Small Wonders — Session 11
Some journeys begin with a simple desire to do something meaningful, and before long, they grow into a lifetime of shared purpose. For KG Manoj and Anuradha Nayar, the memories of Ashraya, the summer vacation camps in Thiruvananthapuram and the formation of Jyothirgamaya Global Acquaintance Foundation hold an important place in the story of their life together. These were not merely social initiatives; they were experiences through which creativity found a purpose, friendships took root and a shared commitment to children and society gradually became part of their identity as a couple.
In the 11th session of Small Wonders, the founders of The Language Mill revisit the beginnings of this journey. Over 27 years, their life together has gathered many layers—creative pursuits, parenting, professional commitments and a continuing desire to contribute to society. Each has its own stories, but they all belong to the same journey.
Their creative story began even before the wedding itself. The wedding invitation, titled Time Doesn’t Stand Still, was conceived as a little story in which their parents had a voice. Even a child’s first birthday card became an opportunity to create something personal, designed with their own handwriting. Looking back, these early experiments capture a spirit that has stayed with them: the desire to make ordinary occasions a little more meaningful.
The memories then move to Ashraya, an organisation started in 2002 by Venugopalan and Dr. Prasanna Venugopalan in Kollam to support girls with physical and intellectual disabilities from single-parent families facing difficult circumstances. Its aim was to help them receive an education, develop the skills needed for independent living and eventually become earning members who could support their families. Manoj contributed to the branding, while Anuradha took care of the content. Their involvement extended to video documentation, events and communication materials, bringing their creative abilities into the service of a larger purpose.
Among the many activities at Ashraya, the Onam celebration remains especially memorable. Journalist and singer K. Santhosh performed at the event, while the children came forward to participate and reveal their talents. It was one of those occasions when a celebration became something more—a chance for children to be recognised for their abilities and to imagine new possibilities for themselves. The event remains a reminder of how the right opportunity can help uncover talents that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Another set of memories takes them to the summer camps in Thiruvananthapuram. Anuradha’s soft-skills workshops began at Ramadevi Mandiram, Vazhuthakkad. In the second year, the camp moved to their residence at Kannammoola, with the valedictory function held at Sandeepani School. The thirteen-day summer workshop brought its own collection of stories, activities and discoveries. Soft treks, nature walks, visits to historical places and drama workshops took children beyond the familiar boundaries of classrooms and textbooks, encouraging them to explore, participate and discover their own abilities.
These initiatives eventually grew into Jyothirgamaya Global Acquaintance Foundation, a reflection of their shared social commitment. Its larger intention was to help children recognise their inner talents, develop essential life skills and engage confidently with the wider world. The camps continued for a couple of years, with programmes at Pandalam NSS College and other school campuses. As Manoj and Anuradha revisit these experiences, the memories return not merely as a list of programmes conducted, but as moments filled with children, conversations, discoveries and the quiet satisfaction of seeing young minds open up.
The journey also brought friendships that extended beyond the work itself. While living at Prashanth Nagar, Kottaykkakam, in Thiruvananthapuram, Manoj and Anuradha came to know Manu and Thejas, among the friends who became part of their lives through this period. Social commitments have a way of bringing people together through a shared purpose, and sometimes those connections outlast the projects that first brought them together. They become part of the personal history of a family, carrying their own memories and meaning.
Perhaps that is what makes this journey worth remembering. Creativity was never confined to a design table, professional life was never entirely separate from family, and social commitment was never simply another activity on the calendar. One idea led to another; one relationship opened a new door; one small initiative became the beginning of something larger. Through it all, Manoj and Anuradha continued to find ways of bringing their individual strengths into a shared life.
After all these years, what stays with them is not simply what they created, the programmes they organised or the milestones they crossed. It is the children who found confidence, the families who found hope, the friends who became part of their lives, and the people who stood beside them when these ideas were still taking shape. Ashraya, the summer camps and Jyothirgamaya remain chapters of a journey in which creativity became a way of caring for others.
As they revisit these memories, the past feels less like a collection of completed projects and more like a living part of who they have become. Their partnership has grown through many layers—family, creativity, parenting, professional life, friendship and social commitment—each enriching the others. And perhaps that is the quiet beauty of a life built together: the years pass, the projects change, and the children grow up, but the warmth of having made a difference in someone’s life continues to belong to both of them.
The 11th session of Small Wonders is a conversation about two lives growing together, the people who became part of their story, and the beautiful possibility of turning a shared life into something meaningful for others. After twenty-seven years, some of the most precious achievements are not the ones preserved in records, but the ones that continue to live in people’s memories—and in the lives they have helped shape.
Small Wonders — Wake up with Small Talks.
A programme from AWAD by The Language Mill.
