As different types of assistance extended to the poor and needy make the rounds on social media, there is one group that quietly helps children of life convicts.
It was in 2015 that K.P. Raja of Madurai, who was a counsellor, met life convicts lodged in Palayamkottai Central Prison. In trying to understand the reasons behind their deviant behaviour, he zeroed in on alcoholism, poverty, property dispute, sudden provocation and bad companionship. In some cases, repeated harassment by police drove them to prison again even though they were ready to turn over a new leaf.
“It was at this point that I thought of their innocent children, whose future had been adversely affected by their fathers’ conviction. In some cases, the men had received life term for murder of their wives. I began to focus on these children, who are now orphans,” he says.
A few like-minded friends and an autorickshaw driver joined hands with him and they conducted a survey of families of life convicts in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Kanniyakumari districts.
The field visits helped them gather information about the number of children, livelihood of relatives taking care of them and issues such as social exclusion or discrimination in school. At the end of the survey, 300 children were shortlisted.
Mr. Raja discussed it with a few more friends, who came forward to lend a helping hand. They started savings bank accounts for the children, who lived with their guardians or in hostels. The sponsors began to remit amounts ranging from ₹3,000 to ₹12,000 a year directly to the bank accounts to ensure uninterrupted education to them.
Five years since the launch of their charity, Global Network for Equality, 16 students now pursue engineering courses, 37 are in arts and science colleges and the remaining study in schools.
Among the group’s success stories is a boy from Thoothukudi district, an outstanding hockey player who has been selected by Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu for its sports hostel.
Even after he shifted to Madurai to practise as lawyer in the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court, Mr. Raja’s association with the prisoners and their families continues.
With all students returning to their homes now, the charity reviewed its database and identified 50 extremely poor children for assistance during the lockdown. In a bid to ensure that they do not go hungry, those living in villages have been given ₹3,000 and others ₹4,000.
“If the beneficiary is a teen, especially a girl, it is ₹5,000. We are in the process of helping another 50 children,” Mr. Raja says.
What is more, when 78 life convicts were released from prisons in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Kanniyakumari districts as part of MGR Birth Centenary Celebrations, Mr. Raja and his team helped in reuniting them with their families and helped eight of them to restart their livelihood.
“Since the eight prisoners possess culinary, tailoring and automobile skills, we gave them financial assistance of up to ₹25,000 to start an eatery or a workshop,” he says.
The Global Network for Equality helps children of prisoners in 15 southern districts. Those who need any assistance may contact Mr. Raja at 99629 81392.
