Revathi is easing suffering of nomadic tribes’ children through Vanavil Trust

In a world often consumed by headlines and fleeting attention, some stories emerge that are so profoundly human, so rooted in unwavering commitment, that they demand to be heard. This is the story of Revathi R, the founder of Vanavil Trust, and her remarkable journey from a budding journalist to a fierce, unwavering advocate for nomadic tribal children in Tamil Nadu. It’s a tale of resilience, heartbreak, and the transformative power of education and unconditional love, a story that deserves your attention and, most importantly, your support. 

Revathi R, founder of Vanavil Trust, embarked on a profound journey from journalist to tireless advocate for nomadic tribal children in Tamil Nadu. Her upbringing, marked by societal biases and her working mother’s strength, ignited a rebellious spirit. As a journalist, witnessing Chennai’s slum fire and child abuse shattered her assumptions about society. The 2004 Tsunami served as a pivotal moment; arriving in Nagapattinam as a volunteer, she confronted widespread devastation. This experience, far from her initial individualistic outlook, laid the groundwork for her unwavering commitment to social change, setting the stage for Vanavil Trust’s crucial work with marginalized communities.

Her initial days in Nagapattinam were harrowing. “First five days of my volunteering work in Nagapattinam was clearing dead bodies… there was a stench, you know, the stench of dead people and a town that has been submerged everywhere.” The sight of dead children, the mechanical process of arranging cremations without fuel, was “mind-numbing.” She quickly realized this was not how she could contribute. She shifted her focus to working with children in relief camps, asking friends to send art materials, drawing on her own experience in creative activities.

Lakshmi and the birth of Vanavil

It was amidst this tragedy, in mid-January 2005, that a pivotal encounter occurred. Despite the pouring in of relief materials, a small girl, no more than eight years old, approached Revathi begging, holding a severely malnourished infant. “That baby was so malnourished like a bloated belly, completely shrunken shoulder, eyes are like this and I had never imagined that I’ll see a child like that in Tamil Nadu.”

The child, Lakshmi, and her emaciated baby, shattered Revathi’s perception of her home state. Though Tamil Nadu generally fared better in malnutrition statistics than, say, Chhattisgarh, the extreme state of this infant shocked her. She followed Lakshmi to a park, discovering nearly 50 families – the nomadic Boom Boom Mattukaran community – living in dire conditions. This was the genesis of Vanavil.

The tragic passing of Lakshmi, who succumbed to malnutrition despite Revathi’s efforts to get her hospital care, became the catalyst for Vanavil. “When Lakshmi died, I felt like I can’t go, I can’t go from this and if I leave these other children because they were all my friends… I might regret it for the rest of my life.” What started as a six-month commitment in her mind, a naive belief that she could “fix” things quickly, transformed into a lifelong mission.

Battling misconceptions and building trust

Revathi’s journey with the nomadic tribes uncovered deeply ingrained misconceptions, even her own. “I always thought those are that that people dawn these things and come like it’s some kind of a performance is what I thought,” she admits about the Boom Boom Mattukaran community’s traditional attire and activities. She soon learned they were a distinct tribe, facing severe marginalization.

Initially, the community was wary. “They thought of me as one of those many people who will come during tsunami and will go.” Building trust was a slow process. With just 11,000 rupees in her bank account and some support from friends, Revathi rented a two-bedroom house, the first home for Vanavil. The children, whom she had already befriended, were her initial bridge. Their presence, however, was a hurdle when seeking housing, as property owners would refuse upon seeing them. Eventually, the parents, seeing Revathi’s persistent struggle, began to believe in her long-term commitment.

The residential nature of the school evolved organically. When parents, still semi-nomadic, traveled for a week or a month, the children would choose to stay with Revathi, transforming the single house into a nascent residential school. The early days were a “horror movie,” Revathi jokes, as she, the sole employee, juggled cooking (horribly, by her own admission), teaching, and navigating the daily chaos of children.

The core challenge of securing consistent funding

Vanavil faced two primary challenges: convincing the nomadic tribes of the value of education and securing consistent funding.

Initially, funding came from a network of friends and friends of friends, covering basic expenses like groceries and a modest 30,000-40,000 rupees a month. Vanavil’s growth, however, brought new challenges. They didn’t immediately register for formal certifications like FCRA or ATG 12A, but later found these crucial. Revathi speaks passionately about the “mercy of strangers.” “Suddenly we won’t have any money, everything seems to be closing, one person somewhere will send money.” Many donors, who have never even visited the area, have consistently supported Vanavil for years, some sending amounts as small as 100 rupees, others as much as a lakh. Crowdfunding platforms, particularly ‘Let’s Change,’ became a game-changer, providing 70% of their funding initially, and still contributing 30-40% today.

The harsh realities: Child labour, debt traps, and deep-seated beliefs

Revathi sheds light on the grim realities faced by these children. Many are employed in hazardous work, like cleaning “kasar” (dead fish) from fishing vessels in the middle of the night – a job adults avoid due to its danger and low pay. Children’s nimble fingers are exploited in jasmine plantations, and their small hands are ideal for cleaning the inside of large water cans.

Beyond the economic hardships, there’s a profound cultural barrier. “Lord Thatati Wata Chalapati has cursed our community that you have to beg,” Revathi recounts a parent telling her. This belief, that begging is a divinely ordained fate due to an ancestral transgression, makes it incredibly challenging to break the cycle. It’s a deep-seated rationalization for their way of life, something Vanavil actively works to dismantle through education and empowerment.

