By M.M.Nadarajah & Owen Lee
Batu Gajah’s Member of Parliament, Sivakumar Varatharaju, has taken a thoughtful step toward supporting students’ well-being by sponsoring free spectacles for pupils of Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (Tamil) Changkat, Batu Gajah recently. The initiative was carried out and benefited a total of 26 pupils who were identified as needing visual aid.
The program was made possible through a free eye screening held at the school, which was organized by Pertubuhan Penganut Sai Hrudaya Nivasi, a fully charitable organization based in Perak. The screenings aimed to detect vision problems early and provide immediate support to students who might otherwise struggle in school due to undiagnosed eye issues.
“The spectacles, each worth RM250, will be delivered to the pupils once they are ready for collection,” said Kanakaraju Kulandai, Chairman of Pertubuhan Penganut Sai Hrudaya Nivasi Perak.
Kanakaraju noted that Sivakumar reached out to the organization to collaborate, as the school falls within his parliamentary constituency.
Pertubuhan Penganut Sai Hrudaya Nivasi is a fully charitable organization founded on March 11, 2013. It is committed to helping Tamil school pupils across Perak through three core areas of care: education, vision, and social care.
Kanakaraju highlighted that some Tamil school pupils suffer from serious vision problems without realizing it. Many of them do not inform their parents or teachers, which leads to their learning difficulties being misinterpreted as slow learning rather than a medical issue.
According to him, the organization has conducted eye screenings in 75 Tamil schools across Perak. Out of 2,790 pupils screened, 382 were found to have serious eye conditions and have since received fully sponsored spectacles.
Regarding the organization’s future plans, Kanakaraju stated that while they have many initiatives in the pipeline, their primary focus is on securing more donors to support pupils in addressing various challenges they may face.
Those who are interested in contributing to the welfare of Tamil school pupils in Perak may contact Kanakaraju Kulandai at 012-458 6123 for more information.
