Between April 10 and 14, farmer Mathesh has distributed around 8 tonnes vegetables to more than 800 poor families for free of cost.
GM Mathesh, a 38-year-old farmer from Erode. (Photo | ENS)
Erode :
“In the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak and the subsequent lockdown, I had two options: one to make most of the profits out of my business or to be generous and support the poor who are struggling for one square meal. And I chose the latter,” said GM Mathesh, a 38-year-old farmer from Erode.
Mathesh, a third-generation farmer is a resident of Alampalayam village in Erode’s Anthiyur Taluk. He owns 10-acre farmland at Udayarpalayam village in Karnataka. During this season, he had cultivated Cabbage, garlic, beetroot, tomatoes, chillis and lady’s fingers which were harvested in March third week. Speaking to The New Indian Express, he said “I got to know that many daily wage labourers in my village were struggling to survive during the lockdown as they were not able to earn. Although they got rice and dal from ration shops, a healthy meal is incomplete without vegetables. So I decided to give all my produces to them, for free.”
Between April 10 and 14, Mathesh has distributed around 8 tonnes vegetables to more than 800 poor families for free of cost. “My family and friends go door-to-door to supply these vegetable bags. We had ensured to follow social distancing norms and were equipped with protective gears as well. Apart from this, we have distributed more than 100 bags to tribals settled near the farmland,” he added.
However, as the Tamil Nadu government has ordered to co-ordinate with the district administration to provide relief assistance, Mathesh said that he has stopped door-to-door supply of free veggies. He said that he is planning to coordinate with local authorities and identify more people in need and also provide them with the necessary supplies.
For Mathesh, doing this selfless deed was not easy. Every day he travels 110 km to transport the veggies in the truck. But due to lockdown, he has been facing difficulties in crossing checkpoints and to ease the transportation, he requested for a permission letter from the government.
“All my produces of this season would cost up to 10 lakhs at market rate and each day I spend up to fifty thousand which will include transportation and payment to labourers in the field. But I decided to compromise on profit as this is not the time for it,” he said.
“I believe that together as a community we can overcome this difficult time by doing our part to maintain the health of our people. I hope I would be able to supply free vegetables to the needy till lockdown ends,” he added.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Good News / by Chandini R / Express News Service / April 16th, 2020
The all-women army of the ICDSS does not gain as much attention or appreciation as do police and health employees.
Tiruchy :
The all-women force of 3,200 who work for the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme (ICDSS) in Tiruchy district is the foundation stone for the strong overall community health structure combatting coronavirus. The all-women army of the ICDSS does not gain as much attention or appreciation as do police and health employees. As the miasma of despair engulfs the whole State due to the fallout of coronavirus, these 3,200 women ensure all children and new mothers stay healthy and get proper nutrition.
They also keep track of pregnant women in every nook and cranny of the district. When Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami announced the closure of schools and Anganwadis across the State, he also arranged for doorstep delivery of rations each child in their respective households. With most people staying at home in the lockdown, the women attached to ICDSS venture out of their houses to deliver rations to households in every village and city. Tiruchy district has 1,850 Anganwadi centres. There are 96,357 children aged between six to 60 months in the district who receive weaning food. This figure includes 42,000 children who receive rations like rice, dal and eggs.
Apart from this, ICDSS women have to provide nutritious food to 12,750 antenatal and 13,519 lactating mothers. Tamilselvi, who works at the Anganwadi centre in Kannipatti village, travelled 13 km from Manapparai town to deliver rations. “As I was afraid to go alone due to the lockdown, I took my husband along with me on a two-wheeler to go to the village to do my duty. Once, a policeman stopped us midway. When I showed my ID card, he let us go,” she said. Some policemen easily identify them through their uniform sarees and allow them to proceed.
Tamilselvi was to take care of 64 children and also provide antenatal and postnatal care to nearly 20 mothers in the village. She has to do daily follow-ups of health conditions of expecting mothers – who are eight or nine months pregnant. As far as the nutritious diet for children below the age of five is concerned, ICDSS women provide each child’s household with rice, dal, eggs and weaning food. These are otherwise difficult for them to avail for those living in poverty. On April 1, they provided enough rations to last 15 days to children’s households.
