The Background of the Project
Kombuthooki is a small mountainous tribal village in Yercaud Taluk, 20 kms away from Montfort A.I. School, Yercaud and is situated in the interior semi-forest regions at the edge of the Shevaroy Hills abutting Dharmapuri District. There are a cluster of 18 villages and 50 hamlets with a net population of nearly 20000 inhabitants. Most of these villages, had no electricity or proper roads. Recently, with our initiative, the Government has laid some roads upto certain areas. These villages were cut off from the main stream of life. For Healthcare and education they had to walk a minimum of six to twelve kilometres. The inhabitants are entirely tribal people of the 'Shevaroy Hills', the Queen of the Eastern Ghats. These tribals are known as ‘Hindu-Malaialis’.The children were mostly underfed, malnourished and illiterate, particularly the girls. Most of the tribal people own cattle and sheep, which they graze to earn a livelihood. The menfolk either cut wood and trees in distant places or along with their womenfolk, are employed in faraway estates.
Children did not have sufficient opportunities for learning. A few elementary government schools situated in this area were in deplorable condition, with very little facilities. Apparently education was not a priority for most of the tribals. The Schools had poor attendance, both in terms of staff and students. The children grew up and followed their parents in their profession. The practice of female infanticide and child marriage were rather high in these areas. There were also other undesirable practices due to lack of good education. However, they are innocent, simple, and have their own unique traditions. Deprived of education and attention, they have been waiting long for the dawn of liberation and progress.
The Discovery and Intervention (Evolution of the Project)
In 1999, during an annual camp organized by Montfort Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School, for students from Std. III to XII, the Principal, Bro. George Kalangod, along with a colleague, ventured on a long walk that led them as far as Kombuthooki, in Maramangalam Panchayat, the. last village in Yercaud Taluk. He was surprised to discover a number of villages and hamlets deep inside the reserved Vanniyar forest area, extending up to the Manjavadi Ghats.
During this first visit, the children ran away in fear - but it turned out to be a historic journey, one that led them to a land where God's own children were at work and play. It wasn’t long before those same children would come running back to him.
Fascinated by the scenic beauty of this newly discovered land and distressed by the deplorable conditions of the tribals, Bro. George organized a survey of the villages within an area of 10 sq. km. The survey, conducted by the Montfort school staff and students, revealed the critical conditions prevailing in these tribal areas - especially in terms of education, health, and hygiene. The results of the survey, along with further interactions with the local people, highlighted the urgent need for a multi-pronged intervention.
More than money or materials, what they needed was education in its holistic sense - to liberate them from their isolated conditions and empower them to become part of the mainstream of life. Bro. George shared his vision and plans for the tribals of Kombuthooki and the surrounding villages with the students and staff of Montfort Anglo-Indian Higher Secondary School. Although there was initial reluctance, they gradually came forward to support and uplift the underprivileged tribals.
To bring his dream alive, Bro. George organized a ‘fancy fete’ at Montfort A.I. School and raised some funds. With this money, he acquired around 10 acres of land at Koravankadu. With the financial support of PMJF Lion G. Nagarajan, (Chairman of Raja Engineering College, Madurai), a parent and benefactor, Bro. George constructed a fairly large hall with aluminum sheet roof - a structure that continues to serve even today as a multipurpose hall where students are served daily meals. The Montfort A.I School Community, comprising Bro.Antony Francisco, Bro.Anslem, Bro.Wilfrid, Bro.Jacob Ezhanikatt, Bro.Antony PJ, Bro.Sebastian Olickal and Bro.Deepu, extended their full collaboration and support to the project.
After much reflection, Bro. George along with Bro.Antony PJ, who could be considered as the co-founder, decided to launch the Community Project in a modest way at Koravankadu, a stretch of land around a small hill near Kombuthooki village.
On 12th December 2001, in the presence of village elders, the Community School and Community Centre were started by lighting the kuthuvilakku and invoking God’s blessings. Initially, the School had just 7 children (6 girls and 1 boy) between the age group of 12-15 years - who laid the strong foundation for what would become a transformative movement and a beacon of light in this tribal belt. These children were grouped into classes based on both their physical and mental age, as they were all equally illiterate. Every day after the class and dinner for students, Bro.George and Bro.Antony PJ found enough time to visit the Centre. After parking their vehicle near the Aathupallam (Vaniyar River bridge), they had to walk 7 kilometers uphill to reach the Centre, as there was no motorable road from Aathupallam to Koravankadu.
Bro. George appointed Mr. C.A.S. Vino Vigilious, as his collaborator for the project. Mrs.Annalakshmi, Mr.Mohan and Mrs.Josephine also joined the team of staff.
