Our Founder –
Mr. M.C. Ramesh
Our Founder, Mr. M.C Ramesh, was raised in Mandur village and pursued his higher studies in Bangalore, completing his Masters of Social Work (M.S.W) at Bangalore University. During his postgraduate studies in 1991, he engaged in a discussion with his friends, Mr. B.C Patil and Mr. Shivappa, regarding their future plans after successful completing their course. It was during this conversation that Mr. M.C. Ramesh realized the potential to establish a developmental organization, drawing inspiration from their exposure visits to various voluntary organizations. He firmly believed that utilizing their knowledge and skills to assist the underprivileged was their responsibility, with a particular focus on both urban and rural communities.
Remarkably, Mr. M.C Ramesh had harboured this idea since his high school days. The discussion with his friends about their plans provided an ideal opportunity to present his vision. Consequently, "Vidyaranya" was established on October 29, 1991, at Mandur village which is Mr. M.C Ramesh's hometown.
ORIGIN OF VIDYARANYA
Initially, the Vidyaranya team recognized the pressing need to address health and sanitation issues within the Mandur village community. To raise awareness among the villagers, they conducted comprehensive awareness campaigns. Additionally, a thorough survey was conducted to assess the demand for housing among the homeless populations. Based on the survey results, the team crafted a detailed proposal, which was successfully submitted to CAPART in New Delhi. As a result, 25 houses were approved and constructed promptly, providing shelter to those in dire need.
During this project, the team identified a significant gap in access to education and healthcare for children with disabilities. These children were often marginalized and deemed unproductive by their families and communities. To address this issue, Vidyaranya took the initiative to collaborate with the DSERT in Bangalore to implement the "Integrated Education for Disabled Children" (IEDC) program. This program received financial support from the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), New Delhi. A comprehensive proposal was submitted to the Ministry, encompassing 32 categories of children with special needs, including those with mentally challenged, visually impaired, hearing impaired, and orthopedically handicapped. The proposal requested the assignment of Resource Teachers to cater to the unique requirements of each category.
Vidyaranya presently focuses on five districts in Karnataka: Bangalore Urban, Bangalore Rural, Hassan, Chikkaballapur, and Ramangar. In these districts, the organization implements diverse developmental programmes aimed at various segments of society, including women, the elderly, children with disabilities, orphans, vulnerable street children, children from slums, adolescent girls, beggars, urban homeless tribals, and farmers. These programmes cover vital socio-economic aspects such as education, social, health, environment, and livelihood. Additionally, Vidyaranya actively supports promoting cultural preservation and societal welfare. Furthermore, the organization actively contributes to empowering communities in areas such as energy, sustainability, community resources, water management, and agriculture.