Swasam in Action- A real breather on Children's Day

Since its inception, though Swasam has shown snail-paced progress,its spirit stays unhampered in the face of a high attrition rate(considering the big bunch of people that it started with)!! This Sunday(Nov 14th) was not only a comeback of sorts to re-invent the purpose of the non-profit venture, but also set off a spark glowing in the minds of the fields-men. The idea behind the visit to Acharapakkam(about 90 kms from Chennai)village was to provide a small financial aid to the World Hope Centre for the HIV-afflicted children from the age group of 4 to 18. After our visit, though, our motive seemed to have been re-defined by the little children and their care-takers with whom we interacted.

On a cloudy Sunday morning, with enthusiasm only little more than nothing, five Swasam-ites joined to make this year's Children's Day a little more meaningful than usual.After having reached Acharapakkam by bus(a long, but beautiful journey),we bought some provisions that the Centre might need for the children,for about half a month. We proceeded by an Omni that the Centre had sent to receive us.

"Those who have little, keep little;
They give more,yet possess little;
They stand tall in times of trouble;
They stand tall in times of victory;
For,they see no difference
Either in trouble or victory
Either in rich or poor
To them, all times are good times"




The hospitality and spirit of the Volunteers from the Centre is indescribable. They were all unique and seemed like achievers in their own ways. About 40 children is what the Centre shelters, but what a difference it made to their lives!! The children were talented,sharp and witty. I remember feeling timid in their presence in some instances. We immediately planned to leave, but the children had more to share with us, than what we had. They danced, sang songs and seemed to enjoy life with great zeal. It was like finding back the long-lost zest for life. The enthusiasm of the children was over-whelming and filled the whole atmosphere with joy.

After a short interaction with the care-takers there, we visited their dormitory and knew more about their day-to-day activities and schedule. Some were learning tailoring, while other grown-ups went to Computer classes. Girls also helped in cooking. It was their home, after all and they seemed like a family.


We look forward to support the Centre on a continuous basis and drive more volunteers from our group to participate in activities such as these.


Yours fondly,

Swasam Team