"I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples." – Mother Teresa

November 9th was a day of remarkable events:

• Our younger son embarked on a 7-day school trip to Darjeeling.
• Our elder son went on a 2-day school trip to Munnar.
• 300 girl students from St. John De Britto School, Sathyamangalam set on a day trip to Black Thunder Water Theme Park.

How did these events connect, and why were they so impactful to me?

St. John De Britto School's headmistress, Ms. Sahayam, invited me to a Parents & Teachers meeting to emphasize the importance of girls' education and motivate the students to learn and grow. During my visit, Ms. Sahayam shared her dream of taking the school children to the Black Thunder Water Theme Park and the Bannari Amman Temple. For the children of daily wage earners, these trips would have been distant dreams.

I loved her idea and wanted to contribute. Black Thunder offered a subsidized price with lunch for the students, and one staff member per 15 students could enter for free. However, the headmistress mentioned that while they could collect a minimal fee from the students for entry, they couldn't afford the bus fare. Could I help arrange transportation?

We needed six buses for at least 300 students. Some parents and caretakers mentioned that they were single parents or had no parents, making it difficult to pay even the minimal fee. They could only cover diesel expenses if someone sponsored the buses. I decided to cover the tour fee for the needy 10 children (well, not taking credit for the funding from my family run charity), but we still needed buses.

After much thought, I approached KAAMADHENU ARTS AND SCIENCE COLLEGE with hesitation. To my relief, both Secretary Ms. P. Arunthathi and Joint Secretary Ms. P. Malar Selvi readily accepted my request. Their generosity and timely support were game-changers, turning the trip into an extravaganza.

On the day of the trip, the children enjoyed, jolly good buss ride, a good darshan at Bannari Amman Temple and a fun-filled day at the water theme park with yummy lunch. I am sure this experience will inspire the girls to return to their studies with renewed spirit.

Here is the glimpse (thanks to St.John De Brito school for the video)

Often, we find ourselves doubting our ability to make a difference, thinking, "What can I do?" and moving on. However, taking a moment to pause and reflect can lead to profound transformations.

Coincidentally, my sons embarked on their school tours on the same date. However, being part of these aspiring and deserving girls' special day brought me immense joy and a renewed sense of purpose. ** Interestingly, my contribution was just a fraction of what I would have spent on my sons' trips, yet it made a world of difference to these girls.**

This made me realize

Community is my passion, Humanity is my lifeline.

It's all about connecting the right dots, a principle my friends Vidhya Bhojan, Founder, https://rightdots.org/ and Balakumar Thangavelu, always practice.

There's much more to come on our journey together by connecting right dots. Stay tuned!

If you wish to contribute to this school in any form, ping me on linkedin, will connect you.

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