Giving Back
As a family business it has always been one of our biggest aims to give something back. In 2019 we partnered up with CoppaFeel!, one of the biggest breast cancer awareness charities in the UK, by donating £20,000 of the profits from the sale of our custom-made boob yoga mat collection.
2020 hit us and many other businesses hard due to the pandemic but we are still standing and feeling stronger than ever. We therefor decided to support a new project, one which holds a very special place in my heart.
Early 2013 I was so blessed with the chance to volunteer in Prema Vasam, a home for mentally & physically challenged and less fortunate children in Chennai/India. The name Prema Vasam means “a place of love or where love resides”. The love I experienced with my eyes, with my heart, the love I was able to give, but especially the love which I got from those children, as well as the lovely team, who are in charge of this amazing big family, was unforgettable and left a fingerprint on my heart.
8 years later, March 2021, Jordan and I sat down discussing who we would like to support next and the decision was made within minutes. We contacted Mr. Selvyn Roy, a clinical psychologist by profession, the administrator and founder of Prema Vasam. A lot had happened in the last few years and he told me about a new project being ran by Indra. I remember Indra very well, a beautiful young lady who was always smiling and very dedicated and passionate. As stated on the Prema Vasam website:
He (Selvyn) decided to educate Indra, a 14 year old differently abled girl. Indra was totally depressed and extremely low in spirit due to her inability to go to school like the children of her age. She joined in eight standard, later she scored 420/500 marks in her SSLC board exam. She became an outstanding student in Under Graduation in her college. Now Indra has completed her masters from the prestigious Anna University in first class with passion for these special children she has done Special Education too. Indra now serves these children as the Director of Prem Illam happily, As our goal goes, "To Serve... Not to be served..." is achieved successfully.
Prem Illam is the daughter home of Prema Vasam. Due to the increase of numbers of children and the limited space, they were given a piece of land by the government to extend the same qualitative service to children of these sort in and around Madurantakam, about 75km away from Chennai.
Indra, the director of Prema Illam, is looking after grown up special needs girls in Prem Illam. She also grows fresh organic produce, such as bananas, guava, chikku etc. and uses them not only to feed the children, but also villagers deprived economically by the pandemic. An impressive, smart women with a huge heart and compassion for others.
We are so happy that we supported Prema Illam with a small contribution to their ongoing projects and costs of $1000, and we are aiming to give more in the future.
Dreams of Prema Vasam/Prema Illam
- Establishment of Child Adoption Centre to save and to give life to the Neonatal babies
- Building a School for our children and under privileged people
- To strive for the income generating program thus to attain self sufficiency to run the home
If you want to find out more about their projects, achievements and activities, or if you want to help them to make their dreams come true, please feel free to contact them.
With Love,
Claudia & Jordan