19 years of total experience, 12 years of teaching in schools and colleges and serving her 10th year as Principal of Sri Tarachand Galada Jain Matriculation School she started FOWERD (Foundation for Women Rehabilitation and Development) last year as an additional value to her work. 

FOWERD primarily educates women who have no support from their husbands, on the importance of saving money to give them monetary security. They are taught the means to do so and covering them under the Post office or bank schemes and currently about 400 women have benefited. Apart from this main core activity, which is extended to the parents of the school children and nearby slum dwellers, FOWERD conducts classes twice every week for several key aspects of living. FOWERD’s training includes functional English, vocational training, yoga, health and hygiene awareness and other motivational sessions.

Sita Ranjith has visualized a triangular relationship, consisting of the school children, their parents and the community at large.  She is convinced that refining the parents and teaching them life skills as she calls them, they will pass on their guidance to the children and they in turn will contribute towards the community.  “We also learn and unlearn in the process” are her own words describing her experiences with these people. She also believes that this could be included as a module in the regular curriculum in schools. She says that the changes are subtle but definitely there.

BHAVNA, a division of FOWERD has been started to conduct street plays, workshops with social messages. Sita scripts, directs and trains the members of FOWERD.   Every month one activity is conducted and she  says they are not mere activities but they add productivity.  Her mother Thangam Chellam plays an active role in FOWERD and she is also helped out by another enthusiastic volunteer by name, Sneha.

FOWERD seems to be a natural expression in another form for this able administrator for she has always added value to her work. Creatively, she has introduced a no books day every 15 days in her school and Oh Boy !!!  do her children enjoy it.  Health consciousness is introduced by giving a kilo of dates every month to all the children and teachers and her teachers have a feet massage every Wednesday in school to rejuvenate their tired legs, Bhagavad Gita discourses, exercises and yoga are also taught to the teachers. 

“Ideas are our greatest asset and it costs nothing to think and while we are at it Why not Think Big” says this noble hearted woman ever ready to experiment with her ideas to contribute to the society.  

I left from her presence, realizing that contribution is a spark that gets triggered in the heart and once there is this spark all what one has – whether it is inner strength or resources available can be utilized for the same purpose.