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The Malayali tribe of Jawadhu hills largely depend on agriculture for their livelihood. Many depend on forest produce including fruits, honey, medicines and firewood for their livelihood. Farm jobs are seasonal and low-paying. With few job opportunities, seasonal migration is high. Migration disrupts children's education leading to high drop out rates. Access to schools is challenging as villages and homes are tucked inside forests. 2017.
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![A village woman walking her bullocks over paddy to separate the grains.]()
Farming is the main occupation on Jawadhu hills. More than 50 percent people work as agricultural labourers.
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![Men and women work at the winnowing machine to separate grains from paddy stalks.]()
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![Women winnowing paddy grains.]()
Farm work is seasonal. With few jobs available, seasonal migration is high.
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![A man shows pieces of trees barks.]()
Chinnapayyan, holds the barks of the trees used in treating snake bites. He sources these from deep in the forests of Jawadhu hills. People in Jawadhu depend on forest produce including fruits, medicinal plants and firewood for their livelihood.
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![Women in red sarees carry pots of water uphill.]()
Women carry pots to water saplings planted on the sides of a small hill. This work is part of MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Act) which guarantees the right to work and provides 100 days of work for rural households.
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![Woman farmer's hands holding a stick to flatten the water filled field.]()
Women get paid about 110-120 rupees a day for farm work compared to men who earn around Rs. 200-300 for a day's work.
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![A house decorated with colourful 'kolam' or 'rangoli' design on its walls.]()
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![House painted with striking colours.]()
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![A woman and child sit in front of their tractor.]()
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![Aluminium vessel kept on a fire-wood stove.]()
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![A village woman rolling incense sticks.]()
Some women supplement their earning by rolling incense sticks.
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![Sickles and various metal tools laid out on the ground in a shop.]()
The market at Jamunamarthur, the only town in Jawadhu hills, opens every Monday morning. This is where villagers can sell their goods.
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![A knife-sharpener walking with his machine.]()
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![An old man sits on the rooftop of a building to make bundles of brooms from dried branches kept for drying.]()
An old man sits on the rooftop of a building to make bundles of brooms from dried branches kept for drying.
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![A boys walks through a bushy path.]()
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![Two boys walk through a narrow path surrounded by plants on a hillside.]()
Many homes are spread inside forests or farms, making it challenging for children to access schools and after-school support classes.
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![Mothers try to fit their children into an overcrowded auto-rickshaw in a village in Jawadhu hills.]()
Mothers try to find a spot for their children in the already packed vehicle, the only means of transport to their school. 26 children got off the auto that day. After the images were pointed out, the auto was replaced by a closed vehicle by the government school.
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![Boys sitting under a tree studying.]()
Bad roads, lack of good transport facilities, houses deep inside forests, make it challenging for children to commute to schools. With seasonal migration high, students often miss school, leading to middle school drop outs. Most families enrol children in hostels for tribal children.
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Sandhya, 5, likes to get ready for school all by herself, powedering her face and keeping a 'pottu' - the red dot on forehead. She and her brother live with their grandmother in a village in Jawadhu hills in Tamilnadu. Her parents are migrant labourers working in the plains, near Ambur. They cannot afford to visit home often.
