TAMWED NEWS July 2015

Transcription

1 TAMWED NEWS July 2015 TAMWED NEWSLETTER JUNE 2016 We needed to trim our much-needed support for projects in India this year due to a decrease in income. Thanks to our supporters, we are able to continue our partnership with the ISLAND Trust in the Nilgiri Hills who do important work to improve the health and welfare of tribal people. Our project, called Tribal Futures, aims to ensure that tribal families live healthy and productive lives in a good environment for generations to come. This is quite a challenge but one that is being met thanks to our partner and the unique people they work with. This newsletter features some of the people and places of the Nilgiris and we thank Alphonse Raj, the ISLAND Trust s CEO, for providing much of the information that provides an insight into life in one of the villages that are part of our project. SAMAIKODAL VILLAGE IN KOTAGIRI BLOCK OF NILGIRIS DISTRICT Samaikodal village has only 13 families, all members of the 9,000-strong Irula tribe who have traditionally lived in the deep forests and jungles of the Nilgiris - their name literally means "people of the darkness". Recent legislation has reinforced the rights of tribal people to their traditional land but the ISLAND Trust needs continually to campaign the Forestry and other government departments to obtain title deeds. There are many stories about the power of the Irula over wild animals including one which tells how they are able to tame tigers, even leaving children in their care in the forest. Nowadays, one of the main dangers to life, land and property comes from animals such as elephant, bear, panther and bison in search of food as their habitat disappears, mostly for tea and coffee estates. The jack fruit season is a particularly dangerous time. Irula women performing a traditional dance for students on a study visit. The ISLAND Trust hosts visitors from India and overseas giving them a chance to learn about the culture of those who live in the Nilgiris. Irulas are celebrated snake and rat catchers it is thought that rats can destroy over a quarter of the grain grown in Tamil Nadu. Irula men used a traditional earthen pot fumigation method, blowing smoke through their mouths which caused severe respiratory and heart problems. They are often called on to catch venomous snakes from houses and public places. 1

2 Voluntary Health Workers and Farmers leaders attending an ISLAND Trust training session which can be led by health or agricultural experts. The main income-earning activity is now farming with most families having access to small plots of land where they grow coffee, silk cotton, millet, vegetables and fruit such as jack, mango and orange. Some families own cows, goats and hens provided free by the government. Honey is collected from the forests which, with other produce, is sold in markets down on the plains some distance away avoiding dealers who prosper at the farmers expense. Peppers in a plant nursery are tended by staff. These will be distributed to farmers for family consumption and sale. Many adults work as coolie (part-time) labourers working for land-owners, often travelling long distances for low wages. Although tea is picked continually throughout the year, crops such as coffee are seasonal and so labourers on estates may work on roads or construction sites the rest of the time. Villagers can produce good quality organic coffee and they welcomed the coffee de-husker provided by Tamwed which saves a great deal of time. Some families still practice traditional medicine - the nearest clinic is 18 kilometres away which is costly to get to and means missing a day or more s work. Prior to an election, the Chief Minister handed out bicycles to win votes. These inappropriate forms of transport soon appeared in town markets. A mobile health van visits once a week for a few hours providing basic, often inappropriate medicines. Lack of sanitation is a big issue and the cause of many health problems. The Voluntary Health Workers trained for the Tribal Futures project find that tribal people are not using the toilets built by the Indian Government s Total Sanitation programme. This is for partly cultural reasons and partly due to poor education about health and hygiene something that the Health Workers are tackling. 2

3 A young man breaking the hard soil for a new garden (left). Plots on the steep slopes of the Nilgiris (right) need constant irrigation during long droughts. Sudden, severe storms can wash top soil and crops away overnight. Compost is available from the farmers who keep stock though the government would like them to use the subsidised fertiliser on offer. Wild animals are an increasing problem with raiding elephants, bison and monkeys targeting fruit and vegetables as their habitat disappears. Project Manager Palani at a session on health with a group from Samaikodal Village. Palani has been with the ISLAND Trust for many years and knows each village well. The project works closely with government health departments with the Community Health Workers referring patients they have identified as needing specialist treatment. Assistant Project Manager Raju with a group from the village waiting for a bus. Raju is from a tribal family and is highly respected by the people he works with. 3

