*Fisherfolk of Chingelpattu and Villupuram districts in Tamil Nadu
On 24th December 2004, Kottaikadu in Villupuram district, Tamil Nadu was hit by a tsunami, devastating coastal areas and affecting Dalit and tribal communities in the area. The calamity washed away their homes and properties and left them bereft of their livelihood and livestocks. They were forced to stay in crowded makeshift shelters in schools and community centers without work and food. For days, women, children and the elderly had to scrimp on one meal a day while waiting for rehabilitation support from the government.
During this period, SRED launched relief efforts in the community to provide them with food, clothes, provisions for cooking, milk biscuits for children and sanitary napkins for girls. To aid in the rehabilitation of their homes and livelihoods, SRED provided start-up kits for the women to be able to set-up their fruit and tender coconut shops, as well as small financial aid to help them sell fish for survival. Goats and agricultural instruments were also given; and houses were built and repaired for those who became homeless. SRED also provided disaster training management to the villagers to equip them with disaster risk prevention and rehabilitation.
On 24 March 2020, another disaster struck the Dalit and tribal villages in Kottakaidu. The Covid lockdowns again stripped them of their livelihood. They were unable to go to work, and therefore had no food and income. The women again sought the help of SRED and they were provided some support to start their community entrepreneurship efforts during the lockdowns. SRED continued relief and rehabilitation efforts in the village from January 2021-2022 in the form of cash transactions, provision of fishing nets and food packs to the families in the area.
On 1 July 2022, SRED met with 20 Dalit women fisherfolks of Kottakaidu in Chengalpet and Muttukadu in Villupuram to consult them about their present conditions. The women said that since the Covid pandemic broke, they have been struggling with their livelihood. They are still out of work and looking for ways to earn for their survival. They expressed interest to venture into small businesses, such as fruit, vegetable and rice selling, rice flour making, tailoring, flower selling and coir making, among others. They resolved to form themselves into a community livelihood collective to be able to support themselves, each other and their community.
To be able to start this endeavor, they will need financial support of Rs.25,000/- each, or a total of Rs.500,000/-. This amount will be used to purchase their start-up materials and SRED will assist them and monitor their small business efforts.
We are appealing to your kind heart and solidarity to help them. Your donations may be sent to:
Account Name : Society for Rural Education and Development
Account No: 40207635789 (FCRA savings Account )
Branch Code:00691
IFSC : SBIN0000691
SWIFT : SBININBB104
Address : FCRA Cell, 4th Floor, State Bank of India, New Delhi Main Branch, 11, Sansad Marg, New Delhi 110001
Target list of beneficiaries:
Kotaikadu village:
1. Revathi
2. Susheela
3. Amudha
4. Lakshmi
5. Prabavathy
6. Udayakumari
7. Dhanam
8. Anjali Devi
9. Gnanam
10. Indira
Muttukadu Village:
1. Sangeetha
2. Inbavalli
3. Selvi
4. Sumithra
5. Sangari
6. Manjula
7. Ramayi
8. Kalaivani
9. Panjalai
10. Shysha
Shanthi from SRED and Komala from Tamil Nadu Women’s Movement will be the main coordinators for this project. For questions and clarifications, you may contact them: Shanthi G. - 9994596308 and Komala – 9952683465.
Comentarios