For M Padmavathi, helping people in need was a dream she wished to pursue as a district collector. Although she did not enter the civil services, the 54-year-old from Olaiyur in Tiruchy, Tamil Nadu, found another way to help people. Through the Community Renovation and Organisation Advancement Trust (COROAT), she has spent years helping people achieve financial security and independence.From helping debt-ridden goldsmiths explore alternative livelihoods to supporting disadvantaged children and transgender entrepreneurs, hers is a journey that shows how access to education, finance and guidance can change lives.Meet M PadmavathiM Padmavathi is an MA in Economics. She grew up in a goldsmith family and in her family higher education was not a common scene. Her own professional journey eventually took her into the development sector. She worked with 10 non-profit organisations and in 2006-07, she served as an assistant project manager under the Vaazhndhu Kaattuvom Project at the Tiruvarur District Collectorate.On April 6, 2009, she founded COROAT to help communities facing economic issues. The organisation’s work was eventually divided into different groups:
- Traditional artisans struggling to sustain their livelihoods
- Children whose families could not afford education
- Transgender people seeking financial independence and social acceptance
About the organisations goals, the official page mentions;
- End poverty in all its forms everywhere
- Good health and well-being
- Quality Education
- Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
- Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
- Reduce inequality within and among countries
- Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
Helping debt-ridden goldsmiths
Teaching kids (PC: Instagram/coroat_)
One of COROAT’s initiatives was helping goldsmiths facing heavy debt. Many had borrowed money from private lenders and were finding it difficult to repay. Padmavathi began helping members of the community consider alternative businesses and access formal credit rather than remain dependent on private borrowing.Helping children from disadvantaged backgroundsIn 2014, her organisation started supporting children from disadvantaged backgrounds, particularly those belonging to families of sanitation workers, street vendors and daily wage labourers.The effort later expanded to government schools. Between 2015 and 2020, COROAT provided after-school coaching to approximately 4,200 students, engaging around 40 teachers to teach Tamil, English and mathematics.Helping transgender peopleSince June 2022, Padmavathi has been helping transgender communities through initiatives focusing on livelihood opportunities and access to government schemes. COROAT’s official She in He programme combines psychological well-being and entrepreneurship training for transgender people.The organisation helped 228 transgender people obtain government land allotments. Of these, 98 beneficiaries in Tiruchy and Pudukkottai districts had built houses under the Kalaignar Kanavu Illam scheme, according to Padmavathi. In July 2026, COROAT launched Manasu, a bilingual Tamil-English mental wellness application designed for transgender people.From individual assistance to lasting change
COROAT
Her work is supported by donations from individuals and well-wishers, alongside partnerships with institutions and organisations. Its transgender livelihood initiative has also received support from Germany-based LemonAid ChariTea Foundation.Her journey illustrates how a dream of public service can take a different form. Rather than working through a government post, she has built an organisation that connects people to education, finance, livelihoods and support systems.The measure of that work lies not only in the loans facilitated, students reached or houses built, but also in the opportunities people gain to make decisions about their own futures.Source: COROAT’s official website