4 An adult escorts primary-aged children on the five kilometres walk to school. When they are older, many students will attend one of the Government residential schools in nearby towns. Transport is a big problem with one bus a day leaving the village at six in the morning and returning after nine at night. Private vehicles cost ten times as much as a bus fare but they are necessary sometimes for visits to hospital or market. Alphonse Raj, the CEO of the ISLAND Trust (centre) at a prize-giving in the village. He and his family are dedicated to the work of the Trust and are excellent hosts to visitors from the UK and elsewhere. Alphonse helps to plan and oversee our projects while ensuring that funds benefit those with the greatest need. Village houses are mud plastered with a thatched, tin or tiled roof which needs to keep out the rain from severe storms. Awareness about climate change is high due to previous Tamwed-funded projects which helped local people adapt to its effect by experimenting with different crops and other measures. So, what is being done about all these issues which have a collective detrimental effect on life of the residents of Samaikodal village? The ISLAND Trust, with Tamwed support, has set up a team of trained Voluntary Community Health Workers from Samaikodal and 24 other tribal villages. Anaemia is one of the main health problems, mostly due to a poor diet and lack of proper hygiene. The Workers set up campaigns in villages and schools and liaise with Government health officials to ensure that proper treatment is available. ISLAND Trust staff and agricultural experts encourage farmers to grow a variety of organic cereals, vegetables and fruit which help to ensure good quality produce to improve diets and to sell at fair prices. De-shelling coffee beans can be a long and tedious process. Two more machines that wash and de-shell the beans are to be added to this year thanks to the Star Co-Op in Chelmsford who donated funds raised during their ethical fashion show. 4

5 Farmers are starting to grow high grade coffee that can command a good price. Tree saplings are distributed to provide shade and help to maintain the balance of the soil while producing a cash crop. The use of traditional herbal medicines is being reintroduced to offer an alternative to western treatments. Tribal people are supported over their rights to land as well as government welfare and finance schemes. The ISLAND Trust needs to work closely with Government departments to ensure that tribal people are treated fairly and their rights respected. DUNCAN IN THE NILGIRIS Duncan is the owner, with his wife Vicky, of ethical clothing company Nomads Clothing which makes a welcome financial contribution towards the costs of Tribal Futures. They have long social and professional links with India where they met and where Nomads clothes are made. We asked him to choose one of the photos from his visit to the Nilgiris last November with his son Dan. I have chosen this photo of the school children because the teacher there is obviously a great inspirational figure, and I like the fact there is a link to Calstock School. The children all seemed so happy to see us, even though the weather had prevented many from attending and they were probably just having a fun day because the foreigners were visiting. I love the expressions on their faces full of cheek and curiosity. They look like a handful! I don t know how good their education is but it reminded me that school should really be fun when you are that age. Havoor School is located high in the Nilgiris with some children traveling many miles from their tribal villages. The deputy head who runs the school pays part of his low wage towards school transport and has featured in the media for delivering education that values and respects the culture of those who attend. A woman checking the quality of Duncan s photography. FUNDING Apart from Nomads ( and Osborne Samuel Art ( we are grateful to those who give so generously to support our work. We have recently received a welcome grant from the Just Trust towards the cost of Tribal Futures for this year. Every rupee is well spent in India and Tamwed has next to no running costs. STOP PRESS. OUR NEXT FUND-RAISING EVENT IS A CREAM TEA HOSTED BY THE EVANS FAMILY IN BRENTOR ON THE AFTERNOON OF SATURDAY JULY 23 rd. MORE DETAILS WILL BE ON OUR WEBSITE AND FACEBOOK PAGE. 5

6 WEBSITE, FACEBOOK AND GIVING Apart from information about events and projects, our website has an easy-to-use section for donations using PayPal and a Gift Aid form. We really appreciate standing orders! If you would like your contribution to support a particular project or item, please let us know. If you are buying anything from holidays to hockey sticks on the web, you can use Give As You Live ( to raise funds for Tamwed. It doesn t cost you any more and we gain with a small donation each time. Our Facebook page generates a lot of interest at Please like us, share us and encourage your friends to do the same. We held another of our celebrated South Indian breakfasts in Calstock in January which raised over 600 from bookings, donations and sales. Our chair, Jane Weatherby (right), with the best mango lassi in Cornwall! Mr Palla (left) from the Kurumba tribe is a celebrated artist who designs cards and pictures for us to raise funds. We also have candles, place mats and many other items made by tribal people to sell. Contact us for a list and prices. Please pass this newsletter on to family or friends that might be interested. Tamwed is a Registered Charity Number and can claim Gift Aid on donations. Contact us at +44 (0) info@tamwed.org 6