Chennai, man runs orphanage in honour of his father

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For Mr S. Sivakumar, his father Mr Srinivasan was a great inspiration to run an orphanage for children.
As a student, his father used to take him to orphanages and old age homes.

“I studied in a government school in Guduvanchery and had seen many orphan children lacking even one square meal a day.

My dad helped many children and after his retirement, he started Annai Anbalaya Orphanage at Athipattu in Minjur in 2001,” said Mr Sivakumar who, after completing Class 10, had tried his hands at different professions.

“Later, I started working to collect funds for Annai Anbalaya, which also takes care of children of single mothers. My mother Kumari cooks for 36 children and washes clothes and my father looks after their studies,” said Mr Sivakumar, who is the chairman of the orphanage.

“We don’t have funds to employ staff. My friends and well-wishers donate money to buy groceries,” he added.

There are 14 girls and 22 boys at the orphanage. “We will soon construct a separate building to house more children. It’s not that easy to run an orphanage when we ourselves struggle for money.

But our aim is to bring a smile on children’s faces,” said Mr Sivakumar, recalling, “After the death of their mother, a brother and sister joined us some six years ago.

Initially we were surprised as they had a father but we later came to know that his second wife would abuse the children.

Even after several years, the father has not come to see the kids. The boy studies in Class 3 and his sister in Class 2. We hope to bring smiles on the faces of many such children.”
He can be contacted on 9941840841.