In giving back, we trust — Chennai NGO’s commitment towards healthcare workers (May 22nd, 2021)

Amudha Pandiarajan* wakes up at the wee hours, says a prayer, lights a candle and gets ready to tend to the patients in a COVID-19 care unit.

Read full story

Chennai Super Kings donate 450 oxygen concentrators to Tamil Nadu government in fight against Covid-19 (May 8th,2021)

Chennai Super Kings director R Srinivasan handed over the oxygen concentrators to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin at his office in Chennai on Saturday.

Read full story

A New campus and A New Focus In 2021 (November 28th,2020)

The second leg of a school project conceived by Bhoomika Trust following the 2015 Chennai floods to educate and empower children of families rehabilitated at the Perumbakkam tenements is close to completion

Read full story

“Cannot go back to our old ways”: Learnings from an NGO’s COVID battle (August 12,2020)

As Tamil Nadu went into a total lockdown on March 24th, many individuals in the city found themselves helpless and in dire need of assistance. From migrant workers looking to get back to their hometowns to senior citizens who resided by themselves, the lockdown impacted scores. The situation would have been several times worse had not NGOs, civil society organisations and some individuals taken it upon themselves to come to the aid of those affected.

Read full story

Bhoomika Trust gives foodstuff to Nochikuppam families (July 15th, 2020)

Some 700 families of Nochikuppam, a colony along Marina Loop Road were served with provisions by Bhoomika Trust some days ago.

Read full story

How an NGO and the Tamil Nadu govt worked together to send migrants home (June 18, 2020)

Chennai-based Bhoomika Trust had provided 93,000 cooked meals to hospitals, shelters and to the migrants heading home in trains till the end of May. It also delivered 65,723 ration kits for two weeks to migrant labourers and daily wage earners left in the lurch.

Read full story

Greetings from International Justice Mission (IJM)! (June 8th, 2020)

“We received a call from a migrant who asked for help to purchase baby formula for his three-month-old twins before the shops closed. We transferred the money in half-an-hour,” said Aruna Subramaniam of Bhoomika Trust, as she explained the plight of migrant workers stranded in the city.

Read full story

AP Police Serve food to migrant TN workers (May 25, 2020)

Migrant labourers returning from Mumbai to Villupuram in a Shramik train were in for a pleasant surprise when they found police officials of Andhra Pradesh ready with food packets for them at Guntakal in Andhra Pradesh.

Read full story

Do you want to scale up? Then get the community involved (May 24, 2020)

By engaging with residential communities and corporates, Bhoomika Trust has shown what synergy can do for a social project

Read full story

When there is no G.O, there is an NGO! (April 19,2020)

There are activists. And there are activists. And there is The Bhoomika Trust. In any crisis or natural disaster or calamity, when governments are stretched and resources scarce, Bhoomika surfaces.

Read full story

ICA’s Response to COVID-19 Second Webinar – ICA (April 17,2020)

We had 9 selected leaders from ICA – supported Indian NGOs speak on behalf of their organization and the work they are doing to fight COVID-19 in India. The goal of the webinar was to connect the NGOs, generate ideas, inspire and motivate people. We had an overwhelming response of attendees including ICA partners.

Read full story

Taking Care of Migrant Workers in the Time of COVID-19 (April 16, 2020)

“We received a call from a migrant who asked for help to purchase baby formula for his three-month-old twins before the shops closed. We transferred the money in half-an-hour,” said Aruna Subramaniam of Bhoomika Trust, as she explained the plight of migrant workers stranded in the city.

Read full story

Coronavirus Volunteers in Tamil Nadu are Helping Distribute Food and Care for Elderly (March 28, 2020)

The 21-day lockdown has taken a toll on the livelihood of people in many ways. Following the suspension of trains, 1,727 migrant workers from West Bengal, Odisha and other parts of the country’s northern states were left stranded in Chennai Central Station on March 23.

Read full story

Amid Gloom, they help hope bloom (March 26, 2020)

These good Samaritans go the extra mile to ensure safety and security of the vulnerable during lockdown. Ever since his mother started the COVID-Curfew Volunteers group, 17 year old Advaith Shivram has been working harder than ever.

Read full story

Helplines open up in Chennai to lend mental and physical relief amid COVID-19 Lockdown (March 26, 2020)

CHENNAI: Ever since the city has gone into lockdown, helplines catering to various needs of the city — physical and mental — have opened up.
Shaira Munjal, a city based psychologist, has set up a helpline for those who may need mental health care during these times. She accepts calls or WhatsApp messages on the number +91 9884720759.

Read full story

Bhoomika Trust brought Rajakumari’s life back on track (November 16th, 2019)

TIRUCHY: When Cyclone Gaja lashed the city last year, Rajakumari, a coconut vendor, lost her entire livelihood as a huge tree came crashing down on her pushcart.

