CSR & Sustainability
Set up in 1997, Valeo Friction Materials India Private Limited, ANAND’s joint venture with the Valeo Group, France, manufactures the latest range of environment-friendly clutch facings. VFMI is a single location entity with both its manufacturing facility and head office located in Sengundram Industrial Area of Chengalpattu District in Tamil Nadu.
In 2020, for the first time VFMI joined hands with SNS Foundation, ANAND’s CSR arm for implementation of its CSR mandate. The company chose to contribute to one of United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) for 2030: Goal 4 Quality Education. There are a total of 17 UN SDGs which set the context for international development in the coming decade.
Goal 4 of Quality Education discusses approaches to Ensure Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education and Promote Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All. The approaches discussed under the ten targets of this goal include early childhood development and pre-primary education in a bid to lay a strong foundation for sound learning during primary schooling years. Further it lays stress on ensuring secondary education for all and making technical, vocational and tertiary education universally accessible with a special focus on those vulnerable, persons with disabilities and indigenous peoples among others.
Goal 4 also discusses on aspects of expanding scholarships in developing countries to advance enrolments in higher education including vocational training and technical, engineering and scientific programmes. The goal encourages investments in building and upgrading education facilities to provide safe, nonviolent, inclusive and effective learning environments.
Delivering quality education without disparities and discrimination of any kind is at the heart of this goal.
VFMI’s first CSR initiative is in line with the emphasis of UN SDG 4 Quality Education on the role of appropriate and adequate infrastructure in ensuring quality education. The company chose to associate itself with the reconstruction of Chambagalakshmi Seshadri School (erstwhile Kizhachalai Primary School), a govt. aided school in Kizhachalai Village, Sirkazhi Taluk of the newly formed District of Mayiladuthurai, in the state of Tamil Nadu. Sirkazhi is approx. 250 kms from the state capital of Chennai. The Chambagalakshmi Seshadri School is under the management of Shri P. S. Ramachandran Educational and Charitable Trust (hereafter referred to as PSR Trust). Upon completion of the reconstruction project, PSR Trust aims to make the school a model in primary education in rural Tamil Nadu state.
History of Chambagalakshmi Seshadri School: Chambagalakshmi Seshadri School was earlier known as Kizhachalai Primary School. Established in 1952, the Kizhachalai Primary School has always been a govt. aided school receiving financial support from the Govt. of Tamil Nadu. For 60 long years, the school did well in catering to the educational requirements of surrounding villages and had a strength of over 100 students even as late as 2012-13. However, the then school management was not in a position to invest in the regular repair and maintenance of the school, which saw the infrastructure wear out gradually to the extent that it became hazardous to hold classes in the same premises.
Poor safety conditions led to many students enrolling themselves in schools in neighbouring villages. In 2019, Kizhachalai Primary School was left with only 40 students.
This miserable condition of Kizhachalai Primary School, caught the attention of Shri P. S. Ramachandran Educational and Charitable Trust (hereafter referred to as PSR Trust).
The PSR Trust then decided to acquire the management of Kizhachalai Primary School, and secured permission from the Government for its demolition and subsequent reconstruction. Under PSR Trust, Kizhachalai Primary School has been renamed as Chambagalakshmi Seshadri School.
With relaxation of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, reconstruction for Chambagalakshmi Seshadri School was initiated in April 2020. The new building with 100% support under VFMI CSR consists of five class rooms, one office cum audio visual education facility, kitchen and washrooms for boys and girls covering approx. 3200 sq. ft. The new facility was inaugurated on the auspicious occasion of Vijayadashami on October 26th, 2020.
The PSR Trust sincerely expects that on providing better facilities, good days of Kizhachalai Primary School will return. It is hoped that residents of Kizhachalai and surrounding villages will once again admit their children to Chambagalakshmi Seshadri School, surpassing the earlier student strength of over 100 students.