A 320-sq.-ft. library in Pazhaveli village of Chengalpattu district, which has 1,337 inhabitants, has now become the fulcrum of an ambitious programme to ensure that every child finishes at least school and, if possible, goes on to become a graduate, thanks to the efforts of the local panchayat president, residents, and a gentle push from former sub-collector S. Malathi Helen, who is now district collector.The village is the most backward in the Kattankulathur block, which has 39 panchayats. It has 317 Scheduled Caste families and 35 Irula families. Among them, 12 are graduates who work in nearby companies.Mala Kamaraj, the village panchayat president, said that these graduates have come together to volunteer at the library and take classes for 50 students, of whom 37 are from the Irula community. “After Malathi madam came here last year, a lot of changes have taken place. She told us that it was our responsibility to utilise the facilities she could help provide. She arranged for more books, a few tables and chairs, a large TV, a computer, and internet. We also get two daily newspapers,” Ms. Kamaraj said. Vincent, who runs a business, said that every child in the village attends school after the materials were arranged and volunteering started. “Two children are in Class 11 now. We are sending them to a private school in Chengalpattu town. We have employed a disabled person to take care of the library,” he added.Venkat A., a volunteer who works as an HR professional in a private company, said that in the last year the children have been coming to the library every day. “During weekends and examinations, they remain for a longer time. There are books for people of all ages. Sometimes, I take my laptop to the library and complete office work during the evening classes.”K. Shivani, who is in Class 11, said that the library was a great place to do homework and study in the evenings with her classmates. “We use the computer to get details for school projects. The TV is used to cast notes and lessons. If we have doubts, the annas [brothers] are there in the evenings to clarify them and teach us the concepts,” said the girl who wants to become an IAS officer.Ms. Helen said that when she visited the library over a year ago as sub-collector, after a gram sabha meeting, there were only a few books and it was not functioning as well as a library should.“I told them that the government can provide facilities, but unless the community steps in, it will not be of any use. I recently visited the place and was pleasantly surprised that the library has been well maintained by the community members themselves,” she said.“Hats off to them for taking ownership. This was the change I was expecting. They have now shown that any project owned by the people will be sustainable,” she added.Published - March 05, 2026 05:31 pm IST