Children are the future means of development in the society. Education plays a crucial role in developing children who in turn bring about a developed society. The setting in which the children study plays a vital role in their learning and development process. As an infrastructure developer MARG believes that any improvement in school structural aspects will bring in a positive impact among the student community in terms of making school a center for joyful learning.

MARG’s intervention towards facilitating quality education to rural children has evolved a three fold strategies.
1. Infrastructure Support - Improving the learning environment at local Schools.
2. Education Aids - Supporting school children with education aids.
3. Facilitating children education through guided evening study centres.

School Infrastructure

• Seekinankuppam High School, Kancheepuram
  • Constructed Compound Wall
  • Installed a 1000 ltr water tank
• Poonjeri RC High School, Kancheepuram
  
  • Landscaping
  • Installed a 500 ltr water tank
• Government High School, Karapakkam - Kancheepuram
  • Constructed 5 classrooms
  • Donated furniture for classrooms
  • Earth filling to raise ground level to 3 feet
• Education Department, Karaikal
  • 19 computers donated to different schools

The compound wall constructed by MARG marked theSeekinankuppam school a distinct entity with colorfully painted wall and high raised gate	Renovated and colorfully painted the Anganwadi is now much more a joyful place for children of Vellore village
Water tank for RC School Ponjeri.	The tables and benches gave the students of Govt. High School Karapakkam the comfort to follow the classes

Education Aids
On regular basis MARG has been donating education aids to children of neibhourhood villages to retain their motivation for pursuing higher education. These were mostly distributed while celebrating special occasions such as Independence Day, Children’s Day, Gandhi Jayanthi etc.
• 169 bicycles distributed to school children
• High Quality School bags were distributed to over 862 School children.
• Crayons distributed to 387 children studying 1st to 5th Std.
• Geometry boxes distributed to 519 children studying 6th to 12th Std.
• Pocket dictionaries were distributed to 500 students of 5th – 8th Std studying in 3 neibhouring government schools.

Bicycles distributed to children as a token of appreciation and to motivate them to pursue Higher Secondary education	Special programme organised to commemorate the Children Day 2009 at Seekinankuppam Govt. School

School Shuttle Service
School shuttle service at Seekinankuppam, Kodur villages of Lathur Block and M.Vanjore & K.Vanjore villages of Karaikal, ensures timely and safe journey to 200 children to their schools regularly

Supplementary Education
• 30 children are being guided to revise their studies after school hours at Seekinankuppam.
• Food supplement for 120 children during evening study hours at Tiruvallur Tamil School, Karaikal

Tamil Nadu has made significant strides in improving the health status and increasing access to health care services through PHCs and programmes like Varumun Kappom Thittam which takes the modern medicine virtually to the door steps through a camp approach. MARG’s efforts were directed primarily towards i) Supplementing the efforts made by the government and ii) to enable access to health care systems to rural poor in every way possible and required.

Varummon Kaapom Thittam

• Supported 8 camps at Lathur block

Medical Camps supported under Varumon Kaapom Thittam

Name of the Village	Month of the Camp	Patients treated
Mugayur	June 2007	1000
Seekinankuppam	August 2007	1200
Parameswaranmangalam	October 2007	1000
Madayambakkam	November 2007	800
Kodur	December 2007	600
Kadalur	January 2008	1000
Kodur	July 2008	800
Kodur	September 2009	1200

Health Services
MARG established a medical clinic at MARG SEZ campus – Located strategically to help easy accessibility by the neibhouring villages.
On an average 20 people from 5 neibhouring villages access the free medical service of MARG’s Clinic everyday.
An ambulance deployed at the clinic has been a boon for the villages of the vicinity to utilize the service to transfer emergency cases to nearby hospitals. The availability of ambulance service has played a major role in enabling the birth deliveries at hospitals
The table below shows the breakup of the emergency transfers in 2009.

Cases attended	No. of transfers
Birth deliveries	19
Accidents	05
Suicide attempts	04
Others	46
Total	74

Medical checkups
Apart from the clinic that we established at Swarnabhoomi and our continued support to Varumon Kaapom Thittam, MARG conducts medical checkups – general and specialized on a regular basis.

A general medical camp was organized at Govt. Primary School at K.Vanjore on 26th July 09	Comprehensive medical camp supported under Varummon Kaapom Thittam, Seekinankuppam

Growth of a country largely depends on the standards of its social infrastructure. MARG as an infrastructure developer is well aware of the fact that private sector involvement and investment is required in developing social infrastructure in view of the limited capacity of the Government to expand services in these areas. The evolving concept of Public – Private Partnership led MARG to collaboration with the state government’s programme “Namaku Namey Thittam” to build basic infrastructures at villages.

