NEWS AT SEB'S PROJECTS
The annual day celebration in two of our villages (Seb’s school Chinnaettipattu and Seb’s school Pattikollai)was a vibrant and diverse event, combining cultural performances, educational exhibitions, and community engagement. The visit of our partners from Sebastian Hunter Trust and Corporater added a special touch to the occasion, acknowledging their support and contributions.
20 young women from Palamarathukollai and the surrounding villages in the Jawadhi were trained in tailoring and presented with sewing machines and certificates at a grand event attended by Mr.Peter Jacob and his colleagues from Bharat FIH.
We are happy that we were able to celebrate our school annual day program on 2nd Feb 2023 with a very special guest Mrs Anna Hunter who was visiting us from the UK.
It was a grand festive occasion. We got all the 9 Seb’s Schools to come together in a common ground in the Jawadi where their parents and the communities around had gathered. It was a very proud moment for the children to gather under the Sebs banner and feel a part of the big gathering of almost 360 Sebs School students. The day started with a March Past, lighting of the Olympic torch and flag hoisting. Some of the final athletic events were also conducted. Followed by an exhibition that was put up by each school, and a cultural show by each school with children showcasing their talents in speech, fancy dress, magic show, human pyramid formation also prizes were distributed and with community lunch.
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Harvesting and sale of pure Jawadhi Honey
Large quantities of honey is harvested each year in a number of villages. Seb’s projects has been helping the tribal communities to harvest and market the honey to improve their livelihood and this year also as a means to prevent migration of children with parents during certain months of the year. We have been experiencing an exodus of children from our school for about 3 months in the year which has been a real Disruption to their education. The profit from the sale of honey by Seb’s projects is proposed to be used as support to a family who is willing to foster and care for a child during this period in discussion with the migrating family and in consultation with the village education committee of each of Seb’s schools.
From darkness to solar powered light
The solar installation has made it a local attraction, particularly at night when the hamlet is bathed in the glow of energy saving bulbs.
Installing Solar Energy panels in two of Seb’s NRSTC schools Palamarathukolai and Marudavallimedu in the Jawadhi where power supply was erratic has enhanced learning of students and impacted life in their homes. It has given teachers the opportunity to get their smart televisions to work as and when required without worrying about the power and low voltage.
Thirumagal and Anuja from tribal village joined Nursing course at MA. Chitambaram college in Chennai.
Ringing a bell. Bringing safe drinking water to Jawadhi hills in partnership with Tata Swach.
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Seb’s has provided provisions for two weeks to 170 vulnerable families who are vendors and daily wage laborers in the Vellore town area and villages nearby. Each bag of provisions cost Rs 1000.
Seb’s joined hands with another local NGO and was able to provide lunch packets to 100 homeless, elderly and children and flat rickshaw daily wage laborers who stay on the roadside.
We are happy to introduce our new school at Nikkini village. We identified 40 children in this village who are school dropouts. Seb’s brought the need to the notice of the government offices and advocated an NRSTC centre be set up at the earliest. The Government provided approval for the school in November and handed the centre to sebs projects to manage it. Following which 2 tribal teachers were recruited. Damodaran and Kamala Nathan are the teachers for this new school. Children are excited to be back in school and have a local teacher.
Dream school is getting ready for children in Maruthavalimedu village situated in the remote corner high up in the Jawadhi hills.
The Humanitarian Clowns headed by Tim visited our Periyapanaparai School and did clowning with our school children. The whole of Periyapanaparai village was filled with laughter. The clowns made the school students go crazy with their funky makeups and fun activities. Students enjoyed the clowning day to the fullest.
Samundi joined her B.sc nursing in September 2015 at M.A. Chidambaram College of nursing in Chennai. (She started her schooling at Seb’s primary school, Thandayankotai ) She is the first tribal girl in her village to pursue higher education. Samundi successfully completed her course in September 2019. Her four years of learning, the challenges she faced, hard work and efforts has transformed her into a confident, accomplished young woman looking forward to a bright future as a health professional.
She had passed all her exam with good scores. She attended several campus interviews and was selected by The SRM Multi speciality Hospital which is one of the biggest private hospitals in the state capital. She is offered a salary of Rs. 15000 per month and accommodation.
Her future aim is to qualify though the Medical Recruitment Board to secure a job in the government run hospitals. She hopes that would get her a job closer to home.
As a nursing student, she mentioned that while working in the hospital she has had a number of remarkable experiences and helped her grow professionally.
When we talked to her she felt proud and happy about her profession as she learnt acts of kindness, genuine thoughts of concern, and the care that she could provide as a nurse to the patients. It was a joy to see the very sick patients make a good recovery.
