KMCO Trust - Press Coverage

Xmas cheer for rural kids at zoo
The Telegraph, December 21, 2011

Not every child gets to celebrate Christmas. But this year, some underprivileged ones got angels in disguise to give them a good time.

A Jamshedpur-based charitable trust, Kudy Mahanty Chiren’s Opportunities, hosted an annual Christmas party for 70 children from Uday Creche at the Tata Steel Zoological Park on Tuesday.

Niroop Mahanty, a corporate executive and his management consultant wife Rupa, had founded this trust in 2000 in the memory of their daughter Kudy who had died in a tragic fire accident in March 1989.

“Chiren” was Kudy’s delightful way of pronouncing “children”.

On Tuesday, the “chiren” of Murgaguttu village, Gamharia block in Seraikela-Kharsawan district, enjoyed themselves to the hilt at the Tata zoo.

They saw the animal enclosures, played a game of badminton, had lunch and also saw a magic show specially organised for them.

“The festive season is enjoyed by everyone, but there are a number of less-fortunate children who don’t get the opportunity to have fun. We give them a day of enjoyment and carefree frolic,” said trustee Rupa.

The mission of the trust is to provide opportunities for underprivileged children through academic scholarships, sports meets, medical help and special treats such as these, she added.

The trust had earlier installed several hand pumps in 12 villages of East Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan for schoolchildren.

The trust — instituted in the memory of a beloved daughter — takes its job of putting a smile on the face of every child very seriously.

It provides education and training facilities and libraries as well as legal help for children, especially those suffering from abuse.

As far as this event is concerned, it had become a yearly ritual for the Mohanty couple. “We have been organising a Christmas party for children for three years running. We want to continue with this every year,” added Niroop.

Both Niroop and Rupa agreed that giving underprivileged children a “merry Christmas” was their way of celebrating the festive season.

“You feel good when you see children enjoying the small pleasures,” Niroop said.

KMCO hands over classrooms to rural school
Pioneer, Jamshedpur, March 07, 2009

Kudy Mahanty Chiren's Opportunities (KMCO), a city based charitable trust, handed over a block of classrooms to a school in Patamda run by the Jharkhand Education Foundation (JEF), on Friday. The new school block will have 14 rooms for students of standard one to eight, for the 550 students of JEF School, who come from the surrounding areas of Patamda town.

Trustees of KMCO, Rupa and Niroop Mahanty, PK Dotivala, Umesh Naidu and Anjali Kashyip graced the function. Satish Pillai, Chief, corporate sustainability services, Tata Steel, Sanjay, Head, urban services and Shilpasree Nag of Corporate Affairs and Communication, Tata Steel were also present on the occasion.

Rupa Mahanty announced three new grants for the students of JEF School on the occasion and thanked Mahato, Principal. JEF School and his team members for their selfless and commendable efforts.

It may be mentioned that the KMCO trust was founded in the memory of Kudy Mahanty by her parents, Rupa and Niroop Mahanty with the avowed objective of putting a smile on every child's face.

Apart from conducting medical camps, sports tournaments, awarding scholarships and other activities in villages around Jamshedpur, KMCO has been concentrating on bringing drinking water to rural schools over the past few years. In this effort, it has partnered with the Tata Steel Rural Development Society (TRDS) and put down fresh water tube wells in a dozen of schools in the region, bringing much relief to the children and the staff.

The idea of constructing a block in the JEF School occured during a well donation programme by KMCO, when Taila Krishna Kumar, one of the nieces of the Mahanty, was so impressed with the selfless work being done by the school authorities that she voluntarily gave up a set of jewellery being bought for her forthcoming wedding, with the request that the money to be used for the school. The project was conceived in consultation with Mahato, the Principal and Subroto Roy the Secretary of the school and executed by the school authorities.

The block has been named the "Taila-Michael Block" in gratitude for the generous donation.

KMCO installs hand pump
Mail News Service, Jamshedpur, June 21, 2004

Trustees of Kudy Mahanty Chiren's Opportunities donated a hand pump to the school children of Gorgram village under Potka block on Monday. Niroop & Rupa Mahanty, parents of Kudy Mahanty donated this pump. This hand pump was installed with the help of TSRDS. KMCO will install a hand pump in the villages of the state every year on this day, birthday of Kudy. Rupa Mahanty said that KMCO will undertake many welfare activities for children of remote villages by initiating scholarships, organizing health camps, reimbursement of medical expenses to the needy and also organize outings for rural school children.

