Bharathi Trust : Resource Center

Project Brief: Bharathi Trust : Resource Center
Project Type: Resource Centers (description)
Primary Focus: vocational training (description)

Secondary Focus: creating resources

Area: Rural
Supporting Chapter Contact: Austin
Status: completed - sustainable
Project Steward: Bhaskar Bharath
Project Partner(s): Siddamma E
Other Contacts: Savitha Sridharan
Project Address: , 184/14C-2 Jayanagar,,,Thiruvallur,,
Tamil Nadu 
Tel: 91-9884080048(C), 91-44-655199
Stewarding Chapter: Austin
Mar 2012AustinUSD 2508
Apr 2011AustinUSD 1235
Oct 2010AustinUSD 4380
Jun 2010AustinUSD 10140
May 2009AustinUSD 4290
Jul 2008AustinUSD 5460
Dec 2007AustinUSD 1230
Aug 2007AustinUSD 22313
Oct 2006AustinUSD 9220
Jul 2006SeattleUSD 5000
Mar 2006AustinUSD 12000

Total = $77776

The Bharathi Trust Resource Center is an organic farming community where crops are grown without the use of pesticides and fertilizers. It is meant to serve as a model farm for the community so that they can understand the age old practices of sustainable agriculture which were used extensively in India. The idea is to lead by example and show the farmers that organic farming is a sustainable form of agriculture which is symbiotic with nature.
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:


Fellowship Namalvaar

Fellowship Siddamma

Feb 2012 Budget 2011 - 2012
Feb 2012 Chapter Approval Feb 2012
Jan 2012 Site Visit by Vikram and Sowmya (Jan 2012)
Mar 2011 Receipts (April 2009 - March 2010)
Mar 2011 Receipts (April 2009 - March 2010)
Oct 2010 Receipts (May 2010)
Oct 2010 Receipts
Sep 2010 Conf Call : Vision of the project
Sep 2010 QnA August 2010
Aug 2010 Midyear Review 2010 and QnA
Jul 2010 FCRA Certificate
Jul 2010 Annual Report 2009-2010
Jun 2010 Budget 2010-2011
Jun 2010 Audit Report 2009 - 2010
May 2010 RCUpdate_May2010
Apr 2010 Receipts April 07 - March 2010
Mar 2010 Budget_Approval_2009_2010
Feb 2010 Update Feb 2010
Feb 2010 Audit Report Analysis 2007 - 2009
Jan 2010 Proposal for Biochemical Analysis Lab
Jan 2010 Update_SiddammaFellowship_Jan2010.txt
Dec 2009 Budget 2009 - 2010
Oct 2009 Audit Report 2008 2009
Oct 2009 Audit Report 2007 2008
Sep 2009 Update_Sept_2009
Apr 2009 Yearly Update (June 08 to April 09)
Mar 2009 Progress Over Years (BT Report)
Sep 2008 Site visit by Savitha and Bhaskar
Jun 2008 QnA on Resource Center : Budget April 2008 - May 2009
May 2008 Resource Center : Updates on Budget/Expenses of 2007-2008
May 2008 Resource Center Expense Report 2007-2008
Apr 2008 Resource Center : Budget April 2008- May 2009
Jan 2008 Conference Call Minutes, Jan 13
Dec 2007 Electricity needs of farmers - discussion and vote
Dec 2007 Gaurav's Site Vist to Resource Center
Sep 2007 Conference call minutes
Aug 2007 Estimated Budget 2007-08
Jul 2007 Some research on organic vs conventional farming
Jun 2007 Funds utilization and conference call
Jun 2007 Experiences of Asha volunteer with organic farming
May 2007 Updates on Resource Center Budget/Expenses of 2007-2008
Apr 2007 Conference call with Siddamma
Apr 2007 Anita's site visit
Jan 2007 site visit
Jan 2007 Resource center video translation
Dec 2006 Brief Updates
Dec 2006 Updates from the Resource Center
Oct 2006 Election, South Pichavaram, Resource center update
Aug 2006 Resource Center Update
Aug 2006 Tsunami rehab & resource center update
Jul 2006 Bharathi Trust Annual Report 05-06
Jul 2006 Debate on Organic Farming
May 2006 Telecon with Siddamma
Apr 2006 Update: Resource center, Irula Convention
Apr 2006 Q&A: Resource Center
Apr 2006 Resource Center Estimated Budget
Mar 2006 Update: released laborers, tsunami efforts, resource center
Feb 2006 Essay by Anita and Sanjeev on the resource center
Jan 2006 Photos: Sanjeev & Anita resource center visit
Dec 2005 About Namalwar: Organic farming scientist
Oct 2005 Resource center, bonded laborers
Sep 2005 Updates Tsunami, Resource Center
Aug 2005 Resource Center Update - Talking to Muriel
Jul 2005 Update resource center & bonded laborers
Jun 2005 Understanding resource center: Q & A (1)
Jun 2005 Resource center land purchase
May 2005 Proposal for Resource Center
Apr 2005 Update of Siddamma's work in the last two yrs