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Newsletter for June 2010

During 2010 Tamwed is supporting three projects in South India. More information on each can be found on the project button above. We continue to support the training and work of community health workers with our partners CRUSADE who are based near Chennai.

We also fund the building of family toilet units which help to improve sanitation and reduce disease. Our second project is Climate Change (Paruvanilai Marram in Tamil) set up with our partners GAWDESY near Thanjavur and the ISLAND Trust in the Nilgiri Hills. These NGOs are working with their communities to raise awareness about the cause and effect of climate change and help them adapt to the extremes of weather that are irregularly disrupting life and work.

Watch the short film that Ruth Davies made when she visited the Nilgiris. Our third and latest project is Kitchen Garden, or Mooligai Thottam in Tamil. This is a partnership between Tamwed, FRLHT who are experts in traditional herbal medicine and CRUSADE.  Family kitchen gardens and demonstration sites will be set up and trainers trained in the cultivation and use of traditional plants with medicinal qualities.

The Nilgiri Hills, India from Ruth Davies on Vimeo.

About Tamwed

Tamwed (Tamil Nadu/West Devon) was set up to offer long term support to people affected by the tsunami in South India and build links between communities in Tamil Nadu and the South West of England. The organisation’s founders have long standing professional and personal links with community groups in the area and had collaborated on projects over many years.

The coastal region of Tamil Nadu was badly affected by the tsunami with great loss of life, property and infrastructure. Some communities benefited from relief aid in the form of food and housing. However, it will take longer term programmes to restore the livelihoods of villagers who were dependant on fishing and farming and many years before people recover from the trauma of the tsunami.

Tamwed initially helped an NGO called Sevalaya based near Nagapattinam by funding the desalination of irrigation ponds flooded by sea water and the planting of salt-resistant crops. Since then we have supported the training of women in the production of traditional ‘kalamkari’ cloth items which are sold in the UK to raise money for projects. Groups of women have also learned embroidery and tailoring to produce items for sale locally. As a result of an appeal we funded much-needed medical equipment for use in clinics ran by Manushi dealing with trauma and stress caused by the tsunami.

Our NGO partners in Tamil Nadu are currently CRUSADE, Gawdesy and the ISLAND Trust. They are registered voluntary development organisations which aim to increase the quality of life among poor and marginalised people with a particular focus on low caste (Dalit) and tribal (Adivasi) communities. Respecting Gandhian principles, much of their work centres around the welfare of women through the formation and support of Women’s Self Help Groups and micro-credit systems.

Tamwed is a registered charity. Funds raised through members’ subscriptions, events, donations and sales, contribute to projects in India which are developed with the input of beneficiary communities and follow the principles of sustainable development. Tamwed’s Co-ordinator in Tamil Nadu monitors all our work and funding in India.

We hope you enjoy your visit here and feel inspired to help.

Oz Osborne
Tamwed
Gellings Park West
Harewood Rd
Calstock
Cornwall PL18 9QN

01822 832897
07866 451538

Registered Charity No: 1113533