DON BOSCO TRIBAL DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY
JAWADHI HILLS
Don Bosco Centre for Tribal Development
The Don Bosco Mission on Jawadhi Hills was started by the late Fr. Angelo Codello in 1976 at Koviloor. Later, 5.5 acres of land were bought at Jamunamarathur, and another Centre was opened. Today, nearly 30 years since its foundation, the main Centre is at Jamunamarathur. Some of the principal activities are: a community college which started this year, hostels (3), village animation which consists in self help groups (70), women sangams (11), night schools (73), youth groups (5), village forest communities, legal aid, micro enterprise collective (a people’s bank), medical referrals, watershed. Skill training programmes are offered to the above mentioned groups. There is a good response from the local people to the efforts of the confreres.
Hostel
The hostel in the community premises at present has only 40 boys (a reduction from 110 last year), who attend the nearby government school. They pay a very nominal hostel fee of Rs. 50 per month. The other two hostels at Veerapanur (35 small children, both boys and girls) and Puliyur (15 small boys) are free. Two candidates assist the hostel boys in the community, while the other 2 hostels are taken care of by lay people. All the children in these hostels are non-Catholics.
Community College
This is a new venture in Jawadhi Hills. The People’s Forum looks after the fee collection, payments, discipline, etc. The first batch of 26 students (including 6 girls) is being prepared for data entry in IT companies. The plan is to develop it as a branch unit of BICS in Yellagiri hills. The students pay Rs. 10,000 as tuition fees and Rs. 2000 as hostel fees in 2 installments. Life coping skills, computer and basic English are taught. However, qualified instructors are yet to be recruited, while negotiations with IT companies are still to begin.
The Codello Farm
Started by Fr. Codello in 1977, this was a model farm created by him in order to instruct the tribals in the art of farming and cattle rearing. Today the farm maintains the following: a rice flour mill, a dairy farm with 10 cows, 3 bulls and 10 calves, honey processing centre, vermin compost, poultry, rabbit rearing and piggery, mattress and pillow making from silk cotton, and agricultural and vegetable farming. Six workers are employed in the farm, with a supervisor to coordinate the work.
jawadhi@donboscochennai.org
Jamunamarathur
JAWADHI HILLS - 635 703.
T.V.Malai Dt
Cell – 94440 08880
