School projects make an impact

Students who feel diffident to talk and read in English are identified and trained for one hour on Mondays at the MSSD Higher Secondary School for the last three years by RC ­Coimbatore Vadavalli, RID 3201. “Each year we conduct spoken English classes for around 50–55 students of Class 9. This ongoing project would have benefitted 170 teenagers so far; they now speak the language with confidence. They can also read English dailies and magazines,” says Ramesh Subramaniam, club president.

He coaches students in a novel manner by taking up a topic of current interest or relevant social issue each week and encourages the students to speak on that issue in a lucid style. “Once a student develops the skill to read and speak English, their interest is further kindled to expand their knowledge that will enable them to choose a bright career of their choice,” he explains.

The club has built a 100-seater dining hall for students to partake noon meals at the Corporation High School, Ramalingam Colony, with a CSR grant of ₹25 lakh from CG-VAK Software and Exports. This first CSR project of the club titled Kalvi Solai (education garden) also involved the installation of a science lab, apart from the renovation of a computer lab and library with new furniture to enhance the learning process in a cozy ambience, he says. A cycle stand was also built on the school premises for the students’ benefit.

Following an invite by the school principal, “we found that around 200 students take noon meals on an open ground in hot summer and during rains. As they were exposed to heat and dust, it poses health risk for them,” recalls Subramaniam. DG T R ­Vijayakumar inaugurated the sprightly-lit new dining hall and the other facilities, in the presence of Coimbatore ­Corporation commissioner ­Sivaguru ­Prabhakaran and CG-VAK Exports MD ­Ganapathy Suresh.

The club also conducted a one-day RYLA for 550 students of PSBB Millennium School in the city. PDG A V Pathy, DGN Chella K Ragavendran, Dr Nancy Kurian, Rajkumar, Suresh Kunnath and Francis Xavier addressed the students on ­topics such as goal-­setting, cybersecurity and time management. “We are ­thankful to Rtn Henry ­Amalraj and the ­Interact Club of PSBB Millennium School who were instrumental in organising the RYLA. District RYLA chairman Antony Johnson had arranged the sessions with expert speakers who motivated the ­students,” says the club president.

Recently, lunch was provided once a month to 50 ­differently-abled children at the WVS ­Special School, Kaundampalayam, for eight months with contribution from club members. With 28 members, the nine-year-old club will be inaugurating an auditorium at the MSSD School shortly, its ­second CSR project worth ₹30 lakh, thanks to CG-VAK Exports.

Para TT tournament

For the first time in RID 3201, the club hosted a multidistrict Para Table Tennis Tournament for ­wheelchair-bound sportsmen at Vadavalli. “At the end of the two-day sports meet, prizes worth ₹12,000 were given to the first three winners. We had 50 para ­paddlers from five ­revenue districts who participated with enthusiasm, and given the great feedback the event received, we want to make it an annual sports meet, a sort of signature project for us,” adds Subramaniam.