Yanadi people are relegated to the most menial of tasks - manual scavengers, removers of human waste and dead animals and street sweepers. Their children are sold into bondage to pay off the debts of upper class creditors.  They are considered polluted and contagious.  These are the people who live in the Koduru village.

They are the modern holocaust victims; suffering humiliation, martyrdom and unspeakable horror.  They live in extreme poverty, without land or opportunity for employment or education.  BUT GOD, who is so kind and compassionate, has raised up His people to support and settle these families.

It is through our financial giving, through the practical help of Brother Rao & FACT - India (Faith Action for Community Transformation) and Erling and Solveig Thu (Norway), that God has used us to bring the good news of freedom and hope to release them from this situation.

Blessing Colony

We have taken 29 families who used to sleep under trees, by the sides of canal bounds and drainages and placed them in a brand new housing development called ‘blessing colony’.

No longer are the people functioning without light because we have been able to get electricity to ‘Blessing Colony’. We have installed one 60w bulb in the centre of each home, which provides enough light without the over usage of electricity. 

No longer are these people having to use the polluted water from the drains and canals because we have provided two drinking water tap connections as well as fixing another water hand pump for household purposes.

Before handing over the buildings in ‘Blessing Colony’ we felt it right to form a committee of Yanadi people who would ensure that the property is maintained with regular supervising, cleaning, washing the rooms and maintaining the toilets.

The Yanadi people will have to pay the electricity bill, water and house tax in the future and so to prepare  them for this, FACT has established a co-op bank account where money is deposited every month by each family to cover the future expenditure of the colony.  

We are able to leave this small community knowing that the responsibilities are all shared. 

Health and Hygiene

Through your support we have made concentrated efforts to improve the standard of living conditions and the health of these 29 families living in the colony.  By organising free medical camps and distributing free medicines we have helped these people to cleanse themselves from skin diseases which once plagued them. 

All the children have been vaccinated with preventative medicine for polio, DPT and small pox.  With your help we have enabled F.A.C.T. to send their staff to perform regular health and hygiene checks on all the families.

With your help we have clothed 29 families who once had no proper clothes - now they are neatly dressed.

With your help we have enabled 29 families who once ate the leftovers to now have cooking facilities  of their own and rice.

Social Services and Self Help Groups

• We have worked with local government and social services in obtaining birth cards and ration books to ensure each family receives the benefits they are entitled to.
• We have helped the Yanadi people to break the cycle of borrowing from moneylenders and higher castes.
• We have organised adult education and have seen 50% of the women learn to read and write.
• We have taught them the social skills of discussing important issues with one another.
• We are helping them to change their mindset and seeing them evolve as confident people – a people without fear.
• We have opened co-op bank accounts and are encouraging them to save a small amount of money each month.

Education and Spiritual Programs

By the grace fo God we have constructed a multipurpose community hall.  This provides a social space for the Yanadi people to gather together for special occasions.  It is used for worship services, prayer and as a school building.

More than 35 street children have been attending our school and improving their educational standards. 

Preaching the word of God and meeting the physical need = people understanding the tangible love of God.  We have been conducting regularly Sunday worship services & prayer meetings.  People are receiving salvation on many levels, and also walking in a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Generating Income 

We have been able to meet with the high caste people, the moneylenders and some of the political leaders to discuss the laws of slavery and the abuse that has been taking place. They were shocked that we would threaten court action and as a result they have backed off. We have seen these Yanadi pe ople freed from household slavery and released to agricultural daily work.  Having not been able to tend the ground for over 8 years with supplies they have been able to cultivate their own 80 acre paddy field.

Out of 29 families 15 families are depending up on catching the crabs from the Bay of Bengal, a distance of more than 8 kilometers from the blessing colony. Our supply of bicycles enables these fishermen to get to work, get to market and get home with speed and ease. They are using these bicycles without any fear, are happily enjoying their trade and are able to sell their goods for a good rate without time restriction or limitation.

In 2005 after the Tsunami, we conducted door to door survey and identified 545 families who lost their nets and 120 families who had lost their Boats. By the grace of God and with your help we were able to provide 46 boats and 334 nets for the benefit of these families.  All these families have been catching the Fish, Prawns and Crabs and generating a regular income and improving their living condition of their families.

Restoring their dignity

We have helped the Yanadi people socially & physically and often wondered how we would share the gospel with them.
By simply sharing the love of God with them - By simply showing kindness & the love of Jesus in tangible ways and acknowledging God as the provider we have seen the hearts of these people change.

God has been their deliverer.
God has dried their tears.
God has responded to their cry.
God has taken their brokenness and has made them whole.