The Hindu's Clean Chennai

Speaking at The Hindu’s Clean Chennai @ Home workshop at Bhavan’s Rajaji Vidyashram, Kilpauk, on Sunday, founder of Paperman, Mathew Jose, explained how to recycle paper and plastic with the help of the friendly neighbourhoodkailaan kadai karan (raddiwallah/kabadi wallah) or ‘waste entrepreneurs’ as he prefers to call them.

“Speaking from the perspective of the people in this informal industry, they are ignored by the government and ostracised by people. They do a great service by reducing various types of pollution and taking away the things that would normally clutter up landfills,” said Mr. Jose. He remarked that over 14 million tons of waste produced across India is worth about Rs. 15 to 20 crores to this industry.

The idea behind a model like Paperman is to connect residents to the local scrap and waste paper dealer and provide them with a simple yet effective way of collecting the things they can sell. Mr. Jose said, “We provide a bag to organise and collect newspapers and magazines and other scraps of paper. When this is full, they can call the helpline and give their details. Within 48 hours, a person will take it away at the fairest price possible. This ensures convenience for the consumer and an assured haul for the dealer, so everyone is happy.”

Alternatively, the enterprise gives an opportunity to help the less fortunate by investing the waste in a social cause. Homes can choose the cause they wish to support and the more waste they collect, the more they contribute. Currently, Paperman works with 220 houses and three NGOs in the city. They support the education of several hundred students.

Mr. Jose says a household can easily recycle even without the help of an organisation like Paperman. “Each household should take the ownership of recycling the generated waste. If there is a waste paper dealer right next to your house, use his services,” Mr. Jose.

Navneeth Raghavan, environment and solid waste consultant, shared the best practices for composting, while Srinivas Krishnaswamy spoke about the menace of plastics and how to reduce their everyday usage.

More than 200 residents participated in the workshop and contributed to a lively interactive session.

Paperman hotline: 8015269831. Paperman website: www.paperman.in

Pdfs of presentations made at Clean Chennai @ Home workshops in Adyar (Sep 7) and Nungambakkam (Sep 8)

Composting by Navneeth Raghavan

Garbage segregation by Navneeth Raghavan

Managing garbage effectively by Srinivas Krishnaswamy & Preethi Sukumaran

Here is a quick guide to start composting and recycling: http://thne.ws/cc-fridgesheet

For more information, please follow:

http://thne.ws/mychennai

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Mail us at myright@thehindu.co.in

Call 1253 to take care of Destitute Women on Roads

Some in city reach out to help the destitute when most pass them by

TNN May 19, 2013, 03.54AM IST

CHENNAI: They are outside swanky malls, theatres, on railway platforms and even sometimes right outside our doorstep, but they attract a few hearts. The city has thousands of destitute and homeless people, but a few to help them.
On Saturday, a motley group of individuals gathered at the Government Kasturba Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children to get first aid training to rescue mentally challenged and homeless people. While one of the participants is a conductor with Metropolitan Transport Corporation, another is a teacher in a government-aided school. And all of them work in their individual capacity.

"I started off with getting their hair cut, nails trimmed and making them bath. As I have been doing this for years, I never felt a sense of end to what I do," said Sri Priya, a schoolteacher from Elephant Gate in north Chennai. "Though the government provides medical treatment to the homeless, we urgently need more rehabilitation centres," she said.
The group members volunteer at the 1253 call centre at the police commissioner's office in Egmore. "We get at least four calls a day about a homeless person being spotted. We immediately rush to the spot and get a memo from the local police before taking them to a rehabilitation home," said S M Venkatesh, a volunteer with the Indian Red Cross Society. The 1253 helpline has also given these volunteers a platform to meet and exchange ideas.
The state-sponsored 108 ambulance facility, run by GVK-EMRI, receives about 120 calls a month. Most of the calls inform about people found on NSC Bose Road, as it is close to the Central and Egmore railway Stations, and Madras Medical College.
"In the area, we have even found people from as far as Kolkata and Siliguri in Darjeeling district of West Bengal," said S Rani, another volunteer. In February, Rani took Aladhi, 45, who was found roaming around near Chennai Central, back to Kolkata where she came from.
The All Bengal Women's Union, an NGO, took her in their custody and promised to find Aladhi's family. "Southern Railway too helped us get berth in train. But the journey was very difficult as she ran away in Nellore. It was nightmare to get her back," she said.
Chennai's autorickshaw drivers, who are notorious for their unreasonable fares and arrogant behaviour, are often the saviors of the day. "No one is willing to transport someone who is dirty and has deep wounds. But there are many autorickshaw drivers who come forward to help," said S G Ganesan, a volunteer.
According to the latest survey by the Corporation of Chennai, the city has 2,586 homeless families with a total number of 11,116 homeless people. Of them, around 1,864 families live on streets around NSC Bose Road.

A Litter Of Pups - Adopt One !

