M Rafi Ahmed
Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much. True, no gainsaying the fact that team work makes the dream work. Yes, the Chennai headquartered Raindropss Charity Foundation, a social organisation founded in 2011 by Aravind Jayabal, who is the recipient of Best Youth Award for social work from Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin in 2021 got up a glittering event at Rani Seethai Hall in Chennai to honour women achievers during the International Women’s Day fete.
Leading luminaries who graced the occasion include ADGP Vanitha, Income Tax Commissioner Nandha Kumar, CB-CID SP A Saravanan, Indian soil biologist and ecologist besides member of State Planning Commission Dr Sultan Ahmed Ismail, industrialist and VGP group chairman Dr V G Santhosham, VGP Rajadas, Dr T V Devarajan, Deputy Correspondent of Velammal Nexus Sriram Velmohan, educationist Mike Muralidharan.
Under the guidance and support of playback singer, producer and music composer A.R.Raihanah (A.R.Rahman’s sister), who is the goodwill ambassador of Raindropss, the youth team created magic through their plethora of social service activities which includes ‘Educate A Child –the ongoing project to support education for kids, Reach the Beach – a signature initiative to support persons with disabilities to reach the shore, Medical Wing- 24X7 Blood support for the needy, Feed the Needy – Serving food for those languishing on roadsides, Ramp For A Cause – A ramp specially for the less privileged kids of homes to boost their self confidence, Dream & Fly High – initiative to fulfill the dreams of kids to fly on an aircraft.
Not to be left behind, they concentrated mainly on delivering social awareness messages to the public in the form of short movies and theme songs through entertainment and media. At the 11th annual event jointly organised by Velammal Nexus education group, Parvathy Hospital and Prithvi Innerwears, the Raindropss felicitated women achievers in different domains driving home a valid point that ‘Women are second to none’.
Two leading personalities–Carnatic musician Dr Aruna Sairam and country’s first woman Indian Army officer and Lady Cadet No 1 and silver medalist from the first batch of 25 lady officers who were commissioned in the Indian Army in 1993 Priya Jhingan–were honoured with lifetime achievement award. Other recipients were: Rathika Ramaswamy – India’s first Woman Wildlife Photographer, Indian space scientist Nigar Shaji, First woman from Tamil Nadu to scale Mount Everest N Muthamizhselvi, India’s third chess grandmaster Rameshbabu Vaishali, actress Bhavani Sri, Entrepreneur and organic farmer Arachana Stalin, the philanthropic woman Ayi Pooranam, who donated crores worth land to Madurai government school, Youtuber Amma Samayal Meenakshi, first Thirunangai engineer Grace Banu and child ambassador of Green Tamil Nadu Prassidhi Singh.
Notably, Raindropss is the first organisation in India to spread social awareness messages to the public through theme songs and short films also holding world records in Guinness Book of World Records, Asia and India Book of Records. Actress Neelima, VJ Aarthi Ganesh, celebrity chef and actor Madhampatty Rangaraj, youtuber Irfan, advocates Velmurugan, Saravanan, Adhilakshmi Logamurthy, Dr Anand Kumar, Prithvi Innerwears MD Balan and Peace activist and HAM radio operator Shaikh Sadaqathullah, Manvasanai Menaka, Indian Khabbadi Women’s team coach Kavitha, Advocate Girija Velmurugan were among those who were present at the event.
