In this tough competitive world, people with 100 % full
fitness, complete intellect, adequate disposable income, plus enormous surplus funds
find it difficult to think about others, leave alone desiring and working for
others.
Rich man wants to
amass further wealth for his generations to come, middle class man wants to
move up in the social ladder so he can flaunt his new found status, lower
middle class man wants to move up & acquire at the least a few gadgets and
accessories so that his life becomes a bit more comfortable. Down trodden and
people in below poverty line want to
make their lives at the least comfortable enough to meet both ends and are able
to have two square meals a day.
In such a tough world there are two people who despite
getting confined to wheel chairs at the prime of their lives after having spent
their early part of youth with full mobility including that of playing and
having fun in their college and school days.
This is the story of Sri S Ramakrishnan who was a final
Engineering student studying in one of the prestigious colleges in Coimbatore (Government
College of Technology). In the final year he went to attend Staff Selection
Board tests for Navy and while attempting a difficult maneuver fell down and
became a paraplegic someone crippled from the neck and got confined to wheel
chair due to the multiple spine injury leading to paralysis below his neck.
He was taken to Pune for further treatment at rehabilitation
center for spinal cord injured patients. But after a period of time the doctors
gave up on him stating that he was beyond cure. Thus Ramakrishnan a bright
young final year student of Engineering found his life at cross roads. Apart
from his dreams, his lower middle class family’s dreams were also shattered on
account of the accidental fall.
Ramakrishnan was motivated by one of his doctors treating him
in Pune Dr. Air Marshal Amarjit Singh Chalal who told him that if God had spared his life,
it was with a purpose which Ramakrishnan had to search and find out. The
totally dejected Ramakrishnan started his life on wheel chair with total
dependence on his family even for moving a page of a book he was reading apart
from all day today activities in late seventies in his native village Ayikudy,
in Thirunelveli district.
The rural setting of his native village Ayikudy gave him
ample time to think. He was concerned of the educational facilities of the
village. Therefore to guide and mentor the local students he started a tuition
center with a few students. In 1981 Amar Seva Sangam was founded and Siva
Saraswathi Vidyalays was also founded with 5 students. This later became small elementary school for
the local folks. From there the seed for a high school came. If you trace the progress of education wing of
Amar Seva Sangam Nursery school in 1981, Middle School in 1991, High School in
2009, Higher Secondary School in 2015. There are 700 students and of them
nearly 10% are handicapped.
In 1992 Sri S Sankararaman a charted accountant by
profession with a flourishing practice in Chennai moved and joined with Sri S
Ramakrishnan. Shanakararaman is also wheel chair bound on account of Muscular
Dystrophy. He functions as the Secretary of Amar Svea Sangam which is having an
able President in Sri S Ramakrishnan.
Some of the commendable activities of Amar Seva Snagam are:-
1.
Home for Children between the age of 5 to 17
with free food, shelter, clothing, medicine and medical aid equipments etc. In
1981 there were 5 children and now the strength has gone up to 70 plus and most
of them are having motor disability.
2.
Sangamam school for special children.
3.
Early Intervention center for children with
disability.
4.
Orthopedics Center
5.
Medical Testing units.
6.
Spinal Cord Injured Post Acute care center
7.
Disabled youth training center
8.
Vocational Training centers for Tailoring, DTP,
Typing, Home appliance repair training, Toy Making, Handicrafts.
Some of the leading institutions
that have regular association with Amar Seva Sangam are:-
1.
Sir Dorabji Tata Trust,
2.
Handicare International Canada
3.
Give India Foundation
4.
Canada Star India
5.
Asha Foundation
6.
Sir Ratan Tata Trust
7.
Grand Calleyes Canada
8.
Kamakoti Trust
There is no point in listing the awards and accolades won by
Amar Seva Sangam and its founders as the same may run into a few pages.
The organization is run with a ISO Certification. Renowned
and able patrons manage the activities as a board. Annual reports are available
with complete transparency.
Please pay a visit to the website. If inspired please
contribute your mite by way of donation or volunteering.
www. amarseva.org is
the website.
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