Tribal people in the jungle region of Tamil Nadu have been displaced over many years and have lost many of their traditional rights and entitlements because of legislation changes implemented by the Indian Forest Department. While the changes in law are necessary and look after the rights of animals, the authorities in the past made no contingency for displaced people and tribal people left the jungle with nowhere to go.
The S.A.F.E. Foundation have been working with out partner organisation MYWA for almost three years to improve the quality of life for tribal people who are suffering the effects of rights abuses and displacement issues. MYWA have been working to secure tribal rights since 1975 and have concentrated their efforts on access to safe drinking water, rights to practice traditional livelihoods like honey-gathering and settlement.

• Improving two local tribal schools enabling tribal children to enjoy the same education benefits as those in mainsteam society.___________________
• Assisting with education rights and resources for tribal people.
• Creating a locally autonomous and sutainable project.
• Future plans for this long-term project include addressing healthcare issues, rights advocacy and volunteer opportunities.

• In the first stage of this project we funded 12 tribal children to attend the local state school for five years, to complete their secondary education, who would otherwise not have had access to a local school due to their placement in the community. We have been keeping in touch with the children and evaluating their progress, seeing a vast difference in their lives.
• We have employed two local teachers in the two tribal schools within the community. This has doubled the teaching capacity, enabling smaller classes sizes as well as enabling children of closer age groups to learn together, as opposed to all age groups learning together.
• We have funded important improvements to the two local tribal schools, re-building a computer block essentially creating more classroom space for the children. We have installed two water filtration tanks providing safe drinking water to both schools. We have also euipped the schools with basic food stuffs, books, maps, and other educational resources, aswell as assisting in the provision of uniforms and contributing many other necessary items.

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