BENGALURU: Retired Colonel K Joseph Samuel changed lives when he along with Captain GR Gopinath founded Air Deccan with the aim to let every Indian fly. That was in 2003.
After Vijay Mallya took over, Col. Samuel decided to take off for another life-changing pursuit -- helping underprivileged children.
With Jeevarathni Foundation, he is changing the world of 34 impoverished children at a village near Nallur of Hosur Taluk. According to him, it is not an enterprise of just one individual. “I just happened to kickstart it. But the continuing work is a shared effort of family, friends, the trustees and our supporters, who form a large base now. They come very often to spend time and effort with our children, which greatly boosts their self esteem and confidence,” he says.
Registered in February 2008 in Bengaluru, the foundation was inspired by the work of another individual says Col Samuel. “It was always there in the back of my mind. However, the trigger was when I chanced to see a Youtube video about ‘Auto Raja’. Since his home was just 5 km from my place, I went to see him, and was amazed to see what a third standard school dropout autorickshaw driver could achieve while many of us with good education and money to spare, just sit back and do nothing,” he recollects and adds that he realised that many of us are just thinkers and planners, while people like Raja were the ‘doers’. “That was what gave me the inspiration to leave my thinking cap aside and go and do something on the social scene,” he says.
The children in his foundation are mostly from the slums of Bengaluru. His foundation approaches social organisations who recommends the candidates and he along with his team vets them to see if they truly need help. “They also need to have at least one parent who decides to send them to us so that they can get good care, education and love and be away from the very destructive atmosphere of the slums,” says Col Samuel whose foundation tagline states “Our Worries are ‘Little Ones’”.
Jeevarathni regularly conducts events to help their cause. These include three annual events. ‘Run for Jeevarathni’, a 5 km run which takes place in the first week of June, every year. Their annual day is celebrated on August 23, when children put up various shows. “We also showcase various curios made by children,” he says.
Tomorrow, the foundation is organising a new event conceptualised by emcee Mark Rego. ‘Share a Smile’ will be a musical extravaganza cum carnival featuring some of Bengaluru’s top artistes and musicians. “The idea is to raise funds for the foundation and to also give people and their families an opportunity to come together and spend quality time with the children of Jeevarathni in a carnival atmosphere,” says Col. Samuel.
Some of the artistes taking stage would be Shyam and Steve from the bands ‘Shyam and the West Wind’ and ‘Pink Champagne’, Priya Mendens, ‘Men of Faith’ -- Bengaluru’s all male Gospel Quintet, among others. “The carnival will also have game stalls, counters selling homemade pickles, chocolates, terrariums and artefacts made by children of our foundation,” he says.
For details, contact 98450 10532