 Flexible education, marketable skills and empowerment of the marginalized are the three basic elements of the massive poverty alleviation initiative of Dr. Nalini Gangadharan, founder Chairperson of the CAP Foundation. After her Master's Degree in social work from the Madras School of Social Work, Nalini had the opportunity to work closely with the late M.S.S.Nambudiri, Director of Seva Samajam Boys' Home, for nearly three and a half years first as social worker and subsequently as Assistant Director. Nambudiri was a champion of innovative education and skills development of the disadvantaged children and youth to enable them and their families to move out of poverty. Nalini, in later years, expanded these initial experiences into a great socio- economic movement in India and in other countries. As a student of MSSW, I found Nalini as a self-assured person with a purpose in life. In her life mission, she found the most appropriate life partner in Dr.K.R.Gangadharan, who was also an alumnus of MSSW. Gangadharan has a charming smile always on his lips and fast moving pace while walking. They met at Lucas-TVS where Nalini was a trainee under the Personnel Officer Gangadharan. It was the beginning of a satisfying companionship through matrimony. While Nalini expanded her frontiers by opening new horizons for the poor and underserved children and youth,and their families, Gangadharan preferred working with the elderly under the banner of Heritage elder care services at Hyderabad. Dr. Gangadhran rose to global heights in the field of ageing including the Presidentship of the International Federation on Ageing. Both Nalini and Gangadharan have been invited by the central and state gover nments to be in various panels. Poor nima and Pavithra, their dynamic daughters, are carrying forward the elder care activities launched by their father. Poornima's focus is on medical centre and home care services for the elderly, whereas Pavithra looks after the award winning assisted living programme called Kshethra. A blessed family whose family mission is service to humanity.
Dr.T.K.Nair Former Professor of Social Work and a Former Principal, Madras School of Social Work. 
My association with Dr. Ruth Manorama dates back to 1973, when my former student R.S.Anbarasan brought Ruth and her classmate Karuna David to introduce me to them . It was at the MSSW. Slowly our friendship became more informal because of the affable nature of Ruth and Karuna. They both were also regular visitors to my home. I always felt that Ruth would be a mass leader one day as she carried herself with immense self-assurance even as a student.Sh had definite views on all social issues and she articulated her points of opinion with conviction. Ruth has been in the centre stage of Dalit activism and empowerment of Dalit women for nearly four decades. Her spheres of action extend beyond national boundaries and she is an active figure in the global action for liberation of the oppressed. The prestigious Right Livelihood Award was the confirmation of the global recognition of her relentless struggle for the liberation of the Dalits and more so the Dalit women. I am sure the government of India will soon honour her with suitable Padma awards. The Nobel Prize for Peace one day will be a worthy stimulus to the optimism of Ruth Manorama in the pursuit of her goal.
Dr.T.K.Nair Professor of social work and Former Principal, MSSW.  Questionnaire
1. Introduction about your job / career, define your career? I am Director of Arpitha Associates Pvt Ltd and EFIL Educational Services Pvt Ltd. I have been working as a coach, trainer, healer, faculty, designer for OD interventions, writer and researcher. 2. Qualification required for this job? MSW and PhD with certifications in process training, HR, and any other additional training in technology and people management will help.  Founder and Managing Trustee, The Banyan With globalisation, mental health became an important area of concern and 10 to 12 per cent of India’s population need some form of help. For this, we had only psychiatrists with a highly clinical approach to mental illness. But mental health is more than a clinical issue. It is also a social construct. There are different socio-economic, political, familial and psychological processes that cause mental illness. The Banyan began in 1993 as a humanistic response to the needs of homeless women with mental health issues, an invisible group, among the most marginalized population. The Banyan is a registered not-for-profit organisation in Chennai, offering comprehensive mental health solutions for persons with mental illness, living in homelessness and poverty in community and institutional settings.
 “Shanthi Ranganathan is a rare person and a social worker par excellence. She transcended the intense personal tragedy due to the irreparable loss of her husband at a young age and created a world class institution which has been transforming the lives of thousands of individuals and families. Her grit and determination have only a few parallels. For me, it has been a privilege to associate myself with her during her student days at the Madras School of Social work four decades ago and subsequently during the early years of the T T Ranganathan Clinical Research Foundation (TTRCRF)”.
Dr. T.K. Nair Professor of Social Work and Former Principal, Madras School of Social Work. |
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