There is a need to bring socially and economically marginalised children into the mainstream, and that is what a non-governmental organisation Karpi is doing.

Based in Chennai, it was founded in 2018 by Akash Madhi who hails from Guntur in Andhra Pradesh and eight others. Today the NGO has now grown to 90 volunteers who are helping in changing the lives of more than 400 students.

Going to different schools on the weekend, the volunteers of Karpi train the children in different activities including theatre acting, photography, chess, carom, mime art, English, calligraphy, music and dance and silambam, an Indian martial art, among others. All this helps in the all-round and holistic development of the children. The students belong from Classes VI to IX.

That is not all, the NGO also strives to bring the school dropouts back to the institution. Sharing details, Madhi said that they get in touch with the parents directly and stress upon them the need and importance of education and also help them to get their children enrolled back into the school.

Karpi also tries to create awareness about important social issues and it does so by regularly holding skits and plays on the Besant Nagar beach. The issues taken up include sexual abuse of children, importance of education, women’s role in society and manual scavenging.