KADAPA: “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honourable, to be compassionate, and to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” This remark of Ralph Waldo Emerson had its weight on the purpose of life. Taking these words as a cue and inspired by his grandmother’s words ‘serving the needy is the ultimate purpose of life,’ a young railway keyman from Kadapa district has been leading a meaningful life for the past one decade.
Thirty-year-old Papijenni Rama Krishna Reddy was born at Tellapadu in Kalasapadu mandal of Kadapa district. Since his childhood days, he adored Swami Vivekananda and started Vivekananda Foundation in 2010 along with his friends—S Siva, S Sreenivasulu and N Eswaraiah—who have been supporting him wholeheartedly.
In the past one decade, the foundation expanded to 81 members and has been extending its services in Kalalsapadu, Kasinayana, Porumamilla, B Kodur, Muddanur and surrounding 20 mandals in Kadapa district. As part of their service activities, they are adopting schools to distribute study material, improving school infrastructure, planting saplings and helping the needy through various activities.
They have adopted Mandal Parishad Upper Primary School at Tellapadu and improved its infrastructure by spending nearly Rs 1 lakh. Realising the importance of blood donation, the foundation members are always ready to help the people such as pregnant women and accident victims. They have saved the lives of 70 persons with the timely donation of blood. “We also disseminate the teachings of Swami Vivekananda by distributing literature to the younger generation,’’ Rama Krishna Reddy said.
Another contribution of the foundation is promoting the conservation of environment by planting saplings and inspiring the children to love nature. They celebrate the National Youth Day every year to motivate the youth and school students to do social service and also fulfil social responsibility by felicitating social workers. They are helping the underprivileged students, enrolled in government schools, by providing school bags, books and stationery. Within a year, they have extended support to 2,929 students in 61 schools.
“We are planning to construct an orphanage exclusively to serve the destitutes at Obulapuram in Sri Avadhutha Kasinayana mandal of Kadapa distirct,’’ another foundation member Siva said. Under the ‘Mana Vooru – Mana Badi’ (Our Village - Our Schools), an initiative to adopt schools, the foundation has developed several schools. Rama Krishna Reddy bagged over 40 mementoes from various organisations for his service activities.
Activities taken up
Vignana Seva
Propagation of Swami Vivekananda’s ideology
by distributing booklets'
Cheyutha
Distribution of bed sheets to abandoned elderly persons
Saraswathi Seva
Establishment of village libraries
Basata
Distribution of books and bags to needy students
Spoorthi
Motivating college students and empowering women