Another example of the work being done by these women is Chitra of Kallagam, who travelled to Anna Nagar in Pullambadi on her two-wheeler to provide food and assistance to 20 children and 21 expecting and new mothers who come under the particular Anganwadi’s jurisdiction. All these workers have been asked to take pictures along with every child and mother while delivering rations and weaning food and send them to their higher-ups in order to ensure works are being carried out properly.
Services as tasks
T Bhuvaneshwari, ICDSS project officer, Tiruchy district, said “Our staffers are tasked to follow up on the health conditions of all expecting mothers and newborns. They have to call them every day. If any woman develops labour pain, it is the duty of the Anganwadi worker there to arrange for an ambulance and take her to hospital. Similarly, she has to ensure her safe return from the hospital.
Also, ICDSS workers are accompanying or following up with expecting mothers who undergo regular check-ups. All these works are being done despite the lockdown.” Moreover, in this challenging time, ICDSS women are assisting Health department staff with quarantines, community surveys and also in area containment as they have developed a rapport with local villagers and residents. Their prescience makes it easier for Health department workers to complete the task at hand.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by K Ezhilarasan / Express News Service / April 09th, 2020
TVS Motors group have covered 2,108 villages helping the local body and community to fight COVID19.
TVS Motors have provided PPEs to health workers, police and villagers
Chennai :
TVS Motors group have covered 2,108 villages helping the local body and community to fight COVID19. According to a statement, they have provided disinfectant sprayers, masks, gloves, to health workers, police and community members in the villages. Some of the places covered are Hosur, Thirukkurungudi, Arni, Padaiveedu, Javadhu Hills and Kothagiri among others.
The company also conducted public awareness programs, social distancing awareness programs and have distributed 6.5 lakh face masks.
The company has also been involved in COVID19 relief works in Pune and have helped several migrant families affected.
Currently, TVS is working with the Kancheepuram District Collectorate in providing dry ration kits and further they plan to cover 3500 villages totally.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by Express News Service / April 07th, 2020
Chennai-based CavinKare has come out with sanitiser sachets priced at ₹1 (2 ml).
“It is our responsibility to make the essential product accessible and affordable with utmost quality,” said company CMD C.K. Ranganathan.
He said, “The concept of launching the sanitiser in a sachet as well and making them available in a typical FMCG kirana outlet is an ideal step to ensure safety of the masses at this crucial time.” The company has introduced these sanitisers under its personal care brands.
According to a statement, the company’s decision of providing sanitiser from ₹1 is well within the government’s current stipulated pricing norm which has been duly followed across all other SKUs such as 10 ml, 50 ml, 90 ml, 400 ml, 800 ml and 5l pack . While the 5l pack is already introduced in market nationwide, the other SKUs will be launched soon.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Chennai / by Special Correspondent / Chennai – March 30th, 2020
Meet good samaritans in Chennai who are working to ensure that people don’t go hungry during the lockdown imposed to fight the coronavirus.
Image for representation: PTI
HIGHLIGHTS
Chennai eatery distributes free food packets
NGO volunteers provide dry rations, health kits
‘We have to help each other out’: Eatery owner
It’s tough to find better words than Trilok Babu’s to capture spirit of good samaritans working to ease the pain of life under lockdown: “We have to help each other out.”
This owner of a Chennai eatery, Dosa Corner, is having free packets of food — rice, sambhar, rasam, buttermilk and pickle — made for anyone who needs it.
“No questions asked,” he said.
Trilok Babu underscored the importance of such charity in a situation that he said was unprecedented for him.
“In my 40 years, I’ve never seen anything like this.”
– Trilok Babu to India Today TV
All of India is under lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus, a new kind (Sars-CoV-2) that was first detected in China and causes a potentially fatal respiratory illness, Covid-19.
In Tamil Nadu, over 300 people have, or have had, the virus, according to an India Today tracker . One person has died.
Many of the infections were traced to a religious congregation held at a markaz in Delhi’s Nizamuddin, now linked to a large cluster of coronavirus cases.
