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Karthumbi, a children’s association, is active in all the main tribal settlements in Kerala, including Attappady. Karthumbi imparts the newer generation the multifarious tribal streams of ancient art forms, traditional knowledge, and oral lores that face the threat of dissolving into oblivion. This enables the children to realize the deepness of their sociocultural heritage. More than 2000 tribal children are active participants in Karthumbi in Attappady alone. Karthumbi is actively engaged in around 60 tribal villages in Attappady. They meet once a week to discuss the issues they face. Prominent social and cultural figures from the state, academic and health experts, and headmen from other tribal areas often participate in Karthumbi camps. Apart from THAMPU volunteers, Karthumbi also has abundant support from the mothers’ group Taayaru Ottimai and tribal headmen. “Tree – A Boon,” an annual get-together of children, prepares them to be the wardens of environmental protection.

The plant nursery in Kallakkara on the banks of Siruvani river is an outcome of their efforts. Children plant saplings from the nursery in different tribal villages. The objective is to prevent drying up of Bhavani and Siruvani rivers, the prime sources of water for Attappady. Guidance of the Greenvein Foundation strengthens this mission. Lighting the torch of knowledge, Karthumbi is starting community libraries in the tribal villages of Attapppay, imbibing the dictum “letters, the weapons to avenge hunger.”

It was in preparation of making a film portraying the issues encountered by the children in Attappady that THAMPU collected information on children dropping out of school in 90 tribal villages in Attappady. The story of the movie Gaavu was based on the study we conducted and the letters from Mashani, a girl from Paloor who used to regularly write to THAMPU detailing the troubles and hardships she had to endure in the gounder household in Coimbatore where she was working. The word gaavu means sacrifice.We came into contact with many more children like Mashani in various tribal villages.

The 30-minute film captures 3 days in the lives of the girls Valli and Tulasi, who are friends and dropouts from Kottathara school. The film brings into public discussion the circumstances in which children are forced to discontinue schooling and the perils of exploitation, outrages, and bonded labour that prowl them. The film achieved its goal and the government intervened in the issue.

Legal awareness camps conducted in the villages – both before and after the implementation of the Forest Rights Act 2006 – played a vital role in creating awareness among the tribal population of their rights. Tribal councils and mothers’ groups (Taayaru Ottimai) were trained in the applicable laws. Through this movement, tribal population gained ownership of land in excess of 1000 acres. Apart from Attappady, THAMPU associated with other social organizations to create awareness about forest rights in Kannur, Kasaragod, and Idukki as well. The law was translated to Malayalam and distributed in the tribal villages. Legal awareness classes were conducted in tribal dialects. The demand for formation of Forest Rights Committees through the tribal councils (oorukoottam) was accomplished through government order (28/07/2008 GO-2941/2008/LSGD). Thus, tribals came into ownership of 12652.22 acres of land through 8222 possession certificates. The realization that welfare of children cannot be segregated from that of that of the society of their origin reinforces the interventions of THAMPU on behalf of the tribal community.