Other trustees, MP Dotiwala, Anjale Kayship, Umesh Naidu were also present on the occasion

Gorgram gets a hand pump after years
HT, Jamshedpur, June 21, 2004

Consumption of dirty water is unsafe, for life clean water is nectar.' The caution lines can be seen written on the muddy walls of the hutments scattered along the dusty road, which led to Gorgram, an obscure rural hamlet in Potka. But sadly, it is this Godsend 'nectar', which the rural populace here had been deprived of for years.

Fortunately the crisis of potable water would be sorted out to some extent for the locals of Gorgram. Today a hand pump was formally handed over by Kudy Mahanty Chiren's Opportunities (KMCO), a trust formed in memory of Kudy Mahanty, daughter of Niroop & Rupa Mahanty. The bubbly kid who craved for sharing happiness with everyone, especially the deprived children of her age, passed away in Tisco fire tragedy in 1984.

The hand pump would serve the best need of the hundreds of children, as it has been installed in the campus of Adivasi Harijan Primary & High School.......Luckily enough the students can now get access to safe drinking water on the school premises itself. They would not have to drink unclean water from stray water sources during the summer, when scarcity of potable water is high.

......KMCO has so far installed 1500 hand pumps in remote Jharkhand & Orissa.....the trust has also launched it website www.kmcotrust.com today.

Trust brings smile to village faces
The Telegraph, June 21, 2004
Anindo Dey, Gorgram (East Singhbhum) June 21, 2004

A nearly dried up river, a dirty drain, some defunct tube wells, a health center 7 kms away and a school make up this far flung village of 160 houses in the Potka block. Residents of the village, 43 kms from Jamshedpur, have struggled long as they do not have access to certain basic facilities.

Celebrations in the village was for the new tube well drilled on the school campus, thanks to Kudy Mahanty Chirens' Opportunities (KMCO), a local organization. Missing from the bash was Kudy (Neel Nalani) herself, who would have turned 26 if she was still alive. A gifted and talented child full of sparkle, mischief and fun, Kudy was critically injured in the fire accident on March 3. 1989. She survived for 82 long hours before dying on March 6. Even in those dark hours when she was conscious, not only did she tell her parents how much she loved them, but thanked every doctor who came to treat her.............

The efforts of the parents Niroop & Rupa Mahanty led to the birth of KMCO in 2000, which, since then, has reached out to the under privileged through scholarships for education, sports, health camps, sponsoring treatment as well as organizing games, picnics and treats with its slogan "to put a smile on every child's face".

The organization has achieved a lot in its short time - from providing education to Mary Joseph, a mentally challenged girl whose mother, a widow, worked as a domestic help to sponsoring the successful treatment of baby Naina, who was not able to walk after birth, until KMCO intervened.

..........Later in the day the organization's website www.kmcotrust.com was inaugurated.

KMCO offers fun to lesser mortals
Mail News Service, Jamshedpur, June 22, 2003

Kudy Mahanty Chiren's Opportunities (KMCO) a city based charitable trust inaugurated its activities by organizing its first outing, at the Jubilees Amusement Park, for the children of Cheshire Home & Shishu Niketan orphanage, here toady. Altogether 70 children from the Cheshire Home and Shishu Niketan were taken inside the park for outing.

The function began with chips and soft drinks served at the central cafeteria to the cheerful music of Mr Adinarayan. Thereafter the groups of children were taken through all the rides in the park. The atmosphere was such that the employee of the park also owned the slogan "Put a smile on each child's face" and got personally involved in ensuring that the children had a great time. The carnival like atmosphere infected all present on the occasion.

KMCO organizes outing for disabled children
HT Correspondent June 22, 2003

KMCO gives young executives an opportunity to serve less privileged people and unfold as better humans.

KMCO donates hand pump to village school
HT Correspondent June 22, 2003

Kudy Mahanty Chirens' Opportunities, a charitable trust formed recently, donated a hand pump on Saturday to Mukteshwar Dham High School at Harina village under Potka block.

The trust has been formed in the memory of Kudy Mahanty, daughter of Rupa Mahanty & Niroop Mahanty, VP (HRM), Tata Steel.

Constructed at a cost of Rs 25.000 by the Tata Steel Rural Development Society with funds donated by the trust, the hand pump was donated to the school.

Speaking as the Chief Guest at a simple function to hand over the pump on the school premises, Niroop Mahanty said the Trust would install such hand pumps in the surrounding villages of Jamshedpur annually for the next 10 years. Rupa Mahanty, chairperson, KMCO, also spoke on the occasion. Ms Shakti Sharma, Head - TSRDS, Tata Steel, P K Dotivala, Ms Anjale Kayship trustees of KMCO, Barha Majhi, headmaster of the school, local villagers & school children were present at the function.

