Aid to Tsunami Victims
In 2001, adopted four children in South Africa through a charitable organization, World Vision. I aided these children financially in order for them to have a better life and to enable them to have an education. Thereafter on 22 May 2003, I received a letter from World Vision advising that India was not included in the distribution of funds paid by sponsors as promised. This perturbed and motivated me even more to assist my fellow Indians. This led me to Nagapattinam.
CEO of South Africa Indian Archives, Mr Anil Maharaj went to India upon hearing of the Tsunami on 26 December 2004. He and his wife visited Nagapattinam in Tamil Nadu state of Southern India especially to go and choose a child that needed assistance. After a two day drive, they arrived and met with Dr. Radhakrishan who was the Collector (Mayor) of Thanjavur district when the Indian Ocean tsunami struck the Tamil Nadu coast and organized the relief operations in the district. He assisted greatly in relief operations and took Mr Maharaj and his wife to the orphanage.
Here they were faced with much difficulty as all of the children lost both parents in the Tsunami disaster! How do you choose one of the many children when all present are in need of help? Due to this, Mr Maharaj decided to choose a child whose birthday was closest to the date on which they arrived at the Nagapattinam orphanage.
There was a child by the name of Malarvizhi, born 1 March 1994 whose birthdate was the closest to the date of their visit to the orphanage. Upon speaking to her, Mr Maharaj found out that she had a brother and sister and he then decided to adopt all three children and support them for the ten years ahead. . .
