A school that successfully incorporates “the forests and the Adivasi way of life”: Vidyodaya at Gudalur – Tamil Nadu

The forest in Shanthi Teacher’s classroom Priti David, Ruralindiaonline.org May 23, 2018 | To read the full story or view a slideshow, click here | View on Instagram >> The forest enters the classroom at Vidyodaya School, Gudalur, when ‘Shanthi Teacher’ starts the mathematics session. Adivasi children, mostly nine-year-olds in this class, scurry outside, climbing … Read more

A balanced curriculum that helps children “retain the tribal values that have relevance even today and accept the good brought in by modernization”: Interview with the founders of the Vidyodaya School for Adivasi children – Tamil Nadu

The Vidyodaya School Tucked away in the Blue Mountains, close to Ooty, the tourist destination of Tamil Nadu in southern India, is the small sleepy town of Gudalur, the home town of Rama and B. Ramdas. Gudalur is a land of tea, coffee and pepper. The region is home to the Betta Kurumba, Mullu Kurumba, … Read more

Vidyodaya’s summer camp for learning, brainstorming, fun, observations, discussions and reflections – Tamil Nadu

Camps had always played an important role to build relationships among the children. 92 children attended the camps this year – with lot of learning, brainstorming, fun, observations, discussions and reflections. Feedback from the children We wish the camps run for 2 weeks. We got some ideas to tackle the problem of alcoholism I have got one more family and … Read more

Training women as Health Workers and resource persons : Ashwini’s Community Health Programme for the tribal communities of Gudalur Valley (Nilgiri) – Tamil Nadu

A health program for the people by the people | For up-to-date information about Ashwini’s Community Health Programme, click here >> The intervention on the Health situation of Adivasis started with the training of tribal women as Health Workers. Tribal women, who were till the other day, considered only as manual workers, suddenly became the … Read more

Peaceful coexistence with elephants: Avoiding human-animal conflict as part of tribal culture – Tamil Nadu

Shruti Agarwal, Gudalur, 30 September 2013 A Bettakurumba man watches a herd of elephants at close quarters | Read the full blog and view more photos here >> Coexisting with elephants would seem unthinkable and impossible to most of us. Yet adivasis in Gudalur have done so for generations and continue to do so. They share their home, the … Read more