India - Strengthening the education of children from tribal communities in Tamil Nadu
Chennai, India – July 2023 – In the last 25 years, SURABI, the Development Office for projects for the Province of Chennai (INM), has made great strides in the life of rural and tribal districts in northern Tamil Nadu, with the opening of 135 community learning centres. The BEST (Building Effective Solutions Together) project’s evening learning centres have made a deep impact on 2,940 tribal children. The project has been established in 5 locations: Thalavadi, Kadambur, Kotagiri, Gedilam and Tiruvannamalai. The programme focuses on arithmetic, reading and language comprehension, while also offering training on human rights, gender sensitivity and environmental awareness. On 23 July, SURABI organised a capacity-building programme for the 50 volunteers who teach in remote areas. The presence of Don Bosco Lourdusamy, INM Provincial and his Council on this occasion was very significant. The entire programme was organised by Fr Joseph Leo, Director of SURABI and his team, while Mr Jaraslo Vinod, from the non-profit organisation 'United Way', was the contact person for the programme.