Women & Girls
Girlstown in Chennai
Giving Girls New Hope for the Future
The objective of the Girlstown project was to further develop and explore the most important variables in creating a new destiny for a child from the poorest and most chaotic circumstances. Girls in India face a staggering array of cultural and socio-economic obstacles to their development and opportunities in life.
In 2005, Tripura Foundation selected 50 girls from Tsunami-affected families who were truly in need. The girls came from fishing villages along the coast, such as Nagapattinum, and were living in poverty-ridden conditions even before the tragic destruction of the Tsunami. Most of the girls were malnourished, appearing years younger than their actual age, as well as dealing with extreme family conditions such as alcoholism and violence.
We moved the girls to an attractive house in Tambaram, Chennai where Tripura Foundation provides their food, shelter, clothing, education and medical care, as well as a loving and supportive environment for the kids to flourish in school and create a new destiny full of opportunity.
In addition to providing traditional education at Girlstown, Tripura Foundation has developed supplemental programming to enhance the all-around development of the girls carried out by our staff. This includes tutoring in math, English, and computer skills to enhance the academic success and job opportunities for the girls, as well as alternative education programs for personal development.
The girls meditate twice daily and use the Mind-Sound technology program to develop their powers of mental concentration and sharpen their intelligence. They often take on service projects so they can learn the importance of giving to others less fortunate than themselves.
We also organize extracurricular activities to develop their self-confidence, as well as nurture their artistic and creative abilities through singing, dancing, drawing and painting. They are thrilled to give performances for foreign visitors! We are very pleased with the fast progress of the girls and, most importantly, they are happy and healthy, and are developing ideas for a brighter future!
Assisting Destitute & Mentally Ill Women
Collaborating with The Banyan
We have supported the laudable efforts of a unique social welfare institution called The Banyan. Their Adaikalam residential facility in Moggapair, Chennai cares for 380 women with mental health issues who have been abandoned by Indian society. Of the approximately 1500 women who have gone through their doors, 850 have been rehabilitated. In some cases the women are restored to a level of mental health such that they can return to their families or work in the world; in other cases, the women are given long term care and treated with dignity.
In addition to supporting The Banyan as a grantee, Tripura Foundation has delivered education programs, including Mind-Sound Technology, to residents. Four social workers and over 20 caregivers have been trained to deliver the MST techniques to the ladies. This "Sound Therapy", as caregivers call it, is a simple way to help calm residents and give them an experience of "fresh" energy which increases focus and clarity. One Banyan psychiatrist has remarked on the improvements seen from the program. The caregivers themselves have also blossomed, becoming less shy and expressing more confidence and leadership abilities.
Challenges Facing Women and Girls
Women and girls bear the greatest burden of poverty and disease in the world today. Studies show that investing in services that improve the lives of women is a way to improve conditions for entire communities. According to a report by the Women, Faith and Development Alliance:
"Short-changing girls is not only a matter of gender discrimination; it is bad economics and bad social policy. Experience has shown, over and over again, that investments in girls' education translate directly and quickly into better nutrition for the whole family, better health care, declining fertility, poverty reduction and better overall economic performance."
- From 'We the Peoples', the Millennium Report of the United Nations Secretary-General
"There can be no significant or sustainable transformations in societies - and no significant or lasting reduction in global poverty - until girls receive the quality basic education they need and that is their fundamental right."
- Carol Bellamy, UNICEF Executive Director
"Girls' education would allow women to more easily join the labor force, increasing their earning power and the "cost" of staying home to bear children. Education, law, and social action can empower women to more easily make fertility choices (instead of having those choices made solely by husbands or others in the family)."
Jeffery D. Sachs, Author of 'The End of Poverty'
Tripura is Making a Difference
Tripura's programs are providing women and girls with food, shelter and educational opportunities that are transforming their lives. The Tripura Fund for Girls will allow us to expand our current programs and create new ways to reach even more people. Here are some examples of how our work is already making a difference: