The ‘Adivasi’ people are a highly marginalised indigenous tribal people in India. They have suffered greatly in the past from many different types of discrimination. Recently the tribal people have been pushed to the outer regions of the forests as their land has been taken from them by cash crop plantations such as tea and coffee.

These developments have restricted the tribal people from being able to access the natural resources that they once relied upon for survival. As a result , they have withdrawn from the wider community and almost all the tribal community are living below the poverty line.

Levels of ill health and poverty have increased due to a lack of education and economic resources. The high poverty rate has forced children to leave school when they are as young as ten in order to work and earn money for their families.

To address the various needs of the tribal people in the Nilgiris region, this project has a number of different focuses. Starting with the establishment of pre-schools, the project was then expanded to include self-help groups for women, vocational training, youth clubs and health care.

Through the self-help groups, the tribal women are becoming empowered and learning to be self sufficient, giving them less chance of being exploited by people outside their community.

June 2011 Update

Preschool programs are conducted in 10 villages regularly with 107 preschool aged indigenous children enrolled in preschools. In addition, 298 primary school aged children are going to school regularly and involved in extra tuition. This is great news, seeing as the Adivasi have traditionally been excluded from education and have had literacy rates well below the Indian average.

The nutrition program is also providing all of these children with a balanced meal twice a day. In addition, health records are maintained and health education and awareness programs conducted with women and children.

23 women’s self help groups are functioning in all project villages with 276 members enrolled in all groups. Groups meet regularly once a week.

Downloadable Resources:

Project Sheet