Children are the future of a country. Caring for the younger generation -
materially, emotionally and spiritually - is one of the supreme duties of adults towards society.
Murugesu Armugam was born in Demodara, Sri Lanka. The only boy in his family,
Murugesu has two elder sisters. Murugesu's father (after whom he was named)
passed away while Murugesu was very young and this death plunged the family
into tremendous financial difficulty. Although an exceptionally clever student,
Murugesu was forced to abandon his education at Grade seven, as the wages
earned by his mother were insufficient to sustain the entire family.
Having no money to buy his books, clothes and other educational requirements,
the academic potential of this talented young boy was thwarted. Extreme poverty
snatched Murugesu's childhood away from him, compelling him to shoulder the
burden of being the family's bread-winner at the tender age of 12 years.
Murugesu is just one among countless numbers of young boys in the estate sector
of Sri Lanka who are deprived of their childhood. These boys face tremendous
hardships, both mental and physical, as they strive to survive.
The Chandra Illam in Badulla was opened on the 14th of January
2005, aims to ease the burden of at least some of these young boys, by taking
them under their wing and caring for them.
The Chandra Illam is a home for orphan boys between the ages of six and 12
years and has the capacity to care for a maximum of 30 young boys. For these
boys the orphanage will ensure much more than just a roof above their heads and
food to sustain them and they will receive a sound education that will equip
them to face the world as they mature into men.
All the children will be sent to school, where they will both learn the regular
curriculum and mingle with all other types of children, helping them to become
better integrated into society. Additionally, talents will be harnessed through
special classes in music, Bharatha Natyam and the like. These extra-curricular
classes will be conducted by special teachers sourced by the management of the
orphanage. In an age where information technology is the driving force of life,
the children will also be introduced to the wonderful world of computers at the
local computer education institute.
Chandra Illam is managed and run by the Social Aid Foundation, which is a
service arm of the Agriculture and Plantation Workers' Congress.
R M Krishnasamy, in his capacity as chairman of the
Congress, will also be at the helm of the management of the orphanage. Having
chaired the Congress for a period of twenty years and having worked as a
Justice of the Peace for almost an equal period of time, Krishnasamy carries
with him a wealth of experience in the field of social service.
At a more specialized level, he has been actively involved in the welfare of
orphans for around five years. According to Krishnasamy, one of the biggest
advantages of working through the Congress is that it has no political
affiliations and is willing to reach out to all segments of society, with
absolutely no discrimination. He stated that the orphanage will house boys who
have lost either one or both parents.
Children are left orphan in the estate sector due to many social and political
factors. The country's protracted ethnic war, fought mainly in the north and
east of the island, has resulted in thousands of children losing their parents.
Further, a large number of job-related accidents in the estates have proved
fatal, leaving children with no adults to take care of them. The salary
received by plantation workers is minimal and often insufficient for the upkeep
of the entire family. In such a context, children are compelled to stop their
education and begin work in order to boost the family income.
The Social Aid Foundation has already set up an orphanage for girls in Badulla
- The London Sri Kanagathurkai Amman. However, a home specially dedicated to
the upbringing of young boys has been a need for a few years now. The situation
of orphan boys in the plantation sector is miserable, to say the least. As was
the case with Murugesu, when a family loses either one or both parents, the
responsibility of looking after the siblings falls on the boys, who have to
give up their schooling and start earning. Even in instances where orphans are
taken in by guardians, they receive no schooling, but end up working as
domestics in the house of their guardians.
Due to the lack of proper centres to protect orphans, many boys roam the
streets eventually becoming juvenile delinquents. As street children, these
boys are quick to latch on to many undesirable habits, including alcohol and
narcotic addiction, stealing and committing crimes in order to sustain their
habits. Because most orphan boys are deprived of even a primary education, as
adults they are unemployable and so remain in the margins of society. The lack
of a solid family background means these boys undergo severe mental trauma.
Chandra Illam will strive to ease the wretched plight of orphan boys in
Badulla. At Chandra Illam, the boys will have a place they can call home - a
place where their material and emotional needs will be seen to. The home aims
to create well-rounded personalities, by providing good nutrition, proper
education, and a suitable environment for the mind and spirit to grow.
The upkeep of each boy at Chandra Illam is estimated to cost around Rs 3,000
per month.
If you wish to make a contribution, please contact SAF.
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