Organisation
Who are we?
We, Pedro (49) and Nicolette (40), have travelled to India on numerous occasions in the past few years, sometimes for work, sometimes for leisure. In this country we encountered not only many faces of beauty, but we have often seen great poverty and the worst of living conditions too. You'd think and hope misery like that should be non-existent in this day and age. The gap between rich and poor seems to be increasing in India, despite or maybe just because of its rapid economic growth.
For long we pondered on ways to help improve a nation in such dire need. We came across KOGS and eventually MPCC and kept following them for a while, observing their work and joining them in their efforts. Many conversations with Indian founder Mr. Jeevanadam and two co-founders here in the Netherlands have led us to believe this organisation is very important in attempting to achieve durable change.
Awareness being the key to lasting change, passing knowledge (for example about hygiene) is of the utmost importance, as is enforcing the role of women. All this of course next to directly providing people with every essential and practical aid needed (also see 'MPCC activities').
To keep up the good work in Vallam and surroundings financial continuity is needed, and therefore we have decided to support and promote MPCC. This bona fide and empathic organisation not only acknowledges needless suffering, but also tries to fight it and make a real difference. By passing knowledge and creating awareness people finally obtain means to change their own world as well as their children's. For good.
Meet Prof. S. Jeevanandam (Phd.), aka Mr. Jeeva, KOGS and MPCC founder.
Mr. Jeeva was born ...
and raised in the dalit part of the small village of Keel Ottivakkam. Being the oldest of 5 children, he was given the opportunity to study by his father.
Because of the caste system, it is very hard for a member of a lower caste to achieve anything in social life. For dalits (formerly known as untouchables) it is almost impossible, since they don’t even belong to a caste at all. Still, through hard work and wanting little or nothing for himself, Mr. Jeeva managed to find a good job in academic education. He taught public administration at Madras University and was head of the public administration services faculty during the years leading up to his retirement. Though his father passed away when he was still very young, he gratefully remembers him every day because he feels he owes so much to him.
From the beginning of the seventies Mr. Jeeva has passionately and tirelessly strived for better lives and opportunities as well as education for his casteless fellow villagers, especially the children.
His dedication to those who are most vulnerable in combination with his great personality have made him a widely respected man.
Mr. Jeeva is married to Rani, also from Keel Ottivakkam. Together they have 3 daughters and 3 grandchildren.
