Our mission is to uplift humanity without regard to religion, caste, or nationality, recognizing that all are equal in the eyes of God. We provide support to those eager to learn but lacking financial means. This includes covering school fees, providing uniforms, school bags, computers, and other essential study materials.
These are the Irula tribal people from the lowlands of Kanchipuram District in Tamil Nadu, South India. The Irula people of Northern Tamil Nadu are classified as a primitive Scheduled Tribe, distinct from the local Tamil population. Unlike castes, the Irula have minimal land ownership, often lacking even basic identity documents. Their origins are not well-documented, but they are physically and culturally unique from Tamils, likely descended from South India’s original forest-dwelling hunter-gatherers, predating the arrival of agricultural societies. Traditionally, their main livelihood was snake-catching, which has now shifted to venom extraction after the ban on snake-skin trade. Today, many Irula survive through daily-wage labor in agriculture, woodcutting, and other unskilled work, often falling victim to bonded labor, a form of modern-day slavery.
Since 2005, South Asian Village Empowerment Intl, a US 501(c)(3) Non-Profit Corporation, and its Indian partner, Tamil Nadu Village Outreach, have been offering sewing classes to rural women in the Tiruporuur Block of Kanchipuram District. Through these efforts, we met the Irula women, who, despite lacking a traditional craft heritage, have demonstrated exceptional skill in original hand embroidery, which we proudly present to you here. With the blessing of the God, who given the skill to do the embroidery displayed on this site, we have named it as “Shell pearl”.
Though indigenous people live in many regions, around 60 families reside in Kadampadi village near the East Coast Road in Mahabalipuram. However, their livelihood remains a serious concern. Even though they live on the outskirts of the village, they still lack permanent housing and basic necessities. Clean drinking water is unavailable, and there is no proper street lighting for safety. Despite generations passing, they continue to live as indigenous people without improvement in their living conditions. Let’s raise our voices for their rights and bring pride to our land.