Success Stories
Transform and build a sustainable and caring communitywith self-sufficiency, dignity, harmony and happiness for them to be agents of positive change.
MUGILARASI
“I am Mugilarasi and I am from very poor economic background and my parents are working as a daily wager. In our area there is only one government school is functioning and I am studying in that school and the quality of the education is not so good in my school. I had a difficulty in learning, because of some reasons I could not go to school past 1 month. At this point, I heard about Marialaya evening tuition centre, they take free tuition classes for children who are studying in this community. I joined Marialaya evening tuition centre, to learn my lessons and the teacher taught me well, and readmit me in the school again. I am studying well and scoring good marks in all the subjects. In our evening tuition centre they don’t teach not only the subjects and they conduct extracurricular activities like Drawing, Dance, Singing, Craft Work, Spell bee, and games etc. In our tuition centre they have conducted many awareness programs like child rights, child abuses, human trafficking, human rights etc, and I have attended all. Now I know my rights and, I gained knowledge about human rights. I know to call the child helpline 1098 for the emergency need. I attend the leadership training program and children parliament training program, now I can proudly say that, I’m vice president of children parliament. In this lockdown period I am missing my school and happy to go to my tuition centre to learn my lessons. I personally developed leadership qualities and skills such as drawing, public speaking and writing. I am grateful to our sisters, teachers and our trainers who are directly involved for my education and human formation.”
MS. DIVYA
“Hi I am Divya from Kannagi Nagar and working as an evening tuition centre teacher and I am living more than 20 years in this community. In our community many children are in unsafe situation. After joining Marialaya I feel the need to take care of the children living around me. I don’t have any idea, how to protect the children when he/she is in dangerous situation. At this time Marialaya Social service society conducted a training program on Child Protection Committee. I attended this training program and learnt, how to work for the children and how to safeguard the children. In this program I learnt about, who are all children, how they are affected, how to safeguard them when they are in trouble. After attending this program, myself and other 2 members started an area level child protection committee and I am the leader in this committee. Many children are physically and verbally abused by their parents and relatives and the child suffer immensely and need of someone to share their pain and sorrow. Children are not free to speak about the abuses made by others, but our committee members gave awareness to the children in our area. Children are directly come to the Child protection committee and freely share their problems to the committee members. After hearing the child, the member meets the parents and advise them not to send the children to work, above all love them and support them in their growth. The committee members are ready to help the child. I am also happy to tell you that children in our area are very well protected I am very happy to work in this committee, by helping the children in our Area. I thank Marialaya for training me as a leader for the child protection committee and I hope, I will work for the protection of the children. It gives me complete satisfaction; I stand for the rights of the children of Kannagi Nagar who are poor and marginalized.”
MS. RANJITHA
“I am Ranjitha from Kannagi Nagar and I am working as an evening tuition centre Teacher. I am living in this community for past 8 years. Before marriage I lived in Thindivanam, a town closer to Pondicherry. After marriage I came to Kannagi Nagar which doesn’t have basic facilities. I was very much depressed about Kannagi Nagar and I was very much frightened to come out our little house, which is only 100 sq. feet. I rarely went out my house. Even though I was a science graduate, I could not mingle with this community people. In 2017 Salesian sisters came to Kannagi Nagar and started Marialaya. Sisters visited our families and I liked the sisters and their dedication towards the children of Kannagi Nagar and I slowly gained confidence and my husband gave me permission to work for the sisters. Staff training programme conducted by the sisters changed me a lot and now I am a courageous woman. With the Help of our Women coordinator I have started a SHG group with 15 women of our area. My group name is Rose Flower in Tamil it is called as Rojamalar. We stated our savings and we take internal loans and it saves the women from the clutches of money lenders. I am the leader for this SHG group and I have lot of confidence as group leader. Every month we have our group meeting. For this meeting I prepare the Agenda, Minutes and Financial budget for the group. I attended Bakery training program in Sathiya Bama College, this training gave us lot of confidence to me and my group members. We are planning to start a Bakery. From this SHG, many group members are planning to become entrepreneur by taking Bank loans and Marialaya is negotiating with the Bank for the loans. I also take part in all group activities like Women’s day Celebration and Women’s sports day, I participated in dance, singing and speech competition. My confidence level is increased after joining in SHG. In this Covid lockdown period, I got lot of support for the SHG members through Marialaya. I am very happy to being a member of Marialaya family.”
MS. MONIKA
“Hi I am Ms. Monika and I am working as a study centre teacher in Marialaya Social Service Society. I completed my Graduation in B. Com. After completing my graduation, I didn’t join the job due to my family situation, but my passion is to become a teacher. 3 years before Marialaya social service society started evening study centre for the community children, and I got an opportunity to become a teacher. Every month I attended teacher’s staff meeting in our Marialaya office, in that I learnt Developmental psychology esp. about early childhood, child rights, and Juvenile Justice Act, Pocso Act and child help lines. It helps me a lot to motivate and handle the children with care and protection. All my children know their rights and they actively participate in children parliament and its activities. I give equal rights and respect to all the children, according to their interest and capacity, I encourage them to develop their talents and personality and also try my best to make them honest citizen in future. I consider them as my own children and take care of their studies. I not only teach subjects, every week I conduct competitions like Drawing, Singing, Dance, craft work and conduct sports for the children. Children have grown in their extracurricular activities. I also give awareness to the children about child rights, Good touch and no touch, health and personal Hygiene. Each and every student are happy to come to the tuition and gain more knowledge. Though children have not gone to school due to pandemic, but they are regular to the tuition and learn tables, spell bee, vocabularies, rhymes etc. I am very happy to teach them the subjects and life values. I am satisfied with my teaching profession. Thanks to Marialaya.” mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.