She cherished her journey throughout from being a student to a professional qualified nurse. Samundi would like to thank all her donors who supported her education and made her dream come true.
Charlotte Aiken volunteered for one month to teach art in Seb’s schools. The sessions was filled with fun and colors. Using paints as a medium she introduced children to different forms of art. She also conducted a workshop for Seb’s teachers.
Charlotte visited Arni School as well as Priyadharshini special school and taught art and crafts. Her time with the children was very valuable and special.
We are happy to say that the District Education Department and SSA had arranged a study tour for the students in all our tribal schools.
The one day trip for our children was a carefully planned combination of site visit to Vellore fort and to have hands on learning experience by visiting the Vellore Science Center.
At the Science Centre, they were able to learn concepts of science through simple models and experiments.Students tried doing some of the experiments and they were also able to connect their lessons from their classroom learning.The experience at 3D theater was thrilling and fun..
In the afternoon they visited the Vellore fort museum. All the exhibits in the museum was very informative. Children were able to understand the history and they also interestingly took notes on the displays at the museum.
At the end of the day the children gave their feedback by explaining their learnings from the science center and the Museum
The winding forest roads in the Jawadhi Hills lead to a little tribal hamlet called Periyapannaparai, where Seb’s School students from 6 other hamlets had gathered for the much awaited Annual Sports Day on 3rd February.
The chief guest, Dr.Sekar Viswanathan, Vice President of the Vellore Institute of Technology, and Mr.Jyotheeswara Pillai, the Assistant Project Officer SSA, inaugurated the colorful exhibition. The dignitaries took the salute at the impressive march past. The mass drill and the lighting of the Olympic torch was performed by children. Various athletic events were conducted and the winners were awarded trophies and medals.
We are happy to inform that 6 tribal students have qualified in the entrance exam conducted by Eklavya model school and were enrolled in sixth standard . We appreciate our teachers for their tireless efforts to prepare these students.
A young baby was born prematurely in the rural village of Periyapanapari. A very unfortunate and heartbreaking story, as the mother who was 19 years went into labour at 7 months in the middle of the night. Sadly the mother died in labour. After which the baby was taken care by his grandmother in the village. The weight of the baby was reducing gradually as there was no opportunity to provide alternative nutrition.
Seb’s Projects on hearing the condition of the baby intervened and made arrangements for the grandmother and the baby to be treated at the CMC CHAD hospital. The baby was admitted and incubated for 2 weeks and provided nutritional supplements. Within two weeks time the baby had shown improvement in health and the baby has been gaining weight. Now the baby is three months old and keeping well. Sebs continue to support the baby’s nutritional needs by giving a milking cow and calf.We hope it would become a livelihood opportunity.
Amuda from Palamarathukollai delivered her baby one night at her home. The mother and child were not doing well. Her husband took the initiative to take the baby to a hospital for further treatment. Not knowing what to do next, he called our school teacher to help his wife and new born baby. The Seb’s school teacher immediately contacted the government public health center for help. Without any delay, the hospital arranged for an ambulance to pick up the newborn baby and his mother and drive them down the hill to the hospital.
The baby was treated for jaundice for two days and then discharged. The family was grateful for the ambulance service. The hospital officials were also excited that they could provide the timely services to save the mother and child. The Primary Health Centre staff remarked that this was the first time they were able to extend their emergency services to the people of the Jawadhi Hills.
A small People’s Market shop was opened in Periyapanapari village to initiate economic activities in the community. The aim was to generate income to sustain the school program. The community is very happy with the shop. First of its kind.Thanks to Slade and Hudson for their continued interest and support.
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MR vaccine campaign was organized by the State government Health department. All the Seb’s working villages were mobilized for this campaign. 309 children were immunized in all the seven villages. The picture shows a line of children from Maruthavallimedu and Palamarathukollai Seb’s School trekking to the nearest centre for immunization.
Whilst our Balwadis (nutrition centres for babies, infants, pregnants and nursing mothers) are flourishing in the tribal villages of Periyapannaparai and Palamarathukollai, new informal Balwadis are popping up in all our target villages across the Jawadhi Hills.
Nutrition Assistants in our first two nutrition centers run early learning activities for infants, provide nutritional supplements to all children under 3 years and monitor pregnant women and nursing mothers to ensure they receive healthcare and that their children are fully vaccinated.
Volunteers from the communities are now working with our primary schools teachers in the villages of Marudhavellimedu, Thaniyamarathur, Periyathattankuttai and Kupsur to start the first phase of nutrition centres- giving out nutritional powders and ensuring every child in the community gets a balanced meal at lunchtime.