CHENNAI: One of the largest car factories in the country has built the desks and benches that students in 264 government schools in Kancheepuram, Tiruvallur and Chennai use.
For more than 15 years now, Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor India has been using the wood from the boxes, in which car parts and machinery are imported, to make benches and desks for schools around its factory at Irungattukottai. It has hired 10 carpenters to make them.
The idea took shape in 2007 and it marked the beginning of the carmaker’s CSR arm, Hyundai Motor India Foundation’s outreach programmes for the community around the factory in Sriperumbudur.
“Over the years, the wooden packaging material has been replaced with metal packaging. We have tweaked the benches with metallic parts and now purchase tops for the tables,” said Stephen Sudhakar, trustee of HMIF. “Even though we are spending around Rs 1,200 for a set by purchasing some material, we continue as it has a meaningful impact,” he said.
Hyundai soon set up a carpentry workshop inside its factory. Today, a team of 10 carpenters makes the furniture for the schools. These carpenters are contract employees like the security or canteen staff. So successful has this scheme been that HMIF has expanded it to other states.
To date, around 40,000 sets of desks and benches have been distributed. Tables and chairs are also given for teachers.
The Foundation recently handed over 100 sets of desks and benches to the Government Higher Secondary School at Manampathy in Kancheepuram district. Its headmaster Ravi S said, “We appreciate this gesture. Such initiatives will definitely help increase the standards of the schools and thereby ensure a comfortable learning environment for students.”
J Mythili, a Class X student of the school, says it has transformed the classroom experience: “Earlier my legs and knees would hurt because we had to sit on the ground during class hours. The new benches and desks are not only convenient, they also look smart.”
HMIF has so far invested nearly Rs 12 crore towards this initiative. For members of the local community, this has been a godsend. Former general secretary of Hyundai Motor India Employees Union Sridhar said, “‘Villages like Katrambakkam have benefitted from this scheme because Hyundai has been focusing on primary schools, which have the worst infrastructure.”
Ganesh Mani S, HMIF trustee, said, “We are committed to collective excellence and believe that it is important to touch people’s lives and reach out to the communities around us.”