Read full story

Bhoomika Trust rehabilitates flood-hit Periyar Samathuvapuram (July 25th, 2019)

Several parts of Chennai and its suburbs were flooded. One among the affected communities was Periyar Samathuvapuram in Mudichur. Several families became homeless overnight. Fast forward three years, now, 20 families have a concrete house to live in thanks to Bhoomika Trust

Read full story

New pushcart from Bhoomika Trust puts smile back on vendor’s face (Dec 11th, 2018)

When Cyclone Gaja lashed the city last month, Rajakumari, a coconut vendor, lost her livelihood as a huge tree fell on her pushcart, stationed near the district court. All these days, she was worried about what she would do to eke out a living. However, all ended well after Bhoomika Trust provided her with a new pushcart on Monday, bringing new hope to Rajakumari.

Read full story

How online army became lifesaver for flood-hit Kerala (Aug 23rd, 2018)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Of late, stories about social media have been not very encouraging, as it was increasingly turning out to be a platform spewing venom. But, during last week’s flood, it turned out to be a lifesaver for hundreds – literally.

Read full story

How Social Media Came To The Rescue After Kerala’s Floods (Aug 22nd, 2018)

Devastating rainfall followed by treacherous landslides have killed 210 people since August 8 and displaced over a million in the southern Indian state of Kerala. India’s National Disaster Relief Force launched its biggest ever rescue operation in the state, evacuating over 10,000 people. The Indian army and the navy were deployed as well.

Read full story

How Kerala’s ‘Collector Bro’ Harnessed the Power of Social Media to Save Lives! (Aug 21st, 2018)

How powerful can social media be when it comes to creating life-changing or even life-saving impact?
Eight years ago, a revolutionary wave swept through the Middle East, filling the world with the ground reality of totalitarian regimes and the suffering of ordinary people across various countries in the region, through Facebook and Twitter-led agitations and uprisings.

Read full story

Chennai’s standing by Kerala — here’s what you can do (Aug 21st, 2018)

The devastating floods in Kerala have ravaged life in the state, with 223 officially reported deaths and 10.28 lakh people stationed across 3274 relief camps, as shared by the state’s Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The central government has described such unprecedented nature’s fury in the southern state as a ‘calamity of severe nature’. In what reaffirms faith in humanity, help has been pouring in from all quarters to god’s own country, and people have been pitching in to help the flood-stricken reconstruct their lives.

Read full story

Chennai stands in support of Kerala (Aug 20th, 2018)

A group of people sit around a table in the conference room of Krea, an eKnowledge centre in Alwarpet. A sense of urgency hangs in the air. Each of them, immersed in their own work. One of them receives the call for help while two others try to trace it with the coordinates received. Others ensure every call is taken care of. Still others check that calls are not repeated. This a helpline centre set by Bhoomika Trust in collaboration with the rescue team deployed by the Government of Kerala.

Read full story

Faceless volunteers’ untiring work to reach out to those in distress in flood-hit Kerala (Aug 20th, 2018)

Hundreds of faceless people running massive rescue and relief work in flood-hit Kerala will have to continue their work in the coming weeks as the state will have to be literally rebuilt from scratch.

Read full story

Chennai volunteers helping out with Kerala relief (Aug 20th, 2018)

27-year-old Deepesh has not had even a moment to spare. Every minute is precious as he mans the call centre at a tiny office in Abhiramapuram. Along with 20 other volunteers, the group is functioning as the eyes and ears of the rescue team in the flood-ravaged state of Kerala.

Read full story

Kerala Floods: Sport stars pitch in to spread awareness (Aug 17th, 2018)

NEW DELHI: The southern state of Kerala is witnessing one of its worst natural disasters in decades and the ravaging flood has claimed more than 150 lives so far. The state has received 37.5% excess rainfall in just two and a half months since the southwest monsoon made landfall in May end.

Read full story

One India: Bhoomika Trust | A Disaster Management Tool During The Chennai Floods (Feb 3rd, 2018)

Organisations such as Bhoomika Trust efficiently utilised social media as a tool to collect enough funds to serve over 50,000 meals in just a matter of days.

Read full story

CREDAI in association with Bhoomika Trust (Aug 11th 2017)

As a part of its CSR activity CREDAI in association with Bhoomika Trust, an NGO Constructed the 1st Floor, for the Government High School at Perumbakkam village.

Read full story

#GoodNews: New Homes, New Lives for 2015 Chennai Flood Victims (May 5th 2017)

The Bhoomika Trust has built seven permanent houses in the area which was badly affected by the floods with many of the thatched houses drowning in the water.

