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Beginning a profile of the 10 NGOs to be helped by the Citizens Run this year. ROHINI MANIAN

When Lakshmi’s parents died, she decided to fill the void in her life by starting an organisation that would care for the elderly and orphaned children. Lakshmi used her experience as office assisstant and stints as a volunteer with various NGOs to make a beginning.

Thus Anbu Karangal was born in 1996 with three elders and two children. It now houses 85 children and 35 elderly people and the synergy between the two is clearly visible during visits to the premises in Kottivakkam, ECR. The organisation relies on donations from the public to meet its daily expenditure. Major financial needs are met through sponsorship.

Contact Mrs. Lakshmi, Managing Trustee, Anbu Karangal Charitable Trust, 1/216, Vivekanandar Street, Kottivakkam, Chennai 41. Ph: 24488383/9840403750. Mail anbukarangal@rediffmail.com

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Uma Dandapani was a school teacher when her friend had a baby. The child was spastic and the mother and child were disowned by the family. Observing this, Uma decided to do something about it. She resigned from her school and underwent a counselling course. Then she began to counsel parents in coming to terms with their child’s disability and also tell them how to tackle it.

In 1993, she started Gnana Deepam to help children with different levels of disability. One of the trustees donated land at Pammal and a training centre was begun there so that the children could be taught vocational skills. Initially they began with seven but the number soon grew to 20. Apart from this, children with severe disability are given treatment and medical care.

Contact Mrs. Uma Dandapani, Gnana Deepam, 41, Pozhichalur Main Road, Pammal, Chennai 75. Ph: 22482710/944451434. E-mail: gnanadeepam@sify.com

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