Building blocks for a finer future
For 97 years, Madras Seva Sadan has been an institute for inclusivity, learning, and empowerment. Now, as it gets closer to its 100th year of establishment in 2028, the organisation is adding new strands to its illustrious history by starting initiatives that combine education, skill improvement, and sports excellence. A graphic representation of this expansion was presented to stakeholders, team members and audience at Synergy, held at Prem Vihar, on Friday.
'The purpose for this gathering is to look for a more structured approach to funding so that we have our projects which can be easily executed by having a structured form of raising money through CSR, charity, and donations,' shared Sunil Shanker, treasurer of Madras Seva Sadan.
At the heart of this evolution are three new projects, each echoing the original spirit of the founders, yet tuned to today's needs. First, the Lady Andal House of Children, an open school. 'We have pioneered in mainstreaming children with special needs into everyday school life. And based on our experience and research, we realised that we need to do a little bit more, which is why the idea of an open school came about. With this, our aim is to provide for all the needs under one roof. Here, we provide the students with tailor-made lesson plans, inclusive education with therapy and flexibility for children with disabilities,' said Krithika Kumar Quintal, honorary general secretary of the Sadan.
While the students are given education and accommodation until class 12, they and their parents worry about what next? To answer their woes, the second project is the Madras Seva Sadan Centre for Community Empowerment, a vocational skill-building initiative designed to prepare students for the future workplace, offering safe, accessible, and sensory-friendly training. 'Education alone isn't enough today. The final destination is employability. Vocational skills open a practical path forward,' explained Anjali Kumar, operations head, highlighting how the centre will serve as a hall to independent living.
Third on the agenda is the Madras Seva Sadan multidisciplinary centre for sports excellence — The Hive, envisioned as a world-class facility at one of its campuses in T Nagar. With facilities for swimming, shooting, squash, badminton, table tennis, pickleball, and cricket nets alongside yoga spaces and community hubs, The Hive aims to nurture athletic talent across all sections of society. 'It is proven that sports is a vehicle to bring about change in society, to build nations, and to bring across multiple sections of society together,' noted Raman, a sports mentor, adding, 'While it is a project coming from the heart, there is enough business and financial sense which has gone into it, enough experience and diligence to make sure that this is a project that at the end of three to four years will start surviving on its own.'
The facility will bring in professional athletes, provide space for schools in the city to practice and Sadan's children to up their game. He said, 'This is one of the safest, plus impactful contributions somebody can make if they want to participate in society building, which is sports infrastructure.'
The team is looking for external participation through the event for two reasons: funding availability and an outsider perspective. 'So when somebody comes in, they bring in money but also ideas,' said Sunil.
With new concepts taking root and a century-old dedication to service as the cornerstone, Madras Seva Sadan is reimagining its future: one in which education serves as the ultimate goal, one in which abilities equate to power; and one in which athletics may inspire change.
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