As the sun's rays reach everything throughout the world, so did we wish to have our light of love reach those who are in need. We people in Light of Love come from diverse backgrounds. We mostly had the same alma mater, so in addition to being friends, we tutored together. A group of 15 people constitutes the core of the team. People from the software industry, businessmen, marketing gurus, medical transcriptionist, homemakers, auditors, and filmmakers are in attendance. While we work from different places, have different jobs, and live at different times zones (yes, we live across the globe), we still work together for a common cause. A commitment to a cause goes beyond financial support, but also includes serving time, presence, and bringing new projects. Every member of our team takes turns to drive a project from initiation until the smiles reappear.
We have learned so much from our society, and we live our lives of contentment, but is that enough to make it through this life. As we grow economically, it is important for us to make sure people without privileges are guided and supported with life's elixir – Education along with basic human needs such as food, clean water, clothes, and place to stay and survive in this world.
There were a few ways in which we could contribute to society, but we were young and unsure. Our community composed of friends and likeminded individuals kept the urge and spark alive. On a casual call, we discussed about an Aboriginal elder, who travelled 3000 KMS to dance with his granddaughter for graduating her 10th grade. This struck the chord, and we resurfaced the idea of creating first-generation graduates.
Our hearts were full of desire to make a change, our minds were brimming with ideas. Accumulating funds to convert our ideas to reality was a real-world challenge as we did not come from affluent families and collecting financial aid was a difficult task. To ease the process, we promised to contribute a meagre sum of Rs.500/- per month in order to make the arrangements feasible for everyone. That was the agreed upon as a minimum contribution, and anything extra was always appreciated.
With our process streamlined our pool was growing. Very few sought out to us for help at this stage. We wanted to do more. We took it upon ourselves to identify and assist the needy. We decided to provide basic amenities to Government schools where there are no facilities for students. We also started to identify students with humble background, those who cannot provide the necessary funds for their education.
We knew that there are a lot of precarious people out there, but we did not know how to reach them or how to tell if they are real. Once we decided we will help the underprivileged, the next task was to determine how do we identify them.
Our domestic help children were also asked, but most of them were financially independent or were educated and employed. Fortunately, we were able to find someone who had the information from someone we knew. We were surprised to find that our friend's mother, working in a government school, had heard about us through her son and was looking for assistance for her student, who is highly capable in her academic studies, but unable to pay for her education.
My friend's mother was elated to know that we had paid off her ward's college education, it's unspoken elation that only a mother for her daughter could experience. We did not discuss further, so we just paid the fees, and she is now a top student in her class and is proficient in the Japanese language. Stories like this encouraged us to keep striving as we looked for people to assist further down the line.
From then on, our friend's mother has become our torchbearer, helping us in identifying people like a fish, which feeds algae from the pond and in turn, cleans up the tank. She has helped us in identifying further projects. A government primary school needed flooring, as the cement floors have crumbled, and students had to sit down in class, causing not only the uniforms to get damaged but also putting their health at risk.
Our visit to the school revealed a very small school where there were just two classes and most of the students were the children of daily wage workers. In light of the funds we had in our account and the costs needed, we had to pitch in extra and ask our close circle for donations. After we finished the project, we were overwhelmed by the joy on the children faces. Any words written will only be adequate to describe it.
As we discussed about bringing people to the school we determined that facilities and infrastructure were the main difference between a government school and a private school. To bridge the gap, we decided to provide equipment to schools that can encourage students to attend school.
As we looked for schools in Chennai and the surrounding areas, going and reaching out to them was challenging. Most schools did not operate on Saturdays and Sundays, and we only had the days off from our official duties. Again, when we were facing these roadblocks a guiding light in form of friend's mother came in to guide us in the right path.
Our friend's mother, who works as a helper in a school, gave details about her school and got an appointment with their school principal. As we met her and asked for basic amenities which would make the students look forward to coming to school, we got to know that they required equipment’s for their science lab and play materials for the kids, and table and chair for the students to sit.
As we sat down and worked on the financials, we got the requirement from the school covered within our budget. Upon entering the school to provide lab equipment, students of the class began to get excited as we set up the equipment. They eagerly anticipated exploring the equipment’s. The kids were enthralled to see that new chairs and tables were waiting for them when they arrived at the school.
The Principal of the school was overjoyed to have her requests answered immediately. As we came out of the principal's room, we saw children running past us; as we stopped a kid and asked where they were running, he said happily they had carrom boards and chess boards that had arrived. If he runs now, he can get to them. An overwhelming feeling flooded us as we let him go.
As a matter of fact, In Light of Love, we agreed to help people who are truly in need. As a popular saying goes, the greatest asset of a school is the personality of the teacher. We were helped by our friend's mother in identifying pupils in need.
The cousin of a close friend of ours who had taken up teaching as a profession and was now in a government-run school contacted us to inquire if we could provide school uniforms to his students, most of whom were coming from humble backgrounds.
Since the uniform represents a group because what it does symbolize is oneness. Wearing a uniform means that you become one color regardless of your birth color. We decided to go ahead with helping them after discussing it with each other.
We asked our friend's cousin to find a tailor in their area because making it out of a different city like Chennai and sending it uptown to Perundurai on the outskirts of Erode is too complicated. We spoke with the tailor whom our friend’s cousin identified, he was more than happy to help us and gave us the uniforms at a reduced rate. Our tailor delivered the work on time after we had paid the tailor in full while the clothes of oneness were being completed.
On the first day of the new year in school, children were given new uniforms to wear. They were dressed to symbolize togetherness. The principal of the school was so delighted that she sent a letter of thanks on behalf of her students. It's euphoric to see your work helping people around the world, the very same euphoric feeling was wearing an attire in grey and green which was very similar to that of the school uniform.
From the Perundurai school incident, it became evident that there are a number of schools in small towns and villages that are in dire need of basic needs. The cousin of our friend, who acted as a messiah in delivering school uniforms to the children, contacted his friend, who is now a principal in a government school.
This school was by no means easy to find. Google map had to reroute us to this school as its vicinity was obscured by a cement road covered with coconut tree plantations. As we were about to reach the school we got to know that most of the parents of students working daily wage jobs.
The principal of the school had initiated extensive renovation at the school. Painting work was being conducted. On our visit to the classroom, he showed us students at higher grades who were sitting on benches, while students at lower grades were on mats. He wanted benches and chairs for the students for lower grade and for middle graders.
Our conversation as we left the school focused on how fortunate we had been to receive a good education. We wanted to take this up and finish the requirement as soon as possible. Our estimates were not even close to the prices that we received from over 20 vendors, but messiahs come from all directions.
Through our friend, we learned about a vendor from Bangalore who was a member of a ride club in which our friend was involved, and he was ready to supply.