QNET and Akshaya Trust Join Hands to House and Feed the Homeless in the new ‘RYTHM Block’ in Madurai, India

1 August 2013

Madurai, India – QNET Executive Chairperson Ms Donna Imson joined Akshaya Trust Founder Narayanan Krishnan today to celebrate the opening of a 914 square-metre residential block to feed, house and care for the mentally ill, indigent and homeless in Madurai district, Tamil Nadu.

RYTHM Block is the seventh of eight buildings constructed by the Akshaya Trust, which provides three meals a day for 400 destitute and mentally ill people living on the streets in Madurai. Akshaya volunteers also bathe the homeless, provide them with a haircut and offer free housing and medical care to those in need at the Ashkaya Home Campus.

“I am proud to be here today representing QNET, and humbled to be in Mr Krishnan’s presence. His commitment to ‘helping the helpless’ is something we all can learn from,” Ms Imson said. “QNET is grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the good works carried out by Akshaya Trust. It exemplifies what we hope to achieve through QNET Pays Forward, our corporate social responsibility initiative.” 

Mr Krishnan’s efforts to care for the street people of Madurai won him the 2010 CNN Hero award, which catapulted him to fame.

At Thursday’s visit to the ‘RYTHM Block’, Mr Krishnan gave Ms Imson a tour of the new facility. Afterwards, Ms Imson presented Mr Krishnan with a Certificate of Merit.

“I am equally touched and encouraged by this gesture,” Mr Krishnan said. "The donations received from QNET’s RYTHM Foundation helped us complete the block that houses the kitchen, dining and storeroom areas measuring 3,000 square feet where we serve three meals and tea to over 400 people every day. Ms Donna’s visit after the formal inauguration in May earlier is indicative of the active interest QNET has in our purpose.”

Mr Krishnan was awarded QNET’s V-RYTHM Award in 2011, a prize given to humanitarians that epitomise charity, compassion and mercy. He promptly announced he would spend the USD 25,000 award money to construct the facility. Shortly afterwards, Ms Imson visited Madurai to spend a day feeding the homeless alongside Mr Krishnan, and QNET pledged to pay the additional USD 40,000 in building costs required. Mr Krishnan graciously named the building after the RYTHM Foundation, the charitable arm of QNET’s parent company, the QI Group.  

To date, the Ashkaya Trust has served nearly 2 million hot meals to hungry people with no means to earn a living.  Construction of the Ashkaya Campus was completed earlier this year, although additional funds are still needed for future projects and expansion. For more information about how to help Mr Krishnan and Ashkaya ease the suffering of Madurai’s most needy street people, please visit http://www.akshayatrust.org.