 

 

 

 

From providing a wheelchair for a paralysed dog to bottlefeeding a litter of pups, Anand goes the extra mile in helping rescued dogs, says SRIYA NARAYANAN

Anand Krishnan Srinivasan takes on challenges that very few others dare to. The professional dog groomer who is just in his twenties is known to animal welfare circles in Chennai as a hero who turns seemingly hopeless situations into fairytale endings. A few years ago, he and two of his friends rescued a dog that had been paralysed by a hit-and-run driver in Oragadam.

They picked up the dog that had been lying in agony and got him medical treatment. When the veterinarian diagnosed that the handsome mongrel could never use his hind legs again, Anand adopted him, gifted him a custom-made wheelchair cart and named him Remy Martin. Remy is now a healthy, mischievous pet who skates around through his apartment and enjoys the company of Anand’s other pets. These pets include black cats that he adopted as kittens, after seeing that they were shunned or treated badly by people for superstitious reasons.

Anand’s most recent rescue was four times as magical, for it involved a litter of four puppies that he played father figure to - from the time they were newborns. His friends rescued them when they were just a few days old, after hearing that their mother had been run over and killed in an accident. “They were tiny… the size of my palm”, remembers Anand fondly. “And their eyes were still closed”.

He set to work with a feeding bottle and puppy formula, and the hungry pups held on for dear life. For three weeks, Anand continued this process and held his breath, heaving a sigh of relief when they graduated to drinking from a bowl. His greatest reward was watching them blossom from squealing young ones to boisterous, beautiful pups with distinct personalities.

He nicknamed the largest pup Gundu on account of his plump frame and his eagerness to finish his share of solid food and then start nibbling from his siblings’ plates. Gundu’s identical brother is a social butterfly, while the third brother is a shy one that hides when visitors arrive, only to creep out moments later and begin playing hyperactively. The fourth pup is their only sister – she flaunts a black, shiny coat and is nicknamed ‘cartoon’ for the funny faces she makes and her clown-like behaviour. Anand is now all set to relocate to his hometown Mumbai to pursue a career in companion animal care, but is eager to find adoptive homes for the puppies. “An ideal home is one that will never abandon their pet”, says Anand who adds that it will be a blessing to see them go to homes that will treat them like children and appreciate the unconditional love they give in return.

To adopt any of these two-month-old Indian puppies that are healthy, friendly and vaccinated, call 9884714699 or 9840411759

Donate A Book

 

Can’t think of a good use for your old and dusty Westerns, Sidney Sheldon staples or those hard-to-giveaway classics? Wishing for more room to accommodate new books you’ve been eyeing? In that case, consider your problem solved.

Starting today, ‘Books on Toast,’ a two-day book donation drive, will collect books for a month and put them up for sale at a nominal cost on December 30. All the proceeds will go to a charity organisation, Teach For India (TFI). The initiative has seen two events in Mumbai and one in Bangalore.

Inspired by a local library in the United States that raised funds for itself by holding book donation drives, 27-year-old freelance writer and social media consultant Anuya Jakatdar decided to start something similar and ‘Books on Toast’ was born.

“I ended up buying about 27 books for 10 dollars, and that too authors like Stephen King, Gregory Maguire, John Irving et al. It was brilliant. After I came back, I toyed with the idea of doing something similar here, found friends willing to help out and then went ahead,” Anuya says. The name, she says, was something they came up on a whim.

With popular authors such as Samit Basu and Ashok Banker tweeting about ‘Books on Toast,’ donating books for charity has never been more fun. If you’re thinking twice about giving away your books, you can still buy different ones at inexpensive prices.

Books can be donated at drop-off points across the city. You can contact Vaishnavi Prasad at 98844 08574 for more information.

Check them out at https://www.facebook.com/

booksontoast

Nimmadhi -Senior Citizen Home

No 2/ 20, Raja street Extension ,Mandeveli
(Contact - Susheela /Kalyani - 24640092)
Originally started as a senior citizen home for the widows of men who served in the Indian army,ex servicemen ,and their dependents live here now.Run by the war widow welfare association presently 11 elderly women and 2 gents reside here.Medical check ups and physiotherapy exercises are conducted frequently.The residents keep themselves occupied by helping with the kitchen work of the home and relax by watching TV.They may be presented with sarees and sweets during diwali festive season.

Sai Krupa Government Aided School

This is Located at:
No 2,sundaram salai R.A.Puram (contact V.R.Udayashankar - 9841197841)
200 students studying in 10th standard study in his hostle.Donations odf sweets,tshirts and geometry boxes are welcome during festival seasons. Monetary contributions are accepted.This is a government aided school

Ramakrishna Mission Students Home - Mylapore , Chennai

  Ramakrishna Mission Students Home consists of three fully free educational institutions: a Residential High School, a Residential Polytechnic College and a Primary Day School. This residential Students Home is serving poor orphan and destitute boys selected from various places, mostly rural areas, to study in Residential High School and Residential Polytechnic College. Primary Day School does not have hostel and boys and girls from the local community are admitted as day scholars.