DRY RATIONS AND SANITISING KITS
Sneha Mohandoss, the founder of the NGO Food Bank, is also working to make sure people don’t go hungry during the lockdown and has teamed up with the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC).
Since the corporation is asking the public to provide dry rations instead of cooked food, the Food Bank, too, is asking its volunteers — a small number, since prohibitory orders are in place — to donate accordingly.
“We are a small group of volunteers working together, as it isn’t advisable for a huge group to be out on the streets,” said Sneha Mohandoss, one of several women who took over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Twitter account on Women’s Day this year.
For the poor and destitute, who have been affected more by the lockdown than the rest of us, Amma Unavagams are a godsent gift.
Workers resting between work at an Amma Unavagam in Cuddalore | Express
Cuddalore :
For the poor and destitute, who have been affected more by the lockdown than the rest of us, Amma Unavagams are a godsent gift. With most cheap eateries shut, these government-run canteens ensure people don’t go hungry. And behind this successful enterprise are a bunch of low-paid temp staff, who are as underprivileged as the people they serve.
When the lockdown was announced, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami promised that Amma Unavagams would continue to work through the period, serving three meals a day across the State.
Rajathi (name changed) shows up to work at 4 am, and so do her friends. By 7 am, they get the breakfast ready. By the time dinner is done and they wind up for the day, it’s 9 pm.
Walking into the outlet where Rajathi works, we found that the food prepared for lunch had gotten over. There were still people waiting to eat, and the workers had to cook a fresh batch. “This outlet serves 80 persons on average. Now, we are serving about 130,” says Rajathi.
“Even then we cannot meet the demand.” As per statistics quoted by official sources, on March 31, 377 people ate breakfast, 370 had lunch and 105 had dinner at the outlet inside the Cuddalore GH. On April 1, the numbers steeply increased to 411, 412, and 200 respectively.
The entire operations here are managed by just 7 women. “It is satisfying to serve the poor and government staff in times like these, but the administration should also consider our hardships,” says a staff member. “Since 2014, our contract payment has been standard – a paltry Rs 7,500.”
The workers are seeking extra payment for the lockdown period.
Commenting on this, Cuddalore Municipality Commissioner Ramamurthy said, “I suggested them to bring in more workers so that they can share their work load or work in shifts. But, they seem unwilling to do that. They instead sought salary revision. Since this is a State government scheme, we are only following the guidelines.”
Meanwhile, Cuddalore Collector V Anbuselvan told The New Indian Express that he would take up the concerns of workers for salary revision and regularisation of jobs with the government.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by Nirupama Sampath / Express News Service / April 03rd, 2020
India’s most sophisticated, indigenously designed battle tank, Arjun Mk-1A, has cleared all trials and is ready to go into production.
Arjun Mk-1A
Chennai :
It’s the most lethal, sophisticated and all-weather battle tank that India has indigenously designed and conceptualised till date. Meet Arjun Mk-1A main battle tank, a 68-tonne rugged bull, waiting to join the Indian army. It will be a star attraction at the DefExpo India 2020 to be held in Lucknow in February.
Armoured Corps cleared the tank after successful completion of final integration tests conducted earlier this year in the western sector of Rajasthan. Arjun Mk-1A is an improved variant of Arjun Mk-1, whose two regiments (124 tanks) are in service.
Scientists of Chennai-based Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE), a Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) lab, are the architects of this improved avatar of Arjun. The Heavy Vehicles Factory in Avadi is expected to commence production after receiving the order.
Top DRDO officials confirmed the new variant of Arjun had passed the rigorous army evaluation. “The tank has fulfilled all user specifications and undergone elaborate field trials. We expect the order of intent any time soon.” Officials said 72 improvements were made to Arjun MBT Mk-1A, of which 14 were major upgrades specifically requested by the army.
CVRDE Director V Balamurugan said the fundamental parameters of a battle tank are “fire power, protection and mobility”. Arjun MBT Mk-1A is improved on all these fronts.
