CHENNAI: Collector Dr Alby John on Thursday visited the village of Tirukandalam in Tiruvallur and called on Roja, the 32-year-old homemaker who takes free tuition and digital education classes for underprivileged children at the village. Express on June 28 carried the story of Roja, who is also the village’s first woman graduate and wants to help more girls from her village pursue higher education.
During the visit, the collector handed over copies of Tirukural to the teacher and a few students. Speaking to Express, John said that he had come to a nearby village for agriculture inspection and decided to visit the nearby Tirukandalam as well. “Roja’s efforts are laudable. She is doing a great job and the students are very smart,” he said.
Roja (MA and B.Ed) holds her tuition on the premises of an NGO named Anbagam. Senior advocate Sudha Ramalingam, who runs Anbagam, a home for the elderly and domestic-abuse victims, said the collector’s visit was sudden and was a surprise to all. “All the teachers, students, and members of the NGO are so happy,” she said