Suriya Foundation: Helping poor, disabled kids get a new life
The Foundation wants to help children by giving them the care, social security and support they need to achieve their goals.
Bengaluru: The Suriya Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation from Bengaluru, aims to provide quality education to visually impaired and economically weaker sections. "Along with education, we also support the students with basic necessities like as food, clothing and medical services," said Mr Saravana, one of the founders of the Suriya Foundation, while talking to Deccan Chronicle.
He said, "There are many children from economically weaker backgrounds who cannot afford quality education. Several poor, visually impaired and orphan children, living in urban slums and rural areas, are not able to pursue schooling. They face insurmountable problems and are forced to become child labourers. Working in hazardous occupations, they turn into victims of various kinds of exploitation and abuse."
The Foundation wants to help children by giving them the care, social security and support they need to achieve their goals. Towards this, they want to start a hostel where these children receive good education and improvised boarding and lodging facilities. The NGO has already funded the education of over 250 visually impaired, disabled and underprivileged students, and it has many success stories in the journey.
"Right now, there are hundreds of opportunities born out of non-profit organisations whose mission is to target the less fortunate and we are one among them. We see completing high school as the biggest hurdle for the underprivileged children. According to our survey, the reason behind this is that 50-55% of these children cannot afford to pay their fees. The rest are those who suppress their desire to receive higher education and begin working as minor labourers. This, in turn, contributes to the downfall of the economy."
The NGO believes that social evils can be eliminated and society can be uplifted only through education. It reaches out to deserving students from the most backward communities from across the country. It not only helps them complete their education but also transforms them into confident, complete and socially responsible citizens by providing hostels for the blind, counseling services for the blind, assistance and necessary skills for self-employment, orientation and mobility training and many more.
"There is enough CSR (corporate social responsibility) fund flowing into urban Bengaluru. Many city-based NGOs say that that the reason for their shift in focus from urban to rural is because urban areas are already getting too much help. But it's is not true, as many urban areas look the same. We work to build a base for children in all places by providing them education, career guidance, skill development courses and support services ensuring a future of their choice. With this foundation, they will be able to emerge as contributing members of a society, where there is no discrimination and everyone lives with respect and dignity," said Puneeth T., an advisor to Suriya Foundation.