The key component of the Friends of Tribal Society’s (FTS) Tamil Nadu chapter is the Ekal Vidyalaya programme — a concept of one-teacher schools operating in rural and tribal areas. Launched in the 1980s, this initiative has established around 1,000 schools across Tamil Nadu, including in cities such as Chennai and Coimbatore, to date.
As they step into their next year, 2025-27, this non-government and voluntary organisation plans to increase the number to 2,000 schools in the state. “Our Prime Minister’s dream of a developed India can only be fulfilled when our rural and tribal children are educated. The work of FTS through Ekal Vidyalaya is important in achieving this goal. I urge everyone to join hands and work together to take this campaign forward and achieve its objectives,” said Shiv Kumar Goenka.
Shiv Kumar, who was the chairman previously, was appointed as the president on Tuesday by the immediate past president, Praveen Tatia. Shiv Kumar added, “As the chairman of the fundraising committee, I was able to collect over `1.25-`1.40 crore in the last two years, and even before taking over as the chairman, I had collected almost `1 crore. My aim is to increase this collection in the coming years.”
He firmly believes in the saying, “Jivan mein jo bhi karo, pure samarpan ke saath karo (Whatever you do in life, do it with full dedication)”. He added his words of encouragement, “Let us work together with dedication and passion.”
At the event, the team also inaugurated a new chapter under FTS for the kids and proposed a new campaign. “We would like to take the kids from the villages on trips. They are usually afraid of the outside world. When they travel, they will get the much-needed confidence,” said Shiv Kumar.
As the newly elected leadership took charge, the emphasis was more on fundraising, outreach, and creative projects. This further promises to close the educational gap and empower the next generation as they are next in line to assume power.