has been spearheading community initiatives in an area where students need a lot of support, encouragement, and motivation. “Former Chief Secretary Irai Anbu was instrumental in guiding us to start and sustain our work... Children here need opportunities, as well as a conducive environment, to study that we aim to provide.”

Every evening on weekdays, classes are held free for students of all classes. “What is admirable is how the teachers, all graduates and working professionals from this area, are volunteering their time. They are inspired to give back to the community and work with students. A little encouragement for the students goes a long way in ensuring that they don’t indulge in anti-social activities or drop out of school,” Mr. Marisamy says.

It isn’t just school children who have benefited from these classes. “A 50-year-old resident of Kannagi Nagar joined our evening classes with her grandson who was in a primary school. She later cleared the Class XII exam. There are several adults who come to the classes to learn the basics and help out their children and grandchildren at home,” he adds. It is not all about academics. On weekend mornings, there are ‘Silambam’ classes and sports training which students eagerly attend. He says it was the result of the realisation that the trust had to offer students support to explore areas they truly enjoyed.

These centres have been set up at schools in the area, as well as at Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) centres. Another crowning achievement has been a building dedicated to the Muthal Thalaimurai Trust in the area, which was renovated and inaugurated last year.

On Saturday morning, a group of women are enthusiastically attending an embroidery class there. Mr. Marisamy says it is part of a skill development course the trust offers. “Many residents here struggled owing to the loss of livelihood during the pandemic, and we realised the importance of offering skill development courses. We are soon starting a beautician’s course as well, and the facilities are ready for it,” says Mr. Marisamy, pointing to a room equipped with saloon chairs, basins, mirrors, and tables.

Mr. Marisamy says the trust is setting up a website which will display the embroidery and tailoring work of women from the area. “We want people from outside to engage with their products and ensure that there is a steady income,” he says. A digital library, equipped with resources for students preparing for the civil services and competitive exams, is on the anvil.