Times may be tough for us . . . But compared to some, we live in a luxury beyond wildest hopes and dreams!
Help the Village
Local businessman Barry Watson is setting out to build a brand new village, from scratch, for 161 nomadic tribesmen; The Yanadi Tribe.
They are currently living on government land in Chirala, Andhra Pradesh, India - but every single day, they live under the very real threat of eviction!
The Yanadi originate from a small island near Chittoor. They are a small group of semi-nomadic hunters and gatherers. When India was colonized in the 18th Century, the tribe were forced to abandon their homes and find a new place to live. Today, there are two main tribes; one in Chittoor and another in Ongole. However, there are several other smaller tribes that live separate from the main, bigger groups. The village Barry is working with is one of these smaller tribes.
Barry got involved with the Elizabeth-Ann Charity after meeting Michael and Julie Davies. They set up the charity in 2006, in memory of their daughter Elizabeth-Ann, who died in 1990, aged just 16.
They provide support and aid to villagers in Burlavaripalem, a village in Andhra Pradesh. Barry became inspired when he heard about the good work that they were doing and took it upon himself to start his own project; Help The Village. Working alongside the Elizabeth-Ann charity, Barry hopes to help the tribe cope with the modern world and provide them with the basics that we take for granted - sanitation, medicine, education.
Barry flew out to India in October 2009 and visited several villages that were in need of help. He knew instantly that it was the Yanadi tribe that he was supposed to help.
During his two week stay, Barry made friends, got to know the tribe and began talking to the tribes' leaders about his plans. Since returning from his visit Barry has already raised nearly £2,000 to go towards the buying of land and building the village. In December he started negotiations with land owners and in early January he bought two acres of land, with the option of purchasing another two acres in the future.
Barry is due to fly out to India again mid February to propose the building plans to the tribe and start the physical building of the new village.
After the village has been built and the tribe have moved in, they will live in the huts rent free. Barry will help each member, if they want to, find employment opportunities, whether it be in the village itself in one of the offices that will be built in the centre of the village or in factories etc. outside the village. They will then have the choice to buy their own small plot of land back from the charity at cost price. If they do, they will be able to replace their bamboo huts with concrete houses and it will belong to their family forever and nobody will be able to ask them to leave. All money will then be recycled back into the charity and used to help other Yanadi tribes throughout India.
If you would like to know more, you can visit www.helpthevillage.co.uk.
If you would like to get involved you can e-mail info@helpthevillage.co.uk
Or if you would like to help financially, just visit www.justgiving.com/helpthevillage