           Since it is meant only for the poor who cannot afford education, it provides free education, food and accommodation and other personal expenses to the inmates. It combines the ancient Gurukula system with modern technology under the care of monks of the Ramakrishna Order. It was started in 1905 by Swami Ramakrishnananda, a direct disciple of Bhagavan Sri Ramakrishna. Currently there are about 670 students in residence. The Home runs on the generous donations contributed by philanthropic public and institutions.

The Students' Home collects donations for its general expenses connected with providing free education, food and accommodation to the 670 inmates. These donations are eligible for exemption from Income Tax under section 80G of Income Tax Act 1961.

The Students' Home collects donations for providing food to all the inmates. Donors donate their might on the occasion of special days like birthday, wedding day, in memory of loved ones, festivals, celebrations and others. These donations are eligible for exemption from Income Tax under section 80G of Income Tax Act 1961.

ANNADANAM DETAILS 2013-2014

• MENUTOTAL BOYSPER BOY Rs.TOTAL Rs.
• Breakfast- Total 700boys                  Rs 8/boy             Totally Rs. 5,600
• Lunch(Ordinary)700Boys Rs.14/boy                             Totally  Rs. 9,800
• Lunch with Fruits700Boys     Rs.16(14 + 2)/boy            Totally Rs.11,200
• Evening Tiffin700Boys  Rs. 5 /boy                                  Totally Rs.3,500
• Dinner(Ordinary)700   Rs. 12/boy                                  Totally Rs. 8,400

On Sundays, Special items can be given at the time of lunch in addition to the usual items as per details given below.

• With Sweets                700  Boys                  Rs. 20(14+6)                   RS. 14,000
• With Sweets & Fruits  700      Boys              Rs.22 (14 + 8)                 Rs.15,400

Educational Donations

The Students' Home collects donations for free education to all the inmates. These donations are eligible for exemption from Income Tax under section 80G of Income Tax Act 1961.
We give below the Expenses we are incurring for maintaining and educating an Orphan and Destitute boy in our Home for the year 2013-2014.

Section	Institute & Extracurricular	Books Stationary	Uniform 3 Sets	Boarding & Lodging	Total Rupees
High School Std VI to X	4,800	1,000	1,200	13,000	20,000
Technical Institute	8,800	2,500	1,500	15,200	28,000
Primary School(CPS)	1,000				1,000

Endowment Donations

Endowments are created to serve a particular purpose – like annadanam endowment, education endowment or general endowment. The donated amount will be taken as principal and invested in bank FDs and others. The interest accrued from the investment will be used to meet the particular expenses for which the endowment is created. Endowments are named generally in memory of someone near or dear in the family. The Donor or his family members and relatives can add contributions to the endowments anytime. These donations are eligible for exemption from Income Tax under section 80G of Income Tax Act 1961.

• Swami Satyajnanananda, Secretary
  Ramakrishna Mission Students' Home
  No. 66, P.S. Sivaswamy Salai,
  Mylapore
  Chennai - 600 004
  India
• 

  Phone

  (+91 44) 2499 0264 / 2499 2537 /
  4210 7550

• Email : office@rkmshome.org 

  http://www.rkmshome.org/index.html

KIdwise - A child safety Book

Kidwise - A book on child safety is available free of cost .

To avail the book , contact the person below:

Contact Number : Program Coordinator : Mr.K.K.Sandeep (9382314839)
Email : info@eventainers.in

 Building’ child safety

Akshaya Private Ltd, a real estate developer, recently launched a book named Kidwise that teaches children how to stay safe
With a view to teach children on how to stay safe, Akshaya Pvt. Ltd., a real estate developer, launched a book on child safety titled KIDWISE recently. The first copy of the book was received by Y G Parthasarathy, dean and director, PSBB.
Speaking at the launch, she said, “This book is not just for children, but also for parents. Every child should compulsorily carry this hand book along with their school diary.”
The book includes safety tips that children should follow while in school, when travelling in the school bus, while using internet and mobile or while interacting with strangers. It also includes a list of emergency numbers in the end. Apart from a separate set of points for the parents, the book also lists tips on how to talk to children about safety without making them nervous.
Citing safety of children as the biggest challenge, T Chitty Babu, chairman and CEO, Akshaya Pvt Ltd, said that with the construction of schools, staircases, swimming pools and terraces, they themselves have been a cause factor in accidents. So it becomes their responsibility to do the little they can to enforce safety measures. The book is one such initiative.
Currently, Akshaya Pvt. Ltd. is targeting 50 schools, where 50,000 books will be distributed among students from kindergarten to standard five. The Tamil version of the book will also be out soon for the Chennai Schools. Further, Chitti Babu added that there are plans to make an e-version of the same.