Viswa Bharati Vidyodaya

Project Brief: Vidyodaya School, located near Gudalur in the Nilgiris, TN, teaches mostly tribal children. Asha will support operation of a school bus and construction of classroom.
Project Type: Formal Schools (description)
Primary Focus: children of dalits/tribals (description)

Secondary Focus: to go to formal school

Area: Rural
Supporting Chapter Contact: Colorado
Status: current / ongoing
Project Steward: Jim Cavender
Project Partner(s): B. Ramdas
Other Contacts:
Project Address: , Vishwa Bharathi Vidyodaya Trust,P. O. BOX NO. 28,Gudalur,
TAMIL NADU  643212
Tel: 011 91 4262261927
Stewarding Chapter: Colorado
Nov 2023ColoradoUSD 7914
Sep 2022ColoradoUSD 8112
Dec 2021ColoradoUSD 2488
Jul 2021ColoradoUSD 5038
Jun 2020ColoradoUSD 15135
Nov 2019ColoradoUSD 16599
Oct 2018ColoradoUSD 15973
Sep 2017ColoradoUSD 16299
Sep 2016ColoradoUSD 15254
Apr 2016ColoradoUSD 1184
Mar 2015ColoradoUSD 16053
May 2014ColoradoUSD 8357
Jul 2013ColoradoUSD 8257
Sep 2012ColoradoUSD 5200
Aug 2011ColoradoUSD 4100
Apr 2010ColoradoUSD 5541
May 2009ColoradoUSD 1690
Sep 2008ColoradoUSD 1270
Apr 2008ColoradoUSD 700

Total = $155164

Vidyodaya is more than just a school. It is a major education programme to ensure that over 3500 tribal children in the Gudalur Block of the Nilgiris district of Tamilnadu can pursue their studies. These tribes are the only ones in Tamilnadu categorized by the Govt of India under Primitive Tribal Group. Almost all these children are first generation learners.

Vidyodaya began as a small model school to show to both the tribal community and the government that these kids were as capable as any others. This school continues up to primary level (class 5 for now) with 45 boys and 32 girls. Besides a few staff children who are not tribals, all the rest are tribals who travel (10 to 15 kms one way) from far-flung villages – some inside the forest - to get to school.

In addition, since 2016, the Vishwa Bharathi Vidyodaya Trust also manages a second school – a residential one for 100 drop-out children, all tribals again. The government supports the residential and academic costs of the school.

The trust also runs a Foundation course, which is a residential one-year programme, now in its second year for adolescent kids – 17 (7 boys & 10 girls) of them this year – with the intent to give these kids, who are in the vulnerable age, the direction and the skills to pursue higher education and initiate their own enterprises. Basically, the course breaks away from the single-skill vocational training programmes to a multi-skilled enterprise. The hope is to increase the numbers of the children served, each year.

Vidyodaya collaborates with 75 government schools and 60 Pre-schools (Integrated Child Development scheme ) of the government, to ensure that every tribal child gets an education. Each of them is tracked by a team of 25 full time and part-time members from the tribal community who are motivated enough to take responsibility for their community.

The Adivasi hospital and its outreach programme ensure regular health care for all these children.

Asha Colarado has been supporting the transportation of the children to Vidyodaya school and the path-breaking Foundation Course.
Vidyodaya’s mission is to improve the quality of education received by underprivileged children in adivasi communities and to establish a culturally appropriate learning system with active participation of the community.
We want to ensure that

every adivasi child completes schooling;
every child gets a good education;
every child can pursue learning (not only schooling) upto whatever level they desire and
the supportive and cultural environment for this is facilitated.
Vidyodaya is more than just a school. It is a major education programme to ensure that over 3500 tribal children in the Gudalur Block of the Nilgiris district of Tamilnadu can pursue their studies. These tribes are the only ones in Tamilnadu categorized by the Govt of India under Primitive Tribal Group. Almost all these children are first generation learners.

Vidyodaya began as a small model school to show to both the tribal community and the government that these kids were as capable as any others. This school continues up to primary level (class 5 for now) with 45 boys and 32 girls. Besides a few staff children who are not tribals, all the rest are tribals who travel (10 to 15 kms one way) from far-flung villages – some inside the forest - to get to school.

In addition, since 2016, the Vishwa Bharathi Vidyodaya Trust also manages a second school – a residential one for 100 drop-out children, all tribals again. The government supports the residential and academic costs of the school.

The trust also runs a Foundation course, which is a residential one-year programme, now in its second year for adolescent kids – 17 (7 boys & 10 girls) of them this year – with the intent to give these kids, who are in the vulnerable age, the direction and the skills to pursue higher education and initiate their own enterprises. Basically, the course breaks away from the single-skill vocational training programmes to a multi-skilled enterprise. The hope is to increase the numbers of the children served, each year.

Vidyodaya collaborates with 75 government schools and 60 Pre-schools (Integrated Child Development scheme ) of the government, to ensure that every tribal child gets an education. Each of them is tracked by a team of 25 full time and part-time members from the tribal community who are motivated enough to take responsibility for their community.

The Adivasi hospital and its outreach programme ensure regular health care for all these children.

Asha Colarado has been supporting the transportation of the children to Vidyodaya school and the path-breaking Foundation Course.
Fax is shared by a few organizations
School e-mail: vbvtgudalur@gmail.com