Help Revathi save poor tribal children from a life of begging and exploitation. Donate now

"I was in Nagapattinam as a volunteer after the Asian tsunami when a young girl approached me with a malnourished 4-month-old infant in her arms. She was begging… and I wanted so badly to save her. But little Laxmi succumbed to malnutrition. Losing her changed me forever," recalls Revathi Radhakrishnan, a former journalist and filmmaker who gave up her career to start Vanavil Trust.

"That’s when I realized how invisible these children are. Born into nomadic tribes, battling stigma, abuse, and poverty, many are forced to beg. The world turns away. We decided we wouldn’t."

Revathi and her team at Vanavil have been working for nearly two decades to rescue children from nomadic communities from a life of begging, child labour, and abuse, and help them reclaim their childhood.

With your support, Vanavil can continue giving the children a safe space to learn, grow, and thrive. Donate now

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Charitable donations to this fundraising campaign are tax exempted under 80G of the Income Tax Act (India).

A deep-rooted crisis

Across India, children from nomadic and denotified tribes are among the most marginalised. Branded as criminals by colonial laws and still facing harsh discrimination today, many families have no access to regular income or housing. As a result, their children are pushed into begging or hazardous child labour just to survive.

"There is so much stigma piled on these children. They are already burdened with the label of being from a 'criminal tribe', and on top of that, begging strips them of their self-worth. It kills their childhood. It kills their self-respect," says Revathi.

Vanavil is one of the few organisations working exclusively with children from nomadic and denotified tribes in Tamil Nadu. But without support, they may not be able to run their school in the upcoming academic year.

A place of safety and joy

The Vanavil School, run by the Trust, is a full-time residential facility for children rescued from street begging and child labour. It currently supports 126 children with nutritious meals, healthcare, education, and emotional support.

Beyond that, Vanavil also works with over 2,000 children through after-school programmes, child protection units, and scholarships for higher education—ensuring every child has a fair shot at building a better life.

"We’re not just giving them an education. We’re giving them dignity. A childhood. A chance to dream," says Revathi.

But the rising costs of food, electricity, and staff salaries are making it harder for Vanavil to continue their work at the scale needed. This is where you come in.