About
Abhinavgram Society
Abhinavgram is a not-for-profit organisation registered in 2015 under Tamil Nadu Society Registration Act, 1975. It was initiated by a group of youngsters who were passionate about the development of rural communities in India. Among the people who live in rural areas of India, people who belong to the tribal communities living in remote regions are the most disadvantaged. Abhinavgram decided to concentrate their efforts on Kollimalai, a small mountain strip of the eastern ghats located in the Namakkal district of Tamil Nadu. The region is home to 40,000 people belonging to the Malayali tribe and is considered one of the state’s most underdeveloped areas by the Tamil Nadu government. By tackling issues in agriculture, livelihood, education, health, infrastructure, and overall development in a self-sustainable manner, Abhinavgram aims to holistically enhance the lives of the people who belong to the Kolli hills. The organisation is guided by a group of advisors comprising philanthropists, social activists and ex-IAS officers. The primary values of Abhinavgram are social justice, equity and transparency.
Our service area and the people
Most of India’s tribal population inhabits the Eastern Ghats stretching from Central Odisha to Tamil Nadu. Kolli Hills is a mountain range forming part of the Eastern Ghats situated in Tamil Nadu. Kolli Hills is inhabited by about 40000 tribal people living in 305 villages. Among these 57 villages with poor living conditions forms the service group of Abinavgram society. People in Kolli Hills are mostly agriculturists and have no other income source. Most youngsters are uneducated, and the school dropout ratio is very high. Changing climatic conditions and new plant diseases affecting crops hurt their livelihood. Moreover, the communities are constantly subjected to the exploitation of intermediaries and others. All these situations make people feel dependent and vulnerable. Abhinavgram, since its inception, has been continuously striving to improvise the living standards of the people who belong to these villages in a participative manner in liaison with other developmental agencies. The efforts over the past years with new ideas, mediations, technological advancement, infrastructural facilities, and educational and health aids are helping the people to achieve their dream of achieving a sustainable and hassle-free life.
Our work
Promoting agriculture
Enhancing health and wellbeing
Educational interventions
Sustainable development initiatives
Livelihood generation & promotion
Promoting agriculture
Man’s relationship with agriculture dates back generations. Agriculture has played a significant part in the evolution of civilisation. Agriculture is the primary source of livelihood for the people of Kollimalai. Understanding the potentialities in the area. Because the area lacks any development activities or contemporary conveniences, people are forced to rely on the earth for sustenance. Kollimalai’ main agricultural products include coffee, clove, pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, and millets. Abhinavgram has been making efforts over the past years to help the farmers increase their income, focusing on improving the skills of the farmers and providing them with various forms of assistance and support. The following initiatives were taken up in the area of agriculture.
Enhancing health and wellbeing
Every human needs a healthy body and mind to live a happy life. The primary health concerns of kollimalai are poor health awareness, improper sanitation, and lack of healthcare infrastructure. The field studies of Abhinavgram on the community health of people of kollimalai have revealed that most children and women here suffer from malnutrition and anaemia. There is a higher incidence of diseases in pregnant women, children, and the elderly. To address these concerns, the following activities are taken up regularly with the support of government bodies and civic service organisations.
Educational interventions
One of the primary determinants of the progress of a society is how educated its people are. Due to geographical remoteness, modern education arrived much later in this hilly region. Most people who belong to the old age here are illiterate. The population in Kollimalai seems ignorant about the worth of schooling, resulting in many school dropouts and a limited number of youngsters moving into higher education. Lack of higher education limits the community’s people from entering varied careers, which raises the possibility of enhancing their living standards. Further, the region has poor education infrastructure. Those from remote villages do not have proper road facilities to reach the schools.
Understanding this unique context Abhinavgram Society has opened tuition centres in 10 villages which are in considerable demand. We primarily focus on developing foundational skills such as reading, writing, numerical ability.
Sustainable development initiatives
Infrastructure is a prerequisite for both economic and social development. Transportation facilities are critical for remote communities to attract markets for their products and connect with the outside world. Because the majority of the inhabitants in Kolli Hills work in agriculture, infrastructure improvements would allow them to earn a fair income for their efforts. We, the Abhinavgram society, are attempting to assist them with their infrastructure needs in collaboration with native support. The following activities have been undertaken so far with the philosophy in mind..
Livelihood generation & promotion
Diversification of financial involvement is an essential character that determines the success of any individual or community in the modern economic system. Kolli Hills residents are agronomists who make a living through agriculture. They rely on the natural resources available in their surroundings and agriculture for a living. However, agricultural land employment is only available for 3 to 4 months of the year due to climate conditions here. Therefore, for the rest of the year, they must relocate to different areas in search of work. We at the Abhinavgram Society are making an effort to help the people of Kollimalai improve their living standards by assisting people to create new avenues of income generation. A sustainable livelihood can provide people with economic resilience, a sense of self-identity, social standing, and other benefits. With this objective in mind, several initiatives are being taken to enhance the livelihood, which are listed below…
Kolli hills – Paradise of eastern ghats
Kollimalai, which literally translates to “the mountains of death” in English, is a strip of the Eastern Ghats located in Namakkal district at an elevation of 1200 metres. Kollimalai can be reached through a ghat road that starts from a village called Kalappanaickenpatti near Namakkal. The route is 46.7 kilometres (29 miles) long and has 70 continuous hairpin bends. The Kollimalai, well known for its cool climate and medicinal herbs that thrive on the hill slopes, has become a popular tourist destination for nature lovers and spiritual seekers over the past few years. The most popular tourist spots include Arapaleswarar Temple, Horticulture Farm, Herbal Farm, Agaya Gangaiwaterfalls, Boat house Peryaswamy Temple, Ettukai Amman Temple, Pineapple farms, View Point, and Telescope House. The indigenous people sell agricultural produce d forest collectives, including rare fruits, vegetables, honey, coffee, tubers and medicinal extracts in these tourist spots. A healthy and delicious drink called Attukalkilangu soup prepared from a rare tuber is quite popular here. The preparation is considered effective medicine for knee discomfort. Every year, in August, the Valvil Ori festival is held here, attended by indigenous tribes and spiritual seekers.
Abhinavgram is a not-for-profit organisation registered in 2015 under Tamil Nadu Society Registration Act, 1975. It was initiated by a group of youngsters who were passionate about the development of rural communities in India.
Our Work
Contact
SAKKARAI PATTY VAZHAVANDANADU P. O. SEMMEDU 637411 NAMAKKAL DISTRICT TAMILNADU, INDIA
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