Following are Press releases about us in leading Newspapers / Publications.
1.The Hindu – August 11, 2011
"Lighting Up Lives"
People SOMA BASU meets J.Antonymuthu, a former TNEB engineer who has gone beyond the call of duty in supporting poor orphans
A month before his retirement, J.Antonymuthu, Assistant Executive Engineer with Tamil Nadu Electricity Board, met with an accident in Chennai. His right leg was broken and he required hospitalisation. It was during the time spent in hospital back in 1994 that he developed the urge to do "something good for the society."
"I remember, I was asleep under a heavy dose of medication. When I woke up, father in law, who is doctor based in Madurai, and my wife Lalitha, were beside me. I just told them I wantdd to start an orphanage for poor children after I was discharged."
Intially, the family tried to convince him to take voluntary retirement and shift to Madurai, but Antonymuthu's inner voice guided him elsewhere. With the retirement benefits which he received, he set up 'Children welfare Home' in 1995. Finding orphaned children with no or poor financial backing was not difficult in the metro and he gave shape to his dream with the first batch of 16 boys.
Intial Struggle
Recalls Antonymuthu: "Intially it was quite a struggle. We had a rented accommodation. These children were of different ageswith hardly any educatiion. Discipling them was major issue."
Having set himself with a goal, he was not the ones to give up easily. Burning holes in his pocket, he ran the orphanage for 12 years providing everything for the boys whom he took under his fold each year through advertisements. From food, clothes, medicines, education, he paid for everything as even donations were not easy to come by. " They were, and still are, far and few," he said.
Four years ago, Antonymuthu shifted to his wife's native town, Madurai. He has no regret mentioning how financially tough it is to fund a large family as his. On an average, this childless couple raised 16 to 20 boys each year. "In big cities, everything is more expensive. We felt life is a small town would be comparaively easy and we could also take more children from rural poor background and provide them with an opportunity to do well in life."
With this renewed mission, Antonymuthu brought his orphanage to the Temple Town. While form his last batech of children in Chennai, a majority left after finishing Class XII, he brought the remaining few and found a dozen more to restart the orphanage. He built his own home which can accommodiate 40 boys. At present, he has 26 boys, aged seven to 14 years, with him. all of them study in CSI High School, Pasumalai.
Talking about them, he says, "This age froup is usuallu the most disobedient lot. They often run away and are difficult to control. Whoever is able to study well, we ant to help them to study further. Though I provide free education, it is my regret that not a single child fromm my orphanage in these years has gone beyond Class XII. These kids more interested in movies thwn studies."
Living On Hope
He followa uo nfondly: "In the present froup, I feel 90 mpercent of them are good students and hope that soeme of them will surely fly high."
What is a matter of consloation for him is that is does not cost too much to run the homem in Madurai. What he complains of is the lack of sufficient hands to help. Antonymuthu also realises there are not many ways of raising funds either. But this down-to-earth Good Samaritan has stopped worrying. "I have realised blessings rain from the sky and God provides timely help." he says , even though the advertisement he has placed in the papers for a warden has not evoked andy response.
Today the orphanage is being run by Antonymuthu, his wife, a cook and a driver. He finds it difficult to manage without a warden because the bunch of pre-teen boys gets really unruly at times. " I am growimg old and can't run around much," he says . "But ", he adds , "I wanted to serve the starving and the poor. It is my dream to introduce some refinement and class in them by providing them the right kind of envoronment and opportunity."
Kind-hearted people like Antonymuthu have demonstrated that each of us can contribute to the society - for the poor and the underprivileged. This Independence Day, he is our city's unsung hero.
2.The New Indian Express – June 2nd 1999
A retired couple's dream come - true orphanage
Chennai, June 1: The Children Welfare Home' in Maduravoyal in the City outskirts is a shelter for 20 destitute children and a dream-come true cradle for a contented couple.
The Home was started in 1995 by J.Anthony Muthu, a retired assistant executive engineer of the TNEB and his wife D Lalitha, retired assistant Headmistress of a private school, with about six boys deprived of proper parentage, deceased mother, father, or both.
This couple, deprived of children, are running the home with their own earnings and the pension they receive. The Home has been educating, inculcating discipline and most of all nuturing the children with love and care, for about 12 years now.
"Though the idea occurred to us late, it was a metamorphosis, and it has brought meaning to our lives," Anthony Muthu told. "The New Indian Express".
"According to the law, there is a certain age limit imposed on those willing to adopt children, which both of us had surpassed, owing to the busy professional life we led and we had almost given up hope of ever having children". Recalls Antony Muthu, "However it was this flash idea to establish an orphanage that changed it all".
And just the couple could bring about a change in the lives of all the 20 boys growing here. The boys between the age group of 8 and 12 are from interior district in the State which include Chidambaranar, Tiruchi and Kanyakumari districts.
Praveen hails from Azhagiyapandipuram in Kanyakumari district. He joined the Home when it was started and is now in the 10th standard. "I have written my SSLC exams well and aspire to pursue my studies." a beaming Praveen says.
After he lost his parents, his grandparents found it difficult to bear the burden of nurturing the boy, and admitted him to this Home.
Anthony Muthu, now about 70 years old, says his aim is to expand his Home so as to nurture at least about 100 boys before his time ends, for which he will need more support. About Rs.35,000 is spent on the boys per month, and increasing the number can go out of bounds for them, he feels.
Help had been sought from the Government of India to acquire about one acre, which will enable the Home house more children, which however, has been officially procrastinated for about a year now. Another attempt to seek support from those economically sound, within the country and outside, had been turned down by the Government recently, stating that those with a Management where close relatives were involved are not entitled for financial aids and cannot officially seek support.
Just as Anthony Muthu is putting up boards in buy places announcing that the Home is ready to accept destitute boys, he hopes that he can nurture all of them, and help them grow into disciplined and educated youths.
3.Thina Thoothu – January 8th 1998
4.Malai Malar – December 12th 1998
5.The Hindu - October 19th2002
The seventh anniversary of Children Welfare Home (Gospel Orphanage)
Maduravoyal was held on October 15. Former Chief Secretary, N.Haribhaskar, who was the chief guest lauded the service activities of the organisation, which cares for 26 children at a residential facility. The NGO has announced plans to expand, to be able to help 50 children.