By P. Natarajan, PGP 81
Caption: Bala Mandir main block building
After completing my PGDM at IIMA in 1981, my career followed a typical trajectory, much like many of my batchmates who ventured into the corporate world. We witnessed the emergence of the personal computer, the internet, and the transition from the license raj to liberalization and the emergence of India as a strategic player in global business. After 38 exhilarating years – 29 years with the Saint-Gobain group across India and 9 years with the Sanmar group in Chennai, I retired from the corporate sector, determined to embark on a new chapter. In January 2020, I joined Bala Mandir full-time, marking the beginning of my second innings.
Inspired by the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, Bala Mandir was started in 1949 by the late Sri. K.Kamaraj and Smt. S. Manjubhashini. It is a premier Social Welfare Organisation, which has over the years sheltered thousands of children in difficult circumstances – orphans, destitute and socio-economically deprived children including children with special needs.
My introduction to Bala Mandir came 8 years earlier through my wife in 2012. She had been volunteering there for a couple of years, and I had seen her write their annual reports. Upon visiting Bala Mandir, I was amazed by the scale of its activities and the impactful work being done to support children in need. I also identified several areas for improvement, and when I discussed these with the management, they invited me to join them and contribute.
Fortunately, Saint-Gobain was supportive of my involvement with Bala Mandir over weekends, allowing me to take on the roles of Trustee and Honorary Treasurer in 2013. During the first seven years, while still working at Saint-Gobain, my contributions were primarily strategic. I worked on projects to strengthen the organization’s finances, formalize its Vision, Mission, Values, and Objectives (VMVO), professionalize HR processes, and create IT processes to support its activities. This work was highly rewarding, and I looked forward to engaging more deeply with Bala Mandir after retirement.
Caption: Kinship Social worker visiting children in their homes
Shortly after I began working full-time, the COVID-19 lockdown came into effect. This period provided an opportunity to attend numerous online programs and connect with people involved in the social sector. I also enrolled in the U-Lab course at the Presencing Institute at MIT, which expanded my perspective and underscored the importance of incorporating empathy into decision-making processes. This period of unlearning and relearning was an excellent induction into the social sector, which had become my new passion.
The pandemic highlighted a critical societal need: supporting children who lost one or both parents. This inspired the ‘Kinship Care program’, which treats these children as members of Bala Mandir’s virtual home, providing support while they remain with their single mothers. Over the past two years, this program has expanded to 14 districts in Tamil Nadu, assisting around 1,300 children from 750 families. Social workers, based in various districts, coordinate the various support services, including fee payment, counseling, early childhood support, foundational English and Maths support using volunteers and livelihood support for the mothers. Most services are delivered online through mobile phones, aiming to support these children until they achieve stability in their lives. The impact on the children is to be seen and felt.
Caption: Kinship meeting with parents and children in Tiruvannamalai
On March 10, 2024, Bala Mandir celebrated its 75th anniversary with the theme “Every Child Matters,” reflecting the need to ensure that every child reaches their full potential amidst emerging demographic challenges. In addition to the Kinship Care program, Bala Mandir’s other units – Home for children who need care and protection, schools for the underprivileged, unit to support children with special needs and the Early Childhood Care and Development support to village Anganwadis – all have ambitious plans to scale up their impact and sustainability. The organization is also exploring new fundraising avenues, including establishing an entity in the USA and improving the networking and communication across other organisations working in this field.
As I approach my 70th year, I am excited about the challenges ahead and invite others to join us on this rewarding journey.
More information on Bala Mandir can be found on their web site www.balamandir.org.
P. Natarajan did his B.Tech from IIT Madras in 1977 and PGDM from IIMA in 1981. Except for a stint of 9 years in between with the Sanmar group in Chennai, Natarajan has been part of Saint-Gobain right through his corporate career. He has been actively involved with Bala Mandir Kamaraj Trust for the past 12 years. He lives in Chennai and can be contacted at pn@balamandir.org
