Asha for Education

The target group or anticipated beneficiaries of the resource center are: Farmers, Women, Students, private as well as government teachers, peasants and artisans, educationists, non-government organizations engaged in various developmental works including education and community at large.

The resource center provides the following facilities to the village people:

1. Indigenous alternate method of income generation and economic development – organic farming, artisan skills in weaving, rainwater harvesting, tailoring and embroidery, pottery, carpentry, bee-keeping, dairy, vermin culture etc.
(Asha Austin primarily focus in on this initiative).
2. Alternative teaching methods blending the formal and non-formal education methods
Health & Nutrition – Research and application of traditional methods of herbal medicine and nutrition

3. Documentation & Research – Documenting the activities of the villagers, culture, music, art and history of the communities in the area.

4. Maintain a network of resource persons with similar ideas and skills.

5. Training the community in different skills such as pottery, weaving, tailoring etc.

The community will be involved with the working of the resource centre. They will find employment as artisans and develop their skills. They will also help in the construction of the resource center. The total involvement of the community shall ensure the success of the center.

Bharathi Trust is a non-profit development organisation working for the cause of upliftment and empowerment of Irula Tribal communities living in the interior pockets of Thiruvallur district.
Since 1990, it has been working among the Irula communities in more than 60 villages spreading over 5 Taluks of the District. It has been conducting a number of development programmes such as Sangam formation, awareness camps, liason work with government for obtaining development schemes, day care services, motivation centres for eradication of child labour. etc

Please check out the project pages of Asha Fellows Namalvaar and Siddamma who work very closely with the organic farming effort at the Resource Center:
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<a href="http://www.ashanet.org/projects/project-view.php?p=957">Fellowship Namalvaar</a>

<a href="http://www.ashanet.org/austin/projects/siddamma.html"> Fellowship Siddamma</a>