Podcast - the singing begins at the adivasi school in Gudalur

The school that ACCORD set up with the adivasis was a very relaxed and happy place with kids from 5 different tribes learning adademic subjects as well as art, crafts and tribal history and culture.  To find out more about Vidyodaya, click here.

They also learn English at the school - they speak 8 languages - and I tried to teach them a ninth, Gaelic, which they picked up with frightening ease... Also, featured in this podcast, is the famous 'Monkeys versus Donkeys', Unltd's lasting contribution to the children of southern India! 

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Podcast - Gudalur - ACCORD and the tribal hospital

We left the Green Hotel in Mysore for bamboo huts in the jungle near Gudalur.

Our first visit the next day was to the tribal hospital set up by Accord.  Apart from the doctors, the hospital is run entirely by members of the tribal community for the tribal community. 

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Podcast - street kids and the slum-dwellers foundation

On our last full day in Mysore, Stan took us to 2 projects run by the Rural Literacy and Health Program (RLHP). 

Firstly, we visited a small village that started out as a slum - we heard from the people who came from rural poverty to look for construction work in the cities and ended up finding even worse conditions like many other slum-dwellers in India.

Then he took us to Asha Kirana, a home and school for street kids.  Stan said it's where he goes when he feels disillusioned...we all saw what he meant when we were swamped by these gorgeous smiling kids, most of whom had come from horrific circumstances and were rebuilding their lives with infectious energy and unbelievable courage.

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Podcast - Caroline and Matt love Ravi's stove

CART and the lovely Ravi Kumar lured Caroline and Matt back to learn how to use the stove-come-charcoal-maker.  I caught up with them after their visit.

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