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 March
15 and 16 were memorable days for the non governmental organisations,
self help groups and the school and college students, who
participated in the Seva Mela at Valluvar Kottam in Chennai.
This annual fund raising event was organised by the Confederation of
Indian Organisations for Service and Advocacy (CIOSA), which is a
corporate social responsibility wing of Ma Foi Management
Consultants Ltd.
At the Seva Mela, NGOs, self help groups, colleges and corporate
houses had set up over 150 stalls to showcase their societal
activities. Sornammal Educational Trust, Udhavum Ullangal Public
Charitable Trust, Vidya Sagar Inclusion, Iniya Udayam Charitable
Trust and Thedal were some of the participants. Bags, dolls,
clothes, accessories and show-pieces were on display.
In
order to motivate the students, various competitions including
painting, elocution, story writing and drama were held for students
of 8th standard up to college level. Uma, Founder and Managing
Trustee, Suyam Charitable Trust, said that over one thousand
students from various city schools and colleges participated. Around
150 to 200 students were awarded various prizes at the end of the
second day.
A Cultural show by children from various homes and
NGOs, trained by volunteers from corporate houses and students was
also part of the Seva Mela.
 Those who were interested in taking up a career in
social work were also given guidance at the Seva Mela through then
Centre for Social Initiative and Management (CSIM), which is a
management school, imparting business and management skills to
social change agents.
At
the end of the Mela, various awards were presented to students,
writers, employees, NGO heads and corporates, like the C.
Subramaniam Award (for best young social scientist), Suchir Seva
Award (for best grass root-level worker), Madhur Seva award (for
best writer) and Jeevan Seva Award (for the doyen in voluntary
sector).
The event was inaugurated by the Social Welfare
Minister, Poongothai Aladi Aruna.
 K. Pandia Rajan, Founder-member, CIOSA, said, “We
strongly believe in creating a malady-free society. This is the
second year that we are having Seva Mela and the kind of response
that we receive is more than heartening”.
The theme of Seva Mela 2008 was 'best medical care
for the needy children'. The funds and donations collected through
this event would be used for the EKAM project of CIOSA to purchase a
mobile medical van, which would provide complete medical care to
around 30, 000 underprivileged children in Chennai.
U. Bakialakshmi
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