Four upgrades were made to firepower. An improved Gunner’s Main Sight (GMS) integrated with Automatic Target Tracking (ATT) was fitted. This helps the crew track moving targets automatically, making it easy for the gunner to fire even when the tank is moving. The Commander’s Panoramic Sight (CPS Mk II) was integrated with Thermal Imager that enables the commander to effectively conduct surveillance in both day and night through eye-safe Laser Range Finder with advanced Hunter Killer Capability. Besides, additional varieties of ammunition were incorporated to enhance the lethality of the battle tank. Other than conventional Fin Stabilised Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot (FSAPDS) and High Explosive Squash Head (HESH) ammunition, Thermo Baric (TB) and Penetration Cum Blast (PCB) ammunition were developed.
Lastly, the vehicle was upgraded with a Remote Controlled Weapon Station that provides the loader capability of engaging ground and aerial targets from the protective envelop of the tank armour. It provides an additional capability to fight in urban areas called Hatch-closed firing.
Extra protection for crew
The battle tank will have a crew of a commander, gunner, loader and driver. Keeping them out of harm’s way is paramount. For this, Arjun Mk-1A comes with a slew of new features. Balamurugan said Track Width Mine Plough (TWMP) is a significant addition, which provides capability for the tank to easily cross minefields as the plough mounted to the front creates a mine-free path by tossing mines to the sides of the tank. The Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA) panels are provided for effective protection against ever-evolving anti-tank threats like shoulder-fired anti-tank grenades and missiles. These were mounted along the frontal arc of the hull and turret.
Another new feature is a Containerised Ammunition Bin with Individual Shutter (CABIS) that provides enhanced protection to the crew from inadvertent burning of ammunition stored in the ready round bin. Hot gas generated by ammunition burning is vented out by blow-off panels from the roof of the turret.
Besides, Arjun Mk-1A has protection against chemical attacks. A special chemical sensor is mounted to detect the presence of harmful toxic chemicals around the tank. “The sensor detects harmful chemicals, triggers an alarm and the Nuclear Chemical warfare system increases the pressure in the tank compartment to a level higher than in the atmosphere outside preventing toxic air from entering. The crew gets air through a particulate filter,” officials said.
The Roof Mounted Driver’s Seat protects the driver from shocks and enhances driving comfort. Other upgrades include a Laser Warning and Counter Measure System that protects the crew by creating a smokescreen between itself and the enemy and Anti Infra Red/Anti Thermal Imaging paints that reduce the tank’s signature when viewed through IR/TI cameras or goggles making it difficult for enemies to detect.
Mobility-related improvements
Officials said one of the challenges in making of Arjun MBT Mk-1A was the overall weight. Every improvement comes with baggage, which the user may not like as it may compromise mobility. To counter added weight, an Advanced Running Gear System was developed where the hydro-pneumatic suspension system was redesigned to enhance the tank’s agility. Tweaking the final drive also ensured the required agility.
An Advanced Land Navigation System was added to provide enhanced navigation capability in desert terrains during war. It provides accurate information of where the tank is using Inertial Navigation or GPS or both and where the tank needs to go in the absence of any signage in the war theater. An uncooled Night Vision camera for the driver has been provided. The obsolete Image Intensifier for the driver has been replaced with un-cooled Thermal imager with binocular sights, providing him with a capability to travel at reasonable speeds even in pitch-dark conditions.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Tamil Nadu / by S V Krishna Chaitanya / Express News Service / December 09th, 2019
True to the idea The house is both sustainable and local
Madurai architects Vignesh Sekar and Shamini Lakshmanan are winning global attention for a climate responsive Chettiar House they built in Thiruppathur near Madurai
One national award, five nominations (including four international) and nine articles in appreciation in journals of repute over the last 10 months have put architects Vignesh Sekar and Shamini Lakshmanan in the spotlight; a feat they never imagined to win at 25.
In fact, both were set to go overseas for higher studies after completing a challenging project in Thiruppathur, 64 kilometres East of Madurai, last November. “The client wanted a house with contemporary aesthetics while combining the cultural essence, traditional architecture and context of his native Chettinad region,” says Vignesh. “We debated and researched a lot, developed a timeline and came up with several innovative low cost ideas. It turned out to be much above everybody’s expectations,” says Shamini.
