Semmanchery Gets a Boost: Thozhamai’s New Center Supports Working Parents and Aspiring Youth
Chennai: Thozhamai has inaugurated its fifth Thozhamai Children’s Activity Center in the Semmanchery Tsunami residential area near Sholinganallur, Chennai. The inauguration ceremony was led by Krishnakumar, Secretary of the Madras High Court Bar Association, Sri Jayanthi Kumaraswamy, Founder of Sri Jai Sathya Mission, and Devaneyan, Director of Thozhamai, who jointly cut the ribbon and lit the ceremonial lamp.
The newly opened center occupies a building that had fallen into disrepair due to prolonged neglect. With permission from the Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Development Board, Sri Jai Sathya Mission undertook renovation work at a cost of ₹10 lakhs and handed over the refurbished facility to the Thozhamai.
This marks the fifth center established by Thozhamai in Semmanchery, which already houses four similar centers. Additionally, another center is operational in Perumbakkam. The new facility will serve dual purposes—functioning as a childcare center during the day and transforming into an activity hub for adolescents in the evening.
Residents of the Semmanchery tsunami settlement, many of whom are daily wage laborers, often struggle to balance work and childcare responsibilities. To support these families, the center offers care for children aged six months to three years from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., enabling parents to pursue employment. Staff for the center have been appointed through corporate social responsibility (CSR) contributions from private companies, aiming to uplift the local economy.
In the evenings, the center provides educational, artistic, and sports training for adolescents. These sessions are conducted by dedicated trainers, including former students of the centers who are now pursuing higher education and returning to contribute.
Thozhamai has played a pivotal role in producing first-generation graduates from Semmanchery and Perumbakkam. It also supports aspirants preparing for government competitive exams, with the goal of increasing public sector employment among local youth.
While Thozhamai has long focused on the protection and development of girls, it continues to expand its impact by supporting adolescents and families in Semmanchery through these centers, fostering holistic community development.
