Educational access
About 500 students a year from very poor families receive the books and notebooks that let them stay in school.
Formal & higher education support
Keeping children in school and opening a route beyond it — learning materials, tuition and coaching centres, and university-approved diploma courses.
500
Students given books each year
250
Children at 10 tuition centres, Virudhunagar
56
Students enrolled at SJ Group of Institutions
4
Courses approved by Manonmaniam Sundaranar University
Understanding
What formal & higher education support means
What is formal & higher education support?
Formal & higher education support removes the practical barriers that push children out of school and closes the gap between finishing school and finding a course worth doing — learning materials, extra teaching, and recognised qualifications within reach of a village.
The simplest part of the work is the oldest. From 2003–04 the trust has supplied books and notebooks each year to about 500 students from very poor families, paid for by donors and philanthropists. Extra teaching followed: in 2014–15 ten tuition centres across ten villages of two blocks in Virudhunagar reached 250 school students, and in 2020–21 evening coaching classes ran in six villages of Kadavur block, Karur, with revision, doubt clearing and model tests before the examinations, and a small library of books, periodicals and newspapers at each centre — 178 children took part.
For higher education the trust works through institutions. In Dindigul it obtained permission from the Tamil Nadu Open University to run an Information and Study Centre for graduate, post-graduate and diploma courses including management studies and job-oriented courses, operating from the trust's own headquarters. More recently, with the approval of Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, it has run four vocational courses at SJ Group of Institutions — a two-year Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology, a two-year General Duty Assistant course, a one-year Fashion Designing course and a two-year Assistant Chef course — with 56 students enrolled.
- Books & learning materials
- Village tuition centres
- Evening coaching & libraries
- Entrance exam coaching
- University-approved diplomas
Why this work matters
The challenge on the ground — and our answer
The challenge
Talent priced out of education
Books and materials put schooling beyond the reach of children from the poorest families, long before fees are even discussed.
Our response
Books and notebooks, every year
About 500 students from very poor families receive books and notebooks each year, paid for by donors and philanthropists who give to the trust for the purpose.
The challenge
No support once enrolled
Students who struggle academically have nowhere to turn — and falling behind quickly turns into dropping out.
Our response
Tuition centres and evening classes
Ten tuition centres in ten villages of Virudhunagar reached 250 school students in 2014–15; evening coaching in six villages of Kadavur block, Karur, with revision, doubt clearing and model tests, reached 178 children in 2020–21.
The challenge
Careers chosen in the dark
Without professional counselling, students make uninformed decisions about courses, higher education and work.
Our response
A qualification within reach
The Tamil Nadu Open University information and study centre at the trust's Dindigul headquarters opened graduate, post-graduate and diploma courses locally, and the four SJ Group courses lead into laboratory work, healthcare support, fashion and catering.
The challenge
Poverty repeating across generations
When education stays out of reach, the cycle of poverty passes from parents to children.
Our response
Qualification into work
Nine young people trained in hotel management at SJ Group of Institutions were placed at Adayar Ananda Bhavan and Royal Hotel; of eleven women trained in beauty therapy, five took salon jobs and six now run their own parlours.
At a glance
The essentials
- Active since
- 2003Books and notebooks for students from poor families, and the Tamil Nadu Open University study centre in Dindigul
- Students supported
- 500 a year with learning materialsPlus 250 children at village tuition centres and 178 in evening coaching classes
- Institutional partners
- Tamil Nadu Open University & Manonmaniam Sundaranar UniversityA study centre in Dindigul; four approved vocational courses at SJ Group of Institutions
- Project portfolio
- 6 documented programmesLearning materials, tuition, coaching, entrance-exam support and university-approved courses, 2003–2025
- Most recent delivery
- SJ Group of Institutions courses56 students across four courses, still running in 2024–25
- Delivery model
- Materials, teaching time and a route onwardVillage-based tuition backed by university-approved qualifications
Track record
Project portfolio, 2003–2025
| Programme | Period | Type | Highlights | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tamil Nadu Open University information and study centre | 2003–2004 | State university | Permission obtained from TNOU for graduate, post-graduate and diploma courses including management studies and job-oriented courses; the centre operated from the trust's Dindigul headquarters | Completed |
| Books and notebooks for students from poor families | 2003–2004 | Donor funded | About 500 students supported each year with books and notebooks obtained from donors and philanthropists | Completed |
| Non-formal education tuition centres | 2014–2015 | Trust sponsored | Ten centres across ten villages of two blocks in Virudhunagar district; 250 school students benefited | Completed |
| School Children Development Programme | 2020–2021 | Trust programme | Evening coaching classes in six villages of Kadavur block, Karur — revision, doubt clearing and model tests, with a library of books, periodicals and newspapers at each centre; 178 children benefited | Completed |
| JEE / NEET coaching, Govt Higher Secondary School, Gangaikondan | 2021–2022 | CSR partnership — ATC Tyres through United Way, Mumbai | Entrance examination coaching for 20 students under the School Adoption Programme in Manur block, Tirunelveli | Completed |
| Education and skill development programmes, SJ Group of Institutions | 2021–2025 | Courses approved by Manonmaniam Sundaranar University | Four courses — Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology (2 years), General Duty Assistant (2 years), Fashion Designing (1 year) and Assistant Chef (2 years). 56 students enrolled; 9 youths placed in hotels and 11 women trained in beauty therapy | Ongoing |
Impact
What education support changes
Extra teaching time
250 children at ten village tuition centres in Virudhunagar and 178 at evening coaching classes in Kadavur block, Karur, each centre with its own small library.
Recognised qualifications
56 students are enrolled on four courses approved by Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, in medical laboratory technology, healthcare support, fashion designing and catering.
Into work
Nine young people trained in hotel management were placed at Adayar Ananda Bhavan and Royal Hotel; of eleven women trained in beauty therapy, five took salon jobs and six set up their own parlours.
Get involved
Invest in student futures
Support deserving students in achieving their educational dreams. Your contribution pays for the books and notebooks, the tuition centres and the evening coaching classes that keep children from the poorest families in school.