Until then, they mostly worked on public spaces in Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru. However, their first major project was in Madurai in 2016 when immediately after graduating from Thiagarajar College of Arts, they were commissioned by the Madurai Corporation Commissioner to transform the abandoned Bharathiyar Park.
___________________________
Project highlights
The house was built in the middle of a grove of 200 plus coconut trees. Only three were felled as they were damaged but were used for concrete shuttering.
A lotus pond at the entrance has a crocodile sculpture made with stones collected from the site. Big boulders from the surroundings have been used as steps to climb on to the front verandah. Stones of different shapes and sizes have been moulded into a statue that works as a railing to the steps.
The main door to the house is seamless matching the facade of the wall. It is made with finest form of marble, egg whites and white cement. The interior walls have leaf imprints of the trees in the vicinity
Instead of a big puja room, a smaller one has been built with a big lounge that can accommodate more peopleand one side wall has a vertical garden to purify the air
The terracotta jaalis that dapple the light and thermally insulate have been fool proofed for security. Iron rods have been inserted in each brick and the bricks have been further twisted and shaped for aesthetics
The design of the house is complemented by rustic finishes like the exposed concrete on the ceilings, a combination of wood and Athangudi tiles on the floors
__________________________
“Encouraged by the positive feedback we received, we submitted it to the Arch Daily, a social forum and an online magazine from New York,” says Vignesh, “but it was rejected.” But there was an upside to it. Impressed by their design , the owner of a hotel in Thiruppathur approached them to design his dream house over 5,000 sq.ft. inside a coconut grove. “He told us not to mimic the Chettinad architecture but retain the spirit of a Chettiar house, in terms of lay-out and play of natural light and air,” says Shamini
Combining aesthetics with contemporaneity, the architects consciously chose to be sustainable and vernacular. “We started from the scratch in July 2017 and handed over the project in November 2018. After Arch Daily wrote about the house in January this year, the recognition from various associations, platforms.i
Combining aesthetics with contemporaneity, the architects consciously chose to be sustainable and vernacular. “We started from the scratch in July 2017 and handed over the project in November 2018. After Arch Daily wrote about the house in January this year, the recognition from various associations, platforms and publications has been overwhelming,” says Vignesh.
So much so that the duo have not only postponed their idea of studying overseas but also opened an office in Madurai two months ago for their company STOMP (Studio for Modernism & Practical Aesthetics).
“Till now, we were mostly travelling and working from home but now international agencies ask for our official address while approaching us for articles and awards,” notes Shamini.The duo has won the Young Designers Award 2019 given by India Architects & Builders (IAB).
So what is special about the building they created? “We incorporated an earthy palette of native materials either sourced from the site or from within 50 kilometres and juxtaposed them with traditional aspects of Chettinad region like its colours, fabric and (Athangudi)tiles. We employed local labour and artisans for every aspect of the work,” notes Vignesh. “We stuck to the client’s brief howsoever difficult it appeared,” adds Shamini.
For instance, the owner chose a large front yard to the typical open courtyard and wanted the three layers of a typical Chettinad house to remain — the public frontage in the front called the thinnai; the semi public area in the centre (like the puja and living room and the dining area) and the private bedrooms at the farthest end. The terracotta facade of the building and the skylights on the first floor ceiling allow natural play of light and ventilation and minimise use of electricity. The house runs on solar power and there are only four fans installed. Customised clay pots in the skylight made from the soil at the site reduce the temperature by five degrees.
“There was a purpose in the enhanced spatial, functional and permeable structure we planned and executed for a lifetime living experience”, says Vignesh, “and we are glad that it is garnering attention,” says Vignesh. “We faced our challenges gracefully and the awards are fuelling our passion now,” adds Shamini.
A WINNING DUO
They are among the top three contenders and the only ones from South India for the FOAID (Festival of Architecture & Interior Designing) -2019, a genex competition for young designers. From 250 submissions, they were among the six shortlisted in the first round. The finalist will be announced on November 29.
Their design was among the 20 selected projects from around the world and only one from India featured in the 45th issue of Australian publication, Habitus Living in September-November 2019. They also made it to the top five in one of the categories that describes the designers as champion paying attention to materiality.
