The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : SOS Village kids have a royal visitor

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 16, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

SOS Village kids have a royal visitor

By Our Staff Reporter

CHENNAI, MARCH 15. "I'll speak in Tamil next time," Princess Salimah Aga Khan promised the children and mothers at the SOS Children's Village Chatnath Homes in Tambaram.

The SOS-Kinderdorf International Ambassador for Children was on a night's halt here during a five-day trip to India. Princess Salimah was formerly married to the Aga Khan, spiritual leader of the Ismaili sect of Muslims. She was in the news a few years ago when her jewellery was auctioned at Christie's for $ 27 million. The Princess lives in Geneva and was appointed the Ambassador in 2000.

"I am very, very happy to be here in Chennai. I am very happy to see the work in this SOS village. The atmosphere is always similar across SOS villages — love, care, laughter and some tears too, because life is full of challenges for these children," she says. She watched kindergartners sing a song about snacks and ice-cream, and the mothers strike kolattam sticks in rhythm to a Hindi prayer song. The Princess, wearing a white salwar kameez, posed for photos with the children. When she was given a little girl to hold, she quipped, "Here's the victim!"

Pradeep Singh, national director of the Villages, said that the Princess will lay the foundation stone for 225 houses at Murthy Pudukuppam in Pondicherry, to house tsunami victims. "It is 11 years since I heard of the SOS Villages," says this New Delhi-born daughter of a British Colonel. "I am a normal person doing normal things, otherwise, being a mother, grandmother and a dog-walker." Uma Narayanan, managing trustee and J.N. Kaul, director of SOS Children's Villages, were also present.

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