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May 31, 2021
Recently a team of Signify employees from our Chennai Warehouse and Office in India undertook a very special project to illuminate a rural residential school for underprivileged children located in Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu under our CSR volunteering program – Signify Light up a Smile.
Dr. Ambedkar Ashram School is a two-storey primary residential school, located in Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu, approximately 80 kms from Chennai City. This school was started in 1998 with a vision to provide better education to students from scheduled tribes. Now this school is home to 65 young and bright students from marginalized backgrounds, with majority of them belonging to the “Irulas Tribe”, who earn their living by catching snakes and rats.
The school is located in a remote location, surrounded by dense forests on one side and agricultural land on the other. Due to lack of funds, the school building was in a dilapidated condition for many years with almost no lighting fixtures and broken sections in the roof. In the year 2016, the roof of 4 classrooms was further damaged by the severe cyclonic storm Vardah, making it impossible to use these classrooms during rainy days and hot summer conditions.
Moreover, the lighting infrastructure of this school has not been upgraded since the last 20 years, with hardly any light available in the classrooms, school compound, playground and toilet area. While students could study during the daytime under sunlight, studying at night was not possible due to lack of proper lighting facilities.
As a result of the incredible efforts of these volunteers, the schoolchildren can now concentrate better during school hours and continue to study and play even after dark, thanks to the new LED lighting in their school and playground. Moreover, the illuminated school premises have also enhanced the safety and security of the children and support staff in this residential school. All the classrooms are now fully functional and illuminated, offering a better learning environment for the students.
The newly installed lighting in the school was recently inaugurated by this inspiring group of Signify volunteers, with the schoolchildren putting up a small cultural program to celebrate the joyous occasion. The team also contributed their personal funds to distribute stationary kits and basic amenities such as food packets, sports equipment and personal use items for the school children.
The big smiles seen on all the faces at the end of the day made this a very memorable occasion for both the volunteers and the students!
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