It has been shortlisted for the prestigious Women In Architecture Awards – the only Indian project on the list that includes some of the world’s most important practitioners.
From 500 entries it was one among four Indian teams to have been shortlisted among top 100 for the Merit List 2019 announced by Cycle by Matter.
Out of 550 projects from 54 countries, it has been shortlisted for Continental Architectural Awards 2019 in Spain
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Life & Style / by Soma Basu / November 01st, 2019
Every morning D Arul Raj wakes up with one goal — to rescue at least one homeless person and put a roof over his/her head.
D Arul Raj founded the trust in 2017 and has rescued more than 320 homeless people till date Debadatta Mallick
Chennai :
Every morning D Arul Raj wakes up with one goal — to rescue at least one homeless person and put a roof over his/her head. He drives his autorickshaw, picking up savaaris for four hours each in the morning and evening, and the rest of the day he goes around the city to look out for homeless people who need help. Arul founded the Karunai Ullangal Trust two years ago to help abandoned people. So far, he has rescued more than 320 people.
On Tuesday, when we were waiting to talk to Arul, he gets a call telling there is someone in Perambur who needs his help. The 34-year-old autorickshaw driver doesn’t think twice before getting into his vehicle, asking us to hop on and zooming past the city.
How it all began
“I have a wife and two children. Till 2015, I had no intentions of doing social service. During the floods that year, my wife received an emergency call from one of her friends at Saidapet. He told her that they were starving and were unable to get out of the locality due to stagnation. I brought food to their place only to realise there were hundreds who needed help,” he says.
Using a push cart, Arul ferried people out of the area. That’s when he first felt the need to help a fellow human being. “It was the amount of trust they had on me that shook me. I then joined a Facebook page and a WhatsApp group called Makkal Ku Udhavalam, created especially to help people during floods. Requests for help kept pouring in and I did what I could,” he says.
Arul was then working in the collection department of a private bank. He would go from house to house to collect bank dues. However, when the office management realised he was busy with social service for most part of the day, they fired him in 2016. Arul was jobless for six months. “We worked for six months after the floods on cleaning and providing relief materials. After six months, when the admin of Makkal Ku Udhavalam decided to delete the page, I decided to manage it and changed the name to Karunai Ullangal. Simultaneously, that was when I lost my job,” he says.
Goal oriented
From helping cancer patients to poor children getting scholarships, Arul did everything he could. One day, towards the end of 2016, a woman on the roadside in Saidapet asked him if he could help her join a shelter home.
“I did not even know what a shelter home was until then. Earlier too, during floods, a woman had asked me the same, but I could not help her. But this request made me take the step to rescue the homeless and this changed my life forever,” says Arul. In January 2017, he received a call saying an injured homeless man was lying by the roadside and that he might die if they don’t help him soon. “This time, I took help from different NGOs and enrolled him in a private shelter home at Porur at 1.30 am. When that sense of satisfaction kicked in, I decided this is what Karunai Ullangal Trust will do from then on — rescue homeless and enrol them in a home.”
Daily routine
For each rescue, the fuel costs alone comes up to Rs 500. When Arul did not have a job, his friends and volunteers stepped up. “Each month, we were doing about ten rescues and I did not want to depend on them forever. So, I bought an autorickshaw in 2017. A dear friend of mine gave me `90,000 and the rest of the amount, I am paying through installments every month,” says Arul.
From then till now, Arul’s daily schedule has been the same. Ride the autorickshaw from 6 am to 10 am, carry out rescues from 10 am to 6 pm and again ride the autorickshaw from 6 pm to 10 pm before he heads home to spend time with his family. Of the people they have rescued, 120 have been reunited with their family, while others are in different shelter homes across the city. Now, Arul funds most of the rescues himself.
Alarming stories
While carrying out the rescues, Arul says he found some incidents alarming. “One day in 2018, I saw a distressed man on the roadside in Tambaram with a shabby long beard, torn clothes and his face covered in a thick layer of dirt. Talking to him, I found out that he was a film director who took to the roads after his wife divorced him and kids did not support him,” says Arul.