Namaku Namey Thittam (NNT)
MARG involvement in the programme Namaku Namey Thittam led to development of basic infrastructures such as Construction of Concrete Roads, Anganwadi building, Drainages, Flood protection wall, Culvert, Compound wall etc.

Direct Involvement
In addition to collaborating with government programmes MARG has developed infrastructures to respond to the requests received from different quarters
.

• Construction of Pond, Karaikal
  
• Three Bus shelters at Karaikal
  
• Drainage facility at Velore village, Seekinankuppam

MARG has restored 3 bus shelters at Karaikal which are aesthetically designed with seating facility to passengers	Concrete cement road at Madambakkam Village under Namaku Namey Thittam

The new economic reform has opened numerous job opportunities in the service sector, manufacturing sector, repairs and maintenance sector etc. These sectors can absorb people from non-literates to graduates, if intensive short-time training is provided that are industry specific. .

GLSDI-MARG
MARG in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industries has initiated a programme called Grassroots Level Skill Development Initiative (GLSDI) where 809 youths of Cheyur Taluk went through a 15 days intensive pre- employment training. Out of the 809 youth who had undergone training under GLSDI, 600 of them attended the job fair and about 486 youth were shortlisted by the companies for job in the job fair.

GLSDI-MARG signed an MOU with CII	A section of the Youth for the Job Fair April 2008

Youth on wheels of development
With the completion of first phase of Karaikal Port, the need for trained personnel in several trades was felt. Heavy motor vehicle driving is one such trade identified by the port management and wished to give priority in employment for the local youths. In order to equip the local unemployed youth to the job specification, MARG has sponsored training for 20 Youths on four wheeler driving skills. The first batch of 10 youths has completed their training and few gained employment with Port and others wait for their turn.

Environment is given due importance while planning any developmental activities at MARG. We believe that there is always a possibility that both development and environment co-exist and complement each other.
Reiterating our commitment on Environment protection, MARG has initiated tree plantation drive across its operational areas at Swarnabhoomi in Kancheepuram district and at Karaikal Port. MARG committed to protect and preserve the environment through its products, technology and processes. The tree plantation drive is part of our endeavour to constantly improve our environment to make it a better place to live, work and leisure which is also our brand statement.
As the saying goes “charity begins at home” we initiated the campaign within our campus and have planned to extend it to the neighbourhood villages involving the local schools in making the environment green.

It is increasingly realized that corporate sector cannot remain desolated from responding to the effects of increasing disaster or reducing the risk of disaster to the community around it, apart from having a foolproof safety and security system within.
MARG has responded to the emergency situations appropriately, particularly when the neighborhood communities was affected. The response from MARG was essentially to help the victims or the families to bounce back to normalcy. The nature of intervention includes provision of food grains, clothes, vessels, school books, uniforms etc
Nisha Cyclone, Seekinankuppam 1000 food packets distributed during the cyclone. Flood Relief, Karrapakkam – Oct 08 Supported 50 families of Karapakkam colony with Rice bags of 75 kg each. Fire Accident, Seekinankuppam – June 09 Supported the victims with necessary food grains, clothes, vessels, school books and uniforms worth Rs. 2 lakhs. Flood relief, Karaikal- November 09 MARG has distributed 10 Kgs. of Rice to 535 families affected by flood

MARG has been a preferred corporate body for many voluntary not-for-profit organizations to support social cause. Our role in sponsoring social cause ranges in size from small initiative of supporting a meal to mega programmes like hosting Chennai Marathon, Jai Ho world series etc. MARG sets trend and created bench mark in organizing social events that advocates social cause mustering large public support.

Give Life Charity – Child Rights, August 31, 2008.
The Chennai Marathon series was hosted by MARG in aid of Give Life Charity that supports the cause of underprivileged children for their Right to education and health. Around 1.75 Lac people from various walks of life across different cities participated in this run.
The MARG Chennai Marathon has marked a new beginning in the history of Chennai which converged all the diversities of the city - economic, cultural, social and emotional.

The Sakthi Foundation – for providing quality health services to rural poor
A.R.Rahaman’s Jai Ho World Series hosted by MARG at Swarnabhoomi helped to mobilize 75,000 people to standup for the cause of physically challenged. The programme helped to sensitize public on the issue of people with disability with our continuous propaganda on the issue in the pretext of the musical genius A.R.Rahaman.
MARG has donated Rs.1 Crore to The Sakthi Foundation towards its noble quest for providing The Adhiparasakthi Medical and Research Hospital with medical equipments that caters to rural masses.

Chennai Marathon 2008	A.R.Rahaman’s Jai Ho

Sponsored programmes
Chennai Marathon – MARG participated as a co-sponsor jointly organized by the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu and Rotary International held on February ’2006.

