Narendran, slowly taking in his surroundings, rubs his weary eyes for a moment before sharing his story. He is admirably calm and collected on the outside, though looking into his eyes, one can see they are filled with sad memories. Several years after Narendran was born, his father was diagnosed...
Nagajothi grew up as one of four children in a family that struggled each day to survive. As the youngest child, Nagajothi was bought up with great love and care by her family. She studied more than her siblings and made it to the 12th grade. Yet, by the time Nagajothi reached her late teens,...
July 31, 2015, signifies a most remarkable day of the year. It is the first full moon after the Summer Solstice and is customarily known as Guru Purnima – a day to give gratitude to your Guru. Dr. Pillai founded the Tripura Foundation to change the world by eliminating extreme poverty and...
Maria Jocelyn comes from a family of fishermen on the shores of Rameshwaram. The hot and salty air blowing through the area makes it difficult for anyone but natives to live there. Maria’s father, a fisherman, had a dream to go to school and become educated. Unfortunately, he lacked both the...
Malayayi, a single mother, has gone from from feeling utterly hopeless and attempting to take her own life, to shining as a beacon of hope to all of the women in her village. Malayayi was born into a family of ten whose elderly parents had little to offer their children. By the time she came of...
Preynitha was seven years old when a deadly viral fever hit her village during the winter. Like many others in her village, Preynitha’s mother passed away. Soon after, Preynitha’s father abandoned her and her little brother to go live with another woman. At this time, Preynitha and...
Rosetta, a resident of the South Bronx for over 40 years, has been attending the Melrose Mobile Market (one of Tripura Foundation’s partner food banks) since its launch in October 2004. Rosetta lives with her granddaughter and says that the free produce distribution at the market helps her...
Senior citizens who are poor and live alone or with dependent children find themselves vulnerable, powerless and are often neglected by their own family and grown up children. These senior citizens are too old or physically weak and thus unable to find work. They are forced to beg, and are often...
Kannathaal, a 73-year-old widow, has been affected by Leprosy for the past 40 years. After she was diagnosed with Leprosy, her only son abandoned her, fearing that he might contract it. Alone, she lives very meagerly on a minimal pension provided by the government. Her hands were most affected by...
Srividhya comes from a family that lives in the outskirts of the village Nachiyarkoyil, Kumbakonam, India. She is the sixth child, with two elder brothers, three elder sisters, and a younger brother and a younger sister. Her father is paralyzed, and the only wage-earning member of...