Pathanamthitta

A mountainous tribal people, they are so far from things  many kids can't get to school, some are so sick the parents have to carry them, some mentally and physically handicapped, and most everyone has a bad cough.

*They want to make garments.

*They would like to find work but need assistance.

Kottayam-Kadapuza

This is a backwaters situation where the land is very wet, however, there is a good market around here to sell garments.

*They have a building 20X30ft so they only need sewing machines and fabrics.

Kottayam

This is in the back back backwaters of Kerala.  They live on little pieces of land between rivers and lakes.  The only have work for the harvest and cultivation, that’s 20 days 2 tiems a year,  but that is so competitive that they often end up without any work.

*They want to make snacks and sell them in shops.

*5 people trained in umbrella assembly. Need money to get parts.

*4 trained in tailoring.

*5 trained in cow rearing.

Allepey District

In this backwaters situation they are below sea level and the latrines overflow every year during monsoon season causing terrible sanitary and health problems.  They are rice rice paddy laborers but the government is paying less and less money for the rice.  Also there is now competition with outsiders for labor, where there were 5 in a field now there are 25.  The price payed goes down but inflation has raised the price to subsist hence the 70rupees per day they’re paid is only enough to feed the family for half a day (one meal).  The landlords also oppress the workers by having them level the paddy field first, collecting mud and sand.  Then they move them to another field and make them clear it again, not allowing the workers to reap the benefits of the cultivation.  

*They have special plants here that are used to make floor mats, baskets, and handbags.  People from outside the area don’t have access to this plant so there is a very good market for it.  They can sell it in rolls and sell the manufactured goods.

**They need a shed to do the work because of all the flooding, they can’t do it on the ground.  This would cost about 10,000 rupees for the land, 50,000r for the shed and 75,000r for the work/materials needed to design and make the shed.

There are 53 families here that would donate labor and benefit from this project.

Mulamoodu

This village is in a situation of extreme poverty on the outskirts of Trivandrum.  No electricity, no natural resources, most everyone is unhealthy.

*12 Tailors.  Need machines and a room to work.

*8 Metal workers/ Rock breakers.  Need materials.

*2 want to sell vegetables.  Need 500 rupees for the first 3 days of produce.

Mutakkadu

These women live amongst coconut and banana trees and are already saving 10r per month, thus far having a savings of 630rupees.

*Would like 13 sewing machines and a room to work.

* Rock breaking.  Need 4000rupees for materials and tools.

*Landowners lease paddy land so they’d need 7000r for the first year lease and 3000r for the seeds.

Kulathamal

They live in a low cost housing situation without access to the road, nor government assistance.  For generations they made coconut oil and would like to continue doing it but the now have to deal with new landowners.

*They need permission and then materials to start up coconut oil making business.

*They have looms that need to be fixed and then the women could also make a profit making cloths.

Trivandrum districts Kollaperuvazhi and Goodsyard

The common situation here is that they are all living below the poverty line and struggling hard to survive.  They can’t get access to the natural resources in the area, and the government and big businesses keep taking the poor peoples land without giving any land or jobs in return.  They’re being oppressed by globalization and privatization without being tied to it in any productive way.  The old caste system severely limits their access to employment.

*In Goodsyard, they already have 27 sewing machines.  They need money for the first set of fabrics, 9000r for an embroidery machine, 4000r for a locking machine, and some help with the organization of setting up a successful tailoring business.

*In Kollaperuvazhi, they’d like to start a clothes/ fabric store.

*They can sell pickles, jam, and ayurvedic soap to save money for the store.  They’d need a donation to get these small projects started.