Service Projects were an aspect of our Group Project Abroad that allowed smaller teams of participants to interact before the trip to India coordinating possible events or activities to connect one-on-one with people in varied circumstances in South India.  The following were suggested by Janet Lowry, project director from past engagements and evolved into the six projects which we executed as part of our Fulbright-Hays experience.  Several are continuing to evolve as a result of this dimension of our study of societal change in South India.

For a full report of each project, click on the link after the project description.

SAKHI – Women’s Resource Centre in
Thiruvananthapuram, capital of Kerala
Sue Blanchette, Elaine Cho, and Aditi Samarth worked raising funds for library books and helped shop for them as well as brought donated infant clothing and baby items for their work with local women. more

Dalit Community Interaction
Aluva, Kerala near Union Christian College
Lisa Brown and Neil Sreenan worked with the Rev. Thomas John as intermediary and translator for interviews and colony tour.  Heath Henry joined a second group meeting that evening.  more

Union Christian College
A writing workshop in Aluva, Kerala
Keith Landry and Ted Yeager with the help of Elaine Cho put on a writing workshop to inform faculty and students of UCC about the kinds of problems Indian students in America present when trying to fulfill college assignments in the Dallas County Community College District.

Lady Doak College in Madurai, Tamil Nadu
Outreach with Love and Care Orphanage
Karen Malinowsky, Melanie Fox Kean, and Lorraine McCord worked with Arul Rani of LDC about a possible project and the entire Fulbright-Hays group met with the children and staff for some activities.  Karen followed up with a clothing drive at her Allen school in the fall.

ECHO Trust in Pudukkottai District, Tamil Nadu
Organic farming and native crops support
Eges Egedigwe, Heath Henry and Pamela Ice area working with M. Muthusamy, director, about potential follow-up from our tour of their nine acre Green Farm demonstration project.  A potential late summer 2008 visit to the USA by the director may continue networking about sustainable agriculture practices.

Ewart Women’s Christian College and Creche in
Melrosapuram, outside Chennai, Tamil Nadu
John Laine, Staci Schneider, and Julia Shahid working with Anne Dayanandan our contact for the Church of South India Diocese of Madras, a Presbyterian mission worker on behalf of EWCC.  We brought children’s books for the child care center and put together a workshop of public speaking in which Lisa Brown, Eges Egedigwe, Heath Henry, and Janet Lowry also participated.  We brought karate gear and books for the college.  Julia continues with periodic email exchanges with a group of the young women there.
Read the Ewart's College news letter which features us here (page 3).