Foreword

Greetings from Swabodhini!

August was a vibrant and eventful month for Swabodhini, filled with celebrations and visits from esteemed guests.

Our children took part in an online quiz program organised by SPASTN and LTI Mindtree Foundation, where they earned certificates for their participation. Additionally, our students enthusiastically joined a “Walkalong” event hosted by Young Indians and the Confederation of Indian Industries.

We were delighted to welcome a team from General Electric Company to our Thiruvanmiyur centre. They toured the campus and engaged with our children. Furthermore, a group of psychology students from NSN School visited to observe our classes, gaining valuable insights.

We proudly celebrated Independence Day and Krishna Jayanthi across all four of our centres. Our children, dressed in vibrant costumes, beautifully represented national leaders and Lord Krishna.

One of the major highlights was our 36th Annual Sports Day, held at the Babu Jagjivan Ram Sports Complex in Tondiarpet. Our children, along with their siblings and staff, participated in various track and field events as well as fun games, winning numerous prizes.

A significant milestone was achieved this month as Swabodhini acquired a spacious new building dedicated to our children. The facility was inaugurated by Shri Sunil Paliwal, IAS, Chairperson of Chennai Port Authority and Kamarajar Port Ltd, alongside Shri Viswanathan IAS, Deputy Chairperson of Chennai Port Authority, and Shrimathi Irene Cynthia IAS, Managing Director of Kamarajar Port Ltd. We are immensely grateful to Chennai Port Authority for renovating the building and supporting the operational needs of our new centre, which will serve the underserved special children in the Tondiarpet neighbourhood. Our heartfelt thanks to Kamarajar Port Ltd for their financial support in setting up the infrastructure and covering operational costs.

As always, the month concluded with the joyful celebration of staff and student birthdays.

We look forward to sharing more exciting updates with you next month!

Best Regards,

Nandini Priyakumari
Director
Swabodhini School and Vocational Center for Special Children

On Sunday 11th August our students actively participated in a Walkalong 2.0 organised by Young Indians and Confederation of Indian industries.

NSN School students came to our Thiruvanmiyur centre, where they observed and engaged with our students.

We celebrated Independence enthusiastically in all the four centres

Our vocational students amused the Prodapt employees with a western dance during the Independence Day celebrations at their office.

On August 23, 2024, we happily celebrated Krishna Jeyanthi at each of the four centres. Most of our students came to school dressed as Radha and Lord Krishna and the others decked themselves in traditional attire. They also enjoyed doing some cultural arts and dance.

Our 36th Annual Sports Day took place at Babu Jagjivan Ram Sports Complex in Tondiarpet. Students and staff put in a lot of effort to make the event a success. We were honoured to have Mr. S. Ravi, the Chief Guest and Mr. N.K. Gopinath, the Honorary Guest, both of whom were former presidents of the Rotary Club of Madras. We sincerely appreciate their presence during the entire event. We express our gratitude to the Acqueon team for their tremendous excitement and support throughout our sports day.

A large facility with a built up space of 14,000 Sq.ft and a playground meant for children with special needs was renovated by Chennai Port Authority for exclusive use by Swabodhini School and Vocational Center for Special Children. Kamarajar Port Limited and Chennai port Authority are providing support for infrastructure and operational expenses for this centre to serve the underserved population of North Chennai.

The facility was inaugurated on 30th Aug 2024 by Shri. Sunil Paliwal IAS, Chairperson- Chennai Port Authority and Kamarajar Port Limited in the presence of Shri. S. Viswanathan IAS, Deputy Chairperson, Chennai Port Authority and Smt. J.P. Irene Cynthia, Managing Director, Kamarajar Port Limited and the Board of Directors of Kamarajar Port Limited. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to them and the entire team of Chennai Port Authority and Kamarajar Port Limited without whose support this project would not have been possible.

As usual we celebrated the birthdays of all the students and staff at all four centres.