Surath Manuel received a 2011 TI Founders Community Service Award for his dedication to volunteering in the community.

The inspiration to start a free daycare center for children came to TI employee Surath Manuel from his wife, Anita.

"She is very kind and compassionate," said Manuel. "It was her long-felt desire to help children whose parents couldn't afford to admit them into school."

In 2010, Manuel and his wife visited 300 homes in Bangalore's Venkateshapuram area, largely inhabited by economically-disadvantaged families. They finally shortlisted 30 families and chose one 3- to 5-year-old child from each of them to participate in the program.

Setting up Nithya Ashraya
"Nithya Ashraya," or Daily Shelter, the Manuels' daycare center, recently celebrated its first anniversary. To commemorate the milestone, the center conducted a health checkup camp for the children.

"After a year at the daycare center, these children are able to read and write the English alphabet and numerals. They have also learned to play indoor and outdoor games and recite nursery rhymes," Manuel said.

Parents are also counseled regularly on the importance of education and how to manage their resources efficiently.

"The sincerity with which Surath and Anita are running the center impressed me," said Ravindra Karnad, TI Technologist and the person who nominated Manuel for the TI Founders Award. "Serving the society comes to them from the heart. They have formed a Trust and meticulously maintain the records of each child."

Managing the center
The daycare center operates from a rented house. Two teachers, a cook and an assistant look after the children from 9 a.m. to 2:30 pm Monday through Saturday. Besides imparting basic education, the center also provides the children with uniforms, nutritious biscuits when they come in and a mid-day meal.

Surath devotes his weekends to catching up with administrative work at the center while his wife supervises the operations every day. He also meets the teachers and checks up on the children's progress.

"There are so many children who do not go to school because their parents cannot afford to educate them," he said. "What we are doing is only the tip of the iceberg. If these 30 children grow up into good human beings and are able to manage their lives well, it would give me and Anita immense satisfaction."

What does winning this award mean to Surath?
Surath said the award will provide the impetus to start an orphanage for children.

"We have been thinking about this for some time," he said. "We are planning to take in five children in the 2-5 years age group to begin with and provide them with food, education and shelter.

Winning the award also shows that TI is a company that cares for society, he said.

"I feel proud to be associated with this organization," he said.