A journey from Chennai to Niyamgiri hills

Asian Age, Aug 18, 2011
Like most good social workers, Ms Chamundi had big dreams since her childhood to serve people. She imagined good life for each and every individual. She was also equally concerned to provide good education and healthcare services to children and to create earning opportunities for all.
Born in 1962 in Chennai, Ms Chamundi initially thought of a career in medicine as she felt it was the best way to serve the people. Her mother Sulochana, a doctor by profession, always encouraged her to be a good physician.
However, defying family diktat, she decided to study social work to understand the problems and complexities plaguing the progress of the people, mainly those who are living at the grassroots.
Soon after completing her post graduation in social work, she worked with the Chennai-based Gems Foundation, a reputed social organisation which is working to provide better living conditions to the hapless citizens of the society.
At Gems Foundation, she was entrusted the responsibility to work with the state government agencies to facilitate shifting of over two dozens of slums from inside the city and the rehabilitation of displaced in new cluster of pucca houses built the local authorities.
It was a Himalayan task as convincing people to shift to new localities on the outskirt of the city was no easy. But after much persuasion and counselling, they shifted to their new houses. As most of the slum-dwellers lost their immediate jobs because of relocation, they resorted to some cheap methods, including selling of liquor, to earn easy money.
Determined to bring the relocated slum dwellers into the mainstream, Ms Chamundi, who had in between completed her master degree in business administration, vigorously executed a number of livelihood programmes. People were trained in cloth weaving and designing, plumbing and a few other trades, heralding a dawn of dignity and honour for the people who were being looked down up previously.
Mission accomplished, Ms Chamundi thought to step out of Chennai and work on a distant land where people live a primitive life. The opportunity came her way in 2000 when she was approached by London-based Vedanta Foundation to look after its Child Care Centre (CCC) project at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district.
When she arrived at Lanjigarh at the foothill of the picturesque Niyamgiri hills, she was shocked to see the children, most of them belonging to tribal communities, were malnourished and underdeveloped. They did not have scope for good education or access to quality food, healthcare services and proper clothing.
Honouring her proposal, Vedanta Foundation started 40 each two Child Care Centres — one at Niyamgiri Rehabilitation Colony and the second at Rangapalli. Children were not only given good education at the CCCs, they were also served nutritious food thrice a day. Besides a regular health check-up of the children showed an increase in their health index.
“It was here I got utmost satisfaction of my life. Today, I feel my heart and pulse is here. I have completely lost myself among these children who once lived in the dark of ignorance and neglect. You meet my children at CCCs, they will welcome in chaste Oriya, English and Hindi. Their parents are also equally happy. A social worker like me cannot ask God anything more than this perpetual bliss that got here,” says Ms Chamundi.
Inspired by the social worker’s undaunted spirit and zeal, the Vedanta Foundation has enlarged its area of operation from Kalahandi to Rayagada district. It now runs at least 36 CCCs with at least 1,440 children.
Ms Chamundi has one more dream to expand Vedanta Foundation’s activity accommodating more number of children. In fact, a beginning has already been made in 2008 when the Foundation tied up with the government agencies to implement the Central-funded Balchetna project.
“I want to spend more time here among the children and tribal people. Hope, God will not deprive me of this opportunity. Losing self among innocent children who want to stand with your cooperation is a divine bliss,” she signs off.