HYDERABAD: Years ago, Sreenivasa Prasad Rao Sarvaraju nearly had to give up his education because his family could not afford it. Today, better known as Amma Sreenivas, he is helping more than 150 children find opportunities that once seemed out of reach for him.
Growing up in a remote village near Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, Sreenivas’ education almost came to an end after Class six. There was no high school nearby, transport was scarce and his parents, struggling to make ends meet.
“My education stopped because my family simply couldn’t manage the expenses. But friends, relatives and well-wishers came forward to help me. Their kindness changed my life,” Sreenivas recalls while speaking to TNIE.
His uncle eventually brought him to Nellore so he could continue his education. Even then, survival was a daily struggle. Sharing a tiny rented room with his sisters, the siblings collected old newspapers, made paper covers for medical shops and took up odd jobs to pay rent, buy books and stay in school.
“There were days when we didn’t know how we would manage the next meal. But we believed education was the only way to change our future,” he says.
After graduating, Sreenivas joined a corporate company to support his parents and siblings. Yet, he never forgot those who had helped him. Every month, he quietly set aside Rs 100 or Rs 200 from his salary for social causes. His first major contribution was donating half of his annual bonus to an organisation working for the visually impaired.
A turning point came on New Year’s Day in 2008. Instead of celebrating with friends, he persuaded them to spend the day at an orphanage. What began as a simple visit soon grew into the Amma Social Welfare Association, a volunteer-driven organisation dedicated to education and community service.
“We ask people to give their time first. Once they witness the realities faced by children, helping comes naturally,” he says. As volunteers began visiting government schools, they realised many children were progressing through school without basic reading, writing and communication skills.
Determined to bridge that gap, Sreenivas and his wife left their corporate careers in 2018 to work full-time for the education of children from marginalised communities. With support from the Wipro Foundation, they established community learning centres in Shadnagar.
What began with a handful of children during the pandemic has grown into three centres supporting more than 150 children, from Anganwadi to degree level.
Alongside academic support, the centres offer libraries, storytelling sessions, art, photography, educational games, career guidance and activity-based learning, helping children build confidence, communication skills and a love for learning.
The initiative has also brought change beyond the classroom. Regular interactions with parents have encouraged many families to keep girls in school instead of opting for early marriages. Several first-generation learners have completed Intermediate, while others are pursuing degree courses.
Some have even returned as interns, mentoring younger children while gaining valuable experience themselves.
Over the years, the Amma Social Welfare Association has financially supported more than 60 students pursuing higher education and reached nearly 1.25 lakh students through career guidance programmes across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Its volunteers have organised 58 blood donation camps, while Sreenivas himself has donated blood 65 times.
Today, the three learning centres are filled with children discovering new interests, asking questions and dreaming a little bigger. For Sreenivas, each one is a reminder that the kindness once shown to him has come full circle, opening doors for hundreds of others.