India

In India, our first wave of charity operations started in the picturesque and serene hills of Yelagiri, Tamil Nadu, India. Three decades ago, the Yelagiri attired herself with beautiful landscape of mountain slopes, meadows, springs, orchards, fields, in short, life reverberated in beauty. All that has changed today, rusty roads carved for bullock carts are paved to accommodate automobiles. Hutments and hamlets are transformed into bungalows and resorts. The tranquillity of the Hill is slowly but steadily replaced by the hustle and bustle of city lifestyle. While the Hill deceptively portrays development, in effect, she remains a slave to urban influence invading her placidity.

Nobel laureate, Dr Amartya Sen said, “ No nation has grown out of poverty to prosperity without taking care of the basic needs of its people.” Yelagiri Hill is a classic case study of growth without taking care of the needs of its poor local tribal community. Unemployment of youth, high rate of female illiteracy, polygamy, alcohol addiction and substance abuse are some of the social evils underlying the poverty in Yelagiri Hill.

“ Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high; Where knowledge is free,
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;
…………..into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.” Wrote Rabindranath Tagore, years ago.

What Tagore dreamt for India, remains true even today for Yelagiri. It is with the mission of illumining the minds of the tribal youth and to free them from the bondage of poverty, Faith Academy Community College was launched to skill the unskilled tribal youth to make them employment ready which will offer them empowerment in society through financial independence.