Official Inauguration of the Centre and the Community School
On 29th September 2002, Thiru Thambidurai, the Hon'ble Education Minister of Tamil Nadu, officially inaugurated the Community School, in the presence Rev.Bro.Rene Delorme, the Superior General of Montfort Brothers of St.Gabriel and a large gathering of tribals from all the 18 villages and hamlets. On the same day, Thiru. Semmalai, the Hon'ble Health Minister, inaugurated the Health Centre.
Rev. Bro. Rene Delorme strongly advocated that this project and the school should remain entirely for the benefit of the poor tribal communities, free of cost. He urged that the school should not be converted into a fee-levying institution in the years to come.
Also present on this occasion were Rev.Bro. Thomas KK, then Provincial Superior of the Province of Yercaud, Brothers of the Montfort A.I. School Community, Yercaud, Mr. Suresh Kumar, Mayor of Salem, Mr. Elayakannu the local M.L.A and Mr. Selvaganapathy, the local M.P. The Ministers and other dignitaries lauded our humanitarian efforts to improve the lot of these tribals bringing education and health to their doorsteps. It was a dream that came true with many more episodes of the dreams yet to be realized.
Slowly and steadily, the number of students grew to 102. Bro. George expanded the team of staff to meet the growing needs of the school. He appointed Mr.Sebastian Dhanraj, Mr.Jeyakumar, Mrs.Lathika Devarajan, Mr.Ravidran, Mr.Rajesh, Mrs.Kavitha, Mrs.Sahayarani, Ms Shoba, and Bro.Amalanathan to strengthen the teaching faculty. After a year, the number had swelled to 410. These students included those who had never been to school, as well as dropouts from single-teacher schools in the hills.
As the land we had purchased is in a mountain terrain, with large sheath of rocks and very little soil, in order to provide playing facilities and for other extracurricular activities, we had to build massive long walls about 40 feet high. The area thus acquired was filled with earth transported from nearby places, using heavy earth-moving machinery. In the main school premises, in addition to the assembly ground, we had facility for playing volleyball and basketball games.
A mini hospital was built by the 1986 batch of the past students of Bro.George, under the leadership of Dr.Anbumani Ramadoss, Mr.Vinodhan Kandiah and Mr.Suresh Kamak. The mini-hospital continues to function in the School premises. A fully equipped dental unit was inaugurated by Dr. Shanmuga Sundaram, Chairman of Vinayaka Missions, on 18th February 2003. Regular medical camps, in partnership with institutions like Vinayaka Missions, brought health awareness among the tribal community.
Apart from the regular classes to make the children mentally and physically strong, classes were also started in Yoga, Meditation, Dance, Music, sports and games.
The response from villagers grew more wholesome over the years and more teachers were added to the faculty. A special feature of the Community School Project is the provision of a free nutritious lunch, as well as tea/milk and biscuits in the evening. Children who come to school without having had breakfast at home were served breakfast before classes began. Textbooks, notebooks, uniform, canvas shoes, slippers, and warm clothes are also provided to the students free of cost.
Since the entire area was not electrified, a 5 KVA generator was acquired. Through the efforts of Dr. Anbumani Ramadoss and other high-level officials, the area was eventually electrified in 2005. Due to the lack of local water sources in this rain shadow area, water was transported from Yercaud which is 20 km away.
Year after year, the School grew in every aspect, with increasing number of students, dedicated staff members and other added facilities. In athletics and sports, our children have excelled beyond imagination. Number of Athletes qualified at the State and National levels. For the last 7 years, our boys and girls are overall champions in Zonal, District and Divisional levels. Our girls’ football teams are also making headlines. In various curricular and extracurricular activities, our students are far ahead of other Schools.
Today, the school has a total of 910 students. Of these, four hundred and eight students reside in the well-equipped hostel, which consists of 5 separate units. The School is doing exceptionally well in academics, securing 100% results in Std.X, XI and XII government exams year after year
Dear friends, you are welcome to,
“A land where the stars never cease to shine,
Where the heavens stoop down to touch the earth
To see for yourself God’s own children at work and play”
Come and see for yourself…
Once, these beautiful hills, mountains, and valleys were the home of indigenous tribal communities. Over time, circumstances have changed, and their rightful place in society has been eroded. Inspired by the vision of St. Montfort and the dedication of our founder, Bro.George, the centre is committed to restoring their dignity and rightful status. Our mission is to empower these communities and help them live with pride by building a just and inclusive society - one that embraces the call to be “compassionate to the least of our brothers and sisters.”
“Two roads diverged in the woods…
And I took the less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference.”