Painting Houses for the Irular Tribe

In July 2013 I spent a little time working with John painting houses for the Irular Tribal people in Kazhanipakkam village, Arungkundram Panchayat, Tamilnadu.

This involved meeting at John's house (in the beautiful seaside fisherman village of Mamallapuram) in the early mornings to pack up the painting gear on the mini bus, before heading inland to paint newly built houses for the tribe. This is an experience I will not forget. The Irular people are among the kindest I have met, welcoming everyone with such gentleness and enthusiasm despite the challenges that they are faced with on a daily basis. When painting the houses, I was confronted by the living conditions people within this tribe had. Previous housing was subject to flooding in particular seasons, and attracted rodents and snakes which provided unhygienic and unsafe living conditions.

John's program, SAVE International (South Asian Village Empowerment) has served to enhance the lives of tribal people in Tamilnadu by aiming to improve the long-term social, physical and economic conditions of the rural poor and the socially disadvantaged. For the Irular tribe, this has meant the repair and rehabilitation of their water supplies which has created a safe and abundant source of water for the tribe. And the building of safe and hygienic houses, secure from flooding and unwanted pests which has bettered their health and living conditions

SAVE has also implemented many other programs such as free tuition for school children, free woman's vocational training, community centres, free primary health centres, computer and technology centres, youth sports centres, construction, and the rehabilitation of water supplies. So there are many different areas that volunteers can contribute to.

It was a very humbling to be able to experience the beautiful spirits of the Irular tribe people, even if it was for a short time, and to learn about how John and SAVE has made such a great difference within their lives as well as in other villages in the region.

John is a stand up guy with a great sense of humour, and has a strong awareness of the needs of people within this area. I have known him for over a year, and can assure that you will have a safe and rewarding time if you choose to help out in one of the programs.