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 Social worker wins award
 This year, Independence Day celebration and the awards that are a part of it had a special significance for T Nagarvasis. For R Sreedar of Maithri Educational and Charitable Trust, which helps many differently abled, was given an award for his work in the field of serving the abled and the not so fully abled. It must be a matter of pride for all of us that he won the best social worker award.
When I called on him, he looked no different. The award has not affected him at all. While he respects it and thanks the government , he is not carried away by it. If you want to know what can carry him away, it is service , service and service.
Nature has many ways of fulfilling its purpose and goals. And , it is in the fitness of spiritualism that it has chosen Sreedar even when he was young.
“There was no motivation (hidden ,open or driven) in opening the Maithri Educational and Charitable Trust. It was all an accident that goes back to my childhood.
“I was born a normal child. But I was struck by polio which left my limbs, particularly lower limbs, nearly non-functional, and almost silenced me. After a couple of years of rigorous treatment I was partially restored. My speech was restored gradually. I could not attend school.
“My world was reduced to the four walls of my home. The zest to learn was surging more and more and I took to learning by correspondence from the The British Institute and the London School. I started reading aloud newspapers in English, read Readers Digest and other useful magazines, listened to a lot of radio (BBC, Deustschwaller, VOA) and improved my communication in English - by committing mistakes and getting corrected. That’s how I built myself up, slowly, steadily and assuredly. My interest in classical music kept my spirits high though I was confined to the four walls of the house.
“When I was 30, a cousin of mine brought me a wheelchair from America. My parents demonstrated their confidence in me by letting me travel in the wheelchair. I wheel-chaired from my home to the temple at Venkatnarayana Road, and beyond to Nandanam. What a beautiful world. What a quiet beautiful road it was with trees and less traffic. I used to go in the evenings as well on my wheelchair. I discovered young people in small groups chatting and wasting their time.
“Shortly, I was emboldened to call one of the students and asked him why he was wasting his time. ‘No money to buy books, notebooks pay up school fees’, he had said.
“The next day, I bought him books, notebooks, et al. And this is where and how Maithri Educational Trust was started in 1991. With some good friends contributing Rs 1,000 each, we were able to meet the needs of a few students for an entire year.
“Simultaneously, we focused our attention on the visually impaired students. Volunteers poured in from all walks of life. We distributed audio lessons to the students to help them learn by listening. We even provided ‘scribes’ to the visually impaired to write their final year examinations for Madras, Anna, Madurai Kamaraj and Annamalai university.
“The library grew by leaps and bounds. And, at one time it was considered the biggest audio library for the visually handicapped in Asia. While we are elated by it, we had no way of proving this achievement - by tapes, by students!?
“We expanded our service activities to help the poor, the indigent, women deserted by their husbands, the terminally ill. We provided jobs wherever we could.
“At the moment, we are helping 104 children from broken families. By that I mean the family is in pieces because of drug addiction, alcoholism and things like that. Children coming from these families, lower, middle and slightly upper middle class, become rebels and they are forced into cruel labour. The parents do not care as the money earned by the kids is needed for their drinks, hashish and what not. Here we create criminals unconsciously.
“There are many memorable moments. When nature’s fury hit Uttara Kasi, we were the first to rush help. Our home and the neighbouring homes were flooded with clothing and utensils for distribution. We sent more than 20 lorryloads to the Central Station where a special train was carrying clothing to the afflicted areas. In addition, some of our volunteers went to Uttara Kasi at their own expense and helped the social service organisations and the government in distributing the clothing, utensils, beds, etc. They stayed there for nearly three months on their own.
“When tsunami hit Tamil Nadu, we were the first to rush to the victims with money, medicines, clothing and rice. From the Uttara Kasi exposure to now, we have come a long way.
“Yes, everything needs funds. We approached singer Yesudas and he readily obliged us with a concert. We could collect a fairly good amount and that gave us the wheels to run around offering help.
“People are convinced about our motives and services. No doubt, we still pass our hat around but there are many donors, many who do not want to be known, but keep helping. That is really very comforting.
“By the way, I practise astrology. I keep a hundi. I do not ask for specific sums of money. The visitors are free and welcome to donate. This money also is utilised to rendering services to our unfortunate brethren.
“We help the deserted and helpless widows not only financially but provide them an arena to sell whatever they manufacture. Almost like self help groups in search of markets. Where necessary and possible, we give them expertise.
“I am grateful to Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for honouring me in recognition of my service to the differently abled. This will motivate more and more people to join the stream of Maithri and render assistance to the differently abled. They are only an extension of ourselves.
“As of now, we take care of the entire education of more than 100 children -from kindergarten to graduation.
“We are grateful to the Almighty in giving us occasions to help others voluntarily. After all, the essence of life and living is in sharing,” says the award winner humbly.
Sreedar can be contacted on 044-28156680.
Dr S Gopalie,
Chennai
Phone: 044-28256501
E-mail: gopalie@vsnl.com
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