Steds do splendid work

The slums of Vysarpadi aren’t an easy place to live. It’s difficult to know whether official apathy has left the area underdeveloped or the general lawlessness in the blighted neighbourhood has turned away development. What can, however, not be denied is the fact that children are the receiving end on many fronts here.

Children at Vysarpadi have a myriad ways to go astray. An alarming number of school drop-outs populate the crowded locality. The reasons are manifold. Power-obsessed politicians and money-hungry businessmen don’t hesitate to exploit youngsters to achieve their selfish ends. A group of idealists from Vysarpadi joined hands in 1997 to form Slum Children Sports Talent and Education Development Society (SC-Steds) to tackle some pressing issues head on. The body’s activities gathered momentum after it was registered as a non-governmental organisation three years later. Steds’ main goal was keeping children away from vices besides ensuring that they went to school. But they needed a tool to communicate with children. The first thing that came to the mind of people who formed Steds: football. The beautiful game is a rage in north Chennai, especially Vysarpadi.

N. Umapathy, one of the founders of Steds, said: “Football, we soon realised, could be the backbone of Steds. If there is one common thread that united all children here, it’s football. The game helped us forge a bond with youngsters. We never looked back. Steds now have a team in the first division of Chennai Football Association league. More important, we have also succeeded in our efforts to transform the society. The journey is not over by any means but we are moving in the right direction,” he added. Umapathy is employed with Income Tax.

Umapathy’s elder brother Thangaraj is the heartbeat of Steds. The soft-spoken man said football galvanised the youth in Chennai’s biggest slum. “Every house here has a football. Around 200 children come for football training in weekends. Twenty-five per cent of them are girls. Initially, girls hesitated to come to the ground. Now they are ready to travel anywhere to play tournaments,” he added. C. Suresh, a coach with Steds, said without a meaningful and healthy activity like football children at Vysarpadi are prone to take up smoking and drinking among other habits that define the youth of the locality.

Thangaraj, who is fondly called ‘master’ by all the children here, said community development is Steds’ priority. “Football has been a tool to bring about changes. We persuade children to go to school through the game. School drop-outs are barred from attending football training at Steds. Neither do people who smoke, drink and chew tobacco products have permission. The drop-out rate has come down considerably as a result of our work,” he said.

Football can’t exist without education, Thangaraj said. “Vysarpadi is the hub of working-class people. Most of those who come to Steds are children of auto drivers, rickshaw pullers, lorry drivers and daily wage labourers. It is impossible to achieve development in such a poor society with sports alone. That’s why we always combine education and football,” he added.

Steds take care of the needs of orphans and children of single mothers. “Alcoholism has ravaged many families here. It’s one of the main reasons for the proliferation of widows and dysfunctional families at Vysarpadi. We identify the needy for educational support,” Thangaraj said.

According to Umapathy, preventing gender-based discrimination is one of the founding principles of Steds. “We don’t leave out girls from any activity. I strongly believe that progress isn’t possible in any society with the exclusion of girls,” he said. Steds also conduct Scouts and Guides camp to develop leadership skills among school students.

The other target areas of Steds are preventing juvenile marriages and child labour. From getting more ration shops for the slums of Vysarpadi to active participation in public hearing meetings conducted by government bodies, Steds are at the forefront of movements fighting for people’s welfare. Umapathy and Co also conduct night schools for students.

Unlike NGOs that operate with the sole objective of making money, Steds aren’t intent on strengthening their bank balance. “We are happier to get footballs, shoes and jerseys for our players than collecting funds. We get more individual support — not in cash, only in kind — than institutional patronage,” Thangaraj said.

The selfless work of Steds has got the thumbs-up from different sections. Chennai Corporation is constructing dressing rooms at a small ground near Mullai Nagar bus stand. “Corporation officials have also promised us to lay a synthetic pitch at the same ground. Work on setting up a grass turf at a bigger ground is also set to start,” Umapathy said.

Amaranta Entertainment, a music company, conducted a two-day tournament for Steds players recently by spending more than '2.5 lakh for food, jerseys, balls and prizes. The long-term success of Steds lies in producing more volunteers for whom the society would always come above self.