Many of the health problems in India arise from a simple lack of basic education and awareness. In a tribal region, such as the Jawadhi Hills, there are many traditional beliefs and homeopathic medical systems that have existed for centuries.

However, too many of the people in these regions live with devastating illnesses or die far too young because their traditional systems are unable to cope with the ailments. Many of these disease are easily preventable, but highly contagious and if left untreated, can cause a lot of damage.

Seb’s Projects India is often called upon to act as medical case workers and bridge the gap between the tribal villagers and the hospitals in Vellore, taking those that are in need of medical intervention to hospitals and supporting them through their admission. HEAL’s goal is to educate these villagers and change the stigmas surrounding ‘health seeking’ perceptions and behaviours through community led intervention. This can be done by training and educating a health worker from each village on how to prevent disease transmission and to recognize/treat ailments in their early stages.

Over the past few months, HEAL has expanded.  Seb's projects volunteers will be beginning the program in 15 tribal villages over 3 main areas, with potential to expand out to 3 more in the next week. The villages are (in 5km area blocks): 

1) Periyar Thattankuttai-one grouped village: 2 volunteers (Rajshekar and Kamala- sponsored by Karen)

2) Alleri, Putakollai, Yerikollai, Paraikollai, Arisomaradakollai, Bangalamedou, Marmaratukollai, Surutayenkollai, Atimaratukollai-one large village with smaller villages on the outskirts: 4 volunteers (Saroja + 3 others who are being identified-sponsored by Megan and Madeleine) 

3) Nellimaratukollai, Jadayankollai, Karpanankollai, Palamaratoukollai, Oseriodai (all small villages up to 20 houses each): 1 volunteer with potential to expand to 2- (Srinivasan- sponsored by John)

The health workers are: Srinivasan, 20 years old. Srinivasan is the first boy to go to college in his village.  He is very dedicated to his schooling, walking 14km a day to get there and back! Being well known and loved by all in his target area, Srinivasan is a vital addition into this program. He will keep records as well as manage medical cases known to him. 

Kamala, 35 years old. Kamala has 4 children.  She is a very friendly, motherly woman, and is part of the Ooran's (village leader's) family, hence she is seen as a 'neutral' figure in the village.  She recently attended a week long workshop on Community Led Total Sanitation, and was inspired by it, now she is planning on being the first woman in the village to have a toilet! 

Rajshekhar  has completed up to 10th std education, and is very serious about his responsibilities.  After training, he will be the person in charge of bringing those who are referred to hospital, and liaising with the doctors, as well as writing the reports, whereas Kamala will treat minor ailments and do the weekly house visits.

Saroja, 40 years old.  She is not literate, but this can be managed with the use of flash cards and support from her children. She is a very positive force in a community that is otherwise ravaged by alcohol and crime. Her community is well known for being a dangerous place, where interventions have ended in officials being killed and almost bimonthly murders occur in the homes within and around the village. Much of this is due to an internal alcohol brewing business, in combination with this village being the centre for the manufacture of illegal 'country guns' (huge rifles) that are used for shooting monkeys off the tamarind trees. Her village (Alleri) is the biggest village in Jawadhi Hills, with a population of about 300, and with another 400 living in the surrounding hamlets.

The DREAM (Dance to Reach Every Aim with the Magic in you!) uses creative, interactive methodology to teach English, computer skills and personal development to young children in rural schools around Tamil Nadu. DREAM utilises interactive and creative learning techniques that help inspire the children to learn. 
The program is designed as a 16 week curriculum, wherein DREAM volunteers work to both expand English and computer knowledge of not only the children, but also the teachers. Weekly lessons are held for all standards, with classes using dance, multimedia, music, art and play to teach the children.

Over the last two months, the DREAM team in Tamil Nadu has expanded fivefold. They have recruited six volunteers to develop a computer curriculum at Kings School Kasam, teaching valuable computer skills to 4th – 9th standards. This curriculum can be replicated elsewhere.

The Women’s Skills Group is part of the Sustainable Livelihoods Program run in the Jawadhi Hills villages, empowering one woman from every house by teaching skills such as: marketing, accounts, coordination and literacy/numeracy.

Over the past two months, the Women’s Skills Group has focused almost exclusively on soap making. Upon invitation from the District Forest Officer, the group has been commissioned to supply 2000 soaps per month to the government forest schools. 800 soaps have been made in preparation over the past month. The soaps are made from pure coconut and palm oils, essential oils of jasmine and sandalwood, ‘kaddala marveau’ and lye.

Evoloving the soap projects is moving ahead, with an interest in developing a higher end product for shops and colleges. The group has sol 100 bars to Pondicherry University and have attended a three day festival called GRAVITAS at VIT University.

This projects reaches out to the many housebound women who cannot go out to work, but who desperately need money. Many of these women are those in their twenties and have many small children at home. This gives them the chance to be productive and have the independence that an income brings, as well as save for their children’s education.

The children from Jawadhi Hills tribal villages struggle to complete school. The village’s lack of proximity to roads means that schools are not built as teachers cannot attend on a daily basis. READ started as a sponsorship program wherein private donors sponsored 6 individual children to go through Secondary School in Vellore. It has recently expanded to include over 20 tribal children from villages where no one has completed a secondary education.

READ volunteers work with these children to develop their career goals and ensure that they have the skills, capacity and support to continue through their education. READ also works with hundreds of other young people in the Jawadhi Hills villages who do not have access to ANY education; including community consultations, baseline studies, building schools, obtaining scholarships for needy students, helping young adults into community colleges to learn trades, and building the community’s capacity to ensure the next generation of children receive a good education.

The banks of the dried out river Palar in Vellore have become a massive slum. In these slums, low caste, illiterate people have very little opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty. Alcoholism is rife in these communities, and a lack of awareness and education mean that diseases such as Polio, TB and HIV/AIDS are widespread, despite being within a short distance of CMC hospital.

ILLUMINAE works with the women of these communities, finding projects to suit their capabilities, and working with them in a supportive capacity as we build up their physical skills. Many of these women will work as prostitutes. As we teach the women skills, we also work to build their awareness about health seeking behaviour, sanitation, awareness of basic diseases and how they spread, as well as helping them through issues such as debt management and dealing with domestic abuse, literacy and account management.