The objectives of the trust is to help, develop and encourage the poosr and underprivileged children belonging to weaker section of society by undertaking appropriate and adequate projects for their education, medical care, participation in sports, organization members said. The unique feature of the trust is, it recognizes that all children have a God given right to have fun and therefore, it regularly undertakes activities to ensure that underprivileged children also have the opportunity to enjoy their childhood.

The inauguration function of the KMCO Trust was held on June 21, 2001 at Nicco Amusement Park with children of Cheshire Home & Sishu Niketan orphanage. Since then it has extended financial support to the parents of medically sick children for treatment. Niroop Mahanty, P K Dotivala, Ajit Jha and Umesh Naidu are the guiding force.

donated a hand pump on Sunday to the Mukteshwar Dham High School
The Telegraph Jamshedpur June 22, 2003

Kudy Mahanty Chirens' Opportunities, a recently formed charitable trust, has donated a hand pump on Sunday to the Mukteshwar Dham High School at Harina village in East Singhbhum district. Formed in the memory of Kudy Mahanty, daughter of Rupa Mahanty & Niroop Mahanty, the trust got the pump set constructed for Rs 25.000 by the Tata Steel Rural Development Society. Niroop Mahanty said the Trust would install such hand pumps in the surrounding villages of Jamshedpur annually for the next 10 years.

KMCO donates hand pump to school
Mail News Services Jamshedpur June 22

Kudy Mahanty Chirens' Opportunities, a charitable trust formed recently, donated a hand pump on Saturday to Mukteshwar Dham High School at Harina village under Potka block.

The trust has been formed in the memory of Kudy Mahanty, daughter of Rupa Mahanty & Niroop Mahanty.

Constructed at a cost of Rs 25.000 by the Tata Steel Rural Development Society with funds donated by the trust, the hand pump was donated to the school.

Speaking as the Chief Guest at a simple function to hand over the pump on the school premises, Niroop Mahanty said the Trust would install such hand pumps in the surrounding villages of Jamshedpur annually for the next 10 years. Rupa Mahanty, chairperson, KMCO, also spoke on the occasion. Ms Shakti Sharma, Head - TSRDS, Tata Steel, P K Dotivala, Ms Anjale Kayship trustees of KMCO, Barha Majhi, headmaster of the school, local villagers & school children were present at the function.

The objectives of the trust is to help, develop and encourage the poosr and underprivileged children belonging to weaker section of society by undertaking appropriate and adequate projects for their education, medical care, participation in sports etc.

The unique feature of the trust is, it recognizes that all children have a God given right to have fun and therefore, it regularly undertakes activities to ensure that underprivileged children also have the opportunity to enjoy their childhood.

The inauguration function of the KMCO Trust was held on June 21, 2001 at Nicco Amusement Park with children of Cheshire Home & Sishu Niketan orphanage. Since then it has extended financial support to the parents of medically sick children for treatment.

KMCO & FPAI organize health camps in villages
HT Correspondent, Jamshedpur March 31, 2003

The Family Planning Association of India (FPAI), Singhbhum Project and the Kudy Mahanty Chirens' Opportunities together conducted health camps in three villages of the district namely Harisundarpur, Murgaguttu and Salampather.

KMCO chairperson Rupa Mahanty inaugurated the camp on March 27 in the presence of FPAI chairperson Sudha Sagar and other KMCO trustees. The chairperson informed that it was the first of many activities that was sponsored by KMCO through FPAI for the benefit of underprivileged children in Jharkhand. Along with medicines, the camp provided medical check ups to 150 - 200 primary school children.

In the near future KMCO has committed to sponsor a football tournament, organize visits to the zoo and other such activities for village children, which would help to "put a smile on every child's face" the motto of KMCO trust.

KMCO organizes health camp for rural children
Mail News Service, March 30, 2003

Kudy Mahanty Chirens' Opportunities along with Family Planning Association of India, Singhbhum Project conducted health camps in three villages of Jharkhand, Harisundarpur, Murgagattu and Salampather.

It was inaugurated by Rupa Mahanty, chairperson, KMCO on March 27 in the presence of Sudha Sagar, chairperson, FPAI and other trustees of KMCO.

Addressing on the occasion she said that it was the first of many activities that would be sponsored by KMCO, through FPAI for the benefit of under privileged children in Jharkand. This health camp would cover medical check ups for 150 to 200 primary school children including the providing of medicines. In the near future KMCO has committed to sponsor a football tournament, zoo visit and other such activities for village children. It would help to "put a smile on every child's face" the motto of KMCO trust.

Chairperson mentioned that she was delighted with the proposal from FPAI, Singhbhum Project and KMCO committee were glad to be able to offer opportunities for less privileged children and adolescent girls in nearby villages.