Join us in fostering resilience, preserving traditions, and building a brighter tomorrow for tribal societies.
Implementing holistic healthcare programs tailored to the specific needs of Rural communities, promoting well-being through medical outreach, awareness campaigns, and access to essential healthcare services.
Our current initiative focuses on creating sustainable livelihood opportunities within the tribal community. Through skill development, economic empowerment, and community engagement, we aim to enhance their quality of life while preserving their cultural heritage.
Preserving and revitalizing tribal traditions, languages, and art forms through community-driven initiatives, ensuring the safeguarding of cultural heritage for future generations through documentation, education, and revitalization efforts.
PALANI HILLS popularly known as KODAIKANAL is an eastward extension of WESTERN GHATS, covering an area of 2068 sq km and 36% (736 sqkm ) is a protected palani hills wildlife sanctuary and national park.
Palani hills has 3 different ecoregions dry deciduous forest (400m – 800 m elevation) moist deciduous forest ( 800m-1600m) and shola grassland mosaic ( 1600m- 2500m).
Around 700 years ago these hills were sparsely populated. The earliest inhabitants were Paliyans who were small, nomadic tribe, dependent on forest for food. Puliyans on the other hand the earliest agriculturist inhabiting this land. They learnt the art of terrace farming and used to grow foxtail and finger millet for their own subsistence.
Over the next 500 years several communities migrated up the mountains for various reasons. Notable among them were the Mannadiyar community , Aasari community and Pillai community. They mutually coexisted in village settlement being landlords, craftsman and wage labourers. Majority of their produce is hilly vegetables(carrot, beets, beans, potato) and hilly fruits ( plums, pears, peaches and avocado)
Much recently around 150 years ago with arrival of britishers as their escape from harsh summers that the town of kodaikanal was formed and over the years has become hill station of choice for honeymoon couples, family vacation, and youngerters outing alike
Today the palani hills is facing challenges in various front in terms of degrading forest, heavy tourism influx, and marginalization indigenous communities. Access of quality health care, Adequate employment opportunities, and access to affordable education is limited in the hills. Indigenous community like paliyans who once lived with harmony with the forest with mutual respect and worship to forest elements were resettled outside the forest after the forest act. Such resettlement have left them with minimal skills of living in civilized world, being landless have added to their woes.
Started by Mr. David Barun in 2004 is a Kodaikanal based organisation working in close collaboration with Gandhigram in Dindigul. As an organisation, The India nirman sangh is grounded to Gandhian ethos, and their presence spans from palani foot hills and palani hills. In the past, the organisation has worked with farmer groups in improving sustainable farming practices in hills. Today, their main work comprises women empowerment in terms of formation, hand holding , and guidance of women self help groups They are also involved in training, production and marketing of women centred cottage industry like tailoring unit and carpentry workshop.
With a priority being- acquiring a analyser for Hba1c, RAfactor, TSH etc the samples for which are all sent to plains and take 2 days for reporting
To start OPTHAL SERVICES for cataract screening
and surgery at Aravind Eye care,Theni
Streamlined with added service diabetic diet counselling, foot care education, HBA1C testing
You could also sponsor medicines for village clinics if our cause calls out to you
We are seeking contribution for our poor patients fund to help subsidize the cost for those with chronic illnesses and with poor social support.
We are delighted to let you know the second center started on 11th of November within a time frame of two weeks after we closed our fundraiser
Naidupuram
Sittilingi
Perumalmalai
BHS
KODAIKANAL
KADUGUTHADI
Starting from April 2024, with the help of Mr. Ramarajan social worker, tribal hamlet visits were conducted. Meeting with village leaders, elders and women of tribal hamlet was done to understand their livelihood issues Kaduguthadi, Manathevu, kadamandrevu and samakadu hamlets were discussed with
KAUNJI VILLAGE
It was 2 years since initiation of the work in Kodaikanal, The staff had picnic and team building activity in the Kookal lake & Kaunji village
We are delighted to let you know the second center started on 11th of November within a time frame of two weeks after we closed our fundraiser
PERUMALMALA village
The Team celebrated birthday of one of first staff Sr Sathya on 25 th august. One of the most beautiful things about Sr Sathya is she knows her community very well.
PERUMALMALA village
The center conducted a camp on 13th November to sensitize people in surrounding villages about the presence of the health care facility around them.
Madurai, Tamil Nadu
Dr . Vivek represented SHC at AFPI Tamilnadu meet in Nov 22 at Madurai and presented on How to set up an ideal family medicine practice
SITHARA provides its medical outreach services to 12 tribal hamlets in the Palani hills. We seek contributions to run this outreach project .
We are seeking contributions however miniscule for our
Monday - Saturday
Primary Health Care Center based out of KODAIKANAL with a vision to make quality primary health care accessible and affordable
The initiatives of SITHARA are currently focused on providing high-quality responsive and dignified primary care to the rural mountain communities as well in creating sustainable livelihood opportunities for the tribal communities
Feel free to reach us through below medium
