Home and Hope for Children of Nomadic Tribes

Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu is home for many nomadic tribes who are extremely marginalised. Due to lack of opportunities for their traditional crafts, these tribes resort to begging, fortune telling and selling plastic wares that barely enables them to eke out a hand-to-mouth existence.

As the entire community is illiterate, children as young as five and six take up begging due to lack of guidance. These communities are shunned by the social system. At every turn, they face insurmountable challenges that results in the vicious cycle of truancy, child marriage, teen pregnancy, malnourished children and it has repeated for generations.

The current state of world with its lockdowns and other restrictions, although essential, have brought the lives of these nomadic tribes and their children to a virtual standstill.

Specifically to tackle the livelihood challenges of these families during the pandemic, Vanavil has been providing provisions and other essential support since March. Vanavil is also pursuing other livelihood opportunities (example: forming a milk co-op) for these families as alternatives.

We run the Vanavil Children's Home to provide a safe space, healthy food and educational support to our children. Around 100 children stay in the Home during normal times and even during the Lockdown 50 kids are with us now as some of them do not have stable families to go back to and for some the families are unable to take care of them due to financial conditions.

At the Vanavil Home

1) created a child friendly and child driven safe atmosphere

2) provide three healthy meals, tea and snacks every day

3) Make them do their school activities (through online and direct classes during the lockdown)

4) Engage them in extra curricular activities and Sports.

5) The children raise a vegetable garden and spend time at the Vanavil Farm

6) Teach them life skills and Communication skills

7) monitor their health and reach proper medical care to them when required.

Without the Vanavil Home these kids will not be able to feed themselves three square meals and pursue education leave alone sports and healthcare. By supporting this Vanavil Home project you're enabling very very marginalised children to have a safe space, Proper nutrition, Healthcare and above all support for education. Education is a great enabler and even though school education is free we have learnt from our experiences with the Nomadic Communities and other very marginalised communities that to access education properly every child needs to be healthy and have nurturing spaces. Vanavil Childrens home is a nurturing space that motivates the children to engage with education.