Adding to their struggles, nomadic tribes, being transient and not politically organized, often lack access to basic rights. They rarely fight for certificates or government rations, preferring to move if things get difficult. This has resulted in a severe lack of essential documents like ration cards, which Vanavil now helps them acquire, along with community certificates.

The impact of this historical neglect is stark. In 2005, malnutrition was extreme, with families often having only one meal a day. Even now, 70% of the community lives in tents or temporary shelters, lacking proper flooring, walls, or even permanent roofs.

The fight for acceptance: Discrimination in schools and society

Sending children to government schools, while a step forward, has its own challenges. Discrimination is rampant. Revathi recalls incidents where children were falsely accused of theft, beaten, and forced to quit. In one school, children were singled out in assembly and verbally abused with casteist slurs.

The most heart-wrenching accounts involve teachers deliberately sabotaging their students’ futures. Revathi recounts Arpana Devi (Name Changed), a brilliant student who should have ranked first in her 10th standard exams, being given mere passing marks by a headmistress who explicitly stated it was to prevent her from attending a better school. Such acts, rooted in pure hatred, underscore the immense prejudice these children face. Another talented student, excelling at a leading college, had her best friend stop talking to her simply for being from a Scheduled Tribe and receiving scholarship money.

“This kind of hatred, I don’t know how to [deal with it],” Revathi confesses. It makes her question whether to send them to larger, potentially more hostile environments, or keep them within Vanavil’s protective embrace. Vanavil currently educates children up to the fifth or sixth standard in its own school, with plans to expand to tenth grade, recognising that government schools often undo the progress they make.

Despite these hurdles, Vanavil’s core philosophy remains empowering the children. “We want to empower our children that they should be able to question these things and move forward because otherwise there is no go because we don’t know when these idiots are going to change their mindset.”

Lives transformed: A glimpse of Vanavil’s impact

Despite the formidable obstacles, Vanavil Trust has etched a profound impact on thousands of lives. While their primary focus is on a specific community, their high-engagement approach has transformed over 4,000 children, guiding them from begging to school, and ultimately to college or vocational training.

One of Vanavil’s most significant achievements is the eradication of child marriage within the community. When Revathi began her work, every marriage was a child marriage. Now, it’s virtually zero, thanks to consistent campaigning and community engagement that led to a collective decision to prevent marriages before 18. Child begging has also drastically reduced, by 95% in their core villages and 70-80% in others, wherever Vanavil intervenes.

Revathi proudly shares the story of Sudha, one of Vanavil’s first students. Joining at age 10 with no literacy or numeracy, Sudha not only caught up but excelled, scoring nearly 80% in her 10th standard. Today, she’s an engineer, and her sisters are a textile designer and a social worker, respectively. Their family is now debt-free – a monumental achievement in a community often trapped by loans. Sudha’s mother, once a beggar, has even found the courage to report domestic violence, a testament to the empowerment within the family unit.

Mina, another success story, works as a journalist in Chennai and remains unmarried, a significant step in a community where most girls are married by 15. Gurbalan, despite immense pressure from his family to work and repay debts, is currently interning at NIFT in Chandigarh, pursuing biotechnology research. Anjamal, despite the discriminatory marking in her 10th standard, is now pursuing engineering.

These are not isolated incidents but a testament to the fact that aptitude and potential are not confined by socio-economic backgrounds or tribal lineage. “There are some children who struggle,” Revathi acknowledges, “but that happens in every community.” She firmly refutes the misconception that tribal children lack the capacity to learn, pointing to the numerous high achievers who have emerged from Vanavil.

Your role in their future

Vanavil Trust is not just an NGO; it’s a testament to the extraordinary impact one person’s commitment can have when fueled by compassion and a relentless pursuit of justice. Revathi R has dedicated nearly two decades of her life, often without a salary, to these children, guided by the profound love and happiness she finds in their company.

Today, Vanavil Trust runs a school for 150 students and operates 19 after-school centers, providing education, nutrition, and holistic support to an additional 1150 children in surrounding villages. They work tirelessly to secure identity documents, fight discrimination, and empower these children to break free from generational cycles of poverty, debt, and stigma.

The challenges are immense, and the need is ongoing. While individual donors have been the backbone of Vanavil, the shifting landscape of charitable giving means that causes like theirs, which may not be as “visual” as others, often struggle for sustained attention.

This is where you come in. Your support, no matter how small, can make an enormous difference. It can help Vanavil:

• Expand their school to cover higher grades, providing a safe and nurturing learning environment free from discrimination.
• Strengthen their after-school centers, ensuring more children receive crucial academic support and nutrition.
• Continue their work for basic rights and against the systemic injustices faced by nomadic tribes.
• Empower more children like Sudha, Mina, Gurbalan, and Anjamal to pursue their dreams, break societal barriers, and become leaders in their own right.

Revathi’s journey is a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the transformative power of education. By supporting Vanavil Trust, you are not just donating; you are investing in a future where every child, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to thrive, to learn, and to break free from the chains of destitution and discrimination.

Join us in supporting Vanavil Trust and help these children paint their own vibrant future, filled with the colors of hope and opportunity. Click the link to donate today.