Read full story

Victims of 2015 floods get a roof over their heads (May 5th 2017)

“While we were initially working on rescue and relief operations in these areas, the trust wanted to go beyond this and look at long-term rehabilitation efforts. It took us a long time to identify the localities and families that needed homes and we then approached the communities there to work with them, as well create confidence so that they participated actively,” said Aruna Subramaniam, a trustee with the Bhoomika Trust.

Read full story

Wave of humanity: NGO helps communities affected by Chennai floods rebuild houses (May 4th, 2017)

The Bhoomika Trust has built 18 houses in areas badly affected by the floods.

Read full story

Jayendra Panchapakesan: A social activist who is a master of digital cinema (Mar 22nd 2017)

The well-known film director, screenwriter, social activist and co-founder of Real Image Media Technologies shares with Sushila Ravindranath his journey in digital technology and his various societal commitments.

Read full story

Hope is not lost for aphasia patients (Mar 6th 2017)

Bear with me while I paint a grim picture. Imagine that you’re in desperate need of help. You start to shout out but the only word that comes out of your mouth is ‘play’. No one can understand what you’re saying. Feeling frustrated yet? Helpless, even? Well, that is exactly how a person with aphasia feels. Aphasia is a medical condition that affects a person’s communication skill — either their speech or writing.

Read full story

‘How many of you heard of aphasia before a loved one was diagnosed with it?’ (Feb 27th 2017)

The Bhoomika Trust, in association with Sri Ramachandra University, organised a three-day seminar and workshop on aphasia, addressing and training 175 students and 67 speech pathologists. To conclude the campaign, a conference was held at Hotel Savera on Sunday, where speech pathologists and caretakers of people with aphasia participated.

Read full story

Treating aphasia: Seminar to shed light on disorder (Feb 21st 2017)

It was in 2014, two days before her 50th birthday, that a stroke rendered his wife speechless. Two years later, Jayendra Panchapakesan has decided to get people talking about aphasia – the inability to comprehend language or speak due to damage of specific regions of the brain.
“Aphasia, which had afflicted my wife Sudha, affects up to 25% of all stroke victims in India. Yet, there is still widespread ignorance about the condition,” says Panchapakesan, who is organizing a conference on aphasia at Sri Ramachandra University, between February 23 and 25.

Read full story

When a stroke leaves you unable to speak: Chennai couple’s fight against aphasia (Feb 19, 2017)

Filmmaker Jayendra Panchapakesan was fielding questions in an interview with Carnatic vocalist TM Krishna when he got that fateful phone call. The duo had shot a music film together and had successfully showcased it in several cities across the United States of America. With the vocalist in tow, Jayendra recalls, he made a frantic exit from the venue in Royapettah. He reached the parlour from where the call had come within ten minutes, to find his wife Sudha collapsed on the floor, her eyes half closed, after having suffered a severe stroke.

Read full story

Wanted: Therapists for aphasia-affected (Feb 15th 2017)

These days, when Sudha Panchapakesan comes in to office, she has a session of speech therapy first, before dealing with the day’s work. Two years ago, Mrs. Panchapakesan suffered a stroke that affected that part of the brain associated with language. It left her with aphasia — a condition that can affect a person’s ability to speak, write and understand language.

Read full story

Citizens mull methods to fight flood (Oct 22, 2016)

CHENNAI: Lauding the resilience the city had shown during the floods last December, a citizen network inaugurated a discussion series on Saturday to bring out a booklet.

Read full story

‘ Mumbai for Chennai’ concerts kick off. ₹ 15 lakh handed to Bhoomika Trust for helping flood victims (Jan 22nd ,2016)

The first of a series of three concerts organised by The Hindu group to raise funds for Chennai’s flood victims was held today.
Titled ‘ Mumbai for Chennai’, the concert was presented by renowned classical vocalist Aruna Sairam at the G5A, the performance venue at Mahalakshmi.
Cheques worth ₹ 15 lakh were handed to Bhoomika Trust, which has been actively helping the flood affected, by Namita Vikas, Group President and Country Head, Responsible Banking & Chief Sustainability Officer, YES Bank, and A Balasubramanian, CEO of Birla Sun Life Asset Management Company.

Read full story

When the going gets tough, Chennai’s volunteers get going (Dec 18th, 2016)

While the nature and scale of the disasters these past two Decembers might have been different, one thing remained the same: the quick rallying of individuals and civil society organisations in helping out.

Read full story

Chennai floods: This group of volunteers fed thousands by churning out 40,000 food packets a day (Dec 12th, 2015)

Chennai’s Volunteers came in droves to volunteer. They knocked on doors to collect newspaper for packing! They vowed to not clog up drains with plastic or rubber bands and learnt the art of packing in dried leaves and newspaper. The core team at Bhoomika begins a dual operation plan: rescue and rehabilitation. Overnight, a new control center is created with all operations under one roof.

