FRIENDS OF TRIBAL SOCIETY in action
FTS envisages implementating a thoroughgoing grassroot plan of bringing
education, health-care and recreation facilities to the milions of Vanavasis
(Tribals) living at the margin of our society.
One-Teacher School
The goal is to provide non-formal primary education to children of every
vanavasi vilage through a One-Teacher School in the old Gurukul tradition.
No buildings or structures. Classes are mostly held under trees. An educated
socially oriented local youth is chosen as a teacher. FTS gives him an
honorarium and also provides teaching aids such as blackboards, pencils,
slates, paper, bools, etc. Education also involves training in traditional
sports and culture.
Vanavasis Health-care
The other most important need of Vanavasis is health-care. Facilities for
treatment of their common ailments are virtually non-existent. To meet this
very basic need, FTS provides one doctor for every cluster of 30 villages
and equips him with a cycle or a motorcycle, medicines etc. He visits 6 to
8 villages a day so that every village is covered once a week.
The Humble Beginnings
There are approximately 1,17 ,000 Vanavasi villages in the country, and
the FTS program aims to cover all these in a comprehensive network for
fostering development.
The program took off in 1988-89, with about 100 One-Teacher Schools in
South Bihar. By 1992-93, the number of villages covered went upto 700. FTS
has a target to reach 2000 villages by 1994-95, out of which about 1000
villages will have visiting doctors. We are well ahead of schedule. Upto
March 94 we had covered approximately 17,200 villages.
To keep you informed, we will send you a `progress report' of your
`adopted' village or school, from time to time, so that you can monitor
the developments - even from a great distance.
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