Our Missions and Vision

Thamarai (is the Tamil word for lotus flower) the project, stands for the values of full potential and well being for a thriving people and planet. We engage with the villages near the International township of Auroville since 2006, with a series of formal and informal education projects including two after schools for 120 children, a natural health care education program and well being service, environmental and sports program and community leadership and capacity development.

In context to our 14 years of service with children and youth, Thamarai’s work has been a counter support to a strong reliance on rote education in schools, inadequate literacy skills and social issues such as debt and addiction. Thamarai continues to create an enabling environment for the children to be creative, expressive, responsible while improving their learning curve and life skills.

Purpose

Co-create an enabling environment to foster the full potential and well-being of all, particularly children.

Objectives

• To foster the full potential within and among children, youth and communities.
• To address the gap in mainstream education system by enabling a quality and holistic after school learning environment
• To support young people to become active and responsible citizens and stewards/leaders.
• To co-create an enabling community environment for well-being of the people and the planet.

Where We Are

Thamarai is based out of Auroville, an international township located in south India. A UNESCO endorsed city-in-the-making that aspires toward international human unity with a rippling effect to the rest of India and around the world. Auroville is a hub for innovators and change-makers interested in maintaining a collective climate of positive development and progress, particularly in the areas of sustainable living, education, health and green practices. This is, in part, what has inspired our project and continues to do so as we grow. Thamarai is part of Auroville Village Action Trust, which aims to empower people and communities to thrive.

We work to create an enabling environment for education and community development in villages surrounding Auroville which is in Vanur block, Villipuram district, Tamil Nadu. The average literacy of Villipuram district was 63.48%, (2011 census), compared to the national average of 72.99%. Our learning centres, currently in two villages Annai Nagar and Edanyanchavadi, are placed in or next to the sections of the villages that society has marginalised and our well being programs are mobile in Auroville Units, After-schools, Government Schools and Health Centres in and around Auroville and the surrounding villages.

The relationship between Auroville and the surrounding villages has always been one of interdependence. Local people were the teachers for the early pioneers. Today, the two are interconnected in so many ways from natural resources such as water and food supplies to 1/3 of the Auroville residents originally coming from the local villages. 6,000 people also find daily employment in Auroville and there are approximately 50 Auroville outreach projects focused on village development through a multiple of areas such as education, health, infrastructure, ecology etc.

Like the lotus flower we believe each one has the potential to flower to their fullest given opportunity.

Our Team

We are a team who passionately believe in the values of full potential, well being and empowerment for all. Our project name, Thamarai, means lotus flower in Tamil, like the lotus flower we believe each one has the potential to flower to their fullest given opportunity. Thamarai envisions to create an enabling environment for the children and young adults to be creative, expressive, responsible and productive along with improving their learning curve and agency. This we do through various programs that include playgroup, after school, leadership, health, environmental and cultural education. See our project section for more information.