Read full story

Factory-like precision at a mega relief centre (Dec 11th 2015)

The day starts around 7.30 a.m. for Shyam Sundar and Sukanya Ravi and ends only after 9.30 p.m. The two volunteers, who help coordinate dispatch of food packets, are part of a team of hundreds working at Chennai Rain Relief 2015’s coordination centre, operating out of Sri Rama Kalyana Mandapam made available by Ramsahaimal Sahuwala and Sons Charitable Trust.

Read full story

NGO Bhoomika Trust reaches out; 10000 food packets distributed every day (Dec 8th 2015)

For about five days now, the volunteers at Bhoomika Trust, a Mylapore based NGO founded by film maker Jayendra Panchapakesan have been working non-stop to provide relief to the flood victims.

Read full story

Bhoomika Trust Helping Flooded Chennai To It’s Feet. Do You Want To Too? (Dec 8th 2015)

Rain has abated, waters are receding, power and cellular networks are being restored in most parts of the city. What stares us now in the face is the magnitude of destruction of life and property in the aftermath of days of unrelenting rain. The death toll has crossed 269. We still haven’t been able to assess the extent of loss of property. The number of flood affected people taking refuge in railway and bus stations and other public places is enough to make your heart sink. Over 3 lakh people of Chennai and its surrounding towns. Our relief work has begun.

Read full story

Community kitchens dish out help for stranded Chennaiites (Dec 6th, 2015)

At 11am, the Chennai Rain Relief (CRR) in Royapettah is abuzz with activity. Children, teens and adults are busy chopping vegetables, cooking, cleaning banana leaves to pack tamarind rice and lemon rice

Read full story

For the festive season, NGOs offer a range of gifting ideas that will make a difference to the lives of the underprivileged. (Oct 27th 2013)

At the Pune School and Home for the Blind, groups of four students make a product called Candle In Wine Glass. The wax, in orange and yellow, is poured into transparent glasses. When you light them, they brighten up your room. But when you buy them, they brighten up the lives of those students — in every group, three are visually impaired and one partially sighted.

Read full story

This Margazhi, gift a concert for a cause (Dec 20th 2012)

This music season, to celebrate a birthday, anniversary or wedding, you can gift a concert. A city-based trust has started an initiative to allow people to gift Carnatic music concerts to the inmates of orphanges and old age homes.
Vocalists Abinaya Ramesh and Pavithra Ramesh recently gave a performance at Vishranthi old age home that was paid for by a donor. “It was a great experience to perform at the home,” says Abinaya, a disciple of Carnatic vocalist Bombay Jayashri. “The residents were knowledgeable about Carnatic music and enjoyed the concert,” says Abinaya, who is making her debut at the December festival this year.

Read full story

The next time you are invited to a function, think out of the box and brighten the lives of the deprived (Jan 3rd 2007)

It was the wedding of a friend and Jayendra Panchapakesan, director, Real Image Media Technologies, Chennai, wondered what to gift someone who possessed everything money could buy. He came up with something his friend would always cherish — the gift of sight. He sponsored an eye surgery at Sankara Eye Center on behalf of the friend and got the trust to send a card to him with details of the gift. After that, such alternative gifts became the norm for Jayendra, who is also Trustee, Bhoomika Trust (044-24981967).

Read full story

Gift a loved one the joy of feeding poor kids or buying spectacles for someone at a home for the aged (Jul 24th 2006)

“It was exasperating,” recalls Murali Krishnan, a Chennai-based software engineer. Keen to give his father a meaningful birthday gift, he had scoured numerous stores, but found nothing that reflected his feelings. He then came across True Gifts, a novel gift store where he got something that touched not just his father’s heart but others’ lives as well.

Read full story

Gift some goodwill for a change (Jun 23rd 2006)

Don’t know what to get the couple that has everything for their wedding? Maybe you should consider skipping clocks and vases that they are not going to use and gift them some goodwill.
That’s right, thanks to the Bhoomika Trust’s `True Gifts’ scheme, the next time you’re stumped over what to give a mother who has too many handbags or a boss who has been gifted too many calendars you are not sure he uses, make out a cheque for them to give a hardworking NGO employee her salary for a month, or sponsor a meal for elders at an old age home.

Read full story

`Sphere’ norms to be met in tsunami works (Sep 26th 2005)

The Government was all for adopting international disaster management standards for the ongoing tsunami rehabilitation work in the State, C.V. Sankar, officer on special duty for relief and rehabilitation, said on Friday.
“The Chennai district administration has already adopted the international `Sphere’ standards at the semi-permanent shelters being constructed near Tiruvotriyur,” Mr. Sankar said at a meeting organised by the Chennai NGO Coordination Council (CNCC).

Read full story