Jayavel’s story is made of fairytale ingredients thanks to Uma Venkatachalam and Muthuram Narayanaswami. The couple, of the NGO Suyam Charitable Trust, believed that education can open doors for the underprivileged. Strong commitment to their cause helped Uma and Muthuram to convince Jayavel to take his education seriously. Jayavel proved their theory true.
Jayavel’s family came to Chennai seeking better fortunes only to end up as platform dwellers. Jayavel was resigned to a life of penury after the death of his father and losing his mother to alcohol addiction. Jayavel realized the potential of education when Uma and Muthuram offered a helping hand. He worked very hard at clearing 12th standard exams and also appeared for Cambridge University’s entrance exam. Through that, he secured admission into a course on ‘Performance Car Enhancement Technology Engineering’ in Glendwr University in Wales.
Uma and Muthuram who are working with orphaned children, nomadic tribes, beggars, rural children, AIDS victims and other underprivileged communities are the real heroes of this story. Uma and Muthuram, work with a strong sense of conviction and duty even when faced with resistance and criticism by the very people they are trying to help. They may have helped nearly two lakh people out of poverty through education, so far.
Jayavel wants his story to be an inspiration to other street children to choose education over a life of poverty and petty crime. He wishes to help his mentors in running the Charity to touch and uplift more lives.
