We officially registered our school in 1994, and it has been growing ever since – in number of students served, as well as in buildings, facilities and the quality of education offered.
It is located in Pudukkottai district in Tamil Nadu, South India.
Premananda High School offers underprivileged children a well-rounded formal education filled with opportunities for self-empowerment, entirely free of cost. This is done in a healthy, caring and wholesome environment where they feel at home and supported, which is the best background for them to learn and grow.
For most children it is not just poverty, but also a difficult family situation that presents a huge hindrance to their studies and their living a happy, simple child’s life.
Around 5% are orphans. Around 20% have only one parent, the other having passed away.
75% have both parents, but, for example, they are working out of state and can’t take their children with them, or they are very poor and unable to provide for their child, or the breadwinner became disabled due to an accident, or – and this is the majority – the father is an alcoholic who does not contribute to the family, drinks away the mother’s wages and is often abusive. Therefore, the children who study here were more often than not victims not only of poverty, but also of fear, mental stress and neglect.
My family are farmers; I am the youngest of seven siblings.
Due to poverty my parents couldn’t satisfy my thirst for education. It was my brother-in-law who brought me to Sri Premananda Trust and, because of this, I became the first college graduate in my family!
After graduating from Premananda High School, I completed my Master of Philosophy in Tamil and for the first years after graduating, worked as a professor of Tamil in a big college. At present I am living in Salem, Tamil Nadu, with my husband and daughter. I currently run an e-seva centre and I also run a Tamil literature association – both of which enable me to do lots of service for the illiterate or less literate people in my country. I also published my first book, about computer language in Tamil, for which I received a “Young Achiever” award.
All this was possible only through my basic high school education, the practical skills and values I learned living in the hostel, and the help I received to make my dream of studying come true.
Our home and hostel are located in Pudukkottai district in Tamil Nadu South India.
The Premananda Children’s Home is registered under the Indian government’s Directorate of Social Defence and specializes in being an institution for children in need of care and protection. Together with the students’ hostel we offer free housing, food and care to children of disadvantaged backgrounds in a healthy, caring and wholesome environment where they feel at home and supported, which is the best background for them to learn and grow. The children all attend Premananda High School.
For most children it is not just poverty, but also a difficult family situation that presents a huge hindrance to their studies and their living a happy, simple child’s life.
Around 5% are orphans. Around 20% have only one parent, the other having passed away.
75% have both parents, but, for example, they are working out of state and can’t take their children with them, or they are very poor and unable to provide for their child, or the breadwinner became disabled due to an accident, or – and this is the majority – the father is an alcoholic who does not contribute to the family, drinks away the mother’s wages and is often abusive. Therefore, the children who stay here were more often than not victims not only of poverty, but also of fear, mental stress and neglect.
My family are farmers; I am the youngest of seven siblings.
Due to poverty my parents couldn’t satisfy my thirst for education. It was my brother-in-law who brought me to Sri Premananda Trust and, because of this, I became the first college graduate in my family!
After graduating from Premananda High School, I completed my Master of Philosophy in Tamil and for the first years after graduating, worked as a professor of Tamil in a big college. At present I am living in Salem, Tamil Nadu, with my husband and daughter. I currently run an e-seva centre and I also run a Tamil literature association – both of which enable me to do lots of service for the illiterate or less literate people in my country. I also published my first book, about computer language in Tamil, for which I received a “Young Achiever” award.
All this was possible only through my basic high school education, the practical skills and values I learned living in the hostel, and the help I received to make my dream of studying come true.
Our dairy farm is home to about 30 cows of all ages and varying breeds. They are all partly desi, a traditional breed native to India.
At our farm we give the cows loving care, look after their daily needs and care for them in their times of illness or old age. They give back greatly by allowing us to use some of their milk to feed us, while their precious urine and cow dung are utilized for the wellbeing of the plants and crops.
Their presence is considered very auspicious in India and we honour them in the traditional way through a weekly puja.
We organically grow our own green fodder for the cows (grass and shrubs like Gliricidia), and purchase straw from nearby farms. The cows spend many hours per day grazing on wild grasses and herbs. Milk-producing and pregnant cows are given extra power feed.
When cows are sick or injured, we treat them as much as possible using appropriate natural medicines (Neem, turmeric, Aloe…). However, for some diseases we also need to use short-term antibiotics or other drugs.
Our old cows often require special care, and we love to make sure they are looked after well and lovingly until their last day, surrounded by their bovine family and familiar environment.
Most of our farm’s products are used on site. Any surplus is sold for the benefit our charity projects.