Putting the shine on others’ lives

Tag : Shoe Shine Kit
Putting the shine on others lives
Tuesday June 17 2008 11:20 IST
C Baranidharan

Selvakumar involved in shoe polishing at Erode bus stand on Sunday.Congress MLA R M Palanisamy inaugurating his days work at Erodebus stand.
ERODE: He is no cobbler. It's his aspiration to serve thephysically-challenged that prompted him to take up shoe polishingon Sundays.

Meet C Selvakumar, a 29-year-old post-graduate and correspondent ofSt Theresa Primary School, Red Hills, Chennai. It was nearly sevenyears ago that he started offering his service to the public for acause. Since then he has been visiting different towns in the statewith his tool kit. This Sunday, it was Erode bus stand.

The money he earns out of his service and as donations helps over133 physically-challenged all over the state to earn a monthlypension of Rs 250. My Sunday service fetches me around Rs 100 toRs 3,000. The entire sum goes to the pension scheme for thephysically-challenged, he told this website's newspaper .

Selvakumar started this unique way of serving the needy in 1998 bycollecting groceries from the public for the orphanage inmates ofKarunai Illam, near Chennai. Since then, he has continued suchservice to various orphanages on a monthly basis.

Apart from the service offered to the physically-challenged, healso invites two achievers among them from each district to Chennaievery year and honours them. This year, the award distribution willtake place on July 12.

Even healthy people face many problems these days. Selvakumar'sdesire to serve the physically- challenged out of his own labour islaudable, said Modakurichi MLA, R M Palanisamy, and Erode Mayor, EV Babu, inaugurating his service (from 8 am to 8 pm) at Erode busstand.

Other prominent people who have appreciated this noble venture bySelvakumar include former President A P J Abdul Kalam, Tamil NaduGovernor Surjit Singh Barnala and Chennai Corporation Mayor MSubramaniam. My aim is to help more and morephysically-challenged, he said.

Handing over Rs 250 each to differently- abled Palanisamy andSubramaniam, he said his wish is to upgrade his school to highersecondary level to help poor students.

Congress functionaries R Vijayabhaskar, K N Batcha and Eswaramurthywere among those who attended the function.

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