Ensuring all-round development of children

‘Our endeavour has been to ensure that more and more children, particularly from economically deprived sections, get access to quality education and the best of infrastructural sports facilities.’

Declaring that this was the avowed governing rule of VVS Foundation, whose mission is to ensure the all-round development of every child so that the individual would enjoy a blessed and blissful future, its founders Sailaja and VVS Laxman said in the city on Friday that this stemmed from their mission to bring smiles in hundreds of households.

Retracing the progress of the Foundation, since its inception in 2012, Laxman stated that they were delighted that as of today, they were sponsoring and handling the educational pursuits of close to 90 school children apart from four who are IIT students.

The ever humble former cricketer, in a straight-from-the-heart huge salutation to his parents, pointed that he enjoyed a ‘wonderful childhood whereupon his elders insisted that academic endeavours should be matched with personality development traits.’

He said this was precisely the angle on which his Foundation was working and the results were more than encouraging. In what sets apart the son and protégé in him is that the academic scholarship has been named as ‘Satyaram Scholarship’ (it combines the first names of his parents), while the meritorious sportspersons will get ‘Baba Krishna Mohan Scholarship’ that has been named after his mentor-uncle.

Sailaja pointed that they would not focus on the education and sports potential of the beneficiaries but also take on board talented and creatively-inclined children so that they could dream big and strive to achieve their aspirations. However, the beneficiaries would have to come through a rigorous screening process that will be spearheaded by experts.

They said that as social work of this magnitude also needed funds in addition to those received from likeminded philanthropists and Good Samaritans, they are to organise a one-of-a-kind “VVS Foundation black tie dinner” fund-raiser.

It will be held at Taj Krishna in Banjara Hills from 7.30pm on May 5. The event will act as a platform for stalwarts, change makers, leaders and experts to converse and join in the noble mission as stake-holders.

To make it more innovative, they have lined up celebrities from diverse fields in a panel discussion on ‘Future of Sports Coaching in India’.
The panellists will include Yuvraj Singh, David Warner, Pullela Gopichand and it will be moderated by Harsha Bhogle.

Another discussion will be on ‘Power of Dreams’ in which the panellists would be KT Rama Rao and actress Samantha with Laxman being the moderator.

Stating that he wished that the Foundation grows in reach, including in the interiors, Laxman stated that he hoped that they could simultaneously support at least 500 students.

On his bigger dreams, he said that he hoped to put in place an all-encompassing world class academic-driven sports school. Donor passes for the event will be available online from April 5.