It is often common issues that lead to situations like this, he says. “Next time you find a distressed person, talk to them. Most of them have homes, but they don’t go because there are no loving people inside that house,” says Arul, as he swipes through the pictures of rescued people on his phone.Learning first-aid Pointing to a huge first aid box attached to his seat, Arul says that he is also trained in first-aid. Often, when they head out for a rescue, the notice that the victim’s legs and hands are infested by maggots due to living in unhygienic conditions and with diabetes. The 34-year-old learned first-aid, so he could clean their wounds before taking them to shelter homes.
As he shares his story, we reach the place of rescue. Outside Perambur loco station, we see an old man lying in his own feces, and his feet were half eaten by worms and maggots. Arul gets down and quickly takes the mask, gloves and other necessary equipment out of the first-aid box and runs to the man. He talks softly to him, consoles him as he cleans the wounds. Within an hour, he convinces him to go to a home, and four hours later, he was admitted. Arul looks at us and says, “This is the best part of my day.”
‘App’solutely helpful
Arul also introduced the Karunai Ullangal Trust mobile application on Google PlayStore in September. The app lets public upload pictures of the abandoned people and assigns volunteers for the rescue.
It also has a database of all the rescued people so that you can help them find their family if you know someone. If you want to report/help a homeless person on the roadside, contact 9841776685
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Chennai / by K.V. Navya / Express News Service / October 31st, 2019
Members of Mother India’s Crochet Queens, consisting of over 6000 members in 13 countries discuss their latest Guinness World Record
Colourful snowmen, Santa Claus bobbleheads and shimmering snowflakes, each carefully woven with yarn, were quickly arranged in a row as a group of women waited in anticipation next to their creations. They were among 350 women of Mother India’s Crochet Queens (MICQ) who showcased a whopping 66,158 decorations, in an attempt to set their fourth Guinness World Record for the World’s Largest Display of Crochet Christmas Decorations. Four hours of careful counting later, the new record was set.
Mother India’s Crochet Queens (MICQ) was founded in 2016 by Subashri Natarajan and currently consists of over 6,000 members in 13 countries. Previously setting records for the largest crochet blanket, largest crocheted scarf and largest display of crochet sculptures, the group, which also consists of cancer survivors, stroke patients and physically challenged members, was trying to break the previous record of 4,416 crochet Christmas decorations achieved by British group Women’s Weekly.
Subashri set the ball rolling in February, and coordinated through 28 goodwill ambassadors across nine countries. “We picked 120 designs and sent it to the organisation for approval. Fixing a target of 100 crochet pieces per participant, I initially aimed towards creating 10,000 designs, not anticipating that we would produce six times the number.”
Participants, from the age of six to 89, busied themselves knitting angels and Christmas trees onto sheets of netlon, while exploring colours and patterns. Applique, a two-dimensional needlework technique combined with amigurumi, the Japanese art of crocheting, resulted in funky gingerbread men and tiny reindeer. Pushing the boundaries of crochet, the women also decided to narrate the history of Christianity through 33 different scenes, beginning with angels appearing before the shepherds. A colour scheme was decided and through CAL (Crochet Along), dolls were couriered in and assembled. With 55 participants from Chennai, and designs sourced from cities like Madurai and Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu contributed the maximum number of pieces, with Karnataka coming in second.
When asked what the pieces would be used for, the members spoke about using their skills for charity and social work. Biji Rajan, goodwill ambassador for Tamil Nadu, mentioned, “Having worked with the Tamil Nadu Police Department in the past, the group has distributed scarves to the blind, and toys to Government school students. We knitted cotton and silk caps for cancer patients at St Jude India, Mumbai.” For their Jawan Project, 3,600 crocheted cowls and caps were distributed to the Army in 2018, and they are currently working on 18,000 scarves for soldiers.
So what will the group’s next record attempt be? Subashini said, “We are now working towards converting the Christmas designs into blankets, cushion covers, mobile cases and sling bags. These will be distributed to approved orphanages, churches and NGOs.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Entertainment> Art / by Aditi Subramanian / September 26th, 2019
Received a Bright Smile as soon as I gave her the meal box 
