On October 2nd, Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday and the Swachh Bharat or Clean India day, we had initiated our “Bus stop Re-painting” project in Kameswaram village at Thaneer Pandal. FIN has a long history of friendship with this bus stop! We had transformed this bus stop from a dump into a…
In Kameswaram village like in most villages and towns in India – you cannot walk even 5 feet without spotting garbage on the side of the road. Now, usually, it’s because there are not enough public waste bins on the road. So this is why Friend In Need India…
How long will we continue to pollute our lakes, rivers and oceans, and beaches to honor our beloved departed ones? Today is the first day of the month of ‘Thai’ in the Tamil Calendar when prayers are offered to the ancestors. It is an ‘Amavasai’ when there will be…
Last year we created a social innovation: a calendar that spoke to the people of Kameswaram village with features like bus timing and emergency contact details. It was a big hit! This year we took suggestions from FIN staff and villagers and re-innovated the calendar by adding the government holiday…
In towns and cities, there are many outlets for musical talent to be recognised and nurtured. There are many schools of music and opportunities for development. This is not the case in villages. Earlier, women and men came to be known for their poetry and singing talent in temple functions.…
Children are the change-makers of the future and schools are mainly where their capabilities, visions, and values are built. FIN believes that by teaching children in schools about our 4Rs, i.e. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Respect, we can empower them to become environmental change agents in their community. We call…
We had a wonderful experience of the festivities at Kameswaram. At the outset, the weather Gods were kind and there was a gentle breeze from the morning. Meena of FIN explained how they celebrate Tamil New Year in Kameswaram. The Tamil New Year Festival is celebrated over 15…
I(Prof. Shyama V. Ramani) have been in Kameswaram village in Nagapattinam district for one week. I am here to do research on data governance. Kameswaram is a village with only those households classified as marginalized (in past or present) by the Indian Government. Yet, there is enormous income inequality. There…
This is not the way to honour your forefathers – “throw your clothes into our bins” On January 31st it was Thai Amavasai, or the new moon day in the Tamil Calendar month of Thai – celebrated by Tamilians the world over to honour their forefathers. On this day,…
FIN’s Vaccination Awareness Campaign The only way out of the black hole of COVID Pandemic is to take vaccination, observe social distancing, continue to wash hands regularly, avoid crowded places and observe general hygiene behaviour. However, in many countries, including India, many people are concerned about taking the vaccination due…