Selvam joined me as my karate student in 2003, earlier to the starting of our school in 2004.
I found him a quick student, always willing to go that bit more... He was part of our tsunami effort and helped selflessly as a volunteer.
During a chat session after one of the karate classes, a year or so after the founding of "Trust Children", i was exhorting the karate students to better themselves through education. Selvam took it to heart and wanted to continue his education. He had dropped out of school 2 years earlier, after passing his 8th grade. His father, a fisherman, did not see any reason for his son to continue his education. Nor could he afford further education.
But, here was a talented young man, who needed only that small amount of push in the right direction! And he got that push from all of us at "Trust Children".
All our team members and specially Capt Shanbhag supported this initiative. And the rest, as they say, is history... :-)
From being a fishmonger/fisherman who had no knowledge of English, he worked hard, and is now an officer in the Merchant Navy. Trust Children supported him all the way, not only monetarily, but also by giving him and a group of youngsters a "spoken English" class, a "Computer Education" apart from training in Karate. He worked hard as a seaman, saved enough money to sponsor himself for an officers course in UK. And today he is a 3rd Officer and an aspiring Captain.
All of us supporting "Trust Children" can surely pat ourselves on our back....and hope to see more of these stories as our children complete their education.
Read his story in his own words:
I would like to share my story, how I became Chief Officer in Merchant Navy Vessel from 8thStd Tamil medium government school to British University.
I Selvendran Rajendran (Selvam) 34 years old from Chennai in India. My Father was a fisherman who passed away in 2011 and my Mother was a fish seller who passed away in 2004 and was living with my elder Brother and Sister.
I left my school in 2001 after completing 8thstd due to my mother had cancer and then had to assist with my father for fishing and fish selling business and during that time was trying to complete 10thstd in private open school but unable to complete due to my family was suffering financial problem for my mother’s cancer treatment.
After four years of treatment my mother passed away in 2004. One day went to temple and asked from the God “You have taken my mother who will help me for my studies to achieve my goal ???”
My family was suffering to survive without my mother and my father was trying as much as possible to recover the family. During that time, I was learning karate and meditation, Spoken English and computer training from the Capt R.Nandkumar, on that time unfortunately tsunami hit our village, myself was working with the Captain’s Sir as a volunteer to help affected people in many villages.
I had been requested my relatives for educational support after five years of dropping my school, but nobody ready to help and was feeling very unlucky.
One day went and requested educational help from the Captain Sir to complete 10thstd in open school. He said, I’ll help you, Can you complete 10thstd successfully. I said, I can do Sir, and then He believed me and sponsored Rs.xxxxx/-(USD $2xx) for join the tutorial in 10thstd at that same time I left my karate and fish business to fully concentrate on my studies, by God’s grace and Captain Sir support got 66% in 10thstd and informed Captain Sir, He was so happy and appreciated me like his own child.
After completing 10thstd was trying educational loan from many bank but everyone rejected. Finally requested education loan surety for Rs.xxxxxxx/- ($xxxx USD) from the Captain Sir to do the seamen’s course. Captain Sir gave me surety for bank loan but bank Manager unfortunately not accepted because of the fisherman background. I was thinking what to do at that time Captain Sir gave me confident and financial support like God, after that I went to Tuticourin and successfully completed the Seamen course.
After a year, I got a job in GOOD EARTH MARITIME PVT. LTD. As a Seamen and there I sailed 2 years with Rs.35000/- salary and then selected in SYNERGY MARITIME PVT. LTD In 2010. As a Able seaman, salary was USD$1250 There I Sailed 1 year, after that I was eligible to do Merchant Navy Officer exam in abroad.
Myself saved 11 lakhs to do HNC ( (HIGHER NATIONAL NAUTICAL SCIENCE) and was not getting opportunity in India but in United Kingdom, Singapore and New Zealand had given me wonderful opportunity to become a in Merchant Navy Officer, I had decided to study in UK for that had to do British IELTS exam (INTERNATIONAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE TESTING SYSTEM successfully cleared and then got opportunity in Southampton Solent University in United Kingdom.
When I went to UK first time for one year study, i was feeling nervous to talk in an English and was thinking came here by mistakenly because unable to understand the British communication at same time called Captain Sir, who mentored and gave me full confident and gave me Dr.Vandhana contact details in UK, She encouraged me to study in UK that made me as Merchant Navy Officer In 2014.
I Married In 2017, after 2 year god blessed me with baby girl, after that In 2020 myself saved 15lakhs for one year Chief Mate study in UK and again done IELTS exam and went to UK this time was not nervous but had to face lot of difficulty to complete my exam due to Covid-19 lockdown but luckily with full God’s grace and Captain Sir motivation and support successfully completed Chief Mate Exam in 2021. In my batch 50% of students cleared the Chief Mate exam.
I would like to tell proudly become a Chief Officer in Merchant Navy because of Capt.Nandkumar, Guru Ji, Trust Children Team and Capt.Shanbhag support and motivation.
