Decade of making a difference in kid’s lives

Reading and writing comes naturally to many of us but for many others it is a special privilege. But there is a huge youth volunteer base of 4,000 individuals in the country making sure that kids are able to read and write in English. This base of volunteers have worked day after day for close to 10 years now because they believed in the name of the organisation they worked for —  Make a Difference (MAD). Established in Kochi in 2006 by a bunch of young individuals to make sure kids are proficient in English, the organisation has grown not just geographically in 23 cities and 67 shelters but also ideologically in supporting them in life skills, and emotional skills till the age of 28. 

“In Chennai we have about 100 volunteers, mostly college students and office-goers. We are currently working with about 70 kids. While we teach them English and certain essential part of their school curriculum, not many of them can avail grooming and etiquette training in their schools. We are also working hard towards equipping them with life skills,” says Aarthi Anand S, a volunteer and finance controller at MAD, Chennai. 

MAD week (to celebrate its tenth anniversary) in Chennai consisted of golden throwback moments among volunteers, thanking public servants, activities involving the kids in shelters that brought their artistic skills to the fore while also raising awareness among the general public by spreading happiness because they live by a simple credo — Happiness is Contagious. 

“I take the office bus to work and back home every day. I keep cribbing about how I have to wake up at 5.45 am so that I do not miss my bus. My bus driver, though, has to get up even earlier to ensure he’s able to pick-up everyone on time. So I decided to thank him during MAD week. Who knows what impression I made on him with that small share of my gratitude?” says Abishek Sekar, Human Capital Fellow, Chennai chapter of MAD. Kids and volunteers danced with a smile on their face on one of the days of MAD week. Volunteers distributed balloons to kids and adults both of whom received it with possibly the best mixture of surprise, happiness and curiosity.