Celebrating 100 years of Satyagraha, Gandhi Mandapam, Adyar, 8th October 2006.
MARG, in co-ordination with the Gandhi Study Centre, organized a one-day programme for underprivileged children to celebrate Gandhi Jayanthi and 100 years of Sathyagraha. With over 600 guests, the event was dotted by the laughter and cheer of children. Bags and pens were gifted to all the participants of the event.

MARG sponsored a campaign to commemorate World AIDS Day – December 1, 2006.
The World AIDS Day campaign aimed at spreading awareness and changing the mindset of the society towards people living with HIV / AIDS. Accept, Act, and Achieve was the message delivered. In the lead-up to the event, awareness pamphlets about HIV/AIDS were distributed outside Schools, Fuel Pumps, Malls, Multiplexes, etc. Cultural and poster competitions were organized for school and college students with the theme “Good Health & Preserving Future Youth” and prizes were distributed to the winners.

MARG was the principal sponsor for EmployABILITY 2006, a job fair for specially-abled people from across the country held on December 16 & 17, 2006 in Chennai. Aimed at ‘looking beyond Disabilities and Breaking Barriers Together’ the event saw several young job aspirants for whom this was the first job interview. For those with experience, it provided an opportunity to climb the corporate ladder.

MARG was the main sponsor for the Amaithi Illam’s Music Night and fund raiser for the orphanage’s 50 bright and energetic Children.

MARG sponsored Archcult’s Hybridia 2006, a national level symposium marking the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of the Architecture department of NIT, Tiruchirapalli.

Chennai Sangamam - Presented by Tamil Maiyam and the Department of Tourism and Culture, Government of Tamil Nadu. Chennai Sangamam is a unique attempt to showcase the best of Chennai. MARG’s association with Chennai Sangamam was for the events at the venue - IRT Office, Velachery Main Road – near American International School, Taramani. (Feburary 2007)

MARG was a Co-Sponsor for the AbilityFEST organized by Ability Foundation from October 5 to 8, 2007. AbilityFEST is an international disability film festival. This is a biannual event of Ability Foundation to sensitise the community about their perception on disability. AbilityFest 2007 enabled the viewers to enjoy films from 24 countries - some funny, others moving – but every one of them thought provoking.

MARG sponsored an educational tour to the Vandalur Zoo organized for 240 children studying in residential transit school run by a local NGO Hand-in-Hand. This is a part of the rehabilitation programme for the underprivileged children comprising school dropouts and child labourers. (Feburary 2008)

Musical evening - MARG in association with The Madras Anchorage Round Table 100, presented a musical evening with the talented singers from Voice Of India Abhas Joshi, Toshi and Sumitra Iyer. The concert was held on 14 March 2008 at the Kamaraj Memorial Hall. The proceeds was for building classrooms in schools for underprivileged children.

BYST & MARG- Best Business Idea Contest Programme - 2008
The contest encouraged young men and women in and around Chennai to come up with creative and viable business ideas that could be converted in to successful dynamic micro-enterprises. The Contest was also given a boost to the entrepreneurial culture in Chennai and promote new business ideas among the youth.

MARG sponsored Rs. 3 lakhs for All India Inter University Ball Badminton Tournament (Men) held from 16th to 20th Feb’09, Kancheepuram District, Tamilnadu, 100 colleges from different states participated in the tournament.

MARG sponsored Rs. 2 lakhs for an annual music concert organized by The Shakti Foundation as fund raiser to improve health care facilities of a rural hospital with two ventilators and a dialysis machine. More than 1000 people enjoyed the music of the great musicians such as Zakir Hussain, U. Shrinivas, Sivamani, Dominique Di Piazza, Stephen Devassy. The programme was held on 21st February 2009 at the Music Academy, Chennai.

MARG in collaboration with Suyam Charitable Trust, organized a full day program for the children at Siragu Montessori School, Avadi. About 180 underprivileged children participated in the various activities and made the Children’s Day a memorable one.

Sponsored purchase of Teaching Aids & Therapy Equipments for Vasantham Special School for Mentally Challenged for one year (2009).

Contributed Rs.3 Lakhs to Rotary International towards their pulse polio drive – 19 Sep 09.

• Swami Sukhabodhananda on “Personal Excellence Through BHAGAVATH GITA”– July 2008.
• MARG sponsored Rs. 1 lac towards the paver of the temple premises Kali Amman Koil at Karapakkam.
• MARG sponsored Rs. 3 lacs towards the paver of the Temple premises and Community Hall Gangai Amman Koil at   Karapakkam.
• Community Wellness programme in association with Art of Living, Chennai at 19 Villages around SEZ – 21st to   23rd October 2009.
• Hosted Sri.Sri.Ravi Shankar’s programme – Satsang in Nov 2009.
• Family Day celebrated at Swarnabhoomi on 24th Jan 2010