| Hello All Here is another group doing some wonderful work in a silent way. We had it translated for the benefit of all. Kindly see below -shiva ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Dear Mr. Srinivasan,
I was forwarded your email with a request to send a note on the Ennangalin Sangamam network in English that you can circulate to your group. I am sending below a brief write-up that would be an easy read. I have created a blog for the network that is available online with postings in Tamizh (http://ennangalin-
Ennangalin Sangamam, a network of volunteers: Swami Vivekananda says, 'seva' and 'tyaga' are the hallmark of Indian tradition. Ordinary people in their day to day life across India give and share whatever little they have and it is not uncommon to find many who would willingly sacrifice personal comfort to help others. Ennangalin Sangamam is a unique network of very ordinary people who respond to a societal problem in their immediate neighbourhood. Factory workers, auto rickshaw drivers, school teachers, stenographers, college students, artists, activists and a wide variety of people from every walk of life form this network. Currently this network is spread across the state of Tamilnadu with over 300 members.
An autorickshaw driver in Madurai who saved Rs. 10/- per day to support a tuition centre in his slum, a tea shop owner in chennai who conducts competitions on Bharatiar literature in schools in the vicinity of his shop, a mechanic in a factory near coimbatore who cleans toilets in many factories in his area and uses the revenue thus generated to support the education of dalit children each year, a young legal activist who lives in less than Rs. 1000/- a month and teaches under trails in prisons across Tamilnadu how to fight their own cases, brothers who own a photography shop in low income quarters in north chennai and use their meager earnings to manage a tuition centre for children in the neighbouring areas, a women stenographer in a government department who out of her own money does funeral rites for the unclaimed dead bodies in government hospital in north chennai...each one of the members of this network have such stories that exemplify the statement of Swami Vivekananda. However, these are ordinary people, not given to blowing their trumpet and labeled as too 'ordinary' to be noticed.
As these people don't show up in google search or don't blog themselves, they are not attractive to the educated, IT generation. Most often than not, there is not even a single document that fully captures their work. Many don't know how to write, some cannot afford the cost of printing reports. They are working in small communities, not ambitious to change the entire world, so, they obviously don't attract any big funding agency or international aid agencies. Most of these people are supported if at all by small donations by equally ordinary people. In their spirit and through their life, they provide the evidence for Swamiji's words.
Every year this network meets on the first Sunday of the year. All the participants turn up for the meeting at their own expense and there is no support for the event. Volunteers provide help with venue, food and facilities, others volunteer to run around and help organize the event. This unique network will meet once again on the 4th January 2009 at the Hindu College, Pattabiram at 9 a.m. in the morning. You can be there if you want to see the network for yourself.
regards, Ramasubramanian Chief Consultant Samanvaya ------------ |
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