CHENNAI: The only thing we have at Nam Veedu Nam Oor Nam Kadhai to share with everybody is heritage. So, we thought we might as well offer what we have and let people contribute to the cause,” begins Thirupurasundari Sevvel, architect and founder of the heritage conservation organisation, while speaking about their continuous effort to raise funds for small-scale businesses affected by the pandemic. Wielding the knowledge of heritage and ably assisted by creative collaborators, Nam Veedu has managed to turn every event be it virtual walks, oil poster/ postcard sign-ups and story sessions into a fundraiser. And the response has only been getting better day after day, it seems.
“Last time, we did a series of talks. This was specifically to raise funds for auto drivers and local business in Shenoy Nagar and Aminjikarai around 20- 30 families, their children’s school fees, provisions and such. We had artists collaborate, selling their works and contributing to the fund. Later, we hosted three heritage walks and an exhibition and gathered over Rs 1 lakh. None of these events had a fixed amount of ‘donation’; people were welcome to pay as much as they can. But I was very happy to see that everyone who registered (for these events) did so for nearly double the amount,” she narrates, adding that people have been very generous towards the cause.
Currently collaborating with Nam Veedu is a medley of talented folks. There’s Akshaya and Sivagamasundari (@sivagamasundari_ thavamani) holding up the end of virtual heritage walks and household heritage exhibitions — a staple with Nam Veedu. Aafreen, Srishti Prabakar of Anchored Hues (@anchoredhues_) and Padma Malini Soman of The Plain Papers (@theplainpaperspage) doling out painstakingly hand-painted/personalised post cards. An extension of a fan favourite Nam Veedu tradition. Then, there’s Faiza of Earth & Ethics (@earthandethics) with her curated stories — Samayalarai sollum kadaigal, bringing a unique element from her traditional utensils store.
Speaking of finding her way into this project, Padma says, “They had put out a call for volunteers for their fundraiser. And mentioned that it was going to the local businesses. So, I wanted to contribute. Besides, my target audience was not very well-to-do people; I thought I will contribute in a small way from what I sell to normal middle- class people who buy from me. That’s why I priced the cards at `50, thinking people will be more willing to contribute when it’s low. I thought I’ll do 40 cards and send all the proceeds to Nam Veedu but within two days, the orders were all filled out for it,” she recounts, expressing surprise over how eager people were to participate in the effort.
Faiza’s collaboration was born out of her eagerness to be of service. Positioned in Dubai and working with traditional cookware and utensils, she decided to bank on this knowledge to bring children into the world inside a kitchen. She will soon be hosting a series of sessions on five utensils — from the humble chapati kattai that gets a makeover in some parts of the country to brass utensils making a comeback, there’s much to look forward to. “I procure my products from small artisans and merchants. I’m from Pudhupet and my house was surrounded by these small vendors. So I know how much they are affected during this pandemic,” she says, sharing the reasons that pushed her to volunteer. Srishti is helping her with the illustrations for the upcoming sessions, she adds.
The people of Nam Veedu plan to keep the fundraising effort alive as long as there is a need for it. And to that end, they are open to collaborating with anyone interested in the work — be it artists, musicians, storytellers, academics, etc. Besides helping people in immediate need of food, provisions and financial assistance, they hope to also cater to the needs of the Madras Literary Society. “We know that food and life takes priority now. But, apart from that, heritage buildings and heritage causes also have needs. There are many people whose livelihood is dependent on it and they have operational expenses too. So far, 30 per cent of people have chosen to provide for MLS,” she shares, adding that this donation (to the heritage cause) is tax-exempt. Towards that end, they have a series of events in the making.
To know more about them, visit Instagram page: @ namveedu_namoor_namkadhai or the individual collaborator’s page.