Rural Development Trust
Thiruporur, Kancheepuram District
TAMIL NADU

Project Description

This migrant children school project started with Asha Seattle's support in June 2005. Thousands of migrant Andhra workers from rural areas are currently living in the IT corridor area in Chennai,Tamil Nadu. Many of these workers were engaged in traditional vocations in their native villages. The non-viability of traditional vocations such and farming and fishing has drove them to work in the booming construction industry of the IT corridor.The government schools of Tamil Nadu will not accept these children into their schools as they cannot speak Tamil.

Asha Seattle currently supports salaries of 23 staff which incldues 13 telugu teachers, 3 tamil teachers , 1 oriya teacher, 2 program coordinator and 3 cooks. They provide afternoon meals , learning materials and uniforms for very needy children. They ensure that the children are getting the proper health care facilities from the government primary health care centers. Health camps are organized on a regular basis as well.

Overall they take care of the needs of the migrant community in the area. They have helped bonded laborer and taken care of children who have undergone sexual abuse.

Over the last 2 years RDT has been lobbying with local education officers and government schools to get support to run the school. In 2007 they were able to get local support which included land and building space to run all the schools. In 2008 they received support from the government through the Integrated Child Development Scheme for running the Anganawadis. The government has also promised them a grant to run the migrant schools in 2009.

SSA government official visit the schools regularly to evaluate the schools.

Purpose / Goals

The school aims to wean children away from construction labor jobs and juvenile delinquency by providing them with formal education opportunities. To this end, it serves as a bridge school, enabling children to study through classes 1-8. Schools are currently being run in eight villages where there is a large migrant population.

RDT aims to continuously educate the migrant community on their rights

Promote child rights and prevent sexual abuse of the migrant population

Work with primary health care centres to provide proper health care facilities to the migrant population.

Organization Description

Rural development Trust ( RDT) was constituted on 10.01.1992 as a public charitable Trust with office at No 38, Old Mahabalipuram Road, Thiruporur, Kanchipuram Dist., Tamilnadu 603110. The Trust deed named three trustees to manage the affairs of the trust. The Trust was registered on 10.02.1992 in the office of the Joint Sub Registrar, Adyar, with registration number 130/ 1992.

In the past, RDT has worked for the emancipation of women, dalits and Irular tribes. The group is currently running a school for the children of migrant Andhra workers in Tamil Nadu. For more information about RDT and its activities, please consult the documents on this webpage.