She’s a prominent Chennai socialite, educationist and adventure junkie — three varied facets to her eclectic persona that Sujata Vijay carries off with élan. 12 years ago, armed with degrees in childcare development and business administration, the vivacious Tamilian wanted to revamp the idea of play schools/ day care centres in Chennai, to help working parents just like herself in the city… and Bamboola was born.
“I wanted it to be a place where parents can meet each other, discuss and interact — as well as be a fun space for kids to hang out after school hours. Obviously, in terms of teaching as well as parent-children relationships, a lot has changed over the past decade. Kids are so tech-savvy now, so we have them requesting TV or Internet at the centre! But our emphasis is on hands-on activities where students learn to touch and feel. From kids who are one-and-half to 12 years old, the school tries to offer a practical approach to learning,” Sujata explains and adds, “Also, our consulting service empowers other women and even grandparents to start day-care centres on their own, and do it the right way!”
While she has received plaudits for her many initiatives, Sujata is also well-known in the city for her involvement in everything from cycling teams and high-intensity treks to boot camps and generally being the life of the party with her gang of girlfriends!
“Haha, yes, I do make sure I spend my weekends immersing myself in the city’s social and culture scene. Since I love sport, running, and so on generally, I’m part of several fitness groups and enthusiasts. Kodaikanal, Karnataka, the Himalayas are just of the areas I’ve trekked to... next up on my list is to conquer the Everest base camp! I also love travelling and exploring new countries — my daughter just recently went overseas to join university, so it gives me another excuse to fulfill my wanderlust calling!” she laughs.
Sujata, whose husband works in the IT industry, also has a 14-year-old son in school, but the mother of two does a wonderful juggling act of balancing her family with social appearances that it rests on her shoulders lightly. “I have so many interesting ideas in the pipeline — starting a museum for children (which would be perfect for a rainy day), improve the arts and crafts scenario for them — and personally, backpack across Europe and keep enjoying life with my girlfriends!” she laughs and concludes.
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