This project is to raise the final funding needed to print & distribute 1000 copies of Hesperian's "A Community Guide to Environmental Health" in Tamil. Adaiyaalam's translation of this book will be the first book in Tamil on environmental issues. It gives villagers methods/techniques for improving their environmental and thus their health. Adaiyaalam is a non-profit publishing group established in 1998 which focuses on women, the down-trodden, the environment and rural health issues.
Agriculture is a major source of income for the population in Tamilnadu. Current methods of farming and home industries has depleted natural resources and degraded the environment. Villagers, farmers and tribal people are not aware that their actions are directly related to environmental conditions. These people only read and speak Tamil and resources in Tamil on environmental issues are non-existent.
Adaiyalaam's translation of Hesperian's "A Community Guide to Environmental Health" into Tamil empowers rural people, especially farmers, with practical ways to improve their environment. The 1,000 books (at a cost of $4,800) will be disseminated to rural and urban libraries, to students studying agriculture, to community centers in rural areas, and to farmer groups. We will work with NGOs in Tamilnadu who are working for a cleaner environment to distribute books to villagers directly.
1) A cleaner, greener and safer environment. 2) Conservation and better use of scarce resources such as water. 3) Empower people to protest sources of pollution such as factories, mines, and agricultural enterprises 4) Teaching farmers that safe farming is possible without loss of income. 5) Empowerment of farmers and rural people to help themselves.
This project has provided additional documentation in a DOCX file (projdoc.docx).
