TIRUCHY: In the late 1990s, when the country merely started embracing the possibilities of virtual connectivity, an alumni batch of a higher secondary school in Tiruchy rekindled their friendship through an email group, ahead of switching to WhatsApp messenger a few years later. Within days, around 160 former students of RSK Higher Secondary School on the BHEL Township premises from different walks of life and serving a variety of jobs decided to join hands for a noble cause: Serve the needy.
In 2010, they constituted a group ‘RSK 1987’ and expanded their presence on social media. Seven years later, these former students, a group of like-minded individuals comprising doctors, engineers, businessmen, and media professionals among others, met in person in Chennai. Realising how fortunate they were to grow up without financial troubles, they made up their mind to give something back to society.
That’s when they stumbled upon the idea of ‘RSK Class of 1987 Trust’ – an organisation to care, nourish, educate, empower, and improve the quality of life of those in need. Apart from offering the necessary assistance to students of both government and private schools, the trust also went on to play its part in meeting the requirements of the villages hit by natural calamities.
Initially, the alumni decided to bear the medical expenses of three staff members of their alma mater and contributed Rs 3 lakh towards the educational expenses of the employees’ children. Later on, in 2018, the trust adopted a panchayat union primary school (PUPS) in Thuvakkudi and initiated steps to improve its facilities. They set up smart classrooms and distributed uniforms to the students at a cost of Rs 1 lakh. A year later, they constructed a shelter at a home for the disabled in Irangalur and fixed the damaged roof of a government girls’ higher secondary school for the visually impaired near the Tiruchy MGMGH.
According to J Udhayanan, an alumnus-cum-architect from Tiruchy, after graduation they had paid a visit to their school thrice. “It was during one such visit that some of our teachers encouraged us to do something beyond the ordinary and help the poor. As we all hailed from financially sound families, we never had to face any hardship in finding money to secure a proper education. That’s when we realised the struggles many others go through to even pay school fees. Keeping this in mind, we decided to offer education-related assistance,” he said.
Throughout the years that followed, ‘The RSK Class of 1987 Trust’ adopted schools, took care of the tuition fees of students from poor financial backgrounds, and improved the infrastructure facilities of several schools, among others. “In addition to this, we attempt to spread awareness about the educational schemes for students of government schools,” Udhayanan added.
When the Gaja cyclone hit the state in November 2018, RSK alumni were at the forefront to make necessary arrangements for the families residing in delta regions. In 2020, they distributed sports kits to the students of KK Nagar Corporation School and facilitated the appointment of two English teachers in Thuvakudi PUPS and a government-aided high school in Kattur to help the students improve their language skills. These teachers are given a monthly salary of Rs 15,000 each, generated through the trust.
“Our mission is to improve the quality of life of those in need. At present, we are successfully providing English education, and plans are in the pipeline to appoint physical education teachers in our adopted schools. Through this, we hope to boost students’ interest in sports and offer them an opportunity to showcase their skills in state and district level sports meets,” said alumnus CS Sunil Kumar, a development head in a private company.
He adds that several members of their group are also active contributors to the trust. “We keep track of the donations we receive and upload the work we have done on our website. Often, we convene virtual group meetings and discuss future activities. Ahead of taking up any task, we post about the need in the group and seek everyone’s participation and cooperation,” Sunil Kumar said, adding that the trust had also donated Rs 1 lakh for a study centre being built by the rotary club in Tiruchy.
For many, ‘The RSK Class of 1987 Trust’ has been a big helping hand during times of crisis. V Subramaniyan, headmaster of the government girls’ higher secondary school for visually impaired in Tiruchy, expressed gratitude and said, “When they (alumni) approached us asking if we needed any assistance, and spotted the leakage on the school roof, they took it upon themselves to fix the roof and ended our misery.”
With a service history spanning eight years, this alumni trust is now focussing on expanding its initiatives further with the support of the district administration. “We are going to evaluate our work so far and take our endeavours to the next level, with a special focus on education,” adds Udayanan.
(Edited by Arya AJ)