This morning marked a significant moment at Sharana as we had the pleasure of welcoming Mr. Etienne Rolland-Piègue, the Consul General of France in Pondicherry and Chennai, to our Social Centre. He was accompanied by Mr. Florent Even, Officer for Social Affairs at the Consulate.
The visit began with a warm reception at our premises, where Mr. Rolland-Piègue met with Sharana’s Founder and President, Mrs. Rajkala Partha. He also interacted with board member Ms. Alo Pal, our CFO, Mr. Murugaiyan, our Operations Director, Ms. Vandana Shah, along with other members of the team. These exchanges offered a meaningful opportunity to present Sharana’s history, mission, and the wide-ranging impact of our programs over the years.
During the visit, we shared insights into our current activities, with particular focus on the educational and social development programs running in and around Pondicherry. A key highlight of the discussion was the ongoing summer camps, which are being conducted in collaboration with the Consulate of France and the Lycée Français de Pondichéry. These camps are designed to create safe, inclusive, and enriching spaces for children during the holidays — offering them a platform to learn, express themselves, and grow through art, sports, and interactive sessions.
Mr. Rolland-Piègue took keen interest in these programs and spent time engaging with the staff, exploring the setup of our Social Centre, and understanding the day-to-day work that goes into running such community-centric initiatives. His questions reflected both sensitivity and curiosity — qualities that made the exchange all the more meaningful for our team.
Their visit was both encouraging for our team and a valued recognition of the work we do at Sharana.
We look forward to deepening this partnership and continuing to explore meaningful ways to serve the community together.
