On January 23, 2026, Siva Sinnathamby, Head of Finance at the Shah Family Foundation, visited several community programs operated by Roofs for the Roofless in Chennai, India. The visit provided an opportunity to witness firsthand the impact of the Foundation’s partnership with TREWO and its support for initiatives that expand access to education and skills training for underserved communities.
The Shah Family Foundation supports TREWO through its partnership with Roofs for the Roofless, an organization that has spent more than three decades working to uplift marginalized communities through housing, education, and socio-economic development initiatives.
One of the Foundation’s key areas of support is the Chandran Devanesan Rural Community College, which provides vocational training and life-skills education to individuals from underprivileged backgrounds. Through this partnership, the Foundation supports student tuition, instructor costs, and operational expenses, while also funding a daily breakfast program to help ensure students are able to attend and participate fully in their training.
Each year, the college supports approximately 80 students, equipping them with practical skills that enable them to secure employment and earn a livable wage. The program places a strong emphasis on empowering women and individuals who have historically had limited access to education and economic opportunity.
During the visit, Siva toured the community college and met with teachers and students participating in several vocational training programs, including graphic design and desktop publishing, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC) repair, nursing assistant training, beauty and esthetics services, and tailoring for traditional Indian garments.
Students demonstrated their training and spoke about how the program has helped them develop both technical skills and confidence. Each course also includes a life-skills component designed to help students build resilience, communication skills, and readiness for professional environments.
The visit coincided with a graduation ceremony for a cohort of students. Although the Foundation did not fund this particular graduating class, the ceremony offered an opportunity to hear directly from students about the transformative impact of the program.
More than 75 percent of the graduating class were women, many of whom had overcome significant personal and financial challenges to complete their training.
An important component of the Foundation’s support for the community college is the student breakfast program, which helps ensure that students arrive to class nourished and ready to learn. Staff shared that attendance rates have improved significantly since the program was introduced, with attendance now reported to be nearly perfect.
During conversations with students, it also became clear how meaningful this support is to their daily lives. Some students shared that they sometimes save part of their breakfast to eat later in the day. In response to this identified need, discussions during the visit included the potential to expand support to include a lunch program, further strengthening student wellbeing and learning outcomes.
In addition to the community college, the visit included brief stops at several other Roofs initiatives that serve different members of the local community.
These included the Aged Day Care Centre, the Women’s Tailoring Unit, and the Balwadi Early Learning Centre, which together provide support for seniors, vocational training for women, and early childhood education for young children. These visits offered helpful context for understanding the broader community in which the college operates.
The visit provided a valuable opportunity to deepen the Foundation’s relationship with TREWO and Roofs for the Roofless while gaining a deeper understanding of the programs’ impact.
Siva was particularly struck by the dedication of the teachers, many of whom are themselves graduates of the community college, as well as the determination and resilience of the students working to build better futures for themselves and their families.
The Shah Family Foundation remains committed to supporting initiatives that empower individuals with the skills, confidence, and opportunities needed to build sustainable livelihoods. Through partnerships with organizations like TREWO and Roofs for the Roofless, the Foundation continues to invest in locally driven solutions that create meaningful and lasting change.
