MAJOR INTERVENTION OF THE CONGREGATION:

➤ Motivation and Orientation on Socio-Economic, Education Health activities

➤ Extending service to Orphan and Semi-orphan children and aged people

➤ Running small infirmary for slum and rural people

➤ Women and Youth empowerment

➤ Tribal development

PROFILE OF THE TRIBAL COMMUNITY:

The tribal community call it as Irulas are living in Madarapakkam area where our mission extends service to the people. Most of the Irulas are living in the northern and central districts of Tamil Nadu. The main occupation of this community are hunting birds, snakes and catching rates in nearby small mountain areas. Women of this community use making baskets and making bead necklaces. The following are the status and activities of the Irulas:

• Highly disadvantaged due to the peculiarities of their language, nomadic and abject poverty, the community has suffered continuously from negative representations in the popular media and television.
• Government efforts to house them permanently in one or two settlements have failed miserably. Missionaries and other charities working with this community have educated a few members. Those that have received collegiate education rarely return to work for the development of the community.
• Ethnographic studies of this community reveal the immense ecological and medicinal knowledge that the community’s elders possess. Though their occupations have diversified, they still exhibit the characteristics of a nomadic way of life.
• Their primary occupations include hunting and gathering, sale of spurious jackal teeth, hawking varieties of needles and glass beads, advocating and selling herbs and medicines, tattooing and begging.

OUR ACTIVITIES TO THE IRULAS COMMUNITY:

Since 2004, our Congregation has been extending activities to the Irulas Community in Madharpakkam and Gummidipoondi area. We have to concentrate, especially women and children of the community. The following are the activities going in the area for Irulas Community:

➤  Orientation and Motivation to the community people

➤  Conducting formal and non-formal course

➤ Evening Study to the Irulas children

➤ Small scale domestic based income generation training to the women

➤ Health activities through small infirmary

CONTACT US:

In order to extend our service to more tribal people especially Irulas and create a better future, we are planning to strengthen the activities to more areas. Hence we humbly request the generous people like your good-self to share with us in a possible way and do the needful. Kindly contact us for the following address:

Rev. Sr. Superior General
The Society of Sisters of Maria Auxilium
No: 226 Thapalpetty, Madhavaram Milk Colony Road
Madhavaram, Chennai 600 060
Tamil Nadu, India
Phone: +918939038397
E-mail: smasistersmadhavaram@gmail.com